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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I Love You S’more
Author: Wendy Dalrymple
Released: August 25, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella, RomanceFreshly divorced and worn out from years of single-handedly running her marketing company, Samantha Slater couldn’t be more excited to drag her moody teenage son to a parent-and-kid weekend at Palmetto Pines Campground. The camp is a little more run-down than it had been twenty years ago, when she spent those happy summers between college as a camp counselor, but it still brings back memories of the best time in her life. And it’s about to bring back a whole lot more than memories, she realizes when she finds that one of the parents attending is none other than her former camp flame, Julian Wells.
Julian has spent the last two decades on the road as a wilderness survival expert, never settling in one place for long. But seeing Samantha again makes him wonder if he’s been searching for something all along — for the intense connection they had together. With his own moody teenage son in tow, Julian is actually here for a fresh start. He might be ready to settle down near his son, and near the only place that ever really felt like home: Palmetto Pines. But his abrupt departure all those years ago weighs heavily on both of them. Can he convince her that this time, summer camp doesn’t have to end?
Source: Twitter!
I can’t remember which of the book people I follow was tweeting about this, maybe Sil? But I was taken by this cute and cozy cover!
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Plucked
Author: Rebecca Herzig
Released: January 16, 2015 by NYU Press
Genre: Nonfiction
Series: Biopolitics #8Uncovers the history of hair removal practices and sheds light on the prolific culture of beauty
From the clamshell razors and homemade lye depilatories used in colonial America to the diode lasers and prescription pharmaceuticals available today, Americans have used a staggering array of tools to remove hair deemed unsightly, unnatural, or excessive. This is true especially for women and girls; conservative estimates indicate that 99% of American women have tried hair removal, and at least 85% regularly remove hair from their faces, armpits, legs, and bikini lines. How and when does hair become a problem—what makes some growth “excessive”? Who or what separates the necessary from the superfluous?
In Plucked, historian Rebecca Herzig addresses these questions about hair removal. She shows how, over time, dominant American beliefs about visible hair changed: where once elective hair removal was considered a “mutilation” practiced primarily by “savage” men, by the turn of the twentieth century, hair-free faces and limbs were expected for women. Visible hair growth—particularly on young, white women—came to be perceived as a sign of political extremism, sexual deviance, or mental illness. By the turn of the twenty-first century, more and more Americans were waxing, threading, shaving, or lasering themselves smooth. Herzig’s extraordinary account also reveals some of the collateral damages of the intensifying pursuit of hair-free skin. Moving beyond the experiences of particular patients or clients, Herzig describes the surprising histories of race, science, industry, and medicine behind today’s hair-removing tools. Plucked is an unsettling, gripping, and original tale of the lengths to which Americans will go to remove hair.
Source: @alokvmenon on Twitter
Alok is a wonderful, thoughtful, and purposeful artist and activist. I highly recommend following them wherever you can!
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Sisters in Arms
Author: Kaia Alderson
Released: August 3, 2021 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Historical: American, Historical: European, Literary FictionKaia Alderson’s debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.
Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve.
As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy—everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else.
When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves.
Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.
Source: Goodreads ad!
More diversity in historical fiction please! Especially the very popular WWII period.
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Special Topics in Being a Human
Author: S. Bear Bergman
Released: October 12, 2021 by Arsenal Pulp Press
Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA, NonfictionAs an author, educator, and public speaker, S. Bear Bergman has documented his experience as, among other things, a trans parent, with wit and aplomb. He also writes the advice column “Ask Bear,” in which he answers crucial questions about how best to make our collective way through the world.
Featuring disarming illustrations by Saul Freedman-Lawson, Special Topics in Being a Human elaborates on “Asking Bear”‘s premise: a gentle, witty, and insightful book of practical advice for the modern age. It offers Dad advice and Jewish bubbe wisdom, all filtered through a queer lens, to help you navigate some of the complexities of life–from how to make big decisions or make a good apology, to how to get someone’s new name and pronouns right as quickly as possible, to how to gracefully navigate a breakup. With warmth and candor, Special Topics in Being a Human calls out social inequities and injustices in traditional advice-giving, validates your feelings, asks a lot of questions, and tries to help you be your best possible self with kindness, compassion, and humor.
