New boooooooooooks! There are GREAT new books out today. The Amy Schumer memoir, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, is out, and I am so excited to get my hands on Riverine, which has thus far escaped my clutches. And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I… well… let’s just say the heat got to us this weekend (SO HOT) so we talked about whatever we wanted, including One-in-a-Million Boy, Geek Love, and Golden Years.
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson.
Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda, and the path before them is winding and dangerous–what will happen now? This third and final book in the Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed. New York Times-bestselling author Mary E. Pearson’s combination of intrigue, suspense, romance, and action makes this a riveting page-turner that you won’t be able to put down!
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
From the author of The Sherlockian comes another delightful 19th-century tale involving real-life historical figures! This time it’s Thomas Edison. On the brink of getting electric lights into every household, Edison sues his remaining rival, George Westinghouse, to hopefully bankrupt him. But Westinghouse’s young lawyer will prove to be a match for the electric tyrant. Based on real events, Moore once again wonderfully brings history to light. Er, life.
Backlist bump: The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
The Greatest of Marlys by Lynda Barry
A legendary comic figure, Marlys is Barry’s stand-out star, an eight-year-old freckled, bossy, bucktoothed young girl in glasses that Barry debuted to great acclaim in 1986. This is a brilliant retrospective on Marlys over the last thirty years, and a fantastic trip down memory lane. If you love Roz Chast, be sure to check it out.
Backlist bump: What It Is by Lynda Barry
A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi
Zeba has always been the perfect wife and mother, but when her husband is found brutally murdered, she is jailed for the crime, much to the astonishment of her children. As Zeba awaits trial, she gets to know the other women in her cell, who have also suffered great misfortunes and violence at the hands of men. To these women, jail is more of a haven than a punishment, a safe place away from a world where women are treated so cruelly. A necessary, moving look at the lives of Afghan women and the power of sisterhood, The House Without Windows will lift your spirits and shatter your heart.
Backlist bump: When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi
The Gentleman by Forrest Leo
Due to an enormous book-buying habit, poet Lionel Savage is broke. (Sound familiar?) To help his finances, he marries for money – only to find after the wedding that he is no longer able to write. Many miserable months later, after chatting with the Devil at a party (like you do), Lionel’s wife goes missing. It is then Lionel realizes not only does he actually love his wife, but that he may have inadvertently given her to Satan, and he must get her back immediately. Plenty of charming slapstick ensues. A lighthearted comedy of errors that never takes itself too seriously, The Gentleman is a delight.
Backlist bump: The Most Of P.G. Wodehouse by P.G. Wodehouse
Uproot: Travels in 21st-Century Music and Digital Culture by Jace Clayton
I’m so glad I picked this one up! Clayton (aka DJ Rupture), a musical sensation, explores the connections in music that have been forged from the relatively-new use of the internet. He offers a fascinating look at the different ways people are making music in the digital age, and spins the future of music in a positive light, explaining why there’s no need to fear – music isn’t going anywhere.
Backlist bump: How Music Got Free: A Story of Obsession and Invention by Stephen Witt
YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!
Stay rad!
Liberty