It is July and that means it’s time for me to announce my monthly book club picks, which I am very excited about.
Our Fantastic Strangelings Book Club pick is How Can I Help You by Laura Sims. It’s about librarians. Librarians and MURDER.
(If you’ve been waiting to join the Strangelings this is the very best month for it because books are getting pricier so we need to raise our membership price a little starting in August, but if you’re already a member or if you join this month we’ll grandfather you in at the $25 a month price, which is a hell of a deal because I don’t think we’ve ever sent y’all book that cheap in the years we’ve been doing this so you’re saving money off the cover price every month. Plus you get to hang out with me in zooms where we talk to authors and make homemade nipple pasties. YAY FOR NIPPLE PASTIES!)
I’m equally excited about the Nightmares from Nowhere horror pick because it’s fantastic and I posted on facebook telling members to check their spam for the monthly email I just sent in case they have filters on for phrases like “consensual bigfoot affairs” and “pansexual mothmen” and several people were like, “What is happening” and “Can I get this unhinged email if I sign up right now?” And so in case you signed up after reading the facebook post you will still get the book (Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle) shipped to you, and I’m including the email right here in case you missed it and also as a very good indication of why I am the best (or worst) person to be writing these emails each month.
Those are my two big picks for the month but if you need more, here are the July new releases I loved:
Thief Liar Lady by D. L. Soria – “Happily Ever After” is a total scam, but at least this time the princess is the one controlling the grift–until her true love arrives and threatens to ruin the whole scheme. Intrigue, magic, and wit abound in this Cinderella fairy tale re-imagining, perfect for fans of Heather Walter and Naomi Novik.
The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love – “What if the life you didn’t live was as real as the one you did?” A new mother ventures into parallel worlds to find her missing child in this mind- bending novel that turns the joys and anxieties of parenthood into an epic quest.
A Good House for Children by Kate Collins – A feminist gothic tale that combines an atmospheric mystery with resonant themes of motherhood, madness, and the value of a woman’s work.
Wednesdays at One by Sandra A. Miller– Sophisticated and suspenseful, this debut novel explores how long-buried secrets have the power to shatter a seemingly perfect life.
My Husband by Maud Ventura and translated by Emma Ramadan – The winner of France’s First Novel Prize in 2021 builds on the premise of hits like Gone Girl and Fates and Furies–how well can you really know your spouse?–and adds the tension and creepy obsession of You.
The Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella – For fans of Shuggie Bain and A Burning, a queer coming-of-age novel set in 1990s India, about a young man who joins a traveling theater troupe. Dark, beautiful, harrowing and haunting historical fiction.
How about you? What are you most excited to read next?
PS. Nowhere Bookshop could not stay in business without your support. Because of you we can create a safe, welcoming, weird and magical place in a state whose government sometimes seems focused on exactly the opposite. You allow us to do work we’re proud of and to grow a strange and beautiful community that makes a positive difference. On behalf of our team, our authors, and our patrons who have sometimes cried at finding somewhere they belong, thank you. For real.
I just cannot get into the horror genre, and one of my friends is a horror / suspense author. To me a horror movie is watching an opera performance, or having to listen to Air Supply’s Greatest Hits on repeat, in a room you cannot escape from…
(Isn’t it weird how one genre speaks to you and another doesn’t? I can’t stand “action” but I love “horror”. I’m not even sure why but it’s my favorite genre and has been since I was little. ~ Jenny)
Book club idea, can we do an audio book club? I would absolutely love to join both bookclubs but due to a myriad of neuro divergent issues (mostly AuDHD) and a demanding job with a long commute I am able listen to audio books way more than I am able read. If there was a book club where all of the chosen books were alwsys available as audio books I would join immediately.
(In theory it’s a great idea but impossible to do through a physical bookstore because we can’t sell audiobooks. But most all of the books I pick are available on audible so you can always listen as an honorary member and join the discussions here or on facebook. Both of these pick are coming out as audiobooks. 🙂 ~ Jenny)
Your PS was a beautiful thought and is a testament to the work you do. I do wish you had a digital version of your book club though.
Oh, crap! I almost forgot that I opened up the discussions on facebook for last month’s books (you don’t have to be a paid member to join) and I’m also leaving my thoughts here in case you don’t do facebook.
Caution…HERE THERE BE SPOILERS:.
Thoughts on Lucky Red: So much I loved about this book. I could see it in my head as a movie as I read it and it felt like and ensemble cast that I wanted to know more about. I wanted each character to have their own book so I could read all of their stories. (Especially Constance, who was my favorite character, and Lila, who seemed like she had a hell of a story behind her.)
I found myself wanting to shake Bridget over and over and then kept remembering that she’s a teenager and so of course she’s making all the wrong decisions, but I also loved how stubborn and independent she was in spite of everything she’d gone through.
