Despite record book sales, 2021 was a challenging year for readers. Schools, municipalities, and statehouses cracked down heavily on books that featured marginalized voices, especially those by queer writers and people of color. Just in the last few months, the Romance Writers of America (RWA) embarrassed their readers once again by awarding a book that downplayed genocide (because the leading man found Jesus), and the Hugos decided to one-up the RWA by having their awards sponsored by a military “defense” organization.

Nevertheless, these marginalized writers fought back (and continue to do so), and many used this backlash as fuel to complete and revise their works. Independent and community-oriented groups like FIYAH’s Ignytes and bookish creatives online further grew and cultivated their own spaces.

At The Mary Sue, we want to highlight these acts of resilience and the work (fiction and non-fiction) that comes from it. These calls of resistance mirror our favorite childhood protagonists that got us into geek culture and are the same conversations we’re having in other mediums, too. In terms of highlighting these stories and questions about love and the universe, here is our January 2022 edition of TMS Bookclub—filled with fabulous debuts and new books (and graphic novels!) to pick up this month.

Brown Girls by Daphne Palasia Andreades

(Image: Random House.)

This coming-of-age literary novel follows a group of friends bonded by their similarities growing up as brown girls in the NYC borough of Queens. As children, they make a pact that nothing will separate them, but that quickly changes as they reach their late teens. The novel follows them throughout their life, tracking not only who stays, leaves, and returns to their community but also what is done with that time and who comes after.

Brown Girls releases January 4.

Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho

(Image: Viking.)

Like Brown Girls, Fiona and Jane also follow the friendship-since-childhood of two women of color, however, in this instance, the two Taiwanese American women’s lives are the center of the story. Fiona always had plans to leave LA, whereas Jane couldn’t imagine ever being content in a new place. When Fiona does leave, Jane stays to deal with the death in her family and an overzealous girlfriend.

Told in alternating voices, Ho’s book shows the women’s friendship challenged by distance (sometimes continents), communication styles, and that no matter how long you know someone, sometimes it’s hard to relay certain feelings like shame and resentment.

Fiona and Jane releases January 4.

Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky

(Image: Random House Graphic.)

Valissa feels unworthy of Preet’s love as the only non-magical person in the village, especially since Preet is the strongest. When the opportunity arises for Valissa to prove herself, she takes it, leaving everyone behind in the hopes that one day she can return to Preet. Compounding pressures put Preet in a situation where she’s forced to leave the village and live independently for the first time in her life. The story follows both women hoping to find their way back to one another with limited damage (brought on by insecurities) in the process.

The science-fiction graphic novel is definitely YA, and you can tell on the cover it is aesthetically adorable, however, if it’s anything like Zabrasky’s previous queer romance Witchlight (which devoured a few weeks back), it’s going to gut punch you and make you want to happy cry. Take that as a warning.

Coming Back releases January 18.

Trouble the Waters: Tales From the Deep Blue edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Pan Morrigan, and Troy L. Wiggins

(Image: Third Man Books.)

Edited by tastemakers and creatives of science fiction and fantasy in their own right (Sheree Renée Thomas, Pan Morrigan, and Troy L. Wiggins), this short story and poetry collection features speculative fiction connected by the theme of ancient waters. The writers in this anthology span three continents (North America, Europe, and Africa) and bring their unique storytelling style to explore stories and fantastical worlds centered on the element.

Trouble the Waters: Tales from the Deep Blue releases January 18.

Go Back to Where You Came from: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali

(Image: W. W. Norton & Company.)

This memoir and series of essays by Ali reflect on the experiences of being from a recent-ish immigrant family in the United States. In college, 9/11 took place, throwing Ali’s life into further chaos as a Pakistani American Muslim who accidentally became the cultural ambassador for millions of Muslims (in America and abroad) who were now further villainized.

Now a middle-aged dad, Ali reflects on the past twenty-plus years of personal experiences and public concerns. He touches on big topics like white supremacy, immigration, etc., while also letting his nerd flag fly in discussions of pop culture and the comic books that shaped his childhood.

Go Back to Where You Came From releases January 25.

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi

(Image: Tordotcom.)

War Girls and Riot Baby writer Onebuchi is back with his adult post-apocalyptic novel Goliath. Set in the 2050s, those with power and privilege have already left the crumbling Earth early for the space colonies (*cough* billionaires *cough*). A handful of narratives between some of the many left behind (including a space-dweller, a group of laborers, a journalist, and a marshal), when woven together, paint a clearer picture of their reality.

Goliath releases January 25.

(image: Viking, Tordotcom and Random House Graphic)

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