Month: June 2019

Categories
True Story

Nonfiction Best of So Far Lists, Hidden Figures Way, and More

Happiest of Friday, nonfiction lovers! With the arrival of this newsletter in your inbox, I am officially one week away from a much-needed vacation. I’m not really going anywhere, just taking a week to catch up on life and spend time up at the lake with my family.

I’ve already got an unreasonably high stack of books piled up, which isn’t being helped by the trend of “best books of the year (so far)” lists that have been out this month. This week I’ve got some thoughts on two of them – Amazon and Barnes and Noble – along with some other nonfiction news to round things out. Let’s dive in!

Sponsored by Libro.fm

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Libro.fm lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. You can pick from more than 100,000 audiobooks, including New York Times best sellers and recommendations from booksellers around the country. With Libro.fm you’ll get the same audiobooks, at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name), but you’ll be part of a much different story, one that supports community. In June, Libro.fm is launching their Kids Club and YA Club, which will offer select audiobooks priced under $10 each month, as well as their Summer Listening Challenge–each person to finish will get free audiobook credit and the chance to win free audiobooks for a year! Sign up here to get three audiobooks for the price of one.

Amazon released their top books of the year (so far) list that includes a top 20 picks, then favorites in memoirs, food books, history, and more. There are a good number of nonfiction books in their top 20, which is always a delight. Titles in the top 20 include:

I’ve officially read… none of those! But I have two sitting on my shelves just waiting to be finished, so clearly I should get on those.

Barnes and Noble also put together their top list so far, with 15 totally different nonfiction picks than the Amazon list! It truly is an epic year for new books. This list feels a little more eclectic to me, and leans heavier on more serious, historical nonfiction titles like Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham, The Pioneers by David McCullough, and A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell.

The street in front of NASA headquarters is getting a new name! Inspired by the stories of African American women like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, the street will now be named Hidden Figures Way. I am entirely and totally delighted by this. If you haven’t read it, Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is excellent too.

The woman assaulted by Brock Turner is writing a memoir. Emily Doe, as the woman has been known during court proceedings, will release a memoir in September 2019. According to her publisher, the memoir “will reclaim the story of [Doe’s] sexual assault, expose the arduous nature of the legal system, and emerge as a bold, unifying voice.”

Finally, some follow up related to Naomi Wolf’s new book Outrages. As you may recall, a British journalist pointed out one of the major arguments of her book was based on an incorrect understanding of a historical legal term. Wolf acknowledged two errors and agreed to work on corrections, which was initially enough for her US publisher to move ahead with publication. Not anymore! Late last week, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt said the book will be delayed, adding, “new questions have arisen that require more time to explore.” The book is still out in the UK, with corrections to be made in future editions.

And that’s all I’ve got. You can find me on Twitter @kimthedork, on email at kim@riotnewmedia.com, and co-hosting the For Real podcast here at Book Riot. I hope your weekend is full of great reads! – Kim

Categories
Unusual Suspects

The Best Books of 2019 So Far x 2!

Hi mystery fans!

Sponsored by Ciana Stone’s The Shattered Chronicles.

Reckless cover imageWhat if you face losing everything, even your life, all because destroying you has become a burning obsession for a man with enough power, to take everything you love? What if your perfect life about to be shattered? With the adventure and danger of a James Patterson tale, the intrigue of a Melinda Leigh suspense, and the paranormal romance of J.R. Ward, this series that will take you on the ride of your life. See why readers are raving about this ongoing tale of adventure, suspense, romance and dark passion.

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

Patron Saints of Nothing cover image3 on a YA Theme: Summer YA Mystery Releases for Your TBR

Do Crime Like an Edwardian: 11 Nonfiction Recommendations

Giveaway: Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

A great interview with Kate Atkins (with a terribly misleading headline)

Harlan Coben: ‘I cry a lot when I write – I need to cry more when I’m reading’

Barnes & Nobles’ The Best Books of 2019 So Far…

Amazon’s Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2019 So Far

News And Adaptations

The Talented Mr. Ripley cover image5 Things I Want to See in the TALENTED MR. RIPLEY TV Series

Da Vinci Code Prequel Series Langdon Being Developed at NBC

Another article on the Scarlet imprint debacle: He wrote/she wrote. On gender in mystery writing and prompted for a response regarding everything that’s been published Pegasus’ Twitter account responded: “Hi Nick, our ownership has the highest respect for the integrity of Scarlet’s editorial board, but moving forward Pegasus will no longer be partners in Scarlet’s publishing program.”

