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Read This Book

Read This Book: Whiteout by Adriana Anders

Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend one book for your TBR that I think you’re going to love! Genre fiction is my wheelhouse, and about 90% of my personal TBR, so if you’re looking for recommendations in horror, fantasy, or romance, I’ve got you covered!

This week’s recommendation is one of my favorite romance reads from last year. It’s a tense thriller about two residents of a scientific research station stranded in the vast white void of the Antarctic, racing across the ice with a pack of brutal murders on their trail. There’s no bad time of year for a wilderness survival thriller, really, but I have to say that there’s something particularly pleasant about reading a heart-pounding novel set in the frigid Antarctic when the thermometer outside keeps creeping up to 90. So crank up those ACs and get reading!

cover of Whiteout by Adriana Anders

Whiteout by Adriana Anders

Angel Smith took the position of cook at the Burke-Ruhe Research Station as a means of funding her new life. A chance to press restart when she makes her reentry to the world at the end of the season. But when her last day arrives so does violence and cold-blooded murder. When the blood settles, only she and fellow research station resident Ford Cooper are left on the ice. Cooper, the taciturn, grumpy, annoyingly attractive glaciologist who hasn’t had two words to say to her except to coldly shut her down the one time she dared to approach him. But regardless of their mutual irritation with one another, Coop and Angel only have each other to rely on as they set out on a high-stakes journey across the Antarctic.

It’s no easy feat to blend romance and thriller elements in an even balance so that the two genres carry even weight. More often than not, one set of beats will overshadow the other. In most romantic suspense novels, because they are marketed as romances, that often means that by necessity the romance takes the foreground. But for readers who don’t want thrills to take a back seat to hearts, Anders’ novel, with its near perfect balance of suspenseful action and budding romance, is a TBR must have. Harrowing scenes of danger, both man-made and nature-made, provide a perfect foil for, rather than being overwhelmed by, the delightfully antagonistic relationship developing between Angel and Coop.

With the second book in Anders’ Survival Instincts series due out in August, there is no better time to grab a copy of Whiteout and get caught up on this gripping new romantic suspense series.

Happy Reading!

Jessica

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In The Club

In the Club 06/16/21

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed. I’m so excited because I’m headed down to San Diego for a couple of weeks to see my family, and you know what that means: snuggles with my nephew and niece! Translation: I am going to get kicked in the face by a toddler who loves to wrestle and feel my arms go numb from holding a little chonk of an almost-three-month-old. Oh, and tacos. TODOS LOS TACOS. It’s also going to be 90 degrees so…. let me just start applying the sunscreen now.

To the club!!

Nibbles and Sips

You all know I’m the most basic when it comes to my love of brunch, and I own that basic status because brunch is awesome. I’ve been making these cheesy eggs recently (I’ve seen them referred to as “keto friendly breakfast tacos” but I couldn’t care less about the keto part). In a small nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat, add a layer of cheese (I fill the whole saucepan, so I have a circle of cheese) and then crack one or two eggs on top of that. Place a lid on the saucepan and let the eggs cook to your desired consistency–I like a runny yolk, but you could flip and cook on the other side for a bit if you want the eggs hard over. Season with a tiny bit of salt and other spices of your choice, then slide that whole concoction onto a plate. I top mine with crushed red pepper flakes, some sliced avocado, and a little bit of Cholula or fresh green salsa, then fold it up and eat it like a taco. The bottom layer should be crisp, golden, just-shy-of-burnt cheese cooked just to your liking. So easy, so cheesy, so delish.

In Celebration of Juneteenth

Juneteenth, a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth,” marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and declare the abolition of slavery. Sadly, I’ve found that A TON of white folks and non-Black POCs still don’t know about about Juneteenth and its historical significance (I didn’t learn about it until after college, yikes). Since June 19th is right around the corner, I thought I’d suggest reads that dive into the history of Juneteenth and the legacy of slavery.

A note on my picks: this time last year, copies of titles like How to be an Anti Racist and White Fragility topped all the anti-racist reading lists and flew off the shelves. Part of me wanted to see those sales as hope for the future, but another part of me feared those purchases were just displays of performative allyship. Perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle. I say all that to say that those books are certainly worth reading in one’s anti-racist journey. Here though, I’ve tried to select ones that really dive into the history of slavery and its aftermath, ones I didn’t see making the rounds with as much frequency and/or ones that are newer.

