Categories
Kissing Books

Let’s Hear It For the Brainy Girls

Hello romance lovers! I hope that this week has been treating y’all well. It’s been fairly good over here on my end. Past Me splurged more than a little bit on books and coffee last weekend. Which means I have a lot of deliveries headed my way that I’m super excited for. True, I don’t need more books but I also don’t need Peanut Butter M&Ms. And if you offer those to me I’m going to take them, so, there you go.

We’re finally back to a semblance of normalcy in my house, at least  in terms of our distance education as the teenager is back to having regular Zoom classes. This also means that I’m back to gentle and also less than gentle reminders to pay attention. It’s tricky but we make it work and we should be back on track soon.

Of course then spring break is happening in a few weeks, and the reset will happen again. Yeah… But that’s a problem for Future Me. Maybe subconsciously, Past Me knew this and was trying to butter Future Me up with my online shopping spree. 

Here’s a fun, and quick, quiz I found while perusing the web. It’s an easy pick your Zodiac sign and get a romance recommendation. I’ve read the one that was given to my sign (and I loved it), and you might find a new read!

Check out this awesome list of YA authors trying their hands at romance.

As I’m sure we all know, March is Women’s History Month. This was established in 1995 to celebrate and recognize the contributions that women have made. Technically, I think this was started specifically for women in America. If we’re being honest though, it is something that should be celebrated worldwide. Despite the limitations that society has historically tried to put on women, there have always been boundary pushers all over the world and to this I say Huzzah!

Some of these same women invented things that we still use nowadays, such as Hedy Lamarr and signal hopping, Mary Shelley with science fiction, and Ada Lovelace and computers. Women have always had their hands in all the inner workings that make up the world, no matter what history (emphasis on the “his”) may try to tell us. 

Which isn’t to say that men haven’t done good things because they have. However, most, meaning cis-gender white men, have never really had to fight as hard as women (or men of color if we’re being honest)  to get recognized for it. Bottom line is this: everyone brings something to the table. But, until we start recognizing and, more importantly, acknowledging everyone’s contributions, the battle cry for recognition is going to be an endless refrain.

With that in mind, my recommendations today are romances where women had jobs in fields that they would have been denied access to and even today still have to fight twice as hard to get recognized for what they do in these fields. Whether they’re an old favorite, a new release, or just new to you, they are all examples of aspiring women.

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Level Up by Cathy Yardley

Tessa has aspirations to be a video game engineer and one of the ways she is working towards that is by creating a fandom-based game in three weeks. This isn’t a feat she can necessarily accomplish on her own so she enlists the help of her friend and roommate Adam to get the task done. While working together, these friends begin to realize that they want more but will their own ambitions stop them from taking the leap? 

A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett 

In this recent release, Lady Violet Hughes is founder of a secret society composed of England’s most brilliant female scientists. She is also on a confident mission for the Crown and, as such, has her own bodyguard in the form of one Arthur Kneland. Unbeknownst to anyone, especially Arthur, she is in love with him. Arthur is a mostly reserved man intent on separating business and pleasure but slowly begins to warm up to Violet. When Violet’s life and work are put in danger, they must work together to find out who the culprit is as well as discover that their feelings for one another can no longer be denied.

Remedial Rocket Science by Susannah Nix 

When Melody accepts a dream job in the IT department at an aerospace company, she doesn’t expect that her one-night stand from college would be the CEO’s son. She tries to stay away from him due to this as well as the fact that he’s a bad boy and has a girlfriend. But fate seems to continuously throw them together, making both parties unable to deny their attraction to each other.

cover of The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite 

Lucy Muchelney is looking for a change of scenery after watching her ex-lover get married and finds it in a letter from Catherine St. Day. The widowed Countess of Moth is looking for someone to help translate a French astronomy text to fulfill her late husband’s work. As the women begin to work together, they slowly begin to fall in love. When sabotage and old wounds threaten their newfound love, they will have to fight to stay together.


These are just a few of the offerings that I could find but there are tons more out there in a variety of sub-genres and time periods.

That’s all for now friends. Catch up with me as @PScribe1 over on Twitter. Until next time!

