Newsletters Dev – Page 1167

7 Upcoming YA Nonfiction Reads For Your Towering TBR

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date August 2, 2018

Hey YA Readers: Let’s talk nonfiction!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton from Epic Reads.

Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood. The same women who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia’s father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only, the wedding goes disastrously wrong, and Mia discovers she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy. Now, as she untangles the secrets of her past, Mia must learn to trust her heart…even if it kills her.

YA nonfiction has become stronger and stronger in the last decade. I’m a huge fan, and I find it sad we don’t talk about it quite enough when we talk about YA more broadly. Sure, it’s often not as flashy or sexy, but it’s still damn good.

Here’s a peek at seven upcoming YA nonfiction books to pop onto your TBR. I’ve read a couple, but not all of them, so I’ve pulled the descriptions from Goodreads.

1968: Today’s Authors Explore A Year of Rebellion, Revolution, and Change edited by Marc Aronson and Susan Bartoletti (Sept 11)

Nineteen sixty-eight was a pivotal year that grew more intense with each day. As thousands of Vietnamese and Americans were killed in war, students across four continents took over colleges and city streets. Assassins murdered Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. Demonstrators turned out in Prague and Chicago, and in Mexico City, young people and Olympic athletes protested. In those intense months, generations battled and the world wobbled on the edge of some vast change that was exhilarating one day and terrifying the next. To capture that extraordinary year, editors Marc Aronson and Susan Campbell Bartoletti created an anthology that showcases many genres of nonfiction. Some contributors use a broad canvas, others take a close look at a moment, and matched essays examine the same experience from different points of view. As we face our own moments of crisis and division, 1968 reminds us that we’ve clashed before and found a way forward — and that looking back can help map a way ahead.

Attucks!: Oscar Robertson and The Basketball Team That Awakened a City by Philip Hoose (Oct 23)

By winning the state high school basketball championship in 1955, ten teens from an Indianapolis school meant to be the centerpiece of racially segregated education in the state shattered the myth of their inferiority. Their brilliant coach had fashioned an unbeatable team from a group of boys born in the South and raised in poverty. Anchored by the astonishing Oscar Robertson, a future college and NBA star, the Crispus Attucks Tigers went down in history as the first state champions from Indianapolis and the first all-black team in U.S. history to win a racially open championship tournament—an integration they had forced with their on-court prowess.

Blacklisted: Hollywood, The Cold War, and The First Amendment by Larry Dane Brimner (Oct 9)

World War II is over, but tensions between the communist Soviet Union and the US are at an all-time high. In America, communist threats are seen everywhere and a committee is formed in the nation’s capital to investigate those threats. Larry Dane Brimner follows the story of 19 men–all from the film industry–who are summoned to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities. All 19 believe that the committee’s investigations into their political views and personal associations are a violation of their First Amendment rights. When the first 10 of these men refuse to give the committee the simple answers it wants, they are cited for contempt of Congress and blacklisted.

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal (Just released)

Bonnie and Clyde: we’ve been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why?

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Oct 9)

Hey, Kiddo is the graphic memoir of author-illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Raised by his colorful grandparents, who adopted him because his mother was an incarcerated heroin addict, Krosoczka didn’t know his father’s name until he saw his birth certificate when registering for a school ski trip. Hey, Kiddotraces Krosoczka’s search for his father, his difficult interactions with his mother, his day-to-day life with his grandparents, and his path to becoming an artist.

Proud: Young Readers Edition by Ibtihaj Muhammad (Just released)

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ibtihaj Muhammad smashed barriers as the first American to compete wearing hijab, and made history as the first Muslim-American woman to medal. But it wasn’t an easy road–in a sport most popular among wealthy white people, Ibtihaj often felt out of place. Ibtihaj was fast, hardworking, and devoted to her faith, but rivals and teammates (as well as coaches and officials) pointed out her differences, insisting she would never succeed. Yet Ibtihaj powered on. Her inspiring journey from a young outsider to an Olympic hero is a relatable, memorable, and uniquely American tale of hard work, determination, and self-reliance.

