Hiya book folks! It's the second week of April, and the sun is making more appearances than ever, and the temps are in the 50s and low 60s, which is refreshing after the cold, frosty winter months that seemed to go on forever. Meanwhile, there's been a lot of book news and I've read 4 books and am looking forward to next weeks TBR pile.
Ah, if only I were single, this sounds like the kind of dating service I'd look forward to...especially if there were guys who are big readers involved.
Romancing
the Book Bar
If
your swiping finger is fatigued and your eyes need a break from
screens–oh, and you happen to live in Manhattan–you might be the
perfect candidate for the borough’s book bar, Bibliotheque. A.J.
Jacono and his dad, the book bar’s founders, have launched a couple
of dating-friendly socials. You have the option of participating in a
speed dating wine social or a date night featuring a complimentary
dessert and wine specials. InStyle
highlighted the bar’s events in a piece on the search for love in
bookish spaces, talking with book bar owners and dating industry
professionals about the business of marrying books and romance
seekers. Read
all about book loving singles and romantic reading parties.
I am so excited that this bookstore has found a new place near the U District. I will have to make time to visit this summer, because I love supporting local indie bookstores!
Nook
& Cranny Books, Seattle, Finds New Home
Nook & Cranny Books in Seattle,Wash., has found a new space in the
city's University Heights neighborhood, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
reported.
The bookstore is moving from 324 15th
Ave. E. in Capitol Hill to 5637
University Way NE. Store owner Maren
Comendant expects to have the new
location open soon, and she has an
official grand opening celebration
scheduled for April 26, Independent
Bookstore Day.
In January, Comendant announced that
her
bookstore's lease was not being renewed
and she would have to move out
by March 31. She also launched an
Indiegogo campaign to help with the
move, which raised $6,835.
Comendant purchased the bookstore Oh
Hello Again, which resided at 324
15th Ave. E., in 2022. After taking
over the lease, she changed the name
to Nook & Cranny Books and put her
own spin on the store. She was
informed last November that her lease
would not be renewed.
I love poetry, and I've always been glad that there's a spring month where I can indulge my love of word play without fear of being ridiculed. As Mr Gray notes here, poetry collections are an endangered species, but I like to think that at some point they'll make a come back, just like 70s fashions did in the past decade.
April
is National Poetry Month -Robert Gray
And
Poetry Month is still a retail labor of love. Over the years, I've
met Poetry Month evangelists and
detractors. Even some poets I know have
expressed mixed feelings about the
concept, wondering why poetry has to
be trotted out like an orphan up for
adoption once a year.
At one end of the April celebration
spectrum is the Academy of American
Poets, which spearheaded the original
concept almost three decades ago.
Booksellers fall into place at various
points along the spectrum, which
prompts certain questions: Is promoting
Poetry Month with events and
displays a bookstore's option or duty?
Does it take a devoted poetry
reader on staff to drive creative,
energetic participation? When, where
and how often does passion top
inventory turns, even if only for 30
days?
I'm not a poet, but I am a lifelong
reader of poetry (and buyer of
poetry collections, which is a truly
endangered lit-species). I'm a
writer, so I think about words all the
time, but I'm also deeply
intrigued by and engaged in the book
trade, so I think about money, too.
It's complicated. I know many poets,
and when our conversations turn to
the book trade, a certain fatalistic
refrain inevitably creeps in: "No
money in poetry; never was, never will
be," they will say, or: "I write
poetry, therefore I teach."
I know, I know. It's not just about the
money, whether you're a poet, a
bookseller, a small press editor or any
other toiler in the word fields.
It is, however, a little bit about the
money. For example, have you ever
met anyone in the book world who didn't
say, at some point, "I could
have made more money doing (fill in the
occupation), but I had to do
this?"
B&N's
April Book Club Pick: Rabbit Moon
Barnes & Noble has chosen Rabbit
Moon by Jennifer Haigh (Little, Brown)
as its April national book club pick.
In a live virtual event on
Tuesday, May 6, at 3 p.m. Eastern,
Haigh will be in conversation with
Lexie Smyth, category manager for
fiction at B&N.
