Welcome back!
This round of recs has a couple community suggestions, a picture book, and some topical non-fiction.
Want to pass along a book rec of your own? Tell us in the comments!
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How To Take Down A Cult At The End Of The World
As part of the After Dark book recs, I ask readers what their latest 5-star reads have been and sometimes I add them to my own TBR. This is one such case! All credit goes to Danae for putting this one on my radar.
My name is Meadow Atlier and I was never meant to be the hero.
I’m the girl that grew up brainwashed by a cult to be nothing more than a sacrifice. The girl that always tried to be perfect and was scared to step out of line for fear of being seen as different, but now?
Now I’m the girl that has to save the world.
Yes, bestie, the world.
No one is more surprised than me by this turn of events, but here we are. I’m the world’s last hope. Well, me and the battle demon I accidentally let out of hell and married on my very first solo mission to do heroic things.
Jaak is terrifying and brutal to the world—but to me he’s patient and kind. Gentle. Just the kind of husband I always wished for. Jaak is eager to prove his devotion in the form of smiting my enemies, but still trusting the battle demon proves terrifying after a life of being lied to. When all secrets are discovered, will saving the world cost me my heart?
How To Take Down A Cult At The End Of The World is a complete stand-alone in the cozy cult cuties series and features a happily-ever-after with a brand new beautiful couple within the same world as That Time I Took Down A Cult and readers can expect an oversized and satisfying happily-ever-after, another green flag demon husband, a new pastry fixation, plus guest appearances by Buffy and the Gang.
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Penelope’s Bones
If you have Odyssey on the brain, this might be of interest to you. The author is a historian who uses archaeological excavations and discoveries to learn more about the women of Bronze Age Greece.
Weaving together literary and archaeological evidence, Emily Hauser illuminates the rich, intriguing lives of the real women behind Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
Achilles. Agamemnon. Odysseus. Hector. The lives of these and many other men in the greatest epics of ancient Greece have been pored over endlessly in the past three millennia. But these are not just tales about heroic men. There are scores of women as well—complex, fascinating women whose stories have gone unexplored for far too long.
In Penelope’s Bones, award-winning classicist and historian Emily Hauser pieces together compelling evidence from archaeological excavations and scientific discoveries to unearth the richly textured lives of women in Bronze Age Greece—the era of Homer’s heroes. Here, for the first time, we come to understand the everyday lives and experiences of the real women who stand behind the legends of Helen, Briseis, Cassandra, Aphrodite, Circe, Athena, Hera, Calypso, Penelope, and more. In this captivating journey through Homer’s world, Hauser explains era-defining discoveries, such as the excavation of Troy and the decipherment of Linear B tablets that reveal thousands of captive women and their children; more recent finds like the tomb of the Griffin Warrior at Pylos, whose tomb contents challenge traditional gender attributes; DNA evidence showing that groups of warriors buried near the Black Sea with their weapons and steeds were, in fact, Amazon-like female fighters; a prehistoric dye workshop on Crete that casts fresh light on “women’s work” of dyeing, spinning, and weaving textiles; and a superbly preserved shipwreck off the coast of Turkey whose contents tell of the economic and diplomatic networks crisscrossing the Bronze Age Mediterranean.
Essential reading for fans of Madeline Miller or Natalie Haynes, this riveting new history brings to life the women of the Bronze Age Aegean as never before, offering a groundbreaking reassessment of the ancient world.
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This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Penelope’s Bones by Emily Hauser
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The Tuxedo Society
I love highlighting book recommendations from the community, especially because things can get lost in the comments. Shout out to Darlynne, who said, “OMG, the gayest — in the most wonderful and perfect way — book about a group of gay spies.”
If Guy Ritchie directed a James Bond caper starring a queer 007, it might look something like this hilarious and action-packed spy thriller by Paul Rudnick, acclaimed screenwriter and author of Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style, that blends espionage and social commentary, with an elite, gay secret society.
They are fierce patriots. They are licensed to kill. And they are really, really gay. Welcome to democracy’s secret weapon, the Tuxedo Society.
When Andrew Birnbaum, a struggling actor making ends meet by working in a candle shop, gets invited to have dinner with the exclusive Tuxedo Society by his best friend, Brock, his life takes an unexpected turn. What seems like a group of wealthy socialites gathering for gossip and cocktails quickly spirals into a world of espionage, danger, and hilarity.
Andrew soon meets Reggie O’Malley, a Navy SEAL with a penchant for black tie, who recruits Andrew to join the society’s covert mission to protect national security. Armed with gadgets like an inflatable life raft backpack, a yoga mat that doubles as an assault rifle, and, of course, an AMEX Black Card, Andrew quickly finds himself tackling spies, thwarting assassinations, and facing a host of unexpected threats in settings from the White House to the Vatican to the Summer Olympic Games.
The stakes escalate when Andrew and his comrades are sent on a jet-setting mission to uncover the truth about an ancient artifact. Along the way, they clash with oligarchs, crooked senators, and a smarmy televangelist with sinister plans for world domination.
Packed with Paul Rudnick’s signature wit, The Tuxedo Society is a wild ride through decadence, danger, and unexpected heroism, as Andrew discovers that saving the world might just be the role he’s been waiting for.
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This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick
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Vampurr
When I worked at a bookstore, I always loved the approach to Halloween and seeing all the very cute fall and holiday themed picture books come in. This is about a vampire kitty up for adoption who finds a home.
For fans of Creepy Crayon!, Vampurr is a spooky and hilarious picture book about an adopted vampire kitty who finds the purr-fect home. A fang–tastic read aloud!
MEET VAMPURR.
Her fur shines blacker than a raven’s feathers.
Her eyes glow greener than a witch’s brew.
But most unusual of all are her long, needle-sharp fangs.
This is her story…
Born among tombstones beneath the blood moon’s light, a vampire kitten longs to find a loving home like her siblings who were adopted right away. But her unusual appearance and abilities send visitors fleeing the cemetery in fright. Until one night, an eerie fog rolls in, bringing with it an unexpected new friend.Vampurr is a laugh-out-loud funny picture book that celebrates people loving you just the way you are.
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This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Vampurr by Justin Colón
