2021 Tuma's BOTM Titles

“A masterful look at the complexity of the queer experience. Machado employs a kaleidoscope approach to examine her relationship with an old partner, a woman who verbally, physically and emotionally assaulted her, her own personal experiences that led her to stay “in the dream house” of abuse, and society’s role in the oppression and devaluation of women, especially queer women and women of color. Through a mix of long and super short chapters, examples of old folk tales and pop culture, and more realistic narrative, Machado digs deep into the confusing, distorted and contradictory aspects of a toxic relationship, in which the victim begins to doubt her own reactions and motives. It’s a #fivestarreview for us, and #requiredreading! And the @librofm #audiobook features Machado reading! Amazing amazing amazing. ”

“Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London who goes to college and can't find a place to fit in, until he discovers The Drag Society. This story, told in poetry, is full of stunning language and the joy of finding your place in the world.”

“I am SPEECHLESS. I am still processing. But what I do know, without a doubt, is that One of the Good Ones is a must-read, a beautiful gut punch by a sister duo that is poised to take the publishing world by storm. Maika and Maritza manage to pack so much into so little, each moment its own universe, tackling the enormously difficult topics of systemic racism, police brutality, coming out to religious parents, epigenetics, and grief. The multiple perspectives across multiple timelines are simply perfect, lending so much to the greater story, and mystery(! I never saw that twist coming), keeping you reading into the early hours. But amidst the greater discussions of dismantling the institutions that uphold respectability above all else, there is so much joy too. There is hope. There is friendship that crosses oceans (or countries as the case may be). There is a road to recovery. And that left me with the best kind of tears in my eyes.”

“THE GIRL AND THE GHOST is a book for every kid who loves ghost stories, who likes the more twisted version of fairy tales, and prefers some darkness in their happy endings. Suraya and Pink are best friends ever since Suraya's grandmother died and sent Pink to serve her when she was just a baby. Suraya is an awkward child and doesn't have any friends until a new girl comes to her school and they bond over their outsider status. Pink becomes jealous and his darker side is revealed in ways at times quite disturbing, prompting the trio to embark on a quest to help save Pink from himself. The heart of this story is the friendship between Suraya and Pink, which makes their falling out visceral for the reader even before Pink "goes bad". And readers should know that the bad is quite bad -- hallucinations that torture Suraya until she is visibly hurting, a clever manifestation of the way kids can hurt one another. Ultimately the resolution has even more depth than anticipated and had me tearing up with a melancholy that was totally earned in the final pages. This is not a happy ghost story, but it's one that will be beloved. Content Warnings for bullying, including physical harm, gross hallucinations, emotionally absent parent, demonic forces and their evil ways.”

“Raw, but not unpolished. Dripping with sadness and honey. Rage beyond anger, a lesson in history and violence. A comprehensible example of otherness in America for those who haven’t experienced it; for those who don’t know they’re perpetuating it. An honest portrayal of a life shaped by governments’ omissions, of the lies of the self and others, and of waking to the daylight, the promise held in sunshine, and in finding one’s own voice, own words, own way of telling one’s own story.”

“The new words, tasting like America, on our lips." A beautifully-written story of a young Syrian girl's journey to Cincinnati and learning to live her everyday life of a school kid in America. Jude struggles to be brave in making new friends, in auditioning for the school play and in thinking of her brother and father back home.”