Category: New Books

First Tuesday in July New Books Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date July 3, 2017

YAY, NEW BOOK DAY! It’s the first Tuesday of the month – how is it already July?!? – which means there’s a bunch of new titles out today. I’ve got a big list for you below, and you can hear about a few of these books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about amazing books we loved, such as Made for Love, In the Days of Rain, and Thank You for Arguing.

Before we get started, I have to ask: have you heard about Book Riot’s new podcast Annotated, a documentary series about books, reading, and language? IT’S SO GOOD. It’s like This American Life but with books! The next five episodes in the series will come out every other week, and you can subscribe to Annotated in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or in your podcast player of choice. DOOOOOOOO IT!

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee.

In this hilarious 18th-century romp, bisexual lord Henry “Monty” Montague’s roguish passions are far from suitable for a gentleman. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his vice-filled days are ending. His father expects him to take over the family’s estate, and Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend, Percy. So Monty vows to make this trip one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But a reckless decision turns their journey into a harrowing manhunt and calls everything into question, including Monty’s relationship with the boy he adores.

Out in the Open by Jesús Carrasco

Made for Love by Alissa Nutting

The Architecture of Loss by Z. P. Dala

An Oath of Dogs by Wendy Wagner

Thank You for Arguing, Third Edition: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion by Jay Heinrichs

In the Days of Rain: A Daughter, a Father, a Cult by Rebecca Stott

Draw Your Weapons by Sarah Sentilles

Chasing Down a Dream by Beverly Jenkins

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry

The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing by Margot Livesey

The Reason You’re Alive by Matthew Quick

Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon

The Graybar Hotel: Stories by Curtis Dawkins

Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner

Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake by Garbage

Queen of Bebop: The Musical Lives of Sarah Vaughan by Elaine M. Hayes

The Tower of the Antilles by Achy Obejas

Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas

Who is Rich? By Matthew Klam

Sungrazer by Jay Posey

We Shall Not All Sleep by Estep Nagy

Devastation Road by Jason Hewitt

South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby

The Last Cowboys of San Geronimo by Ian Stansel

Thousand Star Hotel by Bao Phi

The Reluctant Queen: Book Two of The Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst

Woolly: The True Story of the De-Extinction of One of History’s Most Iconic Creatures by Ben Mezrich

Scandalous Ever After (Romance of the Turf) by Theresa Romain

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan

A Stone of Hope: A Memoir by Jim St. Germain, with Jon Sternfeld

The Man of Legends by Kenneth Johnson

Words on the Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton

The Little Book of Big History: The Story of the Universe, Human Civilization, and Everything in Between by Ian Crofton and Jeremy Black

Around the Way Girl: A Memoir by Taraji P. Henson (paperback)

The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams (paperback)

On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor (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 L itsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

Friendly Aliens, 18th-Century Romps, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date June 26, 2017

Happy last June Tuesday! (How is that already possible??!) It’s another stellar day for new releases. At the top of my shopping list is Before Everything by Victoria Redel. I have heard wonderful things, so I must see for myself. And for all you Fiona Barton fans, she has a new one out today called The Child. I also have a few more fantastic titles to tell you about today, and as always, you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as The Windfall, My Glory Was I Had Such Friends, and The Sisters Chase.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Sisters Chase by Sarah Healy.

A gripping novel about two sisters who are left homeless by their mother’s death and the lengths the fierce older sister will go to protect her beloved young charge.

“A deliciously compulsive read. . . . It lingers like a summer dream after the last page is turned.” —Amy Gentry, author of Good as Gone

“Part mystery, part road novel, part family saga, The Sisters Chase had me riveted from the first secret to the last revelation.” —Lisa Lutz, author of The Passenger and How to Start a Fire

“Captivating . . . a fierce and unstoppable force of nature.” —Publishers Weekly

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

A bisexual British lord heads out on a wild journey with his best friend/secret crush in this fun 18th-century romp! Monty has reached an age when he is expected to finally settle down and act like a gentleman. But before he does, he takes his BFF Percy on one last adventure around the globe, which quickly turns dangerous – both romantically and to their actual lives! This is fun with a capital “YES.”

Backlist bump: Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy by L. A. Meyer

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory

Once upon a time, the Telemachuses were famous. With a telekinetic, a psychic, and a human lie detector in the family, they were a wonder to citizens and secret agents everywhere. But twenty years later, the family is disgraced and in shambles, trying desperately to make ends meet. A visit from an old friend at the CIA checking to see if they have any remaining powers seems to be a waste of time, but what the family doesn’t know is that one of the children has just discovered he has the ability to leave his body. This is a funny, heartfelt dysfunctional family comedy with a supernatural twist.

Backlist bump: The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

The Girl of the Lake: Stories by Bill Roorbach

I know I have raved about him before, but I’m going to do it again, because Bill Roorbach is a national treasure. And I’m not just saying that because he’s a Mainer like me. These nine stories are funny and emotional slices of life, with unforgettable characters and so much heart. Roorbach has been called “a kinder, gentler John Irving,” and I think that is the perfect description. I never miss a chance to see him speak, and I’m wildly envious of his students.

Backlist bump: Big Bend: Stories by Bill Roorbach

Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too: A Book by Jomny Sun

This is one of the sweetest and strangest books I’ve seen lately. Based on Jomny Sun’s popular Twitter account, it’s the story of a lonely alien sent to observe Earth, where he meets all kinds of other creatures and learns that it’s okay to be different. The “dawwwww” factor is strong in this one.

Backlist bump: Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection by The Awkward Yeti

The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker

For years, the Fourth Monkey Killer has been plaguing the city of Chicago. But then the police catch a lucky break: he’s struck and killed by a bus on his way to mail another gruesome package. The good news is that he’s dead. The bad news is that he still has a kidnap victim out there somewhere. If the police want to save her, they’ll have to read through the diary they found in his pocket to learn who he is and just what they’re up against. It turns out, the 4MK’s origin story is as upsetting as his new persona. If you like fast-paced, disturbing thrillers, this is the summer read for you! (The galley for this book arrived in my mailbox with a gummy eyeball, and I immediately thought, “You have my attention.”)

Backlist bump: The Poet by Michael Connolly

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

Monstrous Ladies, The Walking Dead, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date June 19, 2017

Happy Tuesday! Time for your weekly dose of books! I have a few great titles to tell you about today, and as always, you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some of our favorite books of 2017 so far, such as Pachinko, Chemistry, and Hunger.

Reminder: All the Backlist debuts this Friday, June 23rd. I AM SO EXCITED. If you’re already subscribed to All the Books, you don’t have to do anything – it will swim right into your stream. If you’re not yet subscribed, you can do so right here.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby.

Sometimes you just have to laugh—even when life is a dumpster fire! Bitches gotta eat blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette—she’s “35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-something”—sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms—hang in there for the Costco loot—she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as Irby is at capturing powerful emotional truths.

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman by Anne Helen Petersen

An in-depth discussion on women in pop culture who are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an “acceptable” woman, like Lena Dunham, Nicki Minaj, and Kim Kardashian, and why society loves to hate them (and love them) (and hate them again). A great look at feminism and empowerment in the 21st century, told with wit and a sharp eye.

Backlist bump: Shrill by Lindy West

Empire of Glass by Kaitlin Solimine

An American teenager, Lao K, faced with a tough decision in China: Should she help her dying Chinese homestay mother, Li-Ming, end her life? Fast-forward twenty years: Lao K receives a package, containing the story of Li-Ming’s life. As Lao K begins translating the book, the story becomes the novel. But what role with Lao K play in Li-Ming’s tale this time around? Pushing the boundaries of the novel form, this is a gorgeous experimental work.

Backlist bump: No other book, just read this one again.

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

This is a creepy Native American horror novella from one of the most inventive writers working today! A teenage boy wakes in the night to see his father going through a doorway. There’s a problem: his father is dead, having died under mysterious circumstances before his family left the reservation. Still, he follows him through the doorway, only to discover the house is much bigger than he thought. And if he goes the wrong way, he will find things that were better off hidden. Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn!

Backlist bump: After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones

The Force by Don Winslow

If you haven’t read a book by Don Winslow, now is the time to start. He writes gritty, gutsy crime novels, and this one might be his best yet. It’s about crooked cops, criminals, and the fine line that separates them. Denny Malone is a revered cop on the force, but he’s also on the take, and he’ll do anything to protect what he has. If you like The Wire, you’ll love this book!

