Welcome to Tuesday – you made it! You should get some new books as your reward. Just so happens, I do have some wonderful books to recommend today. And happy pub day to Rioter Steph Auteri and A Dirty Word! I am also looking forward to the new Joe Ide, and the new one from K Arsenault Rivera. And the new Sherlock book from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!
Sponsored by Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep. Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice–save the woman he loves, or everyone else?–while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she’s capable of.
Also: how excited are you for The Witch Elm, the new Tana French?!? You can hear me talk about it on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked also talked about All You Can Ever Know, Bitter Orange, and more great books.
OH! And don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library.
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Real-life BFFs Albertalli and Silvera teamed up to write this meet-cute about two boys who first encounter each other at the post office (where one is mailing back his ex-boyfriend’s things), and who can’t decide if the universe is trying to tell them they should be together or steer clear of one another. Charming, funny, and oh-so clever.
Backlist bump: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
November Road: A Novel by Lou Berney
I have been anxiously awaiting for a new Berney and it finally happened! This is a crime novel about a street lieutenant to a New Orleans’ mob boss who knows the truth of JFK’s assassination. Just hours after the President’s death, he must run for his life, or wind up dead. Along his journey, he picks up another passenger down on her luck, and together they hope to reach California and disappear into the sunset.
Backlist bump: The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
Odd One Out by Nic Stone
A fantastic YA novel that examines the intersections of sexuality, gender, and race, through the story of three teen friends who might also want to more from one another, romantically, and are also dealing with social injustice. This feels very timely and honest, and Martin seems to have real insight into the situations teens face every day in contemporary America.
Backlist bump: Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Krosoczka is known for his funny Lunch Lady comic series and Star Wars Academy, but this is his personal story about growing up with addiction in his family. It’s heartbreaking but also a very important story for kids to read and understand, especially kids going through something similar. I saw him talk about this a few weeks ago, and everyone was crying by the end. It’s so good. It’s also on the National Book Award longlist this year!
Backlist bump: Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (You’ll need something light after Hey, Kiddo.)
That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books new and old (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (I HEART RECOMMENDATIONS!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!
Stay rad,
Liberty