6. New Realities
An author showing the holiday spirit, a personal update, a favorite author of the week, and a book recommendation that lives rent free in my head.
Welcome!
On this weekly newsletter, every - you guessed it - Sunday, we’ll discuss upcoming releases, an author of the week, top 10 books from last week, and recommendations from you. To send in your recommendation & review, visit the R&R page. Without further ado, let’s get into this week of The Sunday Reads.
News & Thoughts
You might have heard me mention the name James Patterson or you may have heard it on your own, but he’s the famous author of the Alex Cross series. The *thirty second* book in the series, Alex Cross Must Die, released back in October. The reason I bring this up is because he is donating $500 in bonuses to 600 employees of independent bookstores, or $300,000 out of his own pocket. In fact, I think this may be annual (correct me if I’m wrong). It’s a really spectacular thing to do - $500 can go a long way.
Jessa Hastings responded on her Instagram to the criticism of Never, particularly the racist accusations. She will be removing the problematic sentences from all current ebooks and all future prints. She’s also going to add a comment saying that Brownies are from folklore - something I think she probably should have included from the get go. This is a great response, but personally it doesn’t really change how I feel about the book (I actively dislike it).
I mentioned this in my note the other day, but I have had an interesting week. I’m showing my age (22) when I tell you that I just started my first 9 to 5 job. I feel a bit naive saying this, especially on a platform chock full of experienced writers - both in life and with their words. However, there are just as many people out there that can relate to the change in schedule, the slightly overwhelming nervousness of wanting to integrate and do a great job. That being said, I am already feeling as though I’m getting used to the schedule, so I hope to be back into my engagement next week!
My detective skills are lacking for upcoming releases - so sorry! However, these two still sound like good reads if you’re looking.
Target Seven (The Spy GameBook #7) by Jack Mars (Mystery/Thriller): Dec 19, 2023
Knives, Seasoning, & A Dash of Love by Katrina Kwan (Romance): Dec 19, 2023
Books I’ve compiled from B&N Top 100, the NYT Bestsellers List, and Amazon Bestsellers in no particular order. These are not the ones from last week, but they’re all still on the bestsellers list. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.
The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (Fantasy)
author note: I adore this. Read it.
Author note #2: So I seem to have caught up on the bestseller so far! I am thinking of reframing this section into just new books on the bestseller list this week. Let me know what you think!
Thank you to everyone who voted on my Instagram story yesterday! The winner is Margaret Rogerson!
I knew nothing about Margaret when I picked up Sorcery of Thorns, but I absolutely adored it and the novella. To this day, it is a book that I reread and think about. There is talent in writing a fully formed fantasy book as a standalone, something she does here. Let alone the fact that the story itself is compelling and unique, and the characters are adorable and lovely to follow. In fact, I’m going to be doing a reread this week!
Margaret is absolutely adorable and has a one eyed cat named Commodore. Besides Sorcery of Thorns, she has also written An Enchantment of Ravens and Vespertine. She loves to watch documentaries and go exploring in the woods. Margaret was a gem and released the novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Mysteries of Thorn Manor, in January! Quite frankly, I want her to keep releasing novellas for the rest of her life about this world because I can’t get enough. I’m really excited to read Vespertine, and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with in the future. You can find her on Instagram here.
Here’s your reminder to send in a brief book recommendation to my email, thesundayreads@gmail.com. In the meantime, I am more than happy to keep recommending books! Side note: I can see the R&R page up on my desktop, but not when I look on mobile. Can y’all see the R&R page?
Carrie Sotto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Fiction)
I just love this and love how deeply we get to know Carrie and how we see her peel back the layers of herself and see how growth and change remain possible in every stage of life. I look up to Carrie. I love how tennis is gaining traction in today’s world. I just think this is a stunning book.
Okay! That’s all I have for today. Much love
Izzy