Backlist bump: The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

Ooooo, it’s several classic characters all in one place! Mary Jekyll is looking for her father’s old partner, the murderous Edward Hyde. If she turns him in, the reward will solve all her financial woes. Instead she finds Hyde’s daughter, Diana, and a group of other women: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. With the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary and the others are going to solve the mysteries of their origins. This book is an epic nerdpurr!

Backlist bump: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavellaro

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

New Books Megalist: The Sequel!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date June 12, 2017

Welcome back, book fans! I’m here to make your TBR list beg for mercy. There are SOOOOOO many amazing books out again today, I couldn’t just pick a few. SO here’s a giant list for your perusal. And you can hear about several of these great titles on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about amazing books we loved, including The Prey of Gods, Hunger, and The Widow Nash.

Also, if you missed the news, I’m going to be hosting a little All the Books spinoff called All the Backlist! It swims into the All the Books stream starting June 23rd.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grandi Ginder.

A bitingly funny, hugely entertaining novel in which a fractured family from the Chicago suburbs must gather in London for their eldest daughter’s marriage to an upper-crust Englishman, proving that the harder we strain against the ties that bind, the tighter they hold us close.

Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera, Lisa Dillman (Translator)

A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass

Not Constantinople by Nick Bredie

Knife Creek (Mike Bowditch Mysteries) by Paul Doiron

The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central by Christine Pelisek

Devil’s Due (Destroyermen) by Taylor Anderson

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

Roar by Cora Carmack

The Chalk Artist by Allegra Goodman

Virology by Ren Warom

Undertow: A Novel by Elizabeth Heathcote

Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me by Janet Mock

The Beach at Painter’s Cove: A Novel by Shelley Noble

The Darkest Promise (Lords of the Underworld) by Gena Showalter

The Swallow’s Nest by Emilie Richards

The Ultimatum by Karen Robards

My Vanishing Twin by Tom Stern

Blind Spot by Teju Cole

Soldier Boy by Keely Hutton

Daylily Called It a Dangerous Moment by Alesandra Lynch

Joplin Wishing by Diane Stanley

Night Thoughts by Wallace Shawn

Continent: Stories by Jim Crace

Adua by Igiaba Scego, Jamie Richards (Translator)

I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad by Souad Mekhennet

A History of the United States in Five Crashes: Stock Market Meltdowns That Defined a Nation by Scott Nations

Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity) by Nalini Singh

Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers: A Kidney Doctor’s Search for the Perfect Match by Vanessa Grubbs, M.D.

Stay Interesting: I Don’t Always Tell Stories About My Life, but When I Do They’re True and Amazing by Jonathan Goldsmith

Mad: A Novel (Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know Trilogy) by Chloé Esposito

The Switch by Joseph Finder

The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs by Mark O’Connell

Runnin’ with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen by Noel Monk

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

The Circus by Olivia Levez

The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions by Peter Brannen

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard

The Forgotten Girl by Rio Youers

A God in the Shed by J-F. Dubeau

The Great Rescue: American Heroes, an Iconic Ship, and the Race to Save Europe in WWI by Peter Hernon

Small Hours by Jennifer Kitses

Lockdown: A Novel of Suspense by Laurie R. King

Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards by Michelle Tea

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean

The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock by David Weigel

The Substitute by Nicole Lundrigan

Campus Confidential: How College Works, or Doesn’t, for Professors, Parents, and Students by Jacques Berlinerblau

Want by Cindy Pon

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

Tom Clancy Point of Contact (A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel) by Mike Maden

The Widow Nash by Jamie Harrison

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity) by Victoria Schwab

Endgame: A Nameless Detective Novel (Nameless Detective Novels) by Bill Pronzini

Ash Falls by Warren Read

The City Always Wins by Omar Robert Hamilton

You Should Have Left: A Story by Daniel Kehlmann, Ross Benjamin (Translator)

So Much Blue by Percival Everett

Raven Stratagem (Machineries of Empire Series) by Yoon Ha Lee

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

The Accomplished Guest: Stories by Ann Beattie

Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening by Manal al-Sharif

The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne

Guidebook to Relative Strangers: Journeys into Race, Motherhood, and History by Camille T. Dungy

Turf: Stories by Elizabeth Crane

Nothing Lasts Forever by Sina Grace

Grown-Up Anger: The Connected Mysteries of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and the Calumet Massacre of 1913 by Daniel Wolff

Fugitive in Full View by Jack Marshall

Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions by Joe Berkowitz

Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children) by Seanan McGuire

The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

Scribbled in the Dark: Poems by Charles Simic

Blue Money by Janet Capron

Hothouse by Karyna McGlynn

Fingerprints of Previous Owners by Rebecca Entel

Post High School Reality Quest by Meg Eden

The Other Side of Paradise: The Uncensored Memoirs of Bob Chinn by Bob Chinn

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu

The Forgotten Flight: Terrorism, Diplomacy and the Pursuit of Justice by Stuart H. Newberger

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Strange Magic: An Essex Witches Mystery by Sydney Moore

The Salt House by Lisa Duffy

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett

The Black Elfstone: The Fall of Shannara by Terry Brooks

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir by Sherman Alexie

Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty by Ramona Ausubel (paperback)

Devils of Cardona by Matthew Carr (paperback)

Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst (paperback)

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

First Tuesday in June New Books Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date June 5, 2017

YAY, NEW BOOK DAY! It’s the first Tuesday of the month, which means there’s a HUGE amount of new titles out today. I’ve got a big, sexy list for you below. And you can hear about several of these books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as She Rides Shotgun, The Art of Living, and Magpie Murders.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Possible by Tara Altebrando.

From the author of The Leaving comes another twisty psychological suspense thriller. It’s been thirteen years since Kaylee’s biological mother, Crystal, once infamous for her supposed telekinetic ability, got a life sentence for killing Kaylee’s little brother in a fit of telekinetic rage. Today, Kaylee’s living a normal life with her adoptive parents until a woman shows up on Kaylee’s doorstep, asking to interview her for a podcast. Was the whole telekinesis thing a hoax, or does Crystal have some kind of special powers? Is it possible that Kaylee has them, too?

Cockfosters: Stories by Helen Simpson

The Lake and the Lost Girl by Jacquelyn Vincenta

City Mouse by Stacey Lender

Small Treasons by Mark Powell

A Boy of China: In Search of Mao’s Lost Son by Richard Loseby

A Dark So Deadly by Stuart MacBride

It’s Always About the Food by Monday Morning Cooking Club

We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy Pearlman

The Owl Always Hunts at Night: A Novel by Samuel Bjork

How to Be a Muslim: An American Story by Haroon Moghul

In Darwin’s Room (Penguin Poets) by Debora Greger

Marlene Dietrich: The Life by Maria Riva

Disasters in the First World: Stories by Olivia Clare

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating (Relating to and Communicating with Others) by Alan Alda

DIS MEM BER and Other Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

Storied Bars of New York: Where Literary Luminaries Go to Drink by Delia Cabe

Black Moses by Alain Mabanckou, Helen Stevenson (Translator)

How to Survive a Summer by Nick White

Liberty: The Spy Who (Kind of) Liked Me by Andrea Portes

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

He Said / She Said by Erin Kelly

Would Everybody Please Stop?: Reflections on Life and Other Bad Ideas by Jenny Allen

The Possible by Tara Altebrando

The Party by Robyn Harding

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy

This Impossible Light by Lily Myers

Camino Island by John Grisham

Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World’s Oceans by Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.)

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

You’ll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron

Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang by Max Décharné

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits, F*ckups, and Failures by Jennifer Romolini

If Found…Please Return to Elise Gravel by Elise Gravel

Final Demand by Deborah Moggach

Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by Gini Koch

Fully Connected: Surviving and Thriving in an Age of Overload by Julia Hobsbawm

I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart

Fly Me by Daniel Riley

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

She Rides Shotgun: A Novel Jordan Harper

The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente, Annie Wu (Illustrator)

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau

The Himalayan Codex: An R. J. MacCready Novel by Bill Schutt, J. R. Finch

Dear Cyborgs by Eugene Lim

The Last Kid Left by Rosecrans Baldwin

Twist: Creative Ideas to Reinvent Your Baking by Martha Collison

Indecent Exposure (A Stone Barrington Novel) by Stuart Woods

The Moment of Truth by Damian McNicholl

Shiver Hitch by Linda Greenlaw

The Kill Society: A Sandman Slim Novel by Richard Kadrey

Quickening Fields (Penguin Poets) by Pattiann Rogers

Crown of Stars: Book II of the Night Song Trilogy by Sophie Jaff

Lonesome Lies Before Us by Don Lee

The Answers by Catherine Lacey

Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness

You Belong to Me by Colin Harrison

Wolf on a String by Benjamin Black

Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time Lords by Steve Tribe

Good Karma by Christina Kelly

Making Rent in Bed-Stuy: A Memoir of Trying to Make It in New York City by Brandon Harris

Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash

Cottonmouths by Kelly J. Ford

Vacation Guide to the Solar System: Science for the Savvy Space Traveler! by Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich

Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill

Ultimate Glory: Frisbee, Obsession, and My Wild Youth by David Gessner

Slow Boat by Hideo Furukawa, David Boyd (Translator)

In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea by Danny Goldberg

The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh

Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren

The Gypsy Moth Summer by Julia Fierro

Adventures in Starry Kitchen: 88 Asian-Inspired Recipes from America’s Most Famous Underground Restaurant by Nguyen Tran

Grim Expectations by KW Jeter

The Rebellion’s Last Traitor by Nik Korpon

The Broken Ones: (Prequel to the Malediction Trilogy) by Danielle L. Jensen

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Hunch: Turn Your Everyday Insights Into The Next Big Thing by Bernadette Jiwa

Small Treasons by Mark Powell

The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami (Author), Allison Markin Powell (Translator)

Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed by Daniel McGinn

The Chase: A Novel of Romantic Suspense (The Icon Trilogy) by Vanessa Fewings

The Long Haul: A Trucker’s Tales of Life on the Road by Finn Murphy

The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor

Black Detroit: A People’s History of Self-Determination by Herb Boyd

Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker

The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder

Kennedy and King: The President, the Pastor, and the Battle Over Civil Rights by Steven Levingston

A Fugitive in Walden Woods by Norman Lock

The Whole Way Home: A Novel by Sarah Creech

Everybody’s Son by Thrity Umrigar

Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin

The Crime Writer by Jill Lawson

Perennials by Mandy Berman

ME by Tomoyuki Hoshino (Author), Charles De Wolf (Translator)

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly (paperback)

These Heroic, Happy Dead: Stories by Luke Mogelson (paperback)

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn (paperback)

Rich and Pretty by Ruman Alam (paperback)

Siricusa by Delia Ephron (paperback)

Marrow Island by Alexis M. Smith

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

Magical Libraries, Unforgettable Memories, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 27, 2017

Happy Tuesday! Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend which involved lots of book reading. I have a few great titles to tell you about today, and as always, you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about amazing books we loved, such as When Dimple Met Rishi, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, and The White Road.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf.

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters—her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.

dragon's green Dragon’s Green by Scarlett Thomas

This is the first children’s book from the amazing Thomas, and holy cats, is it fun. And it’s about – wait for it – BOOKS. When Effie’s grandfather becomes seriously ill, she must look after his library of rare and powerful books. But when one of the books falls into dangerous hands, Effie must travel to Otherworld to get it back. Did I mention this is all about books???? Purrrrrrrr.

Backlist bump: Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge

The Reminders by Val Emmich

When Gavin’s partner Sydney dies, he literally sets fire to their life together and flees Los Angeles for New Jersey, hoping to be reunited with old friends. There he meets Joan, a ten-year-old girl who has the rare ability to remember everything. Gavin agrees to help Joan win a songwriting contest in exchange for telling him her memories about Sydney. Told from alternating narrators, this is a sad, sweet story of the pain and joy of the past, the curse of remembering everything, and the importance of new friendships.

Backlist bump: Piece of Mind by Michelle Adelman

Boundless by Jillian Tamaki

In this marvelous graphic novel, Tamaki delivers several stories: Jenny discovers a Facebook-type better version of herself; a mysterious file brings happiness – or is the end of mankind; Helen literally begins to shrink; humans can suddenly see into the minds of animals. Tamaki tackles self-image, perception, and social media in this wonderful send-up of our virtual lives.

Backlist bump: SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki

white fur White Fur by Jardine Libaire

Eliza and Jamey are from very different backgrounds, but their attraction to one another is undeniable, and the couple decide to take a risk and move from New Haven to NYC together. But Jamie’s family disapprove of the relationship and try to intervene, turning their bliss into a struggle to stay together. White Fur is a ferocious 1980s Romeo and Juliet, crackling with sexual obsession and danger.

