Books Are My People Weekly Newsletter
out today, paperback releases and more!
Dear Reader,
We’ve settled into life with our new pup! Yes, she needs a lot of attention, but now, she lets me read. The highlight of my summer has been holding onto these precious moments with my eldest son who goes off to college in a few weeks. The other night, my husband and I got home late from an event and my son was sitting on the couch with his brother and a friend and said, “Let’s watch Jeopardy!” Yes, it was 11:30 at night and I was exhausted, but how can you say no to trivia? We ended up watching two, by the way. Other than hanging with family and friends, I am finishing up writing a novel, revamping my website and working on a few different art projects.
Summer Guest Book Recommendation Series:
This week, Kieran Scott, author of PEOPLE WILL TALK recommends a favorite novel below. PEOPLE WILL TALK is a fun, fast-paced suspense novel that takes place at the Frank family’s home on Cape May. When a guest named Tilly announces that she will be marrying Peter Frank, much to his tennis star girlfriend’s chagrin, everyone is shocked. But when a chandelier falls and crushes the bride, three guests quickly become suspects and are forced to work together to find out who really killed Tilly. A perfect summer read!
Have a listen to Kieran’s recommendation! It’s one I’ve read and LOVED!
Let Me Help You Discover Books You Might Not Otherwise Read!
Out Today (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read)
*People Will Talk by Kieran Scott
A breathlessly suspenseful novel that combines Glass Onion with Big Little Lies as three women are implicated in a murder after a wedding goes horribly wrong.
Someone Like Us by Dinaw Megestu
The son of Ethiopian immigrants seeks to understand a hidden family history and uncovers a past colored by unexpected loss, addiction, and the enduring emotional pull toward home.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.
They Dream In Gold by Mai Sennaar
Following two dreamers, one intercultural family, and the diasporic pursuit of home, spanning two decades.
The Horse by Willy Vlautin
This novel explores loneliness, art, regret, and hard-won empathy and it captures the life of a journeyman musician unable to escape the tragedies of his past.
Pearl by Sian Hughes
Pearl , long listed for the 2023 Booker, is the story of a young woman in a small English village who is struggling with the disappearance of her mother. Drawing on the eponymous medieval poem.
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
From the author of The Couple Next Door, in this novel’s town teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked. But Diana Brewer isn't lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.
Off the Books by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier
A captivating debut following a cross-country road trip that will make you believe in the goodness of people.
Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight
When Cleo, a student at NYU, arrives late for dinner at her childhood home in Brooklyn, she finds food burning in the oven and no sign of her mother, Kat. Then Cleo discovers her mom's bloody shoe under the sofa. Something terrible has happened. But what?
Paperbacks Releases:
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
This novel follows an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past.
Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
Nina, still grieving from the loss of her father, discovers that she has inherited a vacation home on the British Virgin Islands. Maria is a nanny for the super-rich, but the family doesn’t show up, so she makes herself at home. The only rule is, don’t go in the basement. Nina and Maria’s world’s are connected in mysterious and perhaps sinister ways.
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.
I’ve been painting some loose, colorful florals after a recent trip to the UCLA Botanical Gardens with L.A. Urban Sketchers. Then I use an app to place my art in a frame and in a room. Everything looks better in a frame! Even my wacky flowers! Interested in purchasing this piece? (it’s just the art on paper, no frame.) Message me for the price!
I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! Share what you’ve been reading below!
You can learn more about me by visiting my introductory post here. Please consider purchasing recommended books through my Bookshop.org affiliate links. It’s a great way to support the show and an ethical way to support your local bookstore. (You can even buy books I don’t link in my shop!)
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