Happy Tuesday, shipmates! We’re one week out from the best day of the best month (Halloween!), and I’m (…me, I’m Alex, hi, as usual) here with two short story collections and recommendations for books starring black cats! This also means that I survived moving this weekend and did not get lost in a maze of cardboard boxes, never to be seen again, so thank you to everyone who spared a thought for the horrors of boxing up all one’s belongings and dragging them to another geographical location. Have a wonderful week, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!
Autumn is here, which means it’s time to curl up with a great read and get cozy — whatever your version of cozy looks like. Whether it’s romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or escapist reads you crave, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are 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
Black Cat Enamel Bookmark by PineappleSundaysCo
This enamel clip bookmark is adorable! I love the little black cat. Even better is the message: Hiss off, I’m reading. (This seller also has a bookmark that reads “Not meow, I’m reading.” Yes, the cat puns!) $15
New Releases
Between Dystopias: The Road to Afropantheology by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Joshua Uchenna Omenga
This two-author collection of stories (short to novella in length) and essays explores African mysticism and dystopia, separately and in concert.
The Privilege of the Happy Ending: Small, Medium, and Large Stories by Kij Johnson
This collection is built from stories written by Kij Johnson over the last decade in formats ranging from traditional to experimental, focused on topics such as gender, animals, and the nature of stories themselves. It includes the award-winning The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe and the title work, as well as two entirely new stories.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
It is a well-known fact that October is the official birthday (a month-long birthday!) of all black cats. So this week, we’re looking at speculative fiction starring black cats!
The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy
A small band of feral cats lives in an old neighborhood in Delhi named Nizamuddin. They communicate with other bands of cats via something akin to a telepathic link, learning the news of the day and otherwise doing as they please…until an orange kitten with green eyes tumbles into their lives, who has unprecedented and strange powers. This special kitten is the herald of much more dire things to come…
The Thirteen Black Cats of Edith Penn by Sean McDonough
Edith Penn was well known as a witch in the small town of New Birmingham, never spoken to directly, but always the one sought out when a potion or spell was needed. But she’s dead now, and she’s only the first. No one knows how many will die, how it will all end or why…except for Edith’s 13 black cats.
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.