In fact, I think that was my favorite part…the idea that all of these people have had such limited choices and such tragic backgrounds but they’re still standing and finding joy when then can and being true to themselves.
When I was halfway through the book I was like, “Ok, this a romance” but I could not warm to Spartan Lee and I kept wanting to scream “SHE IS A WALKING RED FLAG, BRIDGET” so I was almost a little relieved to find that Spartan was a backstabber because I was like, “I am not feeling this relationship”. I loved that instead of immediately hating Spartan Lee Bridget went after her to get their money back and was hurt and furious but still conflicted and unsure about what she’d do when she found her. Toxic first loves can really fuck with a girl, huh?
I loved how quickly I went from disliking a character to loving a character to being furious at a character. They were so complex and even the ones I didn’t like I usually had sympathy for after I learned more of their stories. You never know what a person is carrying on their shoulders…a good lesson even now.
I was a little disappointed that the book ended without Bridget finding a real love but I think that makes it a better book. Instead of romantic love she found agency and power and a chosen family and knowledge. And I’m informed by the author on our last zoom that she had no doubt that Bridget had many wonderful love affairs in the future.
I’m ready for a sequel. Or maybe a Lila prequel. Or a Netflix series. Whatever.
My Thoughts on Dead Eleven:
The 90s nostalgia alone made this an instant read for me, but I was totally sucked into the mystery and I loved how the hints kept dropping in a satisfying way, but there was still enough mystery that I didn’t see the twists coming until the end. I adored Lily (the high school student) and I loved how the multiple points of view all gave a different story, but each was an unreliable narrator, so it added to sense of suspense and uneasiness.
I love the claustrophobic sort of feeling that came with the island and with the lack of technology. It felt a bit like The Village or LOST or Midnight Mass in tone.
I also loved that while it was a fun horror read with a very new concept it was also a great read on grief, guilt, fear, moving on and the complexities of family.
I heard a rumor that it’s been optioned for maybe a series? But who knows with the writer’s strike going on (team writers!). Either way, I’ll be watching for it.
Hey I am *loving* these book clubs but how do I get on the email lists? I never hear about the zooms on time (yes I am subscribed to both)
(There’s a separate section to sign up for the emails that people sometimes don’t see. I think it’s a service run by “constant contact”? Email us at orders@nowherebookshop and we can help. Also check your spam. For strangelings you should have gotten one announcing HOW CAN I HELP YOU with a mention on the bottom about the zoom this week with Claudia Cravens. And another email a few days ago reminding you to sign up for the zoom if you haven’t. For Nightmares you should have gotten the email about Camp Damascus this week. We haven’t done a zoom with Nightmares since last month. ~ Jenny)
Have you considered joining “Libro.fm”? It’s like audible… Only for local bookstores!
(I need to look at that. I’ve heard of it but I don’t really do audiobooks so I keep forgetting to find out details. ~Jenny)
❤️
So, I am not in the book clubs, but this made me wonder if there is anything members can do if you announce your picks, and they have already pre-ordered the book from the author. Cause I have totally pre-ordered Camp Damascus, and I am super excited for it.
(They can either cancel their preorder from the other place or just let us know they need to skip a month. 🙂 ~ Jenny)
Jenny: I’ve always thought that Brie Larson should play you whenever they do a movie based on your life/books (and have thought that since before she won her Oscar), but she might have some competition! The two pictures here of Jennifer Garner in glasses, *especially* the second one, look quite a lot like you–or at least they do, give I’m an old lady w/wonky vision. I think Brie still has the edge here, though… 🙂
This article is a fantastic read for all horror book enthusiasts out there! The author’s captivating writing style and enthusiastic recommendations are sure to pique your interest in joining their horror book club.
I think this is appropriate here:
Therapist: What do we say to people to let them know we’re welcoming them into our lives?
(Jenny): Buckle up.
Therapist: No.
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The 90s nostalgia alone made this an instant read for me, but I was totally sucked into the mystery and I loved how the hints kept dropping in a satisfying way, but there was still enough mystery that I didn’t see the twists coming until the end. I adored Lily (the high school student) and I loved how the multiple points of view all gave a different story, but each was an unreliable narrator, so it added to sense of suspense and uneasiness.
I love the claustrophobic sort of feeling that came with the island and with the lack of technology. It felt a bit like The Village or LOST or Midnight Mass in tone.
I also loved that while it was a fun horror read with a very new concept it was also a great read on grief, guilt, fear, moving on and the complexities of family.
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The nostalgia for the 1990s was enough to make me want to read this book right away, but I was also completely drawn into the mystery, and I loved how hints kept falling in a satisfying way throughout the book. Despite this, there was still enough mystery that I didn’t see the twists coming until the very end.
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How well can you really know your spouse? is a theme that will be expanded upon in the 2021 winner of France’s First Novel Prize.This heightens the anxiety and unsettling preoccupation of You. basketball stars unblocked
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