Backlist bump: Here Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire

Class by Francesco Pacifico

Ludovica and Lorenzo live in Rome – he’s a pretentious burgeoning filmmaker and she works in a bookstore. When Lorenzo gets a scholarship to Columbia, the couple move to Williamsburg, where they immerse themselves in the hipster culture and join up with other Italian expats – but will they be able to support themselves with their art long enough to achieve the American dream? Class is a funny, ambitious novel about art, love, and, well, class.

Backlist bump: Ciao, America!: An Italian Discovers the U.S. by Beppe Severgnini (Author), Giles Watson (Translator)

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

Murderous Grannies, Musical Writing, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 22, 2017

Book time, book time, la la la la la la! First things first: Radiate, the third book in C.A. Higgin’s Lightless trilogy, is out today!!! I loved these books so much. So spacey and dark! Now I’ll tell you about a few new books not wrapping up awesome trilogies, and you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about amazing books we loved, such as Black Mad Wheel, Chemistry, and Augustown.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld.

Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Uncanny manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. The Spill claimed Addison’s parents and scarred her little sister, Lexa, who hasn’t spoken since. Addison provides for her sister by photographing the Zone’s twisted attractions on illicit midnight rides. Art collectors pay top dollar for these bizarre images, but getting close enough for the perfect shot can mean death—or worse.

When an eccentric collector makes a million-dollar offer, Addison breaks her own hard-learned rules of survival and ventures farther than she has ever dared. Within the Spill Zone, Hell awaits—and it seems to be calling Addison’s name.

Wicked Wonders by Ellen Klages

Amazing oddities and fantastic flights of fancy dominate this fabulous collection of tales. A haunted penny arcade, faeries, and rebellious children are just part of the fun in these clever stories. Klages has been putting out incredible work for years and years – most recently The Green Glass Sea – and it would be wonderful to see her get a bigger audience and more recognition.

Backlist bump: You Have Never Been Here by Mary Rickert

A Good Country by Laleh Khadivi

Alireza Courdee has always been a straight-A student, working to make his Iranian immigrant parents proud. But he’s also a fourteen-year-old boy, and he has begun engaging in normal teenage behavior: experimenting with drugs, sneaking out to parties, surfing, sex. But what begins as a time of carefree experimentation for Reza slips into dangerous territory when he joins a group of boys who share his background and soon finds himself on his way to Syria. A Good Country is a timely and powerful read that questions how big a role we play in our destinies.

Backlist bump: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Murder In Matera: A True Story of Passion, Family, and Forgiveness in Southern Italy by Helene Stapinski

Stapinski grew up in a family of thieves in Chicago – but they weren’t the only relatives who may have broken the law. Growing up, she heard that her Italian grandmother had murdered someone before moving to America. Stapinski’s interest in her grandmother’s story only deepened as an adult, and over the years and several trips to Italy, she uncovered long-buried secrets that she then turned into this wonderful historical whodunit/family memoir. Makes you wonder about your own grandmother…

Backlist bump: Five-Finger Discount: A Crooked Family History by Helene Stapinski (One of my favorite memoirs!)

Shake It Up: Great American Writing on Rock and Pop from Elvis to Jay Z: A Library of America Special Publication by Jonathan Lethem (Editor), Kevin Dettmar (Editor)

A fantastic anthology of important music writing comprised of fifty pieces covering pretty much every genre. Featuring discussions on Axl Rose, heavy metal, Elvis, Prince, emo, Sam Cooke, and more. Contributors include Chuck Klosterman, Lester Bangs, Amiri Baraka, Eve Babitz, and John Jeremiah Sullivan. A beautiful gift for a dad, grad, or any other music lover in your life!

Backlist bump: Let it Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America’s Greatest Rock Critic by Jim Derogatis

And ICYMI, I’m writing the new Book Riot newsletter, Book Radar, which will give you all those things! You can sign up here.

