For Readers: Emily

Outside of a childhood nickname that's stuck well into adulthood, Piglet's life is perfect. She has her dream job as a cookbook editor, she has a loving fiance, and they just purchased a beautiful home where they will start their lives together. However, not everything is as perfect as it seems. Two weeks before their wedding, Kit—Piglet's fiance—wakes her up with a secret that rocks their crafted world. The reader never quite learns what it is that Kit has done, but there are clues within the narrative. The cracks in the facade deepen as Piglet tries to keep her the shiny veneer of her life. Despite Kit's betrayal, she decides to continue with the wedding. As the day of the happy occasion creeps closer and closer, Piglet's grip on herself loosens. She finds herself ravenous, nothing can fill the empty hole she has now. And the more she tries, the hungrier she is. Piglet is a literary dip into a woman's desperate attempt to give herself the life she knows she deserves. For fans of Sally Rooney and Kiley Reid.

The dancing plague that hit Strasbourg, a city along the border of France and Germany, in 1518 has long been a historical anecdote that I have been intrigued by. The Dance Tree takes place on the outskirts of the city and the plague, wrapped up in its influences and mystique. Lisbet lives with her husband and mother-in-law in the forest surrounding Strasbourg, where they keep bees and produce beeswax candles and honey. Nethe, Lisbet's sister-in-law is due back from a 7 year exile in a convent for a crime that no one will speak about. The appearance of Nethe and the fervor of the dancing women throw Lisbet's life into chaos. Will she find a way to return to normalcy? Will she want to?

A book conservator who is questioning her identities—both in gender and as an artist—uncovers a love letter on the cover of a queer pulp novel encased within a book she is repairing. Excited by the find, her intrigue only grows when she realizes that both the recipient and the writer are both women. She becomes determined to track down the writer of the letter and learn the full story. The mystery grounds her while she's dealing with personal conflicts. Her longtime, live-in boyfriend seems distant, she's struggling to figure out how she feels about her own gender while also not feeling "queer enough," and she hasn't felt artistically inspired in years. These different factors of Dawn's life lead her on a journey of discovery.

Inspired by fairytales like Bluebeard, The Green Ribbon, and Catskin, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is an atmospheric gothic-infused dual timeline tale that is both a coming of age story and a dark romance. In one half, our unnamed narrator, a scholar of medieval folklore, marries the beautiful and mysterious heir to a hotel. Theirs is a tumultuous marriage, but Indigo promises eternal love if he can promise to obey one rule: never inquire about her past. In the second half, readers are whisked back in time to Indigo's childhood. Told through the experiences of Indigo's best friend, Azure, we slowly piece together the secrets that she wishes to keep hidden from her husband. For fans of Erin Morgenstern and Ava Reid.

Etaf Rum has such a way with stories—her characters are heartwrenching but believable, complex but relatable. She's a must-read author, as far as I'm concerned. Yara is a young Palestinian-American mother living in a college town in the south. Growing up in a strict household, Yara is determined to make sure her daughters experience the love that she felt was out of her reach in her own childhood. However, she struggles with upholding the traditional values that her in-laws, father, and husband wish her to pursue. She longs to travel and engage in her art and learn who she is as an individual. A searing look at mental health and self-love, Evil Eye is a fantastic character study about a woman who is trying to find her place in her own life, despite internal and external obstacles.

What's better than an emotionally taxing graphic memoir? Very few things, in my book! Julia Wertz is a cartoonist well known for her slightly self-deprecating graphic memoirs. However, she takes a slight turn with her latest: Impossible People. She keeps with her signature sense of humor but the memoir is an examination into her struggles with alcoholism and recovery. She touches on all aspects of how her addiction impacts her life—professionally, romantically, personally—making this a well-rounded and deeply moving read. It's impossible (WINK) not to root for Wertz as she makes and learns from her mistakes and grows and finds meaningful connection in the world around her. There's not much more that I can say except that this is one that I would highly recommend if you are a fan of memoirs or comics.