Books Are My People Weekly Newsletter
out today, paperback releases and more!
Dear Reader,
A special welcome to new subscribers! So today is the day my son goes off to college! Hockey training camp begins and then classes start in a week. He’ll be local, but still, it’s a seismic shift moving him out of the house! The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind - listen to my most recent podcast to hear what’s been going on. Speaking of which, after a lovely hiatus, my Books Are My People book recommendation podcast is back in action! Listen to my first guest, the wildly creative Catherine Chidgey, author of The Axeman’s Carnival.
You can listen wherever you catch your pods or click here.
Book Giveaway Alert! I am giving away one copy of Xochitl Gonzalez’s Anita de Monte Laughs Last. In 1998, Raquel, a third-year art history student working on her thesis discovers the art of Anita de Monte, a forgotten artist from the 1980’s. Their trajectories overlap to an extent – both outsiders, but then diverge as Raquel fights to bring to light what really happened to Anita. Art enthusiasts, fans of books that take place in New York and books with dual timelines and multiple points of views will love this novel!
To Enter: Simply leave a comment on this Instagram Post. Earn extra entries by tagging a friend in the comments and sharing this giveaway in your stories. This giveaway will close on Thursday, September 5th and I will contact the winner on September 6th. Open to U.S. mailing addresses only.
Let Me Help You Discover Books You Might Not Otherwise Read! You can learn more about me by visiting my introductory post here.
The best way you can support this show is to click on the books below and purchase them through my Bookshop.org affiliate store. A portion of your spending goes to independent bookstores! A win-win-win! (You win, I win, indie bookstores win!)
Out Today (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read)
There are Rives in the Sky by Elif Shafak
From the Booker Prize finalist author of The Island of Missing Trees, an enchanting new tale about three characters living along two rivers, all under the shadow of one of the greatest epic poems of all time.
The Volcano Daughters by Gina Maria Balibrera
El Salvador, 1923. Graciela, a young girl growing up on a volcano in a community of Indigenous women, is summoned to the capital, where she is claimed as an oracle for a rising dictator.
The Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones
A riveting tale set in the Post WWII South, narrated by a Black soldier who returns to Jim Crow and searches for a mythical ideal.
Wild Failure by Zoe Whittall
Characters encounter feelings of shame, desire, attachment, and disconnection as they find themselves navigating their way through bad decisions, unusual situations, and fraught relationships. A dazzling debut collection of ten powerful, feminist, and queer short stories.
You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q Sutanto
When cracks start forming in an influencer's curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel.
Bluff by Danez Smith
This poetry collection is a kind of manifesto about artistic resilience, even when time and will can seem fleeting, when the places we most love--those given and made--are burning.
Paperback Releases:
*Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
Nobody has a "normal" family, but Vesper Wright's is truly...something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back--mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn't return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep, beckoning her home.
Listen to my interview with Rachel Harrison where we talk about Black Sheep here.
The Hike by Lucy Clarke
Burned-out by both her marriage and work, Liz is desperate for an escape. She plans a vacation with her three best friends, she persuades them to spend four nights camping in the stunning mountains of Norway. But as they stride farther from civilization, it becomes clear that the women are not the only ones looking to lose themselves in the mountains.
Paid Subscriber Corner:
August: Independent reading month. We’ll gather at the end of August to share what we’re reading and loving!
Read With Me Series: We will be reading Caoilinn Hughes’s The Alternatives in September / October. I can’t wait to read this smart, witty, romp about four Irish sisters.
November: Book to Film Series: Poor Things by Alasdair Gray. Read the book, watch the movie, or both!
December: Independent reading month. We’ll meet up at the start of the new year when the craziness of December is over.
No time for art this week, but I do want to paint these flowers that were on our table when we celebrated a friend’s birthday a few weeks ago!
I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! Share what you’ve been reading below!
Books Are My People: A Podcast Companion Newsletter
(click here to listen to the most recent episode of my book recommendation podcast.)
And, if you haven't yet, the greatest gift would be to rate my show, wherever you listen!
I am very interested in your book giveaway. It sounds like something I should read. Good wishes for you all for your oldest new journey and your youngest hockey year! I love your podcasts and I think I walk a little bit more now just to listen to your podcast. I laugh out loud or commiserate as needed. I enjoy my walks so much more with Books Are My People. I forget sometimes that you can’t hear me too. Thank you Jennifer. I’m looking forward to your painting of the lovely flowers!