Someone Like Me by Julissa Arce (Sept. 4)

Born in the picturesque town of Taxco, Mexico, Julissa Arce was left behind for months at a time with her two sisters, a nanny, and her grandma while her parents worked tirelessly in America in hopes of building a home and providing a better life for their children. That is, until her parents brought Julissa to Texas to live with them. From then on, Julissa secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant, went on to become a scholarship winner and an honors college graduate, and climbed the ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs.

This moving, at times heartbreaking, but always inspiring story will show young readers that anything is possible. Julissa’s story provides a deep look into the little-understood world of a new generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today-kids who live next door, sit next to you in class, or may even be one of your best friends.

____________________

And, if you want more recommendation of upcoming nonfiction, may I not-so-humbly suggest my forthcoming anthology (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health? This collection of essays and art is meant to be an approachable guide to thinking and talking about mental health in all its myriad forms. Out October 2.

Thanks for hanging & we’ll see you later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

Today In Books

Tooting All The Horns For THE VANDERBEEKERS: Today in Books

Post author By Sharifah Williams
Post date August 2, 2018

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Suicide Club by Rachel Heng. A novel about living. Published by Henry Holt & Co.

Tooting All The Horns

Ahem, guess whose children’s book was optioned by Amy Poehler’s production company? None other than Book Riot’s own Contributing Editor Karina Yan Glaser, author of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street! We are super thrilled for her, and cannot wait to see her excellent book come to life onscreen. Congrats, Karina!

Happy Birthday, James Baldwin

The teaser trailer for the adaption of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk gave me the chills. The story follows Tish, a black woman in Harlem, who’s trying to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime while carrying their first child. The film is written and directed by Barry Jenkins, who also wrote and directed the award-winning 2016 film Moonlight.

Rick Riordan Isn’t Having It

Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, clapped back at a random Twitter troll who tweeted this statement to the author: “If you had less gender dysphoria in your ‘kids books’ you might sell more … remember, it is parents who buy them.” In response, the bestselling author broke down the comment to illustrate its intolerance.

We’re giving away a stack of books from Season 2 of our Recommended podcast, in honor of Season 3! Click here to enter.

True Story

Michael Lewis Comes to Audible, Bob Woodward Goes to Trump

Post author By Kim Ukura
Post date August 2, 2018

Michael Lewis – author of The Big Short, The Blind Side, and many other books – is one of several authors experimenting with a new format, the Audible original.

In June, the New York Times reported that Lewis had left his magazine home, Vanity Fair, and signed a multi-year contract with Audible to write and produce four audio-first pieces for the service. His first piece, “The Coming Storm,” came out on Tuesday. As an FYI, it’s available free for Audible members through August 14, as well as available for purchase by non-members.

We’re giving away 16 of the books featured on Recommended! Click here, or on the image below to enter:

“The Coming Storm” based on reporting from a series of essays Lewis originally wrote for Vanity Fair, and is a “timely story exploring the future of data, power, the weather, and the Trump Administration.” It’s pretty signature Michael Lewis – profiles of interesting people, connections between current events and historical trends, and sharp observations about people and their failures. I’m utterly fascinated learning about the role the Department of Commerce plays in the federal government – turns out, very little to do with business.

It’s an interesting approach. It feels a bit like taking the popularity of investigative podcasts like Serial or In the Dark and bringing it to a platform that has the potential to draw in revenue beyond just sponsorships or subscribers. I’m not sure “The Coming Storm” took full advantage of the audio format – there aren’t any recorded interviews or other editing effects that are common in podcasts – but it’s still been a good listen. I’ll be curious to see how many sales the piece gets outside of current Audible subscribers as a way to judge whether the existing audience of audiobook listeners or podcast subscribers will enjoy this format too.

It’s also a new way publicize an upcoming book ahead of time, potentially reaching an audience beyond traditional print readers. Lewis will be returning to the themes of “The Coming Storm” in his next big nonfiction anthology, The Fifth Risk, which is coming out in October. I’m certainly more interested in that book now that I’ve gotten a taste of it in this piece.

