Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #830, Regency Cozies
by muffy
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies * * * by Alison Goodman (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), the YA author’s first adult historical mystery, set in Regency London.
At 42, by all society standards, unmarried twins Lady Augusta Colebrook, "Gus," and Julia are well past their prime - yet with a secured income, a fashionable London address and well connected friends, they are far from docile, and in fact, they strain at all the rules society imposes on well-mannered ladies.
When one of their friends is blackmailed for her indiscretions, they do not hesitate to confront the blackmailer in a secluded park after dark. Soon, other women are seeking their services. On their way to rescue a young woman poisoned and imprisoned by her brute of a husband, Gus accidentally shots the highwayman holding up their carriage, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, charged with murder and exiled to the Colonies twenty years ago. Feeling responsible for his injuries, Gus takes him along on their mission. Before long, they become comrade-in-arms, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. .
“Fans of Georgette Heyer's Regency novels will savor this mystery…Well-developed characters, a touch of romance, and cases involving social issues of the period enhance the experience.”(Library Journal)
“Fierce, funny, and often dark, this is an eye-opening portrait of a colorful yet misogynistic period in English history. “ (Publishers Weekly)
A Most Agreeable Murder * * by screenwriter Julia Seales (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook).
Set in Swampshire, England, a respectable town located between London and Bath, this Regency murder mystery introduces 25 year-old Beatrice Steele, the eldest of three daughters born to a marriage-scheming mother and a prankster father. While she allows her family to think she is holding up in her turret room dreaming of romance, she is actually reading about solving crimes like her favorite "gentleman detective," Sir Huxley.
When the family is invited to the annual autumn ball at Stabmort Park, home of the Ashbrooks, to welcome eligible (and wealthy) bachelor Edmund Croaksworth, Mrs. Steele hopes that beautiful Louisa will steal his heart and save the family from ruin as Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, is to eventually inherit the family’s estate.
“By the end of the evening, secrets will have been revealed, false identities exposed, missing persons found, and murder committed (twice!). The character types are endearingly familiar to anyone who has ever read a Jane Austen novel, and the dialogue crackles with wit, outrage, subtext, and pluck. Beatrice, a true Sherlock Holmes within her restrictive social world, is a delight, and while the characters may be familiar, Seales' over-the-top caricatures succeed in being humorous rather than cliché…The result is a deliciously dark delve into a world that seems genteel on the surface and teems with sex and violence and greed just underneath--not so unlike Austen's but with a morbid, rather than domestic, bent. Irreverent, satirical, and oh so much fun! “ (Kirkus Reviews)
"A delightful cocktail that mixes elements of the Bridgerton series, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple mysteries . . . The payoff is a wealth of wit, hilarity and suspense." (People)
* * * = 3 starred reviews
* * = 2 starred reviews
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Spotlight on Hispanic Heritage Month
by eapearce
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year from September 15 to October 15! Celebrated in the United States for over 50 years, you can learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month here. One excellent way to participate in this month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latin cultures is by reading books by Latinx authors! AADL has a wide variety in our collection, but below are a few suggestions to get you started. ¡Vive tu cultura!
¡Hola, Papi!, by John Paul Brammer | Request Now
Brammer is the author of the wildly popular queer advice column on Substack by the same name as his new book. He grew up in rural Oklahoma, where he struggled as a biracial and closeted gay person. Brammer always dreamed of writing, and started his career in journalism writing for various outlets, then transitioned to Condé Nast while also focusing on his advice column. He also works for Netflix on a small team promoting and curating LGBTQ+ materials. !Hola, Papi! is a combination of his memoir, his advice column and is simply the story of a man taking stock of his place in the world, as we all do from time to time. As Brammer says, his book is “for everyone–gay, straight, and everything in between.” His unique story is well worth the read!
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #829, Secrets of the Golden Age of Hollywood
by muffy
Did you Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook).
When the three St. Johns sisters, Elise, Giovanni, and Noele find themselves heirs to Kitty Karr Tate’s immense fortune, they were as surprised as the rest of Hollywood. The St. Johns, a prominent Bel Air family is Kitty’s neighbor as well as a mentor to Elise who is up for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Apart from planning Kitty’s memorial services, navigating the contentious dynamics between her sisters and their mother, Elise is tasked with sorting out Kitty’s affairs, and among her journals, what Elise discovers will rock her world and might explain why a successful white actress would bestow her immense inheritance on three Black girls.
The narrative winds back to Kitty's hardships in 1930s North Carolina; and mid-century Hollywood glamor; the harshness of the studio system, with all of its attendant misogyny and racism.
