Happy Tuesday, book lovers! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and were able to find something marvelous to read. I did a jigsaw puzzle and the cats only managed to chew one of the pieces, which I think is a record. And I also read books, of course! My book indecisiveness is at an all-time high these days. I want to read everything, so I end up having a hard time choosing anything. When this happens, I rely on my trick of picking titles from a hat. I don’t know why I listen to a hat, but it works! (It’s a very assertive hat.) I used to set several of the books I wanted to read on the floor and let the cats pick. But it doesn’t work anymore, since most of what I read now is on my computer, and the cats can’t be trusted with my laptop.
Now, about today’s books: At the very top of my list of books to buy are Maria, Maria: & Other Stories by Marytza K. Rubio, Lucky Turtle by Bill Roorbach, and Jagged Little Pill: The Novel by Eric Smith, Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard. And for this week’s episode of All the Books! Patricia and I discussed Nettle & Bone, Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend, Kaikeyi, and more. And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite game show: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants. Somehow, they’re all thriller-y today:
I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown
When identical twins Sam and Elli were young, they were beloved child actors and as close as could be. But the pressures of fame and growing up drove them apart. Sam turned to drugs and alcohol, while Elli threw herself into being a model homemaker and wife. The sisters haven’t spoken in a long time. But when Sam learns that Elli moved out of her home and is now hiding away at a suspicious retreat, she decides it’s time to figure out what is happening and reconcile with her sister. But there are a lot of secrets to unravel before that happens! (CW for chemical use and dependency, infidelity, mental illness, trauma, infertility, bullying, kidnapping, child endangerment.)
Backlist bump: Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
The Fervor by Alma Katsu
This is a supernatural exploration of the incarceration camps where Japanese Americans were held during World War II. It follows Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, who are removed from their home in Seattle and confined in a camp in the Midwest. Once there, they are confronted by terrors both human and otherworldly. The Fervor is a commentary on a past that is scarily similar to today, and the violence and destruction fear has on the nation. (CW for racism and racialized violence and incarceration, xenophobia, illness, murder, miscarriage, trauma, grief.)
Backlist bump: The Hunger by Alma Katsu
Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases by Paul Holes
And last, but not least: This memoir is by a detective who helped catch the Golden State Killer. Holes talks about his lifelong interest in forensics (starting with Quincy M.E.), and how he became one of the foremost cold case detectives in the country. Spoiler: It was by being obsessive about his work, sometimes to the detriment of his health, his family, and everything else around him. This is his honest account of a side of crime that needs to be explored more: the numerous victims left after a crime and how the trauma affects them, including the families, the detectives, the people who write about crimes (like Michelle McNamara), the jurors, and everyone else who is exposed to the aftermath. (The content warnings are too numerous to list, so keep in mind that this is a book about serial killers.)
Backlist bump: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
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This week: I’m currently reading Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse and Valleyesque: Stories by Fernando A. Flores. Outside of books, I’ve been watching a lot of the first round games of the NBA playoffs, and also SpongeBob Squarepants. I watched the first few episodes last year and then somehow got distracted, but I am back to it. (I was SO delighted to see Jim Jarmusch and John Lurie!!!) The song stuck in my head is Tongue Tied by Grouplove. And as promised, here is a cat picture: Look at this orange cat taffy. “Enjoy every stretch.”—Warren Zevon (the cat).
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. And yay, books! – XO, Liberty ❤️