  From pulp sci-fi to a queer graphic memoir to a political deep-dive: There's something for everyone in this summer reading list, recommended by our favorite indie booksellers.
More for your TBR list Read more Black writers From the community
For Your Reading List  Credit: Catapult, Carleen Coulter The unnamed narrator in Zaina Arafat’s debut novel exists at the intersection of a multitude of identities. She is a queer Palestinian-American navigating the liminal space between cultures while grappling with various self-destructive behaviors and a contentious relationship with her mother. In vignettes that hop between past and present — from the Middle East to Brooklyn to an addiction treatment center — we are presented with a deeply affecting portrait of an imperfect woman in constant search for a sense of belonging through failed relationships and a family who does not know how to accept her. You Exist Too Much’s title is particularly apt, for it’s a story that in less deft hands could have felt like, well, too much. But with striking clarity of voice, Arafat does not shy away from the complexities of race, gender, sexuality, religion, mental illness, and family. Reminiscent of Garth Greenwell’s work, You Exist Too Much is a layered exploration of otherness and the innate desire we have to be loved and seen fully. Get your copy. —Jillian Karande
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