Welcome to another installment of Weekly Book News from Fat Forward Books! Each week, we share events, new releases, pre-order links/campaigns, acquisitions news, and more as it pertains to books by fat authors, about fat experiences, and/or featuring fat characters.

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Authors On Tour

• Emma Copley Eisenberg is on tour for the paperback edition of Housemates. Tickets may be required for some events. Dates and locations:

  • Thursday, June 12: The Center for Fiction, Brooklyn, NY

  • Monday, June 16: Books Are Magic, Brookyln, NY

  • Tuesday, June 17: Ace Hotel, Brooklyn, NY

• Jonathan P. Higgins, Ed.D has added tour dates for their book Black. Fat. Femme: Revealing the Power of Visibly Queer Voices (in Media) and Learning to Love Yourself (our inaugural Fat Forward Book Club pick!). Tickets may be required for some events. Dates and locations:

  • Wednesday, June 11: Cal Poly SLO, San Luis Obispo, CA

  • Thursday, June 12: GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco, CA

  • Saturday, June 14: Anaheim Central Library, Anaheim, CA

  • Wednesday: June 18: Whose Books, Dallas, TX

  • Tuesday, June 24: Baldwin & Co, New Orleans, LA

  • Friday, June 27: Clintonville Books, Columbus, OH

  • Tuesday, July 8: Magers & Quinn, Minneapolis, MN

Events

• Fat Hope: Writing Positive Fat Futures: Join writer and PhD candidate Sarah Mould in conversation with Sophia Apostol as they discuss what we miss out on when we exclude fat characters in speculative fiction. Free event!

  • Thursday, June 12, 7–8:30 p.m. ET, Zoom

• Fat Joy Podcast host Sophia Apostol has launched a Silent Book Club chapter! Get the details here and register to attend online sessions in June. Dates:

  • Thursday, June 12, 7–8:30 p.m. ET, Zoom (with special guest Sarah Mould, details above)

  • Tuesday, June 17, 7–8:30 p.m. ET, Zoom

Crowdfunding

• Lizzy Ives's Kickstarter campaign for her young adult novel Thick Witch Travels, the sequel to Fat Witch Summer, ends Thursday, June 28 at 7 p.m. ET.
  
  A year after finding her voice and her coven, Thrash is ready to make memories with her best friends Cresca, Saki, and Em. But everyone seems to have their own vision for the trip: Em is on a mission to find summer love, Saki’s dodging romance entirely, and Cresca… might be falling into something darker. Determined to keep their coven united, Thrash signs them all up for an apprenticeship at the famed Wainwood Academy under the eccentric Fae architect Fernicus Wainwood.
  

  But their vacation detours fast when a desperate familiar appears, begging Thrash to help unravel a powerful, and dangerous, spell. Suddenly, the girls are forced to navigate blood magic, royal politics, and the bonds between witches and familiars. And if that wasn’t enough, Thrash begins to suspect she might be catching feelings for Cresca.
  

  As her magic deepens and her relationships shift, Thrash must decide if she is the kind of witch who follows the rules—or breaks them to set others free.

New Releases

• Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli (HarperCollins)

• Plus Size Player by Danielle Allen (Bramble)

• Ancestors by adrienne maree brown (AK Press)

• Mystery in the Mountains (Magic in the Mountains Book 2) by Mary Warren (Self-Published)

Cover Reveals

• Christen Randall revealed the cover for their second young adult novel, According to Plan, slated for release on February 3, 2026. Pre-order via Bookshop.org.
  
  From USA TODAY bestselling author Christen Randall comes a cozy, feel-good queer romance about self-discovery, finding your person, and carving out a space for yourself in unexpected places—perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Felix Ever After, and Julie Murphy.
  
  Mal Flowers expected senior year fall to be full of cozy sweaters, good coffee, and copyediting. As the new editor-in-chief of their school’s literary magazine, they just want to follow The Plan to graduate and get out of their small midwestern town—a place where, as a broke, fat, queer person with ADHD, they’ve never really fit in. But when budget cuts result in the lit mag’s cancellation, Mal is suddenly left scrambling for something to replace it.
  
  That is, until Emerson Pike—who also has ADHD but is loud, confident, and Mal’s complete opposite—suggests the staff go rogue and create a zine instead. Which would be cool, except that making and selling contraband isn’t exactly what Mal envisioned listing as the extracurricular activity on their college application. A zine would be unofficial, unapproved, and definitely not in The Plan.
  
  But a zine is also a good way to spend more time with Emerson, whose playful banter and bad jokes Mal can’t seem to get enough of. And maybe, with a group of new friends, the back of the charming coffee shop where Emerson works could be somewhere Mal does belong. Because breaking the rules with Emerson—and flirting with her over coffee—is fun.
  
  Maybe The Plan isn’t the only way to find happiness, but can Mal let go of something they’ve depended on for so long?