Category: New Books

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! It’s a beautiful day in the book neighborhood. I must admit to not getting much reading done this weekend, but I had a good reason: KITTENS. I figured I should show them a little bit of attention. I’m going to share a few of today’s great books below, and you can hear about a few more great reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked talked about No Exit, Last Woman Standing, Thick, and more great books.

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Sponsored by The Dreamers, a mesmerizing novel coming next month (January) from Random House.

One night in an ordinary college town in the hills of Southern California, a first-year student stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. Her roommate cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. When others succumb to the mysterious illness, panic spreads throughout the community: A young couple tries to protect their newborn baby. Two sisters worry as their survivalist father prepares for disaster. Those affected by the illness, doctors discover, are displaying record-high levels of brain activity. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?

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The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

OHHHHHHHHH MY GOODNESS. I could write a love sonnet to the mind-blowing world building of this alternate nineteenth century Paris fantasy. It’s a delicious high-stakes heist novel, full of marvelous details about artifacts, costumes, riddles, and more, as well as romance, adventure, and discussion of cultural appropriation and European colonialism. There are too many details to the plot to try and explain it, just know that I am so in love with this book.

Backlist bump: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro

When Shapiro submitted her DNA to a genealogy test on a whim, she was not expecting the news that came back: the man she knew as her father was not her biological father. This is her moving, beautiful memoir about her investigation into that discovery, family, identity, and long-buried secrets.

Backlist bump: Devotion: A Memoir by Dani Shapiro

As Long as We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Cheney

Do you like your thrillers twisty, riveting, and slightly insane? Then pull up a chair! Cheney has knocked it out of the park (again!) with this nasty delight, about detectives investigating a man who has not one but two wives die under suspicious circumstances. Does he have really bad luck, or when it comes to splitting up, is he a DIY murder kinda guy?

Backlist bump: What You Don’t Know by JoAnn Cheney (Seriously, the paperback cover of this book FREAKS. ME. OUT. and that’s pleases me to no end.)

That’s it for me today! If you want to learn more about books new and old, or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (or see lots of pictures of my cats Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

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

xoxo,

Liberty

Welcome to the New Year! It’s the first Tuesday megalist, and holy cats, publishing hits the ground running. There are a TON of books to choose from. You can hear about several of today’s new books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Jenn and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including Mouthful of Birds, Slayer, An Orchestra of Minorities, 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!)

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Sponsored by The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict.

Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich’s plans while at her husband’s side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis…if anyone would listen to her.

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The Wicked King by Holly Black 

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

Showtime at the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem’s Legendary Theater by Ted Fox and James Otis Smith

Sugar Run: A Novel by Mesha Maren 

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks

The Widows by Jess Montgomery

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

An Orphanage of Dreams by Sam Savage  

Sydney Noir (Akashic Noir Series) by John Dale

Receptor by Alan Glynn

What Momma Left Me by Renée Watson 

Amsterdam Noir (Akashic Noir Series) by René Appel and Josh Pachter

Mouthful of Birds: Stories by Samanta Schweblin 

Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974 by Kevin M. Kruse, Julian E. Zelizer

The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt and His Times by Jerome Charyn

In an Absent Dream (Wayward Children) by Seanan McGuire 

Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life by Lucy Worsley

How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson

The Winter of the Witch: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy) by Katherine Arden 

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Beyond These Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States by Tony Platt

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America by Ibi Zoboi and Tracey Baptiste 

Scrublands by Chris Hammer

The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: Collected Stories by Kat Howard

Bicycle in an Ransacked City: An Elegy by Andrés Cerpa

Slayer by Kiersten White 

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

The Edge of Anarchy: The Railroad Barons, the Gilded Age, and the Greatest Labor Uprising in America by Jack Kelly

The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai (Li Po) by Ha Jin

An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma 

She Lies in Wait: A Novel by Gytha Lodge

Old Newgate Road: A novel by Keith Scribner

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh 

The Lost Puzzler: The Tarakan Chronicles by Eyal Kless

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Girl King by Mimi Yu 

Lake City: A Novel by Thomas Kohnstamm

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss 

Freefall: A Novel by Jessica Barry

The Au Pair by Emma Rous

Still in Love: A Novel by Michael Downing

Breaking and Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called “Alien” by Jeremy Smith

