Author: Liberty Hardy

Dade’s books are great escapism. They’re fun, they’re fluffy, they’re sexy. An actress and actor who had a hot one-night stand — that ended with her leaving after without another word — are about to star in a show together. She’s kinda into the idea of them getting together again, but why should he trust her? So for six years of shooting their show, nothing happens…until the end of the last season. But when they return to their homes on different continents, can they keep the spark alive? (It’s a romance, so you know they answer already…)

Backlist bump: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

One of my new favorite things to read are anthologies featuring stories by several different authors. The variety and scope of imagination in one place is always amazing. I loved this collection of speculative African diaspora stories, which include shapeshifters, supercomputers, child robots, and lion goddesses. My favorite story was “A Knight in Tunisia” by Alex Jennings, who is the author of one of the most fun books of the year, The Ballad of Perilous Graves.

Backlist bump: Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements edited by Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown

This book was too intriguing not to check out, and I am glad I did! If you like art, or bright colors, or weird objects, or all of these things, you’ll love this book. It’s a look at items in people’s homes, but they’re all very interesting, like a giant candy bar, or a giant lipstick, or U-shaped vases. And there’s text to go along, describing why we like things, different aesthetics, and general information about objects. These are basically just really cool versions of things we all have in our homes. I am definitely going to get a hard copy of this one.

Backlist bump: Bibliostyle: How We Live at Home with Books by Nina Freudenberger

This week, I am reading Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb and Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. Outside of books (and the NBA), I have started rewatching The Good Place for the 10th time and it is just what my soul needed. I love this show so much! It’s definitely in my top five favorite shows. And the song stuck in my head is the Family Ties theme. (Please make it stop.) You can still listen to the playlist of music from the 1980s I made. And here is your weekly cat picture: Farrokh was making a cute face at me, which is like “awwwwww.” But what you need to know is that he was really making that face at me because he wanted some of my yogurt. He always has an ulterior motive.

This is a look at the wife of one of history’s most famous pirates: Captain Kidd. Sarah Kidd, twice-widowed at an early age, was secretly helping her third husband in a time when it was inconceivable for women to break with societal norms, and certainly not acceptable to marry pirates and take up a life of crime. Whether she was an antihero or a villain, I’ll let you decide. (CW for violence, murder, death, sexism, assault.)

Backlist bump: Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History’s First Global Manhunt by Steven Johnson

Sisters Sarah and Angelina Grimke were famous abolitionists in the 1800s. They gave up their rich plantation lives to live in the North and write pamphlets protesting slavery. They are famously known for that work and for being champions of the cause. But Greenidge actually takes a look at the little-known Black members of their family over the past century or so, specifically the Black women. And she also shines a light on an overlooked aspect of the sisters, and how they objected to slavery but did not believe that Black people deserved equal rights. (CW for slavery, racism and racialized violence, violence, murder, death, sexual assault, and sexism.)

Backlist bump: Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball

If you have been reading this newsletter or listening to the show recently, you know that I have a newfound obsession with birdwatching. So of course I had to read this book. Kumar had a love of nature as a child in India, but sort of lost touch with it when she moved to the United States. She rekindled her love of birds and birdwatching in her 20s, and she shares her thoughts about our feathered friends in these lovely essays. Kumar covers different types of birds, memories from her life and her work, and a look at climate change and how it is affecting the birds we love.

Backlist bump: The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham

This week, I am reading The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due and P. Djèlí Clark’s children’s book debut Abeni’s Song. Outside of books, I have been following the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. (I need someone to come up with a word for the feeling you get when you know an answer none of the contestants know. It doesn’t happen very often to me, but I like it.) And the song stuck in my head is “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus. When she lets loose at the end, the hairs stand up on the back of my neck every single time. You can still listen to the playlist of music from the 1980s I made! And here is your weekly cat picture: Farrokh is a big fan of the new rug on the sun porch, especially when there’s sun.

This week: I’m currently reading The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent and The Between by Tananarive Due. Outside of books, I have been watching a lot of NBA basketball games (and reading a few pages during the commercials.) The song stuck in my head is “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” by Broken Social Scene. And of course, there’s a cat photo: Farrokh is making such a funny face in this picture. Pretty sure I caught him just as he was saying a bad word.

History books are filled with tales of cowboys and wars in the Old West, but women are often left out of the stories. This is a look at the many roles women played in the American West, and what life was like under the harsh conditions in a man’s world. Using diaries, interviews, and more, Hickman reconstructs the stories of many women who played a part in making the American West what it was, from the rule-breakers to the record-makers, and as importantly, the many marginalized women who were ignored or exploited, and whose voices have been lost to the years. (Content warnings for sexual assault, racism, slavery, sexual slavery, violence, and death.)

Backlist bump: Burning the Breeze: Three Generations of Women in the American West by Lisa Hendrickson

One of the great things about recording All the Books! a week early is getting to mention books I am excited to read, and then reading them before Sunday, so I can mention them here! Strike the Zither was indeed as great as I expected it to be. It’s an exciting YA fantasy about a military strategist in 414 China. Zephyr is loyal to Xin Ren, one of three warlordesses struggling for control of the land and the Empress’s favor (but who also want to steal the throne for themselves). When Zephyr goes undercover in an enemy camp, her loyalties will be tested when she discovers not everything in the world is as she thought it was. Plus, she comes up against Crow, another strategist who challenges Zephyr and her beliefs. It’s an exciting book, and the first in a series! (Content warnings for war, violence, gore, death, animal death, and loss of a loved one.)

Backlist bump: Descendent of the Crane by Joan He

And one last book to get you in a Halloween-y mood before the holiday. This is just a whole lot of fun, featuring several profiles of women and nonbinary people from American history who have dabbled in the supernatural. You’ll read about the clairvoyant celebrity craze of the 19th century; Nancy Reagan’s personal psychic; everyone’s favorite late-night dark mistress, Elvira; and even the new 21st century supernatural dabblers who have made a name for themselves on social media.

Backlist bump: Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

This week, I am trying to get in some more backlist the last couple of months of the year. So I am reading Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town by Kelly McMasters, and because it is almost Halloween, I am digging deep into Michael McDowell and starting Blackwater: The Complete Saga. Outside of books, I have been watching a lot of basketball. Our TV died last week so we bought a new one, and it’s like a whole different experience. I’ve never had a new television before. It’s wild! And the song stuck in my head is “Free” by Florence + The Machine, again. Pretty sure it’s my favorite song of the year. You can still listen to the playlist of music from the 1980s I made! And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon is the silliest fang face to ever fang fangs.

It almost feels like cheating to include a book of stories by George Saunders as a recommendation — he’s such a master of the craft that of course it’s going to be good. It does seem wild to me that he hasn’t had a collection since Tenth of December in 2013. (The title, not the date, lol.) But luckily for us, he hasn’t lost his edge. These nine stories are his classic genre-bending humorous and incisive style, including a tale about Hell at an amusement park, a love triangle in a hailstorm, forced political actors, and more.

Backlist bump: Tenth of December by George Saunders

I definitely got hooked on Alisha Rai books because I worked for Book Riot — so many of our contributors are fans. She’s an auto-read for me now. Her books are so wild and sexy. Mira Chaudhary is a thirtysomething Indian American woman who is finally ready to settle down. She was pretty wild in her younger years, but now she wants a quiet life of domesticity. So of course this all blows up in her face spectacularly. Her attempt to date English teacher Naveen ends up a high stakes adventure in Vegas with attempted kidnapping and art thieves! Can they salvage their date — if they survive the night? (CW for violence and kidnapping, death, chemical use and abuse, body shaming.)

Backlist bump: Wrong to Need You (Forbidden Hearts, #2) by Alisha Rai

I have been really into reading graphic novels between prose books this year. And I had to read this one, because it’s described as ‘gently macabre’ and I just love that. And it’s a really cute, sweet book. It’s a little like the Star vs the Forces of Evil monster storyline, if you’ve seen that show. Prunella is a young girl who lives in a village where people are terrified of monsters. Of course, the humans are the actual monsters — Prunella’s mother is like Cruella de Vil’s less nice sister (+5 Sliding Doors reference). One day, Prunella finds a ring buried in the garden and when she puts it on, it turns her into a skeleton! Of course, the people of the village refuse to believe she’s still Prunella and chase her off. So she’s left to wander outside the village walls, where she makes friends, learns monsters are not as terrible as everyone says, and discovers that she might even prefer being one!

Backlist bump: Rutabaga the Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal

This week, I am reading The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei and The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton. Outside of books, I am excited for the first game of the Celtics’ regular season tonight! And I am halfway through the series Bad Sisters and I love it. Sharon Horgan is a goddess. The song stuck in my head is “Gimme Some Salt” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. You can still find the playlist of music from the 1980s I made here! And here is your weekly cat picture: Farrokh looks like he’s cruising down main street is a car with his window down.

What would you do if you were invisible? Alice Sun does not feel like she fits in at her school. The only scholarship student at an elite Beijing international boarding school with some of the richest teens around, she isn’t having a great time. She wants so much to pass through this time without making any waves that she actually wishes herself invisible. When she discovers that her parents can no longer afford to send her to the school, she decides to monetize her new skill by spying on her classmates, learning their secrets, and blackmailing them. This sounds like it might be dark and heavy, but it’s actually a pretty light, fun read. It’s a great look at fitting in, classism, and deciding between right and wrong. Liang already has a new book coming next year called This Time It’s Real, and I look forward to it! CW for classism, anxiety, kidnapping and violence, racism, and sexism.