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

Family Curses, Food Journeys, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 15, 2017

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another great day for books! I know what I’m picking up first: Things to Do When You’re Goth in the Country and Other Stories by Chavisa Woods.Because WOW, THAT TITLE. And in case you hadn’t heard, there’s a new book in Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series! It’s called Thick as Thieves and it is A++++. And it’s just one of the many awesome books making its debut today. You can hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as York: The Shadow Cipher, An Awkward Age, and The Push.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Widow of Wall Street by Randy Susan Meyers.

A provocative new novel by bestselling author Randy Susan Meyers about the seemingly blind love of a wife for her husband as he conquers Wall Street, and her extraordinary, perhaps foolish, loyalty during his precipitous fall.
When Phoebe learns her husband’s triumph and vast reach rests on an elaborate Ponzi scheme her world unravels. Her children refuse to see her if she remains at their father’s side, but abandoning him feels cruel and impossible.

From penthouse to prison, Randy Susan Meyers’s latest novel exposes a woman struggling to survive and then redefine her life as her world crumbles.

Grace and the Fever by Zan Romanoff

Grace is a recent high school graduate who is holding on to a secret: she’s still a huge fan of Fever Dream, the boy band everyone loved in middle school. For Grace, the band is still an important part of her life. (She spends a lot of time squealing over it with strangers online.) Then she gets the chance to meet her idol, and she learns the truth about celebrity. A smart coming-of-age story about learning how to move on when you realize the things you think define you are no longer important.

Backlist bump: A Song to Take the World Apart by Zan Romanoff

Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Ohhhhhhhh, my friends, get ready for this one. It’s a Commonwealth Prize-winning story about the Kintu Kidda’s clan in Uganda and the centuries-long history of the family’s “cursed bloodline,” starting in 1750. Makumbi breaks the book up into six parts and details the lives of Kintu’s descendants and what it means to live in the shadow of the curse a they try to carve out their own futures. What a fantastic read!

Backlist bump: I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (Another amazing Commonwealth Prize winner.)

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

I mention this on the podcast several months ago, but I just want to reiterate how amazing this book is. Marzano-Lesnevich went to Louisiana to help work with prisoners on death row, and instead found herself questioning her opposition to the death penalty when she came across a particularly heinous crime. Her investigation into the case led to reopened memories of her own childhood trauma and forced her to face some painful truths. (This book is fascinating and beautifully written, but please be aware that there are some really brutal, possibly triggering things discussed in it as well.)

Backlist bump: No bump, just advice to mark down After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search by Sarah Perry now, because WOW.

Florence in Ecstasy by Jessie Chaffee

Hannah, a young woman from Boston, is trying to recover from an intense episode with an eating disorder. Seeking something new, she travels alone to Italy to soak up the beauty and culture. Drawn into the city’s seemingly insatiable lust for life, Hannah – with the help of the natives – sets off down a path of drinking, sex, and food. But will the appearance of a face from the past threaten to upend her present? A vivacious, intelligent novel about the female body, pleasure, and the turmoil of trying to find your way back to yourself.

Backlist bump: Sister Golden Hair by Darcey Steinke

Give a Girl a Knife: A Memoir by Amy Thielen

A delightful memoir about Thielen’s journey from her hometown in Minnesota – home of America’s largest French fry factory – to the kitchen’s in the finest restaurants in NYC. It’s a charming story about how hard work and perseverance still help some people achieve their dreams, and how Thielen’s roots helped her realize her goals – and ultimately brought her back home.

Backlist bump: Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson

Everywhere Home: A Life in Essays by Fenton Johnson

A collection of personal essays about Johnson’s travels and the things he encounters, covering such topics as Burning Man, basketball, the AIDS epidemic, monasteries, and Oscar Wilde. These are wonderfully thoughtful and intelligent pieces that fit together with frank introspection to make a remarkable book.

Backlist bump: Small Fires: Essays by Julie Marie Wade

And ICYMI, I’m writing the new Book Riot newsletter, Book Radar, which will give you all those things! You can sign up here.

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

Immortal Pirates, Historical Mysteries, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 8, 2017

Welcome back, race fans. It’s another Tuesday, and another great week for books. For example, for all you Robin Hobb fans: the third book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy is out now! And you can hear about several great books out today on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as Lives of the Monster Dogs, Ramona Blue, and Binti.

(P.S. I was having the worst time narrowing my choices down today, so I’m giving you a mini-round-up. Enjoy!)

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki.