Match Me If You Can by Tiana Smith

An Indefinite Sentence: A Personal History of Outlawed Love and Sex by Siddharth Dube 

Burned: A Story of Murder and the Crime That Wasn’t by Edward Humes

Weave the Liminal: Living Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Laura Tempest Zakroff

To Keep the Sun Alive: A Novel by Rabeah Ghaffari 

The Martin Chronicles by John Fried

Bicycle in a Ransacked City: An Elegy by Andrés Cerpa

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg

McGlue: A Novella by Ottessa Moshfegh

It Was All A Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America by Reniqua Allen

Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom

Hollywood’s Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of L.A. by Lili Anolik 

A Sky for Us Alone by Kristin Russell

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

Wanderer by Sarah Léon and John Cullen

The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After by Julie Yip-Williams

The Edge of Anarchy: The Railroad Barons, the Gilded Age, and the Greatest Labor Uprising in America by Jack Kelly

White Stag: A Novel (Permafrost) by Kara Barbieri

Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden 

Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

Invasive species by Marwa Helal

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!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Thanks so much for reading!

Liberty

Two more weeks until 2019! This is the last New Books newsletter of 2018, so I wanted to share a few book ideas in case you’re a last-minute shopper, or you want to get more gifts. (Orrrrrrr if you need more books for yourself, because who doesn’t??!?) I think there’s a little something here for everyone, and I’ve included a little bit of the publisher’s synopsis with each.

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Sponsored by Book Riot’s 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2018 Giveaway

We’re giving away ten of our favorite works of nonfiction of the year! Click here to enter.

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If you want to know about more 2018 releases, you can hear about several more of our favorite books of the year on this week’s episode of the All the Books! María Cristina and I talked about a few of the amazing books we loved, including Washington Black, The Feather Thief, and Severance.

These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore

“In the most ambitious one-volume American history in decades, award-winning historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore offers a magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation, an urgently needed reckoning with the beauty and tragedy of American history.”

Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson

“New York Times bestselling author and star of 2 Dope Queens Phoebe Robinson is back with a new, hilarious, and timely essay collection on gender, race, dating, and the dumpster fire that is our world.”

 

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

“Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling book that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before.”

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

“It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious!”

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

“This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.”

Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount

“A source of endless inspiration, literary facts and recommendations: Bibliophile is pure bookish joy and sure to enchant book clubbers, English majors, poetry devotees, aspiring writers, and any and all who identify as book lovers.”

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine by Edward Lee

“American food is the story of mash-ups. Immigrants arrive, cultures collide, and out of the push-pull come exciting new dishes and flavors. But for Edward Lee, who, like Anthony Bourdain or Gabrielle Hamilton, is as much a writer as he is a chef, that first surprising bite is just the beginning.”

Limitless: 24 Remarkable American Women of Vision, Grit, and Guts by Leah Tinari

“In the spirit of She Persisted, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, and Rad American A-Z, acclaimed artist Leah Tinari offers a spectacular collection of portraits, celebrating iconic, inspirational, and groundbreaking American women.”

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

“The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of Theranos, the multibillion-dollar biotech startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end, despite pressure from its charismatic CEO and threats by her lawyers.”

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

“Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a new life—saving each other in the process. Lyrically told by one of today’s most powerful storytellers, Sweepis a heartrending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and wonder.”

The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War by Joanne B. Freeman

“In The Field of Blood, Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War.”

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

“From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating impact of prejudice.”

 

Animal Kingdom: A Collection of Portraits by Randal Ford and Dan Winters

“These arresting studio portraits capture the beauty, power, and even humor of 150 furry and feathered species – a delight for any animal or bird lover.”

 

Monument: Poems New and Selected by Natasha Trethewey

“This is a poet’s remarkable labor to source evidence, persistence, and strength from the past in order to change the very foundation of the vocabulary we use to speak about race, gender, and our collective future.”

 

Check, Please!: Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

“A collection of the first half, freshmen and sophomore year, of the megapopular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: #Hockey is the first book of a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.”

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

“A rollicking true-crime adventure and a captivating journey into an underground world of fanatical fly-tiers and plume peddlers, for readers of The Stranger in the Woods, The Lost City of Z, and The Orchid Thief.”

