Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got new releases and a couple gothic fantasy romance recommendations. It’s been a weekend of absolutely wacky weather in Colorado, with lots of slushy snow providing good excuses to snuggle with my cat and read. What an excellent April, is all I can say. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help with handpicked recommendations. Tell the Bibliologists at Tailored Book Recommendations about what you love and what you don’t. You can get your recommendations via email or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18! Subscribe today.
Bookish Goods
Gothic Lacy Corner Bookmark by ADKDPublications
Gothic romances deserve wonderfully gothic bookmarks. This one comes in spiderweb or bat lace patterns. $5
New Releases
Ocean’s Godori by Elaine U. Cho
Ocean has always felt like a misfit who isn’t quite Korean enough, and that was even before a mission went awry and turned her into persona non grata with Korea’s space agency. But when her best friend is framed for a murder, she and her crew — all of them as much misfits as she is — try to help him…and quickly find themselves in the middle of an ideological conflict accompanied by very real bullets.
The Sky Was Ours by Joe Fassler
At 24 years old, Jane has nothing to look forward to except a miserable job, crushing debt, and a world hurtling toward climate disaster. Feeling she has nothing to lose, she abandons her entire life and goes on the road. There, she meets a charismatic recluse named Barry, who is obsessively trying to build working wings for humans, certain that this invention would revolutionize society and bring about a utopia.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I love a good gothic romance, and most of them tend to default to fantasy anyway, what with the ghosts and all. Here’s a new gothic fantasy romance and an older one that both sound utterly delightful to me.
Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin
Xue is a talented young musician who was orphaned at an early age; the only life she’s known is being indentured at the House of Flowing Water, the premiere entertainment house in the kingdom. She has little hope for her future as an artist until she’s called to privately perform for Duke Meng, who soon takes her away to his estate, his kind awkwardness becoming increasingly suspect. Xue soon learns the duke is no ordinary man: he is the Duke of Dreams, and he needs her to unlock long-forgotten memories to save the Six Celestial Realms from destruction.
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
Wren’s reckless use of her magic has brought about her dismissal from the Queen’s Guard, which in turn has separated her from the girl she loves. So when a reclusive lord with a crumbling estate asks her to come cure his servant, she takes the rather suspect job in the hopes it will be a path to redemption. Instead, she discovers the person she’s supposed to heal is the infamous Reaper of Vesria, her kingdom’s greatest enemy — and the estate is filled with secrets that may well end them both if they don’t join forces.
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.