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has taken a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the guest house, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her teenage son, Seth. But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Seth takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new from Edan Lepucki novel defies expectation.

That Thing We Call a Heart by Sheba Kerim: A funny and heartwarming novel about Shabnam, her summer crush, and how love can be confusing and overwhelming one day and amazing and beautiful the next.

House of Names by Colm Tóibín: A brilliant retelling of the story of Clytemnestra by a master storyteller. And like the original, full of murder, betrayal, and revenge.

We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson: Science! Nerdy goodness! Cute illustrations! Big questions about the universe that we still can’t answer! … Did I mention the cute illustrations?

D’Arc (War with No Name) by Robert Repino: It’s the sequel to Mort(e)! *MUPPET ARMS* This one picks up shortly after the first one ended, with Mort(e) and Sheba, with cults, amphibious creatures, and a serial killer!

Deadmen Walking: A Deadman’s Cross Novel (Dark-Hunter: Deadman’s Cross Trilogy) by Sherrilyn Kenyon: Pirates, and immortals, and a sea witch, oh my! This was my first Kenyon (I know, I know) and I thought it was great fun.

A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee: A Scotland Yard detective investigates the murder of a British official in India in this marvelous new historical crime series.

Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan, George Miller (Translator): This massively successful French novel about friendship, rivalry and obsession – think Single White Female – is now available in English!

Among the Lesser Gods by Margo Catts: A young woman who believes she leads a cursed life heads to the woods of Colorado to gather her thoughts. But what she finds there leaves her with a better understanding of cause and effect. This is a remarkable debut.

Typewriters, Bombs, Jellyfish: Essays by Tom McCarthy: I am a huge fan of McCarthy’s novels and I quickly gobbled up all these smart essays about pop culture and more. Includes thoughts on Patty Hearst, David Lynch, Ulysses, and yes, typewriters, bombs, and jellyfish.

The Gift by Barbara Browning: Browning is one of the most refreshing, unusual novelists I have read, and this book is no different. It’s about a woman who begins spamming people with ukulele songs. Awkward encounters ensue.

Shtum by Jem Lester: A beautiful, heart-squeezing debut novel of a couple and their ten-year-old autistic son, written from Lester’s own experiences as a parent to an autistic child.

And ICYMI, I’m writing the new Book Riot newsletter, Book Radar, which will give you all those things! You can sign up here.

Stay rad,

Liberty

New Books

First Tuesday in May New Books Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 1, 2017

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so you know what that means: IT’S A SPECTACULARLY GOOD NEW RELEASE DAY. And the warm weather is finally here, so I can look out my window and see the sun and green grass! (What, you thought I was going to say “read outside?” LOL. That’s where the bugs live, sillies.) There are a kitten-ton of great books out this week, including the last books in the Court of Thorns and Roses and Divine Cities trilogies! And you can hear about several of these books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as Priestdaddy, One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, and This is Just My Face.

And while we’re talking about book news: Wanna learn about new book deals, adaptation news, and upcoming must-read books? I’m writing the new Book Riot newsletter, Book Radar, which will give you all those things! You can sign up here, and check out the most recent one here.

Now, let’s get down to business.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Nix by Nathan Hill, new in paperback.

Samuel hasn’t seen his mother since she abandoned the family. Now she’s re-appeared, having committed an absurd crime that electrifies the nightly news and inflames a politically divided country. To save her, Samuel will have to embark on a journey, uncovering long-buried secrets that stretch back across generations, from 2011 to 1960s America and to WWII Norway, home of the mysterious Nix. As he does so, Samuel will confront not only Faye’s losses but also his own lost love, and will relearn everything he thought he knew about his mother, and himself.

The Dinner Party: Stories by Joshua Ferris

The Storied City: The Quest for Timbuktu and the Fantastic Mission to Save Its Past by Charlie English

Deep Water (Simon True) by Katherine Nichols

The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey

Priestdaddy: A Memoir by Patricia Lockwood

The Farm in the Green Mountains (NYRB Classics) by Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer (Author), Ida H. Washington (Translator), Carol E. Washington (Translator)

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter: Essays by Scaachi Koul

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Ugly Prey: An Innocent Woman and the Death Sentence That Scandalized Jazz Age Chicago by Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi

Genevieves by Henry Hoke

Triple Threat (Lois Lane) by Gwenda Bond