Salt Lane by William Shaw

“Juggling the case, her aging mother, her teenage daughter, and the loneliness of country life, Detective Cupidi must discover who the woman really was, who killed her, and how she managed to reconnect with her long lost son, apparently from beyond the grave.”

 

Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy) by Tade Thompson

“Tade Thompson’s Rosewater is the start of an award-winning, cutting edge trilogy set in Nigeria, by one of science fiction’s most engaging new voices.”

 

 

Queen in 3-D Updated Edition (3-D Stereoscopic Book) by Brian May

“”There’s no ghost writer for this book. It’s just me.” – Brian May. With these words, the author announces the first book ever to be published about the legendary rock band Queen by a member of the band. And certainly the first book of its kind in the world.”

Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History by Blair Imani, Monique Le (Illustrator)

“An inspiring and radical celebration of 70 women, girls, and gender nonbinary people who have changed–and are still changing–the world, from the Civil Rights Movement and Stonewall riots through Black Lives Matter and beyond.”

Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (A Targaryen History) (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R. R. Martin and Doug Wheatley

“With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire & Blood is the the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.”

Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster by Stephen L. Carter

“Moving, haunting, and as fast-paced as a novel, Invisible tells the true story of a woman who often found her path blocked by the social and political expectations of her time. But Eunice Carter never accepted defeat, and thanks to her grandson’s remarkable book, her long forgotten story is once again visible.”

I’ll Be There for You: The One about Friends by Kelsey Miller

“I’ll Be There for You is the definitive retrospective of Friends, not only for fans of the series, but for anyone who’s ever wondered what it is about this show—and television comedy—that resonates so powerfully.”

 

In Pieces by Sally Field

“In this intimate, haunting literary memoir, an American icon tells her own story for the first time–about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.”

 

Infidel by Pornsak Pichetshote

“A haunted house story for the 21st century, INFIDEL follows an American Muslim woman and her multi-racial neighbors who move into a building haunted by entities that feed off xenophobia.”

 

 

Guinness World Records 2019 by Guinness World Records

“The world’s most popular record book is back with thousands of new categories and newly broken records, covering everything from outer space to sporting greats via Instagram, fidget spinners and all manner of human marvels.”

Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, its Chaotic Founding… its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis by Sam Anderson

“Award-winning journalist Sam Anderson’s long-awaited debut is a brilliant, kaleidoscopic narrative of Oklahoma City–a great American story of civics, basketball, and destiny.”

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North

“With this book as your guide, you’ll survive–and thrive–in any period in Earth’s history. Bestselling author and time-travel enthusiast Ryan North shows you how to invent all the modern conveniences we take for granted–from first principles.”

Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents by Pete Souza

 

“From Pete Souza, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Obama: An Intimate Portrait, comes a potent commentary on the Presidency–and our country.”

 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse -The Art of the Movie by Ramin Zahed

“Discover the world of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in this stunning collection of art. Packed with concept art, final designs, and artist commentary plus previously unseen storyboards.”

The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife

“Shining a light on the behavior of the birds, their pecking order and social structure, and the tricks they play on us, Skaife shows who the Tower’s true guardians really are―and the result is a compelling and irreverent narrative that will surprise and enchant.”

…And Then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from the Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves and Jude Buffum

“A quirky, nostalgic send-up to the Oregon Trail computer game, featuring snarky and hard-earned life lessons from the trail.”

It has been another fantastic year of books. Thank you for being a part of it! I love being able to spread the word about great books and I couldn’t do it without you. I hope you have wonderful holidays! 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!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Mwah!

Liberty

Because of the way the holidays fall this December, this the second-to-last newsletter of 2018. Let’s talk upcoming releases! While 2018 was probably the most amazing year of reading I’ve ever had – SO MANY GOOD BOOKS – I am wildly excited about a zillion of the titles coming out in 2019. I could easily list 700 here, but for starters, I thought I’d tell you about 21 books coming in the first half of the year that I think are worth putting on your calendar now. (21 titles because making the proofreader go through 700 titles might be frowned upon.)

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Sponsored by Book Riot’s 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2018 Giveaway

We’re giving away ten of our favorite works of nonfiction of the year! Click here to enter.

