Sponsored by Candlewick Press.
Welcome to ancient Greece as only Newbery Medal-winning storyteller Laura Amy Schlitz can conjure it. Bound by destiny, Thracian slave Melisto and spoiled aristocrat Rhaskos—Amber and Clay—never meet in the flesh. By the time they do, one of them is a ghost. But the thin line between life and death is just one boundary their unlikely friendship crosses. Blending verse, prose, and illustrated archaeological “artifacts,” Amber and Clay is a tale that vividly transcends time, an indelible reminder of the power of language to illuminate the over- and underworlds of human history.
Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope you are all well. I spent the weekend sick in bed, but no matter, because I had books to keep me company and cheer me up! Also, it was the sixth anniversary of All the Books!, so I was in good spirits. I appreciate everyone who has tuned in to the show, it’s been a blast to record!
Moving on to today’s books: I’m looking forward to a lot of today’s new releases, such as John Green’s first nonfiction book, The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, Made in Korea by Sarah Suk, and The Stars We Share by Rafe Posey. (I will be talking to Rafe tonight for the launch!) And speaking of today’s great books, for this week’s episode of All the Books! Tirzah and I discussed some of the wonderful books that we’ve read, such as Tokyo Ever After, Ophie’s Ghosts, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, and more.
And don’t miss it: we’ve got a giveaway for a chance to win an iPad Mini! Enter here.
And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
This is a powerful, dark tale that will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it fascinating. Twins Jeanie and Julius have always had a life a little different than most people. They live in a cottage in the woods with their mother, Dot, where they have very little. They rely on a garden and hunting for their food, and they rely on each other for company. But when Dot suddenly dies, the twins are faced with the possibility of having to go out into the world at large, a daunting prospect. This is a quiet, intense story of family, poverty, and change. Like all Fuller’s novels, it is buoyed by her dark, gripping writing.
(CW for animal death, illness, violence, death, mental illness, classism, bullying, and hate.)
Backlist bump: Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
Off the Record by Camryn Garrett
This is a magnificent follow-up to Garrett’s last novel. This is an Almost Famous-like story set in the #MeToo movement. Seventeen-year-old Josie Wright has wanted to be a successful writer for as long as she can remember. And when she wins a contest to profile a celebrity for a national magazine, it seems like her dreams are on their way to coming true.
Josie is so excited when she is assigned to profile Marius Canet, an up-and-coming actor who is about to start filming a new movie with director Roy Lennox. But when Josie learns that Lennox is a sexual predator who has been protected by the industry for far too long, she begins to rethink what she is writing and wonders if she can make a difference. Will her career be over before it has started? This is an important novel about sexual harassment and speaking up.
(CW for mentions of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.)
Backlist bump: Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
The Quiet Boy by Ben H. Winters
This is a somewhat speculative mystery/legal thriller with a lot of moving pieces, so buckle in. In 2008, teenage Wesley Keener’s routine surgery goes wrong, leaving him in a coma-like state. Ambulance chasing lawyer Jay Shenk convinces the Keeners to let him sue the hospital for malpractice on their behalf. Fast forward to 2019: Shenk has been hired to defend Wesley’s father, who has been charged with murdering an expert witness from his son’s trial. Shenk’s son, now a grown man, thinks he has a chance to prove himself by solving the case. This is an inventive, unusual story about fathers and sons, responsibility, and altered reality. Like all of his other novels, Winters takes readers on an unforgettable (albeit kinda bleak) ride.
(CW for trauma, injury, illness, violence, and death.)
Backlist bump: Golden State by Ben H. Winters
Thank you, as always, for joining me each week as I rave about books! I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. – XO, Liberty