Category: New Books

First Tuesday of June Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date June 3, 2019

Get ready for the mega-est of megalists! There are SO many amazing books out today. I had the great fortune of reading several of them, and loving many of them. And there are still a ton more I can’t wait to read. And because I love you, I made you a big shiny list below, and you can hear about more amazing books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about Ayesha at Last, Leaving the Witness, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, and more.

(And like with each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have read and loved. But there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!)

Sponsored by This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura, from Epic Reads

CJ’s never lived up to her mom’s ambition, and she’s perfectly happy just helping her aunt, Hannah, at their family’s flower shop. She doesn’t buy into Hannah’s ideas about flowers and their hidden meanings, but when it comes to floral arrangement, CJ discovers a skill she can be proud of. Then her mom decides to sell the shop—to the family who swindled CJ’s grandparents when Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps during WWII. Soon a rift threatens to splinter CJ’s family, friends, and their entire community; and for the first time, CJ has found something she wants to fight for.

Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas

The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr

The Milk Hours: Poems by John James

Beyond All Reasonable Doubt: A Novel by Malin Persson Giolito

That Night by Cyn Balog

Assassin of Shadows: A Novel by Lawrence Goldstone

This Might Hurt a Bit by Doogie Horner

Girls of July by Alex Flinn

No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani and Omid Tofighian

on earth we're briefly gorgeous On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel by Ocean Vuong

Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life by Amber Scorah

Dual Citizens: A novel by Alix Ohlin

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

The Reaping (Paperbacks from Hell) by Bernard Taylor

The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami and Allison Markin Powell

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

The Beholder by Anna Bright

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair

The Last Unknowns: Deep, Elegant, Profound Unanswered Questions About the Universe, the Mind, the Future of Civilization, and the Meaning of Life by John Brockman

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

The Cat in the Box by Chris Ferrie

The Friends We Keep by Jane Green

Exposed by Jean-Philippe Blondel, Alison Anderson (translator)

Awards for Good Boys: Tales of Dating, Double Standards, and Doom by Shelby Lorman

Murder in Bel-Air (An Aimée Leduc Investigation) by Cara Black

The Chosen (Contender) by Taran Matharu

This Land Is Our Land by Suketu Mehta

The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry

Naturally Tan: A Memoir by Tan France

Indecent Advances: A Hidden History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall by James Polchin

Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men’s Lives by Walt Odets

The Love Factory by Elaine Proctor

Banshee by Rachel DeWoskin

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

More News Tomorrow: A Novel by Susan Richards Shreve

The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen

The Truffle Underground: A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World’s Most Expensive Fungus by Ryan Jacobs

The Electric Hotel: A Novel by Dominic Smith

Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane

The Summer We Lost Her by Tish Cohen

The Great Eastern by Howard Rodman

A Small Zombie Problem (Zombie Problems) by K.G. Campbell

Trace: Who killed Maria James? by Rachael Brown

Unraveling by Karen Lord

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest

Donna Has Left the Building by Susan Jane Gilman

Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth by Gordon L. Dillow

Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind by Annaka Harris

In at the Deep End by Kate Davies

Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power by Pam Grossman

On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard by Jennifer Pastiloff

The Summer Demands by Deborah Shapiro

Among the Lost by Emiliano Monge, Frank Wynne (translator)

In West Mills by De’Shawn Charles Winslow

Aug 9 – Fog by Kathryn Scanlan

Chasing the Moon: The People, the Politics, and the Promise That Launched America into the Space Age by Robert L. Stone and Alan Andres

The Haunted by Danielle Vega

Oval: A Novel by Elvia Wilk

Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime by Alex Espinoza

All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker

The Summer Country: A Novel by Lauren Willig

Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson by Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow

1919 by Eve L. Ewing

time is a thing Time Is the Thing a Body Moves Through by T Fleischmann

Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

This Storm by James Ellroy

Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee

When the Ground Is Hard by Malla Nunn

The Moon: A History for the Future by Oliver Morton

Patsy: A Novel by Nicole Dennis-Benn

All That You Leave Behind: A Memoir by Erin Lee Carr

Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work by Victoria Ortiz

Out of Place by Jennifer Blecher, Merrillee Liddiard (Illustrator)

US cover of ayesha at last Ayesha At Last: A Novel by Uzma Jalaluddin

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash

Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: and Other Cocktails for ’90s Kids by Sam Slaughter

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: A Novel by Neal Stephenson

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Shallows (Nils Shapiro) by Matt Goldman

The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Ship, a Killer, and the Birth of a Gangster Nation by Rich Cohen

Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby by Matthew Inman and The Oatmeal

Spider-Man: Far From Home: Peter and Ned’s Ultimate Travel Journal by Preeti Chhibber (YAY, PREETI!)

