Author: Liberty Hardy

Greetings from the Isle of Bibliomania! How is everyone doing this fine Tuesday? Reading anything good? There are a LOT of great books out today, including The Fifth Petal, Brunonia Barry’s sequel to The Lace Reader, and Who Killed Piet Barol?, Richard Mason’s sequel to History of a Pleasure Seeker. They are both on my list to buy! I have a few more great books to tell you about today, and you can hear about more wonderful books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few awesome books we loved, such as City of Saints & Thieves, Here We Are, and Tears We Cannot Stop. (Note: The podcast will be going up a little late this week due to unforeseen circumstances.)

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt.

Ruth and Nat are seventeen. They are orphans. And they may be able to talk to the dead. Enter Mr. Bell, a con man with his own mystical interests. Together they embark on an unexpected journey that connects meteor sites, utopian communities, lost mothers, and a scar that maps its way across Ruth’s face.

Decades later and after years of absence, Ruth visits her niece, Cora. But while Ruth used to speak to the dead, she now won’t speak at all. She leads Cora on a mysterious mission that involves crossing the entire state of New York on foot. Where is she taking them? And who—or what—is hidden in the woods at the end of the road?

From a former New Yorker “20 Under 40” author comes a subversive ghost story that is as haunting in its examination of family, motherhood, and love as it is in its conjuring of the otherworldly. Mr. Splitfoot will set your heart racing and your imagination aflame.

The Patriots by Sana Krasikov

Sweeping multigenerational sagas are my jam, and this debut novel rings all my bells. It starts in NYC during the Great Depression, when Florence Fein leaves for a promising job in Moscow. But things are a lot more complicated than they seemed, and Florence ends up staying. Years later, her son Jacob travels to the US, but continues to work in Moscow while investigating his mother’s recently opened KGB file to learn more about her. What he discovers is part of a greater story of distrust and secrecy between the two countries. This poignant story of family, love, and secrets is a stunner.

Backlist bump: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

A horrible crime. An allegedly guilty young perpetrator. Who is the victim? Everyone thinks Mary Addison killed a baby. She was convicted and sent to jail, then a group home, her childhood over at an early age. Now Mary is pregnant, and the state wants to take her baby away. Mary must confront the hard truths of her past to protect her future, which include relying on her mother, the one person she distrusts above all others. This book is a hell of an outstanding gut punch, a complex look at the failures of the justice system and a child’s relationship with her mother.

Backlist bump: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan by Ruth Gilligan

Three intertwining stories revolving around the little-known history of the Jewish community in Ireland in the twentieth century. A young girl and her family leave Lithuania for America, but wind up in Ireland instead; a young boy in an institution befriends a man still mourning the loss of his true love two decades later; and an Irish journalist must confront her past when her Jewish boyfriend asks her to take a leap of faith. These heartbreaking, moving tales combine to make a rich novel that examines what it means to belong.

Backlist bump: The History of Love by Nicola Krauss

The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

Using both verse and prose, Hopkins yells the story of Ariel, a seventeen-year-old ready to start a life on her own, and Maya, a pregnant teen running from an abusive mother. Ariel and Maya’s lives collide when Ariel’s estranged mother shows up, claiming Ariel was kidnapped by her father when she was a toddler. Hopkins delivers an intense story of two girls in search of truth and redemption while seeking to create their own lives.

Backlist bump: Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! I am still REALLY into reading about historical murder these days (but don’t be scared). Especially books set around the mid-19th century to early 20th century, so if you have any book recommendations, fiction or nonfiction, please send them my way! You can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

We’re three weeks into 2017 already! Have you read anything you have loved yet? Are you neck-deep in books? I got this cool idea from Litsy, where people are going to set aside $1 every time they read a book this year. It’s a fun way to save up a few dollars – which can then be spent on more books, of course. And speaking of books (because that’s what we do), I have a few great books to tell you about today, and you can hear about more wonderful books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few awesome books we loved, such as The Man Who Shot Out My Eye Is Dead, The Futures, and Sirens.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh.

An electrifying first collection from one of the most exciting short story writers of our time.

There’s something eerily unsettling about Ottessa Moshfegh’s stories, something almost dangerous, while also being delightful, and even laugh-out-loud funny. Her characters are all unsteady on their feet in one way or another; they all yearn for connection and betterment, though each in very different ways, but they are often tripped up by their own baser impulses and existential insecurities. Homesick for Another World is a master class in the varieties of self-deception across the gamut of individuals representing the human condition.