“What is less obvious, by design, are the steps many people took to create new lives for themselves once they reached LA from less hospitable places. Against an origin story of sexual violence and systemic roadblocks, Kitty and her California cohort survive a series of excruciating trials in order to live their dreams. The results of their choices, made in order to succeed and survive in the Hollywood machine, echo for generations throughout Paul's meandering yet page-turning narrative…With a plot worthy of a miniseries, an extensive cast, and a historical sweep, Paul succeeds in entertaining as well as enlightening.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Readers of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Piper Huguley will be enthralled.” (Booklist)
Do Tell (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by debut novelist Lindsay Lynch, is “(g)amorous, tawdry, and human. A rich portrait of the lives of early Hollywood's beautiful puppets and those holding their strings." ~ Emma Straub
1940s, Los Angeles. Edie O'Dare‘s contract with FWM Studios is about to end and with renewal unlikely, she needs to find a new gig. While her career in pictures has been undistinguished at best, she is a fixture at all the parties and premiers and has long supplemented her income by passing on salacious dirt to the reigning gossip columnist. When a small kindness to 16-year-old rising starlet Sophie Melrose at a party gives her an exclusive to Sophie’s claim of being sexually assaulted by one of the biggest names in the industry, Freddy Clarke. The subsequent tabloid coverage lands Edie her own column at The Los Angeles Times (christened as "Do Tell”), Freddy being charged, and eventually strains her relationships with everyone she once considers a friend.
“Although the plot lags when Lynch describes clothing, hairstyles, and makeup in too much detail, she doesn't lose sight of a salient theme: Edie's success depends on others' vulnerability. Lynch's characters--clad in designer gowns, inhabiting sumptuous mansions, and drinking champagne at lavish parties--are replaceable cogs in a powerful industry. An intimate look at Hollywood's dark secrets.” (Kirkus Reviews)
BONUS FEATURE
The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook). This historical novel is based on the life of Anna May Wong - the first and only Asian American woman to gain stardom in the early days of Hollywood. Born Wong Liu Tsong, to Chinese immigrants who own a laundry, she was taunted and bullied growing up, finding joy only at the local nickelodeons. At 16, she left home to pursue her Hollywood dream. “She longed to play characters who weren't concubines, prostitutes, or evil dragon ladies. As one of the first Chinese American actresses, she often struggled to get movie roles for two reasons: Hollywood protocols and anti-miscegenation laws prevented her from starring as a love interest to a white man, and Asian roles often went to white actors in yellowface. She was determined to take the roles she could get and never give up on acting.” (Library Journal)
“For greater freedom, Anna travels to Europe, where she befriends Marlene Dietrich and Josephine Baker. With its rich supporting cast, the novel emphasizes the friendships and family relationships that help Anna thrive, while her many disappointments (like losing a leading role in The Good Earth to a German actress in "yellowface") catch at the heart.” (Booklist)
Blog Post
Staff Picks: All About the 'Shrooms
by lucroe
Mushrooms have become a big part of our diet with sales according to one report up 32% from previous years. Not only is there culinary interest, but the therapeutic (micro dosing), the ecological (nutrient sharing), and environmental uses (restoring contaminated soil after an oil spill and breaking down plastics) are remarkable. Mushrooms have been used in medicine for thousands of years and Western medicine is just now discovering the benefits, like studies that show some varieties may help fight inflammation in the body. So, drink your mushroom coffee then take a walk in the woods to spot all the amazing fungi proliferating there.
Complete Mushroom Hunter by Gary Lincoff | Request Now
Are you just beginning your journey into mushroom foraging? Here’s a great guide for the newbie! Lincoff goes over some varieties of mushrooms, those edible vs poisonous, best places to look and what to look for, and facts about each one. Although he doesn’t cover every variety, he focuses on those easier to identify in the wild, it is still a worthwhile book for someone to start their foray into the fungi world.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Level-Up Your Lunch!
by emjane
Whether the start of the school year means you’re packing lunches for the kids in your life or if you just want to get out of a packed lunch slump yourself, I’ve got great news. There are books that can help! And we have a LOT of them! Here are four favorites:
Lunchbox by Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson | Request Now
It’s so easy to get in a rut with packing kids’ lunches; heck, once that responsibility got passed on to me as a student, I literally packed the same peanut butter crackers, apple, and carrots every single day. So often, you just need a reminder of other items that pack easily, and Hanel & Stevenson are the perfect duo to remind you! Their basic lunchbox formula is “Fruit, Vegetable, Main, Crunchy Snack, Protein Snack, Tiny Treat” and they give enough suggestions of these to make 478! different lunches (that’s 478 factorial, not merely 478 options). Their photos of colorful lunches serve as a great inspiration, and if you’ve got a kid in your life who might have fun helping to pack their own lunches, going through this book together could be a fun project to last all the way through the school year!
