Welcome to Book Beat! Think of Book Beat as Hide Your Wallet, Part Two!
In Hide Your Wallet, we talk about books coming out in a particular month that we really want to read. But there’s more to good books than just new releases!
Book Beat aims to highlight other books that we may hear about through friends, social media, or other sources. We could see a gorgeous ad! Or find a new-to-us author on a list of underrated romances! Think of Book Beat as Teen Beat or Tiger Beat, but for books. And no staples to open to get the fold-out poster.
We hope you find something new to read through Book Beat, and please let us know what books you’ve discovered recently!
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American Dreamer
Author: Adriana Herrera
Released: March 4, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceNo one ever said big dreams come easy
For Nesto Vasquez, moving his Afro-Caribbean food truck from New York City to the wilds of Upstate New York is a huge gamble. If it works? He’ll be a big fish in a little pond. If it doesn’t? He’ll have to give up the hustle and return to the day job he hates. He’s got six months to make it happen—the last thing he needs is a distraction.
Jude Fuller is proud of the life he’s built on the banks of Cayuga Lake. He has a job he loves and good friends. It’s safe. It’s quiet. And it’s damn lonely. Until he tries Ithaca’s most-talked-about new lunch spot and works up the courage to flirt with the handsome owner. Soon he can’t get enough—of Nesto’s food orof Nesto. For the first time in his life, Jude can finally taste the kind of happiness that’s always been just out of reach.
An opportunity too good to pass up could mean a way to stay together and an incredible future for them both…if Nesto can remember happiness isn’t always measured by business success. And if Jude can overcome his past and trust his man will never let him down.
Source: @ladrianaherrera on Twitter
A gay romance between a food truck chef and a librarian with “hilarious & nosy AF Latinx family & friends.”
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Her Royal Highness
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Released: May 7, 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance, Young Adult
Series: Royals #2Regal romance abounds in this flirty, laugh-out-loud companion novel to Royals, by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins.
Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. Heartbroken and ready for a change of pace, Millie decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better.
Soon, Millie is accepted into one of the world’s most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Here, the country is dreamy and green; the school is covered in ivy, and the students think her American-ness is adorable.
The only problem: Mille’s roommate Flora is a total princess.
She’s also an actual princess. Of Scotland.
At first, the girls can’t stand each other, but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, but Millie knows the chances of happily-ever-afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn’t a fairy tale . . . or is it?
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings the feels and the laughs to her latest romance.
Source: Excerpt in Entertainment Weekly
I hope you listed to yesterday’s podcast episode with Rachel Hawkins because I loved it. If you’re super curious about Hawkins’ upcoming, Her Royal Highness, you can get a sneak peek at EW!
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Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time
Author: Hope Nicholson
Released: August 24, 2016 by Beside Press
Genre: LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy“Love Beyond, Body, Space, and Time” is a collection of indigenous science fiction and urban fantasy focusing on LGBT and two-spirit characters. These stories range from a transgender woman trying an experimental transition medication to young lovers separated through decades and meeting far in their own future. These are stories of machines and magic, love, and self-love.
This collection features prose stories by:
Cherie Dimaline – “The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy,” “Red Rooms”
Gwen Benaway – “Ceremonies for the Dead”
David Robertson – “Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story,” Tales From Big Spirit series
Richard Van Camp – “The Lesser Blessed,” “Three Feathers”
Mari Kurisato – “Celia’s Song,” “Bent Box”
Nathan Adler – “Wrist”
Daniel Heath Justice – “The Way of Thorn and Thunder: The Kynship Chronicles”
Darcie Little Badger – “Nkásht íí, The Sea Under Texas”
Cleo Keahna
And an introduction by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair – “Manitowapow,” with a foreword by Grace Dillon – “Walking the Clouds”.
Edited by Hope Nicholson – “Moonshot,” “The Secret Loves of Geek Girls”Source: @NativeApprops on Twitter
There was a Twitter thread going around on recommended anthologies and this one focuses on LGBT indigenous scifi/fantasy. I know many people who would want to read that.
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Love from A to Z
Author: S.K. Ali
Released: May 7, 2019 by Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Romance, Young AdultA marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.
Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.
Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Source: Excerpt on Bustle
This book is probably going to rip my heart out and I’m so ready for it.
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I’m counting down until next Tuesday (February 19) when two of my favorites release new books: Skye Warren’s HEAVY EQUIPMENT is a freebie short story featuring the “women-is-given-in-exchange-for-payment-of-father’s-debts” trope. I know that trope is both overused and patriarchal, but I love Warren’s style (although she’s definitely quite “dark”) and I’m confident that she’ll have her customary interesting take on the situation.
But the book I’m really leaving my kindle on for when I go to bed Monday night (so it will download at 12:01 am on Tuesday) is Annika Martin’s latest, BREAKING THE BILLIONAIRE’S RULES. I am so pumped for the latest rom-com-with-serious-undertones-and-HP-angst-level book in Martin’s loosely-connected billionaire books, I almost wish I could justify taking a Personal Day off on Tuesday.
/Dismounting my squee platform now.
Rachel Hawkins is a new to me author with a hefty backlist – the best gift ever! Thank you!
The Royals cover lured me in with that Princess Diaries vibe and the excerpt on amazon totally lived up to it. Funny and relatable. Hex Hall looks like a fun series too.
So I totally missed KJ Charles has a new book out (Any Old Diamonds). Read it all of yesterday and finished it earlier today and it’s so, so good.
@DiscoDollyDeb: If it helps, I’m sure the Bitchery will write an excused-absence note for you to stay home on Tuesday. We understand the importance of new release days even if employers don’t. Enjoy your books.