Kindle Deals

Secrets Lies & Crawfish Pies by Abby L VandiverSecrets, Lies, & Crawfish Pies (Romaine Wilder #1) by Abby L. Vandiver is $2.99 and a great cozy mystery series. The sequel, Love, Hopes, & Marriage Tropes, is also on sale for $2.99 and starts with a dude dying on his wedding day–the wedding being held at a funeral home!

What You Want to See (Roxane Weary Book 2) by Kristen Lepionka is $2.99 (This is one of my favorite P.I. series!)

Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls is $1.99! (This one is still on my must-read list so I don’t have TW for you but all of her books I’ve read are intense AF.)

A Bit Of My Week In Reading

Your House Will Pay cover imageCurrently Reading: Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger on audiobook, which is a return home mystery starring an FBI agent; Vivien Chien’s 4th in the cozy Noodle Shop mystery series I really enjoy, Wonton Terror; Steph Cha’s Your House Will Pay set in early 1990s L.A. exploring racial tensions between Korean and Black communities; Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly which is an intense thriller with horror vibes that I can’t put down so far.

The Black Jersey cover imageFinished reading and really liked: Conviction by Denise Mina; The Black Jersey by Jorge Zepeda Patterson, Achy Obejas (Translation)

And I plan on spending some time this weekend with Edward Lee’s Smoke & Pickles cookbook because yuuuuuum.

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, 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.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships June 21

Happy solstice! I hope you’re enjoying your longest day if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, or having a cosy longest night with a good book if you’re in the Southern hemisphere. It’s Alex, with some news for you and some random fun for Friday! May the odds be ever in your favor!

This newsletter is sponsored by Tor Books.

a dagger is in the foreground, against a dark blue background with a scaley textureNew York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson triumphantly returns to epic fantasy with the Wake the Dragon series. Spine of the Dragon is a politically charged adventure of swords, sorcery, vengeance, and the rise of sleeping giants.

Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises—the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world—the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.

News and Views

Rosamund Pike will be joining the Wheel of Time adaptation as Moiraine.

There will be a Hunger Games prequel novel in 2020.

Cover reveal for Realm of Ash I AM SO EXCITED. (Have you read Empire of Sand? It’s super good.)

Some juicy tidbits about Us from the blu-ray release.

Here’s a great list of 6 fantasy books about queer princesses. Also, the 7 most important umbrellas that have ever graced our genre.

Marvel is so desperate to beat Avatar‘s box office numbers that it’s going to do a theatrical re-release Avengers: Endgame with extra footage. Here’s hoping some of that extra footage is an intermission.

Some characters from Japanese folklore who have made an appearance in Studio Ghibli films.

Here’s our interview with Tabitha Bird, author of A Lifetime of Impossible Days.

This nonfiction book sounds interesting: Super Soldiers: A Salute to the Heroes and Villains Who Fought for Their Country

Adam Savage built an Iron Man suit. And it flies.

James D. Nicoll writes an interesting post about space opera that’s confined to a single star system.

There’s a robotic lion fish powered by “blood-like fluid.”

Show me your biggest trilobite.

Free Association Friday

June 21st has some pretty cool history on it, in addition to getting to be the solstice more than its fair share of the time*.

(* – I don’t know if this is actually a fact, but it is in my heart.)

So instead of going on a long thing, I’m going to pick the three coolest On This Day in Histories.

