book list, Recommendations

Eight books about coming of age in a war zone, recommended by Ashraf Zaghal

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Eight books about coming of age in a war zone, recommended by Ashraf Zaghal

The following works of literary fiction explore coming-of-age in war zones across different geographies and historical moments. My aim is to reveal glimpses of shared human experiences beyond political or socio-economic contexts. Amid constant violence, fear, and mistrust, the young protagonists in these stories confront loss and moral ambiguity far earlier than they should. Childhood habits and innocent practices are disrupted by displacement, scarcity, and grief, leading to rapid, unstable growth. These stories linger not on battles, but on interior lives and intimate rituals. 

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my reading life

Good Intentions author Marisa Walz loves suspense and book clubs

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Good Intentions author Marisa Walz loves suspense and book clubs

Marisa Walz is a Chicago-based Federal Reserve executive by day who writes suspenseful novels about people behaving badly by night. Her debut novel, Good Intentions, has been called “razor-sharp tension and surprising twists” by Jeneva Rose. It follows Cady, a successful event planner whose life collapses after the sudden death of her identical twin. Instead of grieving, she becomes fixated on Morgan, a grieving mother she meets at the hospital, convinced their meeting is no coincidence. As her attachment deepens, compassion gives way to obsession, pulling Cady into dangerous moral territory.

We asked Walz to answer our recurring My Reading Life Q&A so readers could learn about the books that shaped her life and influenced her debut book.

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writing

Read an excerpt from Every Happiness by Reena Shah

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Read an excerpt from Every Happiness by Reena Shah

The following is an excerpt from Every Happiness by Reena Shah. She is a writer who lives in Roosevelt Island, NY, with her family and teaches in a public school. Her work has appeared in Masters Review, Electric Literature, Joyland, BBC, the American Prospect, National Geographic, and the Guardian.

Every Happiness follows Deepa and Ruchi as they form an intense friendship as girls in India that follows them into adulthood and immigrant life in suburban Connecticut. As marriage, motherhood, and class differences strain their bond, a dangerous secret about Deepa’s husband forces them to confront the true cost of loyalty and love. It is available now from Bloomsbury.

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News

See the cover for Hands by Pardeep Toor

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See the cover for Hands by Pardeep Toor

In Hands, Pardeep Toor takes readers through a series of stories that explore lofty ideals of assimilation in America and the brutal comedy of the journey. Maria Kuznetsova, author of Oksana, Behave! calls the collection “As devastating, hilarious, and absurd as the immigrant experience itself.”

Toor won the PEN American Dau Prize, and his writing has appeared in the Best Debut Short Stories 2021, Southern Humanities Review, Electric Literature, Midwest Review, and Longreads. His debut book is available for pre-order now and will be published by Cornerstone on April 14, 2026.

Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of Hands, which was designed by Hasreet Gill, along with a Q&A with Toor and Gill about its creation.

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Interviews, my reading life

Notes on a Heartbreak author Annie Lord knows that great books don’t have to be “perfect”

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Notes on a Heartbreak author Annie Lord knows that great books don’t have to be “perfect”

In her debut memoir, Notes on Heartbreak, Annie Lord reveals the unraveling of a five-year relationship and the emotional aftermath of losing the person she believed she would spend her life with. Throughout her memoir, Lord examines love, obsession, and recovery in the wake of devastating heartbreak.

We asked Lord to answer our My Reading Life Q&A so readers could get to know the books that shaped her life and influenced her book.

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News

Debutiful to host “New Arrivals” event at Denver Public Library

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Debutiful to host “New Arrivals” event at Denver Public Library

Debutiful will host a new event introducing Coloradans to three of the most exciting new voices in writing, presented by Denver Public Library, on March 13, 2026.

Debutiful’s New Arrivals will feature three recent debut authors discussing why and how they write, their path to publication, and how media influences their work.

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