My Book Club Bonus is the same for all three of these titles. A hard lesson 2020 taught me is that I didn’t have enough knowledge in my toolkit for combatting that good ol’ “slavery was forever ago, why can’t you just get over it” refrain and all its hateful variants. I knew that slavery shaped this country and does till this day, I knew that systemic racism wasn’t (and isn’t) an accident. But I made a goal for myself to be able to cite examples of these truths with more specificity (events, policies, laws, trends, etc). So as you read these books, make note of some of these specifics for yourself and draw connections to the racial disparity we still see today.

cover image of Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The title of this book is a reference to “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” a song still widely known as the “Negro national anthem.” It is a living history of the Reconstruction era, the period between the abolition of slavery at the end of the Civil War and the rise of Jim Crow. This isn’t your average history, though; Gates dissects and catalogues the visual culture of the era—postcards, photographs, newspaper cartoons, political broadsides, theater posters, playing cards, children’s books, and more—to paint a vivid portrait of white supremacy and its virulent backlash to the end of slavery.

cover image of How the World is Passed by Clint Smith

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

I am a huge, huge fan of writer and poet Clint Smith’s wonderful work in The Atlantic. This is his debut work of nonfiction, a “deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history.” He starts with his hometown of New Orleans and takes readers on a tour of moments and landmarks that tell an intergenerational story of how slavery was central in shaping this nation from the ground up. Yeah, slavery ended in theory; but it was’t that long ago at all and other racist policies have just replaced it to disenfranchise Black Americans at every turn.

cover image of On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and Texas native Annette Gordon-Reed combines American history, family chronicles, and memoir to create a a historian’s view of the long road to Juneteenth, from its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African Americans have endured (and continue to endure) in the aftermath. Gordon-Reed, who is herself the descendant of enslaved people brought to Texas as early as the 1820s, “shows how, from the earliest presence of Black people in Texas to the day in Galveston on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of legalized slavery in the state, African-Americans played an integral role in the Texas story.”

Suggestion Section

Oprah selects Emancipation-era novel The Sweetness of Water as her next book club pick

from the L.A. Times book Club Newsletter: How an ER doctor found her purpose

over at Book Riot: take book club on an armchair travel expedition to the Emerald Isle and brush up on its classics – lots of book club discussion in these titles!

This piece isn’t about a specific book, but has excellent potential for discussion in any book club, especially if not everyone enjoyed the read: Books Don’t Have to Explain Themselves To You

Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter and catch me once a month on the All the Books podcast.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends. 
Vanessa 

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True Story

New Releases + Some Ebook Deals

This week, we’re doing some new release highlights and pairing them with nonfiction ebook deals. I am extremely susceptible to an on-sale ebook because it means less space I have to find on my shelves. Reading slump-wise, I’d say I’m trucking along. I just finished Natasha Trethewey’s Memorial Drive, which was amazing. All the hype was real. TW for domestic abuse. I’m reading some good magicalish fiction, but since this is about nonfiction, let’s get onto the new releases!

The Heartbeat of Trees

The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature by Peter Wohlleben

When I got this galley, I was SURPRISED how many people were like “omgggg new tree book.” But people really, really liked The Hidden Life of Trees. In his newest book, Wohlleben looks at humanity’s connection with trees and how we can increase our own awareness of it. Have I hugged a tree in my life? Yes. Yes, definitely. Trees are AMAZING and I am pro-any book that wants us to spend more time around them.

She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson

She Memes Well: Essays by Quinta Brunson

Brunson became known through her Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. She then was in iZombie (which I’ve seen one episode of, but it was enjoyable!) and starred in A Black Lady Sketch Show on HBO. In her debut essay collection, she talks about “what it was like to go from a girl who loved the World Wide Web to a girl whose face launched a thousand memes” and essays ranging from the comic to those covering her struggles with depression.

Rolling Warrior Cover

Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution by Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner

Heumann was paralyzed due to polio and, at the age of five, not allowed to attend school. This is the Young Readers version of her memoir Being Heumann, which came out early last year. It covers her achievements, from “fighting to attend grade school after being described as a ‘fire hazard’ because of her wheelchair, to suing the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her disability,” as well as her famed sit-in protest in San Francisco. This is a middle grade version, so for kids 10 and up.

Letters to My White Male Friends Cover

Letters to My White Male Friends by Dax-Devlon Ross

What was it like being a Black member of America’s first generation raised after the civil rights era? What can we learn from the extremely-recent-to-white-America revelation that the country did not, in fact, end racism? In his book, Ross looks at this as well as things like “how we were all educated with colorblind narratives and symbols that typically, albeit implicitly, privileged whiteness and denigrated Blackness.” As an elder Millennial, absolutely this.

NONFICTION BOOK DEALS

In the Shadow of the Valley: A Memoir by Bobi Conn ($1.99)

The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller ($1.99)

Your Blue Is Not My Blue: A Missing Person Memoir by Aspen Matis ($1.99)

Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies by Hayley Nolan ($0.99)

A Drop of Midnight: A Memoir by Jason Diakité ($1.99)

Prognosis: A Memoir of My Brain by Sarah Vallance ($0.99)

For more nonfiction new releases, check out the For Real podcast which I co-host with the excellent Kim here at Book Riot. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @itsalicetime. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.