In 533 on June 21-ish, a Byzantine fleet left Constantinople, heading to Africa to attack the Vandals. If you, like me, had never heard of the Vandals, check Wikipedia because this is something World History class let me down on. But of course, if we’re talking Byzantine Empire, is there any other book to name except A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine? Well, of course Guy Gavriel Kay has written some rather Byzantine books, starting with Sailing to Sarantium. Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun definitely has that flavor as well.

Then if you jump forward 1,049 years, we hit the day that Oda Nobunaga was forced to commit seppuku. Sengoku was Japan’s warring states period, and a source of some really good classic literature like The Tale of the Heike. Epic feudal battles and warring clans! Of course there’s some fun fantasy out there. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn is the first Sengoku-inspired novel I ever read. Then there’s The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson. While less overtly fantastical (and mostly takes place in the Edo rather than Sengoku period), I’d argue Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka still fits the bill. Eiki Yoshikawa’s Taiko is pure historical fiction, but it’s got Nobunaga himself in it and it’s darn good. Last, I want to mention how mad I am that 産霊山秘録 (Musubi no Yama Hiroku) still doesn’t have an official English translation.

Forward 318 more years, and China formally declares war on the US, Britain, Germany, France, and Japan and the Boxer Rebellion officially starts. R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War doesn’t riff off that period, but it’s got some rhyming notes. (And the sequel, The Dragon Republic, is coming out in August. Squee!) I know I mention Cixin Liu’s The Three Body Problem trilogy a lot, but the first contact scenario presented in the books definitely carries some notes of the Boxer Rebellion and other clashes with it. In Jade City by Fonda Lee, foreign occupation is successfully repulsed from a fantasy country. (Also, its sequel, Jade War, is coming in July! Double squee!) And I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t mention Aliette de Bodard’s sprawling Xuya Universe, in which the Chinese came to America before the Europeans and Asian countries dominate the future. My favorite from it so far is The Tea Master and the Detective.

See you, space pirates. You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me on the (Hugo-nominated!!!) Skiffy and Fanty Podcast or over at my personal site.

Categories
Book Radar

Rosamund Pike Will Be Moiraine in the Wheel of Time Series and More Book Radar!

Hello from my secret volcano lair, where I am currently plotting world domination. JK, I’m reading and petting cats. Being in charge of the world would take up too much precious reading time. In any case, it is Thursday, and I have bookish things to tell you! I hope whatever you’re doing, you have a great rest of your week, and remember to be kind to yourself and others.  I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by Sourcebooks

Exiled Charmer Leena Edenfrell is running out of time. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts—an offense punishable by death—and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes Noc an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life. Plagued by a curse that kills everyone he loves, Noc agrees to Leena’s terms in hopes of finding a cure. Never mind that the dark magic binding the assassin’s oath will eventually force him to choose between Leena’s continued survival…and his own.

Trivia question time! What author’s name was James Oliver Rigney, Jr., before he changed it to his famous pen name? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

the hunger gamesSuzanne Collins is releasing a Hunger Games prequel in May of 2020.

Riverhead Books is publishing Lidia Yuknavitch’s first story collection.

Elizabeth Acevedo became the first writer of color to win the Carnegie medal in its 83-year history.

Rosamund Pike will play Moiraine in the Wheel of Time series adaptation.

Joy Harjo is the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate.

Janet Mock signed a landmark deal with Netflix.

Julie Andrews will voice Lady Whistledown in Shondaland’s Bridgerton series for Netflix, based on Julia Quinn’s novels.

Paramount made a 7-figure film deal for the rights to the upcoming thriller The Chain by Adrian McKinty.

Cover Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal for Madness Blooms by Mackenzi Lee. (And here’s her response to feedback on the jacket copy.) (Flatiron Books, February 4, 2020)

And coincidentally, here’s a similar cover reveal for Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy. (HMH Books for Young Readers, July 21, 2020)

And here’s the cover reveal of Unnatural Magic by C. M. Waggoner. (Ace, November 5)

Sneak Peeks

Here’s the trailer for The Rook, the series adaptation based on the novel by Daniel O’Malley.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read:

such a fun ageSuch a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, January 7, 2020)

I’ve been hearing buzz about this debut novel since last year, and we still have six months to go. It’s about a white blogger whose African American babysitter is confronted by a security guard for being with a white child. The whole episode is filmed, and in turn, brings up trouble from the past for the blogger, and harassment for the babysitter. In other words, it sounds 1000% plausible. I can’t wait to read it!

