Category: New Books

Welcome to the first Tuesday of June! I have an enormous list of books for you to look at today. I spent a long time making sure the pub dates were correct on Friday, but some may have already changed since then. The books out today I am most looking forward to reading include How to Die in Space: A Journey Through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena by Paul Sutter, How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community by Mia Birdsong, and The Book of Rosy: A Mother’s Story of Separation at the Border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz.

You can hear about several of today’s great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Kelly and I discussed Parakeet, You Should See Me in a Crown, The Vanishing Half, and more.

Like each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have had the chance to read and loved. It has been hard to focus the last few weeks, but I did get to a few of today’s books. And there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now, and I am so sorry if you are hurting. Please reach out to your friends and family if you need someone to talk to, and be sure to keep social distancing and washing your hands. – XO, Liberty

Parakeet: A Novel by Marie-Helene Bertino

Again Again by E. Lockhart

A Decent Family: A Novel by Rosa Ventrella, Ann Goldstein (translator)

A Man by Keiichiro Hirano, Eli K.P. William (translator)

Kissing Lessons by Sophie Jordan

If We Were Us by K.L. Walther

The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska

Ghostlove by Dennis Mahoney

Gravity is Heartless: The Heartless Series, Book One by Sarah Lahey

The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley

Vagablonde by Anna Dorn

Muddy Matterhorn by Heather McHugh

Sara and the Search for Normal by Wesley King

Dancing After TEN by Vivian Chong, Georgia Webber

Melvile: A Graphic Novel by Romain Renard Renard

They Did Bad Things: A Thriller by Lauren A. Forry

The Disoriented by Amin Maalouf, Frank Wynne (translator)

Windows On The World by Robert Mailer Anderson, Jon Sack, Zack Anderson

Empress of Flames by Mimi Yu

Lady Chevy: A Novel by John Woods

Running from the Dead: A Crime Novel by Mike Knowles

All the Songs We Sing: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Carolina African American Writers’ Collective by Lenard D. Moore

Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry

My Summer of Love and Misfortune by Lindsay Wong

Under Pressure: Living Life and Avoiding Death on a Nuclear Submarine by Richard Humphreys

Say I’m Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets, and Love by E. Dolores Johnson

Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias by Pragya Agarwal

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson, Leila Del Duca (Illustrator)

The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini, Richard Dixon (translator)

A Little Annihilation by Anna Janko, Philip Boehm (translator)

A Burning: A Novel by Megha Majumdar

The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—an Abortion by Diana Greene Foster

Song of the Sandman by JF Dubeau

Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen

Prophetic City: Houston on the Cusp of a Changing America by Stephen L. Klineberg

Night of the Assassins: The Untold Story of Hitler’s Plot to Kill FDR, Churchill, and Stalin by Howard Blum

An Elegant Woman: A Novel by Martha McPhee

Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Nicholas A. Basbanes

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

The Hero of Numbani (Overwatch #1) by Nicky Drayden

Star Wars Queen’s Peril by E. K. Johnston

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

The Voyage of the Morning Light: A Novel by Marina Endicott

Conventionally Yours (True Colors) by Annabeth Albert

Jo & Laurie by Melissa de la Cruz, Margaret Stohl

Elly by Maike Wetzel, Lyn Marven (Translator)

The Summer of Kim Novak by Haakan Nesser, Saskia Vogel (Translator)

On the Prowl: In Search of Big Cat Origins by Mark Hallett and John M. Harris

No Rules: A Memoir by Sharon Dukett

Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles by Ellen Datlow

Space at the Speed of Light: The History of 14 Billion Years for People Short on Time by Dr. Becky Smethurst

The Language of Butterflies: How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the World’s Favorite Insect by Wendy Williams

Dot Con: The Art of Scamming a Scammer by James Veitch

Hold Your Breath, China (An Inspector Chen mystery) by Qiu Xiaolong

The Next Great Migration by Sonia Shah

Splash! : 10,000 Years of Swimming by Howard Means

Black Sun Rising: A Novel by Matthew Carr

Clean Hands: A Novel by Patrick Hoffman

Places I’ve Taken My Body: Essays by Molly McCully Brown

How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community by Mia Birdsong

Beyond the Break by Heather Buchta

Wretchedness by Andrzej Tichý, Nichola Smalley (translator)

The Yield: A Novel by Tara June Winch

Category Five by Ann Dávila Cardinal

The Fallen: A Novel by Carlos Manuel Álvarez, Frank Wynne (translator)

The Remarkable Life of the Skin: An Intimate Journey Across Our Largest Organ by Monty Lyman

Cosmology’s Century: An Inside History of Our Modern Understanding of the Universe by P. J. E. Peebles

Imaginary Borders (Pocket Change Collective) by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

The Inner Coast: Essays by Donovan Hohn

The Madwoman and the Roomba: My Year of Domestic Mayhem by Sandra Tsing Loh

The Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett

Remain Silent: A Manon Bradshaw Novel by Susie Steiner

The Voter File by David Pepper

The Joyce Girl by Annabel Abbs

Exciting Times: A Novel by Naoise Dolan

The Court of Miracles (A Court of Miracles) by Kester Grant

The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson

Perfectly Famous by Emily Liebert

The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why: Essays by Alexandra Petri

