Hi, historical fiction fans,
Happy July! I’m trying to soak up as much sun and reading time as I can this week. Easier said than done, since I’m also chasing around my two nephews, both under three years old. I am getting some really good practice with my picture book reading skills, though. My voice work could use some improvement, but fortunately, they’re still young enough to be a forgiving audience. If you’re looking for some great picture book recs, some of my nephews’ current favorites are Gotta Go, Buffalo and Goodnight Veggies.
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Bookish Goods
Bookmark Book Holders from mcs3Dstudios
Good for bookmarks or a little bouquet, these little 3D-printed bookmark holders are the perfect addition to any bookworm’s home. $10
New Releases
The Road to the Salt Sea by Samuel Kọ́láwọlé (July 2, 2024)
When a hotel employee named Abel God is involved in an unsavory incident, he decides to flee Nigeria to escape the repercussions. Now a migrant hoping to make his way to Europe, he finds himself first following a charismatic religious leader and then kidnapped by traffickers and forced to fight for his life and his freedom. It’s a gut-wrenching look into the realities of life for migrants.
Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi (July 2, 2024)
In a reimagined 15th-century version of West Africa, a woman working in a blacksmith guild in Timbuktu is abducted to become the new warrior king’s wife. After a lifetime of subjugation, her new station is enticing. But the king is cruel, and she’ll have to forge her own loyalties at court to become the political power player she hopes to be.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I’ve read two Shakespeare retellings this year. The first, The Death I Gave Him, was a modern sci-fi reimagining of Hamlet. While it lost some key components in the retelling, it also gained cool elements, including AI characters and multiple viewpoints. The second retelling that I just finished is a version of Romeo and Juliet from Rosaline’s perspective. So let’s talk about that and another recent Shakespeare retelling historical fiction fans may enjoy.
Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
Before Juliet, there was Rosaline, and before Rosaline there were others. But Rosaline doesn’t know that yet. Committed to life in a nunnery by her grieving father, she is trying to grab life by the shoulders before she’s cloistered away. Romeo’s sweet words and novel attention are exactly what she wants in her last days of freedom. His words are empty, though. Rosaline realizes it too late, but now she’s determined to save her young cousin from a similar—or even worse—fate.
Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig
Forbidden romance and the consequences of adults refusing to put their children’s needs/desires first are at the heart of Romeo and Juliet, so what better way to reimagine it than with two boys falling in love? When Romeo meets Valentine at a Capulet party, he’s instantly enamored. But the growing conflict between Capulets and Montagues puts their already embattled romance even more at risk.
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 most social media, including Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy.
Right now I’m reading A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher. What about you?