Searching for Sylvie Lee: A Novel by Jean Kwok

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

We Were Killers Once: A Thriller (Brigid Quinn Series) by Becky Masterman

Just One Bite by Jack Heath

Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal

Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money by Ken Honda

Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Petterson, Anne Born (translator)

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 (I HEART RECOMMENDATIONS!), or see pictures of my cats (How do I make them stop growing?!?), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or L itsy under ‘Liberty’!

Thanks so much for reading!

Liberty

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 28, 2019

Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a wonderful three-day weekend, if that’s a thing that happened where you are. I’ll give you three guesses how I spent mine. (SPOILER: Reading books.) I have a few of today’s amazing new releases to tell you about. And you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Kim and I discussed Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come, Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Other Words for Home, and more great books.

Sponsored by The Plus One from HarperCollins 360.

Polly Spencer is single and turning thirty, but seriously, she’s fine. Even if she’s still stuck at Posh! magazine writing about royal babies and the chances of finding a plus one to her best friend’s summer wedding are looking worryingly slim. But it’s a new year, and Polly’s determined that over the next 365 days she’ll remember to shave her legs, drink less wine, and get her s**t together. Her latest piece is on the infamous Jasper, Marquess of Milton, undoubtedly neither a plus one nor ‘the one.’ She’s heard the stories—there’s no way she’ll succumb to his charms…

The Flatshare: A Novel by Beth O’Leary

This is a delightful romantic comedy about two people who are perfect for each other, if only they could meet. Tiffany and Leon share a flat. Just not at the same time. In an effort to save money, Tiffany stays in it at night, and Leon during the day. As the two communicate through a series of notes, they begin to develop a real affinity for one another. Could it translate over IRL? (Writing this blurb is making me want to go watch Ladyhawke.)

Backlist bump: Matchmaking for Beginners: A Novel by Maddie Dawson

rebel beverly jenkins Rebel (Women Who Dare) by Beverly Jenkins

I don’t know why people even bother writing reviews of Beverly Jenkins’s books. She is amazing every. single. time. This romance is about Valinda Lacy, a Northern woman in New Orleans after the Civil War. She’s trying to help the newly emancipated community, but when criminals destroy her school, and threaten her, she flees – and ends up running into Captain Drake LeVeq. He admires Valinda’s strong spirit and independence. And when her father insists Valinda returns home, Drake realizes he feels even more for her.

Backlist bump: Tempest (Old West) by Beverly Jenkins

Hope for the Best (Chronicles of St Mary’s) by Jodi Taylor

This is the tenth novel in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. I’m here to recommend you this whole delightful series about time-hopping historical researchers. They investigate unsolved events in history and try not to mess time up or get killed in the process. But you can’t just drop in on history and not expect to make an impression… Start with the first book in the series, listed below!

Backlist bump: Just One Damned Thing After Another (Chronicles of St. Mary’s) by Jodi Taylor

Thanks so much for visiting me here each week! Y’all are the best.

xoxo,

Liberty

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 21, 2019

Hello and welcome to another Tuesday edition of “Holy cats, there are so many books in the world!” I know we’re all trying to read as many of them as we can. (Go, us!) I have a few of today’s amazing new releases to tell you about. And you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! María Cristina and I talked about The Confessions of Frannie Langton, Vessel, Star-Crossed, and more great books.

May New Books Megalist: The Sequel!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 13, 2019

I’m sorry, but I had to do it. I read so many wonderful books that are coming out today, I HAD to make another megalist, because I couldn’t choose just a few to highlight. (You know how I hate making decisions.) So this way, you can see all the Liberty-approved books out today, plus a ton more that are out now. YAY BOOKS! And you can hear about more amazing books on this week’s episode of All the Books! Kelly and I talked about The Den, There’s Something About Sweetie, Lanny, and more new books!

(And like with each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have read and loved. But there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!)

