Books Are My People Weekly Newsletter
out today, paperback releases and more!
Dear Reader,
I recently realized that my introductory post had been archived, which means many new subscribers might not have had access to it, so here it is below! You can read a bit about me and introduce yourself!
I took another trip around the sun! It was a lovely day, exploring downtown Los Angeles, eating great food with my family and then spending time with some wonderful friends. Our new pup, Goose, did a great job with all of the action. Anyone else glued to the Olympics? We’re having so much fun watching them. They’re heading to Los Angeles next, which sort of sounds like a logistical nightmare; the last time they were in L.A. (was it 1984?) we went to Europe. Seeing live events could be fun. Or a great excuse to get out of town for a few weeks. I’ve got a few years to figure it out.
Summer Guest Book Recommendation Series:
Let Me Help You Discover Books You Might Not Otherwise Read!
Out Today (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read)
August is a notoriously slow book month, but fear not, there ARE great books this month and September is a beast, so buckle up.
*HUM by Helen Phillips
In a desperate bid to resolve her family's debt and secure their future for another few months, she becomes a guinea pig in an experiment that alters her face so it cannot be recognized by surveillance.
JELLYFISH HAVE NO EARS by Adele Rosenfeld and Jeffrey Zuckerman (out August 8th)
After an audiology test shows that almost all of Louise’s hearing is gone, her doctor suggests getting a cochlear implant. The technology would give Louise a new sense of hearing--but it would be at the expense of her natural hearing, which, for all its weakness, has shaped her unique relationship with the world, full of whispers and shadows.
HOUSE OF BONE AND RAIN by Gabino Iglesias
A group of young men seek vengeance after one of their mothers is murdered in a Puerto Rican slum; STAND BY ME with a haunted, obsidian-dark heart.
AND SO I ROAR by Abi Dare
When Tia accidentally overhears a whispered conversation between her mother--terminally ill and lying in a hospital bed in Port Harcourt, Nigeria--and her aunt, the repercussions will send her on a desperate quest to uncover a secret her mother has been hiding for nearly two decades. From the author of THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE.
THE RICH PEOPLE HAVE GONE AWAY by Regina Porter
Set against the pulse of an ever-changing city, The Rich People Have Gone Away connects the lives of ordinary New Yorkers to tell a powerful story of hope, love, and inequity in our times--while reminding us that no one leaves the past behind completely.
THE OUTLIER by Elisabeth Eaves
An audaciously twisty psychological thriller in which finding the killer is only one of two mysteries its anti-heroine, Cate Winter, tries to unravel. The other: when pushed to extremes, what is she herself capable of?
ALL THAT GLITTERS by Orlando Whitfield
A dazzling insider's account of the contemporary art world and the stunning rise and fall of the charismatic American art dealer Inigo Philbrick, as seen through the eyes of his friend and fellow dealer.
MYSTERY LIGHTS by Lena Valencia
From the all-too-real horror of a sexual predator on a college campus to a lost sister transformed by cave-dwelling creatures, Lena Valencia's debut story collection, Mystery Lights, grapples with terrors both familiar and fantastic.
UNSPEAKABLE HOME by Ismet Prcic
The highly anticipated second novel from award-winning writer Ismet Prcic, who, decades after escaping his war-torn home country looks back on his childhood, imploded relationships, and battles with addiction--offering powerful insight into the human cost of conflict.
Inspired by the real-life collision of Irish designer Eileen Gray and famed Swiss architect Le Corbusier, and the extraordinary place that bound them, Jane Alison boldly reimagines a now-infamous feud into a lushly poetic and mesmerizing novel of power, predation, and obsession.
THE BOOKSHOP by Evan Friss
The Bookshop is a love letter to bookstores, a charming chronicle for anyone who cherishes these sanctuaries of literature, and essential reading to understand how these vital institutions have shaped American life--and why we still need them.
Paperbacks Releases:
*YELLOWFACE by RF KUANG
White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences... Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn't write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American--in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN by Jessica Knoll
The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. From the author of LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE.
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 sold a few handmade journals last week, but there are many more in my Etsy store. Feel free to peruse. I’ve made a little video flip through of each one so you can see what you’re getting. Here’s the link! Free shipping in the states if you spend over $35. Thanks
for sharing your self-portraits in August challenge - all being drawn / painted in one of my journals!
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!)
Like what you read? You can buy me a coffee!
Books Are My People: A Podcast Companion Newsletter
(click here to listen to the most recent episode of my book recommendation podcast.)
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!)
And, if you haven't yet, the greatest gift would be to rate my show, wherever you listen!
I’m looking forward to reading All That Glitters and The Alternatives.
Just finished „Yellowface“ and totally loved it! As an author myself, I recognised a few things! 🙈