We have 10 copies of Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong to give away to 10 Riot readers!
Here’s the pitch:
Told in captivating glimpses and drawn from a deep well of insight, humor, and unexpected tenderness, Goodbye, Vitamin pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one’s footing in this life.
Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below:
Hello Kid Lit friends!
Today I’m excited to talk to you about one of my favorite things… children’s book subscription boxes. They are so fun and make awesome gifts or book mail for the bookworms in your life! If you’re unfamiliar with these magical things, basically they are curated boxes that arrive at your doorstep filled with hand-picked books and other related items. Here are some of the great children’s book subscription boxes I’ve come across.
Sponsored by Annotated, a Book Riot Podcast presented by Hachette Book Group
Why Aren’t Bookstores Extinct? In 1995, there were more than 7000 independent bookstores in the U.S. By 2008, there were just over 1400. Everyone was proclaiming the death of bookstores, and independent bookstores. But then something strange happened. Over the last nine years, the number of indie bookstores has risen 64%. This episode of Annotated looks at how independent bookstores first survived, then figured out how to thrive, in the age of Amazon.
The Reading Bug is an amazing independent children’s bookstore in San Carlos, California, and their Reading Bug Box is a subscription box containing the best in children’s literature and other educational extras. You can purchase boxes for different ages and stages of development, including newborns, toddlers, early readers, and readers (middle grade). The prices start at $27.99 per box per month plus $3 shipping for the United States, with discounts for prepaying for six and twelve months. Below are some examples of what bookish goodies might be inside!
OwlCrate JR.
This subscription box is geared toward 8-12 year olds, and each themed box comes with a book plus a bundle of unique items. Boxes are $27.99 plus shipping, with discounts if you prepay for three or six months. Here are some photos from their previous boxes – aren’t they beautiful?
BOOX is Powell Bookstore’s subscription picture book club. Each box features one new hardcover picture book and an additional hardcover staff favorite, along with other exciting goodies. It costs $35.95 and the price includes shipping and handling inside the United States.
Oz First Editions Club, Lemuria Bookstore
Each month, a signed first edition of a picture book and a middle grade book are selected by the children’s book buyer at Lemuria Bookstore in Jackson, Mississippi. The cost is the price of the book, and the book can be picked up at the store or shipped. The July 2017 picture book pick was Life by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel, and the middle grade pick was Almost Paradise by Corabel Shofner (two super awesome choices!).
Book Culture is an independent bookstore in New York City with three locations in Manhattan. Their children’s book subscription service is called Book Culture Selects: Picture Books, and the selections are handpicked by their dedicated children’s booksellers. Prices start at $70 for a quarterly subscription (4 books per year). (P.S. They also have subscription boxes for adults, including Poetry, Life Stories, Literature in Translation, and New and Noteworthy Fiction!)
Booklandia is a monthly subscription box with bilingual and Spanish children’s books. Prices start at $25 for board books and $27 for picture and chapter books.
In the News!
Have you heard that a new Maurice Sendak book has been discovered? Read all about it in Publisher’s Weekly. Presto and Zesto in Limboland will be published in the fall of 2018 by Michael di Capua Books/HarperCollins.
Speaking of discovered manuscripts, how excited are you for The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine written by Mark Twain, reimagined by Philip Stead, and illustrated by the amazing Erin Stead? This will be released on September 25 by Doubleday Books for Young Readers, and I cannot wait. It will be 152 pages long, and when Philip Stead spoke at SLJ’s Day of Dialog back in May he said the length allowed him and Erin to explore different ways of telling the story. Erin had space to experiment with portraiture, and Philip puts himself into the book to argue with Mark Twain about how to tell the story. This book is profiled in so many places, including The New York Times and Bleeding Cool.
New Releases!
There are some great releases on Tuesday, so keep a look out for these!
Princess Truly in I Am Truly by Kelly Greenawalt, illustrated by Amariah Raunchier (July 25, Orchard Books)
This picture book looks so sweet! Here is the Goodreads description: “Princess Truly is strong and confident, beautiful and brave, bright and brilliant. She can do anything she sets her mind to…
I can fly to the moon
And dance on the stars.
I can tame wild lions…
And race fast cars.
Brimming with warmth and color, Princess Truly’s rhythmic rhyming adventures are a celebration of individuality, girl power, and diversity. Her heartfelt story is a reminder to young girls everywhere that they can achieve anything if they put their minds to it…and dream big!”
Almost Paradise by Corabel Shofner (July 25, Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
When I first read this middle grade book, what struck me first was the pitch perfect voice of Ruby Clyde Henderson. She has a wonderful way with words and phrases, and I kept looking forward to hearing what would come out of her mouth next. I loved this book, and (as a bonus) isn’t this cover amazing? Here is the description from Goodreads: “Twelve-year-old Ruby Clyde Henderson’s life turns upside down the day her mother’s boyfriend holds up a convenience store, and her mother is wrongly imprisoned for assisting with the crime. Ruby and her pet pig, Bunny, find their way to her estranged Aunt Eleanor’s home. Aunt Eleanor is a nun who lives on a peach orchard called Paradise, and had turned away from their family long ago. With a little patience, she and Ruby begin to get along―but Eleanor has secrets of her own, secrets that might mean more hard times for Ruby. Ruby believes that she’s the only one who can find a way to help heal her loved ones, save her mother, and bring her family back together again. But being in a family means that everyone has to work together to support each other, and being home doesn’t always mean going back to where you came from.”