Little Deaths by Emma Flint

It’s 1965, and Ruth Malone is a single mother in Queens, working as a cocktail waitress to support herself and her young son and daughter. But when her children go missing in the night, the police do not focus their investigation on who took the kids but on Ruth herself. Ruth’s pleas for the cops to find who took her children go largely ignored as the detectives instead ask the pretty redhead about her boyfriends and her late-night drinking, because the police think Ruth did it for attention. Based on the real-life case of Alice Crimmins, Little Deaths is an examination of how a woman’s lifestyle immediately made her a suspect and condemned her in the public eye, making it impossible for her to have a fair trial.

Backlist bump: The Song is You by Megan Abbott

Human Acts by Han Kang

Set during a violent student uprising in South Korea, this is the story of the death of a young boy named Dong-ho; of the heartbreak and hopelessness felt by the oppressed; and of humankind’s eternal struggle for justice and peace. Kang has once again painted a brutal and beautiful portrait of violence and love among people trying to find their voices. It’s a raw, affecting novel.

Backlist bump: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

On New Year’s Eve in 1984, 85-year-old Lillian Boxfish decides to walk the ten miles into NYC to attend a party. Along the way, she reminisces about her life writing copy for Macy’s, her loves and heartbreaks, and her role as the highest paid advertising woman in the country, while noting all that has changed in the city and her life. A charming love letter to NYC, Lillian Boxfish is perfect for fans of Harold Fry and Saint Mazie.

Backlist bump: Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! I am still REALLY into reading about historical murder these days (but don’t be scared). Especially books set around the mid-19th century to early 20th century, so if you have any book recommendations, fiction or nonfiction, please send them my way! You can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

So we’re ten days into 2017 – how’s everyone holding up? There are certainly a ton of amazing books coming out today, and further down the road, so at least we can look forward to another great year of reading. I have a few great books to tell you about today, and you can hear about more wonderful books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few awesome books we loved, such as Fever Dream, Always Happy Hour, and The Dry.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Frostblood by Elly Blake.

They say that frost and flame were once friends. That world is long gone.

Vivid and compelling, Frostblood is the first in an exhilarating new series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies…but together create a power that could change everything.

Little Heaven by Nick Cutter

This is a book about mercenaries hired by a woman to find her nephew, who is being held by a cult. Except not quite as straight-forward as that. The mercenaries have weird abilities and an insane backstory, and the cult may actually be situated in Hell. It’s bananapants. Fans of The Troop know the crazy, gory stories Cutter is capable of spinning, and this one spins out of control and right off the edge. In the best way, of course. (And if you enjoyed this, keep your eyes out for Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malerman, out May 23.)

Backlist bump: Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran

Two women are bound together by their love for a baby boy in this moving novel of motherhood, immigration, and privilege. Solimar crossed the Mexican border into California to find a better life, but now she is pregnant and alone. Kavya has always dreamed of being a mother, and when Solimar is placed in immigrant detention, her baby is placed in Kavya’s care. But when Soli fights to get her baby back, the two women will experience the anguish and heartbreak of broken dreams and second chances.

Backlist bump: The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

When Major Hockaday asks for Placidia’s hand in marriage, she has known him for two days. But a life away from her family home intrigues her, so she accepts. Two days later, the major is off to fight in the Civil War, where he is taken prisoner, leaving Placidia alone for three years. Upon his return, he learns his wife has given birth. Where is the child, and who is its father? Told through letters and reports, we learn the intense circumstances of Placidia’s plight. It’s a suspenseful tale of love, marriage, and racial division in the antebellum era.

Backlist bump: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Glaxo by Hernan Ronsino (Author), Samuel Rutter (Translator)

A fantastic whodunit revolving around the lives of four men, best friends who grew up in Argentina and became embroiled in romances and politics they would have been wise to avoid. Now one is dying, one is in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and one is a police officer fuming over his wife’s infidelity. And someone is dead. Who can you trust when everyone could be guilty? This is a suspenseful mystery-slash-western, now in English for the first time.

Backlist bump: The Black Minutes by Martin Solares (Author), Aura Estrada (Translator), John Pluecker (Translator)

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

Annalee Ahlberg has been a sleepwalker for years. Sometimes her nightly walks are harmless, and other times they’re scary, like when she climbed onto a bridge. But she’s never disappeared – until now. All clues point to Annalee being dead, but one detective continues to show up at the house asking questions. How does he know so much about Annalee’s sleepwalking habits? Is she really dead? All will be revealed in this chilling mystery. You can always count on Bohjalian to tell a great story, and it’s always very different from his others.