Categories
Canada Giveaways

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We’re giving away five copies of Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi to five lucky Riot readers!

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

Here’s what it’s all about:

From New York Times bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi comes a funny and emotional story about two estranged sisters and how far they’ll go to save one of their lives—even if it means swapping identities.

Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Becky Albertalli.

Categories
Giveaways

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We’re giving away five copies of A Man at Arms by Steven Pressfield to five lucky Riot readers!

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

Here’s what it’s all about:

Jerusalem, first century AD. In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus, officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth. The content of this letter could bring down the empire.

The Romans hire a former legionary, Telamon of Arcadia, to intercept the letter and capture its courier. Telamon operates by a dark code all his own, with no room for noble causes or lofty beliefs. But once he overtakes the courier, something happens that neither he nor the empire could have predicted.

Categories
The Kids Are All Right

Kidlit Deals for March 3, 2021

Hey kidlit pals! It’s March again, and although it doesn’t seem possible that it’ll soon be a whole year since we started sheltering in place, I’m choosing to remain positive. The sun is shining, and we’ve got book deals to help you make it through! As always, grab these before they’re gone because they never last long!

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Wishtree by the one and only Katherine Applegate is just $3.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman is a great picture book adaptation of the adult nonfiction bestseller, and it’s only $3.

And speaking of those amazing women, snag Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker and Dow Phumiruk for just $3.

For more groundbreaking women in science, snag the picture book Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed and Stasia Burrington for $3.

Need a great mystery and series starter? York: The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby is just $2.

Did you know that there’s now a Little Golden Book about RBG? My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a thing that exists, and it’s just $5. Plus, Notorious RBG Young Readers’ Edition: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Iron Carmon and Shana Knizhnik is $3.

Orphan Train Girl: The Young Reader’s Edition by Christina Baker Kline is $2.

In the Role of Brie Hutchens… by Nicole Melleby is a great upper MG novel about a girl questioning her identity for $2.

Meow or Never by Jazz Taylor is a cute story about a middle school stage hand with stage fright who discovers a cat backstage, for just $5!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Categories
Riot Rundown

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Categories
Today In Books

Finalists for the 41st Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Announced: Today in Books

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo to Star in HBO Max’s Adaptation of The Girl Before

Today it was announced that Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo have been cast to star in the upcoming HBO Max adaptation of J.P. Delaney’s novel The Girl Before. Mbatha-Raw will play Jane, a woman who moves into a house designed by an architect played by Oyelowo, who allows her to live in the house under one condition: she must abide by his rules. The BBC is co-producing the project.

The Finalists for the 41st Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Announced

The finalists for the 41st Los Angeles Times Book Prizes have been announced. The nominees include Akwaeke Emezi, N.K. Jemisin, Isabel Wilkerson, and many others. Special category winners were also announced, including the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement to Native American writer Leslie Marmon Silko. Winners will be announced in a live-streamed virtual ceremony on April 16, the day before the 26th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books kicks off its virtual event. Special category winners will also be celebrated that day.

Ben West Palm Hotel Launches Book Butler Program

The Ben West Palm Hotel in Florida has launched a Book Butler program. All hotel guests need do is dial 0, and the Book Butler will arrive at their door with a copy of their selected book. There’s even an option to request meals specially paired with your book of choice.

6 Dr. Seuss Books Will Stop Being Published Due to Racist Images

Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the company responsible for preserving and protecting the legacy of Theodor Geisel, has announced that six Dr. Seuss books will no longer be published due to damaging depictions of race.


One correction from yesterday’s Today in Books: We mistakenly misgendered Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. The author’s pronouns are they/them.

Categories
Read This Book

[3/3] Read This Book: SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL by Patricia MacLachlan

Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!

Hey fellow book nerd, it’s time to celebrate another literary birthday! Today, we are wishing a very happy 83rd birthday to Patricia MacLachlan! She is the American children’s writer best known for Sarah, Plain and Tall, which won the 1986 Newbery Medal along with the 1986 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and the 1986 Golden Kite Award. 