The Book of Rosy: A Mother’s Story of Separation at the Border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwietert Collazo

Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It by Jamie Margolin

Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso

Between Everything and Nothing: The Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for Asylum by Joe Meno

Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha, Larissa Helena (Translator)

The Second Home by Christina Clancy

The School for Good and Evil: One True King by Soman Chainani

Seven Years of Darkness by You-Jeong Jeong

Magnetized: Conversations with a Serial Killer by Carlos Busqued, Samuel Rutter (translator)

The Day I Was Erased by Lisa Thompson

The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini

The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Cordova

The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir by Wayétu Moore

Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

Burn by Patrick Ness

Ornamental by Juan Cárdenas, Lizzie Davis (translator)

The View from Here: A Novel by Hannah McKinnon

Her Perfect Life by Rebecca Taylor

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand

#VERYFAT #VERYBRAVE : The Fat Girl’s Guide to Being #Brave and Not a Dejected, Melancholy, Down-in-the-Dumps Weeping Fat Girl in a Bikini by Nicole Byer

Happily Ever After & Everything In Between by Debbie Tung

The Summer Deal: A Novel by Jill Shalvis

Donut the Destroyer by Sarah Graley, Stef Purenins

You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider

The Obsidian Tower (The Gate of Secrets) by Melissa Caruso

The Choice by Gillian McAllister

More Miracle Than Bird by Alice Miller

Ask Me Anything  by P.Z. Reizin

Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters: A Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini

Who Killed Berta Caceres? The Murder of an Indigenous Defender and the Race to Save the Planet by Nina Lakhani

This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew

Girls Garage: How to Use Any Tool, Tackle Any Project, and Build the World You Want to See (Teenage Trailblazers, STEM Building Projects for Girls) by Emily Pilloton

A Long Night in Paris by Dov Alfon

How to Die in Space: A Journey Through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena by Paul Sutter PhD

A Decade of Disruption: America in the New Millennium by Garrett Peck

You made it to the bottom! Thanks for subscribing!

How is it possible that it is Tuesday again already?!? But I am glad it is Tuesday, because that means NEW BOOK DAY. A lot of titles have been postponed in the last couple weeks – August is now PACKED with new releases – but there are still a bunch of amazing books coming out today, too. At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta and Camp Murderface by Josh Berk & Saundra Mitchell. (THAT TITLE, LOL.)

You can also hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Patricia and I discussed Camp, Fairest, The Ship We Built, and more!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay safe and reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Masad

Full disclosure: I am excited about this book because Masad is a former Rioter, and doubly excited because it’s SO good! It’s a tremendous debut about a woman, Maggie, who returns home when her mother dies. Maggie and her family have not had the best relationship, and her mother had never hidden the fact that she was uncomfortable with the fact that Maggie is a lesbian. When her mother’s will is read, there are also five envelopes addressed to five different men that Maggie has never heard of before. She decides to hand-deliver each letter in an effort to learn more about her mother, and the life she kept hidden from her children.

Backlist bump: Find Me by Laura van den Berg

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

I can’t believe it has already been a year since the first book in this series came out! The first was a take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and this one is a twist on – you guessed it – Persuasion. Chef Ashna Raje thinks her appearance on Cooking with the Stars will help get publicity for her restaurant, but then she’s paired up with the last celebrity she wants to see – her ex-boyfriend, soccer star Rico Silva. Rico is also excited about the show until he finds out he has to work with Ashna, the woman who broke his heart. But their obvious chemistry drives the public’s interest in their partnership and the show’s ratings. Will all the time they are spending together prove to be a recipe for disaster?

Backlist bump: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

What You Don’t See (A Chicago Mystery) by Tracy Clark

Okay, I haven’t actually read this one BUT I wanted to use the opportunity to recommend the first one, because I think I read it after its release, and it’s really good. Cass Raines was an officer with the Chicago PD, until a coworker’s screw-up caused her serious harm. Now she’s retired and working as a detective in her own agency. In her first case, the first book in the series, she investigates the murder of a priest, who happened to be like a father to her. The local police are ready to write his death off as a robbery gone wrong, but Cass’s spidey senses tell her that there’s something larger behind his murder. I have read the first two in this series and I think Cass is a great character, and that the plots and action move at a quick pace. I look forward to getting this one too!

Backlist bump: Broken Places (A Chicago Mystery) by Tracy Clark

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty

Welcome back to Tuesday, readers. It’s time for new books! At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are This Coven Won’t Break by Isabel Sterling and Stray: A Memoir by Stephanie Danler. And for all you Hunger Games fans, the wait is over: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is out today!

You can hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Tirzah and I discussed Latitudes of Longing, Beach Read, Real Men Knit, and more!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay safe and reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

Boys of Alabama: A Novel by Genevieve Hudson

This is an incendiary debut novel about a teen grappling with his sexuality and superpowers who moves to the South, where he quickly falls in with the other boys, drinking beer and learning how to fire a gun. But when Max meets Pan, a self-proclaimed “witch,” he feels seen for the first time. Their relationship grows stronger and darker as the boys share their secrets, culminating in an explosive ending.

