Categories
New Books

A Lot of the Best of the Rest of 2016!

Good morning, readers. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check out a big list of awesome books coming out in the rest of 2016. As always, should any of the books you already own go unread, the librarian will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This newsletter will start recommending in five seconds. Good luck, readers.

Okay, but seriously, I’ve been traveling for work and I am behind in my reading, so I thought a big sneak peek might be fun. You’re going to want to mark these down now, before next year’s books start getting attention and these get lost in the shuffle. Because I have seen some of the 2017 books in my journeys, and the future is WOW.

And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about – SPOILER- more books, including A Change of Heart, Big Magic, and The Tale of Shikanoko series.

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This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Book Riot’s new Book Mail box! Get awesome books and bookish goodies handpicked by Riot editors, with free shipping worldwide! Supplies are limited; get yours now!


the wangs vs the worldThe Wangs vs. the World
by Jade Chang

The Trespasser by Tana French

My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Angel of History by Rabih Alameddine

You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

I’ll Tell You in Person by Chloe Caldwell

Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives by Tim Harford

Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down by Anne Valente

All That Man Is by David Szalay

nicotineNicotinePrivate Novelist by Nell Zink

Ghost Songs by Regina McBride

When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

The Found and the Lost: The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le GuinThe Unreal and the Real: The Selected Short Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue

Brief Histories of Everyday Objects by Andy Warner

The Mortifications by Derek Palacio

Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

we know it was youWe Know It Was You by Maggie Thrash

Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq by Sarah Glidden

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

A City Dreaming by Daniel Polansky

Dog Years (Pitt Drue Heinz Lit Prize) by Melissa Yancy

The Red Car by Marcy Dermansky

Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel

The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham

Brat Pack America: Visiting Cult Movies of the ’80s by Kevin Smokler

the hidden keysThe Hidden Keys by André Alexis

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

Never Look an American in the Eye: A Memoir of Flying Turtles, Colonial Ghosts, and the Making of a Nigerian American by Okey Ndibe

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Him, Me, Muhammad Ali by Randa Jarrar

Still Life with Tornado by A. S. King

The Annie Year by Stephanie Wilbur Ash

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

The Loved Ones by Sonya Chung

IQ by Joe Ide

thrill meThrill Me: Essays on Fiction by Benjamin Percy

A Gambler’s Anatomy by Jonathan Lethem

Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge

Float by Anne Carson

We Show What We Have Learned and Other Stories by Clare Beams

The Sick Bag Song by Nick Cave

The Terranauts by T.C. Boyle

Land of Love and Ruins by Oddný Eir (Author), Philip Roughton (Translator)

The Boat Rocker by Ha Jin

Bruja by Wendy C. Ortiz

the winterlingsThe Winterlings by Cristina Sánchez-Andrade (Author), Samuel Rutter (Translator)

Thus Bad Begins by Javier Marias (Author), Margaret Jull Costa (Translator)

Scratch by Steve Himmer

The Beach at Night by Elena Ferrante

Virgin and Other Stories by April Ayers Lawson

Fish in Exile by Vi Khi Nao

Valiant Gentlemen by Sabina Murray

Pull Me Under by Kelly Luce

Normal by Warren Ellis

ghostlandGhostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Swing Time by Zadie Smith

The Dispossessed by Szilard Borbely

Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace

Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald’s Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away by Lisa Napoli

Hi, Anxiety: Life With a Bad Case of Nerves by Kat Kinsman

Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live by Peter Orner

Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America’s Most Storied Hospital by David Oshinsky

culdesacCuldesac: A Novella by Robert Repino

Absolutely on Music : Conversations with Seiji Ozawa by Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin

Moonglow by Michael Chabon

Victoria by Daisy Goodwin

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I Thought I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from Watching ’80s Movies by Jason Diamond

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

Slipping: Stories, Essays, & Other Writing by Lauren Beukes

Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran

The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

island of the madIsland of the Mad by Laurie Sheck

Show Me a Mountain by Kerry Young

Books for Living by Will Schwalbe

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir by Michael Anthony

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

I’ll be back next week with an October megalist. There are soooooo many good books out next month. MY BODY IS READY.

