Reads 365: No.13
January - New Voices
Emerging authors & fresh perspectives
Some of the books features heavy subject matter, so please be mindful of the content warnings and research them fully.
Your mental wellbeing matters.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
✨ A caseworker. An orphanage on an island. Six magical children. Found family that will make you cry (happy tears).
Linus Baker investigates an orphanage for magical children and discovers six kids who need protecting, a handler who guards them fiercely, and a place that feels like home. TJ Klune's fantasy is cozy, queer, and all about found family, acceptance, and fighting for the people you love.
🚨Warning: Will make you believe in goodness again.
💫 Fans of Studio Ghibli vibes
🌈 Queer found family
💎 Cozy fantasy phenomenon
📚 Genre: Fantasy
🏳️🌈 Queer Fantasy
#MarginsXReads #NewVoices #TheHouseInTheCeruleanSea #TJKlune #QueerFantasy #LGBTQ #FoundFamily #CozyFantasy #BookTok #Lambda #WholesomeReads #DiverseBooks
Under the Udala Trees
by Chinelo Okparanta
During Nigeria's civil war, young Ijeoma is sent to safety where she falls in love with another girl, Amina. Chinelo Okparanta's debut explores lesbian love in a country where it's illegal, colonialism's legacy, religious fundamentalism, and the courage it takes to love who you love.
💫 Perfect for:
Readers seeking global LGBTQ+ stories
Fans of historical fiction
Anyone interested in African literature
Lesbian fiction readers
⭐ Lambda Literary Award
📚 Genre: Historical Fiction
✨ Addresses criminalization of queerness
#MarginsXReads #NewVoices #UnderTheUdalaTrees #ChineloOkparanta #NigerianLit #LesbianFiction #LGBTQ #AfricanLit #HistoricalFiction #BiafranWar #QueerLit #DiverseBooks
American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
When Fabiola's mother is detained at customs, 16-year-old Fabiola must navigate Detroit alone—living with cousins she barely knows, falling for a boy tied to dangerous business, and learning that "American Street" promises more than it delivers. Ibi Zoboi's National Book Award finalist blends Haitian spirituality with urban realism.
💫 Perfect for:
YA readers seeking authenticity
Fans of The Hate U Give
Anyone interested in immigration stories
Readers exploring Haitian-American culture
⭐ Urban realism
🖤The American Dream looks different than she imagined.
📚 Genre: Young Adult
#MarginsXReads #NewVoices #AmericanStreet #IbiZoboi #HaitianAmerican #YALit #Immigration #Detroit #NationalBookAward #UrbanRealism #DiverseBooks
Nevada
by Imogen Binnie
Imogen Binnie's cult classic follows Maria Griffiths, bookstore clerk, bike messenger, trans woman, on a cross-country journey to self-discovery and maybe mentoring a closeted trans kid in Nevada. Raw, funny, honest, and completely unconcerned with making you comfortable. This is trans punk literature.
💫 Perfect for:
Trans readers seeking real representation
Fans of raw, honest narratives
Punk/alternative culture enthusiasts
Anyone who wants trans stories not defined by transition
⭐ Trans cult classic
📢Raw and revolutionary
🏳️⚧️ Trans literature landmark
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
#MarginsXReads#NewVoices #Nevada #ImogenBinnie #TransLit #LGBTQ #TransFiction #PunkLit #Brooklyn #RoadTrip #CultClassic #QueerPunk #DiverseBooks
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon's breakthrough novel features Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old autistic narrator investigating a dog's death. What begins as mystery becomes a journey of independence, family secrets, and seeing the world through a beautifully different lens.
💫 Perfect for:
Mystery readers
Anyone seeking autism representation
Fans of unique narrative voices
Readers who love math and logic
📚 Genre: Mystery/Literary Fiction
⭐ International bestseller
#MarginsXReads #NewVoices #TheCuriousIncident #MarkHaddon #AutismRepresentation #Mystery #NeurodivergentProtagonist #BritishLit #YALit #DiverseBooks
Jade City
by Fonda Lee
The Godfather meets kung fu in an Asian-inspired fantasy epic about family, honor, and magical jade.
In the island city of Kekon, jade grants warriors superhuman abilities. The Kaul family controls the jade, but rival clans are rising. Fonda Lee's fantasy combines martial arts, organized crime, family loyalty, and brutal political maneuvering.
🏮 Asian-inspired epic fantasy
🔮Organized crime meets magic
✨ Addictive, epic, and completely original.
👥Anyone who loves family dynasty stories
💫Complex world-building
📚 Genre: Fantasy
#MarginsXReads #NewVoices #JadeCity #FondaLee #AsianFantasy #EpicFantasy #MartialArts #FamilySaga #WorldFantasy #DiverseBooks #SFF
Still Alice
by Lisa Genova
Lisa Genova's powerful debut follows Alice as she loses language, memory, and herself to Alzheimer's—but never loses her humanity. Written by a neuroscientist, this is both scientifically accurate and deeply moving, showing what it's like to experience cognitive decline from within.
💫 Perfect for:
Anyone touched by Alzheimer's
Readers seeking disability representation
Fans of character-driven drama
Those interested in neuroscience
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction
#MarginsXReads #NewVoices #StillAlice #LisaGenova #Alzheimers #DisabilityRep #Neuroscience #JulianneMoore #LiteraryFiction #Representation #DiverseBooks
January’s New Voices list