Backlist bump: Pretend We Live Here: Short Stories by Genevieve Hudson

Drifts: A Novel by Kate Zambreno

This is another very Liberty pick, with unusual writing style and story structure. I am a huge fan of Zambreno’s nonfiction and her debut novel, O Fallen Angel. I am also in love with this story of an unnamed writer going through a personal crisis. She spends her days working on her writing while obsessing over other writers she loves, photographing her neighbors on her walks, and contemplating just what does it all mean.

Backlist bump: O Fallen Angel by Kate Zambreno

Weird but Normal: Essays by Mia Mercado

I have not yet had a chance to read this book, but it’s at the top of my TBR. There was a time when I would not pick up a book about functions of the body, as I am weirdly squeamish about that stuff. But reading Samantha Irby (who also blurbed this book) has helped me get over some of that, because she is the Queen of Oversharing and also the funniest person ever. So I am looking forward to Mercado’s collection about “what it means to be a professional, absurdly beautiful, horny, cute, gross human.”

Backlist bump: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life: Essays by Samantha Irby

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty

Welcome back to Tuesday, readers. It’s time for new books! At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt by Jill Watts, House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess, and Gastronogeek: 42 Recipes from Your Favorite Imaginary Worlds by Thibaud Villanova and Maxime Léonard. *sigh* I also want to read every other book too. WHERE IS MY FREEZE RAY?!

You can hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Vanessa and I discussed A Deadly Inside Scoop, Stealing Thunder, The Shapeless Unease, and more!

It has been a quiet couple of months for book mail with everything going on, but I recently purchased several books from indie bookstores around the country and the books are starting to trickle in. It’s like Christmas in May! (No, really, it snowed here the other day.) I have read and loved most of them in galley form, so I wanted to purchase finished copies to keep on my shelves. (And by shelves, I mean floor, because all my shelves are full hahahahaha.) TL;DR: YAY, BOOKS!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.) And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

The Museum of Whales You Will Never See: And Other Excursions to Iceland’s Most Unusual Museums by A. Kendra Greene

Hello, wheelhouse! This is a beautiful little read about Greene’s exploration of unusual museums in Iceland. The country has more than 265 museums and public collections that’s nearly one for every ten people who live there! Greene observed some very unusual things on her travels, like a stuffed whooper swan and a chastity belt for rams, and learned a lot about the country in the process. I loved it – armchair travel is my favorite kind of travel!

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

Quotients by Tracy O’Neill

I am a big fan of O’Neill’s first novel, which was about a skating champion hopeful, so I was eagerly anticipating a new novel from her! This one is very different, but also excellent. It’s about a couple, each with past secrets and aliases, who are struggling to make a new life together in the face of invasive technology and digital footprints. It’s an interesting take on spying, data, and our inability to remain unknowable in the 21st century.

Backlist bump: The Hopeful by Tracy O’Neill

York: The Map of Stars by Laura Ruby

Okay, so this is the last book in this amazing middle grade trilogy, so I am not going to tell you any spoilers. Instead, I am going to once again HIGHLY recommend that you pick up the first book. It’s about a group of kids that set out to solve a famous puzzle left behind by missing brothers in order to save their building. It’s so fun and clever, and it gives off wicked Westing Game vibes like whoa, and I would love to see an adaptation of this on a screen, big or little. I loved this series so much!

Backlist bump: York: The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty

Welcome to the first Tuesday of May! WOOOOOOO, there are a lot of books out today. I just spent over two hours checking every release date on this list to make sure they were still coming out today. I removed over 50 titles that have been pushed to the fall, and there are STILL this many books on the list! The books out today I am most looking forward to reading include Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage by Tori Amos, Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices by S. K. Ali, Aisha Saeed, and Death in the East: A Novel by Abir Mukherjee.

You can hear about several of today’s great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Kelly and I discussed A Good Marriage, Goldilocks, The Down Days, and more.

Like each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have had the chance to read and loved. It has been hard to focus the last few weeks, but I did get to a few of today’s books. And there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.) And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now. I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time. – XO, Liberty

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Goldilocks by Laura Lam

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn, Joosun Lee (translator)

Best Behavior: A Novel by Wendy Francis

When I Hit the Road by Nancy J. Cavanaugh

São Bernardo (New York Review Books Classics) by Graciliano Ramos (Author), Padma Viswanathan (Translator)

New-generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set: Saba by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani

A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes

And Their Children After Them: A Novel by Nicolas Mathieu, William Rodarmor (translator)

Throwback: The Chaos Loop by Peter Lerangis

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

The First Emma by Camille Di Maio

Pages & Co.: The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James

War and Speech by Don Zolidis

She Wears Pain Like Diamonds: Poems by Alfa

Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson

Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan

The Law of Lines: A Novel by Hye-young Pyun, Sora Kim-Russell (translator)

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendáriz

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride

Who Ate the First Oyster?: The Extraordinary People Behind the Greatest Firsts in History by Cody Cassidy

