Leigh's Backlist Picks Archives

Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha)

by Tasha Suri

From the publisher: "A nobleman's daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. A captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy. The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda. Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance."

Chirp

Idlewild

by Jude Sierra

Asher has one last shot to make the Detroit gastro pub he started with his late husband work. He starts by firing the old staff and hiring replacements, including recent college grad Tyler who needs money for med school. Their relationship evolves from business to friendship and then later, something more. A great behind-the-scenes on the restaurant industry and Detroit’s revival. (Semi-open door.)

Wild Beauty

by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Nomeolvides women haven't been able to leave La Pradera in more than a century. The estate gardens enchant but they also hide a tragic legacy. If the women fall in love, their lovers disappear. But then one day, a boy appears, upending everything they know. Lush, evocative magical realism—about love, colonialism, complicity, and restitution.

Fingersmith

by Sarah Waters

This is on my TBR, and comes highly recommended by MMD editor Leigh Kramer. She inhaled the last 400 pages of this Dickensian literary mystery and had to know what would happen next. The relationship between gentry and servant can be fraught—and even more so when one is running a con on the other. Maud and Susan are complex characters that beg a reaction (and a book club discussion), particularly when they do disagreeable things. With striking twists and turns, their relationship runs the full gamut of emotions, particularly because literary fiction is not known for giving queer characters a Happily Ever After.

Leigh's Backlist Picks

Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha)

Idlewild

Wild Beauty

Fingersmith

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations
for every mood

Leigh's Backlist Picks

Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha)

Idlewild

Wild Beauty

Fingersmith

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations for every mood

100 Book recommendations
for every mood