Hi historical fiction fans!
I’m finally wrapping up a long month of travel, and I am absolutely spent. If I could spend the rest of this week wrapped up in a blanket and listening to audiobooks, I would. Alas, there’s always work to be done. But at least some of that work is talking with all of you about books!
If you want to even more bookish goodness in your life, subscribe to Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition. BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wonderful world of books through interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more. Recent episodes feature Book Riot editors Kelly and Vanessa discussing the legacy of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and trying to pin down the “it” book of April. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.
Bookish Goods
Reading is Good for the Soul Sticker from Kap Kap Co
Can’t you just imagine this sticker on your laptop or favorite water bottle? It’s a truism perfect for every book lover. $5
New Releases
River Meets the Sea by Rachael Moorthy (May 30, 2023)
The parallel stories of a white-passing Indigenous foster child in 1940s Vancouver and a Tamil refugee in the 1970s reveal the sensitive nature of two young men trying to understand masculinity, race, and belonging in an often unkind world, as well as the peace they find from the water.
The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull (May 30, 2023)
After fleeing to Paris as Nazi power grew in Germany, Sophie now finds herself under the regime once again. But when she accepts a position at an art museum being used as a repository of stolen Jewish art, she sees a chance to stand up against the oppressors and right some wrongs. Now, as long as her artist sister-in-law is willing, they might just be able to save some of the stolen masterpieces the Nazis plan to destroy.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter
Riot Recommendations
An Indigenous American perspective on Sacajewea and an exploration of the revolutions in Haiti and France from the perspective of a biracial women — these are stories that very much deserve to be told.
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
She served as an interpreter and guide for the infamous Lewis and Clark expedition, but there is so much more to her story than that. In Debra Magpie Earling’s book, Sacajewea finally gets to be at the center of her own story. It’s a story of brutality and survival amidst a country — and way of life — being overtaken.
Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak
A biracial heiress flees Haiti for France, escaping one revolution only to find herself in the midst of another. As she educates herself on injustice and befriends young revolutionary leaders like Robespierre and his mistress Cornélie Duplay, she grows increasingly conflicted over what it is she wants from both herself and from life.
That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books (historical or otherwise), you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Instagram, Goodreads, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.
Right now I’m reading Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul. What about you?