Big Summer: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm by Hilarie Burton

My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry and Speaking Your Truth by Patrice Vecchione

More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood by Natasha Gregson Wagner

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero, Frances Riddle (translator)

All The Gay Saints by Kayleb Rae Candrilli

Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices by S. K. Ali, Aisha Saeed

White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia by Kiki Petrosino

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin

The Secret of You and Me: A Novel by Melissa Lenhardt

Officer Clemmons: A Memoir by Dr. François S. Clemmons

It’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage by Arlan Hamilton and Rachel L. Nelson

The Park by John Freeman

Adult Conversation: A Novel by Brandy Ferner

Golf’s Holy War: The Battle for the Soul of a Game in an Age of Science by Brett Cyrgalis

The Brown Bullet: Rajo Jack’s Drive to Integrate Auto Racing by Bill Poehler

I Know You Rider by Leslie Stein

The Eleventh Gate by Nancy Kress

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Butterfly Bayou by Lexi Blake

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Natasha Farrant, Lydia Corry

The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana by Maryse Condé, Richard Philcox (Translator)

The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform American Capitalism by Susan Berfield

The Narcissism of Small Differences by Michael Zadoorian

Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard by Clare Carlisle

Untold Night and Day: A Novel by Bae Suah

Westside Saints: A Tiny Mystery by W.M. Akers

The Last Blue: A Novel by Isla Morley

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Holy Shroud: A Brilliant Hoax in the Time of the Black Death by Gary Vikan

You’re Not Special: A (Sort-of) Memoir by Meghan Rienks

Bone Black by Carol Rose GoldenEagle

Daughter of the Boycott: Carrying On a Montgomery Family’s Civil Rights Legacy by Karen Gray Houston

The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman

The Dark In-Between by Elizabeth Hrib

The Second Chance Dress Boutique: A Novel by Louisa Leaman

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha

Figure It Out: Essays by Wayne Koestenbaum

Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel by Martha Wells

Langosh and Peppi: Fugitive Days by Veronica Post

Hunting November by Adriana Mather

Telephone: A Novel by Percival Everett

The Hilarious World of Depression by John Moe

Fractured Tide by Leslie Lutz

The Poison Flood by Jordan Farmer

Hope Island by Tim Major

Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin

Tiny Imperfections by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

The Down Days by Ilze Hugo

The Last Tree Town by Beth Turley

You Are Not What We Expected by Sidura Ludwig

Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky

Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster

Only the River: A Novel by Anne Raeff

The Louvre: The Many Lives of the World’s Most Famous Museum by James Gardner

On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights by Lawrence Goldstone

Fracture: A Novel by Andrés Neuman, Nick Caistor and Lorenzo Garcia (translators)

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School by Judith Warner

Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage by Tori Amos

The Imperfects: A Novel by Amy Meyerson

I Don’t Expect Anyone To Believe Me by Juan Pablo Villalobos, Daniel Hahn (translator)

Santiago’s Road Home by Alexandra Diaz

What We Found in the Corn Maze and How It Saved a Dragon by Henry Clark

The Paris Hours: A Novel by Alex George

James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

The Resolutions: A Novel by Brady Hammes

Catrachos: Poems by Roy G. Guzmán

Groundwork: Autobiographical Writings, 1979–2012 by Paul Auster

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

Keep It Together, Keiko Carter by Debbi Michiko Florence

Happy Paws: A Branches Book (Layla and the Bots) by Vicky Fang, Christine Nishiyama

Close Up by Amanda Quick

Exile Music by Jennifer Steil

Connect the Dots by Keith Calabrese

The Ruby Princess Runs Away (Jewel Kingdom #1) Jahnna N. Malcolm

The Book of V. by Anna Solomon

Death in the East: A Novel by Abir Mukherjee

Silence on Cold River: A Novel by Casey Dunn

Any Day With You by Mae Respicio

Shuri: A Black Panther Novel (Marvel) (1) by Nic Stone

Scandinavian Noir: In Pursuit of a Mystery by Wendy Lesser

Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

The Paladin: A Spy Novel by David Ignatius

Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a chef in training, father, and sleuth looking for the secret of French cooking by Bill Buford

Ghosts of Harvard: A Novel by Francesca Serritella

Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich

The Mathematics of the Gods and the Algorithms of Men: A Cultural History by Paolo Zellini, Erica Segre (translator), Carnell Simon (translator)

I, John Kennedy Toole by Jodee Blanco and Kent Carroll

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner

A Gift for a Ghost by Borja González

In Praise of Paths: Walking Through Time and Nature by Torbjørn Ekelund, Becky L. Crook (translator)

Pelosi by Molly Ball

The Book of Second Chances by Katherine Slee

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World by Jacqueline Novogratz

What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue

The Brideship Wife by Leslie Howard

A Short History of the Civil War by DK

A Registry of My Passage upon the Earth: Stories by Daniel Mason

Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen

Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and a Story of Reconciliation by J. Chester Johnson

Impostures (Library of Arabic Literature) by al-Ḥarīrī, Michael Cooperson

The Sewer Rat Stink (Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel #1) by Geronimo Stilton, Tom Angleberger

Fire in Paradise: An American Tragedy by Alastair Gee, Dani Anguiano

Brunch and Other Obligations: A Novel by Suzanne Nugent

The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book: Test Your Inner Detective by Solving Some of the World’s Most Difficult Cases by Sinclair McKay

Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir) by Jerry Thompson and Owen Hill

This Is a Book for People Who Love the National Parks by Matt Garczynski

Lift by Minh Lê and Dan Santat

Katarina Ballerina (1) by Tiler Peck, Kyle Harris, Sumiti Collina (Illustrator)

You made it to the bottom! Thanks for subscribing!