Backlist bump: American Panda by Gloria Chao

And, hooray, a new book from the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula-Award winning Mary Robinette Kowal! This is a fun 1930s-esque mystery with a Nick and Nora Charles-like couple, but set in the future on a spaceliner cruise. The famous inventor and heiress Tesla Crane is on her honeymoon aboard an intergalactic vessel when someone is murdered — and her new husband is arrested for the crime. Tesla will have to toss off her cloak of anonymity and use her wits and wealth to find out who the real killer is before they strike again. (Light spoiler: Tesla has a service dog, and the dog is put in harm’s way, but everything will be okay for the dog in the end.) CW for violence and murder, injury and illness, trauma and PTSD, ableism, sexism, and chemical use and abuse.

Backlist bump: The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel by Mary Robinette Kowal

I adore the comics of Liz Climo and I am including this delightful little pep talk of a book, because I bet you need it. One thing I learned in NYC last week while talking to many people I haven’t seen in years is that everyone is having a tough time. There is so much going on to stress out about! So this is a little rhyming book to cheer you on and cheer you up. And Climo’s animal illustrations are so cute and perfect. (I especially identified with the mule collapsing under the weight of all the books on its back, both literally and metaphorically, lol.) Be nice to yourself and pick up this book, because you are great.

Backlist bump: Lobster Is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship by Liz Climo

This week, I am reading Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. Outside of books, I am watching the Celtics preseason games. I cannot believe it’s time for basketball again already but I am also surprised by how much I missed it the last three months. The song stuck in my head is “No One’s Here To Sleep” by Naughty Boy and Bastille. You can still find the playlist of music from the 1980s I made here! And here is your weekly cat picture: When I am traveling, I have my husband send me pictures of the cats every few hours. At some point while I was gone, Zevon decided he was going to trying walking the clothes rack like Philippe Petit.

This week: I’m currently reading Laid-Back Camp by Afro (thank you, Danika), The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi, and Witch King by Martha Wells. Outside of books, I have been rewatching the first season of Abbott Elementary for like the third time, and I started Home Economics as well. (And I am waiting for all of Bad Sisters to go up before I start it.) The song stuck in my head is “Goodbye Horses” by Q Lazzarus. (I am sorry to hear that she passed away a few months ago.) And of course, there’s a cat photo: When I see the cats show off all their teeth like this when they yawn, I am glad they are small-ish and (mostly) on my side.

So this book is hilarious (and a great way to start the recommendations because the next one is SO disturbing.) It’s a YA romcom about a young woman named Sharlot, who is taken to her mother’s native country of Indonesia after her mother catches her attempting to lose her virginity. Meanwhile, rumors have gotten out in Indonesia that George Clooney Tanuwijaya (whose father loves American celebrities) is romantically interested in furries, so his father is looking to find him a non-furry match. Enter Sharlot. George and Sharlot meet each other with preconceived notions, because it turns out their parents have been pretending to be them when they chat with each other online. But despite their parents’ meddling, and the fact that they seemingly don’t actually like each other when they meet in person, perhaps there’s something undeniable between them anyway. (CW for sexism, homophobia, and mention of death of a parent.)

Backlist bump: Made in Korea by Sarah Suk

Okay, friends, now hold on to your butts. This is one of those books that I finished and then thought, “I love this—what the hell is wrong with me??!” This book is DISTURBING AF. But it’s also so freaking original and funny. You know how I hate saying this, but it is definitely not for everyone. If you dare to proceed, here’s the skinny: Abby and her husband Ralph move in with his mother in the hopes of helping her through a dark period. Abby’s own childhood was one of neglect and violence, and she’s seeking a comforting figure in her life. But Ralph’s mother is a cruel, manipulative woman, and when she dies, she continues to haunt and manipulate everyone around her. Hoping to bring joy and stability to their lives, Abby has a plan to fix everything. Spoiler: None of this is going to go well. Like I said, this book is remarkably upsetting, but I also thought it was amazing. So much, that I just got Hogarth’s last book, The Boy Meets Girl Massacre. A heads up that the list of content warnings are a mile long, so I’ll just say it basically has them all. Please do proceed with caution. (But omg let me know if you love it!) P.S. When you ask for it at the bookstore or library, note that the title is ‘mother-thing’ not ‘mothering’.

Backlist bump: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh (It’s more disturbing than Eileen, though.)

And last, but not least, a scary book of a different nature. (Get it, nature?) Proulx, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of works such as The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain, turns her attention to nonfiction and the loss of our planet’s wetlands. Proulx discusses how our wetlands have an important role to play in keeping the Earth healthy and how their loss is affected by climate change and vice versa. Heavy, but necessary, reading.