First Tuesday of May Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 6, 2019

Holy cats, brace yourself for the most amazing new release day yet this year! Seriously, there are about a zillion new books out today, give or take almost a zillion. I have had the pleasure of reading several of them, and I can’t wait to see how excited everyone else is going to be when they see them. And because I love you, I made you a big shiny list below, and you can hear about more amazing books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about The Bride Test, Somewhere Only We Know, Furious Hours, and more.

(And like with each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have read and loved. But there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!)

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 29, 2019

Happy last day of April! Can you believe it??? Everything here in Maine is so green. It’s true – I can see it out the windows. I have my hammock set up in my library now, and I spent the weekend reading old horror novels that frightened me as a child. It was pretty much perfect. (Even if I didn’t think the books I read were scary anymore.) And now I am enjoying Spring by Ali Smith, the third book in her Seasonal Quartet. (Spoiler: It’s fantastic.) And speaking of reading, I have a few of today’s amazing new releases to tell you about. And you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Trisha and I talked about The Invited, Mama’s Boy, Let’s Tell This Story Properly, and more great books.

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 22, 2019

Welcome back to another Tuesday, book lovers! Is it raining where you are? It has been raining in Maine for what feels like months. Luckily, reading is an inside sport! And speaking of which, I have a few of today’s amazing new releases to tell you about. And you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Tirzah and I talked about Storm of Locusts, Ragged Alice, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl, and more great books.

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publishers of I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

Meet Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thinks they know but can’t remember where from. Except one person. Someone knows Aimee very well. They know who she is and they know what she did.

How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom by S. J. Goslee

People who love a fake dating trope, rejoice! Nolan is sixteen, gay, and crushing hard on a boy at his school. But he’s never even kissed a boy, let alone dated one. Just when he thinks his sister is going to embarrass him to death with a “prom-posal” idea, he’s saved by bad boy Bern, who offers to fake-date him. Do you see where this is going? It’s a sweet, charming novel about learning to speak up for yourself.

Backlist bump: Whatever.: or how junior year became totally f$@cked by S. J. Goslee

Flowers of Mold & Other Stories by Ha Seong-nan, Janet Hong (translator)

A man steals his neighbors’ trash to help him learn about love; a woman starts losing her memory after lending her spatula; a sunny billboard ad taunts the inhabitant of a gray city. These situations and more make up a stellar collection that will definitely please fans of short stories that have an unsettling layer to them.

Backlist bump: The Lonesome Bodybuilder: Stories by Yukiko Motoya, Asa Yoneda (translator)

This searing light, the sun and everything else: Joy Division: The Oral History by Jon Savage

Okay, this is a little Liberty wheelhousey, I know. But even if you’re not a fan, or unfamiliar with Joy Division, it’s a fascinating read about a band who achieved fame, but lost their singer right as they were really taking off. The story of their meteoric rise is told through interviews with the remaining band members and people who knew them. (Think Daisy Jones & the Six format.) It’s sad to look back on all that was lost, but also a beautiful testament to art, music, and fame. Plus, the cover is holographic!

Backlist bump: Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook

Thanks so much for visiting me here each week! Y’all are the best.

xoxo,

Liberty

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 15, 2019

Hello, people of Earth! TAKE ME TO YOUR READER. Today is what you call a “Tuesday,” and it is full of those things you call “books.” As you read this, I am relaxing on the mothership, having taken a week off, but I still needed to tell you about some of today’s great new releases. Because recommending books is ingrained in the fiber of my being! Below are a few of today’s amazing new releases, and you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! María Cristina and I talked about Miracle Creek, The Binding, Alice’s Island, and more great books.

Sponsored by The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey and Swoon Reads

A dark and twisty regency novel perfect for readers who like their Jane Austen classics with a side of mystery and murder. 1833. A near-fatal carriage accident has deposited an unconscious young woman on the doorstep of young Lord Ellerby. When she finally awakens, it is with no memory of who she is or where she came from. As the mystery woman tries to solve the puzzle of her own identity and the appalling events that brought her to their door, nothing can prepare her for the escalating dangers that await. What she can’t remember could be deadly.