Welcome back to Tuesday, readers. It’s time for new books! At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek H. Murthy, Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova, and The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds.

You can hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Patricia and I discussed The Knockout Queen, What Is Color?, All Boys Aren’t Blue, and more!

This past weekend, I finished watching the first 30 seasons of The Simpsons, which is just bananas when I say it out loud, lol. Now I plan to watch some newer Agatha Christie adaptations, and possibly reread all her books in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication of her first book. I am in the mood for (fictional) murder.

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.) And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

Sea Wife by Amity Gaige

Many years ago, when I worked at a bookstore, we did an event with the amazing author Adam Haslett, and someone asked him what he recommends people read. He said Amity Gage. It was one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard. She’s a marvelous writer, and her stunning new novel about a couple that cashes it all in to live on a sailboat with their children, and the complications that arise in their marriage, is a smart exploration of motherhood, relationships, and societal expectations.

Backlist bump: The Folded World by Amity Gaige

Little Family by Ishmael Beah

If you listen to the show this week, you’ll hear me mention how I was just starting this novel. Well, ta-da! I finished it that night, and it is indeed great. It’s a look at five young people who live together in the relic of an abandoned airplane, the community they have built for themselves, and the dangers of the inevitable interruption from outsiders. Beah does a great job relaying images of the struggles of life in a postcolonial Africa.

Backlist bump: Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah

No Man’s Land: The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain’s Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War I by Wendy Moore

Why is so little written about World War I, compared to all other wars? I don’t have an answer, but I am interested in all military history, which is why I picked up this book. It’s about two women physicians who broke barriers. Originally treating wounded soldiers in Paris, they were moved to London by the British Army, where they treated hundred of casualties. It’s a big deal, partly because prior to that, women were only allowed to attend to children and other women. The story of Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson is harrowing and inspirational, and a must-read for anyone interested in history.

Backlist bump: Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty

Welcome back to Tuesday, readers. It’s time for new books! At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are The Silence of Bones by June Hur, Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier, Ronan the Librarian by Tara Luebbe & Becky Cattie, Warhol by Blake Gopnik, Shorefall, the second book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Founders Trilogy. 

You can hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Tirzah and I discussed How to Pronounce Knife, On These Magic Shores, If I Had Your Face, and more!

And remember how I said last week how I can’t resist an enormous book? WELP. Akashic Books was kind enough to send me an e-galley of the upcoming Arthur Nersesian novel, The Five Books of (Robert) Moses, which clocks in at a hefty 1,504 pages! I look forward to sinking my teeth in it soon.

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.) And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry 

Much like I was delighted to see that the new Paulette Jiles novel, Simon the Fiddler, was set around the same time as her last book, News of the World, I am over the moon (over a thousand moons?) that Sebastian Barry is continuing the amazing story from Days Without End. It’s about the orphaned Lakota Indian girl who grows up with the two main characters from the first book. I am not going to go into detail, because I really, really recommend reading the first book. Or, if you’re saying to yourself, “Liberty, I *did* read the first book,” then this next message is for you: OMG GET THIS ONE NEXT.

Backlist bump: Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

Pretty Things: A Novel by Janelle Brown

I’m always down for a fun thriller! Nina is a young woman who takes over the family business of grifting after her mother becomes too sick to work. Vanessa is an heiress and Instagram It Girl with a troubled past. These two women are going to cross paths in Tahoe, where the both wind up for a little R&R: rest and robbery! Vanessa is the target of Nina’s latest scam – but things don’t always go according to plan, do they?

Backlist bump: Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst

I couldn’t pass up a new fantasy novel for adults by SBD being pitched as “National Velvet with monsters!” (Does anyone even read National Velvet anymore?) In the world of Becar, individuals can pretty much manage what they come back as in each of their lives by being on their best behavior. But if you’re badly behaved and come back as a kehok, a monster, you’re stuck a monster for the rest of your lives. Tamra needs to win the deadly Becaran Races so she can use the prize money to get her daughter back. Unable to ride herself after a tragic accident, she hires Raia to ride a promising new kehok, hoping the unlikely pair will win. But there are a lot of surprises in store for the team.

