Happy Friday, shipmates! And happy just-about-to-be-a-holiday-weekend to my fellow USians! It’s Alex, and I’ve got your last new releases for June on board, and a couple silly sci-fi books extra — one that involve aliens. We’re well into the summer now, huh? I could do without the [illegal in Colorado] fireworks going off, and the heat, but I can’t say no to barbecue weather all the same. I hope my fellow Americans out there have a good holiday coming at you. And a reminder: since it’s a holiday here, no newsletter on Tuesday. You’ll get all your new releases on Friday next week instead. Stay safe — I mean it! — out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you next Friday.
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Bookish Goods
Alien Riding a Unicorn T-Shirt by Shirtmandude
Look, given the rather silly mood Connie Willis’s new book (see below) has put me in, this T-shirt seems VERY appropriate. I think the cowboy hat is a nice touch. $19
New Releases
The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade
Casey’s sister has gone missing, and it’s the worst thing to happen to her family. Casey is also furious because Sutton is a deeply manipulative person, and her family does nothing but sing her praises…a necessity when no one goes looking for Black (or half-Black) girls unless they’re thought to be perfect angels. But when Sutton reappears as mysteriously as she vanished and remembers nothing of her disappearance, Casey knows something is seriously wrong. Did she ever really know her sister? And what happened to the other girls who have disappeared?
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
Francie never believed in supernatural nonsense, an umbrella that definitely covers aliens as well. When she goes to Roswell for an alien-themed wedding, the last thing she expects is to be abducted by one — and one that looks nothing like popular media would have us believe. She’s also not the only abductee — probably just the least oddball of the lot. And soon, she realizes that the alien might actually be in trouble and in need of all their help…
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Connie Willis’s new book has me thinking of other books where ET is a bit hapless…
The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu
On morning, out-of-shape IT guy Roen wakes up to a voice in his head. He immediately and naturally assumes he’s lost his marbles. But no, it’s just an ancient alien named Tao who has taken up residence in his brain, and needs him to become an ultimate secret agent and warrior to save all of humanity. No big deal.
Space Unicorn Blues by T.J. Berry
Magical creatures have become resources to be exploited, and half-unicorn Gary desperately wants to escape it all — preferably before his horn gets ground to powder to fuel FTL travel. But when he tries to make his escape in a stone ship once flown by his ancestors, Captain Jenny Perata steals it out from under him. They have a…complicated history that involves murder, and that’s just the start. This is a book about some serious subjects (slavery, exploitation) that doesn’t shy away from also being very silly at times.
See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.