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Fifty Lives of India, A Cartoonist’s Life, and More New Books!

Happy Tuesday! It’s time for another round of “Make Your TBR Lists Explode.” I have a few great books to tell you about today, and on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some of the books coming out in the last half of 2016 that we are excited about, including Three Dark Crowns, The Bestseller Code, and Mooncop.

portugalThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by Portugal by Cyril Pedrosa.

Comics creator Simon Muchat is struggling to find purpose in his existence. Bitter and apathetic towards everything, he gets a chance to travel to Portugal where the roots of his family lie. After an absence of more than 20 years Simon finds himself rediscovering the sounds and smells of his childhood, the radiant warmth of something forgotten. Having soaked up the atmosphere of his fatherland, and driven by the desire to find out the secret behind his family name, Simon sets on a melancholic quest for identity that helps him rediscover his passion for life.

incarnationsIncarnations: A History of India in Fifty Lives by Sunil Khilnani

A fascinating take on how India came to be, which Khilnani tells using fifty figures throughout the country’s history. From emperors and warriors to film stars and corporate titans, Incarnations is a smart, wry look at the myths that shaped India and the people that influence the stories and history told today. Highly informative and entertaining!

Backlist bump: A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

the gloaming The Gloaming by Melanie Finn

A dark, intense novel of mystery about a woman, Pilgrim, who is fleeing the disaster that was her marriage, and, overcome with guilt after a horrible accident, runs off to Africa to lick her wounds. But when a body turns up and is suspected of being a curse created by witchcraft, she and the town’s citizens are set on edge trying to figure out the curse’s intended recipient. Not helping with matters is Pilgrim’s sinking feeling that she’s being followed. Did I mention it was dark? It’s also terrific.

Backlist bump: Away from You by Melanie Finn

reputationsReputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

A revered political cartoonist whose illustrations wield power and influence over his country must take a hard look at his life after an unexpected visit from a young woman has him reevaluating everything he has done and how he remembers the past. A masterful, thought-provoking novel about secrets, celebrity, and escaping the past from one of the most talented writers working today.

Backlist bump: The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

 

 

Categories
New Books

September New Books Megalist – The Sequel!!!

What time is it? NEW BOOK TIME! This may be the last megalist sequel for the next few months, but for today, there are a TON of great books to choose from, and I wanted to share with them with you! So here’s a big list! And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some more great new releases out today, such as Children of the New World, Rani Patel in Full Effect, and The Last Days of Jack Sparks.

artofmissp_300pxThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Art of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Leah Gallo published by Quirk Books.

Witness the genesis of peculiardom! This visual tour of the movie world of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, created by iconic filmmaker Tim Burton, is sure to be a must-have for fans of the series. A companion book to the film, it features behind-the-scenes images and set information from two of Burton’s longtime collaborators, including details on costume design, cinematography, set design, concept art, and more.

a song to take the world apartA Song to Take the World Apart by Zan Romanoff

Loner by Teddy Wayne

The Virginity of Famous Men: Stories by Christine Sneed

A Second Chance: The Chronicles of St. Mary’s Book Three by Jodi Taylor

Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson

The Shooting by James Boice

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze

the home placeThe Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham

Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth by Jennifer Chiaverini

A Tree or a Person or a Wall: Stories by Matt Bell

The Orphan Mother by Robert Hicks

Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace by Jessica Bennett

Little Nothing by Marisa Silver

Red Right Hand by Chris Holm

intimationsIntimations: Stories by Alexandra Kleeman

Edward Gets Messy by Rita Meade and Olga Stern

Umami by Laia Jufresa (Author), Sophie Hughes (Translator)

Shakespeare in Swahililand: In Search of a Global Poet by Edward Wilson-Lee

Avid Reader: A Life by Robert Gottlieb

The Island by Olivia Levez

I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi

We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang

where did you sleep last nightWhere Did You Sleep Last Night by Lynn Crosbie

Girlfriends, Ghosts, and Other Stories (New York Review Books Classics) by Robert Walser