Backlist bump: The Queen of Blood: Book One of The Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst

Rick by Alex Gino

Rick is starting middle school along with his best friend, Jeff, who isn’t really much of a friend. Rick’s dad is sure he’s going to meet a lot of girls he will want to date, but Rick doesn’t enjoy having those discussions with his dad. Instead, when he gets to his new school, he discovers the school’s Rainbow Spectrum club, where the members are kids of many genders and identities, and suddenly Rick feels like he’s finally found a place for him. But it might mean letting go of the relationships he had in the past that aren’t working for him. This is a wonderful middle grade novel about bullying, identity, and finding your own path.

Backlist bump: George by Alex Gino

Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran

Tran immigrated to America along with his family in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. They ended up in a small town in Pennsylvania, where they had to learn the ways of their new home. Tran’s memoir is about his family’s assimilation in an often racist and unfriendly environment, and his later rebellion against his strict parents, where he found solace in classic literature and punk rock music, the salvation of the lost teen. I loved this book and I give it +5 Maine author cred! (Which is a point system I just made up.)

Backlist bump: Dharma Punx: A Memoir by Noah Levine

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty

Welcome back to Tuesday, readers. It’s time for new books! At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are For Joshua: An Ojibwe Father Teaches His Son by Richard Wagamese and Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould. I also want a finished copy of The Eighth Life: for Brilka by Nino Haratischvili, even though I’ve been reading a PDF, because I love big books!

You can hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Vanessa and I discussed The Unsuitable, Braised Pork, The Happily Ever Playlist, and more!

It has been a long time since I received a galley in the mail, because of everything going on. Which is fine with me – stay home and be safe! But I have still received some amazing upcoming titles I’m excited about via advance PDFs. They include The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison, Red Pill by Hari Kunzru, The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde, A Deadly Education (The Scholomance) by Naomi Novik, Jack by Marilynne Robinson, and You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria.

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Here’s where you can learn more about COVID-19 Updates from the Bookish World. We’ll continue to update it regularly. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.)

And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui

Although I love to swim, I do it so rarely, because I hate swimming where there are things living in the water more than I love swimming. But I still love to read about swimming! This is a fascinating novel about, well, why we swim, and when, and where, and for how long. Even though humans are not natural-born swimmers, they love going in the water, unlike most other mammals. There is a ton of interesting stuff from history and present-day in this book!

Backlist bump: Swim: Why We Love the Water by Lynn Sherr

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

Oh, oh, oh, how I love Frances Hardinge, and everything she writes. It’s always so wildly imaginative and fantastic! This is a YA novel about a teen boy, Hark, who finds the still-beating heart of a monster god, even though the gods supposedly killed each other off decades ago. Hark hides the heart from grownup and the authorities, because he thinks the heart will save his dying best friend, Jelt. But instead, it starts to transform Jelt into a monster. Can Hark do what’s necessary before it’s too late?

Backlist bump: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982: A Novel by Cho Nam-Joo, Jamie Chang (translator)

Set in South Korea, this excellent novel is about societal expectations and misogyny vs. personal choice and freedom. Kim Jiyoung leaves her desk job to stay home and care for her newborn daughter, like she is expected to, but it transforms her in the strangest way: she begins to talk in the voices of other women, both alive and dead. Understandably, this freaks out her family, who send her to a psychiatrist. There Kim Jiyoung recounts the difficulties and unfair expectations put upon Korean women, and the inherent sexism and dangers in her every-day routines.

Backlist bump: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty

Welcome to the first Tuesday of April! A lot of publication dates are being pushed to the end of the year, and even 2021, but there are still a ton of great books out today. The books I am most looking forward to reading include Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega, Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon, and Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami.

You can hear about several of today’s great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Kelly and I discussed The Subtweet, Hidden Valley Road, We Didn’t Ask for This, and more.

Like each megalist, I’m putting a next to the books that I have had the chance to read and loved. It has been hard to focus the last few weeks, but I did get to a few of today’s books. And there are soooo many more on this list that I can’t wait to read!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Here’s where you can learn more about COVID-19 Updates from the Bookish World. We’ll continue to update it regularly. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.) And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now. I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time. – XO, Liberty

Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World by Olga Khazan

Goodbye from Nowhere by Sara Zarr

Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo, Scott Sonenshein

We Didn’t Ask for This by Adi Alsaid

Sin Eater: A Novel by Megan Campisi

One Drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet by Richard Wagamese

Still: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Motherhood by Emma Hansen

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

Cut to Bloom by Arhm Choi Wild

Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon

Crazy for Birds: A Celebration and Exploration of Eggs, Nests, Wings, and More by Misha Maynerick Blaise

Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence by Karla Valenti, Annalisa Beghelli

The Burning by Laura Bates

Choice Words: Writers on Abortion by Annie Finch

The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson

The Postman From Space by Guillaume Perreault

The Five Archetypes: Discover Your True Nature and Transform Your Life and Relationships by Carey Davidson

Broadway for Paul: Poems by Vincent Katz

White Silence by Jodi Taylor

The Rough Pearl by Kevin Mutch

The Subtweet: A Novel by Vivek Shraya

Moments of Glad Grace: A Memoir by Alison Wearing

Malicroix by Henri Bosco, Joyce Zonana (Translator)

Temptation by Janos Szekely, Mark Baczoni (Translator)

