WSIRN: 2022 Team Summer Favorites

Ring Shout

by P. Djèlí Clark

When Beth recommended this in a Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club discussion thread, my husband Will happened to be logged in and added it to his TBR right away. The horror genre isn't my jam, but when Beth compared this to Sarah Gailey and Ralph Ellison, it piqued my interest, too. Described as "dark historical fantasy," this novella takes place in Prohibition Georgia, where the Ku Klux Klan members literally become demons after watching The Birth of a Nation. Bootlegger Maryse Boudreaux and a motley crew of fighters set out to save the world from this hellish nightmare come to life.

The Cartographers

by Peng Shepherd

A page-turning literary mystery with a dynamite premise and a little bit of magic. Seven years ago, cartographer Nell Young lost everything—her career, her reputation, her fiancé, and her family—because of an argument over a cheap gas station map. After her esteemed cartographer father unexpectedly dies, Nell learns he’d been working on some sort of secret project connected to the map, which isn’t junk at all but an incredibly rare and hotly sought-after artifact—and her knowledge of its existence may put her very life in danger. A sophisticated scavenger hunt ensues, leading Nell to a secretive and powerful band of mapmakers called The Cartographers, and to closely guarded secrets held by her own family. A gripping and inventive story of family secrets, found family, second chances, and cartography, set against the backdrop of the storied New York Public Library. For fans of Shepherd’s The Book of M and Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

Chirp

Nora Goes Off Script

by Annabel Monaghan

Nora Hamilton, middle-aged romance channel screenwriter and mom of two, is shocked when she finds out her latest script is not only going to be <em>made</em>, it will be filmed on location at her old home—and forty-year-old actor Leo Vance is cast as the character based on the ex-husband who broke her heart. After filming wraps, Leo isn’t ready to head home, so he strikes up a deal with Nora to pay her a thousand dollars per day to stay for an extra week. It’s the kind of money she can’t turn down. This turned out to be such an enjoyable read. (Closed door.)

Never Say You Can’t Survive

by Charlie Jane Anders

From Brenna: This nonfiction book from well-known sci-fi author Charlie Jane Anders is a very different kind of book about writing, offering encouragement to write through hardship in ways that are healing and cathartic.

Legendborn

by Tracy Deonn

Team member Leigh recommended this on the WSIRN team summer favorites episode. From Leigh: A riveting YA fantasy retelling of the King Arthur legend, this follows Bree, a 16-year-old Black girl, as she goes off to an early college program. Once there, she discovers magic exists, and that someone's messed with her memory of the night her mom died. She wants to get to the bottom of what actually happened, which includes infiltrating a secret society on campus. There are so many great layers and twists to this story, which examines racism, complicated grief, and generational trauma.

Lucy by the Sea

by Elizabeth Strout

I sat down with this book on a Saturday and read the entire thing because I didn't want to put it down. It is a pandemic story, following Lucy as she escapes with her companion from New York City to the coast of Maine. The conversations in this book are about the pandemic, but also about the fragility of life and what it means to be in relationship with others, and I found it touching, sad, but ultimately life-affirming.

Nobody Gets Out Alive: Stories

by Leigh Newman

From Holly: This collection of short stories featuring women in the wilds of Alaska was incredibly immersive and featured a strong sense of place, while exploring stories of love, family, heartbreak, and home. Newman makes you feel like you're right there along with the characters. Some of the stories are interwoven across time, so you have the chance to revisit some of the characters and learn more about what happened to them next.

A Master of Djinn

by P. Djèlí Clark

From Shannan: I've become a P. Djèlí Clark completist, and this is his first full-length novel that dives into an alternate history that places Egypt as a major superpower in the world, with Cairo a major city on par with London and Paris. It follows Agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi, the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, as she investigates a murder that threatens both the city and the world. I love how the author meshes worlds, mythologies and history in a seamless and beautiful way.

WSIRN: 2022 Team Summer Favorites

The MMD Summer Reading Guide

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summer reading starts May 16th