Author Q&As

Few authors are more synonymous with summer reading than Sarah Dessen. Since the publication of That Summer over 20 years ago, Sarah's books have been a fixture of many a nightstand, backpack, beach bag, or carry-on. We're so excited to share the latest from this #1 New York Times bestselling author with you next month—it's called The Rest of the Story, and it's exactly as big-hearted and magical as you'd expect. Sarah's coming to visit us on June 5th as she kicks off an epic book tour. Come join us to talk books and get your book autographed! In the meantime, check out our exclusive Q&A with the author. We asked Sarah all about the new book, the love interest, and her favorite summer getaway.

Friends, have you seen the charming new picture book gracing our display this week? It's called Hair Love. Adapted from the animated short film of the same name, the book is a celebration of fathers and daughters—and an ode to loving your natural hair.

It's a sweet and empowering story, and we can't wait to share it with you. What's more, we're absolutely thrilled to welcome the author, Matthew A. Cherry, to the shop on May 21! You may remember Matthew from his time as a wide receiver in the NFL. Nowadays, he's an author and filmmaker—and was named to Paste Magazine's list of Directors to Watch in 2016. Matthew will be joined by our friend (and Bookworm Festival 2019 alum) Vashti Harrison, who illustrated the book and provided character art for the short film.

Check out our Q&A with the creators, then be sure to head to our events calendar for the details—we're looking forward to seeing you!

If you've known us for a little while, you probably know that we're just a little bit fond of Mac Barnett. From his laugh-out-loud school visits to engaging in-store events, it's clear that Mac has a knack for engaging with young readers and getting kids excited about books. His latest project pays tribute to another such author: The often imitated, rarely equalled Margaret Wise Brown. A gorgeous picture book biography, The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown has picked up rave reviews from just about everyone in the industry ahead of its May 21 release.

We're pleased to offer an exclusive pre-order campaign to support this wonderful book—if you reserve your copy of The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown on our website before May 16, we'll send you a first edition that's signed and personalized by Mac and signed by illustrator Sarah Jacoby. Check out our Q&A with Mac, then scroll to the bottom of the page to learn more about our pre-order offer. 

Friends, every now and then a book comes along that we believe should be on every shelf. The most recent entrant into that rarefied category is The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown. Written by our dear friend Mac Barnett and illustrated by rising star Sarah Jacoby, it's simply sublime. In 42 gorgeous pages—one for each year of Margaret Wise Brown's extraordinary life—Barnett and Jacoby create a moving, empowering portrait of a fascinating woman who forever changed the landscape of children's literature. The lovely text and stunning illustrations combine to create one of the most beautiful and—yes—important picture books we've ever seen.

We're offering a special preorder campaign to support the book—when you preorder a copy of The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown before May 16, we'll send you a first edition that's signed by Sarah and signed and personalized by Mac. Check out our Q&A with Sarah, then scroll to the bottom of the post to learn more about our exclusive offer. And stay tuned for an interview with Mac, coming soon! 

Danielle Paige is a master at taking a world you think you know and flipping it on its head in interesting ways. Just look at her bestselling Dorothy Must Die series, which showed readers a dark and eerie side of Oz that was miles away from any other adaptation before or since. Now, Paige is tackling Aquaman and Atlantis—specifically, the Atlantean penal colony of Xebel, where a warrior princess named Mera takes a mission to overthrow Aquaman and ascend to the throne. Her heart, however, has different plans. Mera's not exactly a new character—she's crossed paths with Aquaman since the 1960s. But in Paige's hands, she shines in ways she never has before—Mera is a full-fledged superhero in her own right, and Paige's new graphic novel, Mera: Tidebreaker, celebrates the princess in all her butt-kicking glory.

We're looking forward to learning more about this empowering character when Danielle Paige visits us at the shop on April 9. Check out our Q&A with the author, then pre-order your copy of Mera: Tidebreaker and plan to join us. It's going to be a super night. (We couldn't resist.)