Conjure Women: A Novel by Afia Atakora

Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble by Gurihiru, Mariko Tamaki

Talking to Strangers: A Memoir of My Escape from a Cult by Marianne Boucher

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

Living Your Best Life According to Nala Cat by Nala Cat

The Loop by Ben Oliver

Why Did No One Tell Me This?: The Doulas’ (Honest) Guide for Expectant Parents by Natalia Hailes, Ash Spivak, Louise Reimer

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

Natural: How Faith in Nature’s Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads, Unjust Laws, and Flawed Science by Alan Levinovitz

Demo: Poems by Charlie Smith

Philosophy in the Garden by Damon Young

Learning by Heart: An Unconventional Education by Tony Wagner

The Helios Disaster by Linda Boström Knausgård, Rachel Willson-Broyles (translator)

Above Us the Milky Way by Fowzia Karimi

Mothers Before: Stories and Portraits of Our Mothers as We Never Saw Them by Edan Lepucki

Ordinary Insanity: Fear and the Silent Crisis of Motherhood in America by Sarah Menkedick

The Golden Girls: Forever Golden: The Real Autobiographies of Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche by Christine Kopaczewski

The Dark Matter of Mona Starr by Laura Lee Gulledge

Mitchum by Blutch, Matt Madden (Translator)

Aren’t You Forgetting Someone?: Essays from My Mid-Life Revenge by Kari Lizer

The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer: Everything You Need to Know About Craft, Inspiration, Agents, Editors, Publishing, and the Business of Building a Sustainable Writing Career by Kevin Larimer, Mary Gannon

Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan

Redhead by the Side of the Road: A novel by Anne Tyler

Pets by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger

Eat Like the Animals: What Nature Teaches Us About the Science of Healthy Eating by David Raubenheimer and Stephen Simpson

Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space by Kevin Hand

The Engineer’s Wife: A Novel by Tracey Enerson Wood

More than Ready: Be Strong and Be You . . . and Other Lessons for Women of Color on the Rise by Cecilia Munoz

Square Haunting: Five Writers in London Between the Wars by Francesca Wade

Neck of the Woods: Poetry by Amy Woolard

Being Property Once Myself: Blackness and the End of Man by Joshua Bennett

Mastering the Process: From Idea to Novel by Elizabeth George

Little Josephine: Memory in Pieces by Valérie Villieu and Raphaël Sarfati

The Pelton Papers: A Novel by Mari Coates

The Truth about Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown

The King’s Beast: A Mystery of the American Revolution by Eliot Pattison

Forever Glimmer Creek by Stacy Hackney

Happy Fat: Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You by Sofie Hagen

A Girl’s Story by Annie Ernaux, Alison L. Strayer (translator)

Spit Three Times by Davide Reviati, Jamie Richards (translator)

Bonds of Brass: Book One of The Bloodright Trilogy by Emily Skrutskie

Indigo by Ellen Bass

Alabama Noir (Akashic Noir) by Don Noble

Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington

This Lovely City by Louise Hare

So This is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim

Final Draft: The Collected Work of David Carr by David Carr, Jill Rooney Carr

Me & Patsy Kickin’ Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline by Loretta Lynn and Patsy Lynn

The Kidnap Years: The Astonishing True History of the Forgotten Kidnapping Epidemic That Shook Depression-Era America by David Stout

The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni

Somebody Told Me by Mia Siegert

I Don’t Want to Die Poor: Essays by Michael Arceneaux

Raphael, Painter in Rome: A Novel by Stephanie Storey

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan

Thieves of Weirdwood by William Shivering, Anna Earley (Illustrator)

The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park

The More Extravagant Feast: Poems by Leah Naomi Green

The Immortals of Tehran by Ali Araghi

The Silver Swan: In Search of Doris Duke by Sallie Bingham

Afropessimism by Frank Wilderson

A Bad Day for Sunshine: A Novel by Darynda Jones

Theft by Luke Brown

Trees in Trouble: Wildfires, Infestations, and Climate Change by Daniel Mathews

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey

Betsey: A Memoir by Betsey Johnson, Mark Vitulano

Queen of the Owls: A Novel by Barbara Linn Probst

Long Story Short: 100 Classic Books in Three Panels by Lisa Brown

Sword in the Stars: A Once & Future novel by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta

A Tender Thing by Emily Neuberger

The Best Laid Plans by Cameron Lund

Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

In the Waves: My Quest to Solve the Mystery of a Civil War Submarine by Rachel Lance

Crave by Tracy Wolff

The Silent Treatment: A Novel by Abbie Greaves

Barker House by David Moloney

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

You and Me and Us: A Novel by Alison Hammer

The Dominant Animal: Stories by Kathryn Scanlan

Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes (Pandava Series) by Roshani Chokshi

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang

A Hundred Suns by Karin Tanabe

The Wolf of Cape Fen by Juliana Brandt

The Third Sister by Sara Blaedel

The Last Book on the Left: Stories of Murder and Mayhem from History’s Most Notorious Serial Killers by Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski

They Went Left by Monica Hesse

The Book of Lost Friends: A Novel by Lisa Wingate

The Last Summer of Ada Bloom by Martine Murray

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires: A Novel by Grady Hendrix