Shelter in Place by Alexander Maksik

The Risen by Ron Rash

This Vast Southern Empire by Matthew Karp

Jerusalem by Alan Moore

In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox by Carol Burnett

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

catlantisCatlantis by Anna Starobinets (Author), Andrzej Klimowski (Illustrator), Jane Bugaeva (Translator)

Black Water by Louise Doughty

Wolf Boys: Two American Teenagers and Mexico’s Most Dangerous Drug Cartel by Dan Slater

The Sleeping World by Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Darktown by Thomas Mullen

Nine Island by Jane Alison

Every Kind of Wanting by Gina Frangello

commonwealthCommonwealth by Ann Patchett

Black Wave by Michelle Tea

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (paperback)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
New Books

September New Books Megalist

It may technically be September, but it’s still sunny and 80 degrees out here, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s still summer reading weather. And there are so many amazing books being released today that are perfect for outdoor reading! It’s an embarrassment of book riches (plus the new Ransom Riggs just came out!!!) And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some more great new releases out today, such as The Story of a Brief Marriage, Mischling, and Hidden Figures.

angel catbirdThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by Angel Catbird Volume 1 by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, and Tamara Bonvillain.

Margaret Atwood’s first original graphic novel!

Internationally best-selling and respected novelist Margaret Atwood and acclaimed artist Johnnie Christmas collaborate for one of the most highly anticipated comic book and literary events of 2016!

A young genetic engineer is accidentally mutated by his own experiment when his DNA is merged with that of a cat and an owl. What follows is a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired superhero adventure—with a lot of cat puns.

Features bonus content by David Mack, Matt Kindt, Tyler Crook, and more!

lady copLady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

Perfume River by Robert Olen Butler

Nicolas by Pascal Girard

Mischling by Affinty Konar

One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi

The Graces by Laure Eve

The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood by Belle Boggs

Leave Me by Gayle Forman

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

to be or not to beTo Be or Not to Be: That is the Adventure by Ryan North

Closed Casket: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie

The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters by Laura Thompson

Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior’s Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory by Brad Snyder and Tom Sileo

Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland by Dave Barry

Substitute: Going to School With a Thousand Kids by Nicholson Baker

Against Everything: Essays by Mark Greif

sleeping on jupiterSleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy

Part Wild: A Writer’s Guide to Harnessing the Creative Power of Resistance by Deb Norton

Into the Sun by Deni Ellis Béchard

The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life by John le Carré

A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age by Daniel J. Levitin

The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies

Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross King

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

His Final Battle: The Last Months of Franklin Roosevelt by Joseph Lelyveld

the revolutionaries try againThe Revolutionaries Try Again by Mauro Javier Cardenas

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

Revolution’s End: The Patty Hearst Kidnapping, Mind Control, and the Secret History of Donald DeFreeze and the SLA by Brad Schreiber

Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace by Jessica Bennett

She Made Me Laugh: My Friend Nora Ephron by Richard Cohen

The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch (Author), Sam Garrett (Translator)

death's endDeath’s End by Cixin Liu

Blackacre: Poems by Monica Youn

Cloudbound by Fran Wilde

The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

Swimming in the Sink: An Episode of the Heart by Lynne Cox

Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine by Damon Tweedy (paperback)

A House of My Own: Stories from My Life by Sandra Cisneros (paperback)

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick (paperback)

loving dayLoving Day by Mat Johnson (paperback)

Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder

The Strange Case of Rachel K by Rachel Kushner (paperback)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Ominous Office Ordeals, Young Love in Georgia, and More New Books!

Well, August, it’s been fun. I’m sad to see you go. But the arrival of fall means BFB: big fall books!  On this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some of the books coming out in the last half of 2016 that we are excited about, including I’m Judging You, The Mothers, and Children of the New World. As for this, the second-to-last day in August, it’s exciting because the sequel to An Ember in the AshesA Torch Against the Night, is finally here! And there are these other books I’m going to tell you about it 3…2…1…

portugalThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by Portugal by Cyril Pedrosa.