Refugee by Alan Gratz (July 25, Scholastic Press)
This book has been getting so much buzz! Here’s the description: “JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . . ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . . MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . . All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers — from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.”
That’s it for this week! Right now I’m reading My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson (10/10, Candlewick Press) and Karma Khullar’s Mustache (8/15, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers). What children’s books are you reading and enjoying this summer? Find me on social media and let me know. I’m on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or send me an email at karina@bookriot.com.
xoxo,
Karina
Izzy’s book stack! What are you reading?
*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, you can follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*
Hey Kid Lit fans!
Due to a glitch in our newsletter mailing, the newsletter that went out on July 16th was actually supposed to be the newsletter for July 30th! That’s what I get for writing newsletters early so I can go on vacation without having to do work.
Anyway, if you were confused why the subject of that newsletter was middle grade books about the immigrant and refugee experience, it was because that newsletter was supposed have the subject, “Children’s Book Authors Give TED Talks.” The original information for the immigrant and refugee experience books are here, as well as the books that released on July 17th and 18th. I have included the books that release on August 1st as well, just so we can all be up to date.
There has been so much talk this past year about immigration and refugees, and not surprisingly there are many children’s books that shine a light on the immigrant experience. I wrote a post on Book Riot last year with picture book and middle grade recommendations, but there have been some new middle grade books that have come into my radar that I wanted to share today.
Sponsored by Elizabeth Singer Hunt, author of THE SECRET AGENT JACK AND MAX STALWART series, published by Weinstein Books. A member of Hachette Book Group.
For fans of the award-winning SECRET AGENT JACK STALWART comes a new chapter book series! Jack teams up with his older brother, Max, to solve international mysteries, using their special training as secret agents.
In THE BATTLE FOR THE EMERALD BUDDHA, Jack is temporarily retired from the Global Protection Force and on family vacation. However, Jack and Max are motivated to act when a band of thieves takes the Emerald Buddha from the Grand Palace in Bangkok. On their own, up against one of the smartest and wealthiest villains they’ve ever faced, can the brothers find Thailand’s treasure in time?
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar is based on the author’s own experience as Cuban-Jewish immigrant growing up in New York City. In the story, Ruthie Mizrahi and her family moves from Castro-ruled Cuba and starts a new life only to find that life in America is not quite what they expected. When her father comes home with his dream car and they go for a drive, a horrific crash ends with Ruthie in a full body cast and restricted to her bed for a long recovery. Along the way, Ruthie turns to art and the kindness of neighbors and watching the seasons change outside her window. This was a beautiful read, and I appreciated a story from a Cuban immigrant’s perspective.
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan is one of the first titles to be released by Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Salaam Reads was founded in 2016 and aims to introduce readers of all faiths and backgrounds to a wide variety of Muslim children and families and offer Muslim kids an opportunity to see themselves reflected positively in published works. In this book, Pakistani-American Muslim girl Amina struggles with the changes she finds in middle school. Her best friend Soojin suddenly starts hanging out with the “cool” girls and starts talking about changing her name to something more “American”. Meanwhile, Amina’s uncle comes for a visit, which throws the family into a flurry of preparation and a new self-consciousness about their life in America. I loved this story (and isn’t that cover fantastic?).
In Refugee, Alan Gratz (July 25, Scholastic Press) tells the story of three kids from different generations. Here is the description from Goodreads: “JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . . ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . . MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . . All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers — from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, their stories will tie together in the end.”
Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly is a book that I related to as a daughter of immigrants myself. Here’s the description: “Apple has always felt a little different from her classmates. She and her mother moved to Louisiana from the Philippines when she was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino foods, makes mistakes with her English, and chastises Apple for becoming “too American.” It becomes unbearable in middle school, when the boys—the stupid, stupid boys—in Apple’s class put her name on the Dog Log, the list of the most unpopular girls in school. When Apple’s friends turn on her and everything about her life starts to seem weird and embarrassing, Apple turns to music. If she can just save enough to buy a guitar and learn to play, maybe she can change herself. It might be the music that saves her . . . or it might be her two new friends, who show how special she really is.”
One Good Thing About America, by former ELL teacher Ruth Freeman, is filled with letters written by Anais, a Congolese immigrant, to her grandmother Oma. When Anais struggles with adapting to American culture, Oma encourages her to write “one good thing about America” every day. Along the way, Anais records stories from her life living in the shelter with her mother and brother as well as the ELL classroom she goes to everyday.
New Releases for July 17 & 18!
There are a couple of new picture book releases I’m excited about this week. The first is Marti’s Song for Freedom/Martí’s y sus versos por la libertad by Emma Otheguy, Adriana Dominguez, and Beatriz Vidal (July 17, Lee and Low Books). Here is the description: “A bilingual biography of José Martí, who dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty, the abolishment of slavery, political independence for Cuba, and intellectual freedom. Written in verse with excerpts from Martí’s seminal work, Versos sencillos.”
