Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book: An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is one that is a must-read if you love sci-fi, but be aware that it does come with a lot of content warnings: racism, sexism, homophobia, violence (some of it graphic), sexual assault (some of it graphic), systemic discrimination, enslavement, depictions of gore and surgical procedures, and death, including death of a child.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

In Solomon’s debut novel, a generation ship full of thousands of people is hurtling through space, destined for a planet that can sustain life. They’re only in the middle of their journey, and passengers can’t quite remember how many generations have been born on the ship. Aster lives on the lower decks of the HSS Matilda, where the people are pressed into backbreaking and cruel labor for the comfort of those who reside on the upper decks. Aster is an unusual person, preoccupied with the journal her mother left behind before she disappeared years ago, and while most people are content to let Aster be, when she attracts the unwelcome attention of a cruel overseer, life becomes even harder than it already is. Aster is swept up in the politics of the upper decks while trying to survive and decode the mysteries of her mother’s journal. When she finally cracks a piece of it, it could change her fate—and that of everyone on the Matilda—forever.

This is an intense and harrowing book that looks at how cruel people can be to one another when sealed in a vacuum, hurtling through space without any accountability. Aster’s life is beyond rough, and is at times difficult to read about, and it’s not difficult to see the parallels between how she and her people are treated to the ways of the Antebellum South. But at the same time, Solomon provides such a rich and interesting culture to Aster’s life on the lower decks, and the world-building is always fascinating, especially when it becomes apparent there is a darker history on the ship that has been deliberately obscured. While there is lots of violence, I was sustained through this book by Aster’s mission to find out what her mother knew, how she documented it, and where exactly she ended up before she disappeared. It’s a fascinating puzzle that is cleverly put together, and left me wanting to re-read it just to see how Solomon pulled it off! It’s part social commentary, part space exploration, and part mystery as Aster navigates a brutal life with hope she barely allows herself to feel. I highly recommend it if you love sci-fi and you like futuristic books that speak to the very real social issues we face here and now.

Happy reading!
Tirzah


Find me on Book Riot, the Insiders Read Harder podcast, All the Books, and Twitter. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!

Today’s pick is a moving memoir-manifesto by an author who walks us through his journey of finding himself, finding community, coming out, and being seen.

All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

In the intro, the author tells us that he wants this book to be truthful and that he will be sharing some very heavy things that people don’t necessarily talk about. He went through some very hard things as a child and young adult and likewise, many young adults are going through hard things right now. That is Johnson’s point in telling things truthfully. He wishes that when he was a young adult, he had stories to turn to such as this so he’s hoping that his story can help some young people today. Yes, it’s YA, but it’s a memoir that offers multiple places for connection for a variety of readers.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was biased, myself a Black & queer person (as is the author). So much of his story resonated with me. His family, like mine, aren’t necessarily academics when it comes to queer history but they were loving always. I couldn’t help but cry every time I read about his close relationship with his grandmother. It’s just so full of unconditional, active love. I found it extra hilarious that he didn’t learn his first name until he was around six because his family and school called him by his middle name because I have the same story.

What I love about this book is that yes, the author tells his story but it is only partly memoir. It is also a manifesto. He starts right off with telling the story of the day he was born and then leaps into how we have gender projected on us as infants or even as fetuses as well as the other societal projections and expectations which, for many people, are way off the mark. He talks about how all of this adds to the struggles of queer kids.

The author shares not only the traumas that can occur as a queer person or a Black person but at the intersection of being Black and queer. This book is such a wonderful addition to the growing collection of queer Black literature.

Content warnings for sexual assault including molestation, homophobia, racism including anti-Blackness, cancer, and death.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is a great YA/adult crossover thriller that I really loved, and read in probably two sittings! Content warning for discussion of assault, violence, and child abuse.

cover of The Girls I've Been

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

Nora is the daughter of a con woman, and she’s been living a lie her entire life. The latest lie is that she lives with her big sister in a small town, and that nothing about her is unusual in any way. The truth? Nora isn’t her real name, her mom is in prison, and Nora put her there. She’s mostly happy, until the day that she and her new girlfriend Iris and ex-boyfriend Wes have to go to the bank together to deposit money from a fundraiser. What should just be an awkward ten minutes turns into a nightmare when the bank is held up by two gunmen, and Nora, Iris, and Wes are all taken hostage. Nora has a sense that this whole thing could go very, very wrong, so she pulls upon all of the tricks she learned in a lifetime of subterfuge in order to get out alive with the two people she cares about, but doing so also means directly confronting a traumatic past.

I love books that (mostly) take place over the course of a single day or event, because I think it really heightens tension and it takes a talented writer to pull it off. Sharpe does this brilliantly here, alternating between present action scenes and flashbacks from all the different girls that Nora has had to become over the years to survive. This demonstrates her struggles with being genuine, and her inability to know who she even is after all of the identities she’s impersonated. I loved that Sharpe really explores what it is to have morals and be ethical when you’ve lived a life of deception, and Sharpe illuminates how Nora makes sense of her experiences and decides what she’s going to stand up for. This rich emotional landscape is contrasted against a really thrilling plot of Nora outwitting the bank robbers at every turn, balancing her many secrets, and also maintaining her platonic and romantic relationships—which force her to be brutally honest in a way she’s always avoided before. It’s a story that requires a deft hand in its telling and lots of balancing between the emotional moments and high-powered action, but Sharpe absolutely nails it!

Bonus: This book is in development to become a Netflix movie starring Millie Bobbie Brown, so definitely pick it up before it hits the streaming service!


Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, the Insiders Read Harder podcast, All the Books, and Twitter. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!

Today’s pick is a lovely middle grade fantasy that is an unexpected, yet very appreciated, retelling of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables and it is also a 2021 Newbery Honor book.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

The city of Chattana is a city of canals and light. There are many different colored orbs that serve as power sources to light everything, power the boats, heat the stoves, etc. They are all full of light created by one person: The Governor. The Governor appeared in Chattana after the Great Fire and saved it from ruin. He brought light and prosperity, though it is clear that the brightest and most powerful lights (and related prosperity) only bless the upper class.

This story starts in Chattana, specifically in Namwon Prison. It’s a women’s prison, though if a child is born in the prison they stay there too, even if their mother dies. So it’s not only a women’s prison, but a prison of orphans. We meet two of the main characters here in Namwon Prison: Pong and Somkit, two boys who were born in the prison. Their mothers are no longer alive so they are prisoners until they are released when they turn 13. Everyone at Namwon Prison is tattooed with a symbol that gets crossed out when they are released. That way, it’s easy to tell 1) who has ever been in that prison and 2) who has escaped.

The opportunity to escape arises for Pong and he takes it. He ends up at a monastery that takes him in. Pong is allowed to stay at the monastery and remains under the tutelage and protection of Father Cham for years. One day, the family of the Namwon Prison warden visits the monastery. The warden’s daughter, Nok, recognizes Pong as the escapee. She is very eager to prove herself and thus the pursuit begins.

Pong escapes and is reunited with Somkit but that is far from the end. Remember, this is a fantasy so while it’s loosely a Les Mis retelling, it is in a world of magic all its own.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is technically a YA book, but one that I think a lot of adults will dig because it’s got a twisty plot, fascinating history, and a great heroine who is motivated to figure out what tore her family apart! Content warning: Discussion of human trafficking, violence towards women, poisoning.

cover image of The Forest of Stolen Girls

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

When Hwani and her sister Maewol were children, they went missing in the forest only to be found hours later yards away from a grisly murder scene. Hwani remembers nothing of that day, and shortly after her family was torn apart. But years later their father, Detective Min, hears that thirteen other girls have gone missing in that same forest and decides to investigate…only to vanish without a trace himself. Hwani decides that if anyone is going to figure out the forest’s secrets and discover where her father went, she must face the past…and her estranged sister, Maewol.