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Also, on All the Books! this week, Rebecca and I discussed several of our favorite 2018 titles, including American Marriage, Air Traffic, and The Parking Lot Attendant.

Mouthful of Birds: Stories by Samanta Schweblin: Schweblin’s slim, disturbing novel, Fever Dream, was my 2016 obsession. These stories are equally as distressing and amazing. (January 8)

An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma: The follow-up to his wonderful novel, The Fishermen, this is about a poor chicken farmer who works to win the hand of the daughter of a wealthy family.(January 8)

The Dreamers: A Novel by Karen Thompson Walker: It has been a long time since The Age of Miracles, but Walker has delivered a new novel worth the wait. It’s about a small college town that falls under a sleeping sickness. (January 15)

We Cast a Shadow: A Novel by Maurice Carlos Ruffin: A profound satire about racism and survival in America, about a near-future America where a father tries a radical surgery to keep his son from becoming black. (January 29)

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esmé Weijun Wang: Powerful essays surrounding Wang’s diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, the medical community’s disagreements over mental illness labels and diagnoses, and the complexities of the illness. (February 5)

Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken: McCracken’s first novel in over a dozen years is a winner, about a stranger who turns up in a New England graveyard, and goes on to establish roots in the town and open a candlepin bowling alley. (February 5)

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James: How exciting is this?! It’s the first book in a trilogy, about a tracker who is hired to find a missing girl. This is being pitched as “Game of Thrones in Africa,” which is all I needed to hear to pick it up. Jk, I’d read a phone book if you told me Marlon James wrote it. (February 5)

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli: A ferociously dark and smart road-trip novel about a family unraveling as they travel to the US-Mexican border. (February 12)

Bangkok Wakes to Rain: A Novel by Pitchaya Sudbanthad: Several stories set in Thailand converge to form a gorgeous novel about home and longing. (February 19)

Days by Moonlight by André Alexis: The author of such amazing books as Fifteen Dogs returns with the tale of a botanist, who goes on a road trip with a professor to learn the truth about a mysterious poet. (February 19)

Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid: The new novel from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, about an iconic 1970s rock band and the mystery behind their break-up. (Related: Doesn’t that cover look like Exile in Guyville???) (March 5)

Gingerbread: A Novel by Helen Oyeyemi: Another fairytale kinda-retelling from Oyeyemi, this time about a young woman’s family and their gingerbread empire, and her mother’s mysterious old friend named – wait for it – Gretel. (March 5)

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami: Lalami knocked it out of the park with The Moor’s Account, and this one is equally splendid, a rich, enthralling saga of the suspicious death of a Moroccan immigrant. (March 26)

Women Talking by Miriam Toews: Toews is a legend in Canada, but still hasn’t quite made it really big in the States. I’m hoping that will all change with this gorgeous, brutal novel about a group of Mennonite women who attempt to escape the abuse they suffer at the hands of the men in their community. (April 2)

Trust Exercise: A Novel by Susan Choi: It’s almost difficult to explain this wildly complex and brilliant novel without giving it away. Or even knowing where to start. I can tell you it’s about what happens to two students, David and Sarah, and that what you think happens to them does and doesn’t happen. You’ll have to read it to find out what I mean. (April 2)

Miracle Creek: A Novel by Angie Kim: A couple find themselves embroiled in a murder trial after their experimental medical treatment device kills two people. This is being compared to Everything I Never Told You and Defending Jacob! YES PLEASE. (April 16)

Rough Magic: Riding the World’s Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer: Palmer’s memoir about riding in the Mongol Derby, known as the world’s toughest race. This is coming up very soon in my TBR, because everyone I know who has read this has lost their minds over how good it is.  (May 7)

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep: The true story of the serial killer who To Kill a Mockingbird author Lee spent years researching, and the book she had planned to write about him.  (May 7)

You Will Be Safe Here by Damian Barr: A powerful novel about two South African stories related to camps, one during the Boer War and one in present day. Based on true events. (May 14)

Patsy: A Novel by Nicole Dennis-Benn: The author of Here Comes the Sun is back with a new novel, about a Jamaican woman who abandons her daughter when she decides to travel to the United States with no plans of returning. (June 4)

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel by Ocean Vuong: The debut novel of the incredible poet Vuong, written as a letter from a son to his mother, about her life in Vietnam before his birth, and their difficult lives together later on.  (June 4)

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!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Happy Tuesday, Riot faithful! Vanessa here subbing in for Liberty this week. While I am so not worthy to fill Lib’s hungry hungry bookeating (and bat-winged!) shoes, I’ll do my best to do her proud and give you the skinny on some fresh reads.