Comics creator Simon Muchat is struggling to find purpose in his existence. Bitter and apathetic towards everything, he gets a chance to travel to Portugal where the roots of his family lie. After an absence of more than 20 years Simon finds himself rediscovering the sounds and smells of his childhood, the radiant warmth of something forgotten. Having soaked up the atmosphere of his fatherland, and driven by the desire to find out the secret behind his family name, Simon sets on a melancholic quest for identity that helps him rediscover his passion for life.

georgia peachesGeorgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Joanna Gordon has been out and proud for most of her years in high school. But when her radio evangelist father moves the family to Rome, Georgia, he asks her something unfair: lay low in her new school and pretend to be straight. Though she reluctantly promises, that agreement is tested when she meets Mary, the friend of a sister. This is a fabulous read! It’s a smart, sexy, funny book at queerness and teens and religion, and a refreshing take on what it means to be yourself. More, please.

Backlist bump: Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

the nixThe Nix by Nathan Hill

One of the year’s biggest debuts, both literally and figuratively, The Nix is a sprawling, funny (and sad) story about the relationship between a college professor and his mother. Samuel hasn’t seen his radical hippie mother since he was a young boy, but when she shows up in his life, asking for help, he decides to give it to her. Helping her means revisiting both their pasts, and learning things about his mother and himself he never realized. If you love big, occasionally self-indulgent literary fiction (and I mean that in a good way), this is perfect for you!

Backlist bump: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

tell me something realTell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin

At first you think this is a novel about three beautiful sisters helping their sick mother as she is treated for cancer, narrated by the middle sister. BUT THEN IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING ELSE. Explaining it would give it away, so let me just say: READ IT, READ IT, READ IT! This book is another example, like A.S. King novels, where I feel books shouldn’t be labeled as ‘young adult’ but ‘books for humans’ instead. PS – Don’t forget tissues.

Backlist bump: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

the subsidiaryThe Subsidiary by Matías Celedón (author), Samuel Ritter (translator)

When the subsidiary offices of a major company suddenly lose power, the employees are locked inside. But a loud speaker message inexplicably tells them to keep working in the total darkness. One worker uses his rubber stamp to keep a record of the ordeal and the horrors that occur as the days go on and no one comes to rescue them. The book itself is told with a stamp, a clever gimmick. I read that Celedón hand-designed this book with a stamp he bought in a bookstore, but I don’t know if it gave him the idea, or if he bought it to bring the idea to life. I’m soooooo curious!

Backlist bump: Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra (author), Megan McDowell (translator)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Books About Books, Horror in the Amazon, and More New Books!

FYI: IT’S STILL SUMMER! I know it’s hard to remember, because advertisers are cramming back-to-school and Halloween stuff down our throats already, but there’s still more lovely weather for outdoor reading. I have been enjoying reading outside this super-hot Maine summer (from the safety of the shade, of course.) Whether you like to read inside or out, on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about Behold the Dreamers, The Couple Next Door, and more new releases. BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!

the gentlemanThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Gentleman by Forrest Leo.

A funny, fantastically entertaining debut novel, in the spirit of Wodehouse and Monty Python, about a famous poet who inadvertently sells his wife to the devil–then recruits a band of adventurers to rescue her. Lionel and his friends encounter trapdoors, duels, anarchist-fearing bobbies, the social pressure of not knowing enough about art history, and the poisonous wit of his poetical archenemy. Fresh, action-packed and very, very funny, this debut novel The Gentleman by Forrest Leo is a giddy farce that recalls the masterful confections of P.G. Wodehouse and Hergé’s beautifully detailed Tintin adventures.

the bookThe Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston

This is the most epic of nerdpurrs: an image-filled exploration of the history of books! From the papyrus scrolls and tablets of ancient history to the beautiful bound books we hold in our hands today, this is the perfect gift to give a book lover. And by “book lover,” I mean “yourself.” (You’re not even still reading this description, are you? I know I was totally sold on the title alone.)

