Hello, people of Earth! TAKE ME TO YOUR READER. Today is what you call a “Tuesday,” and it is full of those things you call “books.” As you read this, I am relaxing on the mothership, having taken a week off, but I still needed to tell you about some of today’s great new releases. Because recommending books is ingrained in the fiber of my being! Below are a few of today’s amazing new releases, and you can hear about more awesome reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! María Cristina and I talked about Miracle Creek, The Binding, Alice’s Island, and more great books.
Sponsored by The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey and Swoon Reads
A dark and twisty regency novel perfect for readers who like their Jane Austen classics with a side of mystery and murder. 1833. A near-fatal carriage accident has deposited an unconscious young woman on the doorstep of young Lord Ellerby. When she finally awakens, it is with no memory of who she is or where she came from. As the mystery woman tries to solve the puzzle of her own identity and the appalling events that brought her to their door, nothing can prepare her for the escalating dangers that await. What she can’t remember could be deadly.
Southern Lady Code: Essays by Helen Ellis
You may have heard us talk about Ellis on All the Books! before, because she is a SCREAM. And this collection of essays proves it! She tells the most amazing, frank, deliciously naughty, and over-the-top stories, while also discussing growing up in the South, and how to decode the expressions. (Example: “It’s just the house settling” is Southern Lady Code for: “Yep, you heard a ghost, but we need you to feed the cats while we’re out of town.”) I laugh-snorted my way through the whole thing, and will never look at a bottle of Liquid Plumr the same way. (Fun fact: She is an amazing poker player, and taught Colson Whitehead everything he know, which he documented in The Noble Hustle.)
Backlist bump: Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis
Diary of a Murderer: And Other Stories by Young-Ha Kim, Krys Lee (translator)
An aging serial killer sets his sight on another serial killer – who happens to be his daughter’s boyfriend – before dementia overtakes him. Two school friends reunite after 20 years, with dark results. A son returns years after being kidnapped. And a man thinks he is – wait for it – a cob of corn. These are the stories in this fascinating, well-imagined collection. I look forward to reading more by Kim.
Backlist bump: The Lonesome Bodybuilder: Stories by Yukiko Motoya and Asa Yoneda
Normal People: A Novel by Sally Rooney
Already available across the pond, this dynamic novel has won several awards and been nominated for umpteen more. It’s about Marianne and Connell, two teens who are outside each other’s social circles, but have a connection away from school that they keep hidden from the world. And as they move on to college, and the boundaries of their relationship change, and their social standings and personalities shift, they must decide what it means for them. It’s a lovely rumination on young first love and class, told with sparse beauty.
Backlist bump: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Thanks so much for visiting me here each week! Y’all are the best.
xoxo,
Liberty