Month: May 2020

May Releases 🔪

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date May 5, 2020

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Hello mystery fans! I’ve got a bunch of May releases you’ll want on your radar including translated crime, a legal thriller, cozy, and plenty of mysteries to solve. (📚= I’ve read and recommend; 📖= currently reading and enjoying.)

Shooting Down Heaven cover image Shooting Down Heaven by Jorge Franco, Andrea Rosenberg (Translator): 📖 For literary fans, this follows a group of kids in the ’90s during the height of Colombia’s drug cartels–and the death of Escobar– and their reunion now as adults when one of them returns home.

This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf: 📚 This is a procedural where the cop assigned to the cold case is now working on her childhood best friend’s unsolved murder. It’s told in past and present chapters, both timelines rushing to reveal what happened on that fateful night and who is responsible–everyone is a suspect!

A Deadly Inside Scoop (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #1) by Abby Collette: 📖 Really enjoying this cozy mystery that is a return to small-town to run the family business. The business being an ice cream shop (yum!) and the mystery being a dead person that won’t be good for business.

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir: A dark and unsettling read that uses a house with living feelings and thoughts to tell the tale of the Haitian immigrant family living inside and one man’s abusive behavior.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas: 📖 A school with experimental curriculum in the rural Pennsylvania woods is the setting for this gothic suspense that of course has a group of friends and secrets to be uncovered…

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight: A friend back from law school calls Lizzie Kitsakis from Rikers needing her help. He’s the main suspect in his wife’s death…

Death in the East (Sam Wyndham #4) by Abir Mukherjee: I adore this historical mystery series about a Scottish detective working in 1922 Calcutta, India. This time around his British past comes to find him twenty years later… The only reason I haven’t already inhaled this book is I don’t have a galley–seriously, I love this series.

I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me by Juan Pablo Villalobos, Daniel Hahn (Translator): Labeled as part campus novel and part gangster thriller, this Spanish prize-winning novel follows Juan Pablo Villalobos, a Mexican student on his way to Spain, who gets kidnapped and forced by gangsters to make a corrupt politician’s daughter fall in love with him–or his cousin will die…

The Boy in the Red Dress by Kristin Lambert: Historical fic set in 1920’s New Orleans with a murder mystery for fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mystery.

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon: This sounds like a revenge thriller–when Eleanor’s dad dies she finds out he wasn’t her biological father and the man that is, instead chose another family. With a daughter that is Eleanor’s half-sister, and that half-sister is going to pay apparently.

What You Don't See cover image What You Don’t See (Cass Raines, #3) by Tracy Clark: 📚 This is a great recent PI series set in Chicago, following a former cop with a great support system reluctantly taking on cases that are usually annoying to her–this time an abrasive media empire owner needs protection from a stalker…

Silence on Cold River by Casey Dunn: Ama Chaplin is a defense attorney in Georgia who left her life behind and previous name behind in Atlanta. Now a sociopath who was a teen she defended seventeen years ago is in front of her and has plans…And only one person, a grieving suicidal father, believes something happened to her and goes into the woods with a shotgun to find out.

The Silence by Susan Allott: 📖 Here’s an Australian mystery, part historical, about two neighboring families, a woman that disappeared in the ’60s, and the man now suspected of having something to do with the disappearance. You know I’m always in for any mystery that is going to have all the secrets coming out.

The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book: Test Your Inner Detective by Solving Some of the World’s Most Difficult Cases by Sinclair McKay: You read all the mystery books, but are you ready to be a detective? Find out by trying to solve these cases!

These Women by Ivy Pochoda: For fans of literary novels, fictional serial killers where the victims are the ones given voice, and gritty L.A novels.

The Last Trial (Kindle County Legal Thriller #11) by Scott Turow: A legal thriller where an 85-year-old defense lawyer takes on a final case of a friend charged with insider trading, fraud, and murder and this final case will put his career in jeopardy and challenge whether he ever knew his friend…

Hard Cash Valley (Bull Mountain #3) by Brian Panowich: This is a gritty southern noir series that has been optioned for television so you’ll want to get the books read before the adaptation.

Hunting November (Killing November #2) by Adriana Mather: The sequel to Killing November, about an elite boarding school training the elite’s kids to be the next generation of assassins and spies. This is one you need to start at the beginning with.

Westside Saints (Westside #2) by W.M. Akers: The sequel to Westside which is a genre blend of detective fic, historical fic, and fantasy set in a reimagined Jazz Age New York!

America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster by Mary Kay McBrayer: Fellow Rioter, and writer of our horror newsletter, McBrayer novelizes 19th-century serial poisoner Jane Toppan.

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2020 upcoming releases. An Unusual Suspects Pinterest board. Get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! 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.

What's Up in YA

YA Book News and New YA Books Out This Week

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date May 5, 2020

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Hey YA Readers!

I hope you’re hanging in there. Remember we’re all doing the best we can, and if your best is nothing at all, that’s absolutely fine. If this means you’re not reading much at all, that’s okay!

This week, like in weeks previous, there’s not a lot of YA news to share, but what there is to share is pretty big.

YA Book News

Stephenie Meyer announced that Midnight Sun, the Twilight volume from Edward’s point of view, is hitting shelves in August.
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English announced their Amelia Elizabeth Walden award finalists and this is a heck of a slate of great YA!
I didn’t even know Erin Jade Lange’s YA novel Butter was being turned into a film.
A cool interview with YA legend Judy Blume.
I still need to read Amelia Westlake Was Never Here — sitting on my shelf, of course — and now even more so before it gets the adaptation treatment.
Goosebumps isn’t YA, but I suspect a lot of YA fans will be nostalgic and excited seeing the series come to live-action TV.
Netflix’s new series Summertime is apparently based on a very popular Italian YA book series.

This Week’s New YA Books

I’ve tried to verify release dates as much as possible, given that a number of books had their publication dates shifted because of COVID-19. If the book isn’t out this week, preorder it as a surprise to your future self. A * means I’ve read and recommend the book!

American Royals by Katherine McGee (first in a series, paperback)

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff (series)

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass (first in a series)

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith (first in a series, paperback)

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Finale by Stephanie Garber (series finale, paperback)

Forged in Fire and Stars by Andrea Robertson

How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox (paperback)

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn (paperback)

*I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver (paperback)

Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider (paperback)

Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (paperback)

The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg (paperback)

*The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen (paperback)

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (paperback)

*Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (paperback)

*War and Speech by Don Zolidis

What If It’s Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (paperback)

Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward (paperback)

YA on Book Riot

YA paperbacks hitting shelves between May and the end of July.
A whole buncha books like The Hunger Games for your reading consideration.
Three new YA novels in verse to TBR.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again on Monday!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

The Stack

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Post author By Devin Service
Post date May 5, 2020

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New Books

First Tuesday of May Megalist!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 4, 2020

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We’re giving away a 1-year Kindle Unlimited subscription to 5 lucky winners, courtesy of Macmillan’s eDeals Newsletter.

Welcome to the first Tuesday of May! WOOOOOOO, there are a lot of books out today. I just spent over two hours checking every release date on this list to make sure they were still coming out today. I removed over 50 titles that have been pushed to the fall, and there are STILL this many books on the list! The books out today I am most looking forward to reading include Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage by Tori Amos, Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices by S. K. Ali, Aisha Saeed, and Death in the East: A Novel by Abir Mukherjee.

You can hear about several of today’s great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Kelly and I discussed A Good Marriage, Goldilocks, The Down Days, and more.

Like each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have had the chance to read and loved. It has been hard to focus the last few weeks, but I did get to a few of today’s books. And there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.) And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now. I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time. – XO, Liberty

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Goldilocks by Laura Lam

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn, Joosun Lee (translator)

Best Behavior: A Novel by Wendy Francis

When I Hit the Road by Nancy J. Cavanaugh

São Bernardo (New York Review Books Classics) by Graciliano Ramos (Author), Padma Viswanathan (Translator)

New-generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set: Saba by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani

A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes

And Their Children After Them: A Novel by Nicolas Mathieu, William Rodarmor (translator)

Throwback: The Chaos Loop by Peter Lerangis

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

The First Emma by Camille Di Maio

Pages & Co.: The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James

War and Speech by Don Zolidis

She Wears Pain Like Diamonds: Poems by Alfa

Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson

Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan

The Law of Lines: A Novel by Hye-young Pyun, Sora Kim-Russell (translator)

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendáriz

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride

Who Ate the First Oyster?: The Extraordinary People Behind the Greatest Firsts in History by Cody Cassidy

Big Summer: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm by Hilarie Burton

My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry and Speaking Your Truth by Patrice Vecchione

More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood by Natasha Gregson Wagner

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero, Frances Riddle (translator)

