Books Are My People Weekly Newsletter
out today, paperback releases and more!
Dear Reader,
It’s true, a year and a half after suffering the heartbreak of a boarding facility losing our family dog, we have welcomed a six-month old puppy into our lives! Meet Goose! We rescued her from a shelter in Los Angeles and she is a sweetheart! She’s a 35 pound maybe pit / cattle dog mix. I’d forgotten how exhausting it is having a puppy! The good thing is, she’s super smart, so she’s learning the house rules quickly. The bad news is my reading and arting time have significantly diminished. I keep reminding myself it’s just temporary and I have to admit, it’s kinda nice being hunkered down at home with her as the outside world seems too chaotic!
Save the Date: I’m hosting a FREE Book Covers: Chat and Draw event on Thursday, July 18th at 9 am PT over zoom. Register here or click on the image below.
We’ll talk about what we’re reading and loving as we draw book covers (real or imagined). This image is from our last Book Cover Chat in March. Even if you can’t attend, feel free to register and I will send you the recording along with a PDF of all of the books we discussed. I’ve already picked out which book cover I want to paint!
Let Me Help You Discover Books You Might Not Otherwise Read!
Out Today (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read)
*THREE KEYS by Laura Pritchett
Newly widowed and unemployed, a woman in her mid-fifties sets off on a journey of trespassing and adventure through the American West and beyond. A perfect read alike for someone who wants a fictional version of WILD, with less hiking.
WHERE ARE YOU ECHO BLUE? by Hayley Krischer
A smart, juicy, and page-turning novel about celebrity, fandom, and the price of ambition following a journalist's obsessive search for a missing Hollywood starlet.
THE LUCKY ONES: A MEMOIR by Zara Chowdhary
A moving memoir by a survivor of anti-Muslim violence in contemporary India that delicately weaves political and family histories in a tribute to her country's unique Islamic heritage.
THE BANG-BANG SISTERS by Rio Youers
An action-packed crime novel featuring three kick-ass heroines--bandmates who moonlight as vigilantes. Blood. Bullets. Rock and roll.
ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day
A riveting summer suspense novel set at a hotel in Maine by the bestselling author of THE BLOCK PARTY.
THE BRIGHT SWORD by Lev Grossman
Period piece lovers: The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is steeped in tradition, full of duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings.
THE LOST STORY by Meg Shaffer author of THE WISHING GAME
Inspired by C. S. Lewis's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes--just in case.
THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan
A novel of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine.
THE GENIUS OF JUDY: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us by Rachelle Bergstein
An intimate and expansive look at Judy Blume's life, work, and cultural impact, focusing on her most iconic--and controversial--young adult novels, from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret to Blubber.
THE TREE COLLECTORS: Tales of Arboreal Obsession by Amy Stewart
Fifty vignettes of remarkable people whose lives have been transformed by their obsessive passion for trees--written and charmingly illustrated.
Paperback Releases:
MY NAME IS IRIS by Brando Skyhorse
An engrossing dystopian novel set in a near-future America where mandatory identification wristbands turn second-generation immigrants into second-class citizens.
*MAEVE FLY by CJ Leede
A blood-soaked love letter to Los Angeles and a gleeful send-up to iconic horror villains.
Logistics:
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.
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. We’ll vote on a date soon!
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.
Online Writing, Reading and Art Events This Week (three things I love!)
Reading: Got any? I couldn’t find any for this week.
Writing: Wednesday, July 17th at 4 pm PT Writing Your Historical Fiction Short Story.
Thursday, July 18th at 5 PM PT Outside the Box: Writing In More Than One Genre Or Category.
Art:
Wednesday, July 17th at 4 am co-swatch session with
.Wednesday, July 17th at 7 am PT Painting and Drawing Old Trees with
. Click here to sign up.FREE: Don’t forget about my Book Cover Chat and Draw! 9 am PT. Register here to attend.
FREE: Thursday, July 18th at 4pm PT
will be hosting her weekly Art Hang Party, drawing funny animal video stills. Click here to bookmark page.And, at your leisure,
at Introvert Art Club has challenged us all to make a created with human intelligence badge! It’s so fun seeing everyone’s interpretations!
My friend and I took a CreativeBug class where we made paper mace animal masks. One of us went classical, the other, modern. Can you guess which one I made?
I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! Share what you’ve been reading below!
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Like what you read? You can buy me a coffee!
Books Are My People: A Podcast Companion Newsletter
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Congrats on the puppy! 🤗💖✨ We’ll have to do another pet session soon so we can draw this handsome guy! looking forward to drawing funny animals with you on Thursday!
I totally thought you were the panda.