To the books!

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Sponsored by Gallery Books.

By the New York Times bestselling author who “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly), My Favorite Half-Night Stand is a laugh-out-loud romp through online dating and its many, many fails. Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

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Milkman by Anna Burns

I have been dying to get my hands on this bad boy since it was named the Man Booker prize winner back in October! Set in the 70s in an unnamed city in Northern Ireland, it’s about an 18-year-old girl who’s coerced into a relationship with an older married paramilitary guy known as the milkman. The publisher’s summary called it “a story of the way inaction can have enormous repercussions, in a time when the wrong flag, wrong religion, or even a sunset can be subversive.” Umm YES PLEASE.

Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

GAH I’M SO EXCITED! The writer of the much beloved The Thirteenth Tale is back and I may have pulled a muscle in a sad attempt at a hurkey when the galley for it came in. This one opens on a dark night in an inn on the Thames where the locals are sitting around telling stories when a wounded stranger bursts in the door holding the lifeless body of a little girl. Then hours later, that little girl is suddenly… not dead and no one can really explain why. Atmospheric English setting? Check. Mix of folklore, magic, and myth? Double check.

Backlist bump: I mean obvi The Thirteenth Tale.

Theater of the World: The Maps that Made History by Thomas Reinertsen Berg

I can’t get enough of this kind of non-fiction lately! This one is a gorgeous full-color illustrated history of mapmaking and how it both informed and shaped worldwide exploration. It goes as far back as the Stone Age to break down how we got to a place where Google Earth is a thing. I have my eye on this one for a few of the history buffs in my life this holiday season.

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That’s all I’ve got for you today! If I haven’t scared you off, shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com to say hola or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In the Club and Audiobooks newsletters for tips, tricks, and latest listens by yours truly, and watch me booktube every Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! I’m happy to be back again with more great new books! The year is winding down, but there are still amazing books coming down the pike. I’m going to share a few of today’s great books below, and you can hear about some of our anticipated reads of 2019 on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked talked about The Nickel Boys, An Orchestra of Minorities, Southern Lady Code, and more great books. (We also talked about her new puppy because PUPPY.)

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Today’s newsletter is sponsored by our $250 All the Books Barnes and Noble gift card giveaway!

Enter to win a $250 gift card to Barnes and Noble in support of our All the Books! podcast. Click here for more info.

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How Long ’til Black Future Month?: Stories by N. K. Jemisin

I was not lucky enough to get my hands on this speculative fiction collection before it came out, but I had to bring it to your attention, because it’s freaking N.K. JEMISIN, winner of three Hugo awards THREE years in a row! It’s at the top of my to-buy list for sure.

Backlist bump: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Razor by J. Barton Mitchell

An action-packed science fiction adventure about an inmate on a hard labor prison planet, who must rely on some of the galaxy’s most dangerous criminals after the prisoners are abandoned by their guards and left to die. Think The Martian meets The Shawshank Redemption.

Backlist bump: Lightless by C.A. Higgins

The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

Based around a real exhibit by performance artist Marina Abramović, this thought-provoking novel is about a fictional character named Arky. Down on his luck and aimless in his life, things change when Arky encounters Abramović’s performance art at the museum and realizes what he need to do with his own life.

Backlist bump: The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even by Chris F. Westbury

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

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

xoxo,

Liberty

Hey, guess what day it is? That’s right, it’s Thursday! What’s that? Oh, right! I meant TUESDAY. Things get a little mixed up in publishing the last six weeks of the year. There’s not a whole lot coming out in comparison to the rest of the year, because of the holidays. So I’m doing something a little different today and talking about 25 great 2018 titles that I am thankful to have read.