All The Gay Saints by Kayleb Rae Candrilli

Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices by S. K. Ali, Aisha Saeed

White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia by Kiki Petrosino

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin

The Secret of You and Me: A Novel by Melissa Lenhardt

Officer Clemmons: A Memoir by Dr. François S. Clemmons

It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage by Arlan Hamilton and Rachel L. Nelson

The Park by John Freeman

Adult Conversation: A Novel by Brandy Ferner

Golf’s Holy War: The Battle for the Soul of a Game in an Age of Science by Brett Cyrgalis

The Brown Bullet: Rajo Jack’s Drive to Integrate Auto Racing by Bill Poehler

I Know You Rider by Leslie Stein

The Eleventh Gate by Nancy Kress

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Butterfly Bayou by Lexi Blake

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Natasha Farrant, Lydia Corry

The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana by Maryse Condé, Richard Philcox (Translator)

The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform American Capitalism by Susan Berfield

The Narcissism of Small Differences by Michael Zadoorian

Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard by Clare Carlisle

Untold Night and Day: A Novel by Bae Suah

Westside Saints: A Tiny Mystery by W.M. Akers

The Last Blue: A Novel by Isla Morley

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Holy Shroud: A Brilliant Hoax in the Time of the Black Death by Gary Vikan

You’re Not Special: A (Sort-of) Memoir by Meghan Rienks

Bone Black by Carol Rose GoldenEagle

Daughter of the Boycott: Carrying On a Montgomery Family’s Civil Rights Legacy by Karen Gray Houston

The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman

The Dark In-Between by Elizabeth Hrib

The Second Chance Dress Boutique: A Novel by Louisa Leaman

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha

Figure It Out: Essays by Wayne Koestenbaum

network effect a murderbot novel Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel by Martha Wells

Langosh and Peppi: Fugitive Days by Veronica Post

Hunting November by Adriana Mather

Telephone: A Novel by Percival Everett

The Hilarious World of Depression by John Moe

Fractured Tide by Leslie Lutz

The Poison Flood by Jordan Farmer

Hope Island by Tim Major

Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin

Tiny Imperfections by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

The Down Days by Ilze Hugo

The Last Tree Town by Beth Turley

You Are Not What We Expected by Sidura Ludwig

Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky

Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster

Only the River: A Novel by Anne Raeff

The Louvre: The Many Lives of the World’s Most Famous Museum by James Gardner

On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights by Lawrence Goldstone

Fracture: A Novel by Andrés Neuman, Nick Caistor and Lorenzo Garcia (translators)

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School by Judith Warner

resistance tori amo Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage by Tori Amos

The Imperfects: A Novel by Amy Meyerson

I Don’t Expect Anyone To Believe Me by Juan Pablo Villalobos, Daniel Hahn (translator)

Santiago’s Road Home by Alexandra Diaz

What We Found in the Corn Maze and How It Saved a Dragon by Henry Clark

The Paris Hours: A Novel by Alex George

James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

The Resolutions: A Novel by Brady Hammes

Catrachos: Poems by Roy G. Guzmán

Groundwork: Autobiographical Writings, 1979–2012 by Paul Auster

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

Keep It Together, Keiko Carter by Debbi Michiko Florence

Happy Paws: A Branches Book (Layla and the Bots) by Vicky Fang, Christine Nishiyama

Close Up by Amanda Quick

Exile Music by Jennifer Steil

Connect the Dots by Keith Calabrese

The Ruby Princess Runs Away (Jewel Kingdom #1) Jahnna N. Malcolm

The Book of V. by Anna Solomon

Death in the East: A Novel by Abir Mukherjee

Silence on Cold River: A Novel by Casey Dunn

Any Day With You by Mae Respicio

Shuri: A Black Panther Novel (Marvel) (1) by Nic Stone

Scandinavian Noir: In Pursuit of a Mystery by Wendy Lesser

Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

The Paladin: A Spy Novel by David Ignatius

Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a chef in training, father, and sleuth looking for the secret of French cooking by Bill Buford

Ghosts of Harvard: A Novel by Francesca Serritella

Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich

The Mathematics of the Gods and the Algorithms of Men: A Cultural History by Paolo Zellini, Erica Segre (translator), Carnell Simon (translator)

I, John Kennedy Toole by Jodee Blanco and Kent Carroll

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner

A Gift for a Ghost by Borja González

In Praise of Paths: Walking Through Time and Nature by Torbjørn Ekelund, Becky L. Crook (translator)

