It’s the month of thanksgiving, and you know what that means! We are ready to give thanks for all the new books coming our way! If between all the turkey and the babies we are able to keep our eyes open enough to read them that is. What are we talking about…OF COURSE we’ll make time for more reading! Priorities, am I right? Here are the book we’re looking forward to this month!
Serena’s Pick:
Book: “Song of the Crimson Flower” by Julie C. Dao
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Why I’m Interested: I’ve been meaning to read one of Dao’s books for a while now and just have never gotten around to it. So when I was given the opportunity to join in a blog tour for her latest title, I jumped on the chance to find out what all the fuss was about! The story follows Lan, a young woman who cruelly rejects the love of a poor village boy, Dao. From there, the story sounds like a version of “The Princess and the Frog” only this time the frog is a flute and the story is drawing from the author’s Vietnamese roots as inspiration for this fantasy world. YA fantasy romance can be very hit and miss for me, so I’m guessing a lot of my enjoyment of this book will come down to just how cruel we’re talking with regards to Lan’s rejection. On the other hand, a good redemption story for a heroine can also be pretty great, so here’s to hoping!
Book: “Sister of Shadow and Light” by Sara B. Larson
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Why I’m Interested: This is another author who I’ve been meaning to check out. But as nice as it is to start a series that you know is concluded, it’s also a bit intimidating to start out, which has held me back from her “Defy” books for a bit. But no more excuses! She’s starting up a new series with this book, and we we all know I’m a sucker for sister stories, so now seems like the time. On top of that, the story seems to be a sort of fairytale fantasy, combining elements from both “Rapunzel” and “Sleeping Beauty” which sounds right up my alley. Trapped away in a tower, their lives have been filled with solitude and fear, until one day (of course) someone makes their way in. The longer description sounds a lot like Laini Taylor’s “Strange the Dreamer” story as well, so that adds an extra layer of intrigue!
Book: “Flamebringer” by Elle Katharine White
Publication Date: November 12, 2019
Why I’m Interested: So we have a new standalone, the first in a new series, and now it’s time for the last in a series! Enter: “Flamebringer.” What started out as a standalone fantasy interpretation of “Pride and Prejudice” has turned into an enthralling fantasy series that has focused on some tough issues while presenting a fully fleshed out fantasy world all of its own. In the last book, Aliza and her husband seemed to discover the hints of a world-ending danger lurking in the shadows, so I’m sure that here that conflict will finally come to a head. But at its heart, this has always been a story about Aliza and the challenge of living in a world much bigger than the one in which she was born into. I’m sure she will rise to the occasion once again!
Kate’s Picks:
Book: “Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls” by Jessica McDiarmid
Publication Date: November 12, 2019
Why I’m Interested: True crime is a weakness of mine, but I will absolutely admit that a lot of the cases that get a lot of attention involve a predominantly white focus. An ongoing true crime mystery/tragedy is going on in Canada along Highway 16, in which dozens and dozens of Indigenous women and girls have gone missing, and a number have been found murdered. Many of the cases have gone unsolved, and the victims have been forgotten, an all too familiar outcome for victims who are POC. In “Highway of Tears”, Jessica McDiarmid seeks to give voices and stories to a number of the women who are remembered less as people, and more as nameless statistics, and to explore the societal factors such as racism, misogyny, and poverty that contribute to their victimization.
Book: “Anything For You” by Saul Black
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Why I’m Interested: The Valerie Hart series is a gritty and dark crime procedural with a tough as nails female detective. I don’t follow too many mystery series, but Saul Black’s Valerie gives me a reason to keep coming back. It’s been a bit since we’ve seen a new book about her, but “Anything For You” is now here and we get to go back to Valerie and her complicated life, as well as a new mystery. This time Valerie is investigating the death of a prominent attorney (whom she had a history with), whose time as a prosecutor has garnered a long list of suspects who would want him dead. But as Valerie starts to dig into his life, including his wife and daughter, she comes upon a mysterious blonde woman who may have her own score to settle. It will no doubt be bleak and upsetting, but I wouldn’t expect any less from Saul Black.
Book: “The Deep” by Rivers Solomon
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Why I’m Interested: This is a bit more of a fantasy or magical realism pick, but the premise was far too intriguing to pass up. A society of merpeople have learned to live in the sea, the descendants of pregnant African slave women who were thrown overboard during the Triangle Trade. The society has learned to forget of the traumas of the past, except for one single historian. The current historian, Yetu, has to bear the painful and horrific memories of the past, and the burden drives her to run away to the surface. While there she learns of the past and present of the people that she and others could have become, as well as her own. I imagine this is going to be a very powerful and emotional story, and cannot wait to read it.
What new books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!
The Library Ladies 