Author: Vanessa Diaz

Audiobooks – 3/26/20

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 25, 2020

Sponsored by William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

A lifetime together. Six months of silence. One last chance.

“The premise alone had me, but The Silent Treatment itself is just heartrendingly lovely. It’s beautiful, so moving and clever.” — Josie Silver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December

The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves Available April 7th

Hola Audiophiles! Greetings from my isolation station (my apartment) where I’m running low on hair products (‘sup, frizz?) and cooking feels like a daily episode of Chopped. Print reading is still a struggle, so audiobooks are once again coming in clutch. Allow me to share some new releases and my latest listens.

I hope you are well, friends! Take a deep breath, bring those shoulders down from your ears, do some stretching, and give yourself space to be a little bit of a mess.

Ready? Let’s audio.

New Releases – March 24 (publisher descriptions in quotes)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, narrated by Robin Miles (fantasy) – “Every great city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She’s got six. But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs in the halls of power, threatening to destroy the city and her six newborn avatars unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.”

Narrator Note: Robin Miles! Robin Miles! I just got a physical copy in the mail but bruuuuuuh it’s Robin Miles!

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, narrated by Dylan Moore (fiction) – Vincent used to be a bartender at a five star hotel. Now she’s been posing as the trophy wife for that hotel’s owner, a fraud who’s swindled a whole bunch of people out of millions in an international Ponzi Scheme. When it all comes crashing down, Vincent walks away quietly like Cersei in that penultimate episode of GOT. Years and years later, a victim of that Ponzi scheme is hired to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a woman from the deck of a container ship between ports of call. These two events are inextricably linked.

Narrator Note: Dylan Moore narrated Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door and You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. She has a voice that’s warm, a bit higher in pitch, but commanding enough to keep tension high.

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane, narrated by Sara Novak (romance) – Laurie is humiliated when news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend gets out, the ex that just broke up with her after a decade of dating. Then she meets Jamie in a broken-down elevator, the office playboy who doesn’t believe in love but does need a suitable girlfriend to impress their bosses. Since Laurie is in the market for a hottie that will give the ol’ rumor mill something new to talk about, it’s a match made in fauxmance heaven. But there’s a fine line between pretending to catch feels and catching them for real…

Narrator Note: I’m not quite cool enough to name the specific region of Sara Novak’s accent but I loooove it. Check that sample – it’s just so fun to listen to!

Had I Known by Barbara Ehrenreich, narrated by Suzanne Toren (nonfiction, essays) – Barbara Ehrenreich is a self-proclaimed “myth buster by trade,” a journalist and political activist who’s covered an extensive range of topics in her career. I’ve had her book Natural Causes on my TBR for awhile, which examines how we’re killing ourselves to live longer, not better. Had I Known is a collection of the articles and excerpts from a long-ranging career that perhaps best showcase her unique flavor of social consciousness and wit.

Narrator Note: Is it just me, or does Suzanne Toren sound like the voice that narrated Desperate Housewives once upon a time? I saw maybe two episodes of that show but I swear, that is what the narration sounded like! I dig it.

Tigers Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry, narrated by Luis Moreno (YA) – The Torres sisters dream of escape from their tyrannical widowed father and the San Antonio neighborhood where everybody knows all ya business. Then in the summer after her senior year of high school, the oldest Torres sister dies tragically. A year later, the three remaining sisters are still consumed by their grief when strange things start happening around the house: mysterious laughter, weird shadows, creepy writing on the walls. Is their dead sister trying to send them a message? What is she trying to tell them?

Narrator Note: You wanna talk range? Luis Moreno has narrated for everyone from Chuck Palahniuk to Danielle Steele, performing romance, thrillers, narrative nonfiction, fantasy, and everything in between.

Latest Listens

I inhaled Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson and am now plowing through the rest of the series! The books are set at Ellingham Academy, a boarding school in Vermont established by Albert Ellingham. He was an uber-rich, early 20th century tycoon who created the academy as a place for his obsession with games to play out. Getting in is an elusive process: there’s no application, there’s no scouting. You just sort of have to make your case for why you should be allowed to attend without really knowing what the rubric is for selection.

Oh and also: shortly after the school opened, Ellingham’s wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only clue in the case was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed “Truly, Devious.” Decades later, the case remains one of the great unsolved crimes in American history.

Enter Stevie Bell, a teen true crime aficionado. She throws up a Hail Mary and writes to Ellingham Academy, asking to be let in because she believes she can solve the case. She’s accepted, arrives at the school and meets the motley crue of students also accepted into this mysterious school. Then a student turns up dead, opening up a whole new can of worms.

