Another month, another crop of exciting new books by debut authors! As always, for a longer list of books by debut authors, please visit our catalog.
“The Vexations” by Caitlin Horrocks
Erik Satie begins life with every possible advantage. But after the dual blows of his mother’s early death and his father’s breakdown upend his childhood, Erik and his younger siblings — Louise and Conrad — are scattered. Later, as an ambitious young composer, Erik flings himself into the Parisian art scene, aiming for greatness but achieving only notoriety.
As the years, then decades, pass, he alienates those in his circle as often as he inspires them, lashing out at friends and lovers like Claude Debussy and Suzanne Valadon. Only Louise and Conrad are steadfast allies. Together they strive to maintain their faith in their brother’s talent and hold fast the badly frayed threads of family. But in a journey that will take her from Normandy to Paris to Argentina, Louise is rocked by a severe loss that ultimately forces her into a reckoning with how Erik — obsessed with his art and hungry for fame — will never be the brother she’s wished for. Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: July 2019”
“The Incendiaries” by R.O. Kwon has already scored a bunch of plaudits, and, you might presume, that it, like many of my recommendations, isn’t in need of my recommendation. You’d be correct, but there is a devoted sect who wait for my monthly recommendation, refusing to read all else, waiting in front of the DBRL blog home page, their finger’s friction eroding their F5 key, until finally those sweet words light up the page and their eyes: “The Gentleman Recommends.” It is for these devoted followers that I recommend reading “The Incendiaries.” Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: R.O. Kwon”
Love is a many-splendored thing. And first love, in particular, is splendidly awkward, uniquely devastating and often poorly timed. Whether it hits at age 16 or 60, and whether it ends in heartbreak or happily ever after, we only get one first love to live. Luckily, there are many, many first love stories to read! And I don’t think it matters whether you’re happily married, happily single or entrenched in the frog-kissing process — there’s nothing like escaping into a good first love story. Continue reading “Literary Links: First Love”
Following around 12 different characters through past and present, “There There” introduces dynamic and complex characters as they come from different lives, experiences and histories to arrive at the Big Oakland Pow Wow. Although difficult to follow at times with the wide range of characters, I loved this book as it is so necessary to make Native stories known and to seek out and amplify their voices and perspectives. It explores historical trauma and reveals how these characters grapple with their identity as urban Natives all while confronting erasure of that identity.
Three words that describe this book: shattering, poignant, important
You might want to pick this book up if: you would like to further understand and recognize urban Native identity and challenge your own perceptions by listening to Native voices
-Anonymous
“The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms” follows Yeine, the young leader of a small, matriarchal nation, who is unexpectedly becomes a contender to take over as head of the family that controls the Hundred Thousand kingdoms — in other words, the whole mortal world. N.K. Jemisin uses all the best parts of fantasy while also deliberately challenging the failings of the genre — namely, the sexism, the lack of nuance, and the dearth of characters of color — creating something new and vital, and extremely readable.
Three words that describe this book: Groundbreaking, unflinching, engrossing
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re a fan of mythology. Lots of great lore and incredible world-building to be found here.
-Anna
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Us”
Website / Reviews
From Academy Award®-winning director Jordan Peele comes another original nightmare. Haunted by trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide grows increasingly certain that something bad is going to befall her family. When darkness falls, the Wilsons discover the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway: doppelgangers of themselves. Continue reading “New DVD List: Us, Patrick Melrose & More”
Summer time is a great time to travel, even if it’s only in your mind. The Read Harder Challenge Task #8 is “an #ownvoices book set in Oceania” and can help you to explore a part of the world that many of us will never get to visit in real life. I have tried to find a few books that were not already on DBRL’s list for this task. Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: An #Ownvoices Book Set in Oceania”
We love to anthropomorphize. If we see something that looks even vaguely human, we rush to assign our own traits to it. It starts when we are kids reading about cats named Pete, rabbits on a pilgrimage and codependent trees while holding stuffed animals on whom we’ve bestowed names, personalities and 
affection. While these tendencies fade away, we never seem to outgrow them completely. We name inanimate objects like our cars and we speak to our pets as if they know English as well as we do. I like to believe this stems from an innate sense of empathy, a desire to relate and connect with everything around us. We try to see from a different perspective. Consequently, there is a long list of books that satisfy Task #6 by taking on the point of view of non-human characters.
People bond closely to their pets, so naturally there are many books narrated by them. “The Art of Racing in the Rain” and “A Dog’s Purpose” are told from the perspective of dogs who love the humans that own them. I will give no further detail because I avoid Sad Dog Books at all costs. In a similar vein, “Laika,” a graphic novel, tells the story of the first dog in space. Abandoned as a puppy, Laika learns to trust the scientists preparing her to be launched out of Earth’s orbit. If you’re more of a cat person, “The Traveling Cat Chronicles” takes you on a road trip through Japan through the eyes of a cat. My childhood favorite, “Black Beauty,” follows a horse through his life as he encounters owners ranging from gentle and kind to cruel and abusive. Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: A Book in Which an Animal or Inanimate Object is a Point-of-View Character”
“The Four Seasons of Marriage” explores the idea that a marriage is always going through a season; Summer being the warmest and happiest and winter being the coldest and saddest. Gary gives real-life examples of couples he has worked with and tips for how to improve your marriage, or at least try to get it back into either Spring or Summer. I really liked it. I have loved all of his books that I have read so far. He encourages us to be honest, caring, thoughtful, and lets us know it is okay to screw up as long as you are taking the steps to repair the damage that has been done in the past.
Three words that describe this book: Love, Communication, Relationships
You might want to pick this book up if: You want to learn ways to brighten your partner’s day, week, month or season.
-Veronica
A refugee takes great risks to get control of her toaster. A superhero makes a misguided attempt to address racism and police corruption. A husband’s frustrations with health insurance coverage for his sick wife lead him down an internet rabbit hole to radicalization. A wealthy finance-bro retreats to his underground bunker when civilization gets unstable. These are the plots of the four novellas comprising Cory Doctorow’s “Radicalized.” They are all extremely timely — they practically scream, “TOPICAL!” The subtitle is in fact, “Four Tales of Our Present Moment.” Subtle messaging isn’t the goal here, but the stories are told with the nuance that complex issues deserve, and the characters are given a depth that makes you care about them.
The first story, “Unauthorized Bread,” is the strongest of the collection. It deftly explores themes of a refugee crisis, stark income disparities, exploitation of vulnerable populations and how much proprietary technology dictates our lives. When the main character learns how to hack the software in her toaster so it will make any kind of bread she wants, she soon ends up liberating appliances throughout her apartment building. As the risks of these actions become apparent, she is faced with difficult decisions. Continue reading “Know Your Dystopias: Radicalized”