Sarah Plain and Tall Book Coer

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Told through the point of view of Anna Witting, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Wheaton moved from Maine to the American Midwest in response to an ad for a wife and mother. Anna’s younger brother Caleb is excited about the prospect of a new mother, but memories of their mother who died giving birth to Caleb make Anna apprehensive.

What I enjoyed most about Sarah, Plain and Tall was not only the plain, straightforward story, but also how it touched upon the death of a parent at a young age and the introduction of a stepparent. It was understandable to a young reader while not being too simplified for an adult reader. I also liked reading a story where there wasn’t overt hostility between Sarah and the children. Yes, Anna still has memories of her mother who died while giving birth to her brother Caleb, but she still seems somewhat open to the possibility of a new mother in Sarah. I also enjoyed Sarah as a whole. Although she eagerly answered the call for a mail-order bride, which on its face seems anti-feminist, Sarah gave me feminist hero vibes through her many interactions with Jacob from insisting on wearing overalls to riding horses. I loved to see hear it.

If you are looking for a heartwarming, but short comfort read, then Sarah, Plain and Tall is a good choice. In just a few short chapters, not only will you fall in love with the Witting family, you will absolutely adore this current version of the family. By the end of the book, you’ll be wishing for more. Lucky for us, MacLachlan was kind enough to add four more books to the series. 

Until next time bookish friends,

Katisha


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Categories
Unusual Suspects

February Releases Roundup 🔪

Hello mystery fans! Here’s a roundup of a bunch of new releases from February now that they are all available for your crime loving hearts.

The Obsession (The Obsession #1) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Sutanto is the author of the upcoming Dial A For Aunties (Review), which has been getting a lot of attention (it’s a great crime/romcom and should!) but I’m not sure many readers realize that The Obsession is her debut. It started with You vibes and then went in its own surprising way and I really enjoyed this novel. Delilah is having a hard time after her father’s death with an abusive stepfather. And after an incident she ends up being blackmailed by her stalker classmate into having to date him. Cornered, and fed up, Delilah is going to have to figure a way out… (TW stalker/ domestic abuse/ past suicide attempt and suicide, detail/ drugging without consent)

Blood Grove (Easy Rawlins #15) by Walter Mosley

Mosley is an extremely prolific writer, writing in most genres, and has a few well known detective series. Easy Rawlins is probably the most known since Devil in a Blue Dress starred Denzel Washington in the adaptation. And the detective is back again! The series, having aged from the ’40s, finds Rawlings in 1969, Southern California with a Vietnam veteran wanting to hire him. You can count on trouble from cases to personal life to follow our detective.

A Stranger in Town (Rockton #6) by Kelley Armstrong

I love this series! It has a fun, unique, remote setting where basically victims to criminals have found themselves a safe place to hide, which makes for an interesting community since no one knows who is which. The lead is Detective Casey Duncan who was a homicide detective who ran with a friend to hide here, and has stayed and ended up partnering romantically and professionally with the sheriff. This time around, the mystery concerns the actual town makeup, meaning its existence may be in danger…

The Project by Courtney Summers

Summers, who wrote the 2018 hit Sadie (Review), is back with another YA crime novel! We have separated sisters again but this time it’s because of a cult. And one sister is determined to prove The Unity Project is a cult in order to get her sister back.

Smoke (IQ #5) by Joe Ide

If you want a modern, dark take on Sherlock, IQ is the detective and series for you. Set in East Long Beach, Isaiah Quintabe, IQ, takes on the cases the police don’t/can’t, and he always ends up in danger but uses his deduction skills to survive. While I am a fan of jumping randomly into series, the progression of IQ as a character and his personal relationships (Dodson–rhymes with Watson!) are really worth starting at the beginning to watch them unfold.

The Survivors by Jane Harper

If you like atmospheric crime novels, all of Jane Harper’s novels are for you. Her recent standalone is all about a past incident that a small community ocean town is trying to forget, but this is a mystery novel so it’s all going to come out. Especially after someone is murdered! (Review)

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

I am currently listening to the audiobook–which has an exceptional narrator, Nicole Lewis–and I can’t put it down! It follows a suburban community with a new family that doesn’t “fit in,” and after a sinkhole opens up it’s only a matter of time before something even worse happens… This literally starts with the question of how a community could conspire to kill an entire family and also asks “what if they had it coming”? And I literally said out loud “Oh really!” So, yes, I am racing through writing this so I can get back to reading–sorry, not sorry.