These books are an homage to Agatha Christie and classic murder mysteries, and candy for anyone who loves a boarding school setting. Narrator Kate Rudd manages to voice everyone from a 20th century tycoon to an apathetic teen without once making it feel gimmicky. A+!

Note: a lot of people in the reviews for the first book are BIG mad about the cliffhanger ending. It’s a series, so… keep… reading? The whole trilogy is out now so you don’t have to wait.

From the Internets, or My Email Inbox

I heard from Libro.fm that #ShopBookstoresNow has been a huge success! The $50,000 goal was surpassed and indie bookstores have seen a giant increase in both web traffic and memberships (we’re talking 800% and 200% respectively). Keep on keepin’ on, Libro!

Over at the Riot – So much great audiobook content!

10 of the Best Audiobook Series – I need to keep going with Attica Locke!
Where to Find the Best Audiobook Reviews Online – SUCH a useful resource.
Bookish Puzzles and the Audiobooks to Listen to While Doing Them – Funny story: I started Moon of the Crusted Snow (amazing, btw) without knowing what it was really about. Cool cool cool, the power is out, evil’s afoot, and everyone’s panicking and buying up all the food. Gulp.
Audiobook Adventures with Animal Crossing
7 Authors I Only Read on Audio
Audible Launches Audible Stories for Children and Teens While School is Out – for all my parents/guardians/caregivers with young ones suddenly at home.

Reminder: Book Riot has rounded up COVID-19 updates from the bookish world in one convenient place. You’ll find everything from free resources for children (story times! drawing lessons!) to news updates and a list of reliable online sources for staying informed.

That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Events

Join Us for Magical Cities in Literature Day!

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 25, 2020

Sponsored by Orbit Books, publisher of visionary author N.K. Jemisin’s new novel, THE CITY WE BECAME.

Three-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, a story of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New York City. Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She’s got six.

“It’s a glorious fantasy, set in that most imaginary of cities, New York. It’s inclusive in all the best ways, and manages to contain both Borges and Lovecraft in its fabric, but the unique voice and viewpoint are Jemisin’s alone.” — Neil Gaiman

Pack your bags, Rioters, and join us on a journey to the magical cities of literature! Saddle up your winged steeds and power up those flying cars, then follow us to places both familiar and brand new.

Here’s what you can expect on this jam-packed trip: discover which magical city you should live in, and find out which ones you should probably avoid! Explore magic cities in YA and middle grade series (that aren’t Harry Potter), and learn about the real world inspirations behind literature’s most magical cities. Don’t forget: not all magical cities are fun & friendly wonderlands: some of them are frightening, don’t say you weren’t warned.

So many cities, so little time. Let’s get to it then!

In The Club

In the Club – 032520

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 25, 2020

Audiobooks – 031920

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 19, 2020

Sponsored by Carina Press and Hers to Tame by Rhenna Morgan. Available now!

Don’t miss Hers to Tame, the highly anticipated follow up to His to Defend in the sexy and suspenseful Men of Haven spin-off series, NOLA Knights! It’s one thing to report on the Russian mafia; it’s quite another to sleep with one of them, especially one as dangerous, and as sinfully sexy, as Kir. Cassie knows too much about his world to go down that path again. But when Kir reaches out for help, Cassie doesn’t want to say no, either to investigating a gruesome murder or to the heat that pulls her back into his arms. Read it today!

Hola Audiophiles, and greetings from my Lair of Social Distance. How are we holding up? I know for me it’s been a challenge to spend so much time alone and indoors; I hope you’re finding ways to stay engaged, connected, and calm.

Let’s talk new audiobook releases, a little news you can use, and some resources to get us all through this rough patch. I’m sending you all a virtual hug right now! Thanks for rocking with me, you’re all pretty cool.

Ready? Let’s audio.

Before we begin, Book Riot has rounded up COVID-19 updates from the bookish world in one convenient place. You’ll find everything from free resources for children (story times! drawing lessons!) to news updates and a list of reliable online sources for staying informed.

New Releases – March 17, 2020 (publisher descriptions in quotes)

After Me Comes the Flood by Sarah Perry, narrated by Leighton Pugh – This is Sarah Perry’s debut novel, written before The Essex Serpent and Melmoth made her a big bookish deal. A man’s car breaks down on an isolated road on his way to visit his brother. He goes looking for help and finds a dilapidated house where a woman comes out to greet him. She and a big ol’ clan of people inside say they’ve been awaiting his arrival. Funny story: he’s never seen any of these people before in his life.

Narrator Note: I sampled this expecting a woman’s voice because the only Leighton I know of is Leighton Meester. Whoops! Turns out Leighton is a gentleman; should have recognized the name from New Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan.

Conjure Women bye Afia Atakora, narrated by Adenrele Ojo – Set in the South before and after the Civil War, this story introduces us to three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her observant daughter Rue who’s reluctant to follow in her footsteps as a midwife; and Varina, their master’s daughter. “The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom.”