Pelosi by Molly Ball

The Book of Second Chances by Katherine Slee

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World by Jacqueline Novogratz

What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue

The Brideship Wife by Leslie Howard

A Short History of the Civil War by DK

A Registry of My Passage upon the Earth: Stories by Daniel Mason

Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen

Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and a Story of Reconciliation by J. Chester Johnson

Impostures (Library of Arabic Literature) by al-Ḥarīrī, Michael Cooperson

The Sewer Rat Stink (Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel #1) by Geronimo Stilton, Tom Angleberger

Fire in Paradise: An American Tragedy by Alastair Gee, Dani Anguiano

Brunch and Other Obligations: A Novel by Suzanne Nugent

The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book: Test Your Inner Detective by Solving Some of the World’s Most Difficult Cases by Sinclair McKay

Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir) by Jerry Thompson and Owen Hill

This Is a Book for People Who Love the National Parks by Matt Garczynski

Lift by Minh Lê and Dan Santat

Katarina Ballerina (1) by Tiler Peck, Kyle Harris, Sumiti Collina (Illustrator)

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Today In Books

NYPL’s Most Downloaded Books Right Now: Today In Books

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date May 4, 2020

New Releases: Medieval Hoaxes and Scandinavian Mystery

Post author By Alice Burton
Post date May 4, 2020

Sponsored by In Good Hands by Stephanie MacKendrick from KCP Loft.

This one-of-a-kind insider’s guide is perfect for young women who are ready to make change. It combines the uplifting stories of nineteen women from around the world who have run for office with practical advice for anyone who wants to follow in their footsteps. It explores everything from what to expect in a campaign, to how to deal with the inevitable challenges, to why it’s worth it to run.

It’s May! We’re a third through the year and so many new books to go. I hope you’re finding awesome new ways to get your books at home. With that in mind, here are some brand new nonfiction reads out in the world:

The Holy Shroud: A Brilliant Hoax in the Time of the Black Death by Gary Vikan. The Shroud of Turin! If you don’t know what it is, you’ve probably at least heard of it. Vikan is a medieval art scholar, and he’s here to tell you all about how this supposed burial shroud of Jesus is in fact a big piece of cloth at one point wrapped around a medieval Frenchman. How did the hoaxer (if you will) fool everyone for so long? And will you AGREE with Vikan? So many questions. This looks great.

Scandinavian Noir: In Pursuit of a Mystery by Wendy Lesser. Scandinavian mystery fiction. So kind of still hot right now. The book walks you through some of the bigger Nordic crime hits through the lens of her own intense fandom of them. This culminates in a travelogue as she goes on a journey to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to visit the sites of her favorite genre. If you love Nordic mysteries or want to learn more about a new genre, bam, here you go.

On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights by Lawrence Goldstone. We know the voting rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment have been gutted, but starting when? Constitutional law historian Goldstone says 1876, carrying up to the present day. Of the more than “500,000 African-Americans who had registered to vote across the South, the vast majority former slaves, by 1906, less than ten percent remained.” To learn about this long history, check this out.

Daughter of the Boycott: Carrying on a Montgomery Family’s Civil Rights Legacy by Karen Gray Houston. A story of family and the Montgomery bus boycott and fight for equal rights in the 1950s and ’60s. Gray Houston focuses on this time through her father, Thomas Gray. His involvement in the civil rights movement began after a childhood friend was shot by a white police officer after the friend tried to board a bus. Gray Houston tells the story of her family in this time and how the boycott moved the country closer to equality.

It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage by Arlan Hamilton with Rachel L. Nelson. Do you know who blurbed this book? Stacey ABRAMS. In 2015, Arlan Hamilton was homeless and sleeping in an airport. She wanted to break into the rich white male space of venture capitalism as a queer woman of color, and she DID it. She “shares the hard-won wisdom she’s picked up on her remarkable journey from food-stamp recipient to venture capitalist, with lessons like ‘The Best Music Comes from the Worst Breakups,’ ‘Let Someone Shorter Stand in Front of You.’ As a 5’2” individual, I particularly support that last one. This looks swell.

Stay inside if you can, nonfictionites. Wear a mask, wash your hands, wipe down your phone, and read read read (while also taking a break to prevent eye strain!). As always, you can find me on Twitter @itsalicetime and co-hosting the For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. Until next time! Enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.

