Books Are My People Newsletter: 10/3/23
new books, paperback releases and more!
Books Are My People: A Podcast Companion Newsletter
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I'm Jennifer Caloyeras and I love books. And I love sharing books! I even love writing books. And making books! And teaching people how to write books!
Happy October, Everyone!
I have a big month ahead of me. I just got notes back from my agent on my new suspense novel and I am starting a whole new novel project. There's a trip to Chicago in my near future as well as possibly New York. But making life plans with two kids on travel hockey teams is a bit of a Sysiphean task. At least there are books to keep me sane.
A new episode is coming next Monday, but here's an easy way to click through to my last episode with with Kayvion Lewis, author of the recently published Thieves’ Gambit.
Click here to listen.
Yesterday, I went live with Amy from the Podcast The Perks of being A Podlover. We each surprised one another with our favorite read from September. Click here to watch the recording. I love a good book surprise! And you can check out Amy and Carrie's podcast here.
It's not too late to enter this giveaway! I am giving away TWO copies of Bittersweet in the Hollow. This giveaway will close on publication day, October 10th, and I will announce the two winners on the original giveaway Instagram post on October 11th. Open to U.S. mailing addresses only.
Here is my recent post on Book Awards on Substack.
Books Out Today!
Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
A gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts--the preacher's daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks--hold the key to uncovering the truth.
key words: Louisiana, preacher's daughter, suspense
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Throughout her childhood, Safiya Sinclair's father, a volatile reggae musician and militant adherent to a strict sect of Rastafari, became obsessed with her purity, in particular, with the threat of what Rastas call Babylon, the immoral and corrupting influences of the Western world outside their home.
key words: memoir, Rastafarian
A Man of Two Faces by Viet Thanh Nguyen: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial
At the age of four, Nguyen and his family are forced to flee his hometown of Ban Mê Thuột and come to the USA as refugees. After being removed from his brother and parents and homed with a family on his own, Nguyen is later allowed to resettle into his own family in suburban San José. But there is violence hidden behind the sunny façade of what he calls AMERICA.
key words: memoir, culture, memories, Vietnam, California
Lou Reed: The King of New York by Will Hermes
Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed's life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde.
key words: Look Reed, biography, music
Our Strangers by Lydia Davis
From one of the most accomplished writers of our time comes another brilliant collection of short fiction. Artful, deft, and inventive; Lydia Davis’ newest collection of stories delves into topics ranging from marriage to tiny insects. These stories are a celebration of language and careful observation that once again confirms Davis’ sincere love and mastery of the form.
key words: flash fiction, collection
The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut
From one of contemporary literature's most exciting new voices, a haunting story centered on the Hungarian polymath John von Neumann, tracing the impact of his singular legacy on the dreams and nightmares of the twentieth century and the nascent age of AI.
key words: The Manhattan Project, A.I., machines
Menewood by Nicola Griffith
In the much anticipated sequel to Hild, Nicola Griffith's Menewood transports readers back to seventh-century Britain, a land of rival kings and religions poised for epochal change.
key words: sequel, Middle Ages, retelling
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Bryan Sanderson
Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society--but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero--a goal that has led to nothing but heartache and isolation, leaving him always on the outside looking in. In their own ways, both of them face the world alone.
key words: fantasy, epic, romantic
Paperback Releases:
Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout
An intensely gripping reimagining of Mary Shelley's youth, vividly exploring innocence, young love, gothic mystery and the roots of her literary masterpiece, Frankenstein.
key words: fiction, LGBTQIA+, gothic, historical
The Death of Us by Lori Rader- Day
One rainy night fifteen years ago, a knock at the door changed Liss Kehoe's life forever. On that night, Ashley Hay stood on Liss's front porch and handed over her brand-new baby Callan. She was never seen or heard from again. Since then, Liss has raised Callan as her own, and loves him as fiercely as any mother would. But in the back of her mind, she's always wondered whether Ashley is still out there somewhere--and feared what might happen if she comes back.
key words: thriller, suspense, rural
The Intern by Michele Campbell
A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.
key words: thriller, domestic
The Dead Take The A Train by Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw
The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Cassandra Khaw's cosmic horror and Richard Kadrey's gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York's magical underbelly.
key words: magic, New York City, Neil Gaiman fans, fantasy, dark horror
Links I like:
Watch: The Books That Shaped America Series
Teacher Fired For Reading The Diary Of Anne Frank
Levar Burton Leading Banned Book Week This Week
The Highest Rated Books In Every Country
I typically use a reference image when I paint, but, over the weekend I decided to try and create something from my imagination, inspired by an artist I'd seen recently who places people in rooms. I asked my son what he thought my people were doing. He said it looked like "a chill, low-key party." Acrylic ink and graphite on paper.
Check out more of my art here!
Phew! You've made it to the end! Questions? Comments? Shoot me an email at Booksaremypeople@gmail.com
Tell me what you're reading!
Until next time, I hope you have a wonderfully bookish week!
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