The Midwest Independent Booksellers Association has selected its Midwest Connections Picks for September. Under this marketing program, the association and member stores promote booksellers' handselling favorites that have a strong Midwest regional appeal.
The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood (Putnam, $26, 9780525541844). "Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her housebound mother, and her drug-dealing boss. Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor. Two years ago the voices he hears called him to be Zee's champion. Both shy and autistic, he's barely spoken to her since, but he has kept watch, ready to come to her aid."
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (Atria, $27, 9781476749297). "For fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing, a magnificent novel about four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace."
Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers by Celia C. Pérez (Kokila, $16.99, 9780425290439). "When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed: sisterhood."
My Footprints by Bao Phi, illustrated by Basia Tran (Capstone Editions, $19.99, 9781684460007). "Thuy walks home one afternoon, angry and lonely after a bully's taunts. A bird catches her attention and sparks Thuy's imagination. Mimicking the footprints of creatures in the snow, she makes her way home to the arms of her moms. Together, they imagine beautiful and powerful creatures who always have courage, just like Thuy."
The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood (Putnam, $26, 9780525541844). "Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her housebound mother, and her drug-dealing boss. Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor. Two years ago the voices he hears called him to be Zee's champion. Both shy and autistic, he's barely spoken to her since, but he has kept watch, ready to come to her aid."
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (Atria, $27, 9781476749297). "For fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing, a magnificent novel about four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace."
Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers by Celia C. Pérez (Kokila, $16.99, 9780425290439). "When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed: sisterhood."
My Footprints by Bao Phi, illustrated by Basia Tran (Capstone Editions, $19.99, 9781684460007). "Thuy walks home one afternoon, angry and lonely after a bully's taunts. A bird catches her attention and sparks Thuy's imagination. Mimicking the footprints of creatures in the snow, she makes her way home to the arms of her moms. Together, they imagine beautiful and powerful creatures who always have courage, just like Thuy."