Backlist bump: A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books by Nicholas A. Basbanes

blood in the waterBlood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson

I have been fascinated by the story of the prison uprising since I was little and saw Al Pacino chanting “Attica!” in Dog Day Afternoon. Despite being a famous event, it has taken over forty years for some of the documents on Attica to be unsealed. Thompson has collected all that information and written a definitive account of the bloody uprising, from the perspectives of both the prisoners and the law enforcement. It is a horrifying, fascinating read on the historical mistreatment of inmates, and how some victims are still searching for justice.

Backlist bump: Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better by Maya Schenwar

we eat our ownWe Eat Our Own by Kea Wilson

Okay, I will admit that this might not be for everyone, but if you are a lover of 1970s Italian horror (like I am) or horror movies in general (me again), you are the perfect audience! An unnamed actor flies to the Amazon to shoot a film, only to find upon his arrival that the director is mad, the script is missing, the film is over budget, the crew is on the verge of losing their minds, and the town itself is out to get them. Loosely based on events surrounding the filming of Cannibal Holocaust, this is a dazzlingly written, shocking exploration of violence and art.

Backlist bump: Night Film by Marisha Pessl (If you want another feeling of 1970s Italian horror film directors.)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Let There Be Light, The Greatest of Marlys, and More New Books!

New boooooooooooks! There are GREAT new books out today. The Amy Schumer memoir, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, is out, and I am so excited to get my hands on Riverine, which has thus far escaped my clutches. And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I… well… let’s just say the heat got to us this weekend (SO HOT) so we talked about whatever we wanted, including One-in-a-Million Boy, Geek Love, and Golden Years.

beauty of darknessThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson.

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda, and the path before them is winding and dangerous–what will happen now? This third and final book in the Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed. New York Times-bestselling author Mary E. Pearson’s combination of intrigue, suspense, romance, and action makes  this a riveting page-turner that you won’t be able to put down!

the last days of nightThe Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

From the author of The Sherlockian comes another delightful 19th-century tale involving real-life historical figures! This time it’s Thomas Edison. On the brink of getting electric lights into every household, Edison sues his remaining rival, George Westinghouse, to hopefully bankrupt him. But Westinghouse’s young lawyer will prove to be a match for the electric tyrant. Based on real events, Moore once again wonderfully brings history to light. Er, life.

Backlist bump: The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

greatest of marlysThe Greatest of Marlys by Lynda Barry

A legendary comic figure, Marlys is Barry’s stand-out star, an eight-year-old freckled, bossy, bucktoothed young girl in glasses that Barry debuted to great acclaim in 1986. This is a brilliant retrospective on Marlys over the last thirty years, and a fantastic trip down memory lane. If you love Roz Chast, be sure to check it out.

Backlist bump: What It Is by Lynda Barry

house without windowsA House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi

Zeba has always been the perfect wife and mother, but when her husband is found brutally murdered, she is jailed for the crime, much to the astonishment of her children. As Zeba awaits trial, she gets to know the other women in her cell, who have also suffered great misfortunes and violence at the hands of men. To these women, jail is more of a haven than a punishment, a safe place away from a world where women are treated so cruelly. A necessary, moving look at the lives of Afghan women and the power of sisterhood, The House Without Windows will lift your spirits and shatter your heart.

Backlist bump: When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi

the gentlemanThe Gentleman by Forrest Leo

Due to an enormous book-buying habit, poet Lionel Savage is broke. (Sound familiar?) To help his finances, he marries for money – only to find after the wedding that he is no longer able to write. Many miserable months later, after chatting with the Devil at a party (like you do), Lionel’s wife goes missing. It is then Lionel realizes not only does he actually love his wife, but that he may have inadvertently given her to Satan, and he must get her back immediately. Plenty of charming slapstick ensues. A lighthearted comedy of errors that never takes itself too seriously, The Gentleman is a delight.