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Teen Halloween Comics
by nicole
Spooky season is upon us, which means it's time for windy weather, scary stories, and pumpkin-everything. These comics from AADL's teen section are full of pumpkins, monsters, and all the fall vibes you'll need to get in the Halloween spirit.
Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell | Request Now
This lighthearted read follows Deja and Josiah, seasonal best friends who work together every autumn at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. They say good-bye each Halloween, and are reunited every September 1. But this Halloween is different: Josiah and Deja are finally high school seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye. Josiah's ready to spend the whole night moping about it, but Deja isn't ready to let him. She's got a plan: What if they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he's been mooning over for years. What if their last shift at the pumpkin patch was an adventure?
Blog Post
Reimagining Classic Tales
by lucroe
For centuries, in every corner of the globe, people have shared fairy tales, myths, & legends. It is not surprising that these stories still generate so much interest with the plethora of modern retellings and reimaginings available today. Here are just a few of the many books in our collection in which contemporary writers retell some classic tales.
My Mother she Killed me, my Father he ate me : Forty new Fairy Tales | Request Now
Here is a great anthology of 40 contemporary retellings of fairy tales and legends from around the world written by some well-known authors, like Neil Gaiman and Joyce Carol Oates, as well as some not as known in the U.S., like Hiromi Itō and Ilya Kaminsky. While some are obvious in the tale they are retelling, like Oates’ Blue-bearded Lover or Francine Prose’s take on Hansel & Gretel, others are not. Luckily an afterword is provided following each story that sheds some light on the story itself and the choices the author made when writing it. Other retellings include the Baba Yaga character from Russian lore to folktales from Vietnam and Mexico.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Great Graphic Memoirs
by nicole
If you're into facts, but don't have the attention span for long nonfiction books, AADL has tons of nonfiction comics to choose from. The perfect blend of words and art, these graphic memoirs will pull you in with their vivid images and deeply personal stories:
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton | Request Now
Katie heads out west to take advantage of Alberta's oil rush-part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can't find it in the homeland they love so much. Katie encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands, where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet is never discussed. Beaton's natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, northern lights, and boreal forest. Her first full length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people. Readers should be aware this story deals with themes of sexual assault.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Read the Book, Meet the Author: A2 Community Bookfest
by emjane
What’s better than reading a great book? Reading a great book and then getting to see the author IN REAL LIFE!!
Lucky for all of us, we’ve got a wonderful slate of authors coming as part of the A2 Community Bookfest on Sunday, September 10. Read one of these books in anticipation of the event or take advantage of the chance to pick up a signed copy in September!
Lies and Other Love Languages by Sonali Dev | Request Now | Hear Sonali Speak
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Anticipated Late-Summer Fiction Releases
by eapearce
Late summer and early fall are great times for book publication! There are lots of highly anticipated titles from beloved authors that have either just been released or are coming out in the next month or so. AADL often pre-orders books so that you can put your name on the hold list before the title is officially published! Check out some suggestions for exciting upcoming releases below, and add your name to the waitlist.
The Fraud, by Zadie Smith | Request Now
Acclaimed and bestselling author Smith has written a new historical fiction novel based on real events. Set in 1873, a legal trial is about to divide Victorian England, and raise questions about who is allowed to tell their side of a story and who is believed. Eliza Touchet is the cousin of famous novelist William Ainsworth. Eliza has lots of interests and is well-connected to writers and artists of the time, but she is skeptical of many of them. She questions Ainsworth’s talent, she considers Charles Dickens a bully, and she thinks the literary world of England is mostly a facade. Andrew Bogle grew up enslaved on a plantation in Jamaica, but eventually finds himself in London as the star witness in a case of imposture: a lower-class butcher is claiming that he is in fact the rightful heir of a sizable estate and title. Andrew knows that his future depends on him telling the “right” story–but what is the right story? As Eliza and Andrew’s worlds collide, and the rest of England becomes enthralled with the trial, questions of self-deception and what is really true become increasingly complicated. Publisher Penguin Random House calls The Fraud, “ a dazzling novel about truth and fiction, Jamaica and Britain, fraudulence and authenticity and the mystery of ‘other people.’”