It’s time to talk about Tuesday tomes! First, I want to mention that one of today’s new releases is one of my favorite books of the year: Fry Guys by Eric Geron and Jannie Ho. This middle grade graphic novel is about three fries—Curly, Sweet Potato, and Waffle—who fight to save their town from an invasion of UFO-nion rings. It is DELIGHTFUL. I have read it a dozen times, and it still puts a smile on my face. You will not believe how many silly puns were fit into this book! And for you in the newsletter today, I have a fantastic new addition to a beloved series, a heart-wrenching story of a mother’s fight for justice, and a great anthropomorphic animal fantasy novella.
At the top of my list of today’s books that I want to buy are Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain, This Is Salvaged: Stories by Vauhini Vara, and The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth. You can hear about more of the fabulous books coming out today on this week’s episode of All the Books! Patricia and I talked about some of the books we’re excited about this week, including Land of Milk and Honey, Mermaids Never Drown, and Black River Orchard.
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 five mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!
And now it’s time for everyone’s favorite game, “Ahhhhhhh, My TBR!” Here are today’s contestants!
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
It’s finally here! This is the first in a companion series to the amazing Shades of Magic trilogy. Set in the same world as those books, this is a new story about a new Antari, or person who can walk between the magic worlds of Red, Grey, and White London. The heads of the magic worlds must struggle to hold on to their power amidst growing rebellion. Meanwhile, a device that could disrupt the fate of all the worlds falls into the hands of a magical girl. Schwab has once again crafted an enchanting fantasy for adults full of magic and danger. I’m already hungry for the next book in this story! Related: You don’t have to have to have read the original trilogy to follow along with this book, but I recommend reading it anyway because they’re awesome.
Backlist bump: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Fear Is Just a Word: A Missing Daughter, a Violent Cartel, and a Mother’s Quest for Vengeance by Azam Ahmed
This is a heart-wrenching story, expanded from a 2020 New York Times article by the author. When Miriam Rodríguez’s daughter Karen was kidnapped by a dangerous cartel in San Fernando, Mexico, she asked the authorities for help. When they failed to locate her daughter or even take much of an interest in her case, Rodríguez paid ransom money to the people claiming to have her daughter. When that also failed to get Karen back, Rodríguez decided to take the cartel on herself. Armed with disguises and fake identification, she systematically tracked down and orchestrated the arrest of members of the cartel. Ahmed has painted the portrait of a mother with nothing left to lose, who has taken justice into her own hands, and who now works to help other families in her situation. He also details how the cartels have risen to power in the country over the years. It’s an incredible, moving story.
Backlist bump: Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza (This isn’t technically backlist yet, but it’s excellent and relevant and was just longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction.)
The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe
And last but not least, this fun fantasy novella is about a world where some animals have gained the ability to speak and who are as much a part of society as humans. Not all the animals in the world have the ability to communicate, and Quintus Shu’al, the narrator, is the world’s only navigating fox. At the start of the book, he’s in disgrace, having led an expedition that ended in the death of everyone but him. Now, attending a meeting where it’s being discussed if he should be thrown out, it is instead decided he will lead a new expedition of humans and animals. It is a chance for Quintus to redeem himself in the eyes of his peers. It’s also a trip to the literal gates of Hell. What could go wrong? This has been called a Redwall read-alike for adults, which I can neither confirm nor deny as I have never read the Redwall books. (Do you think I should read them?)
Backlist bump: Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams
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This week, I am reading Hum by Helen Phillips. I yelped so loud when I received it because I love her books. I’m also making my way through Miss Macintosh, My Darling by Marguerite Young, which is 1200 pages long. In non-book things, the new season of Switch started last week, which made me happy. It’s one of my favorite new trivia game shows! The song stuck in my head this week is “My Only Worry” by Arthur Sharpe, which is from the show Flowers, one of the most original and emotionally devastating shows I’ve seen. (Olivia Colman should be in everything, all the time.) And here is your weekly cat picture: Millay doesn’t have to worry about sun damage, because she’s already a faded calico, lol. Our nickname for Millay is ‘Mimi’ so when she does this, we call her Mimi Sunbeamy.
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