Tomorrow is the last Saturday in April, and that means it's Independent Bookstore Day! Indies all over the U.S. are hosting authors, holding special events and contests, and offering exclusive merch. So, while you're out partying with your favorite booksellers, be sure to look for exciting new releases like The Familiar by "fantasy powerhouse" Leigh Bardugo, which delves into "small magics" and a "courtly web of intrigue" set during the Spanish Golden Age; and I Cheerfully Refuse, a near-future "dystopian novel of hope, community, and love" by Leif Enger, whose hero's "optimism is rooted in an appreciation of beauty and joy." Plus, King of Dead Things by Nevin Holness follows four teens on "an outstanding, fast-paced adventure" through a London steeped in Afro-Caribbean mythology.
Meanwhile, in The Writer's Life, Darcie Little Badger elaborates on the ghost stories and real-world history that influenced her while writing the 1970s "Weird Texas" in Sheine Lende: A Prequel to Elatsoe.