Categories
New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! It’s another glorious day for new books. I have a few awesome books for you below and you can hear about several more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including Wicked and the Wallflower, Old in Art School, The Great Believers, and more.


dive smack coverSponsored by Tor Teen

Theo Mackey only remembers one thing about the fire that destroyed his home: he lit the match.

Sure, it was an accident. But the blaze killed his mom and set his dad on a path to self-destruction. Theo doesn’t remember anything else about that fateful night, for good reason.

But when a family history project gets assigned at school, new memories come rushing to the surface, memories that make Theo question what he really knows about his family, the night of the fire, and if he can trust anyone—including himself.


PS – Reminder: we’re giving away $500 to spend at the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter. (It’s your last week to try and win!)

number one chinese restaurantNumber One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

A delightful multigenerational debut novel about family, responsibility, and forging your own path. The Beijing Duck House is a respected establishment, one that people – both customers and employees – have come to love and depend on in their lives. But when tragedy strikes, it changes the perspective of some of the people who work there, and old conflicts and new problems arise. This was a charming book, from beginning to end, with great characters and Li’s obvious love and concern for them coming through on the page.

Backlist bump: The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

tango lessonsTango Lessons: A Memoir by Meghan Flaherty

Book clubs, start your engines! Not only is this Flaherty’s triumphant account of overcoming her fears after trauma, turning her life around, and learning to follow her dreams and trust in herself, but it’s also a beautiful look at the tango itself, with lots of insight into the dance throughout history. This is sure to spark a lot of discussion at your book club.

Backlist bump: The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr

it will all hurtIt Will All Hurt by Farel Dalrymple

I wish I could explain to you why I am so obsessed with Dalrymple’s art but explanation defies me. It is so visceral, strange, and unsettling. I also wish I could explain the story in this book, but I am not sure I understand it. It seems to be about a wizard and some characters banding against the wizard? But I’m not sure? What I do know is that even without any understanding, this comic is bold and inventive and fans of the unusual will love it.

Backlist bump: The Wrenchies by Farel Dalyrmple.

we don't eat our classmatesWe Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

You don’t even need me to explain why this is wonderful, you can tell from the cover. But I wanted to make sure I brought it to your attention. If only I had read this when I was in school…

Backlist bump: Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Hello, readers! It’s time for our weekly celebration of new books! Who is excited for the new Sabaa Tahir?! A Reaper at the Gates is definitely at the top of my list to buy this week. I have a few awesome books for you below and you can hear about several more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Jenn and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including Convenience Store Woman, Revenant Gun, What Truth Sounds Like, and more.


We’re giving away $500 to spend at the bookstore of your choice! Click here, or on the image below to enter:


rising dispatches from the new american shoreRising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush

Over 50% of Americans live within 100 miles of the coastline. But if global warming continues the way it’s going, that distance will shrink, and whole cities along the coast will be forced to relocate. This book is a fascinating look at the rising sea levels and a necessary wake up call that should be read by everyone.

Backlist bump: Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert

lying in waitLying in Wait by Liz Nugent

This is a vicious little page turner about a missing woman in Ireland in 1980. Centered around Annie’s disappearance are a judge, his wife, their teenage son (who knows more than they think), and Annie’s sister, who won’t stop looking, even when no one else seems to care. In a sea of thrillers, it’s great to read something that can still surprise you.

Backlist bump: Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

implosionImplosion: Memoir of an Architect’s Daughter by Elizabeth W. Garber

Garber’s father, Woodie, was a famous architect. They lived in one of his own constructions, enjoying a life of luxury. But a series of events in the 1970s, including a lack of commissions, his volatile personality, and personal prejudices, led to his descent into abuse and destruction. Garber has deftly captured a daughter’s unconditional love for her father while acknowledging his dark side, and writes about how she began her personal journey of healing from her family trauma.

Backlist bump: Reading My Father: A Memoir by Alexandra Styron

cover image: blue background with a black bear from head to waist and the waist fades into forest treesBearskin by James A McLaughlin

If you have been reading Book Riot for a while, you know I can’t resist a dark, gritty book. This is one of those. Centered around the hunt for bear poachers in Virginia, and Rice, the man tasked with protecting them on the preserve, Bearskin is a haunting story of about escaping the past, filled with the beauty of nature and the violence of man. If you like Donald Ray Pollock, Cormac McCarthy, or Michael Farris Smith, this is definitely a book for you.