The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea (July 18, Disney-Hyperion) is one of those books that are somewhat interactive, which always seems to be a hit among kids. Here is the description: “Reader beware! This is the scariest book ever! Or so claims its melodramatic ghost narrator. You can go ahead and turn the page, but don’t expect him to come with you. Anything might pop out of that black hole in the middle of the forest. What do you mean it’s just a bunny? Well, it’s probably a bunny with big fangs. Watch out, it’s–picking pumpkins with its friends, you say? Actually, despite the ghost’s scare-mongering, none of the animal characters in the illustrations seem scary at all. . . . What’s up with that? Many delights, such as surprises after the page turn, an alarmist narrator, and punch lines to anticipate make this book a scream for both kids and parents.”
For middle grade readers, there are a few great titles coming out this week. The Next Best Junior Chef: Lights, Camera, Cook! by Cherise Meride Harper, illustrated by Aurélie Blard-Quintard. This is such a fun read, and the layout is very inviting to reluctant readers and readers who also love graphic novels. “It’s “lights, camera, cook!” for four tween contestants—energetic Tate, charming Rae, worldly Caroline, and hyper-competitive Oliver—who are all about to enter a televised cooking competition. What will the kids cook up? How will they all get along on- and off-camera? Which junior chef will have the grit—and maybe the grits—to make it through each challenge? And which junior chef will have to hang their apron up for good?”
What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy (July 18, Bloomsbury) is a fun, action-packed book that will appeal to fans of the Moon Base Alpha series by Stuart Gibbs. “Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Interworlds Agency. They’re not exactly sure what the top-secret program entails, but they know they want in. Rosa has her brilliant parents’ legacies to live up to, and Eddie has nowhere else to go–he’s certainly not going to stick around and wait for his violent father to get out of jail. Even if they are selected, they have no idea what lies in store. But first they have to make it through round after round of crazy-competitive testing.”
And finally, When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin (July 18, Puffin Books) comes out in paperback this week! I loved this book, and I cannot wait to read Paul’s new book, Saving Marty (September 19, Dial Books). Here’s the description for When Friendship Followed Me Home: “Ben Coffin has never been one for making friends. As a former foster kid, he knows people can up and leave without so much as a goodbye. Ben prefers to spend his time with the characters in his favorite sci-fi books…until he rescues an abandoned mutt from the alley next-door to the Coney Island Library. Scruffy little Flip leads Ben to befriend a fellow book-lover named Halley—yes, like the comet—a girl unlike anyone he has ever met. Ben begins thinking of her as “Rainbow Girl” because of her crazy-colored clothes and her laugh, pure magic, the kind that makes you smile away the stormiest day. Rainbow Girl convinces Ben to write a novel with her. But as their story unfolds Ben’s life begins to unravel, and Ben must discover for himself the truth about friendship and the meaning of home.”
New Releases for August 1!
Please note that all descriptions come from Goodreads.
Picture Books
This Beautiful Day by Richard Jackson, illustrated by Suzy Lee (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dloughy Books)
“Why spend a rainy day inside? As three children embrace a grey day, they seems to beckon the bright as they jump, splash, and dance outside, chasing the rain away. The day’s palette shifts from greys to a hint of blue, then more blue. Then green! Then yellow! Until the day is a technicolor extravaganza that would make Mary Poppins proud. A joyous homage to the power of a positive attitude.”
Boo Who? by Ben Clanton (Candlewick Press)
Okay, I just need to say that I loved this book! It’s absolutely adorable. Here is the description: “Boo is new. And even if the other kids are welcoming, it can be scary being new, especially for a shy ghost who can t play any of their games. (“You tagged me? Oh, sorry. I couldn t feel it.”) Can Boo find a way to fit in and make friends with the rest of the group? From the creator of Rex Wrecks It! comes a funny story about feeling invisible and finding a way to be seen and appreciated for who you are.”
Applesauce Day by Lisa Amstutz (Albert Whitman & Company)
“Maria and her family visit an apple orchard and pick apples. Then it’s time to turn the apples into applesauce! Every year they use the special pot that has been in the family for generations to make applesauce. First they wash the apples. Then Grandma cuts them into quarters. Follow each step in the process as everyone helps to make delicious applesauce!”
Pattan’s Pumpkin: An Indian Flood Story by Chitra Sounder, illustrated by Frane Lessac (Candlewick Press)
“When Pattan finds a yellow-flower vine wilting in his valley, he replants and cares for it, watching as a pumpkin appears and grows taller than the goats, taller than the elephants, as tall as the very mountains. When a terrible storm rages across the valley, Pattan wonders if perhaps his pumpkin can save the seeds and grains and saplings, the goats and birds and bison, and protect them all as the storm clouds burst and the waters rise. Frane Lessac’s brilliantly hued artwork is a feast for the eyes, while Chitra Soundar’s thoughtful retelling is a fascinating example of the kinds of stories told the world over — and the differences that make each version unique.”
Middle Grade Books
Zinnia and the Bees by Danielle Davis (Capstone Young Readers)
“While Zinnia’s classmates are celebrating the last day of seventh grade, she’s in the vice principal’s office, serving detention. Her offense? Harmlessly yarn-bombing a statue of the school mascot. When Zinnia rushes home to commiserate with her older brother and best friend, Adam, she’s devastated to discover that he’s gone ― with no explanation. Zinnia’s day surely can’t get any worse . . . until a colony of honeybees inhabits her hive-like hair!”