Bob Woodward is Writing about Trump

I didn’t think that there was a way to make me want to actually read a full book about what life is like inside the Trump Administration, but then Bob Woodward (one of the journalists who broke the Watergate story) announced his newest book, Fear: Trump in the White House. The book is scheduled for release on September 11, and according to the publisher, “reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House and precisely how he makes decisions on major foreign and domestic policies.” I don’t think there will be a way to fault the reporting on this one, which makes me extremely interested in what it actually says. And according to Politico… “everyone talked to Woodward.” Yikes,

New Books!

This week’s new books are all interesting memoirs by interesting women, basically the bread and butter of my reading right now.

Open Mic Night in Moscow by Audrey Murray – This book is a “raucous and surprisingly poignant story of a young, Russia-obsessed American writer and comedian who embarked on a solo tour of the former Soviet Republics” of Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Sibera. I think a travel and coming-of-age memoir in those places, written by a comedian, seems like a great end-of-summer book to dive into.

Jell-O Girls by Allie Rowbottom – A feminist history of Jell-O? Why yes, that sounds amazing. Allie Rowbottom’s great-great-great-uncle purchased the patent for Jell-O in 1899, a business decision that would benefit his family for generations. This book explores the history of Jell-O, the marketing of the product, and the “Jell-O curse” that seems to have haunted the women of the family, in particular. I love a good family portrait and a good microhistory, so this book is high on my list.

Okay Fine Whatever by Courtenay Hameister – On the most recent episode of For Real, I talked about my love of a good stunt memoir. In this book, a woman decides to conquer her near-constant dread and anxiety by speaking a year doing little things that scare her, which the book jacket describes as “things that the average person might consider doing for a half second before deciding: ‘nope.’” This one sounds really funny, which is something I think we all need right now.

And finally, it wouldn’t be the end of a newsletter if I didn’t get to point you to an awesome Book Riot giveaway. Enter to win 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast, open through August 31. You can find me on Twitter @kimthedork, and co-hosting the For Real podcast here at Book Riot. Happy reading!

The Stack

080218-Dogman-The-Stack

Post author By Devin Service
Post date August 2, 2018

Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic.

There’s a new breed of justice in town, and he’s ready to sniff out criminals — as soon as he stops chasing his own tail!

From the creator of Captain Underpants, it’s Dog Man, the #1 New York Times bestselling, crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!

George and Harold have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks, and rolls over robbers. This heroic hound has a real nose for justice, but can he resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships Aug 3

Post author By Jenn Northington
Post date August 2, 2018

Happy Friday, sirens and scriers! Today I’m reviewing The Descent of Monsters by J.Y. Yang and The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso, plus looking at the new Terminator, the witches of Discworld, under-hyped SFF, and more.

Sponsored by Suicide Club by Rachel Heng. A novel about living. Published by Henry Holt & Co.

Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever—if she does everything right. After the return of her estranged father, Lea is drawn into the mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a network of powerful, rebellious individuals who reject society’s pursuit of immortality and choose to live—and die—on their own terms. Lea is forced to choose between a sanitized immortal existence and a short, bittersweet time with a man she has never really known but who is the only family she has left.

As per last week’s review, the third Wayfarers book by Becky Chambers, Record of a Spaceborn Few, is out — and Tor.com is giving away the series so far! You should enter.

Speaking of giveaways! You should definitely enter our Recommended giveaway, which includes 16 books!

Linda Hamilton is back with a vengeance in these new photos from the new Terminator film, and I don’t know what to do with myself, I am SO EXCITED. *Inarticulate flailings ensue.*

You might not have these on your radar, but here are three upcoming books BR contributor Leah believes you should get excited about. I am very happy to cosign Rosewater by Tade Thompson, especially for the VanderMeer/Mieville/Beukes fans out there.

Did you learn life lessons from the witches of Discworld? Alice did, and this post makes me want to finally pick up these books. (I know, I know. Some day!)

Novellas have been around forever but they’re definitely getting more press these days, including in this piece from Wired. When novellas are available both digitally from my library and in physical form, I read way more of them — I can only hope that novella publishers continue to add to their distribution game, since the market is clearly here!

Your hoard, ahem, personal library probably needs some dragon bookends.

Today in reviews, we’ve got a monstrous investigation and an empire under attack.

