what’s on my list and what should be on yours
hello everyone! Happy August. Independent Bookstore Day 2020 is this Saturday August 29th. Due to COVID-19 this event, that is typically in April, has been rescheduled. I am so thrilled to share with you all the different books that are on my list to purchase and the books that I think should be on yours. I’ll also link some of my personal favorite indie bookstores as well as some Black owned bookstores that you should definitely support. My BookShop affiliate link will also be linked, so if you would rather shop fully online that is an option as well.
on my list
The Secret of You and Me by Melissa Lenhardt | I’m an absolute sucker for a romance that spans across the years. Anything involving a reunion will do it for me. I’ve loved this uptick of womenxwomen romance’s hitting the mainstream media–having read Something To Talk About–earlier in the summer. I’m hoping this continues to be a type publishers acquire but more importantly I’m hoping this friends to lovers is as fantastic as it sounds.
A Burning by Megha Majumdar | This novel is pitched for readers who love Yaa Gyasi and Jhumpa Lahiri and honestly that sold me pretty quickly. It’s always a good sign when an author’s debut has such electrifying press. This is also on the shorter side, which means it’s perfect for a single sitting–which is my favorite and preferred way to read.
Atomic Habits by James Clear | This has been on my list ever since Grace put it on my radar. Grace has such perfect curated recommendations for psychology related nonfiction, so if that is your speed you should check her site out. But Atomic Habits grabbed my attention because as an Enneagram Type 1 I am perpetually in pursuit of a better self. A whole book focused on habits sounds perfect for me.
Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente | I mean the opening to this blurb is iconic “Radiance is a decopunk pulp SciFi alt-history space opera mystery set in a Hollywood—and solar system—very different from our own”. If that sentence isn’t enough to make you want to read this…we have different reading tastes!
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder | Poison Study is a backlist YA title that is almost universally beloved among the readers I follow. And I love a good fantasy romance.
what should be on your list
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson | Did you watch “13th” on Netflix in an effort to support BLM in recent months? You should read this. Just Mercy takes the overarching messages about mass incarceration that you may have read about in texts like The New Jim Crow and attaches them to stories and accounts of real people that Bryan Stevenson has worked with. If there is anything this book will leave you with, it will be the injustices that Black youth face in the criminal justice system. This is spectacular read and has also been recently made into a movie.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng | A go to!!! I had to throw one of my all time faves on this list BUT ALSO have you watched the Hulu miniseries or do you want to watch the miniseries? I’m actually re-reading this one for a bookclub I’m in, and let me tell you that Ng’s writing ages so well. Ng has a fantastic capacity to capture a community in her writing, and I think Little Fires Everywhere is a perfect example of that. I can’t wait to see what she releases next.
In Five Years by Rebbeca Searle | Do you love character driven novels? I picked this up during one of my first book orders of quarantine back in late March. I expected it to be a sort of alternative timeline romance–like Maybe In Another Life–but In Five Years was nothing like I expected. The blurb pitches this novel as a modern day romance about a powerful working woman, but the actual plot of the novel is so much more about the strength of friendships as a young adult (not teenager, lol. book world and your semantics)! This novel is heartbreakingly raw and features fantastic character growth. A hidden gem.
The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh | I read The Hungry Tide for one of my literature classes this spring but was blown away by how much I fell in love with this one. If you love immersive, contemporary fiction, then Ghosh is the writer for you. I had never read a book with such fantastic world building that fell outside of the SciFi/Fantasy realm. The characters are written spectacularly and the plot was so quietly powerful. A wonder.
Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz | I can always depend on a mystery/thriller to engage me in as a title, but Jane Anonymous accomplishes what other books in the genre, specifically for the YA audience, often fail to do. Looking for a book with a strong sense of voice? This is the title for you. Stolarz captures the teenage perspective I like Morgan Matson and Sarah Dessen do in their contemporary novels, except Stolarz has written a perfectly paced thriller full of trauma and big emotions. This is the most impressive YA books I’ve read all year.
Intimations by Zadie Smith | I won’t write too much about this spectacular, written-during-COVID-19 collection of essays, other than that it is quick, gritty, and reflective. I commend Smith for putting into words the emotions that have developed throughout this global crisis. A perfect introduction to her work.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi | This is a bonus book because you can’t technically purchase it on Indie Bookstore Day, but you can place a preorder of it (and if you order from the Novel Neighbor you’ll get 20%!) Gyasi’s first novel Homegoing is one of my absolute all time favorite books, so this sophomore novel is the definition of highly anticipated.
bookstores
Order online or visit a bookstore in person practicing safe COVID-19 guidelines!
Black Owned Bookstores
my Bookshop affiliate link
personal favorites:
The Novel Neighbor
Vermont Bookshop
Left Bank Books
Powell’s Books
Strand Bookstore
Eagleharbor Books
Octavia Books
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