Room of Shadows by Ronald Kidd (Albert Whitman & Company)
“Ever since his dad left, David Cray has had anger issues. So after he beats up school bully Jake Bragg, his mom grounds him in their creepy new house. Bored, David discovers a secret room with an old-fashioned desk, a chest, and a carving of a raven. Suddenly he’s having strange dreams about the room and the house, and violence seems to follow him wherever he goes. Who is the Raven who is taking responsibility for these violent pranks? And why do the pranks resemble Poe’s stories?”
Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies by Jonathan Rosen (Sky Pony Press)
“Twelve-year-old Devin Dexter has a problem. Well, actually, many of them. His cousin, Tommy, sees conspiracies around every corner. And Tommy thinks Devin’s new neighbor, Herb, is a warlock—but nobody believes him. Even Devin’s skeptical. But soon strange things start happening. Things like the hot new Christmas toy, the Cuddle Bunny, coming to life. That would be great because, after all, who doesn’t love a cute bunny? But these aren’t the kind of bunnies you can snuggle with. These bunnies are dangerous. Devin and Tommy set out to prove Herb is a warlock and to stop the mob of bunnies, but will they have enough time before the whole town of Gravesend is overrun by the cutest little monsters ever?”
The Loser’s Club by Andrew Clements (Random House Books for Young Readers)
“Sixth grader Alec can’t put a good book down. So when Principal Vance lays down the law–pay attention in class, or else–Alec takes action. He can’t lose all his reading time, so he starts a club. A club he intends to be the only member of. After all, reading isn’t a team sport, and no one would want to join something called the Losers Club, right? But as more and more kids find their way to Alec’s club–including his ex-friend turned bully and the girl Alec is maybe starting to like–Alec notices something. Real life might be messier than his favorite books, but it’s just as interesting.”
The Danger Gang by Stephen Bramucci (Bloomsbury)
“Ronald Zupan is a daring master adventurer! But he actually hasn’t experienced any grand adventures . . . YET! When his world-traveling parents are kidnapped on his twelfth birthday, Ronald seizes the chance to prove himself with a dazzling, danger-defying rescue operation. Teaming up with his trusty butler Jeeves, his quick-witted fencing nemesis Julianne Sato, and his pet cobra Carter, Ronald sets course for the jungle of Borneo where his parents were last sighted. If they can crash-land a plane and outrun a hungry snow leopard, surely they can find the secret lair of Zeetan Z, the world’s most ruthless pirate! But as their adventure becomes more and more dangerous, can Ronald and his companions muster enough courage to see this adventure through?”
Right now I’m reading The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh (9/19, Little, Brown), and Secret Coders: Robots and Repeats by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes (10/3, First Second). What children’s books are you reading and enjoying this week? Find me on social media and let me know! I’m on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or send me an email at karina@bookriot.com. Have a great week!
Until next time,
Karina
*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, you can follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*
Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Gallery 13.
Available in English for the first time—the internationally bestselling graphic novel master illustrator-storyteller Chabouté.
On a tiny lighthouse island far from the rest of the world, a lonely hermit lives out his existence. Every week a supply boat leaves provisions, its occupants never meeting him, never asking the obvious questions: Who are you? Why do you hide? Why do you never leave? What is it like to be so alone?
But one day, as a new boatman starts asking the questions all others have avoided, a chain of events unfolds that will irrevocably upend the hermit’s solitary life….
Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by GOODBYE, VITAMIN by Rachel Khong. One of the most anticipated books of the summer! Published by Henry Hold.
Told in captivating glimpses and drawn from a deep well of insight, humor, and unexpected tenderness, Goodbye, Vitamin pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one’s footing in this life.
Welcome to Mid-July, YA Fans!
This week’s edition of “What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Generation One by Pittacus Lore from Epic Reads.
The first book in a new I Am Number Four spin-off series! It’s been over a year since the invasion of Earth was thwarted. But now human teenagers have developed incredible powers of their own, known as Legacies. To help these incredible and potentially dangerous individuals, the Garde created an academy to train humans to control their powers and help mankind. But not everyone thinks that’s the best use of their talents. And the teens may need to use their Legacies sooner than they thought. The war may be over—but for the next generation, the battle has just begun!
I don’t know about you all, but as much as I love summer, this is about the time things feel like they’re dragging a bit. One of the ways I seem to perk back up, though, is reading a lot of older YA titles. There’s something about picking up a great backlist title or two or three to really help those long, lazy days.
A goal of mine over the second half of this year is to do a little more talk of backlist YA in this space. As much as it’s exciting to highlight and feature new books, there’s power in also picking up an older book and discovering something great. For those who are newer to YA books, too, it’s a nice reminder that this category of books is at least 50 years old and has been full and vibrant through many periods of time, not just the present or due to a few Mega Blockbuster series or authors.
Which is to say, I’d love to hear what you as readers might find worthwhile. Do you want more booklists popping up here? More backlist bumps to new titles as they come up — in my mind, this might be noting that if you love Blair Thornburgh’s recently-released Who’s That Girl you’ll definitely want to pick up Robin Benway’s Audrey, Wait!