Journalist and biographer Susan Page has covered six different White House administrations and ten presidential elections through her work as the Washington Bureau chief of USA Today. She's uniquely positioned, then, to shed light on the lives and legacies of some of America's most interesting and important political figures. Her new book, The Matriarch, does just that—it's a compulsively readable look at a popular, poweful woman who holds a special place in the hearts of many Houstonians: Barbara Bush.

We can't wait to welcome Susan to the shop on April 8, when she'll sign copies of her book and visit one-on-one with readers and fans. Pre-order your copy of The Matriarch now, then check out our exclusive Q&A with the author. We touch on the former First Lady's childhood, her life in Texas, her penchant for a good murder mystery, and more.

Have you heard about the debut YA novel drawing comparisons to Jason Reynolds and Matt de la Peña? It's Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez, and it's a stunning portrayal of two Mexican-American families in El Paso, Texas. Using three distinctive narrators, Mendez tackles difficult themes of race and social justice with a sure hand and plenty of heart. It's one of our favorite books of the season, and a must-add for your TBR pile. 

We're thrilled to host Matt at the tenth annual TeenBookCon this weekend, where he'll be joined by 23 other fantastic YA authors. Join us on March 30 at Clear Springs High School—you'll be able to attend panels, connect with authors, get your book signed, and catch a great keynote from Angie Thomas and Laurie Halse Anderson. You can register now... but first, read Matt's exclusive Q&A. Trust us: It will only leave you more excited for the weekend.

There's nothing in publishing quite as magical as a perfect debut novel. Not only does it make for great reading, but it so sublimely sets the stage for books to come. The latest debut to make our hearts flutter and our other books jealous? Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds, the time-travelling love story (written by a former NASA intern) that you didn't know you were waiting for. We'll be plain: This pitch-perfect, hilarious, heartfelt novel needs to be at the top of your TBR list. If that's not enough, take the recommendation of folks you already know and love—folks like Angie Thomas, Becky Albertalli, and our very own events coordinator, Cathy Berner. "It's funny and suspenseful—part Groundhog Day, part Love Story... a great story and a great new voice," says Cathy. And she would know—she chaired the nationwide Indies Introuduce committee that selected Opposite of Always as one of the top debut novels for young adults this spring. 

We can't wait for you to meet Justin at the tenth annual TeenBookCon on March 30—he'll be there alongside 23 other wonderful young adult authors and thousands of fans. Tempting though it sounds to time travel straight to the festival, that technology continues to elude us here at the shop. So instead, tide yourself over by checking out our exclusive Q&A with the author. Then take a minute to register for TeenBookCon so you can meet Justin, ask questions, and get your book signed. We'll see you then!

Have you heard about The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan? It's an urgent and powerful debut novel about the LGBTQIA+ community in contemporary Bengali culture that deftly balances heartache and hope. And its titular protagonist is bound to end up on your list of favorite YA characters. Don't just take our word for it, though—Rukhsana landed on the Spring 2019 Kids' Indie Next List, and has been featured on Hypable, Parade, and BookRiot. The book has even drawn praise from some of our other favorite authors, like Sandhya Menon, Samira Ahmed, and Sara Farizan.

We're so excited to welcome Sabina Khan to the tenth annual TeenBookCon on March 30, where she'll be joined by 23 other fantastic authors and thousands of fans from the greater Houston area. Check out our exclusive Q&A at the jump, then hurry up and register for TeenBookCon so you can meet Sabina, get your book signed, and spend a day surrounded by some of the coolest readers and authors around. What could be better than that?

Christian Robinson's distinctive illustrations are well-known to anyone who's been paying attention to picture books over the last several years. He's the artist behind best-selling favorites like Gaston and Antoinette by Kelly DiPucchio, and Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell, for which Robinson received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. The list goes on—Robinson has worked with Mac Barnett, Cynthia Rylant, and Renee Watson, and has twice teamed up with Matt de la Peña, including for Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal Last Stop on Market Street.

Early next month, Robinson will publish his first book as an author-illustrator, Another. It's a beautiful, wordless adventure story, and we can't wait to get it into the hands of emerging readers. Even more exciting? We're hosting Robinson right here in the shop on the book's release day, March 5. Prepare for the event by reading our Q&A, then make plans to join us—we can't wait to see you there.