Narrator Note: True story: I read this plot description and immediately thought of Deb Spera’s Call Your Daughter Home (read that, so good). It turns out Adenrele Ojo (along with the amazing Robin Miles and Brittany Pressley) also narrates that very book!

Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunit by Lilliam Rivera and Elle Power, narrated by Frankie Corzo – Goldie Vance is the brown Nancy Drew I craved in my childhood! The mystery at the heart of this whodunit involves a missing diamond-encrusted swim cap. Amazing! Based on Hope Larson and Brittney Williams’s critically acclaimed Goldie Vance comic, this middle grade caper sounds like so much fun.

Narrator Note: I loved Frankie Corzo’s performance of Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana. Other notable credits include Natalie Sylvester’s Everyone Knows You Go Home and Meg Medina’s Merci Suarez Changes Gears.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel, narrated by Megan Dodds, Jill Winternitz – If you love books about complicated of mother-daughter relationships, buckle up. For the first 18 years of her life, Rose Gold Watts was in a wheelchair, practically lived in a hospital, and was convinced she was seriously ill. It turns out her mom Patty Watts was just a really good liar. Fresh out of prison, Patty asks Rose Gold for a place to stay. She says she’s forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in, but Rose Gold knows her better than that. But this time, she’s also prepared.

Narrator Note: Megan Dodds has narrated several titles for Jodi Picoult and Meg Cabot, while Jill Winternitz is a newcomer to the audio game.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, narrated by Daniel Henning – A case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth has been tasked with determining whether six magical children are about to bring about the end of the world. The master of the orphanage is like, “Nah, fam” and will do anything to keep those kiddos safe, even if it means the world will go up in fuego. Gail Carriger describes this as “1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in.” I didn’t know that was a combo I wanted, but I do.

Narrator note: There is something so clear, crisp, and rather calming about Daniel Henning’s voice. I was thinking that to myself while sampling this audiobook when I realized he narrates a book of meditations called Practicing Mindfulness; if you’re an Audible member and are looking for some guided meditations (because again, world = garbage fire), try it out!

Make Those Listens Count

Rather than talk about my latest listen (it’s Sherry Thomas all day over here, comfort listens for the win), I want to share two important audiobooks resources.

This post from a few years back on free places to get audiobooks is one I’ve shared with all kinds of folks this week. Between economic uncertainty and just general worries over COVID-19, I think a lot of us could use a reminder of how to get some listens in for free.
My peeps over at Libro.fm put together this list on ways to support indie bookstores through the chaos of COVID-19. If you can afford to spend some money, and it doesn’t have to be much, to help booksellers, here are several ways you can do so.

From the Internets

I don’t necessarily care that a book is narrated by a celebrity just because they’re a celebrity, but this list does indeed include some of my favorite performances by talented celebrity narrators: Claire Danes performing The Handmaid’s Tale, Leah Remini narrating Troublemaker, and Michelle Obama reading Becoming.

About those free books: here’s reminder that Libby is an excellent resource for free ebooks and audiobooks and look, yet another reminder! Spread the good word to folks not in the know, especially during these quarantine days.

Over at the Riot

My middle thirties self finds these feel-good middle grade audiobooks most delightful.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

In The Club

In the Club – 031720

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 18, 2020

Sponsored by The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski, with Fierce Reads

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences. Nirrim keeps her head down, and a dangerous secret close to her chest. But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away, who whispers rumors that the High Kith possess magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Today it is also a reminder that you (corny sentiment alert!) are not alone. And before we go on, let me say this: if you’re not in the mood to read or talk books, ditch ’em. One day I find comfort in reading and the next I’m too uneasy to focus. Do what you need to do.

If you’re still with me, here’s today’s game plan: first I’m going to share a comfort food recipe made with rice, which I hope you’re able to find. I’m big mad at anyone buying 80 pounds of chicken, a year’s supply of rice, and all the legumes like they’re bonus items on Supermarket Sweep! Next we’ll talk book club strategies that work with social distancing and a few reads to bring you hope. Sound good to you? Cool cool cool.

To the club!!

Nibbles and Sips for Oneself

Hey! So! A lot of us suddenly have more time on our hands to cook. I’m all about the healing power of both eating and preparing food and accordingly made a big batch of my abuela’s Mexican rice this week. I thought I’d pass along a similar recipe to comfort you in these trying times.