The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson

The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

Storyville!: An Illustrated Guide to Writing Fiction by John Dufresne, Evan Wondolowski

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, Sam Bett (translator), David Boyd (translator)

The Beauty of Your Face: A Novel by Sahar Mustafah

Little Universes by Heather Demetrios

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed

Something She’s Not Telling Us: A Novel by Darcey Bell

Starling Days by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

Camping with Unicorns: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure (Volume 11) by Dana Simpson

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry, Kenard Pak (Illustrator)

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner

Dragman: A Novel by Steven Appleby

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry

The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria: The Sinking of the World’s Most Glamorous Ship by Greg King, Penny Wilson

A Mother’s Lie by Sarah Zettel

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez

Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega

A Dirty Year: Sex, Suffrage, and Scandal in Gilded Age New York by Bill Greer

Tales From the Loop by Simon Stålenhag

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black

Life Changing: How Humans Are Altering Life on Earth by Helen Pilcher

Broken by Don Winslow

Camp Girls: Fireside Lessons on Friendship, Courage, and Loyalty by Iris Krasnow

Strike Me Down: A Novel by Mindy Mejia

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

Attention: A Love Story by Casey Schwartz

Navigate Your Stars by Jesmyn Ward, Gina Triplett (Illustrator)

The Drive by Yair Assulin, Jessica Cohen (translator)

The Astonishing Life of August March: A Novel by Aaron Jackson

Ruthless Gods: A Novel (Something Dark and Holy) by Emily A. Duncan

Eden by Tim Lebbon

Portrait of a Drunk by Olivier Schrauwen, Jerome Mulot, and Florent Ruppert

Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home by Julia Watkins

Roguelike by Mathew Henderson

Wave Woman: The Life and Struggles of a Surfing Pioneer by Vicky Heldreich Durand

American Harvest: God, Country, and Farming in the Heartland by Marie Mutsuki Mockett 

Let’s Dance by David Bowie and Hannah Marks

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell, Katie Cotugno

Girl Crushed by Katie Heaney

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes by Hooni Kim, with Aki Kamozawa

Who Speaks for the Damned (Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery Book 15) by C. S. Harris

I Love Leopard: The Little Book of Leopard Print by Emma Bastow

Thanks for subscribing!

Happy Tuesday, readers. It’s time for more new books! At the top of my list of today’s titles that I want to read are Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight and The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag.

If this quarantine was ten years ago, I would be dipping into my backlist stacks. But because I get PDFs of advance reading copies that I can read on my laptop, I am still keeping up with new books, and my backlist continues to sit and glare at me. Poor backlist.

You can hear about some of the amazing new books coming out that I did get to read on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Patricia and I discussed Days of Distraction, Hurricane Season, We Want Our Bodies Back, and more!

As always, I am wishing the best for all of you in whatever situation you find yourself in now. Here’s where you can learn more about COVID-19 Updates from the Bookish World. We’ll continue to update it regularly. Please stay inside as much as you can, but don’t forget that fresh air is good for you, so be sure to open your windows now and then. (And be sure to watch your pets and small children around them when they’re open.)

And please reach out to your friends and family if you’re having a hard time – talking on the computer or phone is a great way to communicate right now! I wish you all wonderful reading during this hard time.

And now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite gameshow: AHHHHHH MY TBR! Here are today’s contestants:

Godshot: A Novel by Chelsea Bieker

This is a remarkable debut novel about mothers and daughters, and the damaged world, both within and around us. The world in this novel is now an environmental disaster, because of a water shortage. Fourteen-year-old Lacey lives with her alcoholic mother. Their town has become dependent on a cult leader for guidance in these hard times.  When Lacey’s mother is exiled from the community, she runs away. Lacey moves in with her grandmother, but when the cult’s grasp becomes stronger, she flees in search of her mother. This is gritty brilliance, a coming-of-age novel set in uncertain times. This will not be the last time you hear me mention this book.

Backlist bump: Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman

Artforum by César Aira, Katherine Silver (translator)

This is a quirky little novel about an unnamed narrator who is passionate about Art…forum, the magazine about art. The chapters are vignettes about his attempts to get a subscription, find more copies, his hunt through magazine shops and used bookstores, and more. I will admit that I have read a few of Aira’s books now, and I am not entirely sure that I understand the actual point they are making. I think it largely goes over my head, but I enjoy them anyway. Or maybe I’m overthinking them.

Backlist bump: The Musical Brain: And Other Stories by César Aira

Valentine: A Novel by Elizabeth Wetmore

Remember last week when I told you that you might want to skip certain books if you’re not in the mood for dark subject matter? This is another one of those books. It’s set in a small town in Texas in the 1970s, and is about the violence towards women that accompanies the prosperity that follows an oil boom. It’s told from multiple points of views, and is a novel of the strength and resilience of the women in this town. It is brutal, but also beautifully written, and it addresses important subjects, like the perceived societal worth of the lives of women and people of color compared to white men.

Backlist bump: Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith

Thanks for subscribing! xx, Liberty