Welcome to Book Beat!
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.
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Disfigured
Author: Amanda Leduc
Released: February 11, 2020 by Coach House Books
Genre: NonfictionIn fairy tales, happy endings are the norm—as long as you’re beautiful and walk on two legs. After all, the ogre never gets the princess. And since fairy tales are the foundational myths of our culture, how can a girl with a disability ever think she’ll have a happy ending?
By examining the ways that fairy tales have shaped our expectations of disability, Disfigured will point the way toward a new world where disability is no longer a punishment or impediment but operates, instead, as a way of centering a protagonist and helping them to cement their own place in a story, and from there, the world. Through the book, Leduc ruminates on the connections we make between fairy tale archetypes—the beautiful princess, the glass slipper, the maiden with long hair lost in the tower—and tries to make sense of them through a twenty-first-century disablist lens. From examinations of disability in tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen through to modern interpretations ranging from Disney to Angela Carter, and the fight for disabled representation in today’s media, Leduc connects the fight for disability justice to the growth of modern, magical stories, and argues for increased awareness and acceptance of that which is other—helping us to see and celebrate the magic inherent in different bodies.
Source: Book Riot newsletter!
Nonfiction on the intersection of fairy tale endings and ableism.
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The Goode Governor
Author: J.J. Arias
Released: December 20, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Goode Girl #1A female governor. An ambitious exotic dancer. An unexpected love story about shattering icy barriers and pushing every boundary.
Governor Georgia “George” Fernandez has just announced her re-election campaign when a scandal implicating Mila, a younger woman working as an exotic dancer, threatens to derail her run. Her quick-thinking chief-of-staff spins the disaster by having Mila, a recent graduate of George’s alma mater Goode College, join the staff.
From the moment they meet, Mila and George’s interactions are fraught with tension. Mila’s direct manner and disregard for rules are anathema to George’s conservative nature and need for control.
As they work together, the women find themselves drawn to each other and unable to resist the lure of a physical and emotional entanglement. Mila might be exactly what George needs to access the vulnerability she forgot existed. But George has never been one for risks, neither with her heart nor her career.
Enemies turn to lovers as a fearless younger woman melts her boss’ icy exterior in this irresistible, and steamy, slow burn, lesbian romance.
The Goode Governor is an entry in the Goode Girl lesbian romance series, telling the stories of women loving women in and around a small, all-women’s college in Northern Florida. Books can be read in any order.
Source: Newsfeed on Goodreads
Lesbian contemporary with a slow burn, opposites attract romance!
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His Princess by Christmas
Author: Therese Beharrie
Released: November 1, 2020 by Harlequin Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceWhen single mom…
…meets crown prince!
Amari Hayes just knew hiring the mysterious Kade would be nothing but trouble. But with Christmas approaching, she needs the help, and there was something about the tall, dark and handsome guy that called to her. Kade is running from something, a painful secret, and Amari knows that feeling all too well… After one incredible kiss, Kade’s secret is about to be revealed! Is Amari prepared for the royal consequences?
Source: @ThereseBeharrie on Twitter
Single mom + prince + holiday romance
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Into the Forest and All the Way Through
Author: Cynthia Pelayo
Released: August 26, 2020 by Burial Day Books
Genre: PoetryInto The Forest And All The Way Through is a collection of true crime poetry that explores the cases of over one hundred missing and murdered women in the United States.
“This book shook me, ripped my heart out, and haunts me still. Into the Forest and All the Way Through shines a harsh light on a subject society has been far too content to ignore…and it’s about goddamn time. This Is a vital collection.” -Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Sour Candy
Source: @ELemonDesign on Twitter
The concept of true crime poetry is very appealing to me!
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I just finished Beharrie’s ONE DAY TO FALL, the second in her One Day to Forever series. She’s amazing in her ability to create deep and important/difficult emotional work for her characters. I can’t speak to the book mentioned above, but it was refreshing in ONE DAY to read characters dealing with, however reluctantly, major issues in their lives. Denial doesn’t last long in the face of real honesty.
Read Disfigured, then take a look at the controversy over the portrayal of evil in WB’s “The Witches.” Disfigured is a book whose time was well overdue. Nicely done, Amanda Leduc!