What I’m reading this week.

the chainThe Chain by Adrian McKinty

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

My Time Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education by Jennine Capó Crucet

And this is funny.

This made me laugh for like 10 minutes.

Trivia answer: Robert Jordan.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Categories
Kissing Books

Agatha Christie, But Make It Gay

It’s almost summer, and I can’t figure out if I want summer lovin (have me a blast) or to pretend it’s Christmas and very cold. Good thing we have books and I can do both!

Sponsored by Lulu’s Café by T. I. Lowe, new in mass-market paperback from Tyndale House Publishers.

When Leah Allen, a damaged young woman, is given a chance to reclaim her life in a small South Carolina town, she must reckon with the dark secrets she left behind. Soon Leah meets Crowley Mason, the most eligible bachelor in town. Crowley is wary of Leah’s mysterious arrival, but despite his reserve, something sparks between them that can’t be denied. Can Leah allow herself to truly love and be loved, especially when her first urge is to run?

Over on Book Riot

I’m still not over my incapability to say the word Patreon, but Trisha and I talked about books, people who make them, and people who peddle them on When In Romance.

Laura pulled together romantic books for the introverted MBTI types, which included a combination of romances and other romantic stories. She also made one that is mostly romance for the extroverted MBTI types.

Shireen explores what The Chai Factor means to her as a reader and a Muslim.

If you’re new to Kissing Books, you can check out some of my older content, either about books that make you hungry or royals who’ve found themselves in situations.

And between now and July 15, you can enter to win a Kindle Oasis.

Deals

Cover of Flow by Kennedy RyanHave you finished Kennedy Ryan’s Hoops series? Do you now find yourself in need of more of her stuff? Check out Flow, the first in her Grip series, for 99 cents. The others aren’t very expensive either.

Or if you’re looking for the newest combination of sexy and funny, Kendall Ryan’s Junk Mail is 3.99. Sexy selfie, wrong number. Do I have to say more?

And if you have not yet had the chance to read one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole is 99 cents this week! Enjoy a belated Juneteenth celebration with Sofie and Ivan and their fellow Freedom Riders.

New Releases

This was another good week for books, and I even managed to read a couple of them this time.

cover of Hither Page by Cat SebastianHither, Page
Cat Sebastian

When Cat started hinting that she was working on a personal project away from the norm of her oeuvre, many of us were intrigued. When she started bandying about the tagline “Agatha Christie, But Make It Gay”, we were actively grabbing for it. When she let me see it before release date, there might have been actual squealing.

And when I managed to read the damn thing before its release date? Yeah. That was great.

Leo Page is an intelligence officer for one of the…shadier organizations in His Majesty’s service. While he spent most of his time abroad during the bloodiest war the world had ever seen, he’s now been dispatched to a small village where a charwoman has been murdered. Once there, he encounters the town’s young doctor, who might have pulled a bullet out of him in France. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, even though Leo’s work means he has to equivocate at every turn. Regardless, they each work to their own abilities to figure out what happened, particularly as James works through his own PTSD.

Cover of Love Song of Sawyer Bell by Avon GaleIf a (pretty bloodless) murder mystery is less your thing, maybe check out The Love Song of Sawyer Bell by Avon Gale, which was pulled from its previous release and released with Carina Press this week. When Juilliard student Sawyer auditions to play fiddle on Victoria Vincent’s summer tour, she is delighted to discover her passion for music again. She also discovers her passion for Vix, the band’s lead singer and Sawyer’s first crush, or so she supposes. She’s only just admitted to herself that she’s attracted to women very recently, and Vix offers a friends-with-benefits style introduction to the sapphic pleasures of the flesh. But their friendship (and whatever more it may become) can only last the length of summer, after which Sawyer has to figure out where her heart lies. This is the first solo Avon Gale title I’ve read (I’ve read books she’s written with authors like Piper Vaughn and Roan Parrish), and I like her style. I’ll definitely check out more of her solo stuff.

