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Powell's Staff: New Releases for National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 (0 comment)

In celebration of this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re recommending 12 titles released this year that we think you’ll love! This list is packed with a diverse range of stories about family, loss, addiction, identity...

Powell's Staff: New Literature in Translation: September 2022 (0 comment)
Keith M.: Powell's Picks Spotlight: Andrew Sean Greer's 'Less Is Lost' (0 comment)

What No One Tells You A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood

Alexandra Sacks, Catherine Birndorf

This book gives a most welcome dose of healthy psychological support during pregnancy and postpartum! Even though it was published shortly before COVID-19 lockdowns, it addresses many emotional complexities that often aren't acknowledged in popular pregnancy guides.
Recommended by Ruth J.

Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam

Andrew X. Pham

Gritty and emotional, this travelogue/immigration tale had me transfixed. Pham skillfully narrates his family's story both settling in the US and in leaving war-torn Vietnam. His bicycle tour through 1990s Vietnam is a fantastic (and scary!) experience no tourist could have while he seeks a deeper understanding of "home."
Recommended by Ruth J.

Like: Poems

A. E. Stallings

As a poetry newbie, I picked up this Pulitzer finalist's volume and was surprised by the easy-to-read, beautiful imagery. Stallings's respect for the ancients shows through. There was so much to enjoy from ancient Greek themes to domestic life to the ubiquitous filler word: "like."
Recommended by Ruth J.

Parisian

Isabella Hammad

This beautiful debut novel may be my favorite this year! It tells the story of Palestine's changes in WWI through the life of the cosmopolitan Midhat Kamal. Language lovers, take note! French and Arabic are abundant in the text and layer an already sweeping story with rich imagery.
Recommended by Ruth J.

Dear Scarlet The Story of My Postpartum Depression

Teresa Wong

It is so good to continue to hear honest, healing stories of pregnancy and early motherhood. It's not all blue skies all the time and you can take courage from another woman's courage and keep moving forward. Teresa is funny and to the point in this graphic memoir! Some may not be able to relate to having so many resources (human and financial) to meet their needs, but for me that doesn't diminish the impact of her perseverance through postpartum... (read more)
Recommended by Ruth J.

Kid Gloves

Lucy Knisley

Finally, a smart graphic novel covering a wide range of modern maternity experience! Readers will also learn a little about medical and reproductive history, but the joy for me is in seeing the very real experiences of infertility, miscarriage, morning sickness, and birth represented plainly. This easy-to-read, delightfully illustrated novel left me feeling understood.
Recommended by Ruth J.