Southern Lady Code: Essays by Helen Ellis

You may have heard us talk about Ellis on All the Books! before, because she is a SCREAM. And this collection of essays proves it! She tells the most amazing, frank, deliciously naughty, and over-the-top stories, while also discussing growing up in the South, and how to decode the expressions. (Example: “It’s just the house settling” is Southern Lady Code for: “Yep, you heard a ghost, but we need you to feed the cats while we’re out of town.”) I laugh-snorted my way through the whole thing, and will never look at a bottle of Liquid Plumr the same way. (Fun fact: She is an amazing poker player, and taught Colson Whitehead everything he know, which he documented in The Noble Hustle.)

Backlist bump: Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis

Diary of a Murderer: And Other Stories by Young-Ha Kim, Krys Lee (translator)

An aging serial killer sets his sight on another serial killer – who happens to be his daughter’s boyfriend – before dementia overtakes him. Two school friends reunite after 20 years, with dark results. A son returns years after being kidnapped. And a man thinks he is – wait for it – a cob of corn. These are the stories in this fascinating, well-imagined collection. I look forward to reading more by Kim.

Backlist bump: The Lonesome Bodybuilder: Stories by Yukiko Motoya and Asa Yoneda

Normal People: A Novel by Sally Rooney

Already available across the pond, this dynamic novel has won several awards and been nominated for umpteen more. It’s about Marianne and Connell, two teens who are outside each other’s social circles, but have a connection away from school that they keep hidden from the world. And as they move on to college, and the boundaries of their relationship change, and their social standings and personalities shift, they must decide what it means for them. It’s a lovely rumination on young first love and class, told with sparse beauty.

Backlist bump: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Thanks so much for visiting me here each week! Y’all are the best.

xoxo,

Liberty

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 8, 2019

Welcome back to Tuesday! Er, a different Tuesday. Not the same one as last week. Which is a good thing, because there are a whole new bunch of great books out today! It was really hard to decide which ones to read first, but I managed. (Everything I do, I do it for you.) Below are a few of today’s amazing new releases. And you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Kelly and I talked about Descendant of the Crane, In The Neighborhood of True, and more great books.

Sponsored by Henry Holt, publisher of TRUST EXERCISE by Susan Choi. Available now wherever books are sold.

The new novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist Susan Choi, TRUST EXERCISE. A story about the enduring aftermath of the events of adolescence, and about the complexities of consent and coercion among teenagers and adults. Through a narrative twist, TRUST EXERCISE raises questions about the reliability of memory and the accuracy of the stories we tell, and considers the consequences of our memories and our stories across time. One of the most anticipated new books of the year.

The Dream Peddler by Martine Fournier Watson

This novel is itself a dream, set in no discernible place at no discernible time. It gave me a bit of a Tuck Everlasting feel. It’s a “stranger comes to town” story, about a man who sells dreams, and a nine-year-old boy who disappears the same day he arrives. Evie, the boy’s mother, turns to the dream salesman for solace in her grief. But not all dreams should come true… (Also, I am so transfixed by this cover!)

~~Backlist~~ New book bump: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Beatriz Perez is a sugar heiress whose family lost everything during the Cuban Revolution. Now she has a chance for revenge against Fidel Castro – by becoming a spy for the CIA. But as she works to infiltrate his inner circle, she must decide if gaining back what she has lost is worth risking everything. When We Left Cuba is a compelling tale of love, family, and revenge.

Backlist bump: Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr

Who’s in the mood for a gothic literary mystery with ill-fated romance? (Spoiler: WHO ISN’T?) Robert Highstead, a post-mortem photographer, is tasked with bringing the remains of his famous poet cousin, Hugh de Bonne, to the chapel that houses Bonne’s wife’s grave. But Bonne’s niece refuses to open the doors until Robert hears the story of the Bonnes’ tragic marriage. And as the story unfolds over five nights, the mystery of Robert’s own tragic past begins to unfold, including things that might not be real. OooOoooOoooooo.

Backlist bump: Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

Thanks so much for visiting me here each week! Y’all are the best.

xoxo,

Liberty

New Books

First Tuesday of April Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 1, 2019

Are you sitting down? You might want to before you read any further, because this is the most epic new release day of 2019 so far! SO. MANY. BOOKS. (Do I even need to add ‘books’ to that? Like, if I didn’t, would you think, “What does she mean? Cabbages? Cadillacs??”) Seriously, there is an embarrassment of riches today. And because I love you, I made you a big shiny list below, and you can hear about more amazing books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about Women Talking, The Affairs of the Falcóns, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and more.