Backlist bump: The Animals by Christian Kiefer

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

First Tuesday of June Megalist!

IT’S HERE. Today is the biggest new book day of 2018…so far. (There’s usually another really big one in the fall.) There are sooooo many great books out today. It’s a perfect way to head into summer reading!

You can hear about several of today’s new books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including There There, Visible Empire, Small Country, and more.


Sponsored by Visible Empire by Hannah Pittard

Visible Empire is an epic novel—based on true events—of love, grief, race, and wealth, charting a single sweltering summer in Atlanta, and a plane crash that left no one unchanged.

“Hannah Pittard is fast becoming one of the best writers of her generation. Read her now, and thank me later.”—Tom Franklin, author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Visible Empire is Hannah Pittard’s best book to date. Compelling, shocking, strong and brave. Who should read this? Everyone, everyone.”—Helen Ellis, author of American Housewife


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

PS – Don’t forget we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Enter here by June 21st!

FloridaFlorida by Lauren Groff ❤️

Visible Empire by Hannah Pittard

Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation by Robert W. Fieseler ❤️

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone

Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider

Kudos: A Novel (Outline Trilogy) by Rachel Cusk ❤️

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim

Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly

Autumn in Venice: Ernest Hemingway and His Last Muse by Andrea Di Robilant

a people's history of the vampire uprisingA People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal ❤️

Mother American Night: My Life in Crazy Times by John Perry Barlow and Robert Greenfield

Those Wild Wyndhams: Three Sisters at the Heart of Power by Claudia Renton

Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth

Take You Wherever You Go by Kenny Leon

We Are Gathered by Jamie Weisman

Santa Cruz Noir (Akashic Noir Series) by Susie Bright

Ghostbuster’s Daughter: Life with My Dad, Harold Ramis by Violet Ramis Stiel

Rivers by Martin Michael Driessen, Jon Reeder (Translator)

The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution by Ann Travers

neverworld wakeNeverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl ❤️

Free Chocolate by Amber Royer

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

The Terrible: A Storyteller’s Memoir by Yrsa Daley-Ward ❤️

Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh

Here Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire ❤️

Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity by Arlene Stein

Queen for a Day by Maxine Rosaler

The Good Son: A Novel by You-Jeong Jeong

the book of mThe Book of M by Peng Shepard ❤️

A Blood Thing by James Hankins

Rough Animals: A Novel by Rae DelBianco

Black Panther: Long Live the King (Marvel Premiere Graphic Novel) by Nnedi Okorafor and Andre Araujo

The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell ❤️

The Optickal Illusion: A Novel by Rachel Halliburton

Fat Girl on a Plane by Kelly deVos

Always Forever Maybe by Anica Mrose Rissi

What Truth Sounds Like: Robert F. Kennedy, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson

cover image: black and white photo of a street in Lagos filled with cars and Nigerians walkingLagos Noir (Akashic Noir Series) by Chris Abani

Small Country: A Novel by Gaël Faye ❤️

Upstate: A Novel by James Wood

How We Roll by Natasha Friend

What Happened That Night by Sandra Block

Brother in Ice by Alicia Kopf (Author),‎ Mara Faye Lethem (Translator) ❤️

A Mask of Shadows: A Novel (A Frey & McGray Mystery) by Oscar de Muriel

Priest Turned Therapist Treats Fear of God: Poems by Tony Hoagland ❤️

Side by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and Clyde by Jenni L. Walsh

Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living by Karen Auvinen

strange starsStrange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded by Jason Heller ❤️

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Lincoln’s Last Trial: The Murder Case that Propelled Him to the Presidency by Dan Abrams and David Fisher

Days of Awe by A.M. Homes ❤️

Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax

The Devil’s Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch

Heartseeker by Melinda Beatty

The Third Bank of the River: Power and Survival in the Twenty-First-Century Amazon by Chris Feliciano Arnold

Southernmost by Silas House ❤️

The Captives: A Novel by Debra Jo Immergut

tiny crimesTiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder by Lincoln Michel (Editor),‎ Nadxieli Nieto (Editor) ❤️