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Sponsored by Dynamite Entertainment

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I skipped some of the huge books that we will be sure to discuss on the All the Books! year-end show (Florida! There There! Educated!) to make space for a few more books that perhaps you haven’t heard as much about. And though I could have easily picked 300 titles, I went with the first 25 that popped into my head. (If you’d like to learn about more 2018 titles, I do a wrap-up of my 150 favorites on Twitter at the end of the year. It may have to be 200 this year.)

You can hear about a few new reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! María Cristina and I talked talked about Watersnakes, My Sister, the Serial Killer, Newcomer, and more great books.

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

These short stories knocked the top of my head off and poured gasoline on my brain.

Pulp by Robin Talley

YA novel about a lesbian pulp fiction writer in the 1950s and a present-day high schooler studying her work.

Little by Edward Carey

Highly inventive historical fiction novel about wax museum icon Madame Tousaud when she was…well…little.

All the Names They Used for God: Stories by Anjali Sachdeva

These short stories are still swimming in my brain like little inky fishes. Possibly my favorite book of 2018. (Shhh, don’t tell the other books.)

Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman

A scifi, bendy, settling of Australia story, but not really, but 100% genius debut from Claire G. Coleman.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

This memoir about Laymon’s relationship with food and childhood abuse will break your heart into a thousand pieces.

Severance by Ling Ma

A razor-sharp satire about dystopias, about attitudes toward millennials, about New York City, about a million things. I loved it with the heat of a thousand suns.

American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts by Chris McGreal

A tremendously important book about the history of America’s worst drug epidemic, and the apathy, greed, and lack of intervention that allowed it to grow.

The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat

A Boston teen befriends the leader of her Ethiopian community, a parking lot attendant, despite her father’s orders to stay away from him. I have read this five times now. I can’t get enough of it.

America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

A beautiful family saga about the so-called American dream, with a heartbreaking narrative that slips back and forth from the Philippines to America.

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays by Alexander Chee

Fantastic, wicked smart essays from the always-wonderful Chee about being a Korean American, being a gay man, his time as an activist, his father’s death, and more.

Ambiguity Machines: and Other Stories by Vandana Singh

Singh’s scientific background is weaved throughout these thoughtful, charming SFF stories.

The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco

I loved this historical novel so much. It’s like queer Deadwood, full of violence, sex, Pinkertons, and ruthlessness.

Air Traffic: A Memoir of Ambition and Manhood in America by Gregory Pardlo

This was an excellent memoir from Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Pardlo. It is heartbreakingly honest, genuinely interesting, and beautifully written.

A Lucky Man: Stories by Jamal Brinkley

This was nominated for the National Book Award, but I still feel like more people need to hear about this fantastic story collection.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

I adored this book to bits! Mia is a 10-year-old girl who works the front desk at a motel where she also lives. It’s a charming novel, but also an important one, about immigration and the American dream.

Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) by L. C. Rosen

A sex-positive, queer-positive novel aimed at teens? MORE LIKE THIS, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. This book is so great!

Small Country by Gaël Faye

A beautiful, heartbreaking coming-of-age novel about a boy and his family trying to stay together and live their lives at the start of the Rwandan genocide in 1993.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor) by Jessica Townsend

I want to shout about this series from the rooftops! This is the second book of a middle grade fantasy series that I am certain is going to blow up really, really soon. IT’S SO GOOD.

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

An absolutely gorgeous picture book about a young boy who wants to be a mermaid, and his grandmother, who takes him to meet mermaids in their town.

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

A wonderful dystopian novel about a sickness that steals people’s shadows and then their memories, and a husband who must find his missing wife in the middle of the chaos.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

A Muslim girl must deal with prejudice and stupidity in a new school shortly after 9/11. She and her brother start a breakdancing club to keep busy, and she falls for her lab partner.

All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung

As a newborn, Chung was given up for adoption by her Korean parents and adopted by a white family. She discusses what she discovered and how she felt as she began investigating her birth parents.

The Which Way Tree by Elizabeth Crook

Ohhhhhhh, I loved this book so much. It’s a Western set in post-Civil War Texas about a teenage boy and his young sister that leave their home to hunt the panther that killed their mother.

Insurrecto by Gina Apostol

I love novels that teach me about real history I hadn’t learned in school. This one deals with a movie being made about the massacre that took place during the Philippine-American war. The novel’s structure is fascinating. I lurved it.