Other new titles I’m looking forward to checking out:

Cover of Stay for Awhile by BriAnn DanaeStay for Awhile by BriAnn Danae

Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn

Undercover Affection by Charlene Namdhari

Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale

Two Nights in Paris by Delaney Diamond

One Monsoon in Mumbai by Anitha Perinchery

But first, I’m gonna finish watching A Discovery of Witches.

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!

Categories
Audiobooks

Mythology, Magic, and Teenagers

Hola Audiophiles!

How goes it this week? I’m over here with a renewed mythology obsession thanks to Madeline Miller wordsmithing (more on that in a minute). I tell you: my allergies and travel tendencies don’t make pet adoption very likely, but I swear I’d name my puppies Circe and Patroclus if I had any. I’m also obsessed with the name Ariadne for a daughter, pero… a) I still don’t know if I want kids, and b) I can already hear my abuelos going, “Ari-QUE?”

Allow me to gush just a little bit more about Achilles & friends, and to share a refreshing magical mystery that I can’t stop thinking about. Don’t forget to check out Book Riot’s Amazon storefront. We’ve put together a selection of our favorite books and bookish stuff for summer!

For now, let’s audio.

Sponsored by Harper Audio

HarperAudio is celebrating Audiobook Month by offering a stunning array of some of our favorite recordings from the likes of Amy Poehler, Questlove, Jonathan Lethem, Kiera Cass, and many more, each for a low price from $3.99 to $6.99! The sale ends on June 30th so stock up now and start listening! #LoveAudiobooks

We Want to Hear from You!

Tell us how you audio! Fill out a quick survey on the Audiobook content you want to see and you’ll be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Latest Listens

Madeline Miller, girl, Imma be straight with you: I did not think I was going to love another book as much as I love Circe. Yet here I stand, ruined and beguiled by The Song of Achilles. I am not worthy!

The book is an homage to the Iliad told from the perspective of Patroclus, whom Achilles befriends and names his companion when the young price is exiled to the city of Phthia. While we’ll obvs never know for sure, it has long been speculated that Patroclus and Achilles were lovers. Madeline Miller imagines their intimate relationship from boyhood through the Trojan war in vivid and heart-breaking detail, reducing me to a puddle of tears even when I knew precisely what was coming.

My one critique of the otherwise flawless audio is the Miss Piggy treatment given to poor forsaken Deidamia. She already got the rawest of deals when Thetis married her to Achilles in secret only for him to abandon her 4.72 seconds later. Then the narrator went and gave her a comically high-pitched and whiny voice that on second thought it more Mrs. Doubtfire than Piggy. Otherwise though, it was beautifully told.

magic for liarsI also just finished Sarah Gailey’s Magic for Liars, the noir murder mystery + magic school fantasy mashup I mentioned in the first half of June’s new book round-up. In Gailey’s fantasy debut, private detective Ivy Gamble has mostly gotten by on insurance disputes and adultery cases. Her luck appears to change when the headmaster at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages hires her to solve a grizzly murder, a job that will earn her some dolla dolla bills and give her a first crack at a homicide case. It just so happens that her twin Tabitha teaches at the school, the magically gifted sister of whom she’s always been jealous and hasn’t spoken to in years. Ivy will have to weed her way through secrets, lies, prophecies, and (gasp) teenagers to determine who it was that split another teacher in half.

There’s so much to love about this novel. It plays with genre stereotypes so cheekily, throwing in a “chosen one” arc that doesn’t play out the way you think it will go. Sure there’s magic, but there’s the usual slew of teenager problems too, plus a detective with a drinking problem and iffy moral compass ala classic detective noir. Gailey, a non-binary author themself, gives us a whole cast of queer characters and they get to just be; there’s no abuse or hardship, no big discussion about gender or sexuality. Their queerness is a thing but not the thing, a matter-of-fact part of who they are like eye color or height.