This novel is set in the early 15th century, on Jeju Island, and it provides a fascinating history of the island and the politics of the time, alongside a riveting family story. The tension between the sisters provides plenty of drama, as Maewol hasn’t forgiven Hwani for leaving, and Hwani has her own conflicted feelings about their shared dark history and separation. As much as Hwani wants to solve the disappearance of her father and unravel the island’s secrets, she must come to terms with the fact that she needs her sister, and that in order for them to solve the (many!) mysteries of the island, they need to work together. This adds some challenges to Hwani’s mission, and the plot is a tightly wound mystery that will keep you turning the pages.

I also really enjoyed the complex community that Hur depicts, and how even though Hwani spent her childhood there, she comes to it as an outsider, searching for clues. Maewol stayed behind and has expert insight, but in many ways she’s too close to the community to see the full picture. The greater politics of the region also play a close role in the mystery, even if it isn’t obvious the girls at the very beginning. The climactic scene had me literally holding my breath—it was that tense! If you love historical fiction, want something that gives you a glimpse into a non-European region, and provides an excellent mystery, June Hur really delivers!

Bonus: I also loved Hur’s first book, another historical mystery called The Silence of Bones!


Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, the Insiders Read Harder podcast, All the Books, and Twitter. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!

Today’s pick is a nonfiction comic that truly lives up to its title. It has been an invaluable educational tool for me and I’ve probably given away at least a half dozen copies.

A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities by Mady G and Jules Zuckerberg

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady G. and Jules Zuckerberg

This lovely little comic is a super beginner’s guide for both people who are figuring out their own queer and/or trans identity as well as the people who are in their support network who want to learn more about queer and trans identities. By no means is the information in this book exhaustive as it’s small enough to fit into a large pocket. It manages to cover the basics of some really common questions without being overwhelming or academic.

The main characters are snails and some adorable non-humanoid creatures. It’s clear the authors don’t want you to assign gender to the characters, which is a really good thing to practice.

It’s written in a format where each little section is titled by a question, then some discussion about the answer or answers. It begins with “What is queer?” which is wonderful because that’s a question that a lot of people have. Many people who aren’t under the LGBTQ+ umbrella can be confused by it. The truth is that queer can mean different things to different people. Some people are also concerned that it used to be a slur and this book addresses that as well.

The book also offers simplified information on the definitions of and differences between gender, sex, sexual orientation or attraction, and gender expression. There’s also a section in this book that caught me by surprise but not in a bad way because it totally belongs here, and that is a section on relationship basics and what some signs of healthy relationships are and also what are some red flags. The thing is, a lot of us as teens learn about relationships from what is modeled in our life and what we see in the media. It’s rare that any of us, especially those of us in the LGBTQIA+ crowd, are given a resource before mistakes are made.

I love that this book exists. It can help alleviate some of the emotional labor involved in educating people about queer and trans identities and do so in a way that is thoughtful and fun.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is a super fun book that I just happened to pick up on a whim on a trip to Barnes & Noble (bookstores reopening has been glorious for my TBR, devastating for my wallet!) and I loved it a lot! It’s got a lot of those buzzy tropes that people love, but also queer! In space! And it’s a funny book about some heavy stuff, which I always appreciate.

Content warning: Domestic abuse and physical abuse, mostly in the back story but some (not graphic) depicted on the page. Also, there is some psychological torture.

Winter's Orbit cover

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Prince Kiem is the most disappointing of the emperor’s grandchildren, so when he finds himself summoned to her presence, he’s not quite sure why he’s in trouble. Turns out, he’s not…but there is something the emperor wants, or rather, demands: for Kiem to marry Count Jainan, the representative of his tiny planet to the Galactic Empire. Kiem knows a publicity stunt when he sees one, but there’s no way wiggling out of it, so he goes along with the ploy. But it turns out that Count Jainan is quiet, withdrawn, and grieving the death of his first husband…whom he is suspected of murdering in an “accident.” As the political intrigue heightens, Kiem and Jainan must figure out a way to work together and solve a few mysteries in order to save the empire.