The Descent of Monsters (Tensorate #3) by J.Y. Yang

In this dark third installment, the Tensorate series picks up where we left The Red Threads of Fortune, with the slaughter at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. The enormous beast may have been vanquished, but nothing has been resolved. What was going on at the Institute? Will Rider ever find who they’ve been looking for? And who is trying to cover this all up?

Descent of Monsters introduces a new player, Investigator Chuwan. She does her job, she does it by the book, and she does it well. The capture and interrogation of Sanao Akeha and Rider only adds more questions to the mix, and Chuwan must choose between finding the truth and doing what her superiors are telling her to do. Her decision leads her down a strange and winding path, in which even the answers she finds just lead to more questions.

Chuwan is a tart, prickly narrator (which I loved), and the switches in structure include letters and reports (which I also loved). After spending the first two books so closely tied to Sanao and Mokoya, it was fascinating to see them through a neutral pair of eyes. While I don’ think you can pick this up if you haven’t read the first two, I highly recommend doing just that. Yang continues to expand her world in exciting ways, playing with science, fantasy, and human nature, and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next.

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

I first heard about Melissa Caruso thanks to her excellent thread about sword-fighting in ballgowns. While I confess that I was a little disappointed that there weren’t duelling princesses in The Tethered Mage (although perhaps future installments?), there’s plenty to enjoy in this fantasy novel.

Set in European-esque cities (it read a bit like a mash-up of the Roman empire with Renaissance Italy to me), the story follows Amalia Cornaro, heir to a powerful countess. She’s bookish, a bit absent-minded, very well-meaning, and a little naive, none of which serves her well when she helps stop an out-of-control street urchin with fire magic and ends up bonded to the young woman, Zaira. Being a Falconer (i.e. the controller of a person with mage powers) puts her directly in the service of the Doge, which is a conflict of interest given her mother’s position at court, and definitely is going to interfere with her studies.

Amalia, Zaira, and the very swoon-worthy Lieutenant Marcello find themselves at the heart of a sinister plot to tear apart the empire. Amalia, due to her privileged upbringing, genuinely believes that it and the Falcon system are a good thing, which more than once made me shake my head and say “Oh, sweet summer child!” to the book in my hands. Her rose-tinted glasses get knocked a bit askew thanks to some zingers from the rightfully cynical Zaira, although there’s clearly plenty more room for her to grow and learn. In the meantime, there’s action aplenty. Kidnappings! Poisoning! Double crosses! Triple crosses! Evil princes! And of course, magic!

If you’re looking for an escapist fantasy with a love story, court intrigue, magical hijinks, and strong female representation, pop this into your day-bag and enjoy.

And that’s a wrap! You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn

Unusual Suspects

Ex-Cop Rigged The McDonald’s Monopoly Game–McSting Included!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date August 2, 2018

Hi mystery fans! Here’s to a bookish weekend!

Win a Copy of SUICIDE CLUB by Rachel Heng

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date August 2, 2018

an arm with Suicide Club written on it reaches across the cover, surrounded by flowers

We have 10 copies of Suicide Club by Rachel Heng to give away to 10 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below:

Today In Books

BookTube Is Booming : Today in Books

Post author By Maria Cristina Garcia Lynch
Post date August 1, 2018

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Magnetic Collection at Lion Forge.

Each morning, an old fisherman heads to sea, leaving his doting wife at home, awaiting his return. When he doesn’t return one evening, the village assumes his death. His wife refuses to give up hope. She consults a fortune teller who sees his visage in a crepe . . . alive in Cuba. Convinced her husband is still alive, she sets off on an improbable mission to save him.

Completely wordless, this heartwarming adventure is a testament to the power of sequential storytelling and the power of love itself. A Sea of Love is in stores now from Lion Forge!

The Hate U Give Cover Artist Talks About Her Illustration

Artist Debra Cartwright gives maybe one of the most interesting interviews about the process behind book cover design, specifically her work on Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give. “Actually, in design school at Parsons I took a book-cover design class, and my teacher must be cracking up, because he told me, ‘I don’t know if this is for you.'” Just goes to show.

