Hello, my friends, and happy Tuesday! I’m so happy to “be” here. I never get tired of telling you about amazing books, and (spoiler) that’s just what I’m going to do today. I am excited because one of my favorite novels of the year, The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie, is hitting shelves today, and I can’t wait for everyone to read it. If you want to laugh and also have your heart broken a bit, I highly recommend checking it out.
At the top of my list of today’s books to acquire are Künstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine, Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai, and Our Best Intentions by Vibhuti Jain. You can hear about more of the fabulous books coming out today on this week’s episode of All the Books! Vanessa and I talked about some of the books we’re excited about this week, including (surprise, surprise) The Dog of the North, A Tempest at Sea, and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.
Have you heard about Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive? It’s full of exclusive content delivered to your inbox! We’re tapping the experts to share longer gems based on years of knowledge about books and publishing, experiences as readers and book curators, and research on lesser-known histories to illuminate and inspire book lovers. For $5/month, you get this deep dive edition of our newsletter in your inbox twice a month. Subscribe to The Deep Dive and choose your membership level today!
And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite game show: AHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants.
Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Another wonderful work of historical fiction from Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai! This one is a heart-wrenching tale of people searching for better lives and trying to find a way to heal from the past. There are two sisters in Việt Nam in the 1960s who take work in the city to try and support their parents, but they are unprepared for what will be asked of them. And many years later, an American veteran returns to Việt Nam trying to heal from his PTSD from the war, while the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman tries to figure out how leave the country that has never accepted him. It’s an excellent story of consequences and healing and hope. (CW for war violence, racism, loss of a loved one, and sexual assault.)
Backlist bump: The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Enter the Body by Joy McCullough
And this is a fantastic, inventive YA novel-in-verse, about some of the young women of Shakespeare’s stories and their tragic lives. Things don’t often go well for young women in the Bard’s tales, and McCullough gives these (dead) girls a chance to compare notes, rage about their traumas, and bemoan their fates, as they gather beneath a stage. Juliet, Ophelia, Cordelia, and Lavinia have rarely received such thoughtful consideration before. If you enjoy this, be sure to pick up Blood Water Paint, which is based on the true story of young artist Artemisia Gentileschi in 17th century Italy, and how she took her assailant in court. (CW for trauma, murder, sexual assault, suicide, violence, and death.)
Backlist bump: Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
A new Mindy McGinnis is always a guaranteed good bad time! Her books are so sinister and intense! This one incorporates one of my favorite new tropes in thrillers: a podcast! Two young women in the small town of Henley, Lydia Chass and Bristal Jamison, join together to make a podcast about a notorious time in Henley’s history when there was a major storm and an unsolved murder. But digging into the past won’t only bring them the credits they need for school, it might bring the killer right to their door. I love a story of a podcast searching for answers to an unsolved case! (CW for violence and death.)
Backlist bump: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.
This week, I am reading A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton and Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens. Outside of books, I am getting ready to host birds in my backyard again. This year, I am going to try and attract more wrens. They’re so funny and I love watching them! And I am sad that Poker Face is over. I need to find a new mystery show. The song stuck in my head is “Silent Sigh” by Badly Drawn Boy. And here is your weekly cat picture: Look at this ridiculous orange otter.
That’s it for me this week, friends. I am sending you love and good wishes for whatever is happening in your life right now. Thank you, as always, for joining me each week as I rave about books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty