Happy Tuesday, my darling book dragons. I had a great weekend of reading! A couple new books, a couple backlist books, and a rereading of Gideon the Ninth, because I am OBSESSED with it. Seriously, this is the most incredible, WTF space opera I have ever read, and I can’t wait for everyone else to share in the fun! MARK IT DOWN NOW.
Sponsored by Soho Teen
A drunken mistake. A life-changing accident. The bonds of sisterhood are tested by addiction and a crushing betrayal in Lizzy Mason’s debut. When 17-year-old Harley Langston sees her boyfriend kissing her sister Audrey at a house party, she’s furious. But when her boyfriend drunkenly tries to drive Audrey home, he crashes leaving Audrey in a coma. Adrift in a sea of guilt, grief, and anger, Harley is surprised to reconnect with Raf, an old friend just out of rehab. As Audrey recovers, Harley can see a path forward with Raf’s help—one guided by honesty and forgiveness.
And if you’re looking for wonderful new things to read today, look no further! I’m going to share a few of today’s great releases below, and you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! María Cristina and I talked talked about The White Book, The Study of Animal Languages, Bangkok Wakes to Rain, and more great books.
The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman
An important, necessary collection of essays by first and second-generation immigrants, exploring what it’s like to live in America under the current administration. The incredible lineup of writers includes Chigozie Obioma, Jenny Zhang, Alexander Chee, Teju Cole, and Porochista Khakpour.
Backlist bump: Go Home! by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan ,
The Birds That Stay by Ann Lambert
A new detective series set in the wintery Montreal weather! Chief Homicide Inspector Roméo Leduc must cancel his vacation to investigate the murder of an elderly woman. The woman’s neighbor, Marie, discovers a clue to the crime after her ailing mother mentions another crime in their neighborhood many years before. Together Roméo and Marie learn that dark secrets have been festering in the shadows, and nothing is what it seems. I am excited to read another book in this series!
Backlist bump: Still Life by Louise Penny
The Afterward by E.K. Johnston
A group of knights who save the king are proclaimed heroes, but two of the young women find that life after fame is harder than they’d expected. Kalanthe and Olsa are having trouble settling back into their old lives with all the attention that comes their way, but they’ll learn that their heroic adventure isn’t quite through with them yet. Johnston has written a delightful fantasy with diverse characters, F/F romance, and a whole bunch of action and fun!
Backlist bump: Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad, Book 1 by David Eddings (I have never read Eddings, but Johnston claims to be a huge fan, and I read that The Afterward is an homage to him. So I looked him up, and the internet told me this is the place to start with his work.)
That’s it for me today! If you want to learn more about books new and old, or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (or see lots of pictures of my cats Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!
Thanks so much for visiting me here each week! Y’all are the best.
xoxo,
Liberty