Check Your Shelf

Free Teen Audiobooks and No Murder Wasps

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 4, 2020

Swords and Spaceships for May 5

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 4, 2020

Sponsored by Nine Bar Blues by Sheree Renée Thomas, published by Third Man Books

The stories collected in Nine Bar Blues weave emotion, spirit, and music, captivating readers with newfound alchemy and the murmurs of dark gods. Rooted in rhythm, threaded with magic, these tales encompass worlds that begin in river bottoms, pass through spectral gates, and end in distant uncharted worlds. These stories describe the pain that often accompanies the confines of sanctuary and the joy that is inextricably bound to the troubles of hard living. Nine Bar Blues sings a multiverse of fully realized worlds that readers will remember for ages to come and cherish from page to heart thumping, foot-stomping page.

Happy Tuesday to my favorite shipmates! (You’re my favorite. Don’t tell the others I said that, but it’s true.) It’s Alex with some new releases and bookish news to usher in the geological era known as “May,” long will it reign. And a one-day-belated May the 4th be with you!

My favorite thing for today: Zoë Bell did a lockdown video that’s a “game” where she gets to fight all her friends. I LOVED THIS.

New Releases

Goldilocks by Laura Lam – Humans have destroyed Earth with the ravages of climate change; our only hope now is to find another planet in the habitable zone of a different Sun. Valerie Black has put together just such a desperate expedition with an all-female crew–with a side benefit for the intrepid explorers that it allows them to escape the increasing restrictions being placed on women on Earth. Valerie’s daughter Naomi goes on the mission as its botanist; it’s her golden opportunity to get out from her mother’s shadow. But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi realizes that there’s a deadly secret that’s been carried on board with all the equipment… and that time is running out faster for Earth than any of them have been told.

The Eleventh Gate by Nancy Kress – The city-states of the Eight Worlds really don’t want to go to war… yet it happens, accidentally, fueled by the ruling classes wanting to grab territory, expand their profits–and settle old scores. The key to ending the conflict, one way or another, is in the hands of two people completely uninterested in the politics: a man who seeks the transcendent in physics, and a spoiled scion of the ruling dynasties who discovers an eleventh jump gate. Together, they will alter the fate of their society.

Network Effect by Martha Wells – A full length novel for the sentient bio-machine security guard that’s hacked its own governor module and calls itself Murderbot. But unlike the name might imply, Murderbot really prefers to just watch network streaming soap operas and not have to deal with other people at all, thanks to its at-times overwhelming social anxiety. But a Murderbot must do what a Murderbot must, especially when its friends (wait, when did that happen, Murderbot doesn’t make friends) are in trouble and a former associate needs a serious helping hand.

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall – The pirate Florian has done a lot of things in order to survive–including taking on passengers under a false flag with the intention of enslaving them once they’re irrevocably out to sea. One of those passengers is Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who travels with her own casket and is making a one-way journey to be married. Then Florian and Evelyn fall in love…

The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell – Michael’s life truly ended before it began; as a child, he was branded a traitor and cast out with his sister after their father murdered the nine-year-old son of the king. As an adult, he survives as a criminal targeting minor royals. But Michael is all too aware of the burning void of memory in his mind, and knows what it means–because in his world, memory is the price of magic. When the dangerous opportunity arises for him to make his way back into court, he leaps at it, wanting to know the truth of his past. But the kingdom has changed at the top more than he could know, with the royal family heading toward dictatorship and fighting to crush a rebellion, and the secrets he finds out will change far more lives than just his.

News and Views

Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer won the YA award in the 2020 Edgars!

A new novelette from JY Neon Yang! A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, is Infinite Potential (For more from them, definitely check out The Black Tides of Heaven)

ALERT! ALERT! There is a trailer for HBO’s adaptation of Lovecraft Country and I was not prepared. (The book is really good and I heartily recommend it)

Lanternfish Press has announced it will be publishing a poetry and drawings collection from Fran Wilde. (She wrote Riverland, among other books.)

Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount takes a shot at addressing the incredibly problematic existence of “evil races” in D&D. And boy were some people who do not deserve to be linked to bent about it on the internet.

On thing thing the pandemic has done for the cause of climate–it’s shown that “personal consumer choice” isn’t the key to lowering emissions enough. Not by a long shot.

Telescopes picked up a fast radio burst from in our galaxy, which is how I learned that fast radio bursts were a thing.

On Book Riot

Upcoming fantasy novels that would be gorgeous graphic novels

These paranormal cozy mysteries will cast a spell on you

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

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 over at my personal site.