Cancerland: A Medical Memoir by MD David T. Scadden and Michael D’Antonio

Tonight I’m Someone Else: Essays by Chelsea Hodson ❤️

Sweet and Low: Stories by Nick White ❤️

Us Against You: A Novel (Beartown) by Fredrik Backman

Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pérez

invitation to a bonfireInvitation to a Bonfire by Adrienne Celt ❤️

Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

Sick: A Memoir by Porochista Khakpour ❤️

How Hitler Was Made: Germany and the Rise of the Perfect Nazi by Cory Taylor

Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas) by Zoradia Cordova ❤️

The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen

Dreams of Falling by Karen White

Mirror, Shoulder, Signal: A Novel by Dorthe Nors ❤️

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger

there thereThere There by Tommy Orange ❤️

The Last Lobster: Boom or Bust for Maine’s Greatest Fishery? by Christopher White

Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival by Kelly Sundberg

Into that Good Night: A Novel by Levis Keltner

Never Anyone But You by Rupert Thomson

Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir by Wendy Mitchell

Social Intercourse by Greg Howard

My Girls: A Lifetime with Carrie and Debbie by Todd Fisher

Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser

cover image: a woman's eye with a lot of dark makeup smeared in the corner by tearsSocial Creature by Tara Isabella Burton ❤️

Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries, and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration by Alfredo Corchado

Something in the Water: A Novel by Catherine Steadman

One Day You’ll Thank Me: Lessons From an Unexpected Fatherhood by David McGlynn

The Maw: A Novel by Taylor Zajonc

São Paulo Noir (Akashic Noir Series) by Tony Bellotto

Treeborne by Caleb Johnson ❤️

Brief Cases (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher

cover image: a young white woman's face mirrored around the cover with different shapes of color painted overStill Lives: A Novel by Maria Hummel ❤️

Half Gods by Akil Kumarasamy ❤️

Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous by Christopher Bonanos

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Lost Family by Jenna Blum

How Hard Can It Be by Alliosn Pearson

North American Stadiums by Grady Chambers

The Answers by Catherine Lacey (paperback) ❤️

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy (paperback) ❤️

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Welcome to the second day of the rest of your week. And happy Legendary day to all you Caraval fans! That’s right it’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for new boooooooooks! I have a few awesome books for you below and you can hear about several more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Amanda and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain, From Twinkle, with Love, and more.


Sponsored by Flatiron Books and Legendary by Stephanie Garber

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free.  She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and the time to repay the debt has come.


I also wanted to give you a heads up that next Tuesday there are more amazing new books coming out than any day yet this year, so you’ll wanna go ahead and clear your schedule now. I’ll write you a note, if you need one. SO MANY BOOKS.

PS – Don’t forget we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Enter here by June 21st!

another side of paradiseAnother Side of Paradise by Sally Koslow

A fictional account of the doomed relationship between the famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hollywood gossip columnist Sheilah Graham. In 1937, as Fitzgerald’s career fizzled and his wife, Zelda, remained confined to a clinic, he and Graham struck up a romance that lasted until his death three years later. Koslow has put a lot of love into their tragic story.

Backlist bump: Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck

no ashes in the fireNo Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America by Darnell L Moore

When journalist Moore was fourteen, he was the victim of a hate crime, nearly burned a life from a gang of neighborhood boys as he walked home from school. This is his story, a sort of investigation into his own life, about how that experience, as well as growing up in New Jersey, and his work as a leading Black Lives Matter activist, has shaped him.

Backlist bump: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

blood standardBlood Standard (An Isaiah Coleridge Novel) by Laird Barron

The crime fiction debut of sci-fi/fantasy author Barron! It’s a hardboiled mystery featuring a disgraced mob enforcer named Isaiah, who is exiled by his boss to upstate New York after messing up big time. Isaiah attempts to go straight and lawful and live life under the radar, but when a girl goes missing in his town, he’s not going to let the criminals get away with it.

Backlist bump: The Deep Blue Good-by: A Travis McGee Novel by John D. MacDonald 

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Happy Tuesday, book fans! Once again, there are so many great books making their way out into the world today. I have a few awesome books for you below and you can hear about several more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! We celebrated our third anniversary by having all the hosts (ALL THE HOSTS!) on this episode. We answered listener questions and talked about a few amazing books we loved, including Anger is a Gift, MEM, and more.


Sponsored by Hush, My Inner Sleuth by M.E. Meegs

This serpentine saga opens in the year 1947 at a New England women’s college, where the ever-playful Betty escapes a meddlesome narrator by slipping her friend Willie a mickey and assuming her identity. Undaunted, the plucky storyteller adopts Willie as her new protagonist and travels with her to L.A.