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

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

xoxo,

Liberty

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! It’s an amazing day if you love books (which I’m assuming you do, since you’re reading this.) Michele Obama’s memoir is out today, as is the fancy edition of Bingo Love, a new George Saunders story, Jeff Tweedy’s memoir, and much, much more. There’s even a new Jonathan Franzen, if he’s your jam. I’m going to share a few of my favorites below, and you can hear about more exciting new reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked talked about Crave, A Ladder to the Sky, Insurrecto, and more great books.

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Sponsored by Waterhouse Press

The second I spared Isabel’s life, everything changed. I used to deal in death wishes. Now the instinct to protect her charts the course. Because every time I turn away from her, something turns me back. Isabel’s learning to hold her own, but nothing can prepare her for the life I’m being called back into. With a long road ahead of us, I won’t make promises I can’t keep. She can barely accept the dark deeds of my past―a bloody history spelled out in a ledger she’s more preoccupied with than I’d like. When an old associate sets a dangerous plan in motion, I can’t hide who I really am. And there’s no turning back…

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Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha) by Tasha Suri

This was the escapism I was so desperately craving, a wildly imaginative fantasy novel about a young woman who doesn’t really fit in anywhere as the illegitimate daughter of a governor and an outcast. She is forbidden to practice the magic of her nomadic people, and must hide her attempts to teach it to her sister, lest she draw the emperor’s attention. The world-building in this book is outstanding! I loved this novel of magic and rebellion.

Backlist bump: The City of Brass: A Novel (The Daevabad Trilogy) by S. A Chakraborty

Pulp by Robin Talley

Ohhhhhhhh and how I adored this one! It’s two time lines: one follows a young woman in 1955 who secretly writes lesbian pulp novels as a way to deal with her love for another woman. The other follows a high school student in 2017, who is writing her big senior project about lesbian pulp novels, and is searching out the identity of an author. Can you guess who that author is? Yep. This is an effortlessly charming and fantastic book.

Backlist bump: Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta

Seventeen: A Novel by Hideo Yokoyama, Louise Heal Kawai (Translator)

Another engaging crime novel from Yokoyama! This one is about an air disaster in 1985, and a man who holds the key to a mystery surrounding the tragedy seventeen years later. I would not call Yokoyama’s page-turners, but not in a bad way. Not at all! His writing is thorough and suspenseful, and his novels slowly build to remarkable conclusions.

Backlist bump: Six Four: A Novel by Hideo Yokoyama, Jonathan Lloyd-Davies (Translator)

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

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

xoxo,

Liberty

It’s time for another round of “HOLY CATS! THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS.” It’s another fabulous first Tuesday megalist, and there are sooooo many great books on here. You can hear about several of today’s new books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Jenn and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including The Best Bad Things, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, Born To Be Posthumous, 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!)

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Sponsored by Waterhouse Press.

Zandy Lynch is determined not to be a virgin when she heads off to grad school, and she’s got one night in London to lose her V-card before spending the summer as a research assistant to an ancient professor in the English countryside. Oliver Graeme is not looking forward to having some American co-ed hovering around while he’s trying to work, but he needs the help. While visiting London, he winds up having the sexiest night of his life with a stranger who vanishes in the morning without a trace. When Zandy and Oliver next cross paths, to their shock, it’s as professor and research assistant. Aloof professor by day and a generous, rough lover by night, Oliver is like nothing Zandy’s ever imagined. Does she stand a chance at not falling for both versions of him?

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Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan 

The Arrival of Missives by Aliya Whiteley

The Feral Detective: A Novel by Jonathan Lethem 

Why Religion?: A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen 

Static Ruin (The Voidwitch Saga) by Corey White

The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco 

Evening in Paradise: More Stories by Lucia Berlin

Welcome Home: A Memoir with Selected Photographs and Letters by Lucia Berlin

Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard

Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley

Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child

No Quarter: A Novel (The Tildon Chronicles) by John Jantunen

Those Who Knew by Idra Novey

Solace Island by Meg Tilly

Breach by W.L. Goodwater

Now You See the Sky by Catharine H. Murray

Nighttown (A Junior Bender Mystery) by Timothy Hallinan

Someone Like Me by M.R. Carey

The Subjugate by Amanda Bridgeman

Wolves of Eden by Kevin McCarthy

Blame This on the Boogie by Rina Ayuyang 

How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don’t by Lane Moore

Congratulations, Who Are You Again?: A Memoir by Harrison Scott Key

The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim 

Angel and Bavar by Amy Wilson

Vancouver Noir (Akashic Noir Series) by Sam Wiebe

Northwood: A Novella by Maryse Meijer 

Kingdom of The Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress) by Julie C. Dao