Backlist bump: The Most Of P.G. Wodehouse by P.G. Wodehouse

uprootUproot: Travels in 21st-Century Music and Digital Culture by Jace Clayton

I’m so glad I picked this one up! Clayton (aka DJ Rupture), a musical sensation, explores the connections in music that have been forged from the relatively-new use of the internet. He offers a fascinating look at the different ways people are making music in the digital age, and spins the future of music in a positive light, explaining why there’s no need to fear – music isn’t going anywhere.

Backlist bump: How Music Got Free: A Story of Obsession and Invention by Stephen Witt

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
New Books

August New Books Megalist – The Sequel!!!

Happy new book Tuesday! I thought I was only going to do this in July, but once again, I am breaking with tradition, and doing another big round-up of books, because I read SO MANY books out today that I wanted to share with you, I really could not whittle it down to a few. Plus there are many more noteworthy books out today. So here’s a big list!  And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some more great new releases out today, such as The Underground Railroad, I Contain Multitudes, and I Will Send Rain.

portugalThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by Portugal by Cyril Pedrosa.

Comics creator Simon Muchat is struggling to find purpose in his existence. Bitter and apathetic towards everything, he gets a chance to travel to Portugal where the roots of his family lie. After an absence of more than 20 years Simon finds himself rediscovering the sounds and smells of his childhood, the radiant warmth of something forgotten. Having soaked up the atmosphere of his fatherland, and driven by the desire to find out the secret behind his family name, Simon sets on a melancholic quest for identity that helps him rediscover his passion for life.

the cauliflowerThe Cauliflower by Nicola Barker

Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

White Nights in Split Town City by Annie DeWitt

The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney

The Collected Stories by Mavis Gallant

The Field of the Cloth of Gold by Magnus Mills

Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

who will catch us Who Will Catch Us As We Fall by Iman Verjee

The Hero’s Body: A Memoir by William Giraldi

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

I Will Send Rain by Rae Meadows

How to Party With an Infant by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Mr. Eternity by Aaron Thier

Scream: A Memoir of Glamour and Dysfunction by Tama Janowitz

Seven Skeletons: The Evolution of the World’s Most Famous Human Fossils by Lydia Pyne

vow of celibacyVow of Celibacy by Erin Judge

Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud by Elizabeth Greenwood

When Watched: Stories by Leopoldine Core

Wicked Plants Coloring Book by Amy Stewart

Makoons by Louise Erdrich

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Clothed, Female Figure: Stories by Kirstin Allio

malafemmenaMalafemmena by Louisa Ermelino

The Last Days of New Paris by China Miéville

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets by Luke Dittrich

Dinosaurs on Other Planets: Stories by Danielle McLaughlin

Known and Strange Things: Essays by Teju Cole

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
New Books

August New Books Megalist!!!

Holy cats, it’s August already! That means it’s time for another new books megalist. As usual, the first Tuesday of the month has an amazing number of new releases out today (plus the new Harry Potter just came out!!!), so I like to try and share a bunch with you. And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some more great new releases out today, such as The Trees, The Fire This Time, and I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This.

before the fallThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by Before the Fall by Noah Hawley.

From the Emmy, PEN, Peabody, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe Award-winning creator of the TV show Fargo comes the thriller of the year.

On a foggy summer night, eleven people depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the plane plunges into the ocean. With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members, the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens and odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. Amid pulse-quickening suspense, the fragile relationship between the crash’s two survivors glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

compartment no. 6Compartment No. 6 by Rosa Liksom (Author), Lola Rogers (Translator)

Carousel Court by Joe McGinniss Jr.