Backlist bump: The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! I am REALLY into reading about historical murder these days (but don’t be scared). Especially books set around the mid-19th century to early 20th century, so if you have any book recommendations, fiction or nonfiction, please send them my way! You can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

Happy new year, kittens! There are SO many wonderful books coming your way in 2017, it’s incredible. So strap on your helmet and get your butterfly net ready, because I am so excited to start flinging them at you.Your TBR is going to explode! Today I have the year’s first Tuesday megalist for you. And you can hear more about some of these books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as History of Wolves, Difficult Women, and Idaho.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The X-Files Origins.

How did Fox Mulder become a believer? What made Dana Scully a skeptic? The X-Files Origins has the answers. Read these dark thrillers to find out why millions of people became obsessed with The X-Files.

 

Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson

In the Midnight Hour: The Life & Soul of Wilson Pickett by Tony Fletcher

Freebird by Jon Raymond

The Art of the Affair: An Illustrated History of Love, Sex, and Artistic Influence by Catherine Lacey and Forsyth Harmon

The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine

Wayfarer (Passenger) by Alexandra Bracken

The Adventures of Form and Content: Essays by Albert Goldbarth

Lord Sebastian’s Secret (The Duke’s Sons) by Jane Ashford

We Were On a Break by Lindsey Kelk

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living by Manjula Martin

Leopard at the Door by Jennifer McVeigh

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

How to Be Bored (The School of Life) by Eva Hoffman

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich

The Strays by Emily Bitto

Brighter Than You Think: 10 Short Works by Alan Moore by Marc Sobel, Alan Moore

Frederick Douglass in Brooklyn by Frederick Douglass

Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra

Battle Hill Bolero (Bone Street Rumba) by Daniel José Older

City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence

Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack by Jill Grunenwald

The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos by Kami Garcia

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos

The Year of Needy Girls by Patricia A. Smith

How Churchill Saved Civilization : The Epic Story of 13 Years That Almost Destroyed the Civilized World by John Harte

Selection Day by Aravind Adiga

The Correspondence by J. D. Daniels

History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund

Letters to a Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash

Enigma Variations by André Aciman

Freeks by Amanda Hocking

The House of the Dead: Siberian Exile Under the Tsars by Daniel Beer

The Secret Lives of Web Pages by Paul Ford

Maresi By Maria Turtschaninoff

The Girl in Green by Derek Miller

Spark: How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success by Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch, and Sean Lynch

Wilberforce by H. S. Cross (paperback)

Even the Dead by Benjamin Black (paperback)

The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay (paperback)

The Fireman by Joe Hill (paperback)

Good as Gone by Amy Gentry (paperback)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad,

Liberty

The last newsletter of 2016. I can hardly believe it! Did everyone get books for the holidays? Well, you can still use more! There are a couple of wonderful books out today, for those of you looking to use your gift certificate and don’t know what to get. And you can hear Rebecca and I discuss some of our highly anticipated releases of 2017 on this week’s new episode of the All the Books! We talked about awesome books such as Fever Dream, Always Happy Hour, and Salt Houses.

We’re giving away a $250 Barnes & Noble shopping spree. Go here to enter.

 

Books for Living by Will Schwalbe

The author of The End of Your Life Book Club returns with an informative, charming book packed full of great reading recommendations for all different situations that life throws at you, as well as stories behind his own life as a reader and interesting observations about how rich and fulfilling it is to live a life filled with a love of books. It’s an epic nerdpurr for readers.

Backlist bump: Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live by Peter Orner

Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide) by Sarah Knight

Knight is back with the smart, mildly profane advice she is known for from her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, and delivers lessons on how to stop engaging in self-sabotage and teach yourself to be happy and stay that way. And after the year we’ve had, who couldn’t stand to be a little happier?

Backlist bump: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide) by Sarah Knight

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir by Michael Anthony

When Anthony was twenty-one years old, he returned from twelve months of military service in Iraq feeling no different than when he left. Two weeks later he was hooked on pain killers, drunk most of the day, and picking fights with large strangers. Realizing he was suicidal, he came to the decision to end his life if things didn’t improve in three months. This is his raw memoir of trying to come to terms with a wildly unstable world, how his military sevice changed him more than he originally realized, and how he found solid ground once again.