Bon Voyage, Voyage

Introduced in 2014, the Kindle Voyage e-reader is now no longer for sale by Amazon in the US, UK, and at least four other European countries. Honestly, the Kindle family doesn’t seem incomplete without it. There’s the entry-level Kindle, and slightly fancier Kindle Paperwhite. And you can splurge on the waterproof Oasis if you want to do some shower reading (she types, not at all from experience). But if you just HAVE to have a Voyage, there are a few refurbished ones out there.

Readers Watch Videos Too

Bookish YouTube videos are big, even if YouTube says so itself. According to the platform, the BookTube community has earned “over 200 million views and, compared to this time last year, engagement with them is up 40 percent.” While we’re on the subject, check out Book Riot’s YouTube channel!

Audiobooks

New Audiobooks for August!

Post author By Katie MacBride
Post date August 1, 2018

Happy August, Audiophiles,

August may be the sleepy, end of summer month everyone simultaneously dreads (because it means summer is ending) and wants to last forever (because more summer, please) but when it comes to audiobook publishing, August is firing on all cylinders. In other words, there are a TON of new audiobooks to get through. So many, in fact, that I’m going to do a two-parter: Audiobooks coming out in the first half of the month will be in this newsletter, audiobooks in the second half of the month will be next week. In both cases, I’ve tried to pick some of the lesser known titles/ones you may not have heard of.

We’re giving away 16 of the books featured on Recommended! Click here, or on the image below to enter:

But first, because it is sadly this time of year in California, I want to send a heartfelt thanks to all the firefighters out there. I love California so much and watching it burn, watching your family, friends, neighbors lose everything is heartbreaking. And yet there are still people running into the flames, trying to help. This picture, of firefighters resting in the backyard of a house they just saved before heading back to keep fighting the Carr Fire, brings me to tears. Thank you, firefighters. And thanks, newsletter readers, for indulging me this sentimentality.

WHEW, ON A LIGHTER NOTE! You can win 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast! Enter here by August 31.

New Audiobooks for August: Part 1

(publisher’s description in quotes)

Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT Leroy by Savannah Knoop; narrated by Kristen Stewart; release date: 08-01-18

“In January 2006, the New York Times unmasked Savannah Knoop as the face of the mysterious author JT LeRoy. A media frenzy ensued as JT’s fans, mentors, and readers came to terms with the fact that the gay male-ex-truck stop prostitute turned literary wunderkind was really a girl from San Francisco whose sister-in-law wrote the books…Telling her side of the story for the first time, Savannah reveals how being perceived as a boy gave her a sense of confidence and entitlement she never had before.” I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a Kristen Stewart movie but I’m excited to hear her narration of this.

Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton; narrated by Kirsten Potter; Release date: 08-01-18

Goddamn, I’m a sucker for anything related to Ernest Hemingway–-not least his wives, all of whom are fascinating in their own right. Martha Gellhorn met Ernest Hemingway when he was married to his second wife. Gellhorn, an accomplished war correspondent and journalist, began a love affair with Hemingway. “Beautiful Exiles is a stirring story of lovers and rivals, of the breathless attraction to power and fame, and of one woman – ahead of her time – claiming her own identity from the wreckage of love.”

American Conspiracy Theories by Joseph E. Uscinski, Joseph M. Parent; narrated by Tristan Morris; release date: 08-07-18

Our world is saturated with conspiracy theories. As I write this newsletter, I’m listening to a podcast called “The RFK Files,” about the murder of Robert Kennedy. But why are conspiracy theories so prevalent and what does a preoccupation with conspiracy theories say about where we’re at as a culture? “ Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent…address crucial questions, such as similarities and differences in the nature of conspiracy theories over time, the role of the Internet and communications technologies in spreading modern conspiracy theories, and whether politics, economics, media, war, or other factors are most important in popularizing conspiratorial beliefs.”

Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein, S. Bear Bergman; narrated by Kate Bornstein; release date: 08-07-18

If you aren’t familiar with Kate Bornstein, I am honored to be able to introduce you to her work. Gender Outlaw was first published 20 years ago and it’s as relevant as ever. “On one level, Gender Outlaw details Bornstein’s transformation from heterosexual male to lesbian woman, from a one-time IBM salesperson to a playwright and performance artist. But this particular coming-of-age story is also a provocative investigation into our notions of male and female, from a self-described nonbinary transfeminine diesel femme dyke who never stops questioning our cultural assumptions.”

Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything by Randi Hutter Epstein MD; narrated by Donna Postel; Release date: 08-07-18

Hormones are one of those things I don’t think about a lot unless I’m faced with pictures of myself as an angry, acne-faced, awkward teenager. But hormones control so much more. “Metabolism, behavior, sleep, mood swings, the immune system, fighting, fleeing, puberty, and sex: these are just a few of the things our bodies control with hormones. Armed with a healthy dose of wit and curiosity, Randi Hutter Epstein takes us on a journey through the unusual history of these potent chemicals and their discovery, from the London laboratory where the concept of hormones was identified to a basement filled with jarred brains to a canine sex lab.” Look, brains in jars and canine sex labs aren’t necessarily my thing. But it’s worth it to learn the mystery of why we crazy humans (among other species) behave the way we do.

Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert; narrated by Maya Barton; release date 8-07-18

This YA novel sounds like a heartbreaker (but like a really good heartbreaker).

“Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.

Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle…When Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.”

If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim; narrated by Greta Jung, Keong Sim; Release date: 08-07-18

“When the communist-backed army from the north invades her home, 16-year-old Haemi Lee, along with her widowed mother and ailing brother, is forced to flee to a refugee camp along the coast. For a few hours each night, she escapes her family’s makeshift home and tragic circumstances with her childhood friend, Kyunghwan. Focused on finishing school, Kyunghwan doesn’t realize his older and wealthier cousin, Jisoo, has his sights set on the beautiful and spirited Haemi – and is determined to marry her before joining the fight. But as Haemi becomes a wife, then a mother, her decision to forsake the boy she always loved for the security of her family sets off a dramatic saga that will have profound effects for generations to come.”

Alright, that’s it for me this week! More next week and in the meantime, you can always say hi on twitter, where I’m msmacb or via email at katie@riotnewmedia.com.

~Katie

Kissing Books

The Fine Black Men of Historical Romance

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date August 1, 2018

It’s August! The air has changed here, and I can see the end of the hottest of the hot. Well, at least in the weather; I’m still actively seeking out the hottest of the hot when it comes to books 😀

Sponsored by One Small Thing, new from Erin Watt, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Royals series and When It’s Real

Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. So, when she sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, Beth is thrilled to make a secret friend. Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…

Fresh out of juvie and looking for a second chance, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get. Now Beth has a choice to make—follow her parents’ rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.

News and Useful Links

If you haven’t gotten enough of Amazing Speeches That Happened At RWA, you’ll want to listen to Sonali Dev’s speech, which went up online just a little after last week’s KB went out. It’s personal and heartfelt and she is not at all afraid of calling people out. Have tissues handy.

This is one of the most poignant and upsetting responses to Suzanne Brockmann’s speech last week.

Can You Keep a Secret? No, really! Sophie Kinsella’s magical Can You Keep a Secret (my favorite of hers!) is being adapted for film! I’m excited.

How about a lovely Ode to the Romance Novel?

PS, new account to follow!

Deals!

cover of Keep the Faith Ana Tejano’s Keep the Faith is 99 cents through 8/15!

Have you read Jay Northcote? His Second Chance is 3.99. He writes a lot of queer romance, but this one is worth checking out if you’re looking for #ownvoices trans rep.

Been in a baseball mood? Lucky Break by Holley Trent is 1.99. Or you can get the entire Reedsville Rooster series (5 books) for 10.95.

Have you read KJ Charles’s newest yet? Unfit to Print is 2.99. (Also, one of the heroes would probably be part of my recs list if I had just…gotten to it on time?)

Over on Book Riot

And IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIeiiiiiiiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiii….okay. I’m not Whitney Houston. But I do love a bodyguard.

I don’t read nearly enough medievals, and I really should. At least I’ve got some recommendations on where to start.

I was busy last week! Jenn Northington and I recorded a special romance edition of Get Booked, and of course Trisha and I talked a lot about Intercepted by Alexa Martin. It’s a thing.