Worth simply spotlighting recommended backlist reads from authors, writers, and other YA fans? If you have ideas or things you’d like to see as they relate to backlist YA — and I’m talking books more than a year old here, even beyond that since I see backlist as being more than a few years of a book being available — hit reply. I’ll keep a list and pull from it to put something special and engaging together as we journey through the world or YA. I want to keep this newsletter as useful to you, the readers, as possible, so your input and suggestions are part of how I do that.
And, of course, those backlist features, whatever they look like, will have a hearty dose of inclusive titles. I’ve also encouraged the cadre of Book Rioters who love YA to poke around a bit more and build some resources for talking about older, but still excellent, books.
That’s my sweet lead-in for this week’s newsletter, which is a round-up of what we’ve been writing on site and what you may have missed.
Thanks for hanging out again and we’ll see you next week.
— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars
Hello again, listeners,
Here’s a riddle: How do you make a drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas (7-8 hours) fly by? You listen to Al Franken’s new audiobook, Al Franken, Giant of the Senate. Granted, there are a lot of ways in which this book is tailor-made for me (thanks, Al! How’d you know?). I grew up following politics and that fascination has only increased in my adulthood. I also really love comedy. So a book about how a comedian got into the Senate is kind of a no-brainer.
Sponsored by The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy, a HMH Book for Young Readers.
Every seven years something disappears in the town of Sterling: reflections…dreams…colors. When Aila arrives, she learns the town is cursed to lose experiences that weave life together…and the theory is that Aila’s deceased mother, Juliet, is to blame.
Aila sets out to clear her mother’s name with the help of George, whose goofy charm makes him a fast friend; Beas, the enigmatic violinist who writes poetry on her knees; and William, whose pull on Aila’s heart terrifies her.
The Disappearances is a bewitching tale full of intrigue and dread that will leave you entranced.
That said, there are tons of elements that make this book above and beyond the average book by a comedian or a senator. And make it so good on audio. First, Franken’s first Senate campaign and election were bananas. I won’t spoil it and some folks may remember it but either way, it’s a helluva story. More than that, however, is the amount of behind-the-scenes detail Franken includes about the inner workings of the Senate. For example, Franken talks about how much work a senator’s staff does that the senators gleefully take credit for. Sure, maybe that’s something you already assumed, but the way Franken injects a sly (or sometimes not-so-sly) quip about the egos of all senators (including himself) is refreshing.
Some of the most hilarious moments of the book come when Franken describes trying to stop himself from making jokes on the otherwise humorless Senate floor. There’s a particularly excellent scene in which he recalls the arguments of the devil and angel perched on his shoulder. I can’t even remember what joke he debated saying, but both my road trip partner and I were SCREAMING with laughter.
For wonky political nerds like myself, there are many really juicy tidbits of political gossip (The Obama Campaign kind of gave the Franken campaign the cold shoulder?), as well as a healthy dose of self-awareness about the privilege of being a senator and how Sherrod Brown of Ohio told Franken “there’s no whining on the yacht” and Al Gore told Franken to “suck it up,” when he was getting raked over the coals in the press about something.
If you are, like me, the kind of person who watches Rachel Maddow every. single. night. This is the book for you. But even if you don’t, it’s probably the book for you. If you’re unsure, just read the chapter called Sophistry. If that doesn’t sell you on the book, probably nothing will. I actually listened to that chapter twice–-the second time immediately after the first–-just because it was so devilishly funny.
Franken gets serious about Trump and policy, and the policy chapters might be a bit long for those who aren’t super into this stuff. But the rest of the book will make up for it, I promise. Plus, Franken really knows what he’s talking about regarding these issues and we would all do well to listen up. So, that’s why I dedicated this week’s newsletter to Al Franken, Giant of the Senate. Give it a listen and let me know what you think at @msmacb on Twitter.
New Books:
Everything All at Once: How to Unleash Your Inner Nerd, Tap into Radical Curiosity and Solve Any Problem written and narrated by Bill Nye
“Everything All at Once is an exciting, inspiring call to unleash the power of the nerd mindset that exists within us all. Nye believes we’ll never be able to tackle our society’s biggest, most complex problems if we don’t even know how to solve the small ones. Step by step, he shows his listeners the key tools behind his everything-all-at-once approach: radical curiosity, a deep desire for a better future, and a willingness to take the actions needed to make it a reality. Problem-solving is a skill that anyone can harness to create change, and Bill Nye is here to teach us how.
Each chapter describes a principle of problem solving that Nye himself uses – methodical, fact-based approaches to life that aspires to leave no stone unturned. He explains how the nerd mindset leads to a richer and more meaningful life; far more than that, it can help address hunger, crime, poverty, pollution, and even assist the democratic process. Throughout the book, Nye draws on his own experiences – leavened with his trademark humor and self-deprecation – to show how he came to think like a Science Guy, and how you can, too. By the end, you will be ready to sort out problems, recognize solutions, and join him in changing the world.”
The X-Files: Cold Cases by Joe Harris, Chris Carter, narrated by David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson.
