Books Are My People Weekly Newsletter
out today, paperback releases and more!
Books Are My People: A Podcast Companion Newsletter
Dear Reader,
A special hello to new followers! You can learn more about me by visiting my introductory post here.
I had so much fun participating in
‘s Art Hang Party last week! We drew and discussed book covers. I’ve pasted the replay below. And I’ve pasted my image of the book stack I drew at the very bottom of this newsletter. I haven’t held one of my book cover zooms in a while, so stay tuned for one in May!Podcast News:
Do you like speculative fiction steeped in science? Then check out The Beauty of the End by Lauren Stienstra. You can click here to listen to the most recent episode of my book recommendation podcast. Plus, Andrew Porter, author of The Imagined Life recommends a favorite read.
And, if you haven't yet, the greatest gift would be to rate my show, wherever you listen.
Member Corner:
April / May Women’s Hotel - Happening now! There’s still time to join!
June: Independent Reading Month: read whatever you’d like! We’ll gather over zoom at the end of the month to discuss.
July: Book to Film Adaptation - I can share that I want it to be We Were Liars based on the novel with the same name by E. Lockhart, but I can’t get a confirmation on a June TV release date. I’m keeping my eye on it.
August / September: Read With Me: to be announced soon!
Giveaway: Click here to find out how to win this book!
The best way you can support this newsletter 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!) Let Me Help You Discover New Books! (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read) I’m confident readers of all stripes will find their next read in this newsletter, where there’s something for everyone!
Today’s New Releases: (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read)
multi-generational, told from three points of view: The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff - One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga.
a new American History: America, América by Greg Grandin - This book traverses half a millennium, from the Spanish Conquest—the greatest mortality event in human history—through the eighteenth-century wars for independence, the Monroe Doctrine, the coups and revolutions of the twentieth century, and beyond. Grandin argues that Latin America’s deeply held culture of social democracy can be an effective counterweight to today’s spreading rightwing authoritarianism.
a #1 bestseller in Denmark: Eleven Percent by Maren Uthaug - An inverse The Handmaid’s Tale that asks: What if women took over the world?
short stories Exit Zero by Marie-Helene Bertino - Twelve delightfully strange, haunting stories from the acclaimed, oracular author of Beautyland, Parakeet and 2 a.m. at the Cat’s Pajamas. I really loved Parakeet and 2am. If you’ve never read Bertino, I’d start with 2 am. See if it charms you.
a kind of ghost story: Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou - After losing her baby, Agnes is called to the great manor house to nurse the local lord's baby boy. But something is wrong with the child. As he grows into a boy, then into man, a plague seems to follow him everywhere.
a genre-bending memoir: The Hollow Half by Sarah Aziza - A brush with death. An ancestral haunting. A century of family secrets. This memoir traces three generations of diasporic Palestinians from Gaza to the Midwest to New York City—and back.
*for lovers of historical fiction: The Pretender by Jo Harkin - Set in the tumultuous period of the Tudors' ascent this novel brings to life the little-known story of Lambert Simnel. From humble beginnings as a peasant boy, Lambert's life takes an astonishing turn when, at just ten years old, he becomes a claimant to the English throne as one of the last of the Plantagenet line. As Lambert navigates the treacherous waters of royal intrigue and court life, complex themes of identity, power, and destiny unfold, weaving a tapestry of ambition and survival in a world where the stakes couldn't be higher.
an intimate look behind the curtain in Hollywood: The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood by Matthew Specktor- The author grew up in the film industry: the son of legendary CAA superagent Fred Specktor, his childhood was one where Beau Bridges came over for dinner, Martin Sheen’s daughter was his close friend, and Marlon Brando left long messages on the family answering machine. Specktor blends memoir, cultural criticism, and narrative history to tell the story of the modern motion picture industry.
Paperback Releases:
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo - Family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.
*The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl - When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” So she does.
We Loved It All: A Memory of a Life by Lydia Millet - Everything Millet writes is beautiful, and I’m sure this memoir about the plants and animals in her life is beautiful as well. Emerging from Millet's quarter century of wildlife and climate advocacy, We Loved it All marries scenes from her life with moments of nearness to "the others"-- the animals and plants with whom we share the earth. Accounts of fears and failures, jobs and friendships, childhood and motherhood are interspersed with exquisite accounts of nonhumans and arresting meditations on the power of story to shape the future.
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor - A deeply involving new novel of young men and women - artists at a crossroads in Iowa City.
People made amazing art at Melissa’s Art Hang Party! I stuck with a basic book stack because I was typing a lot in the chat. I’m so impressed by everyone’s work! If you participated or watched the replay, feel free to paste your cover art into the comments below!
I'm looking forward to seeing We Were Liars. Also, I loved The Paris Novel. Looking forward to another Book Cover Drawing Session.
So many great books… that Eleven Percent looks interesting… hmm, a world with 89% women? I’m
Not sure about that either!
Thanks for your weekly reviews and Art Hang was fun!