This book ticks a lot of my boxes: Space opera, queer couple, banter, marriage of convenience, murder mystery, political intrigue, and (I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say!) romance! One thing I really loved about this book is that queer characters are the norm and aren’t persecuted in any way, and gender expression is very intentional—i.e. people don’t just assume gender based on biology, it is an intentional expression that varies across cultures, and even still can be confusing and nonbinary. I love books that reimagine cool ways of personal expression that are open, accepting, and nuanced.

The world building is exciting, but of course it’s not all progressive paradise. The empire rules all, and the smaller planets aren’t always happy about this. Political alliances are complicated, and the future of everyone in the empire hangs in the balance. That all provides an interesting backdrop for the story of Kiem and Jainan, two seemingly opposites who are thrown together rather awkwardly at first, but quickly learn that they care for one another. It’s not always clear if they’re just doing their duties, or if there’s something more brewing, which is another great source of tension. Communication is a big barrier for them, but I appreciate that Maxwell always does a great job at showing the legitimate reasons why they struggle to connect at times rather than making it a convenient excuse. Kiem is self-deprecating, personable, funny, and a bit of a goofball. Jainan is focused and intelligent, but reserved and not always very self-confident. Their personalities don’t seem like a perfect match, but when they’re together they just work, and it was a joy to read about them connecting. The romance is a bit of a slow burn, but always an enjoyable one, and their dynamic had me laughing and swooning in equal measure!

The other perk to this book? It’s a standalone novel, so if you have series fatigue this is the perfect book for you! (Although, be warned that it’s so delightful you’ll want more of Kiem and Jainan! Lucky for us, Maxwell is working on another book set in the same universe!)

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, the Insiders Read Harder podcast, All the Books, and Twitter. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!

Today’s pick is a remarkable short story collection that has so many of my favorite authors in one place: Elizabeth Acevedo, Rebecca Roanhorse, Justina Ireland, L.L. McKinney, Dhonielle Clayton, and more.

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrice Caldwell

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrice Caldwell

As the title says, the common thread in this collection is Black girl magic, resistance, and hope; however, we Black girls have a wide range and so, too, do the stories in this anthology. In fact, the variety is one of the things that makes this collection so incredibly wonderful. They span so many genres from high fantasy to science fiction, from westerns to vampire fiction to historical fantasy. I got whiplash from changing gears so frequently but I am not complaining. Each story was a new thrilling adventure that I had no idea where it was taking me.

There are also so many badass characters I fell in love with. We meet an enslaved girl who can manipulate metal and another who makes a deal with the gods of the desert. A vampire-obsessed teen who meets her match. The daughter of a mermaid and a young woman who becomes a goddess. We learn of folk magic to repair and replace hearts. And an auntie whose hair braiding skills are not what they seem. A teen who can stop time.

One of my favorites is the story by Justina Ireland, “Melie,” about a girl who desperately wants to be a sorcerer and keeps getting the run-around. Another of the stories I really enjoyed was Patrice Caldwell’s “Letting The Right One In.” It is a story about a Black girl who loves vampires and honestly, I can’t get enough stories about Black girls who love vampires because I am one (a Black girl who loves vampires, not a vampire). And also stories about Black vampires. Give them all to me.

This collection was such a delightful, fun, empowering read. There are a few stories I return to again and again when I need a mood boost. It’s definitely one to have on the shelf.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book: The Knockout by Sajni Patel

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is one I read on recommendation of fellow YA author Emma Kress earlier this summer, and I loved it! I don’t think it’s getting nearly enough attention, but it’s the perfect read for those of you who are immersing yourselves in all things 2020 Olympics!