The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis

I am a huge fan of narrative nonfiction and Loftis wrote Code Name: Lise, which I loved (Review), so this is at the top of my TBR. Aline Griffith was “an ordinary American girl who became one of the OSS’s most daring spies in World War II before marrying into European nobility”. Sold! I love these amazing stories that are finally getting recognition.

Noir Is The New Black

Here’s an awesome graphic novel collection of 16 Noir stories by 40 Black creators which got funded on Kickstarter. You can check out all the creators and some awesome pages here!

The Water Rituals (White City Trilogy #2) by Eva García Sáenz

This is a police procedural, fictional serial killer translation that takes you to Northern Spain. This is the sequel in the trilogy and the book starts where the first one ends so if you haven’t yet read The Silence of the White City (Review), start there! If you did, then, like me, you’ve probably been highly anticipating the continuation and it’s now here! A note that Eva García Sáenz is the name used for English publication, but her full name is Eva García Sáenz de Urturi, and so there are two Goodreads pages etc.

The Good Girls: An Ordinary Killing by Sonia Faleiro

For true crime readers, here is a look into two girls murdered in a small community. Faleiro looks into Padma and Lalli’s 2014 disappearances and murders in a village in western Uttar Pradesh, India–which leads to a look at “political maneuvering, caste systems and codes of honor”.

Nighthawking (Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler #2) by Russ Thomas

If you’re looking to start a police procedural starring a detective, meet Detective Adam Tyler who in the first book Firewatching is the sole member of the South Yorkshire Cold Case Unit. The first book deals with arson cases and now Tyler finds himself with a newly promoted DC trying to solve a murder as they’re pulled away from Cold Cases–except for the personal cold case in Tyler’s life involving his father’s death, which Tyler keeps investigating…


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.

Categories
True Story

New Releases: Women’s History + Sheep

Welcome to the third day of the third month! That’s kinda fun. We’ve got women’s history, we’ve got self-help, and we’ve got sheep. That pretty much encompasses it.

Emma Goldman, “Mother Earth,” and the Anarchist Awakening by Rachel Hui-Chi Hsu

Revolutionary and political anarchist Emma Goldman worked on a magazine called Mother Earth during the Progressive Era. Mother Earth “stirred an unprecedented anarchist awakening, inspiring an antiauthoritarian spirit across social, ethnic, and cultural divides and transforming U.S. radicalism.” I love the list of who they say this book should appeal to: readers interested in early twentieth-century history, transnational radicalism, and cosmopolitan print culture, as well as those interested in anarchism, anti-militarism, labor activism, feminism, and Emma Goldman. I LOVE Emma Goldman and am so psyched there’s another book out about her and the work she contributed to.

Follow the Flock: How Sheep Shaped Human Civilization by Sally Coulthard

SHEEP. Can’t live with ’em. But have to bring them into the home in winter so they stay alive. If you’re familiar with the Bible or most stories from The Ancient Past, you know that sheep are all over those things and have been with us since the early days of human civilization. So what’s their history! How did we use them? What’s up with sheep. All these questions and more can be answered by Follow the Flock, a title that every time I see it gets a song from the musical Guys and Dolls stuck in my head.

I’m So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life by Amy Shah

Are you feeling perhaps especially exhausted? Doctor/nutritionist Shah has some ideas for you. The part of this book I’m most interested in, aside from the tip to eat more fiber (I’M GONNA) is the “energy booster” facts, because I kind of just eat hummus day in and day out, and it’s possible that is not max’ing out the ol’ energy possibilities. Huzzah for health ideas!

Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke

Does this woman on the cover remind anyone else of Ruth Wilson? Anyway, you might have heard of Pan Am, the airline renowned in the ’60s and ’70s and then slowly declining until its end in the early ’90s. Did you know only 3-5% of women applying to be flight attendants got hired? It was extremely competitive! This history gets into why and traces the stories of three women who flew Pan Am during its glory days.


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.

Categories
Giveaways Uncategorized

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