B&N described the book this way:
"Set against the backdrop of the
bustling and unforgiving streets of
Shanghai, Lindsay--the daughter of
divorced parents and confidant of her
adopted Chinese-born sister,
Grace--finds herself the victim of a
drunk driving accident that leaves
her comatose. Told throughout various
points in time, we learn the messy
family history that Lindsay sought to
escape. Unfortunately, where she
found herself was no safe haven.
Harrowing, tender and poignant--Haigh's
newest novel is sure to carve out a
space in readers' hearts as well as
their bookshelves."
I don't know how to break it to Shelf Awareness, but Kirkus and other review services have been charging for reviews for several decades now. I would know because I was one of the underpaid freelance reviewers who spent a year in Hades reading and reviewing some truly awful works for the paltry sum of $50 per review, while the company was charging the author or publisher in excess of $500 per review! Talk about taking advantage of the ink-stained wretches! I also note that the price of admission for a review has doubled in the last 15 -20 years. Sadly, the people who put in the work, the reviewers, aren't the ones who will benefit from that price increase.
Publishers
Weekly is Now Charging for Review Submissions
I’m
only going to tackle one story today, but Publishers
Weekly charging for review submissions is a sneakily interesting
topic.
Apparently this started a couple of weeks ago, but it only came
across my personal internet transom late last week. Before March
24th, in the whole 100+ year history of PW, you could submit your
book for review consideration for free. Big publisher, indie,
self-pub whatever. Yes, you might be thinking, that seems so normal
as not to really be all that interesting. And you would be right.
Hold that for a sec.
Now,
the state of play at, and I don’t think I am exaggerating here, the
most important trade-facing review outlet is this: to submit your
book for consideration, you either have to have a $950 site license
or pay $25 to submit your book for review consideration. Not a review
mind you–just to be consider for a review.
Now,
I have no insider knowledge of the inner workings of PW, but I do
know something of the economics of covering books as a business
proposition. And it is tough sledding, to say the least.
For
the publishers that crank out the vast majority of books that get
sold in a year, getting a $950 site license is a trivial cost
(assuming they don’t already have one). The pre-publication
awareness that getting a review in PW can generate is more than worth
it and a service of and in itself.
So
I think one thing we can say is that this is not a play to squeeze a
whole bunch of money out of the Big 5 or even the next 15-20 largest
publishers, all of whom should really be grateful PW exists and fork
over their 1000ish smackers with aplomb.
No,
I think this move has two other salubrious effects for PW. First,
there are probably some marginal dollars that will flow their way,
from small publishers and independent authors especially. I have no
idea how much (I would love to know little birdies out there), but in
this day and age of big tech platform media dominance, finding a new,
sustainable, non-advertising revenue source is both clever and
necessary.
Secondly,
I think this also has the secondary effect of
reducing the number of submissions. PW already cannot/does not want
to review every book submitted. There tens of thousands of new books
every year and with self-publishing and LLMs being a durable part of
the book ecosystem, that number will only rise.
If
I were them, I would absolutely do this and would have kicked myself
for not doing it five years ago. Because, and I say this with more
admiration for people who make things than I can express, if you do
not believe enough your book to pony up the equivalent of a movie
ticket and a popcorn on a Saturday night for the chance to have PW
write about your book, then PW shouldn’t be bothered to consider it
either.
Now,
if Kirkus and Library Journal and the NYT and others all suddenly
decide this is a good idea and hey actually we would really like to
do this too, well it does get pricey pretty quickly. So maybe a few
of those Meta dollars or Amazon ad dollars will need to come out of
those marketing budgets and flow into media outlets that actively
participate in and are interested in furthering the book making and
reading business. There are worse outcomes.
TV:
Grapes of Wrath
An adaptation of John Steinbeck's
classic novel The Grapes of Wrath
will be the first season of a new
anthology series being developed by
AMC. Variety reported that Great
American Stories will focus on a
"different celebrated work,
historical moment, or individual narrative
celebrating and highlighting the
American spirit."
"For more than a year we have been
searching for the perfect story to
launch our next big television
franchise, and we found it in The Grapes
of Wrath, which is as timely and
relevant today as it was when first
published in 1939," said Dan
McDermott, president of entertainment and
AMC Studios for AMC Networks. "Our
country is built upon so many
unforgettable historic and dramatic
moments, tales of bravery and
courage, classic novels, short stories,
and chronicles well known and
never-before-told. As a network that
began its life as American Movie
Classics, this is the franchise we're
destined to bring to the screen."
