Sponsored by Algonquin Books
Dr. Thomas Neill Cream’s killing spree spanned the United States, Britain, and Canada, with poison as his weapon of choice. Author Dean Jobb transports readers to the late nineteenth century as Dr. Cream’s crimes marked the emergence of a new breed of killer: one who operated without motive or remorse, who “murdered simply for the sake of murder.” For fans of Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City or the podcast My Favorite Murder, The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream is an unforgettable true crime story.
Hello, fellow page turners! It’s Tuesday, which means it is time to hold still for a few minutes while I wave my arms at you about new releases like I’m Kermit the Frog with an ice cream headache. I just get so dang excited about books! I also like to watch things. I have been skipping sleep this week in favor of watching Leverage. I think part of the reason I enjoy watching older shows like Leverage is that I love character actors. It’s comforting to see the same faces in different roles, even when they’re villains. The last episode of Leverage I watched had Clancy Brown, who is one of my favorite actors. He was the evil guard in The Shawshank Redemption, and is the voice of Mr. Krabs on Spongebob Squarepants, which is another show I just started watching. (I am mad at everyone who didn’t tell me that Spongebob has a pet snail named Gary who meows.)
Moving on to today’s books: I am—as always—excited to get my hands on a lot of today’s releases. At the top of my to-buy list are Appleseed by Matt Bell, Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington, M, King’s Bodyguard by Niall Leonard. And speaking of today’s great books, for this week’s episode of All the Books! Vanessa and I discussed some of the wonderful books that we’ve read, such as Seek You, The Taking of Jake Livingston, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, and more.
And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:
Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge, Jeremy Tiang (Translator)
Several months ago I watched one of my favorite authors, Kelly Link, interview another of my favorite authors, Kevin Brockmeier, and he mentioned that this was one of the best books he had read this year. So of course I had to read it! It’s an unusual novel about an unnamed narrator (you know how I love one of those!) in the the fictional city of Yong’an, who is interested in finding the aforementioned strange beasts she has heard about. And I’m not talking bears and squid. I mean like wild cryptid things! It’s almost more a series of interconnected short stories, and as the book goes on, it tells a larger picture about the world, and the narrator herself, a one-time zoologist turned romance writer. It’s a dreamy novel and also an allegory about humanity.
Backlist bump: Descent of Monsters (The Tensorate Series 3) by Neon Ynag
A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan
One of my newish favorite storylines of the last decade are books that involve podcasts somehow. Another is books involving social media in some capacity. This darkly comedic and weird novel is one such book! Remy and Alicia are two people who don’t particularly like each other but they are both obsessed with Jen, Remy’s former coworker turned Instagram influencer. Jen seems to be living the perfect life of globetrotting and glamour, according to her Instagram account, and Remy and Alicia eat it up. So imagine their surprise when the run into Jen, and she invites them on a trip to the Hamptons. It’s one thing to watch behind the scenes, it’s another to try and hide who you are in front of someone you’re trying to impress. And weird things begin to happen, and the story and suspense escalates until it’s out of control. I can’t even tell you what happens, because you need to experience this for yourself. Just know that the book may have a sunny, bright cover, but the story definitely gets dark.
CW for mentions of extreme violence, terminal illness, death, and chemical use and dependency.
Backlist bump: Followers by Megan Angelo
The Letters of Shirley Jackson by Shirley Jackson , Laurence Jackson Hyman
This last pick is not something I have read yet, but I am unbelievably thrilled to get my hands on it. I realize that it has been many years since I read a Shirley Jackson book. (Also, I realize I am at an age where several years can pass since I have done something lolsob.) I discovered her in eighth grade, when I spied a copy of We Have Always Lived in the Castle in my teacher’s bag. WHAT A PLACE TO START. I have since read all her books several times, including The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery and Other Stories. She was such a fascinating person and a freaking amazing writer. There is not as much Jackson nonfiction out there as fiction, and I don’t usually read the letters of writers, but you bet sweet Christopher Meloni’s forehead scar that I am going to read these.
Backlist bump: Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings by Shirley Jackson
Say it with me now: YAY BOOKS. Thank you, as always, for joining me each week as I rave about books! I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. – XO, Liberty