The Knockout book cover

The Knockout by Sajni Patel

Kareena Thakkar started practicing Muay Thai as a kid, in part because she needed an outlet for the stress of her father’s terminal illness diagnosis. Now she’s in high school and at the top of her game. When she receives an invite to the Muay Thai US Open, she’s ecstatic. Winning could mean incredible things for her career as an athlete, and it could even mean a shot at the Olympic team when Muy Thai is officially incorporated as an Olympics sport. But there are a few problems: Her family can’t afford the cost of her competition, her dad’s health is worsening, their Indian community has pretty much abandoned the family, and in order to keep her grades up, she’s agreed to tutor Amit Patel, the model Indian guy she’s falling for. No pressure.

I was a huge fan of Patel’s adult romance, The Trouble With Hating You, so I was super excited to check out her YA debut, and I was not disappointed. This is such a great novel about not only the physical intensity of being an elite athlete training for a big competition, but also the mental toughness that is required. Kareena can’t help but worry about her parents and their family’s financial burden, even though she’s told not to let it distract her from her training. Add on top of that the social pressure and the alienation she feels from her Indian community because she isn’t considered ladylike or proper since she takes part in an intense contact sport, and Kareena has a lot of mental and emotional challenges in addition to the physical challenges of training constantly, eating right, and getting her head in the competition. I can’t help but think that this nuanced focus on an athlete’s mental and emotional wellbeing is more important than ever, especially given how Simone Biles made the brave choice to value her mental health over a competition.

The book is also really swoony, and I love that Patel never puts Amit in direct opposition of Kareena’s aspirations. She keeps her sport a secret from him at first because she’s worried about the judgment she might face, from him and his parents, but when she tells him about her sport and her big competition, he’s so supportive and he lets her set the pace of their relationship. That was so wonderful to see, and I loved that their relationship is very considerate and healthy, and Amit is supportive of Kareena and respectful of her wishes and boundaries when it comes to training.

At its heart, this is a book about an elite athlete who has what it takes to go all the way to the top, but her emotional journey is about learning to accept support from the people who are enthusiastic about giving it…and drawing boundaries between herself and those people who aren’t supportive or whose support is conditional. And that’s why Kareena is such a strong and admirable protagonist, and why we root for her!

Bonus: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Soneela Nankani, and it was excellent, as all of her audiobook narrations are!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, the Insiders Read Harder podcast, All the Books, and Twitter. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!

Today’s pick is one of those wonderful reads that’s a great read on audio, physical, and ebook. In fact, I listened to it on audiobook and loved it so much that I bought a hardcover copy so that I could reread and highlight the parts that I return to over and over again. It’s been one of my favorite reads this year.

Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual by Luvvie Ajayi Jones

This book is nonfiction self-help/self-improvement with a heavy dose of humor. It’s divided into three sections, Be, Say, and Do, and each section has a wealth of insight and advice.

The author begins by talking about the internal work we need to do if we are going to be successful in fighting our own fears. This ranges from dealing with our own insecurities to managing (and stopping) our self-sabotage and unpacking our loads of baggage.

One of the things I love so much about this book is that it is an ode to her grandmother, who sounds like an incredibly fierce, amazing, powerhouse of a woman. Jones brings in many anecdotes about her grandmother as well as many Nigerian cultural traditions that can, in turn, help all of us to fight our fears.

I appreciated when Jones wrote about how so many of us are told that we’re too much. Too loud. Too aggressive. Too passionate. Too intimidating. Too sensitive. And that when people are saying you’re too this or too that, what they’re really saying is, “Can you be less? Can you be less than you are? Can you make yourself small for me?” And surprise, the lesson here is that it’s not our job to shrink ourselves to make other people comfortable unless our too muchness is actually harming someone or hindering our own growth.

So much of this book is about owning your own awesomeness, fighting imposter syndrome, and doing things even if you are scared. There are two chapters in particular that I think are worth the price of admission: the chapter on asking for more and letting loved ones help you and the chapter on money and asking for what we are worth.

This book was funny, inspiring, and empowering and definitely one I’ll read more than once.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.