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When recently widowed Maggie Flynn returns home to Wyndham Beach for her fortieth high school reunion, she picks up right where she left off with her old friends. But seeing Brett Crawford again stirs other emotions. Once, they were the town’s golden couple destined for one another. He shared Maggie’s dreams—and eventually, a shattering secret that drove them apart. Deciding to resettle in Wyndham Beach with her two daughters, Maggie will finally have to confront—and embrace—the past in ways she never thought possible. Read An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart.
Editor’s Note: You may have received a repeat of Friday’s Read This Book today. If you did, apologies for the repeat, and here’s today’s pick!
Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!
Today’s pick is hands-down one of the most gorgeous books I have ever read. It is a fresh look at pirates and mermaids and magic and romance that really sets it apart from other Young Adult pirate tales.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Content warnings for abduction, violence, including murder, and abuse.
This book is told via points of view of a few different characters. One of these characters (and one of our heroes) is Florian, formerly Flora. He and his brother Alfie joined the crew on the pirate ship, the Dove, when they were children. They were small, starving, orphaned, and prepared to do anything, even kill, to have the opportunity for somewhere to belong. The opportunity to join the crew of the Dove arose, and it was an offer they could not refuse.
The Nameless Captain, the captain of the Dove, has a hustle where he disguises the ship as a passenger ship for wealthy folks. After a couple weeks into the journey, far enough from land where the “passengers” cannot escape and get to a shore, the captain then tells them they’re all prisoners and he will sell them off into slavery for a significant profit.
One of these wealthy passengers of the Dove is Lady Evelyn Hasagawa, a young high-born Imperial woman. Her parents are sending her off to get married against her will, one of the reasons being that she is queer and the parents are awful. Florian is ordered by the Nameless Captain to guard Lady Hasagawa, especially from the more aggressive men on the crew.
In this story, the sea is sentient and has one really big rule, which is to not harm the mermaids. The thing is, mermaid’s blood, when drunk by humans, is a powerful drug that can take memories away. If you drink mermaid’s blood, then you are automatically an enemy of the sea and an enemy of the Pirate Supreme, who serves the sea.
Of course, the crew of the Dove has no interest in following the rules of the sea.
This book centers queer characters of color in a beautiful, sweeping adventure that is just a delight and it is definitely a must-read.
Before I go, if you haven’t heard, we’ve got a giveaway for a chance to win an iPad Mini! Enter here.
That’s it for now, book-lovers!
Patricia
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