This post is part of a series on reading women 2019 hosted by Lonely Cryptid Media’s Narrative Designer, Dan Michael Fielding.

This leg of the challenge is all about reading the new and exciting. These are books that many not have been tried and tested by decades of readers, meaning that you and I have the chance to discover new gems.

I read through a number of recommended books lists for books published this year, and in the end my choices were between four books.

The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung tells the story of Katherine, a brilliant mathematician who travels from the 1950s midwest to Europe to study mathematics. This is a story about legacy, about Katherine drawing connections between herself and the brilliant women who came before her.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo details the life of Emoni Santiago, new mother, caretaker for her aging abuela, and high school senior. Emoni has big dreams and works magic in the kitchen with her talents and skill. I’ve added this book to my to-read list, but with my own grandmother needing caretaking of her own I worried it would hit just a bit too close to him for me to read right now.

Sabrina and Corina is a collection of stories from Kalie Fajardo-Anstine. I love short story collections, and this collection promises to be a treat: stories of Latina women with Indigenous ancestry, set in Denver, Colorado. The stories all sound fantastic, and I’ll definitely be adding this one to my to-read list.

In the end, though, I decided to read The Source of Self-Regard, a collection of essays from Toni Morrison. Morrison is a Nobel-prize winning novelist who died just last month. Her work resonates, and will continue to do so for a long time. I believe it’s fitting to read this book published the year of her death.

What book will you be reading for the challenge? Are there any other books published this year that I should hear about?