Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

History books are filled with tales of cowboys and wars in the Old West, but women are often left out of the stories. This is a look at the many roles women played in the American West, and what life was like under the harsh conditions in a man’s world. Using diaries, interviews, and more, Hickman reconstructs the stories of many women who played a part in making the American West what it was, from the rule-breakers to the record-makers, and as importantly, the many marginalized women who were ignored or exploited, and whose voices have been lost to the years. (Content warnings for sexual assault, racism, slavery, sexual slavery, violence, and death.)

Backlist bump: Burning the Breeze: Three Generations of Women in the American West by Lisa Hendrickson

One of the great things about recording All the Books! a week early is getting to mention books I am excited to read, and then reading them before Sunday, so I can mention them here! Strike the Zither was indeed as great as I expected it to be. It’s an exciting YA fantasy about a military strategist in 414 China. Zephyr is loyal to Xin Ren, one of three warlordesses struggling for control of the land and the Empress’s favor (but who also want to steal the throne for themselves). When Zephyr goes undercover in an enemy camp, her loyalties will be tested when she discovers not everything in the world is as she thought it was. Plus, she comes up against Crow, another strategist who challenges Zephyr and her beliefs. It’s an exciting book, and the first in a series! (Content warnings for war, violence, gore, death, animal death, and loss of a loved one.)

Backlist bump: Descendent of the Crane by Joan He

And one last book to get you in a Halloween-y mood before the holiday. This is just a whole lot of fun, featuring several profiles of women and nonbinary people from American history who have dabbled in the supernatural. You’ll read about the clairvoyant celebrity craze of the 19th century; Nancy Reagan’s personal psychic; everyone’s favorite late-night dark mistress, Elvira; and even the new 21st century supernatural dabblers who have made a name for themselves on social media.

Backlist bump: Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

This week, I am trying to get in some more backlist the last couple of months of the year. So I am reading Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town by Kelly McMasters, and because it is almost Halloween, I am digging deep into Michael McDowell and starting Blackwater: The Complete Saga. Outside of books, I have been watching a lot of basketball. Our TV died last week so we bought a new one, and it’s like a whole different experience. I’ve never had a new television before. It’s wild! And the song stuck in my head is “Free” by Florence + The Machine, again. Pretty sure it’s my favorite song of the year. You can still listen to the playlist of music from the 1980s I made! And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon is the silliest fang face to ever fang fangs.