Soon after their arrival, the pulp-inflected ghost of Skip Ryker—a recently atomized Hollywood detective—hijacks the head of the literarily precocious Willie in  hopes of solving his murder. What follows is a comic saga of intrusive narrators, metafictional backstabbing, and one very peculiar psyche.


PS – Don’t forget we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Enter here by June 21st!

from twinkle, with loveFrom Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Menon’s delightfully charming new novel is told by Twinkle, an aspiring filmmaker, through a series of letters to her favorite female directors. She explains how she has the opportunity to make an entry for an upcoming film festival, which means working with her #1 crush – but how she has found herself falling instead for his twin brother. Menon has scripted (get it?) another perfect tale of unexpected adventure and love.

Backlist bump: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

all the ever aftersAll the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother by Danielle Teller

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella and her missing shoe, but hold on to your pumpkin, because this is the origin story of her wicked stepmother, Agnes. Born into a poor family and forced into servitude, Agnes endures a life of grueling work and misfortune before she finally makes her way into the home of Cinderella’s father. After the early life of hardships she suffers, it’s no wonder she turned out to be so mean. Perfect for fans of Gregory Maguire!

Backlist bump: The Woodcutter by Kate Danely

cover image: a black teen girl sitting down facing the camera with the cover and photo washed in redMonday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson

Claudia doesn’t see her bestie, Monday Charles, on the first day of school, yet only she seems to notice or even care that Monday is missing. As the days turn into weeks, and still no Monday, Claudia must dig deeper into Monday’s disappearance to learn the truth about her missing best friend. A thought-provoking, heart-stomper of a book about race and abuse.

Backlist bump: Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Put on your dancing shoes, it’s time to do the New Books Boogie! (Hahaha, I did not go to sleep last night, can you tell?) The most important part of that last sentence: BOOKS. First on my list to buy today is The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll. I loved her last book and can’t wait to read this one! I have a few awesome books for you below and you can hear about several more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Jenn and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including Jonny Appleseed, Tin Man, So Lucky, and more.


Sponsored by Running Press Kids and ELEKTRA’S ADVENTURES IN TRAGEDY by Douglas Rees

Sixteen-year-old Elektra has been uprooted from her Mississippi home so her mother can have a new start in California. They leave behind Elektra’s father–a professor and expert on Greek mythology. Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters, where their new “houseboat” is just an ancient trailer parked on a barge. What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. She is determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, but learns that things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.


my so-called bollywood lifeMy So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

A pandit predicted that Winnie Mehta would meet her soulmate before she turned eighteen and she thinks that prediction came true in the form of Raj, her perfect boyfriend for the past three years. But when Winnie catches Raj cheating on her at film camp, she begins to wonder if she is getting the Bollywood love story of her dreams. It will take the help of a fellow film geek and a Bollywood star to make Winnie realize that her destiny is her own to decide.

Backlist bump: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

the ensembleThe Ensemble by Aja Gabel

A wonderful debut about four talented people, drawn together by their love of music, who are trying to survive in the competitive, cutthroat world of musicians, and how their reliance on one another both helps and hurts them.

Backlist bump: Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music by Blair Tindall

brothers of the gunBrothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian War by Marwan Hisham and Molly Crabapple

Hisham’s firsthand account of his life during the Syrian War, starting as a young protester with his friends and up to his time now as a journalist in Turkish exile. Teamed with Crabapple’s visceral drawings, Brothers of the Gun paints a powerful portrait of the century’s bloodiest conflict.

Backlist bump: Safe Area Gorazde: The War In Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995 by Joe Sacco

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Hooray, It’s Another May Megalist!

Happy Tuesday! If you’ve been following this newsletter for a while, you know by now that I *HATE* making decisions. Which is why I am sending you another giant list of books – there are just too many good ones for me to leave any out! Your TBRs will thank me. (Jk, they’re probably screaming for mercy.)


Sponsored by Penguin Teen

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, she has no complaints, and she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when the unimaginable happens. After an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.


You can hear about several of today’s new books and more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including That Kind of Mother, Undead Girl Gang, Belly Up, and more.