Backlist bump: Redeployment by Phil Klay

I’m so excited to turn my reading count back to zero on Sunday! I think it’s going to be another amazing year for books. And if you want to learn more about all kinds of books or what I’m reading (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

The holidays are almost upon us, but it’s not too late to pick up a great book or ten for the people on your list (or yourself)! I’ve rounded up a few of my favorites from this year that will hopefully make someone you know happy. And you can hear Rebecca and I discuss some of our favorite nonfiction books of 2016 on this week’s new episode of the All the Books! We talked about awesome books such as Ghostland, The Gene, and Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching.

We’re giving away a $250 Barnes & Noble shopping spree. Go here to enter.

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton

An amazing, illustrated atlas, filled with thousands of weird and fascinating places and things to see all around the globe! It’s perfect for trivia buffs, history fiends, coffee table book enthusiasts, and travelers. Really, unless they hate fun, pretty much everyone will love this book.

The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Moskowitz is a goddess of the vegan community, but more than that, these recipes are delicious for everyone. I promise. As someone who eats vegan, I have had my share of awful vegan food. These recipes are delicious!

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

If you have a poetry lover in your life, you can’t go wrong with Vuong’s powerful poems, which Michiko Kakutani compared to Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins. Everyone should read it.

 

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird

The fascinating biography of a young woman who became a queen, the people who helped her, and the people who regretted getting in her way. She was quite an interesting person. Oh and the Victorian era is named after her, nbd.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

Before you see the movie, read the book! It is an amazing story of the brilliant African American women enlisted to help NASA in a time when the country was working to keep them separate from their white counterparts, and how their contributions helped the United States achieve its space goals.

Adulthood is a Myth: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen

Andersen hilariously and brilliantly captures why adulting is hard in these cartoons. If you and your friends and your family miss Hyperbole and a Half, this will help.

 

The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

A powerful, devastating novel about the effects of terrorism on both the victims and the perpetrators, revolving around the survivor of a bombing. Easily one of the best novels of the year. I’m really looking forward to what Mahajan does next.

 

The Literature Book (Big Ideas Simply Explained) by James Canton

An epic nerdpurr, this book is FULL of images of literature and infographics about books throughout the history of the world. DK is the best at amazing image-filled books.

 

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

You don’t have to be a ten to love this wonderful young adult novel about young love and science. This made pretty much every list this year.

 

 

 

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

BROOOOOOOOOOOOCE. In this charming memoir, the Boss spills (almost) everything about what it was like from his humble New Jersey beginnings to becoming one of the most famous musicians in the world.

 

Monstress Volume 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

A bananapants horror fantasy set in an alternate 1900s Asia where women rule, Monstress is about a teenager who has survived many horrors of war only to discover there is something special about her. Inside her, really. And it is hungry. With the help of unusual friends, she must find out what it is if she is to control it.

Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people rave about Dorie’s cookies. Helpful hint: If you buy someone a cookie cookbook, it greatly increases the chances they will make you cookies.

 

Valiant Gentlemen by Sabina Murray

A remarkable story of friendship and betrayal spanning four decades, based on the real-life relationship between Irish patriot Roger Casement and his best friend Herbert Ward.

 

 

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Mukherjee takes the history of what we’re made of and makes something of it. It’s completely fascinating and full of “hey, didja know?” information to delight and amaze you.

 

Razzle Dazzle Unicorn: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson

The adventures of a young girl and her best friend, who happens to be a unicorn. It’s like Calvin and Hobbes for the 21st century! This is the fourth book. You don’t have to read them in order, but I highly recommend reading them all.

You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

Robinson, comedian and one half of the wonderful podcast 2 Dope Queens, has written smart, funny essays on race and feminism, and doused them with liberal amounts of pop culture references and a lot of heart. The funniest book I read this year.

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty (Author), David Roberts (Illustrator)

Ada is curious about science, so she embarks on adventures to learn about all the things she’s interested in, which may lead to more amazing discoveries!

That’s it for me today. Have amazing holidays, kittens!!! And if you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

While the last six weeks of the year are notoriously light on amazing new releases, there are still a few. So I have made you a list of notable books out this month. (Because I love you and I want you to read books and be happy!) And you can hear Rebecca and I discuss some of our favorite novels of 2016 on this week’s new episode of the All the Books! We talked about awesome books such as The Underground Railroad, Homegoing, and Sweetgirl.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Mother Nile by Warren Adler.

A dazzling triumph from the NYT bestselling author of The War of the Roses – high-caliber historical fiction that plunges readers into a rich, dark world of sex, power, politics, drugs, and Egypt.

A sweeping and ambitious novel spanning across two eras and the city at the center of it all,

Mother Nile is the story of Si, the American-born son of an Irish father and Egyptian mother, who goes on a journey through the winding streets of the City of the Dead in Cairo to solve a half-century-old mystery. When his mother makes an urgent plea on her deathbed, Si knows that he must go to Egypt to uncover the truth about his long-lost half-sister, conceived during his mother’s affair with King Farouk.

Holiday deal alert! Get MOTHER NILE for $2.99 exclusively through Book Riot with this link.

Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?: Stories by Kathleen Collins

The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis

The Ornatrix by Kate Howard

A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women: Essays on Art, Sex, and the Mind by Siri Histvedt

Show Me a Mountain by Kerry Young

Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Kill the Next One by Federico Axat

Books for Living by Will Schwalbe

The Private Life of Mrs Sharma by Ratika Kapur

Island of the Mad by Laurie Sheck

Spies in Palestine: Love, Betrayal and the Heroic Life of Sarah Aaronsohn by James Srodes

Piano Tide by Kathleen Dean Moore

The Boy Who Escaped Paradise by J. M. Lee (Author), Chi-Young Kim Translator (Translator)

The Hot Topic: A Life-Changing Look at the Change of Life by Christa D’Souza

The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir by Michael Anthony

Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide) by Sarah Knight

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today. And if you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

 

As promised, here is the second part of my list of books published in 2016 that I am thankful for, books that you may not have heard enough about. The end of the year is historically a slow time for grand new releases, so it’s a great time to remember fabulous books we read and share favorites. And you can hear Rebecca and I discuss some of December’s best titles on this week’s new episode of the All the Books! We talked about awesome books such as Kill the Next One, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love, and The Undoing Project.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Audiobooks.com.

Get your book fix on the go with Audiobooks.com! Whether you’re in the car, at the gym or on the couch, Audiobooks.com makes it easy to listen to over 100,000 titles on their user-friendly apps for iOS and Android. Stream books live or download for offline listening, and enjoy cool features like sped-up narration and custom bookmarking. You can browse by genre or curated lists, check out promotions and giveaways, and switch seamlessly between devices with cloud-syncing technology. And best of all, your first book is free! Try Audiobooks.com today.

Guapa by Saleem Haddad

A fantastic story about Rasa, a gay man living in an unnamed Arab country, as he tries to discover what he wants from life in the middle of his country’s political and social upheaval.

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

A wonderful novel about a young woman who wants to escape labels and judgement associated with how she chooses to dress and act and love.

Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother’s Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South by Beth Macy

The horrifying true story of two African American brothers who were kidnapped in 1899 and forced to perform in a circus, and their mother’s 28-year fight to bring them home.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore

A young woman raised and homeschooled by her brilliant but socially awkward scientist father seeks information about his life and work after his mind falters.

Christodora by Tim Murphy

A wonderful novel set in the iconic Christadora building in NYC, revolving around the AIDS crisis and the lives of the building’s tenants through the decades.

Known and Strange Things: Essays by Teju Cole

Cole’s first collection of essays are powerful, intellegent observations on art, politics, travel, and more. There are over fifty pieces to check out!

The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar

Four women caught in a violent rebellion struggle to make sure that their part in history will not be forgotten. (It’s also a companion novel to Samatar’s World Fantasy Award-winning debut, A Stranger in Olondria.)

The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

One of the best dystopian novels of the year, The Wolf Road is about a young girl who is taken in and educated by a dangerous stranger after most of civilization is wiped out.

Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel

A young Indian girl living in Hawaii, struggling to fit in with her peers as her parents’ marriage implodes, finds happiness and heartache in the world of underground hip hop.

Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson

An incredibly well-researched account of the Attica uprising and the cover-ups and lawsuits revolving around the incident that are still going on four decades later.

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today. And if you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Yes, Thanksgiving was last week, but new releases are pretty thin on the ground at this time of year, so today I’m listing a few of the books published in 2016 that I am thankful for that you may not have heard enough about. This is part one – I’ll publish part two next week! Meanwhile, you can also hear Rebecca and I discuss some fun bookish whatever on this week’s new episode of the All the Books! We talked about awesome books such as Searching for John Hughes, The Book of Unknown Americans, and The Borden Murders. Also, you should know that the final book in the Queen of the Tearling series is out today! Your wait is over!