“Set after the events of The X-Files: I Want to Believe and providing additional backstory to the incidents that pulled Mulder and Scully out of reclusion prior to 2016’s miniseries revival, a database breach at FBI headquarters allows an unknown group to access and capitalize on those investigations left unsolved – dubbed cold cases – by the secret department once known as The X-Files. As friends and foes of the agency long thought gone begin to inexplicably reappear, former agents Mulder and Scully come out of anonymity to face a growing conspiracy that involves not only their former department but the US government and forces not of this world.
Here, fans are treated once again to Mulder and Scully’s irreplicable chemistry as only the series’ leads could deliver, Duchovny’s deadpan and cynical aloofness finding its natural counterpoint in Anderson’s unwavering intelligence and rigidity. Appearances from series regulars and the actors who made them fan favorites round out this must-listen arc: the gruff, no-BS righteousness of Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi); the distinctive click-puff of the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis); and the stooge-like hijinks of three beloved conspiracy theorists called the Lone Gunmen.”
What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons
“Raised in Pennsylvania, Thandi views the world of her mother’s childhood in Johannesburg as both impossibly distant and ever present. She is an outsider wherever she goes, caught between being black and white, American and not. She tries to connect these dislocated pieces of her life, and as her mother succumbs to cancer, Thandi searches for an anchor – someone, or something, to love.
In arresting and unsettling prose, we watch Thandi’s life unfold, from losing her mother and learning to live without the person who has most profoundly shaped her existence to her own encounters with romance and unexpected motherhood. Through exquisite and emotional vignettes, Clemmons creates a stunning portrayal of what it means to choose to live after loss.
An elegiac distillation, at once intellectual and visceral, of a young woman’s understanding of absence and identity that spans continents and decades, What We Lose heralds the arrival of a virtuosic new voice in fiction.”
Book Riot Linking:
Rioter Emma discusses how—and which—audiobooks have helped her during a time of emotional and literal upheaval.
3 BAD AUDIOBOOKS I LISTENED TO DURING HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
We make mistakes so you don’t have to.
WHY I DON’T LISTEN TO FICTIONAL AUDIOBOOKS NARRATED BY MEN
Narrators can make or break an audiobook, and male narrators who make female characters shrill definitely break them.
More links for your ears:
The Washington Post has a glowing review of David Sedaris’ new book–-Audiobooks: David Sedaris reads his diary with relish for the absurdity of life
A list of the audio books narrated by some of your favorite actors—EW.com
How can I check if my eBooks have matching audiobook companions?–Audible.com – Help Center
Ok, this one is only kind of audiobook related, but whatever, I think it’s cool: 4 text-to-speech apps that will read online articles to you
Former Vice President Al Gore, Shailene Woodley, Sterling K. Brown And More To Narrate The Audiobook Edition Of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power—That’s all for this week! I’ll be back in touch next week from somewhere on the road!
~Katie
Happy Friday, captains and courtiers. Today we’re talking Dexter Palmer’s Version Control and Sarah Beth Durst’s Queens of Renthia series, plus whimsy, fairy tales, series in translation, and more. Engage!
This newsletter is sponsored by Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero.
With raucous humor and brilliantly orchestrated mayhem, Meddling Kids subverts teen detective archetypes like Scooby-Doo and delivers a wickedly entertaining celebration of horror, love, friendship, and many-tentacled demon spawn.
The former members of the Blyton Summer Detective Club have grown up and apart, each haunted by disturbing memories of their final case. The time has come to get the team back together, face their fears, and find out what actually happened all those years ago at Sleepy Lake. It’s their only chance to end the nightmares and, perhaps, save the world. What if it wasn’t a guy in a mask?
Fetch me these immediately! I must have these six SFF series in translation. Well, everything except Night Watch, which I have already read and love. (Have you read those?! Bananas, in the best way, like most Russian speculative fiction.)
The B&N blog posted a Book Nerd’s Guide to Saving The World (with books, obviously), and their list of suggested reads has some great genre picks, as well as non-genre favorites, sprinkled through-out. You could build a very nice dystopia discussion in particular with their “Realize What Might Be” section!
I know it’s not an adaptation but I’ve been following the news about the forthcoming film Bright, which features Will Smith as a cop dealing with the supernatural. If you’re going to SDCC, click that link; they’re doing a sneak peek via Netflix alongside the Death Note adaptation. In the meantime I’ll be combing the web for leaked trailers — it’s been a while since we got a solid new fantasy flick (I am not counting Ritchie’s King Arthur for obvious reasons, even though I loved it).
Also for Californians! There is an Octavia Butler exhibit at The Huntington Library, displaying her personal papers, and I am so bummed that I cannot visit it. It’s up till August 7 — go visit for me, please?
Does your reading list need more whimsy? I feel sure that it does. Tor.com has some picks to help you out with that, including Yoss and Kim & Kim, which I cosign.
Perhaps your reading list also needs more fairy tales — the grown-up kind? This list of throwbacks to the original transgressive, creepy-as-all-get-out vibe of fairy tales gave me all of the heart-eye-emoji feelings. (And a bunch of new books for my TBR.)
And now, for more sci-fi/fantasy about parenting! I told you this was a thing.
Version Control by Dexter Palmer
What if you were married to a brilliant researcher working on a causality violation device (don’t call it time travel)? What if you were nagged by a persistent sense that something is just not quite right, that things are not how they should be? What if a horrible car accident took your child from you and changed your life forever? Dexter Palmer’s main character Rebecca is facing these questions, as well as her own alcoholism and the creeping malaise of middle-age.