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

P.S. Don’t forget that Book Riot is giving away 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far! Enter to win here.

cover image: jean pocket with a pink heart pin that says undead girl gangUndead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson ❤️

The Boy from Tomorrow by Camille DeAngelis

My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir by Jessica B. Harris

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam ❤️

The Boy Who Belonged to the Sea by Denis Thériault

Milk!: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky

The Baghdad Clock by Shahad Al Rawi,‎ Luke Leafgren (Translator) ❤️

Blackout by Alex Segura

Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

junk by tommy picoJunk by Tommy Pico ❤️

Puddin’ (Dumplin’) by Julie Murphy 

Allmen and the Dragonflies by Martin Suter,‎ Steph Morris (Translator)

Side Life by Steve Toutonghi

Sal by Mick Kitson ❤️

The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli

What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine ❤️

A Theory of Love: A Novel by Margaret Bradham Thornton

The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story by Christie Watson

Indecency by Justin Phillip Reed ❤️

My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley

barracoonBarracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo by Zora Neale Hurston ❤️

The Lost Pilots: The Spectacular Rise and Scandalous Fall of Aviation’s Golden Couple by Corey Mead

Ramayana: An Illustrated Retelling by Arshia Sattar,‎ Sonali Zohra (Illustrator)

Tell Me: Thirty Stories by Mary Robison ❤️

Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock by Steven Hyden

The Handsome Girl & Her Beautiful Boy by B. T. Gottfred

We’ll Fly Away by Bryan Bliss

End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage and Motherhood by Jan Redford

Come West and See: Stories by Maxim Loskutoff 

song in a weary throatSong in a Weary Throat: Memoir of an American Pilgrimage by Pauli Murray ❤️

From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia by Michael McFaul

The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life by Richard Russo ❤️

The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry by Wendell Berry

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall ❤️

Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt

Tiny Infinities by J.H. Diehl

Landwhale: On Turning Insults Into Nicknames, Why Body Image Is Hard, and How Diets Can Kiss My Ass by Jes Baker

Bobby Sky: Boy Band or Die by Joe Shine

tomb of the unknown racistTomb of the Unknown Racist: A Novel by Blanche McCrary Boyd ❤️

The Aviator by Eugene Vodolazkin,‎ Lisa Hayden (Translator)

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions & Criticisms by Michelle Tea

Alternative Remedies for Loss by Joanna Cantor

Belly Up: Stories by Rita Bullwinkel ❤️

How to Set Yourself on Fire by Julia Dixon Evans

Artificial Condition: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells ❤️

The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop

I find your lack of faith disturbingI Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture by A. D. Jameson ❤️

The Foreseeable Future by Emily Adrian

Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Janet Dewart Bell

Lost Empress: A Novel by Sergio De La Pava

The Girl and the Grove by Eric Smith ❤️

Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon

King of Ashes: Book One of The Firemane Saga by Raymond E Feist

The Queen Underneath by Stacey Filak

cover image: vintage colored photograph from the '50s of a white teen girl with thick bangs and a bob of dark hariMI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham

The River by Starlight: A Novel by Ellen Notbohm

The Widow Nash by Jamie Harrison (paperback) ❤️

No One Can Pronounce My Name by Rakesh Satyal (paperback) ❤️

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

First Tuesday of May Megalist!

HAPPY MAY! I have composed a huge list of books out today so buckle up, buttercups! As you are reading this, I am presently on day two of my vacation. I am spending the week getting a tan on a tropical beach!

JUST KIDDING. I took a week off to catch up on some backlist, and I am at 100% at home in my jammies. You can follow along with my reading adventures on Instagram.


Sponsored by Chuck Palahniuk’s Adjustment Day, on sale now from W. W. Norton.

People pass the word only to those they trust most: Adjustment Day is coming. They’ve been reading a mysterious book and memorizing its directives. They are ready for the reckoning.

In his first novel in four years, Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk does what he does best: skewer the absurdities in our society. Smug, geriatric politicians bring the nation to the brink of a third world war; working-class men dream of burying the elites. When Adjustment Day arrives, it fearlessly makes real the logical conclusion of every separatist fantasy, alternative fact, and conspiracy theory lurking in the American psyche.


You can hear about several of today’s new books and more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Amanda and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including A Lucky Man, The Lonely Witness, The Electric Woman, and more.

