For Readers: Emily

Spanning several decades, Cinema Love follows the lives of several men and women from rural China. At the center of all these stories is the Workers' Cinema in Mawei. The cinema was derelict but it was paradise to the many gay men who frequented its theaters in search of love and comfort. The mens' secrets are closely guarded by Bao Mei, the ticket seller. Her brother was a regular at the cinema before his tragic accidental death, and Bao Mei finds comfort herself in the cinema through the connection to her brother and his community. When the wife of one of the men turns informant to government officials, it seems the life of the cinema is short lived. As years pass, Bao Mei marries one of the cinema men, Old Second, and they move to NYC's Chinatown. Others there also have ties to the Workers' Cinema and other secrets held close to the chest. Cinema Love demonstrates the wide variety of relationships, friendships, and marriages between the cinema men and the women in their lives. While the story may seem melancholy on the surface, it is also tender and lovely. Overall, it's just a very human story that feels so real. Definitely pick this up if you like character-focused fiction.

When Lady Camembert's father passes, at his urging, she dons a disguise to present herself as his son in order to inherit the estate. The plan works but living incognito is very boring for the sociable and exuberant Cam. Throwing caution to the wind, she attends a ball thrown by Princess Brie. With her flair for fashion and being debonair, Cam attracts a lot of attention from the others at the ball, including the princess herself. Brie and Cam bond over their love of activism, fashion, and grilled cheese sandwiches. But things get a little bit more complicated when Cam realizes she's falling for Brie. This graphic romance is so sweet and so charming! Plus it's based on the author's own love story with their wife. Highly recommend! Warning: will definitely make you want grilled cheese sandwiches!

This novella was so fun to read because of all the personal connections I had to it! It is set in Chicago and features Polish main characters. I simply had to pick it up. And I'm so glad I did! Dymitr is a Knight of the Holy Order, a sect that is dedicated to hunting czort all over the world. He comes to Chicago in search of the elusive fern flower. Using the allure of the flower, he collects a ragtag team to help him find Baba Jaga so that he can ask her a life-changing favor. With fun folkloric elements and lots of local intrigue, this is a fun little fantastical novella. I cannot wait to read the next one! Dymitr, Ala, and Niko are a great team!

Pockets is a historical pursuit to detail the different facets of the simple pocket. Historian Hannah Carlson starts us off in the medieval era, where pockets were not included on clothing. Instead, external pouches and purses were attached to belts and hung around the hip to carry a variety of objects that may be needed in daily life. As fashion and life evolved, so too did the way we carried things. Readers will be fascinated to hear about the development of pockets, from detachable pockets hung beneath skirts with slits that allowed access all the way up to avant garde haute couture elemental pockets seen on the runways of today. In addition to the fashion history about how pockets game to be, Carlson also examines the ways that pockets (and purses) split and became much more gendered than they were originally. Size, orientation, placement, functionality, and use are all elements of pockets that have shifted drastically for gendered clothing within the last 150 years. If you're at all interested in dress history or like to look at the micro-historical aspects of daily life, this one is a must-read.

Not your average love story! Shesheshen, a shapeshifting bog monster, is our loveable protagonist in this quirky fantasy tale. She lives by herself in an abandoned mansion in a secluded forest, venturing out largely only to hunt humans and hang out with her pet bear. When her hibernation is interrupted by an arrogant knight and a couple of monster hunters, she has no choice but to kill the knight and drive the hunters from her home. Utilizing the bones from the knight to craft a human disguise, she sets out to the nearby town to figure out who is out to get her. While there, she meets and falls in love with Homily, the kind daughter of the local lady. Too bad it seems that that is the family intent on wiping her out. But whoever said falling in love was easy? Told with humor and sensitivity, this is a wonderful debut. If you like Terry Prachett, this is one you should check out.

Don't you just hate when your birthday bash ends with you becoming a vampire? UGH! Sloane's husband plans a weekend getaway trip for her on her birthday with her best friend. Though she does have suspicions that this is so he can continue cheating on her—even though he swears he'll never do that again—Sloane is excited to spend time with Naomi. And she's looking forward to relaxing while also avoiding her problems. But when Naomi accepts an invitation to a mysterious party from a handsome man in a bar, the two of them end up with birthday surprises they could never have anticipated. Endearing, touching, and utterly goofy, So Thirsty is a great horror-comedy about female friendship and finding yourself. In order to be truly happy, Sloane had to die first.