Nothing to Devour (Motherless Children Trilogy) by Glen Hirshberg

The William H. Gass Reader by William H. Gass

The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family by Lindsay Wong

The Splendor Before the Dark: A Novel of the Emperor Nero by Margaret George

Monument: Poems New and Selected by Natasha Trethewey 

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

The New Order: Stories by Karen E. Bender

An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere by Mikita Brottman 

Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith

We Begin in Gladness: How Poets Progress by Craig Morgan Teicher

Half-Hazard: Poems by Kristen Tracy

The Lonesome Bodybuilder: Stories by Yukiko Motoya and Asa Yoneda

The Valley at the Centre of the World by Malachy Tallack

Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt

Ways to Hide in Winter by Sarah St.Vincent 

Counting Sheep by Axel Lindén

The Latecomers by Helen Klein Ross

Mephisto’s Waltz: Selected Short Stories by Sergio Pitol, George Henson (translator)

In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsum 

Bittersweet Brooklyn: A Novel by Thelma Adams

City of Ash and Red: A Novel by Hye-young Pyun and Sora Kim-Russell 

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey by Mark Dery 

A Dangerous Duet: A Novel by Karen Odden

Since When by Bill Berkson

The Story of Greece and Rome by Tony Spawforth

The Son of Black Thursday by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Megan McDowell

A Thousand Doors: An Anthology of Many Lives by J.T. Ellison

The Life of Saul Bellow: Love and Strife, 1965-2005 by Zachary Leader

That’s it for me today! If you want to learn more about books new and old (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (I HEART RECOMMENDATIONS!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Thanks so much for reading!

Liberty

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! It’s perfect reading weather these days. Jk, it’s perfect reading weather every day. And there are great new books out every week! I can’t wait to get my hands on the new Beastie Boys memoir (600 pages!) and also Toddler-Hunting: And Other Stories by Taeko Kono. (I would be lying if I said I didn’t become interested based on the title alone.) I’m going to share a few great books I read below, and you can hear about more exciting new reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked talked about The Proposal, Family Trust, Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts), and more great books.

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From the creator of the acclaimed graphic novel The Witch Boy comes a new adventure set in the world of magic and shapeshifting — and ordinary kids just trying to make friends.

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OH! And don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library.

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves by Glory Edim

Congratulations to Glory Edim – I am so excited her book is here! Founder of Well-Read Black Girls, a book club, she has turned WRBG into a festival – and now a book! It’s a wonderful collection of essays from such incredible writers as Jesmyn Ward, Jacqueline Woodson, Gabourey Sidibe, Morgan Jerkins, and Tayari Jones, on the importance in seeing your experiences in literature.

Backlist bump: We Inspire Me: Cultivate Your Creative Crew to Work, Play, and Make by Andrea Pippins

The White Darkness by David Grann

It’s not exactly a new book, but a bound edition of Grann’s story on Henry Worsley, a British special forces officer who attempted to recreate Shackleton’s journey with two descendants of the Shackleton expedition in 2008, and to walk to Antarctica alone in 2015. This book will make a great gift for Grann fans, so grab it now before everyone else finds out about it!

Backlist bump: The Old Man and the Gun by David Grann

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout

When Evie Dasher meets Luc during a raid at a nightclub, she assumes he’s a Luxen, one of the aliens now residing on Earth after the devastating war. But Evie learns that Luc is something much more powerful. And as she falls for him, she is drawn into a world she never knew existed. (Note: I have not read the Lux series, so I don’t know anything about the characters or places outside this book, but I really enjoyed it regardless!)

Backlist bump: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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

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

xoxo,

Liberty