Hello, star bits! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I sat down to read one book and ended up starting five different books. Not because the one book wasn’t good, but because there are so many books I want to read! Sometimes I miss the days when I was a book monogamist, but also, I love sampling a bunch of books at once. It’s really fun when you can line the endings up so you finish them around the same time. Then it feels like you read a whole bunch of books in just a couple days. I freaking love books. Speaking of books, I have three very different titles for you today that I enjoyed a lot!
First, today in “I want to buy all the books”: At the top of my list are Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo, and Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey. You can hear about some more of the fabulous books coming out today on this week’s episode of All the Books! Tirzah and I talked about some of the books we’re excited about this week, including Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, How To Sell a Haunted House, and A New Race of Men from Heaven.
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And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite game show: AHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants.
The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao
Lately, I have been leaning into cozy reads, which is out of character for me, I know. But it has lead me to some delightful books. This debut is about a young woman named Samantha Song, whose big dream is to make it in high Singapore society. With the help of her two fabulously wealthy friends, Timothy and Anya, Samantha finds a way to fake her society status and infiltrate the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But what will happen when people find out she’s a big faker?
Backlist bump: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses
And this one I had to read because I’ve been so nuts about basketball lately. It’s a look at the racism and prejudice in the world of sports and media. Won Lee is the first Asian American in the NBA, and a powerhouse player, but he still can’t seem to get the attention of his coach, the other players, the fans, or the media. Robert and Carrie are Asian Americans working in media, covering Won’s career and trying to make a breakthrough by covering Won’s breakthrough. It’s an excellent look at hard-fought victories and agonizing defeats, in games and in life.
Backlist bump: Disappear Doppelgänger Disappear by Matthew Salesses
Glitterland by Alexis Hall
And last, but not least: This is a reissue of the first book in Hall’s Spires series. (I am guessing they’ll release the other three later, but since they each feature different characters, maybe not?) This is a grumpy sunshine story about a clinically depressed pulp fiction writer named Ash who falls for the last person he imaged he’d love: a loud, jubilant whirlwind of happiness named Darian. Will Ash step outside his comfort zone and let himself be loved, nay, believe he deserves to be loved? (It’s a romance novel, so you can probably guess.)
Backlist bump: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
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This week, I am reading The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi, The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether, and The Postcard by Anne Berest, Tina Kover (translator). I didn’t watch anything this week, other than NBA games, but I am curious about Not Dead Yet, which is debuting in a few weeks. The song stuck in my head is “Gimme Some Salt” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I have been adding to a playlist of songs that are new to me, and you can listen too! And here is your weekly cat picture: It was the orange monsters’ fourth Gotcha Day this week. I can’t believe they were ever this small!
Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty