Very few actors have been front and center in so many culturally historic moments as LeVar Burton. From playing Kunta Kinte on Roots to Geordi La Forge on Star Trek, and being the host on Reading Rainbow—one might even say that Burton has embodied and portrayed many aspects of America’s past, present, and its (hopeful) future. Here, he traces his life, first as a child experiencing the Civil Rights Movement, then his acting career, and later his advocacy for literacy. He fills in the moments in between his major roles to show the struggle and resilience it has taken to lead such a remarkable life.

From the author of modern-day classics like Brokeback Mountain comes a collection of three new stories, plus a few favorites. Characters contend with loneliness, violence, and seeking out love, even when it’s toxic. Brokeback Mountain’s tale of cowboys in love is here, as is the story of a rodeo rider’s obsession, and an elderly man who dies just up the street from his brother’s funeral.

You don’t often come across historical fantasy inspired by Taiwanese mythology and the enthusiasm around this debut novel is big. Yu’er’s story unfolds in the Eleventh century in a small village. First sold off for marriage in her youth at the advice of a jing, then estranged from the husband she’s come to love, Yu’er takes matters into her own hands. She strikes a bargain with a jing that sets her on a path to riches and agency but away from her humanity. —S. Zainab Williams

Finally, we have the debut adult memoir from the author of All Boys Aren’t Blue. In And If I Die Before I Wake, they discuss their HIV diagnosis and their struggles with alcoholism, as well as becoming the author of the #1 most banned book in the country. “Drawing inspiration from Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, And If I Die Before I Wake explores grief, trauma, sexuality, and the Black family through the lens of transformation, healing, and hope.” —Danika Ellis

In the small Irish town of Faha, Ganga is beloved by his community, especially his bestie, Bat. One day, Genga passes away, and Bat is left with questions. As the community of Faha come together to honor Ganga, Bat starts down an existential journey dealing with love, life, and death.

From the author of The Hitchcock Hotel and Darling Rose Gold, this thriller follows a desperate writer whose publishing dreams have been dashed for decades. But this time, he’s written the perfect book, and all he needs is the perfect agent. He has one in mind, never mind that she’s rejected him before. Because he knows where she’s spending her holidays, and his book is about her. She won’t say no. She can’t say no. Because he won’t take no for an answer. —Vanessa Diaz

Anir is a young boy who has been entrusted with an ancient apiary in Morocco. But problems start to arise with this finally realized dream—inspired by his beekeeper grandfather. Problems that mirror his personal life. The landscape that has fostered the bees’ life forever is now changing: temperatures are sky-high, and flowers are disappearing. And then there is the matter of his father, who has left to find work in the city, and his mother, whose illness is so consuming that it’s starting to feel like a curse.