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

P.S. Don’t forget that Book Riot is giving away 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far! Enter to win here.

welcome to lagosWelcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo ❤️

Medusa Uploaded (The Medusa Cycle) by Emily Devenport ❤️

The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar

Meet Behind Mars (Made in Michigan Writers Series) by Renee Simms

Mr. Flood’s Last Resort by Jess Kidd ❤️

Ivory Pearl (New York Review Books Classics) by Jean-Patrick Manchette, Donald Nicholson-Smith (Translator)

The Devil’s Reward by Emmanuelle de Villepin, Christopher Delogu (Translator)

All Summer Long by Hope Larson

Tradition by Brendan Kiely

black helicoptersBlack Helicopters by Caitlin R. Kiernan

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner ❤️

I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land by Connie Willis

Phoresis by Greg Egan

Trip: Psychedelics, Alienation, and Change by Tao Lin

Love That Bunch by Aline Kominsky-Crumb ❤️

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis

The Seasons of My Mother by Marcia Gay Harden

Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon ❤️

royalsRoyals by Rachel Hawkins ❤️

Beautiful Music by Michael Zadoorian

The Dead House: A Novel by Billy O’Callaghan ❤️

Captive Audience: On Love and Reality TV by Lucas Mann

It Needs to Look Like We Tried: A Novel by Todd Robert Petersen ❤️

Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk

Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir by Cinelle Barnes

Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel ❤️

Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America’s Founding Father by Peter Stark

the optimistic decadeThe Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel ❤️

Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet by Joan Halifax

Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl: Poems by Diane Seuss

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

The Island Dwellers: Stories by Jen Silverman

A Lucky Man: Stories by Jamel Brinkley ❤️

Limelight by Amy Poeppel

The Military Science of Star Wars by George Beahm

Mothers: An Essay on Love and Cruelty by Jacqueline Rose

ship itShip It by Britta Lundin

The Lonely Witness by William Boyle ❤️

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses) by Sarah J. Maas

What You Want to See by Kristen Lepionka ❤️

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay ❤️

Motherhood by Shelia Heti

Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work by Alison Green

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

Little Fish by Casey Plett

the electric womanThe Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts by Tessa Fontaine ❤️

Song of Blood & Stone: Earthsinger Chronicles, Book One by L. Penelope

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

The Garbage Times/White Ibis: Two Novellas by Sam Pink ❤️

Hey Ladies!: The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way, Way Too Many Emails by Michelle Markowitz  (Author),‎ Caroline Moss (Author),‎ Ms. Carolyn Bahar (Illustrator)

The Poppy War by R. Kuang

Starting with Goodbye: A Daughter’s Memoir of Love after Loss by Lisa Romeo

The Abbot’s Tale: A Novel by Conn Iggulden

the piscesThe Pisces by Melissa Broder ❤️

Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of El Faro by Rachel Slade ❤️

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

Flying Jenny by Theasa Tuohy

Miss Subways by David Duchovny

The Wooden King: A Novel by Thomas McConnell

The Queen’s Embroiderer: A True Story of Paris, Lovers, Swindlers, and the First Stock Market Crisis by Joan DeJean

Sorority by Genevieve Sly Crane

freya and the magic jewelFreya and the Magic Jewel (Thunder Girls) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Slave Old Man: A Novel by Patrick Chamoiseau

Kicks: The Great American Story of Sneakers by Nicholas Smith

The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis, Michael Lucey (Translator) (paperback)

My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues by Pamela Paul (paperback) ❤️

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka (paperback) ❤️

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (paperback)

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas (paperback) ❤️

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Wonder Woman Meets Vikings, Questlove’s Creativity, and More New Books

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! I was facing a dilemma as I started writing this newsletter, because I somehow managed to read a lot of the titles out today and didn’t know how to choose which ones to highlight. So – TADA! Here’s a bonus list for the month! I’m putting a ❤️ next to the books that I have read and loved. You can also hear about a few of these great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including Sky in the Deep, The Girl Who Smiled Beads, An American Marriage, and more.


Sponsored by Smoke City By Keith Rosson

Marvin Deitz has serious problems. His mob-connected landlord is strong-arming him out of his storefront. His therapist think’s he’s unstable. Oh, and he’s also the guilt-ridden reincarnation of the executioner who lit Joan of Arc’s pyre in 1431. He’s just seen a woman on an LA talk show claiming to be Joan. When Marvin heads to LA to locate the woman, he’s picked up hitchhiking by Mike Vale, a self-destructive alcoholic headed to his ex-wife’s funeral. As they travel through a California landscape populated with “smokes” (ghosts that’ve begun appearing throughout the southwest), each seeks absolution in his own way.