Throw in some narration by award-winning narrator Xe Sands and you’ve got one deliciously entertaining listen.

Listens on Deck

Bet you thought I was done talking about Cuba, huh? Guess again, audiophiles! I think I’ll dive into Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana, a historical romance that will whisk me away to the island once more.  

From the Internets

And here’s the Washington Post’s best audiobooks of the month. I haven’t listened to a single of these titles, but there’s one on “the welfare queen” narrated by January LaVoy that has my interest piqued.

More best book lists! Here’s Paste Magazine’s roundup of best audiobooks of the year so far. So many of my faves made this list! Helen Oyeyemi’s Gingerbread, the last Flavia de Luce mystery by Alan Bradley, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and more.

Over at the Riot

I was feeling the audiolibro love last week! Check out my quick roundup of some audiobooks in Spanish I’ve enjoyed.

That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

Categories
Today In Books

10-Hour Lines For New Harry Potter Ride! Today In Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Reckless, the Shattered Chronicles, episode 1 – get it now for only $0.99

Reckless cover image

10-Hour Lines For New Harry Potter Ride!

It’s summer, and it’s really hot in Florida, so you know people really want a turn on Universal Orland’s new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ride when they’re waiting in 10 hour long lines! Seems the popularity of the ride has forced Universal to rethink times and maintenance as they’ve announced the ride will now not be opening until midday for a few weeks. I get the inconvenience but here for safety first.

All the Congratulations to Joy Harjo!

Joy Harjo will be the 23rd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry of the U.S! Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is a poet, writer, and musician. She will be the first Native American Poet Laureate and you can read more about her and her poetry here.

Leonard Cohen’s Letters Sell At Auction for $876,000

The novelist, poet, and singer-songwriter, who passed away in 2016, had love letters written to Marianne Ihlen sell at Christie’s for $876,000. You can get a breakdown for some of the letters and their selling price here.

Categories
What's Up in YA

🔍 Criminal YA And Recent Favorites!

Hi YA fans! I’m Jamie Canavés and I’ll be driving this newsletter train for Kelly today. I write Book Riot’s mystery & thriller newsletter so I thought I’d share with you a few of my favorite YA crime books. Plus, the last few YA books I read and loved–for those who don’t want a full mystery takeover of this here newsletter.

Sponsored by Tor Teen

Happily and Madly cover imageMaris Brown is a liar. A good one. But even she is unprepared for what a summer in a wealthy beach town with her estranged father and his new family have in store for her. Sinister plots lurk beneath the surface of what should be paradise—and at the heart of everything is the elite Duval family. Maris isn’t sure who she can trust, but she’s drawn to the youngest Duval. Edison is back from college and dating Maris’s stepsister, but he is far more than the golden boy he appears to be. The secrets he harbors are deadly.

Some Awesome Mystery YA Reads

The Things She's Seen cover imageThe Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina, Ezekiel Kwaymullina: This is a unique and beautiful mystery novel–I know beautiful isn’t what you think of for crime but here we are–that explores family, friendship, death, and grief. Beth Teller is a fifteen-year-old Aboriginal girl who recently died and her father can see and hear her. She’s decided to help him, a detective, solve a case in the hopes of helping him through his grief over her death. And then she meets Isobel Catching, a witness to the crime, who can also see her… The story alternates between Beth and her father solving the mystery, and Isobel Catching remembering what she saw–her sections read like narrative poetry. The crime genre needs more unique and awesome books like this. (TW child abuse and assault)

Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig cover imageDeath Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig: This book made me think of it as Ocean’s 11 dated RuPaul’s Drag Race and the wedding reception got crashed by Hamlet! It’s so good, and fun, and also filled with love. Margo Manning is a teen socialite with a team of drag queens who rob from the rich. And it’s a full-scale operation with gadgets and a fence. Come for the kick-ass scenes and stay for the found-families, love, and getting to know each wonderful character’s life and dreams. (TW addiction)

Trouble Is a Friend of Mine cover imageTrouble Is A Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly: With all the excitement for the return of Veronica Mars on Hulu in July I have to recommend this great trilogy that is perfect for VM fans. You get the high school setting with mysteries, each book feels like a season, and also the greater mystery threaded through all three books which is Digby searching for his missing sister. And for those who are fans of Logan Echolls’s annoyingness, and contentious relationship with Veronica, you’ll love Digby and Zoey.