Version Control is a slow burn of a novel that never quite went where I thought it was going to go. The first half or so of the book is almost exclusively focused on Rebecca’s very pedestrian life: her husband’s research isn’t going well, her marriage is strained, her past choices haven’t been the best, her friendships are complicated. Most of the characters are barely likable if at all, and almost too real in their flaws. Things in the outer world are slightly weird, and there’s definitely a sense of tension building, but to where? Then the second half of the book arrives. I confess I almost bailed on this book, but I’m so glad I stuck it out — the final third in particular was worth every second of reading time.
The Queen of Blood & The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst
Can I interest you in creepy forest spirits and magical powers? Are you convinced the woods are always watching? What if magical powers were more of a curse than a cure? Sarah Beth Durst’s Queens of Renthia series is (as you might guess from that first title) bloody, magical, and very satisfying.
In The Queen of Blood we’re introduced to Renthia, a world in which humans live in tree-houses, some girls are born with the powers to speak to the four types of elemental spirits, and a Queen rules the land. Sounds great! Except for that all the spirits want nothing more to destroy humanity just for existing, frequently rip people to tiny pieces, and the only thing holding them in check are the Queen’s powers. If a girl is born able to talk to only one or two types of spirits, she becomes a hedge-witch; if she can control all types, she is sent to an academy to train to become a future queen. It’s a terrible job, but someone has to do it. Daleina, our protagonist, is not a Chosen One — her powers aren’t exceptionally strong, she’s not amazingly smart, she’s not athletically gifted. What she is, is adaptable: she’s learned to use what she has to get by. And when she gets sucked into a complicated political situation, she’s going to need every ounce of those skills to survive.
In The Reluctant Queen, Daleina is now ruling (that’s not really a spoiler, the titles of these books are pretty clear) but she’s fallen prey to an aggressive illness and is dying. And thanks to the events of The Queen of Blood, there are no candidates even close to ready to take over controlling the spirits. Ven, the man who trained Daleina, takes off to find someone they might have missed and discovers Naelin, a grown woman with a family and a quiet life who wants to keep it that way. But her powers are too strong to ignore, and she’s forced to go back to the capital with Ven to train. Here’s where the parenting comes in: the bargain includes bringing her young children with her. And rather than relegating them to the background, they become major characters within the story. I can think of other mothers in epic fantasy, but I can’t think of any who actually get to parent mid-quest, and Durst not only pulls it off but makes me want more.
Regardless of your feelings about motherhood and child characters, The Queens of Renthia series is great summer reading: fast-paced, lots of great and dimensional characters to engage with (Mistress Garnah, what what), and a new take on the classic “dark woods” trope.
And that’s a wrap. Happy reading! If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the new SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations across the board you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda.
Hello my fellow mystery fans! There’s a literacy ambassador pig and it should come as a shock to no one that I love everything about this.
Sponsored by Dr. Knox by Peter Spiegelman, new in paperback from Vintage Crime Black Lizard.
A gripping thriller about a doctor with a powerful humanitarian impulse and an unhealthy appetite for risk. Dr. Adam Knox, a former aid worker in war zones and disaster areas, runs a clinic near LA’s Skid Row and makes house calls—no questions asked—on those too famous or too criminal. When his search for an abandoned boy’s mother leads him into the crosshairs of a human trafficking ring run by the Russian mob and on a collision course with a powerful and ruthless family, it threatens all—and everyone—that Dr. Knox holds dear.
My favorite Sherlock!
A Study In Scarlet Women
(Lady Sherlock #1) by Sherry Thomas: A gender swapped Sherlock Holmes that is brilliantly well thought out and executed. I don’t want to get into the plot because there was something quite wonderful about how it all unfolds, especially if you go into the book knowing nothing about the plot like I did. I will say that I loved everything about Charlotte Holmes, from her refusing to accept her place in society, to her taking drastic measures to ensure she doesn’t live a life she doesn’t want. Bonus points for the title that you’ll realize means more than one thing… Oh, and Kate Reading does a great narration on the audiobook–really brought Charlotte Holmes to life.
Calling all cozy mystery fans:
Murder at the Male Revue
(A Bucket List Mystery #3) by Elizabeth Perona: A group of seventy+-year-young women with bucket lists seem to also have the Jessica Fletcher syndrome of always finding themselves around a murder. This time a fun event of male strippers–catered by Mary Ruth and attended by the ladies to get one of those bucket list items crossed off–is cut short by the stabbing of the fundraiser’s sponsor, Camille Ledfelter. Charlotte (being a fan of mysteries) doesn’t care that the police find her to be a thorn in their side–warning her to stop trying to investigate–she just can’t stop herself. Nor wants to, really. When it appears Ledfelter’s nephew is going to be the prime suspect, Charlotte goes into full-on investigation mode, dragging Francine and some of the other ladies into her schemes to get closer to the truth of who stabbed Ledfelter. The opening Magic-Mike-gone-wrong scene is funny and Charlotte, Francine, and the other ladies are wonderful characters who make me believe my dream of one day becoming a private detective while living in a nursing home can come true.
A little Q&A: Kellye Garrett (I give authors I’m excited about five questions and let them answer any three they’d like.)
