Hello, my friends, and happy Tuesday! Did you read anything good this weekend? I had grand plans of throwing myself a horror book readathon, but they were quickly interrupted. Still, I managed to read a few books, and I look forward to telling you about them in the coming months. Because the new releases are sparse today (although there is the Curepedia!), for this week’s newsletter, I have three books coming out next year that I am really looking forward to reading: a new story collection in translation, a horror novel from one of today’s best authors, and a return to a beloved mystery series!
And as the year comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about a few 2023 releases that I still want to read before January. So far, my list includes Fever House by Keith Rosson, Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World by Yepoka Yeebo, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo, and Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein. I am excited! You can hear about more fabulous books on this week’s episode of All the Books! Vanessa and I talked about several of our favorite nonfiction books that we loved, including Better Living Through Birding, Liliana’s Invincible Summer, and In the Form of a Question.
Your Utopia: Stories by Bora Chung, Anton Hur (translator)
Bora Chung’s last collection was a finalist for the National Book Award in translated literature. The stories were weird and sometimes gross, but always awesome. If you like fantastic stories that sometimes disturb you, definitely pick it up before this one comes out on January 30. Your Utopia is a new collection with a bit of a more futuristic bent, but will surely still deliver on the brilliant and unusual aspects of the last collection. There are immortality capabilities in the future (but only for the wealthy, of course), an AI elevator in love with the tenant in an apartment building, the revenge of nature, and lots more!
Backlist bump: Cursed Bunny: Stories by Bora Chung, Anton Hur (translator)
I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones is one of this century’s greatest horror writers. And one of the most prolific! This will actually be his second release of the year, after The Angel of Indian Lake, the final book in the Indian Lake trilogy. This novel is the “autobiography” of a Texas teen (…black gold, Texas teen…) named Tolly Driver, who is cursed to become a killer in his small town. Slasher films are fun, but you know I prefer to read everything. Especially horror books set in the 1980s! This is sure to be a bloody good time, and you can pick it up on July 16.
Backlist bump: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Death at the Sign of the Rook: A Jackson Brodie Novel by Kate Atkinson
And after five long years, a historical standalone, and a story collection, Kate Atkinson is back with her sixth Jackson Brodie novel! We last saw Brodie in Big Sky in 2019. Not many details are known about this one yet, except it sounds like it’s going to be a locked room mystery. Brodie will be snowed in with a vicar, an Army major, a dowager, and his own sidekick, DC Reggie Chase. September 3rd can’t get here fast enough! Although it gives me plenty of time to reread the first five in the series if I choose. If you like really smart mysteries with fully fleshed-out characters, this series is perfect for you. (And if you like historical fiction, pick up one of Atkinson’s other novels because she’s amazing at writing that, too!)
Backlist bump: Case Histories: The First Jackson Brodie Novel by Kate Atkinson
The holidays have arrived, and so has our new paperback level at TBR! If you (or a reader you know) are just over-carrying around bulky hardcovers or are looking for a more budget-friendly option, we’ve got you. Check out all the offerings at mybtro.com/gift, and give personalized reading recommendations customized for any and every reader.
This week, I am reading The Pairing by Casey McQuiston, Kittentits by Holly Wilson, and Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen. In non-book things, I haven’t watched anything but NBA basketball the past week, but I am considering starting a rewatch of Leverage since I haven’t watched the new series yet. And I want to watch the Barbie movie when it starts streaming at the end of the week! The song stuck in my head this week is “Winter is Coming” by Radical Face. And here is your weekly cat picture: Another bowl picture! When we discovered that Zevon likes to sleep in mixing bowls, we bought a set with non-slip bottoms so that Zevon can’t easily tip himself over. Because just look at this ridiculousness.
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