My Recent Favorite YA Reads

Five Midnights cover imageFive Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal: This is a horror novel mixed with a mystery novel which is a great way for horror fans to dip their feet into the mystery genre and vice versa. Also, it’s a great read! Lupe Dávila is visiting Puerto Rico from Vermont for the summer to spend time with her family but it’s anything but a vacation considering her tío is overseeing a murder case that links the victims to their family… I loved the characters and how their struggles unfold and unite them, the tour of Puerto Rico and its cuisine (yum!), and how El Cuco is brought to life. (TW addiction)

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me cover imageLaura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell: I had planned on savoring this graphic novel and ended up inhaling it in one sitting and then going back to linger over the beautiful art. Tamaki does such an excellent job of showing those relationships that we can’t figure out how to quit, because we’re sucked in so far, and that lead us in turn to not be great friends. And this graphic novel had fantastic coloring that reminded me of Paper Girls and This One Summer which are also some of my favorite art in comics.

With the Fire On High cover imageWith the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo: I absolutely love with all my heart Acevedo’s writing. After reading The Poet X I knew I’d read anything she writes, but also that’s a lot of anticipation weighted on a book. WTFOH delivered and hugged my expectation and I loved this book. First, I must say if you’re an audiobook listener ALWAYS choose that format if Acevedo narrates. Okay, onto what the book is actually about: Emoni Santiago is a high school senior who does not have things figured out–which, really, figuring things out is the point of teen years. And life. Anyhoo, she has a baby, and lives with her abuela who helps her out but has no idea what she wants to do next with her life when she starts taking a cooking class. Watching Emoni navigate parenting with her abuela and the child’s father, learning to accept her passion, be less stubborn and listen, and fight for what she wants was a joy to watch.

Thanks for letting me crash the YA party this time! You can always come chat books with me on Twitter and if you’re missing Kelly you can hear her on her latest Hey YA podcast episode.

Categories
Check Your Shelf

A HUNGER GAMES Prequel and Authors Behaving Badly

Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).

“Check Your Shelf” is sponsored by Libro.fm.

Libro.fm lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. You can pick from more than 100,000 audiobooks, including New York Times best sellers and recommendations from booksellers around the country. With Libro.fm you’ll get the same audiobooks, at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name), but you’ll be part of a much different story, one that supports community. In June, Libro.fm is launching their Kids Club and YA Club, which will offer select audiobooks priced under $10 each month, as well as their Summer Listening Challenge–each person to finish will get free audiobook credit and the chance to win free audiobooks for a year! Sign up here to get three audiobooks for the price of one.

Before we jump in, make sure to check out Book Riot’s Amazon storefront – we’ve put together a selection of our favorite books and bookish things for the summer!

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

Cool Library Updates

Worth Reading

Book Adaptations in the News

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

New & Upcoming Titles

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

RA/Genre Resources

Books & Authors in the News

Numbers & Trends

Award News

Pop Cultured

All Things Comics

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book List

Children/Teens

Adults

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Level Up (Library Reads)

Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? We’ve made it easy for you to find eligible diverse titles to nominate. Kelly Jensen created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.

 

Thanks for hanging, and I’ll see you next week!

–Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Categories
Unusual Suspects

Sarcasm, Cynicism, and A Unique PI Novel

Hello mystery fans! I have a literary mystery that explores the fallout of a crime, a P.I. in New Orleans, and an equally hilarious and emotional true crime memoir.

Sponsored by Libro.fm

Libro.fm ad

Libro.fm lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. You can pick from more than 100,000 audiobooks, including New York Times best sellers and recommendations from booksellers around the country. With Libro.fm you’ll get the same audiobooks, at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name), but you’ll be part of a much different story, one that supports community. In June, Libro.fm is launching their Kids Club and YA Club, which will offer select audiobooks priced under $10 each month, as well as their Summer Listening Challenge–each person to finish will get free audiobook credit and the chance to win free audiobooks for a year! Sign up here to get three audiobooks for the price of one.