Jauja Cocina Mexicana is my favorite YouTube channel for Mexican recipes, especially when I’m missing home. Janet Kushner (my internet tia) and her husband live in Texas and started the channel in 2015 as a way for Janet to feel less homesick for Mexico. Janet’s recipe for Mexican rice is almost identical to the way my abuela taught me to make it; pair it with whole or refried beans, warm corn tortillas, and a chunk of queso fresco for a warm, soothing meal of soothing simplicity. Tip: use fresh tomato as directed for this recipe; canned sauce totally changes the flavor! Also, you can totally do this in the Instant pot: use this as a guideline.

Quarantine Book Club

Fly Solo – My first suggestion is to do the responsible thing and cancel most in-person book clubs, then have yourself a book club, party of one! Treat the time you would have spent at book club as found reading time and pick up that delicious pleasure read you’ve been meaning to get to for awhile.

Get a Little Face Time – Those of you who follow Book Riot on the gram may have seen this little gem below. BR staff took a time out for some social distancing yoga. The stretching was good for the body, but the visual component was the extra boost of happy I needed. For those of you having a harder time with this period of isolation, consider holding book club via video call (gentle yoga optional, but highly recommended!). You too may be surprised by how much a simple thing like getting in a little face time can do for the soul.

P.S. I love Yoga with Adriene for free online yoga. Her dog makes frequent appearances in her videos too!

Hope Floats!

If you are looking for some hope-filled reads to tackle on that video chat, may I suggest:

Educated by Tara Westover – Tara Westover is resilience personified. Raised in rural Idaho by survivalist parents who kept her out of school, Tara went on to pursue an education for the first time at age 17 and eventually earned a PhD from Cambridge. That’s the simple summary though; imagine not knowing what the Holocaust is and having a room full of college kids think you’re an a$$hat when you say so, or having to be told by your roommates that you’re supposed to wash your hands after using the bathroom. Imagine all manner of verbal and physical abuse from family, imagine the humiliation of feeling behind at every turn. Now imagine thriving in spite of it all. Imagine hope.

Orhan’s Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian – Told in two timelines—the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990s—this book is such a beautiful story about love, loss, and the horrors of the Armenian genocide. If you like stories about the complex, delicate bonds of family and perseverance in the face of extreme hardship and tragedy, pick this one up. It will also teach you a lot you probably didn’t know (but should) about Turkish history.

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy edited by Kelly Jensen – Kelly is of a Book Riot editor, but I’d recommend this book to you even if she wasn’t. Over 30 contributors like V.E. Schwab, Adam Silvera, Esmé Weijun Wang, Libba Bray, and S. Zainab Williams (hmm, where have I heard that name?) weigh in on numerous topics related to mental health and mental illness. I found a lot of solace in these candid accounts of struggle, healing, coping, not coping, and why all of our experiences are valid and fine.

Suggestion Section

We’re rounding up COVID-19 updates from the bookish world in one convenient place. You’ll find everything from free resources for children (story times! drawing lessons!) to news updates and a list of reliable online sources for staying informed.

I don’t think this is supposed to be as funny as I found it, but I hollered at the alias used in this column about a book club invite that didn’t work out. Please refer to me as “Fanny Dashwood” henceforth.

BuzzFeed’s April book club pick is Barn 8; again, no time like the present to engage in an online book club!

CNET’s suggestions for a work-from-home book club with links to author chats.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page

Audiobooks

Audiobooks – 03/12

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 12, 2020

Sponsored by our $50 Barnes and Noble giveaway! Enter here!

We’re giving away a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble to one lucky reader. Enter here (and don’t forget to send us pics of your book stack if you win!).

Hola Audiophiles! How is everyone holding up?? I hope you’re all managing to stay healthy or have the resources and support systems to cope if you aren’t. While I hope it doesn’t come to this, at least there are a whole bunch of audiobooks for you to take solace in if you find yourself stuck at home. Wash those hands and get plenty of rest!

Ready? Let’s audio.

New Releases – March 10 (publisher descriptions in quotes)

The Animals of Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey, narrated by Sarah Lambie – I think I knew and then forgot that so much art survives today because museums in England (and I believe Europe and the US) relocated entire collections to keep them safe from the bombings during World War II. In this work of historical fiction set in August 1939, Hetty Cartwright lands a job looking over one such collection of stuffed animals when it’s moved from London to a decaying mansion in the countryside. The manor’s owner is a tyrant, his daughter is unstable and haunted, and the animals keep disappearing and reappearing in disconcerting places. Well okay then!

Narrator Note: I know next to nothing about Sarah Lambie but do know this: she’s an English actress and has the most deliciously haunting voice in this performance.

Good Citizens Need Not Fear by Maria Reva, narrated by Allen Lewis Rickman, Kathleen Gati, David Pittu, Yelena Shmulenson, and Ilyana Kadushin – This book reminds me a lot of Tim Murphy’s Christodora. These stories mostly take place in and around a single crumbling apartment building in Ukraine in the chaotic years leading up to and following the fall of the Soviet Union. There are nine narratives in total that weave together in some darkly comic and surprisingly tender ways.