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Unusual Suspects

Fascinating Deep Dive Into Cults

Hello mystery fans! I have for you a detective novel from the ’30s with a twist that holds up and a fascinating deep dive into cults–I’m just all over the place this week with your recommendations. And in case you’ve been waiting impatiently for The Box In The Woods to release, it’s now out–run to it! (Review)

The Conjure-Man Dies: A Harlem Mystery by Rudolph Fisher

This classic detective novel, written in the 1930s, should have been the start to a great crime writing career but was sadly cut short by the author’s death at age 37.

This is worth reading just for the fact that it’s a novel set in the 1930s written by Rudolph Fisher, an African American doctor, musician, and writer–making it the first-known detective novel written by an African American author. It’s also worth reading for the actual story. I find a lot of times when reading classic mystery books that they aren’t “surprising” through today’s eyes because of the amount of books that have since done the same thing. In this case, I found that the twist still held up even today.

The story starts with Frimbo, an African immigrant mystic living and working in Harlem, being found dead by two local friends, Bubber Brown and Jinx Jenkins. They call Dr. John Archer who later ends up assisting the Harlem detective, Perry Dart, on the case. I won’t give away anything in the plot so instead I’ll say the time and setting are brought to life through many of the characters’ conversations, and you’ll get an interesting look at where things stood with forensics (fingerprints!) and medicine at the time.

If you’re a listener, I highly recommend the audiobook which is narrated by J. D. Jackson, who you may know from his excellent voice work on Bluebird, Bluebird and Three-Fifths.

(TW: brief mentions of domestic abuse/ colorism and ableism in banter between 2 characters throughout)

cover image of Cultish by Amanda Montell

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Montell takes a deep dive into cults, specifically the language used in order to gain and sustain power, and has written a book that is fascinating, eye-opening, and just a dash terrifying. It’s written in a completely accessible way—perfect for any reader who loves playing the “did you know” game—since Montell seems to be a person who is just herself fascinated by cults. That fascination stems from learning as a young child that her father escaped a cult his parents raised him in.

You get histories on some of the most known cults—and the realization that you may have been holding onto incorrect information all this time—but the book casts a wider net in looking at how that same language is also used by companies and in social media marketing. The question then becomes: when is it used for good, bad, or a middle ground?

A few things I found particularly interesting that are still bouncing around in my brain: brainwashing doesn’t exist and is widely not accepted by experts; the beginning key element of cults is creating an “us vs them” dichotomy, something playing out very loudly recently in U.S. politics; the cult member who survived the mass killing in one cult then later joined another cult. If your brain has been craving an engrossing read lately, this is your book.

(TW mass suicide cult case/ guru who uses triggering language related to suicide discussed in detail/ mentions suicide case, detail/ mentions cult leaders and doctrines allowing all types of abuse, including sexual assault, not detailed)

From The Book Riot Crime Vault

9 Great Books About Female Spies

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2021 releases. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.

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Today In Books

Watch Never-Aired TV Profile of Author James Baldwin: Today in Books

Watch A Never-Aired TV Profile of Author James Baldwin

In 1979, 20/20 director/producer Joseph Lovett was assigned an interview with author James Baldwin. The interview was conducted by journalist Sylvia Chase and included stops at Lincoln Center to watch a rehearsal of Baldwin’s play, The Amen Corner, and at the Police Athletic League’s Harlem Center. In the interview, Baldwin spoke frankly about what it means to be a Black man and a Black author in America and how he outed himself to the general public with his 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room. But the interview never aired. Evidently, at the time 20/20 thought viewers wouldn’t be interested in a “queer, Black has-been.” Upon discovering the interview would not air, Lovett said he was “stunned… because in my mind James Baldwin was no has-been. He was a classic American writer, translated into every language in the world, and would live on forever, and indeed he has. His courage and his eloquence continue to inspire us today.” On June 24, Joseph Lovett is moderating a free virtual panel called James Baldwin: Race, Media, and Psychoanalysis. The panel will discuss his 20/20 profile of James Baldwin, with psychoanalysts Victor P. Bonfilio and Annie Lee Jones, and Baldwin’s niece, author Aisha Karefa-Smart. You can register here.

HBO Series to Expand on Ronan Farrow’s Bestselling Book Catch and Kill

HBO has announced a docuseries expansion of Ronan Farrow’s bestselling 2019 book Catch and Kill. Farrow’s book uncovered information about the alleged sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and other major media industry figures. The HBO series Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes will feature six half-hour episodes that will recreate the author’s interviews with whistleblowers, journalists, private investigators, and other sources. But although the series is based on the book, HBO promises never-before-seen footage and new details about Farrow’s investigations. The series will be directed by Emmy winners Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (HBO’s Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking). World of Wonder is producing.

