JANUARY 2026

Every month, we spotlight five books that have received extra attention lately. Don't miss our January picks, all from independent literary publishers:

• Absolute Pleasure: Queer Perspectives on Rocky Horror (Feminist Press | 9781558613508)—an anthology of essays that “explore the film’s complicated legacy, along with queer and trans joy, sexuality, family, generational understandings of queerness, and what we do with our problematic faves”—was featured in 100 Notable Small Press Books of 2025 (Literary Hub). Order now.
• Paradiso by Dante Alighieri, translated from the Italian by Mary Jo Bang (Graywolf Press | 9781644453452)—“a revelation in its artistry, readability, and faithfulness to Dante’s ambition for an epic poem that dares to employ language and references recognizable to its readers”—was featured in Best Books of 2025 (The New Yorker). Order now.
• Wildness Before Something Sublime by Leila Chatti (Copper Canyon Press | 9781556597169)—a poetry collection that “confronts a world defined by dualities—love and loss, wonder and despair, the gift of ‘sunflowers / by the roadside’ and the pain of losing a pregnancy”—was featured in Best Poetry Collections of 2025 (Electric Lit). Order now.
• Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd (Haymarket Books | 9798888903155)—a book that “offers a fresh, unapologetic, and powerful critique of mainstream modes of representation and the years of Palestinian politics of appeal that have only served to concede too much”—was featured in Books We Love (NPR). Order now.
• Nightshining: A Memoir in Four Floods by Jennifer Kabat (Milkweed Editions | 9781639550708)—a memoir in which Kabat “mirrors her own life experience and the essence of being human—the cosmos thrumming in our bodies, connecting readers to the land around us and time before us”—was featured in Best Nonfiction of 2025 (Electric Lit). Order now.

We've put together a roundup of eighteen books of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, all from indie presses, to spotlight in February's Black History Month and year-round.

Learn about the landscape of independent publishing in California, including local presses and magazines, regional awards and festivals, and books set in the area.

Last year was another banner year for independent literary publishing! Don't miss these titles from indie presses that were honored by major awards or included in best-of lists in 2025.

Loganberry Books is an independently owned and operated bookstore in the historic Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, that was established in 1994 and features “a carefully curated collection of new, used, and rare books in all genres for both readers and collectors.”

Jen Hallaman (bookseller and communications manager) and Toni Thayer (bookseller, buyer, and administrative director) say, “Highlighting small presses is a core value for Loganberry; it allows us to support fellow independent businesses and to direct attention to overlooked, underrepresented, or experimental books that we're passionate about. We regularly display and hand-sell indie press books—our holiday gift guide this year features books from Catapult, LittlePuss Press, and Other Press, to name a few. In a more focused way, Loganberry booksellers take turns curating a rotating monthly display of our favorite indie presses and independently run imprints. Just a few of the dozens of presses we've spotlighted in the past four years include Beacon Press (nonfiction and social justice–focused titles), Two Lines Press (translated literature), Belt Publishing (Rust Belt writing), and Sybilline Press (publishing women aged 50 and over). In addition to the in-store displays, we feature staff picks and spotlight presses in our bimonthly eNews, on our website, and on social media.”

Booksellers, we want to hear how you help readers discover small-press titles! Email us for the chance to be featured in an upcoming Indie Lit on the Shelf.

In our latest spotlight on an indie publisher, Peter Conners, publisher and executive director of Boa Editions, says, "My goal was to create a list for our fiftieth anniversary year that spotlights Boa’s greatest strengths. In 2026, we’re publishing books by some classic Boa authors, including a collection of previously unpublished poems by Lucille Clifton, a collection of new poems by Naomi Shihab Nye, and a collection by Michael Waters."

Discover poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published last month by independent literary publishers—including Tupelo Press, Hanging Loose Press, Marsh Hawk Press, and more.