Bookshop Santa Cruz staff recommendation:

With some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read, Palm tells the story of growing up alongside the Kankakee river in Indiana. Poetically retracing her path to adulthood and escape from her hometown, her tale is countered by that of her childhood love - now serving a life sentence for murder. These two hauntingly distinct narratives serve as a reminder of the impact our geographies forever have on us. - Magnolia

Moreno-Garcia transplants the tropes and trappings of the classic European gothic romance to 1950s Mexico, creating a vivid novel that comments on the genre while standing on its own as a modern fable. Mysterious, lovely, creepily chilling—but driven by the determination of its indomitable heroine to carry through to the last page. Every person I've recommended this to has likewise devoured it, and immediately called me up to discuss it. - Jocelyn

Set in Nigeria, this beautiful and heartbreaking exploration of sexuality and gender identity is a story of family secrets, love, and grief. Vivek Oji is dead, found wrapped in cloth on his mother's doorstep. How this came to be is a riveting tale that Emezi tells with simple, evocative, profound prose. A rich, emotionally rewarding read, I found this difficult to put down. - Trey

This hilarious and heart-wrenching retelling of Don Quixote follows high-school junior Cameron Smith as he struggles with his recent diagnosis of mad cow disease. Bray blurs the lines between reality and hallucination in this action-packed adventure of self-discovery. From talking garden gnomes to punk guardian angels, this book truly has it all. - Magnolia