Still Here by Lara Vapnyar

How I Became a North Korean by Krys Lee

I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This: A Memoir by Nadja Spiegelman

Dragonmark by Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Trees by Ali Shaw

The Senility of Vladimir P. by Michael Honig

christodoraChristadora by Tim Murphy

Paradime by Alan Glynn

Land of Enchantment by Leigh Stein

The Story of Egypt: The Civilization that Shaped the World by Joann Fletcher

I Shot the Buddha (A Dr. Siri Paiboun Mystery) by Colin Cotterill

The Chosen Ones by Steve Sem-Sandberg (Author), Anna Paterson (Translator)

The King’s Revenge: Charles II and the Greatest Manhunt in British History by Don Jordan, Michael Walsh

Peacock & Vine: On William Morris and Mariano Fortuny by A. S. Byatt

a wife of noble characterA Wife of Noble Character by Yvonne Georgina Puig

Sick On You: The Disastrous Story of The Hollywood Brats, the Greatest Band You’ve Never Heard Of by Andrew Matheson

Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjón (Author), Victoria Cribb (Translator)

City of Sedition: The History of New York City during the Civil War by John Strausbaugh

Half Wild: Stories by Robin MacArthur

The Humorless Ladies of Border Control: Touring the Punk Underground from Belgrade to Ulaanbaatar by Franz Nicolay

american heiressAmerican Heiress : The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin

Wild Sex: The Science Behind Mating in the Animal Kingdom by Carin Bondar

Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney

The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race by Jesmyn Ward

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

The Regulars by Georgia Clark

barbara the slutBarbara the Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes (paperback)

Walking with Abel: Journeys with the Nomads of the African Savannah by Anna Badkhen (paperback)

Purity by Jonathan Franzen (paperback)

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin (paperback)

Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America by Ari Berman (paperback)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

 

 

Categories
New Books

Death and Gymnastics, the Devil in Ohio, and More New Books!

NEW BOOK TIME! There are GREAT new books out today, including Supernova, the sequel to Lightless, which I am SOOOOO excited about. (Run, don’t walk, to Lightless if you haven’t read it yet!) And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some more great new releases out today, such as The Unseen World, Good as Gone, and Gemini.

maud's lineThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by Maud’s Line by Margaret Verble.

Now in paperback, this Pulitzer Prize finalist chronicles the life and loves of a headstrong and magnetic heroine and belongs on shelves alongside Jim Harrison and Sherman Alexie.

Eastern Oklahoma, 1928. Maud Nail lives on an allotment parceled out by the U.S. Government to the Cherokees. Maud’s days are filled with hard work and simple pleasures but often marked by violence and tragedy. Her prospects for a better life are slim, but when a book-peddler shows up at her door, she finds herself facing a series of high-stakes decisions that will determine her future and those of her loved ones.

you will know meYou Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

Katie and Eric Knox have devoted their whole lives to helping their gymnast daughter, Devon, achieve her dreams of making the Olympics, even if it has meant giving up their own dreams. But when a violent death rocks their small community, they are about to learn they may not know their neighbors – or each other – as well as they thought they did. We are in the age of the always-amazing Abbott. Her books are contemporary tales of family and society with delightfully nasty twists and turns. And you can expect to see a couple of them on the screen in the coming years!

Backlist bump: Dare Me by Megan Abbott

the summer that melted everythingThe Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniels

The inhabitants of Breathed, Ohio are experiencing a summer heatwave like the town has never seen before. So it only makes sense that the devil would find it a great place to live. He shows up in the guise of Sal, a thirteen-year-old boy who claims he was invited there by someone in town. The son of a local prosecutor takes him home, suspecting he’s just a troubled runaway. But when word gets out that the devil may be in Breathed, tensions and temperatures will rise, and soon the town will find itself enveloped in full-blown hysteria. A fantastic Jackson-esque debut about rumors, fears, and beliefs.

Backlist bump: The Weirdness by Jeremy Bushnell

infinite homeInfinite Home by Kathleen Alcott

Now in paperback: A group of unusual tenants in a Brooklyn brownstone have been living quiet lives together, each dealing with their own problems and pains, but when their kind elderly landlord’s mental capacity begins to weaken, the tenants are faced with eviction when her greedy estranged son takes over the building. They have always found solace in each other, but now must decide what they will do back out in a world that has always treated them cruelly. It’s a beautiful story of living on the outside of society and what it means to choose your own family. (Also, does the cover make anyone else want to play Q-bert? No? Just me?)

Backlist bump: The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets by Kathleen Alcott

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty