Follow the lives of the workers at a nail salon in "Pick a Color" by Souvankham Thammavongsa. To the customers, they have the same uniform and haircut and have nametags that say "Susan." They spend the day bantering and telling jokes in their unnamed mother language, showing their distinct lives and personalities. Told in the owner’s observant and dry-humored voice, it’s a funny and moving exploration of class, identity and work.

Steph wants to be the first Cherokee astronaut, an ambition that drives her life and tests her familial and romantic relationships. Through Steph and the women in her life, Eliana Ramage explores a wide range of Native American history and identity. In "To the Moon and Back," multiple narrators explore family, identity, ambition and space. In the hands of a lesser novelist, the result would be overstuffed, but this epic debut is instead absorbing and thought-provoking.

Growing up in a cult and struggling with addiction, chess was a lifeline and outlet for Danny Rensch. An International Master by the age of 19, he helped elevate the level of play at Chess.com and has become the face of the website, which was caught up in a massive cheating scandal. "Dark Squares" combines a poignant story of overcoming adversity with a history and examination of the game.

In "Humanish," Justin Gregg examines how our peculiar tendency to humanize the nonhuman helps us socially connect and make sense of the world. At the same time, humanizing mundane objects makes it easier to dehumanize large groups of people. Full of research and illuminating anecdotes, this informative and astute exploration of anthropomorphism is a delightful and engaging read.

Gail Jarrow’s latest medical history book for middle grade readers, "White House Secrets," looks at nine presidents whose health information was concealed from the public. From Garfield up through Biden, it examines the history and the ethical issues surrounding presidential health. Intriguing and accessible, it’s also great conversation fodder.

Teen readers will learn all about the radical Emma Goldman in "Loudmouth" by Deborah Heiligman. Born in Lithuania in 1869, Goldman was forced to leave school at 13 to help support her family. At 16, she immigrated to America where she faced discrimination for being Jewish, an immigrant and a woman. This engrossing tale of a fierce and influential figure has many contemporary parallels, but Heiligman keeps her meticulous research and absorbing prose on Goldman herself.