Literary Mystery (TW addiction/ PTSD)

The Other Americans cover imageThe Other Americans by Laila Lalami: This one works really well on a few levels: it’s great for fans of literary works, murder mysteries, multiple points of view, love stories, and explorations of the effects of a crime on a family and community. Driss Guerraoui is killed in a hit-and-run and we follow as his adult daughter, Nora, and wife, Maryam, cope with the grief, waiting for the case to be solved, and remembering the relationship they had with him. We also follow the life of Efraín, a witness to the hit-and-run, whose wife wants him to come forward but refuses because he is undocumented. There’s also the detective working on the case and a fellow officer, who is not directly on the case, but grew up with Nora. The audiobook had multiple narrators, which really worked well, and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters so even if it hadn’t solved the mystery–it does, you get the full solve and explanation–I still would have really enjoyed this one as a look at the effects of a crime.

New Orleans P.I. (TW mentions suicide/ pedophile)

Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead cover imageClaire DeWitt and the City of the Dead (Claire DeWitt Mysteries #1) by Sara Gran: It just so happened that I read this one right after reading Kate Atkinson’s start to her Jackson Brodie series, Case Histories, and I realized that fans of each would like the other if they enjoy the sarcasm, cynicism, and unique entry into the P.I. world of novels. In Sara Gran’s novel, though, it is much less a character study of various characters, and more just of Claire DeWitt as she focuses on solving her current case–and regales us with bits of her childhood, how she came to be a P.I., her mentor, and the lessons she learned from French detective Jacques Silette’s Détection handbook. We follow her in hurricane-destroyed New Orleans as she’s hired to find a missing District Attorney. Thanks to DeWitt’s sarcasm, drug using with potential suspects, quirky stories, and the overall meditation on the P.I. genre, this managed to make itself a fun read even though it’s in part a bleak novel.

True Crime Memoir (TW rape/ eating disorder/ addiction/ suicide)

stay sexy and don't get murdered cover imageStay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark: Two things to know about this book: First, you don’t have to know anything about the podcast before reading this book; Second, if you’re an audiobook listener go with the audiobook! Not only because, being narrated by the authors, you get their personality but they got Paul Giamatti to narrate bits! And there are a few sections recorded in front of an audience and it really gives you a feel for their fan base. Okay, now on to the book: Kilgariff and Hardstark started the now very popular true crime podcast My Favorite Murder. This book talks about how they met and came to create the podcast, what they’ve learned so far from the podcast, their childhoods, the true crime genre, and very personal stories about addiction, mental illness, being in danger of a predator, victim blaming, and specific true crime cases. The women are equally funny and frank and I personally really related, having grown up in the ’80s with the popularity of true crime shows like Unsolved Mysteries during a time when kids played unsupervised outside with instructions to come inside when the sun set. It’s interesting to see the fine line they walk between being obsessed with true crime and the reasons why, and true crime being used as entertainment.

Recent Releases

The Betel Nut Tree Mystery cover imageThe Betel Nut Tree Mystery (Crown Colony #2) by Ovidia Yu (Great historical mystery series set in 1930s Singapore.)

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda (I’ve liked all of Miranda’s mysteries so I’m looking forward to this murder mystery set in a vacation spot that pits locals vs tourists.)

The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell (TBR: A Victorian Gothic mystery.)

Conviction cover imageConviction by Denise Mina (Currently reading: A true crime obsessed woman realizes she once knew the victim accused in a podcast and decides to do her own sleuthing. I’m halfway through and really enjoying this one.)

The Cutting Room (Carver and Lake #2) by Ashley Dyer (British serial killer police procedural–curious to read this series.)

The Labyrinth of the Spirits (The Cemetery Of Forgotten Books #4) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Paperback) (Historical mystery)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, 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.