Source: Sarah!
Sarah mentioned she picked this one up and it looks to be a great resource for parents and teens.
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THE LADY UPSTAIRS by Halley Sutton, from Twitter, where the author posted a note calling the book “VILE” and “SORDID.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/halley_sutton/status/1471930438251737088
A modern-day noir featuring a twisty cat-and-mouse chase, this dark debut thriller tells the story of a woman who makes a living taking down terrible men…then finds herself in over her head and with blood on her hands. The only way out? Pull off one final con.
Jo’s job is blackmailing the most lecherous men in Los Angeles–handsy Hollywood producers, adulterous actors, corrupt cops. Sure, she likes the money she’s making, which comes in handy for the debt she is paying off, but it’s also a chance to take back power for the women of the city. Eager to prove herself to her coworker Lou and their enigmatic boss, known only as the Lady Upstairs, Jo takes on bigger and riskier jobs.
When one of her targets is murdered, both the Lady Upstairs and the LAPD have Jo in their sights. Desperate to escape the consequences of her failed job, she decides to take on just one more sting–bringing down a rising political star. It’s her biggest con yet–and she will do it behind the Lady’s back, freeing both herself and Lou. But Jo soon learns that Lou and the Lady have secrets of their own, and that no woman is safe when there is a life-changing payout on the line.
A delicious debut thriller crackling with wit and an unforgettable feminist voice, The Lady Upstairs is a chilling and endlessly surprising take on female revenge.
For what it’s worth, my m/m Victorian historical romance is on sale for .99 this week:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0994R734X
I’m currently reading Frenchman’s Creek (a classic) and West End Earl (a romance with a cross-dressing heroine written quite recently; it’s interesting to see how this trope is handled, versus in earlier, less enlightened eras).
@Quinn Wilde – I quite enjoyed your book ;-). And thanks for the rec, I think I’ll have to get West End Earl, cross-dressing heroines have been a huge catnip for me since I started reading romance, but only if done right (and for longer than the “she dresses in the stable-boy’s clothes one hot second and is immediately discovered by the hero”). There have been a few books over the years that really did it for me, but it’ll be interesting to see how a newer one does it.
THE LADY UPSTAIRS is really really good. Female-centric neo-noir is having a moment right now & this is great nasty twisty stuff.
Oh, thank you so much, @Midge! And thus far (I don’t want to jinx things), I was very pleased that there is none of the “he feels strange feelings for her before she is revealed but can’t quite understand why,” and it’s got much more of a friends-to-lovers energy. I feel the same way–I love historicals, but the cross-dressing allows for the hero and heroine to have more of a meeting of the minds before a meeting of the bodies, if you know what I mean.
@Quinn Wilde – I admit I have one that I still love besides the whole “strange feelings” stuff – but yes, weird and better without!
What a fascinating selection of books.
1. I had a camp counselor crush in high school and have thought of him often.
2. Sitting on a beach in France in 1976, we noticed that French women shaved their legs, but not their underarms; English women shaved underarms, but not legs. And Americans shaved everything in sight.
3. The 6888th Postal Battalion??! This sounds great. Yes, please, more diversity everywhere and in every time.
4. “A queer and tender guide …” My heart. After reading LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS by Ryka Aoki, I want to learn more and be a better ally beyond wearing my transgender socks.
Thank you for mentioning all of these.
Well, this post was productive! Sisters in Arms – onto my wishlist. @ Quinn Wilde, I have a date with your book now. 🙂
@chacha1 I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for reading! And yes, I always love these crowdsourced posts and receive such wonderful, unexpected suggestions!
@Quinn Wilde I think Frenchman’s Creek was the first romance I ever read and I enjoyed it so much. I had a hardcover that I bought as a teenager and I managed to keep it until about the third ridiculous over 1000km move. Books are expensive to move :/