And we’re having another giveaway! Get 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast! Enter by August 31.

Recs!

So. Harlots is back (and magnificent as always) and I noticed that one of the new characters was a great stand-in for the hero of the novel I was reading at the time. It also made me think about some of the other fine black men in historical romance, and I’d love to share some of my favorites with you!

Elijah Sutton – Be Not Afraid by Alyssa Cole

If you haven’t read Alyssa Cole’s way-too-short novella set during the American Revolution (and the first instance in which we meet Elijah, whose granddaughter goes to visit Eliza Hamilton in That Could Be Enough, one of the novellas from Hamilton’s Battalion), you’re in for a treat. Elijah is a Revolutionary, and he meets Kate—who is working for the British—on the battlefield in the dead of night. He’s fascinated by her, but she doesn’t have time for him and doesn’t understand him, either. Nor he her, to be honest.

Sam Fox – A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian

Sam is just trying to live his life and run his pub, but his future sister-in-law needs to find out some information about a painting she posed nude for ages ago. Intrigued, he stalks the old codger’s house, only to encounter the new resident of the home instead. Hartley is not happy to have inherited the home from his godfather, but he’ll take it. Intrigued by the needs of his would-be burglar, Hartley offers to help find said painting. Sam is hesitant, but really, what can you do when a rich knob decides he’s going to start a project? Also, Sam. Sam is my favorite. He is considerate and empathetic, even when he’s being proud and stupid. He picks up on things and is all around just a good man.

This is the one I was reading when I came across the fine looking young gentleman offering his services to Charlotte Wells in Harlots. And while the character in the show is nothing like Sam, he presents a good enough figure to stand in my mind’s eye (especially once he started doing barroom prize fights).

Logan Yates – Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins

Whoo man. This list could be all heroes from Ms. Bev’s books, but Logan was my first. Gruff but loving; a community man who will do basically anything for his mother. He works with his hands and can’t help falling in love with the woman he hired to come West in order to be his housekeeper. Logan develops as a man and a character throughout the entire Destiny trilogy, and it’s great to watch the oldest brother let go a little bit.

Adrian Hunter – After the Wedding by Courtney Milan

Oh, Adrian. The most darling man who does the wrong thing for all the right reasons. When he is forced to marry Camilla at gunpoint, his immediate next step is to make sure they take the right steps to get an annulment. Not because Camilla is horrible; no. In fact, he finds her attractive and likes her enough. But he wants a choice. He wants the love and marriage his parents had, where they would give up anything and everything to be together.

(Bonus for his great-great-uncle John, whose love story is one of my favorite long, slow burns told in too few pages. You can read that in The Pursuit Of…)

Golden Worth – A Delicate Affair by Lindsay Evans

If you haven’t checked out the Decades historical romance series, you’re in for a treat. The books, each written by a different author, capture the lives of black people as they lived in each decade of the twentieth century. In this, the first one, Golden is a young man from the South who has made his way to Washington, DC in order to realize his dreams of being a popular ragtime musician. He doesn’t have time for women, and makes that clear to the beautiful debutante who approaches him outside the club where he plays. But the two can’t seem to keep away from each other. Meanwhile Golden’s star is rising, and he has to figure out how to keep being a good man through it all.

Honorable Mention: Soap – Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger.

This book (and the other three in the Finishing School series) is YA, but tons of fun, and Soap is just The Best. You just have to read it.

There are so many more black men from historical romance that I am anxious to meet, but whose stories I haven’t gotten to yet. For instance, Virgil Smithson from The Preacher’s Promise sounds like a heck of a man. Carter Thibedeaux from Kianna Alexander’s Love’s Lasso sounds pretty great, too. And Isaac Caird from That Potent Alchemy just sounds fascinating.

And of course, I’m super anxious for Daniel’s story in An Unconditional Freedom, the third book in Alyssa Cole’s Loyal League series.

Do you have a favorite?

New and Upcoming Releases

Roughing the Kicker by Eden Butler
What Happens At Con by Cathy Yardley
A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole (I started it but haven’t finished it yet *cries*)
Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid
The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham
Acting on Love by Te Russ

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!