P.S. Don’t forget that Book Riot is giving away 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far! Enter to win here.

creative questCreative Quest by Questlove ❤️

White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig ❤️

War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow

The Defiant Heir (Swords and Fire) by Melissa Caruso ❤️

Publish and Perish: A Linnet Ellery Novel (The Linnet Ellery Series) by Phillipa Bornikova

The Fandom by Anna Day

A Ruin of Shadows: A Tale of Assassins, Betrayal, and Djinn by L.D. Lewis

The Emissary by Yoko Tawada, Margaret Mitsutani (Translator)

Restless Souls by Dan Sheehan

banthologyBanthology: Stories From Banned Nations by Sarah Cleave ❤️

The Instinct for Cooperation: A Graphic Novel Conversation with Noam Chomsky by Jeffrey Wilson, Eliseu Gouveia (Illustrator)

The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table by Rick Bragg

You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld ❤️

President Carter: The White House Years by Stuart E. Eizenstat

West by Carys Davies ❤️

Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found by Gilbert King

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol ❤️

moon browMoon Brow by Shahriar Mandanipour,‎ Khalili Sara (Translator) ❤️

A Prom to Remember by Sandy Hall

Live Work Work Work Die: A Journey into the Savage Heart of Silicon Valley by Corey Pein

Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story by Chris Nashawaty

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

The Mixtape of My Life: A Do-It-Yourself Music Memoir by Robert K. Elder ❤️

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

Theory of Bastards by Audrey Schulman

the art of readingThe Art of Reading by Damon Young ❤️

Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson

Y: Oppenheimer, Horseman of Los Alamos by Aaron Tucker

House of Rougeaux: A Novel by Jenny Jaeckel

Rubik by Elizabeth Tan ❤️

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young ❤️

Time Was by Ian Mcdonald

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil❤️

Born with Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman by Daisy Khan

empire of lightEmpire of Light by Michael Bible ❤️

Property: Stories Between Two Novellas by Lionel Shriver

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (paperback) ❤️

Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill (paperback)

The Leavers by Lisa Ko (paperback) ❤️

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
New Books

Villainous French Bulldogs, Multigenerational Sagas, and More New Books

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! Once again, it’s time to add titles to your TBRs! I have a few awesome books for you below and you can hear about several more great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Jenn and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including How To Write an Autobiographical Novel, Before Mars, Acid West, and more.


Sponsored by What Are You Afraid Of? by Alexandra Ivy.

In New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy’s gripping thriller spiced with romantic tension and diabolical twists, a true crime writer is targeted by a sinister psycho. She knows all about killers, but will he be the one to teach her how to die? “Ivy deftly charts a course between gruesome suspense and sudden romance as Carmen and Griff race to solve the whodunit before the predator kills again.” – Publishers Weekly


P.S. Don’t forget that Book Riot is giving away 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far! Enter to win here.

atomic frenchieAtomic Frenchie: Sit. Stay. Rule. by Tom Sniegoski (Author), Tom McWeeney

Tom Sniegoski has an awesome French bulldog named Kirby, and Tom Sniegoski is a cool writer. Ergo = Tom Sniegoski wrote an adorable book about his pet dog. In Atomic Frenchie, Kirby is determined to be the world’s greatest supervillain. But how can anyone take a dog this cute seriously??? The majority of this book is text, but there are also colorful illustrations that add to its charm. (There is a little violence, but it’s Looney Tunes-ish.) I heart Kirby.

Backlist bump: The Amazing Hamweenie by Patty Bowman

the comedownThe Comedown by Rebekah Frumkin

A darkly comedic, multigenerational novel of love, family, and drugs in (mostly) 1980s-era Cleveland, richly told in linked chapters, each featuring a different character. Reggie and Leland are dealer and client, but through a series of unfortunate events, their lives are forever entwined. Each chapter of this book is so beautifully written, and the way Frumkin chooses to tell each person’s tale is touching and bold.

Backlist bump: A Doubter’s Almanac by Ethan Canin

miss ex-yugoslaviaMiss Ex-Yugoslavia: A Memoir by Sofija Stefanovic

Stefanovic’s delightfully interesting story of how her family left their war torn homeland, the former Yugoslavia, and moved to Australia, as well as her coming of age and adjustment to the different culture, and her rise as an artist. Her storytelling is charming, heartfelt, and funny, and I enjoyed reading about a time and place I know so little about.

Backlist bump: A Mountain of Crumbs: A Memoir by Elena Gorokhova

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’!

Stay rad,

Liberty