June was a great month to be a bookworm! As always, we encourage you to do whatever you can to support your local bookstore, including purchasing audiobooks from our sponsor Libro.fm. Stay safe, get vaccinated, and keep reading!—Daniel Ford
Nekesa Afia hooked us with her hard-dancing, cocktail-swigging, intrepid protagonist, and her 1920s Harlem setting. Wonderful debut.
Any new Tracy Clark novel is now appointment reading here at Writer’s Bone.
Do yourself a favor and listen to Ashley C. Ford’s narration of her memoir Somebody’s Daughter. Ford’s writing is superb and her voice adds even more power and heart to an already emotional story.—Daniel Ford
Yes, the plot will keep you turning the pages, but it’s Robyn Gigl’s main character Erin McCabe that will make you slow down and savor every word. Erin is a transgender defense lawyer who takes the case of a 19-year-old Black, transgender prostitute. McCabe runs afoul of some very powerful people, while also dealing with a family still grappling with her transition. Robyn's writing is concise, moving, thrilling, informative, funny, and empathetic.
Zakiya Dalila Harris’ The Other Black Girl has been everywhere and for good reason! A cover to die for and Harris can really write. A dynamite combination.
Laura Lippman’s latest book Dream Girl really has something for everyone. There are so many gems for writers, mystery lovers, horror fans, pop culture junkies, and wordsmiths. And, as she said perfectly in her “CBS This Morning” interview, “If I write a book, a body’s going to drop.”
We haven’t quite forgiven Alex Michaelides for his seaside writing process, but we’re willing to look past it since his fiction is so good.
Laura McHugh has been one of our favorite authors for years now and we can’t wait to dig into her latest What’s Done in Darkness. McHugh always delivers a hair-raising plot while also diving into the lives of finely drawn Midwestern characters.
Speaking of favorite authors, there’s nothing better than diving into a Matthew Norman read and All Together Now was no exception. We’re always so impressed how he takes big themes—like marriage in Last Couple Standing or mortality and friendship in this book—and puts them on such a relatable human level (while also being very funny).
My poor reading list. I picked up Malibu Rising thinking, “I’ll only read a few pages to get a feel for it.” That turned into the first chapter, the first 50 pages, etc.—Daniel Ford
All the Water I've Seen Is Running is such a powerful read. Top-notch dialogue and characters that get under your skin (and under each other’s skins).
Eddy Boudel Tan didn’t let the pandemic slow down him down. After Elias dropped in October 2020 and his next book The Rebellious Tide pubs in August. He also added wine in the park to this writing process. A writer after our own heart.
“Brandon Taylor” and “short story collection” were all we needed to hear to get excited about this book.
While you wait for David Valdes’ Spin Me Right Round to pub in November, catch up on his other work, including The Rhinestone Sisterhood: A Journey Through Small Town America, One Tiara at a Time.
I read his P.J. Vernon's Bath Haus in more or less one shot. It’s thrilling, it’s got cracklin’ dialogue, it’s got all of these Hitchcockian twists and turns, and it would translate seamlessly to the big screen. Everything you want in a novel like this basically. And if you’ve been following the news about Bath Haus you know that a ton of authors, outlets, and readers agree with this assessment.—Daniel Ford
An illuminating exploration into how military bases have assisted and perpetuated America’s conflicts at home and abroad. It reads like a military version of Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.
We got an early look at Melissa Scholes Young’s The Hive and had been waiting anxiously for readers to get their hands on it this month. Didn’t take long for them to fall in love with it like we did!
Author's Corner
Steven Rowley stopped by recently and shared some great books that should be on your #bookradar. Collect ‘em all at your local indie bookstore!
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen by Mary Norris
An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
A Star Is Bored by Byron Lane
Pop Literacy
NovelClass
In Episode 5.03, author and journalist Mark Ceecil, host of The Thoughtful Bro author interview series with A Mighty Blaze, joins host Dave Pezza to discuss Whereabouts by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri.