Backlist bump: The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren

This week, I am reading Sink: A Memoir by Joseph Earl Thomas and Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. Outside of books, I am thrilled that Abbott Elementary has started its second season. I just rewatched the first season in preparation and loved it even more. And I am looking forward to the premiere of Ghosts this week. The song stuck in my head is “Free” by Florence + The Machine. (Probably because I have been playing it on repeat for days.) I’m also still into the playlist of music from the 1980s I made—you can listen here! And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon is waiting for me to start doing this puzzle so he can eat some of the pieces. My two orange boys think puzzle pieces are a delicacy.

If I had to tell you what the music I love says about me, it would say I am a very eclectic person. Which tracks, LOL. This is a fascinating book that will tell you what your music says about you! What kind of music, tempos, and instruments you like says a lot about your brain. And the author is the perfect person to explain it to you. Susan Rogers is an award-winning professor of cognitive neuroscience. But before that, she was a successful musical engineer who worked with such artists as Prince and Barenaked Ladies! I never get tired of brain books, because we still know so little about how they work, and every little thing we learn fascinates me to no end.

Backlist bump: The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross

I cannot believe it has already been a year since I was recommending you pick up Mark Oshiro’s middle grade debut The Insiders. It was such a good book! Now he’s back with speculative adventure. This time, we follow — wait for it — David Bravo, who is struggling in school. After a particularly bad day, he wishes he could do it over. And POOF! A magical dog appears to help him make his wish come true. But how many tries does it take to get something just right? David will learn that maybe just letting things happen is the best decision. But also, did I mention the magical dog??!

Backlist bump: The Insiders by Mark Oshiro

And last, but not least, I am recommending this charming YA romcom. I enjoyed Sass’s debut a couple of years ago, which was an queer YA thriller. And I thought this was a delight. It’s a Cinderella-type story about a young boy named — wait for it again! — Micah Summers. He’s been lucky at a lot of things, but not love. He keeps an Instagram account of sketches of imaginary boys he’s like to date, but so far, Micah has been too shy to ask anyone out. That all changes when he meets a cute boy on a train, who leaves behind his jacket. Convinced that finding the jacket’s owner will bring him true love, Micah and his friends set off on an adventure across Chicago. But what if finding true love isn’t like a fairy tale?

Backlist bump: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

This week, I am reading The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo and The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino. Outside of books, I am excited that Jeopardy is starting up again! And the song stuck in my head is “Righteously” by Lucinda Williams. I’m also into listening to music from the 1980s while I play WoW and I started a playlist — you can listen here! And here is your weekly cat picture: If you don’t shut your dresser drawers in this house, you’re going to end up with clothes covered in cat hair. Er, once you first remove said cat.

Today is a great day for debuts, and this novel is at the top of the list! It’s about Ky Tran, a Vietnamese Australian woman whose younger brother, Denny, is murdered at a restaurant while celebrating his graduation. When Ky returns home for the funeral, she discovers that even though there were many witnesses, they are all claiming to have seen nothing happen. In her grief, Ky takes it upon herself to talk to them, and exposes the undercurrent of racism and violence that have long existed in the country. This is a powerful and moving debut, and you will think about it for a long time after you finish. (CW for violence and murder, drug use, loss of a loved one, racism, and xenophobia.)

Backlist bump: Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha

This book, and the first volume, are so much fun. I like them because they’re wildly funny and strange, but they also teach you such incredible things. Munroe, former NASA roboticist and creator of the popular web comic xkcd, answers silly questions with fully-researched answers. Could you ride a fire pole from the moon to the Earth? What would happen if you stepped on a geyser as it erupted, or hung on to a helicopter blade as it spun around? Munroe has answers. These also make great gifts for the people in your life who like their science with a side of silly.

Backlist bump: How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe

And last, but not least, as we approach fall, it’s time for some creepy books! I have Tirzah to thank for this recommendation. It’s a fun YA read about Addie, a 17-year-old who is forced to accompany her mother on her honeymoon to Eulalie Island. Addie doesn’t want to be on the island, but when she learns of two girls who died there centuries ago (and may not have left) and meets a mysterious boy on the beach, everything starts to get interesting. And by interesting, I mean eerie. It’s a fast read, full of slightly magical and haunting happenings! (Also, doesn’t the girl on the cover look like Linda Cardellini???) (CW for violence, injury, and death.)

Backlist bump: The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance

This week, I am reading Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. Outside of books, I have been rewatching Star vs. the Forces of Evil. (It’s still my favorite theme song.) And the song stuck in my head is “Weird Goodbyes” by The National with Bon Iver. I’m also into listening to music from the 1980s while I play WoW and I started a playlist — you can listen here! And here is your weekly cat picture: “Here I come to save the dayyyyyyyyyy!”—Zevon