"We're thinking about Great
American Stories like one of those resolute
car factories in Michigan--bring in
visionary creators, give them an
assembly line of singular talent to
build the thing, hand them the
keys and get the hell out of the
way," Jones said. "This is Dan
McDermott's big, bold, torpedo bat
swing at AMC. He's hired me to roll a
beauty off the factory floor every
year. I hope to never have another
job for the rest of my career."
I've read all of Martha Well's Murderbot books, and I loved them for their unique take on the robot in science fiction, as well as the snark and sarcasm of the Murderbot itself.
Murderbot
Trailer Has the Juice
The
much-anticipated TV adaptation of Martha Well’s long-running and
much-loved Murderbot
series now has
a trailer.
And judging from the parts of the audience square I live with, this
has the potential to be a four-quadrant winner. For those of you
unfamiliar, imagine if Data from Star Trek was a little like Deadpool
and you aren’t far off. Looking forward to this.
A Trinket For the Taking by Victoria Laurie is a cozy magical mystery novel that is just the antidote for our dark and cynical times. Here's the blurb: This mesmerizing mystery series debut from New York Times
bestselling author Victoria Laurie introduces the captivating Dovey Van
Dalen, once the belle of 1840s Copenhagen, now charged with recovering
magic property from mortals—whatever it takes.
Dovey Van Dalen has a gorgeous day planned for her 200th birthday: driving her new Porsche, admiring the cherry blossoms abloom in her adopted city of Washington DC, and a little pampering. But her boss has other ideas. A powerful artifact has been stolen, and he fears it’s causing chaos in the unmagical world . . .
The rich and connected Ariti family has suffered a string of suspicious deaths, with no signs of foul play. Yet each member has died in the way they feared most. As the enchanting agent most skilled at blending in with mere mortals, Dovey must find answers and retrieve the dangerous trinket.
There’s just one unexpected wrinkle: by the time Dovey arrives at the art gallery where the Ariti patriarch died, FBI agent Grant “Gibs” Bartholomew has taken control of the scene. Dovey needs his cooperation to investigate—but she’ll have to hide her abilities, and her true objective, from a man who uncovers deceptions every day. And as they inch nearer a deadly truth, both will face danger even the spellbound would be lucky to survive
Dovey Van Dalen has a gorgeous day planned for her 200th birthday: driving her new Porsche, admiring the cherry blossoms abloom in her adopted city of Washington DC, and a little pampering. But her boss has other ideas. A powerful artifact has been stolen, and he fears it’s causing chaos in the unmagical world . . .
The rich and connected Ariti family has suffered a string of suspicious deaths, with no signs of foul play. Yet each member has died in the way they feared most. As the enchanting agent most skilled at blending in with mere mortals, Dovey must find answers and retrieve the dangerous trinket.
There’s just one unexpected wrinkle: by the time Dovey arrives at the art gallery where the Ariti patriarch died, FBI agent Grant “Gibs” Bartholomew has taken control of the scene. Dovey needs his cooperation to investigate—but she’ll have to hide her abilities, and her true objective, from a man who uncovers deceptions every day. And as they inch nearer a deadly truth, both will face danger even the spellbound would be lucky to survive
Laurie's prose is deliciously smooth and inviting, and her plot sings with fascinating characters and magical fantasy. I couldn't put it down once I'd started reading it on my Kindle Paperwhite. Dovey is a delightful heroine, full of pluck and smart as a whip, and her foil, FBI agent Gibs is sexy and smart and fascinating, leading readers to want more of this dynamic duo in books to come. I'd give this concise work an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes partner detective stories that have you yearning to "ship" the main characters while they're solving an intricate mystery.
The Forest King's Daughter by Elly Blake is a YA romantasy adventure that starts slow, but builds to a breathless ending that will leave readers of dark romantasy thirsting for more. Here's the blurb: The Forest King's Daughter is an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Frostblood.
Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely boy from underground. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket—or so he thought—because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the queen of the underground and the forest king declared war.
Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of enemies at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it's only a matter of time before the war they escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest and underground folk alike grows in the shadows.
From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.
Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely boy from underground. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket—or so he thought—because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the queen of the underground and the forest king declared war.
Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of enemies at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it's only a matter of time before the war they escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest and underground folk alike grows in the shadows.
From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.
Though I enjoyed the emotional journey that the two main characters embark on, I found myself saddened that the female protagonist was somewhat spineless and afraid to come into her own powers because she was so heavily invested in trying to make her father pay attention to her and be "proud" of her ability to use her powers to kill, which was all part of his cold and ruthless agenda. She couldn't seem to break away from his darkness to bring her powers of healing and light to the fore. Meanwhile, her childhood boyfriend sulks and acts immature until he realizes that she's been manipulated into believing that war and genocide were her only options. The prose could get rather sticky and overblown at times, and the plot, as mentioned previously, slows down at different points, making the reader have to slog through the word bog to get to the part of the story that has movement. I'd give this novel a B-, and recommend it to anyone who likes darker romantasy books in general. The cover to this novel is gorgeous and eye-catching, BTW, especially if you're a fan of Art Nouveau.
Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn is a cozy, amusing mystery novel that is the sequel to Killers of a Certain Age and is a rare novel that has female protagonists over the age of 60 who still manage to be smart and fun and kick major arse as spies ala James Bond. Here's the blurb: Four women assassins, senior in status—and in
age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this
riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.
Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.
Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.
Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.
Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.
I've read more than a few books by Raybourn, who is nothing if not prolific. Her prose is always sterling, and her plots never flag or get bogged down in details. I also love that the "senior" women here are realistic, in that they have, like myself, lots of aches and pains, but they also still have razor-sharp minds and a host of honed assassin skills and experience that they can use to bring down the bad guys without a fuss and with minimal exposure. Despite the grim subject matter, there are a number of hilarious moments in the book that had me laughing out loud. Once begun, I usually can't put a Raybourn novel down, and this sequel was no exception. I find myself yearning for more, however, and there doesn't seem to be any indication that Ms R is writing more than two books in this series, unfortunately. Anyway, I'd give this exceptionally entertaining novel an A, and recommend it to anyone tired of YA fictional heroines who are too young to know what they're about. Leave it to these ladies of a certain age to get the job done in style!
In Walked Trouble by Dana Hawkins is an LGBTQ romance with plenty of heart and an interesting premise. Here's the blurb:
In this heated rivalry, will love be the final result?
After checking her salty attitude and grinding for years, Remi James
has worked her way up to become star bartender at an upscale Seattle
bar. She’s finally on track for the promotion (and the home loan
approval) of her dreams—until Maya Marek walks in. Suddenly, Remi has competition. Willowy, blonde, infuriatingly talented competition.
The
last thing friendly, cheerful Maya expects on her first day is to clash
so spectacularly with the prickly senior bartender—or to find herself
inexplicably drawn to the feisty woman. But she needs this paycheck to
afford grad school, and no amount of snarky comments, pouty lips, and
to-die-for curves will get in her way.
Remi and Maya
are rivals. That’s why they’re so aware of each other in the tight space
behind the bar, and in the walk-in refrigerator… right? But when family
emergencies and painful pasts come to light, they're forced to see each
other in a new way. When the line between rivalry and romance begins to
blur, can Remi and Maya dare to sacrifice their dreams to reach for
something new?
Usually "enemies to lovers" tropes wear thin, in my experience, about halfway through the book. This novel managed to tap dance around that pitfall with humor and clean, crisp prose that suited its strong and swift plot down to a T. The author also didn't shy away from lesbian sex scenes that were realistic and steamy, which is rare in romance novels involving the LGBTQ crowd. Because I live about 35 miles SE of Seattle, I also enjoyed reading about the younger crowd navigating the bar scene in the city, and I was thrilled that the author didn't feel the need to point out all the flaws of living in this area, while making light of the rainy weather that keeps everything in the Emerald City green nearly all year long. I'd give this sweet and salty novel a B+ and recommend it to anyone who is interested in, or fascinated by the PNW and the LGBTQ bar scene that thrives here.
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