Narrator Note: SO glad they went with an ensemble cast to really bring this motley crue of characters to life!

A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell, narrated by York Whitaker – If you’ve been looking for more Black girl magic, look no further. Whew, this collection! Contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Dhonielle Clayton, L.L. McKinney, Ibi Zoboi, Justina Ireland, and more. Do yourself a big ol’ favor and check out these gorgeous, imaginative stories that center Black women and gender nonconforming individuals through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.

Narrator Note: Another narrator I know little about but am excited to get to know! Listen to that sample; she gives me January LaVoy vibes but a tad more natural (and that’s no shade, January just has a very big voice). I’m intrigued!

Most Likely by Sarah Watson, narrated by Christie Moreau – Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha have been besties since kindergarten, and one of them will be the first woman president of the United States (lolsobit’sokayI’mfinereallyIam). “This is the story of four best friends who have one another’s backs through every new love, breakup, stumble, and success–proving that great friendships can help young women achieve anything…even a seat in the Oval Office.”

Narrator Note: Christie Moreau also narrated Susannah Cahalan’s The Great Pretender, which I’ve been meaning to get to as a huge fan of Brain on Fire

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn, narrated by Angele Masters – This is the fifth installment in the Veronica Speedwell series, a historical mystery series set in Victorian England that I’m SO glad I finally made time for last week. Veronica is one of my fave lady detectives- a whip smart, capable natural historian turned lady detective who studies butterflies and suffers no fools. A Murderous Relation involves a scandal with the royal family that must be avoided, but oh yeah: Jack the Ripper has also begun terrorizing London.

Narrator Note: If you’ve ever wondered what the phrase “and who asked you anyway?” would sound like if distilled down to one voice, WHOMP there it is. Perfect narration for Veronica’s I-do-what-I-want confidence and smarts.

Latest Listens

No lie, I treated myself to some more of the Lady Sherlock series and am now on the Libby waitlist for book four! I just can’t get enough of Charlotte’s cake-loving quirk. I love me a lady spy!

I am the most excited that my hold for Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious has at last come in after a very long (I be inpatient, yo) twelve weeks. Stevie Bell takes a wild leap of faith and applies for entrance into the elusive Ellingham Academy, an exclusive boarding school in Vermont with a decades-old cold case involving the original owner’s kidnapped (and long presumed dead) daughter. Steve is obsessed with true crime and solving mysteries, so much so that she’d made it her mission to find out what happened long ago. But once at Ellingham, things take a turn and someone winds up dead. That murder points to Truly Devious, the nameless villain from that very kidnapping.

Will report back next week!

From the Internets

Drumroll please: announcing the 2020 Audie Award winners!

Why it matters that Asian representation is growing in audiobooks

Do you love an ensemble cast? These audiobooks feature multiple cast members.

Over at the Riot

I’ve been saying I need to read more books with disabled representation, but have largely forgotten to include nonfiction in that goal; enter these five own voices audiobooks about women with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

5 great audiobooks narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, who has just the best name.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

In The Club

In the Club – 3/10

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 10, 2020

Sponsored by our $50 Barnes and Noble giveaway! Enter here!

We’re giving away a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble to one lucky reader. Enter here (and don’t forget to send us pics of your book stack if you win!).

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed. This week we’re getting speculative! I have a collection of books with major convo potential plus a delicious recipe for book club snacking that I have made more times than is respectable in a two week span. Long live cumin, butter, and books!

To the club!!

Nibbles and Sips

Today’s snackage has nothing to do with spec fic but is delightfully simple, convenient, and tasty AF. My dear friend Nusrah and fellow Rioter recently made these for me and I’m obsessed!

The gist of the prep process is very similar to the one here, but the Nusrah Special filling is made of finely shredded chicken that’s been mixed with chopped onions (a whole or half, up to you) that have been softened with about a tablespoon of butter, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a very precise F#%! Ton of cumin (ymmv here). That whole shebang is then mixed with a couple of teaspoons of flour and 1/4 cup of milk or cream to thicken. Stuff inside that puff pastry (use that recipe for reference), top with an egg wash and sesame seeds and BAM! It’s a party in your mouth.

The beauty of this is that it’s easy to make in bulk, you can make it all ahead, and even freeze the puffs for later. Now back to the books!

Allow Me to Speculate

Before I started working in books, I overheard some colleagues discussing the casting of a live-action Disney remake. One of them suggested that the idea of a Black Ariel really put her off because it “just didn’t make sense, the original Ariel was white!” I said, “You mean the made-up fish girl? That one?” Reader, it took all my self control not to hit her with all the Spanish curses.