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Novice by Taran Matharu.

He can summon demons. But can he win a war?

Fletcher is working as a blacksmith’s apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

Along with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire’s war against the savage Orcs. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow. With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of the Empire is in his hands. . . .

The Gloaming by Melanie Finn

A wildly strange, fascinating literary thriller, steeped in guilt and superstition.

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa

Grief, heroics, and violence set amid the 1990 WTO protests in Seattle.

One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood

When a ten-year-old boy dies, his estranged father sets out to learn more about him by visiting the boy’s only friend: a 104-year-old woman.

Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

This beautiful, all-consuming novel about family, secrets, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Square massacre won the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Grace by Natashia Deón

A brutal, breathtaking story of runaway slaves, the Civil War, and family. This amazing novel has been sorely overlooked.

Children of the New World: Stories by Alexander Weinstein

Like Black Mirror? Like Westworld? Then you’ll love these stories of not-so-far-away future dystopia.

The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race edited by Jesmyn Ward

Smart, important essays and poems about race from some of today’s most important voices.

The Clancys of Queens by Tara Clancy

Clancy’s hilarious and heartfelt memoir about growing up in a working class family in Queens.

The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam

Beautifully written story of refugees in Sri Lanka during the Civil War. It is both breathtaking and horrifying.

Black Apple by Joan Crate

Heartwrenching novel about a young Blackfoot girl who is taken from her family and placed the residential school system on the Canadian prairies.

The Hike by Drew Magary

If Roald Dahl wrote an episode of Tales from the Crypt, you would get The Hike. It’s absoloutely bananapants.

Riverine: A Memoir from Anywhere but Here by Angela Palm

Palm returned to her hometown to confront the ghosts of her past, including the boy she loved who is now in prison for murder.

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today. Stay tuned for next week when I share even more amazing overlooked books of 2016! And if you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Holy cats, it’s Tuesday again already! Just enough time to grab a new book to hide behind at Thanksgiving dinner. The book at the top of my shopping list is The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher, in which she supposedly dishes up all the gossip about the set of the first Star Wars film. YES, PLEASE. And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a lot of books, including Scythe, Eating Words, and the two new Queen Victoria books.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Letters of Note: Volume 2 compiled by Shaun Usher.

From the editor of the New York Times bestseller and instant classic Letters of Note, comes this companion volume of more than 125 captivating letters. Each turn of the page brings delight and discovery in a collection of correspondence that spans centuries and place, written by the famous, the not-so-famous, and the downright infamous. Entries are accompanied by a transcript of the letter, a short contextual introduction, and a spirited illustration—in most cases, a facsimile of the letter itself. As surprising as it is entertaining, Letters of Note: Volume 2 is a book of endless enjoyment and lasting value.

The Good Negress by A.J. Verdelle

Algonquin Books has brought this stunner–originally released in 1995– back in paperback. Set in the 1960s, it’s the story of a teenage black girl named Denise, who is sent from her grandmother’s rural Virginia home to live with her estranged mother in Detroit, where she is expected to do chores and help care for her mother’s new baby. But when a teacher opens Denise’s eyes to the possibilites of the world outside her new home, she is torn between responsibility and independence. This finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award is a beautiful, necessary addition to any library.

Backlist bump: Caucasia by Danzy Senna

Moonglow by Michael Chabon

The powerful driving force of Chabon’s new novel is the deathbed confessions of the narrator’s grandfather. Revealing the pains and surprises caused by secrets, lies, and war, Moonglow is a rich examination of a family history built on hidden truths, an emotional love story, and a fantastic work of autobiographical family history-turned-novel. (The novel is based on Chabon’s own grandfather’s stories.)

Backlist bump: Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son by Michael Chabon

Island People: The Caribbean and the World by Joshua Jelly-Schapiro

A comprehensive and intriguing look at the nations of the Caribbean, their shifting identities through the centuries, and their music, politics, religions, cutltures, and people. Jelly-Schapiro delves deep into the sometimes ugly history of such beautiful places, as well as thoroughly examining what role the Caribban has played in shaping the present world. But you don ‘t have to take my word for it – it’s also highly recommended by Marlon James! I’ll read anything he tells me to read.

Backlist bump: The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost

 

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty