Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got a couple new releases and two book recommendations about rather awful houses because…well, I’m in the midst of trying to sell my house and it’s the stuff of nightmares. So that’s where my brain is at. I guess the upside is that with most of my earthly possessions already in boxes and my house staged to look like an Airbnb where I can’t touch most anything, I have no excuse not to get some reading done. Always look on the bright side, eh? Stay safe out there, space pirates, and pour one out for my sanity. I’ll see you on Tuesday!
Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s two places to start: Maui Aloha: The People’s Response, which sends support to those affected by the wildfires on Maui, particularly first responders; and Entertainment Community Fund, which supports entertainment workers who are striking for living wages and a future where humans can continue to create art for each other.
Bookish Goods
Magic Room Book Nook Kit by PatchDecoration
My best friend has started making these really cool miniature houses and shops from kits like this — and don’t be fooled, this is a kit you get the fun of building for yourself, unlike the couple other book nooks I’ve pointed out in the past. If you like doing miniatures, this kind of thing is super cute and a ton of fun! $57
New Releases
Cursebreakers by Madeleine Nakamura
In the massive, magic-filled city of Astrum, people are falling into magical comas, and no one can find out why. Adrien Desfourneaux, a professor of magic struggling with disgrace, his own mental health, and a bad relationship, has an idea of why this might be happening, but the deck is stacked against him even without the political intrigue coming his way.
A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey
The Untermarkt is a magical bazaar that lies beneath Covent Garden; it is a place where anything has a price, and the price is counted in time and life and experience paid. Deri was sold to a merchant there as a child, but sees his chance of freedom when he meets a princess who wants nothing more than to sell her royal destiny.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Let’s just say I’m having nightmares about houses right now, so that’s our theme!
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
When Mouse is tasked with clearing out her recently deceased grandmother’s home, she finds a horrifying task ahead of her; grandma was a hoarder, and the house is overflowing with garbage. And that’s before she discovers her step-grandpa’s diaries, which are full of nonsensical rants and cryptic references that she dismisses…until she meets one of the eldritch beings in the woods herself.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A socialite from Mexico City goes to a country estate to try to find out what’s gone wrong with her cousin, who married into a wealthy Anglo family. The house is a character in any good gothic tale, rotting from the inside out just like the horrible family filled with secrets it contains, and Mexican Gothic‘s house is no different.
See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.