We unfortunately hear this all the time. Dragons, mermaids, and aliens: no problem! But throw in a person of color or the faintest suggestion of queerness in those same made-up worlds and everyone’s like “NUH-UH!!” I thought back to that frustrating conversation while reading the first book in my list of suggestions below; in that book’s introduction, editor Patrice Caldwell looks back on her life as a reader and asks a question so many of us have asked people from marginalized communities: why don’t Black people exist in speculative worlds?!

So today we’re going to dive into some reads where queer characters and people of color do indeed get to exist in made-up and near-future worlds of their making.

A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell – The contributors in this collection are just so ridiculously good: Elizabeth Acevedo, Dhonielle Clayton, L.L. McKinney, Ibi Zoboi, Justina Ireland, and that’s not even the whole list! Do yourself a favor and check out these gorgeous, imaginative stories that center Black women and gender nonconforming individuals through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado – I feel like Carmen Maria Machado has figured out a way to bottle the essences of science fiction, fantasy, erotica, and horror, and she keeps them stored in an apothecary cabinet in her queer auntie bruja lair. Her literary superpower lies in a potion she brews from a bespoke blend of those essences that she sips slowly under the eerie glow of a blood moon. I know, I’m being extra, but read this collection of stories then come back and tell me I’m wrong. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi – The book opens in Compton, and young Ella has a gift (curse?) that allows her to see events that haven’t happened—some good, some horrible and tragic. Her younger brother Kev is born in the middle of the riots that explode in the wake of the Rodney King decision, and their family relocates to New York in an effort to escape the violence. Years later, Ella’s powers have grown stronger and less predictable while life in New York has proven no less dangerous than LA; when Kev is incarcerated for the crime of being Black, Ella must decide what to do with the powers she possesses. Let me tell you: this novella is perfect proof that a book does not have to be long to slap you in the face.

Suggestion Section

When I see a post on celebrity book clubs these days, I expect the predictable Oprah-Reese-Emma-Jenna roundup. This piece does include Oprah, sure, but it proved me wrong with the rest of the names who are ALL people of color. Ok then!

Related: Singer Amerie (please tell me I’m not the only one singing Na, na, na, na, na, oh!??) is a contributor in A Phoenix First Must Burn!

We have a few giveaways going for books that would be great for book club!

Spirit Run by Noé Álvarez is a debut memoir about the son of working-class Mexican immigrants who fled a life of labor in fruit-packing plants to run a 6,000 mile Native American marathon from Canada to Guatemala.
Jennifer Rosner’s The Yellow Bird Sings is historical fiction set in Poland during WWII about a mother and daughter who flee their home when Nazis begin rounding up Jews, inspired by the true stories of Jewish children hidden during World War II.

My Dark Vanessa was an Oprah’s Book Club Pick, and then it wasn’t.

On joining a multi-generational one book club

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page

What's Up in YA

The Weekend’s Hottest YA Ebook Deals

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 7, 2020

Audiobooks – 03/05

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 4, 2020

Sponsored by Spirit Run by Noé Álvarez, on sale now from Catapult.

Spirit Run is the electrifying debut memoir of a son of working-class Mexican immigrants who fled a life of labor in fruit-packing plants to run in the Peace and Dignity Journey—a Native American marathon from Canada to Guatemala—challenging himself to reimagine North America and his place in it.

Hang on to your headphones, audiophiles! This here is a wild week in new releases. I’m going to blurb a few of them for you and then go a little more brief with some others because ain’t nobody got time for a 2,000 word newsletter. Good luck picking which to read next! So much good stuff for those earholes.

Ready? Let’s audio.

New Releases – March 10 (publisher descriptions in quotes)

Anna K by Jenny Lee, narrated by Jenna Ushkowitz – In this opulent YA reimagining of Anna Karenina, Anna K is 17 years old and sitting pretty at the top of the world: she’s got horses and dogs, a perfect boyfriend (if a little boring), and she makes her Korean American father proud most of the time. Her friends and family are all embroiled in some drama—a sexting scandal, the end of an ice-dancing career, unrequited love—but Anna always seems to float above it all. All of that changes when she meets a young playboy named Alexia who soon has Anna K out here wanting to risk it all.

Narrator note: Jenna Ushkowitz is a Tony Award-winning producer, actress, singer and podcast host known for her performances in the Broadway musical Waitress and Glee. This is her first audiobook performance and the sample online sounds promising!

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu – This is Marie Lu’s first historical fiction novel! Nannerl Mozart is a musical prodigy who wants to be remembered forever, but the odds of her becoming an acclaimed composer are slim. Sucks to be a woman in 18th century Europe! As Nannerl’s musical dreams seem less and less attainable with each passing year, her brother Wolfgang (you may have heard of him) only garners more and more acclaim. “His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true – but his help may cost her everything.”

Narrator Note: Confession, I did not 100% love Lauren Ezzo’s narration of Renee Ahdieh’s The Beautiful. Parts of it were phenomenal! The voice of the villain though? It was so slow and bordered on comical for me. I have since sampled more of Ezzo’s work and really enjoyed what I heard! Long story short: give this a shot even if The Beautiful wasn’t your thing.

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski, narrated by Justine Eyre – “Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences. Nirrim keeps her head down, and a dangerous secret close to her chest. But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away, who whispers rumors that the High Kith possess magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.”

Narrator Note: Justin Eyre is on my to-listen list for sure; she narrates both Sarah Maclean’s Bareknuckle Bastards series and Scandal & Scoundrel series too, and was the voice of Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian.

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, narrated by Graham Halstead – Malcolm Kershaw is a mystery aficionado and bookshop owner in Boston who compiled a list that he called Eight Perfect Murders: a roundup of titles containing some of literature’s most unsolvable crimes. Years later, he’s called upon by the FBI with some unsettling news: there’s a murdered on the loose, one who is using those Eight Perfect Murders as inspiration for their killings.

Some of the books on that list, by the way, are Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Color me interested!

Narrator note: If you enjoy Graham Halstead’s narration, be sure to check out Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America.

Other New Releases to Check Out:

Docile by K. M. Szpara, narrated by: Mark Sanderlin and Vikas Adam – This is “a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles.”

Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas, narrated by Jennifer Araya – “A slow-burn romance in a cutthroat kitchen!” Cooking, Cubans, complicated families, and romance? Si, si, si.

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn, narrated by Jolene Kim, Kaleo Griffith, G. K. Bowen, and Tui Asau – Our very own Amanda Nelson recent raved about this “groundbreaking debut novel that folds the legends of Hawaiian gods into an engrossing family saga; a story of exile and the pursuit of salvation” that I swear I am going to read this year.

Rust: A Memoir of Steel and Grit by Eliese Colette Goldbach, narrated by Kelly Pekar – “A young woman’s debut memoir of grit and tenacity, as she returns to the conservative hometown she always longed to escape to earn a living in the steel mill that casts a shadow over Cleveland.”

Latest Listens

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev is one of the most fun books I’ve read in awhile. I’m going to give you the review I wrote on the gram because I stand by it rull hard: “Trisha Raj is an overachiever and San Francisco’s neurosurgeon mas chingona, which you’d think would be enough to impress her influential Indian American family but a) brown families, amirite? and b) #itscomplicated. She meets up-and-coming chef zaddy DJ Caine at a schwanky dinner put on by her family, but the only sparks that fly are the bad kind. She’s all, ‘He’s the hired help!’ and he’s all, ‘Esa vieja se cree mucho!’ except, like, not in Spanish and with a charming English accent.

As luck would have it, Trisha’s family hires DJ to cater a bigger, badder, affair, a job DJ desperately needs to pay his terminally ill sister Emma’s medical bills. And wouldn’t you know it, Trisha is Emma’s surgeon, and she’s found a way to save Emma’s life. Secrets from the past, complex family dynamics, and a metiche with an axe to grind get all kinds of in the way of these two crazy kids getting along. Will love (and lust 👀) prevail? Maybe. This Pride and Prejudice remix is a really fun story and romance jam packed with brown people and absolutely tantalizing food descriptions that literally made me make curry for dinner.”

Finally, A+ audiobook narration by Soneela Nankani: great variation in tone that made the inner monologues distinct from the interpersonal conversations, which is a thing I’ve come to so appreciate in audiobooks! The accents are perfect, the pacing is spot on (I still sped up to 1.25x but 1.0x was totally fine too). I can’t wait to start the galley of the next book in this series, Recipe for Persuasion!

From the Internets

I saw a post out there that said something to the tune of “Audiobooks to listen to when you’ll probably have to be quarantined” and I just could not.

Instead, here’s this piece on 17 Best Audiobooks To Listen To When You Want To Zone Out In 2020, which is a little less panic-making but still captures the “go home, 2020: you’re drunk” vibe a lot of us are feeling.

Over at the Riot

It’s Women’s History Month! What a wonderful time to dive into nonfiction feminist audiobooks.

I’ve been working in more poetry into my reading life and have found that audiobooks are my favorite way to do it! Poetry was meant to be read aloud, ya know? Check these must listens by poets of color.

If you aren’t using Libby yet, here’s how to get the most out of it! I do a LOT of my audiobooking via Libby. Who doesn’t love a book that’s $Free.99??

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

In The Club

In the Club – 3/4

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date March 4, 2020

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

In Poland, as World War II rages, a mother hides with her young daughter, a musical prodigy whose slightest sound may cost them their lives. Inspired by the true stories of Jewish children hidden during World War II, Jennifer Rosner’s debut is a breathtaking novel about the unbreakable bond between a mother and a daughter. Beautiful and riveting, The Yellow Bird Sings is a testament to the triumph of hope—a whispered story, a bird’s song—in even the darkest of times.

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Since 2020 continues to be a bit of a snot-nosed punk, I dove deep into comfort reading at the end of February. You know what that means if you’ve been rockin’ with me for a minute: mysteries set in Victorian England. Not only did that make me feel better, but I was also inspired to talk to you all about badass lady detectives.

To the club!!

Nibbles and Sips – If you don’t recognize the names of the women who inspired these snacks and sips, just keep reading (in case that needed pointing out)

Charlotte Russe – I was approximately yesterday years old when I discovered that Charlotte Russe does not indeed only refer to an (I think) now defunct chain of women’s fast fashion stores that got lots of my monies in high school. Charlotte Holmes refers to this rich European dessert in The Hollow of Fear and now I’m determined to make it!
Scones for a proper cream tea – My girl Charlotte appreciates just about any buttery baked good, but seems to have a soft spot for afternoon tea. I too share this joy and decided to make my own scones AND clotted cream this week, the latter of which was done in my handy dandy Instant Pot!
A classic whiskey cocktail – Because it’s what Gethsemane would do (when she’s not drinking her spirits straight up)

Let’s Get Sleuthing!

All that comfort reading reminded me how much I love a smart, capable lady sleuth. Make your next book club pick one of these mystery reads featuring clever, formidable women who suffer no fools. Discuss the way each of these women breaks stodgy gender stereotypes and how that defiance changes the flavor of these who-dunnits, especially in the case of my first rec.

Charlotte Holmes from The Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas – Yoooooo, Charlotte Holmes and Mrs. Watson are my new favorite Holmes and Sherlock team! I cannot stress who much I am here for the gender-swapping of both these roles. Their place in society as fallen women is intentional, a push-back to Victorian England’s ridiculous treatment of women. The only thing I love more than Charlotte’s razor-sharp wit, powers of observation, and sex positivity is how much our girl loves her desserts. She shovels them in at every chance she gets and regrets nothing, curtailing the habit only when she’s reached “maximum tolerable chins.” Go off, girl!

Start with A Study in Scarlet Women

Veronica Speedwell from the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn – When we first meet lepidopterist and world traveler Veronica Speedwell, she has just buried her spinster aunt when an intruder breaks into her home and tries to drag her away. A nice German fellow intervenes, a baron who tells Veronica that he knew her mother and that, in case she hasn’t figured it out, Veronica is in grave danger. He insists on escorting her to the city and leaves her in the care of his friend Stoker, a rough-around-the-edges natural historian and taxidermist, until he can decide on a course of action to keep Veronica safe. Before he can formulate a plan or tell Veronica the truth about her parentage, the baron is found dead in his home, sending Stoker and Veronica on the run and leaving them with a mystery to solve.

Much like Charlotte Holmes, Veronica is allowed agency over her own life, in large part because she’s insisted on that agency to the chagrin of “polite” society. She enjoys the company of men unapologetically, makes clear her desire to remain childless, travels on her own terms, and generally keeps a low reserve of #%$!s to give.

Start with A Curious Beginning

Gethsemane Brown from the Gethsemane Brown mysteries by Alexia Gordon – Classical musician Gethsemane Brown accepts a less-than-ideal position at a school in the Irish countryside, teaching a bunch of schoolboys (maybe?) how to do music properly. The gig is better than being broke and it comes with lodging at a cliffside cottage so it can’t be all that bad, right? Well! The cottage’s previous owner was kinda sorta murdered and his ghost now haunts the place on the regular. No problem, right? He alleges that he was falsely accused of killing his wife (and himself) and asks Gethsemane to clear his name by solving his decades old case so he can rest in peace.

Now you know I love me a British cozy, but ay Dios mio are cozies just THE whitest! At least they have been in the past, but that’s starting to change. This is one of the first cozies I read with a Black woman protagonist and she’s one of my favorite sleuths. She can knock back whiskey with the best of them, too, which only endears me to her further.

Start with Murder in G Major

Suggestion Section

Eater NY has a book club and their next pick is Iliana Regan’s Burn the Place. The scene where Regan recalls falling in love with food when her dad taught her how to cook chanterelle’s in butter and wine just… that’s my love language right there.

Jenna Bush Hager’s March pick is Writers & Lovers by Lily King.

PBS has selected Dani Shapiro’s Inheritance for their book club.

Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter, get in on the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page