You know those books that from page one you already love the main character and know you’re only going to love them even more as you get deeper into the story? That’s how I felt about Dayna “Day” Anderson. She finds herself in amateur sleuth territory now that she’s given up on the Hollywood dream, is broke, and needs to find money fast to save her parents’ home. Day is hilarious, smart, has a great group of friends–and my favorite part is she puts the amateur in amateur sleuth! Being that Hollywood Homicide (Midnight Ink, Aug 8th) is the first in the series I’m so happy that I’ll have more Day in my life.
Here’s Kellye Garrett:
What would you like to see more/less of in the mystery genre? “Granted, I’m super biased but I would love to see more authors of color. Last summer’s Sisters in Crime Diversity Report listed 69 black writers who were published. To clarify, that isn’t the number of black writers traditionally published last year. That is the number who published by a publishing company ever. As in, throughout the entire history of the world there have been only 69 black mystery writers traditionally published in the United States. And we have it better than other marginalized groups.
When you’ve always been represented, you don’t realize how much representation matters. I love what Shonda Rhimes has done with Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder where the shows are extremely diverse and the lead happens to be black. I would love to see that same idea move over to mystery novels.”
If you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters who would it be? “I should say my main character Dayna since she’s basically a younger, prettier, more over-the-top version of me. But I’m going to go with her uber-confident best friend Sienna, who spends her days being fabulous, saying whatever she wants, and never, ever gaining weight. Her life goal is to set a World Record for wearing most days in a row wearing red and she could give Beyonce a run for her money when it comes to doing things in heels. And, best of all, Sienna’s also a super supportive ride-or-die friend.”
If you were to blurb your most recent/upcoming book (à la James Patterson): “Hollywood Homicide is my best book in over 20 years! Better than the stories that I used to write as a kid that I would force my mom to read and tell me were great.”
Thanks Kellye! Hollywood if you’re reading this newsletter Hollywood Homicide would make a great TV series so someone get on that–Please, and thank you!
Suspense:
Every Last Lie
by Mary Kubica: Clara Solberg’s husband, Nick, dying in a car accident is only the first string pulled in a spectacular unraveling of her life. Not only is she left widowed with a four-year-old and a newborn baby but her daughter Maisie is now having meltdown moments that make Clara question whether Nick’s accident was just his speeding as the police believed or if there was another car involved. The brilliance of this novel is how Kubica builds suspense by taking us into Clara’s daily life, starting with Nick’s death, and alternates the chapters with Nick’s daily life starting in the final months of Clara’s recent pregnancy as he struggled to keep the life they’d built from unraveling and Clara from finding out.
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And if you like to put a pin in things here’s an Unusual Suspects board.
Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.
And don’t forget to check out our newest podcast, Annotated.
The first episode, “Is it 1984 yet?” traces the recent rise of the not-new 1984 to the number one spot on Amazon’s best-selling books list. Jeff and Rebecca explore the backstory of 1984, from how it became stock high school reading to its CIA-supported appearance on the silver screen, to how, seemingly, a January 22nd news interview thrust it back into our collective consciousness as the example of a political nightmare. To listen, visit bookriot.com/annotated or search for Annotated in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your podcatcher of choice.
Welcome back to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met and well-read. Today we’ve got a spotlight on geographic book lists, in addition to news from far and wide.
This newsletter is sponsored by The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis.
Fiona Davis’s stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City’s glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where in the 1950s a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side by side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon’s glitzy past.
If at first book club does not succeed, try try again? Adiba chronicles her failed attempts to find her book group match, stories which will probably sound very familiar. As always, the trick is getting a good discussion going and getting a good schedule going, and it can take a while to find both!
For those who like their book club over wifi, there’s a burgeoning romance book discussion happening on Twitter at #RomBkLove. As I type this people are talking about their favorite sexy historicals. This is the kind of online book discussion I love — it’s less about trying to have a meaningful conversation on one particular title (very difficult even with threading), and more about talking your way into a genre/topic.
Relaunching in 5, 4, 3 … Zoella’s book club is back! I basically only know Zoella through book publishing news (the UK bookseller trades in particular love to gripe/discuss/talk about her). While the list for 2017 could stand to be more inclusive, it’s got some excellent authors on it (Adam Silvera, Jennifer Mathieu).
In adaptation news, so many projects are in the pipeline! Peter Pan, Vanity Fair, and Little Women are all getting treatments, and we might actually get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote sometime in the next, oh, decade?
The history of women’s book clubs is more politically charged than you might think. This is an interesting look at how we got from Anne Hutchinson in the 1630s, to the consciousness-raising groups of the ’60s and ’70s, to today’s modern (and oft-derided) book club.
For our food-oriented groups (which is all of you, right??) here are some indulgent pairings suggestions that are blowing my mind AND making me drool (The Odyssey and lamb kebabs!).
And last but not least, let’s get geographic! I love a good regional reading list, and these four are some of my recent favorites.
– Indigenous authors in Canada
– LGBTQ Latin American authors
– 100 Must-Read Australian books
– Books to understand Egypt
And that’s a wrap: Happy discussing! If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the new SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations (including the occasional book club question!) you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda.
More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page
Writers on the books that helped them come out.