Books Are My People: A Weekly Newsletter

Books Are My People Weekly Newsletter

out today, paperback releases and more!

Jul 02, 2024

Dear Reader,

Since I’ve returned from my amazing trip to New York, I’ve been sick. Two weeks of Covid and then a week of a secondary lung infection. Not the most exciting way to kick off summer. But some strong antibiotics and steroids finally have me moving in the right direction and feverishly trying to plan another trip. I’ve been giving myself thirty minutes to read after I walk the dog each morning (usually I’m a night reader) and I feel like I’m working my way back up to a faster reading pace. Sometimes reading feels a lot like riding a bike, minus the dangers of falling off.

Summer Guest Book Recommendation Series:

This week, Nicole Wolverton, author of the terrifying and fun A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS recommends a favorite novel. In A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS, when a very real, and very hungry monster is discovered in the town lake, secrets must fall by the wayside. Determined to stop the monster, Lemon and her best friends are the only thing standing between their town, Devil's Elbow, and the monster out for blood.

Have a listen to Nicole’s recommendation!

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A Few Logistics:

BOOK GIVEAWAY:

To Enter: Please be sure you are subscribed to my Substack and you are following me on Instagram and leave a comment on my Instagram GOD OF THE WOODS post by July 11th.

I will be taking a hiatus from Substack just for the month of August. What does this mean? You don’t have to do a thing. Paying subscribers won’t be charged for August, and I will still be sending out my weekly book recommendation newsletter.

I’m still running a sale on my Etsy shop through July 13th. 20% off of everything: handmade upcycled journals, art and Books Are My People stickers! Check them out.

Paid Subscriber Corner:

Book to Film Adaptation In July:

The Talented Mr. Ripley. Read the book. Watch the movie. Watch the series or any combination. We’ll meet up at the end of July to discuss.

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.

Let Me Help You Discover Books You Might Not Otherwise Read!

Out Today (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read)

*THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore

Barbara Van Laar isn't just any thirteen-year-old: she's the daughter of the family who owns the camp. She’s missing and this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared.

I loved this read SO much! It has everything I want in a summer read: camp, multiple POV’s and suspense that kept me guessing.

Enter above to win a copy!

THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan

A novel of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine.

THE SAME BRIGHT STARS by Ethan Joella

An uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town about a local restaurant owner at a turning point.

ELEVATOR IN SAI GON by Thuan, translated by Nguyen An Ly

(This one doesn’t officially publish until July 6th)

Still banned in Vietnam, Elevator in Sài Gòn is a thrilling novel combining elements of the detective thriller, historical romance, postcolonial ghost story, and a biting satire of life in a communist state.

PINK SLIME by Fernanda Arias

A harrowing, intimate horror novel about a woman and the people who depend on her as the world around them teeters on the edge.

MISRECOGNITION by Madison Newbound

An unflinchingly sharp and funny debut novel about the internet, post-postmodern adulthood, and queer identity.

Paperback Releases:

THE LIBRARIANIST by Patrick deWitt

The story of Bob Comet, a man who has lived his life through and for literature, unaware that his own experience is a poignant and affecting narrative in itself.

HOMEBODIES by Tembe Denton Hurst

An insightful, propulsive, and deeply sexy debut novel about a young Black writer whose world is turned upside down when she loses her coveted job in media and pens a searing manifesto about racism in the industry.

A GOOD HOUSE FOR CHILDREN by Kate Collins

An atmospheric mystery with resonant themes of motherhood, madness, and the value of a woman's work.

Online Writing, Reading and Art Events This Week (three things I love!)

Reading:

Tuesday, July 2nd at 12 PM PT: David Nicholls discusses YOU ARE HERE.

Writing:

Tuesday, July 2nd at 7 PM PT: Time Management for Writers

Art: