#ShadyLadiesList: November 2019
The days are shorter now — which means more time with books!
As soon as I start to smell snow coming, all I want to do is plow through my TBR stack that never seems to get any smaller.
Sometimes that means hibernating at home in my PJs with Hank, The Overlord and a glass of bourbon. (You know, classic introvert.) But other times I want to be around people to celebrate stories and books. Like at our most recent Shady Ladies event with Anjali Sachdeva.
Regardless, I’m always in search of our next great read. So each month we scour publishers’ catalogs to find out what new books are being published by emerging women writers. Then we collect that information into our monthly #ShadyLadiesList. (See caveats below for methodology.)
That way, you never miss out on discovering your new favorite author!
See something you like? Call your local bookstore and place an advance order. It helps authors tremendously with early buzz and the possibility of making the New York Times Bestseller List.
The titles are organized alphabetically by publication date.
💋 Amy
P.S. 💖 = Can't wait to read it
MEMOIR 💖
IN THE DREAM HOUSE
By Carmen Machado
Graywolf | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“Merge the house and the woman—watch the woman experience her own body as a haunted house, a place of sudden, inexplicable terrors—and you are reading the blazingly talented Carmen Maria Machado.” — Parul Sehgal, The New York Times
NOVEL
SPACE INVADERS
By Nona Fernandez, Natasha Wimmer
Macmillan | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“Fernández’s outstanding novel explores the nature of memory and dreams, and how after a certain point, they become indistinguishable.” ― Publishers Weekly
NOVEL
THE REVISIONERS
by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Ingram Publishing | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
”Few capture the literary world’s attention with their debut like [Sexton] did; her first novel, A Kind of Freedom, was nominated for the National Book Award. . . Her anticipated follow-up offers a bracing window into Southern life and tensions, alternating between two women’s stories―set nearly 100 years apart." ―Entertainment Weekly
NOVEL 💖
THE WORST KIND OF WANT
By Liska Jacobs
MCD | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“This crispy biscotti of a novel is about a producer who goes to Italy, has a scandalous relationship, and decodes not just the meaning of life but also the meaning of death, sex, dance clubs, and emoji. You’ll feel indecent reading it in public.” — Molly Young, Vulture
ESSAYS
ESSAYS ONE
by Lydia Davis
Farrar, Straus and Giroux | Nov. 12, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"Lively essays bound to stimulate debate among readers of global literature." —Kirkus Reviews
NONFICTION
STANDING AT THE EDGE
By Joan Halifax
Macmillan | Nov. 12, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"[A] wise exploration of the search for meaning...Clear, detailed, and profound, this remarkable book will be appreciated by anyone seeking a framework for a meaningful life." ― Publishers Weekly, starred review
NONFICTION
AMERICA FOR AMERICANS
By Erika Lee
Basic Books | Nov. 26, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"As Erika Lee brilliantly shows, xenophobia has forever been an integral part of American racism. Forcing us to confront this history as we confront its present, America for Americans is essential reading for anyone who wants to build a more inclusive society."―Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times-bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist
COOKING 💖
JUBILEE: RECIPES FROM TWO CENTURIES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COOKING
By Toni Tipton-Martin
Clarkson Potter | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“Equal parts historical highlight reel and cookbook, Jubilee captures centuries’ worth of joy, pain, and effort from black chefs across the diaspora and distills them into recipes that carefully guide and educate.”—Bon Appétit
NOVEL💖
THE COLONEL’S WIFE
By Rosa Liksom
Graywolf Press | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
In the final twilit moments of her life, an elderly woman looks back on her years in the thrall of fascism and Nazism.“ Liksom “conjures beauty from the ugliest of things.” — The Wall Street Journal
FICTION
THE STARLESS SEA
by Erin Morgenstern
Doubleday | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"Assuredly beautiful... The novel reads like panel after panel of mythic illustrations... It demands that its readers interpret it in an older way; the way we read The Faerie Queene... Well-written... The novel’s scope and ambition are undeniable." — Natasha Pulley, The Guardian
NONFICTION 💖
YOU LOOK LIKE A THING AND I LOVE YOU
By Janelle Shane
Voracious | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“I can’t think of a better way to learn about artificial intelligence, and I’ve never had so much fun along the way.” – Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals
NONFICTION
HIGHWAY OF TEARS
By Jessica McDiarmid
Simon & Schuster | Nov. 12, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“These murder cases expose systemic problems... By examining each murder within the context of Indigenous identity and regional hardships, McDiarmid addresses these very issues, finding reasons to look for the deeper roots of each act of violence.” —The New York Times Book Review
NONFICTION
FAMILY PAPERS
By Sarah Abrevaya Stein
Farrar, Straus and Giroux | Nov. 19, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"A fascinating history . . . [with] incomparable sources . . . A masterful multigenerational reconstruction of a family's life." ― Kirkus (starred review)
FICTION 💖
ON SWIFT HORSES
By Shannon Pufahl
Riverhead | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
A lonely newlywed and her wayward brother-in-law follow divergent and dangerous paths through the postwar American West.
“Cinematic . . . The spaces she creates for her characters . . . have the aura of realms.” — The New York Times Book Review
NONFICTION 💖
THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT OLIVETTI
By Meryle Secrest
Knopf | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
The never-before-told true account of the design and development of the first desktop computer. “Whether one buys into this conspiracy theory, Secrest offers a riveting look…” — Publishers Weekly
SOCIAL SCIENCE 💖
THE WITCHES ARE COMING
by Lindy West
Hachette | Nov. 5, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"Shrill author Lindy West's latest essay collection is a thoughtful and funny examination of rape culture in media. Some of the topics she tackles: Adam Sandler, Donald Trump, South Park, 'reverse sexism,' and classic movies like Sixteen Candles that make rape look like 'silly fun.' ― Bustle
MEMOIR
BECOMING EVE
By Abby Stein
Hachette | Nov. 12, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"Becoming Eve is a powerful, heartfelt account of the often fraught journey toward one's true self. In sharing her story, Abby Chava Stein lights the path for all of us who are embarking on journeys of our own." ― Tova Mirvis, bestselling author
COOKING
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
By Irma S. Rombauer
Simon & Schuster | Nov. 12, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
“Generation after generation, Joy has been a warm, encouraging presence in American kitchens, teaching us to cook with grace and humor. This luminous new edition continues on that important tradition while seamlessly weaving in modern touches, making it all the more indispensable for generations to come.” — Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
SHORT STORIES
WAKE SIREN: OVID RISING
By Nina McLaughlin
FSG Originals | Nov. 19, 2019
Read an excerpt here.
"Provocative reinterpretations of some very old stories. Nina sets herself apart is by focusing on female characters, many of them less well known to a contemporary audience. She succeeds in making these stories fresh and distinct. Vital, vivid, and angry." — Kirkus (starred review)
Caveat 1: I do my best to make this list as complete as possible, but I may miss a few. Hit me up if you know someone who should be included. Caveat 2: I don't feature self-published authors. Caveat 3: I don’t keep a list for poetry or genre (romance, horror, etc.). It’s not because they aren’t worthy. They are. I just don’t prefer them. Caveat 4: If you see 📚, it means I was provided an advanced review copy of the book free of charge or promise of coverage. Caveat 5: Support your local bookseller!