Tails and Tales Program Aims to Bring Pet Lovers Together with Book Lovers

In Florida, the Lake County Animal Shelter is teaming up with the Lake County Library System to bring the Tails and Tales Summer Adoption Program to 16 public libraries. The mobile adoption truck with stop by all 16 libraries in Lake Country to help book worms adopt pets and “gain a FURever reading buddy.” The program hopes to reach pet lovers and readers who might not be able to make it out to the shelter because they live too far away. Library assistant Sarah Clements said, “It’s important to the library because we are partnering with the county to help get those animals adopted and it gets the kids out and to the library to read.” All adoption fees will be waived during the program.

10 Part-Asian Characters in YA Novels Written By Part-Asian Authors

For many part-asian people, the feeling of being trapped between cultures is all too familiar. To learn more about these stories, pick up some excellent YA books featuring part-Asian characters, by part-Asian writers.

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Kid Lit Giveaways

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We’re giving away five copies of The Age of the Scions by J.V.A. Young to five lucky Riot readers!

Enter here for a chance, or click the cover image below!

Here’s what it’s all about:

Ana Wicker’s world turns upside down when she finds herself transported to the strange world of Eperidium. There she meets Frey, Felix, and Clomtrop, three magical children known in their world as Scions.Together they embark on a rescue mission full of dangerous perils, and unpredictable circumstances.

At the end, Ana discovers she is capable of doing the impossible, brave enough to withstand the inevitable, and determined enough to form long lasting friendships that can withstand anything. Ana thinks her time in Eperidium is over, but it has only just begun.

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Giveaways

061521-MacmillanEAC-Giveaway

Book Riot is teaming up with the Macmillan Audiobooks newsletter, Hear, Here! Enter the form and subscribe to Here, Here for a chance to win!

A little more about Here, Here: Sign up to receive information about new releases, advance clips and more, all related to your favorite audiobooks and authors.

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Riot Rundown

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The Stack

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The Kids Are All Right

New Children’s Book Releases for June 15, 2021

Hey readers!

I’m back with another week of new children’s books! As I write this, my air conditioner is in a fight for its life against these very, very hot days. Hopefully you’re staying cool and getting some good reading in, since this summer is shaping up to be a great one for books.

Jenny Mei Is Sad by Tracy Subisak

This sweet picture book follows in the vein of one of my favorite other books Grumpy Monkey. Though this isn’t as comedic in its approach, it illustrates the complexity of kids’ emotions and the need to allow the space to work through them. Take Jenny Mei, who’s sad but laughs and jokes through her sadness until she starts to cry, and her friend accompanies her through it all to let her know she’s there for her.

Zuri Ray Tries Ballet by Tami Charles and Sharon Sordo

This sweet picture book puts a delightful spin on ballet stories as Zuri opts to try out ballet alongside her friend Jessie (because it’s Jessie’s turn to pick their activity). While Jessie clearly loves ballet (and is good at it too!), Zuri doesn’t like it all (and isn’t very good at it) and wants to quit. But she sticks with it. Long enough to realize that she still just doesn’t like it and is more at home with soccer. But Zuri and Jessie realize that, even though they don’t share hobbies, there’s still a lot to enjoy about spending time together.

The Shark Book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

I think it’s because it’s summer, but I’ve had this big desire to watch some shark movies. Unfortunately lots of them aren’t that good (and Jaws is apparently not available on of any of the streaming services I pay for). But have no fear because despite the hatchet job the movie did on sharks (sorry, sharks!), there’s still much interest and much to learn about the sea-faring predators (did you know that groups of them are called a shiver of sharks?), and young readers can start with this informational picture book, packed with realistic drawings of all kinds of sharks from the infamous great whites to hammerheads to ones that glow in the dark.

Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

This new book from prolific children’s author and illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a new-to-school story about Vanessa, who doesn’t think making friends at school is going to be as easy as her parents promise. Her anxieties are realized when her special first day outfit doesn’t go over well with her classmates, and even her name spells trouble, leading Vanessa to try to dull her shine the next day. But with some encouragement from her parents, Vanessa finds the courage to be herself.

Much Ado About Baseball by Rajani LaRocca and Chloe Dijon

This companion novel to A Midsummer’s Mayhem is a fun spin on the Shakespeare story. Trish is once again new in town and has to try out for a new baseball team. Ben is a teammate and math whiz Trish beat in an academic competition. When the team’s snacks start mysteriously making everyone play better (magical effects included), Trish and Ben put their heads together to find the answer to cryptic puzzles arriving in the mail.

The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor

This historical graphic novel dips into a 19th century logging camp, where Mei, a Chinese American girl, entertains workers with stories of Auntie Po, a giant guardian who protects them. Meanwhile in the outside world, anti-Chinese rhetoric (including the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act) makes life difficult for Mei and her family at the logging camp.

Until next week!

Chelsea