Hello didong, The world is a beautiful place of harmony, free of discord and conflict, isn't it? Not quite, and literature doesn't hide that truth from us, since fictional works so often depict our society's many warring factions and dilemmas in all their troubling detail. Thoughtful readers concerned with social issues will appreciate this week's books, which include a climate fiction novel about social inequality, a 12th-century historical fiction novel about doing the right thing, and a novel about an alternate reality, where disagreements about reproductive rights threaten a Tennessee city with violence and turmoil. If that all sounds a little heavy, I'm also recommending a beautiful kids' book that reminds us to take little self-care breaks whenever we're in grumpy monster mode. Fair enough, right? 🇬🇧 From the genre of cli-fi, or climate fiction, comes OffSet by Anna Trompetas, set in semi-dystopian 2042 London. In this future defined by climate disaster, people can buy and sell their carbon quota using a system called OffSet, monitored by military surveillance. Against this frightening backdrop, readers meet two unlikely friends, Sam and Alice, living contrasting lives. One is desperate to provide for her son; the other enjoys easy material comfort. In a world that isn't inconceivably far from our own, this chilling story reminds its readers that climate disaster is possible, and when it hits us, it isn't going to hit everyone fairly. 🏹 Outlawed, a queer feminist retelling of the Robin Hood legend by Margaret McNellis, takes its readers to 12th-century England. In this second installment of a series (following the first book, The Red Fletch), Alys Fletcher Hood leaves her native Nottingham on a mission to free Richard the Lionheart from captivity. As she journeys through Europe, Alys faces a number of obstacles and increasing stakes — can she rise to the occasion? And will she do the right thing, even if it means jeopardizing the safety of her loved ones? Come for the immersive historical setting, stay for the captivating character arc of a fantastic main character. 👨👩👧 Let Us Sleep Now by Jesse Muchmore is set in the Southern metropolis of Arish, Tennessee, in a future where one-child policies are now global. The novel combines multiple narrative threads. One follows Alexis Bedinger, a Population Control Task Force officer who believes it is every citizen's moral duty to help control overpopulation. The other storyline stars Myra Gillespie, a peaceful protester with the United Front for Reproductive Freedom (UFRF). Lurking in the shadows, however, is the Revenants of the Confederacy, a terrorist group that threatens to upend the balance of peace. This fast-paced dystopian tale will have you turning its pages with a sense of urgent despair typical of the genre's most accomplished works. And while we're on the topic of dark things, don't miss Stacie Green's Monsters Need Breaks Too! — which brings moments of joy and light to a series of monsters feeling grumpy, sad, or irritable. This adorably fun picture book reminds kids that self-care practices like moving their bodies, taking a reading break, and expressing themselves through art can cheer up even the grouchiest monster. Needless to say, adults can learn a lot from this, too. Happy reading! P.S. Want to see your book featured here? Submit it for review on Discovery.  Felicia – Editorial Manager
The best books that launched this week | OffSet is a gripping and thought-provoking "climate fiction" novel set in a semi-dystopian London of 2042. It explores questions of morality, motherhood, and the devastating consequences of exploiting the poor for the... | | Can Alys restore the Lion's Heart to England's throne? Alys Fletcher Hood is leaving Nottinghamshire and England for the first time in her life, on a quest to save King Richard the Lionhearted from captivity follow... | | In an alternate future where the controversial one-child policy has spread into a global phenomenon, the Southern metropolis of Arish, Tennessee has become a battleground for various groups warring over its legitimacy... | | In the enchanting world of "Monsters Need Breaks Too!" we encounter a unique cast of characters, each with their own way of taking breaks to improve their moods. When the monsters find themselves feeling irritable, an... | | Imogene Sol has had to work twice as hard for everything she has earned as a cadet at The Ring Academy on Serta. An orphan of notorious parents who killed hundreds of thousands of people in a bombing against the Feder... | | Bookfest Award Winner ~ CritiqueMatch First Prize, Romance Julia Brighton has met the perfect guy in Caden McCaffrey. Handsome, mature, heroic, compassionate...and completely off limits. Twenty and fresh out of ... | | For fans of Beth Dutton from the hit series Yellowstone, here is a story of another strong, gutsy, and determined Montana girl next in line for the accession of the family empire. Butte, Montana, 1905. Parker Copp... | | A teen girl with a deadly secret. Cara is a seventeen-year-old homeless high school senior, scarred on her face and in her soul, who is invited to live with a friend. One evening, Cara and a younger girl are alone ... | | Magic is expensive. An underground obeah trade lies within the Caribbean island of Bimshire, where miracles are sold every day. The problem is, each one comes with a burdensome debt. As a child, Kyle Hardi... | | Sophie Farrier -- a bright and imaginative teen girl -- was born with rotten luck. Misfortune has placed her in Seaside, a dull and dreary village filled with dull and dreary people. It is a place where creativity is ... | | What manner of legends might darkness conceal? Darkness, no fourteen-year-old should fear. Or so Bastian believes until he discovers that, in the dark, hides a terror known only to old English legends—a terror that... | | On what turns out to be the last day of her life, a beloved poet reveals how she been raped and became pregnant by a disturbed soldier at the end of World War II, which, because of her popularity, she'd had to keep se... | |
Comments
Post a Comment