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Every year at Book Expo, a program called Shout 'N Share features a panel of librarians who present forthcoming books that have caught their attention. Though Book Expo was cancelled, Booklist hosted this virtual book presentation on Wednesday, July 22nd, with over 1,400 librarians in attendance.
Panelists included: Donna Seaman, Booklist, Adult Books Editor; Robin Bradford from Pierce County Library System in WA; Allison Escoto from The Center for Fiction, Brooklyn, NY; Sharon Fason from the Chicago Public Library; and Sara Martinez from the Nathan Hale Library in Tulsa, OK.
The library marketing team sent reading material to each panelist prior to the event, tailored to their reading tastes. We are happy to announce the following HarperCollins titles that were chosen by the panelists. This list was sent to all registrants and also included in The Booklist Reader, which has a readership of 45,000 monthly visits.
HarperCollins has participated in this program for many years and our books have been well-represented. But this year is extraordinary. We’ve never had this many must-read titles called out by the panel of librarians.
Today, I'm thrilled to share my interview with Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind. Rumaan's latest novel is one of the buzziest books of the fall, and for good reason: it's part tension-packed thriller, part biting social critique, told in Rumaan's signature voice that won him acclaim for his previous novels Rich and Pretty and That Kind of Mother.
Leave the World Behind flew to the top of my TBR pile when all-star Harper sales rep Kate McCune raved about it. You can read her thoughts here. I subsequently tore through the book in a matter of days, and, along with my colleagues Virginia Stanley and Lainey Mays, formed a triumvirate of Rumaan-fandom. The book has also received praise from authors Roxane Gay, Emma Straub, Laura Lippman, and others. Just check out this rave from Laura Lippman!
"You will want to read Leave the World Behind very quickly, you will want to read it very slowly and savor every word. Rumaan Alam's ingenious, gorgeously written novel feels both like a prophecy and a contemporaneous response to our anxious era, all of it building to a perfect finale." —Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Lady in the Lake and My Life as a Villainess
You can listen to our interview below and also check out our show notes. Enjoy!
To listen to Rumaan's podcast interview with Tracy Sherrod, Editorial Director of Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, click here. You can also listen to Tracy's interview on TheLibrary Love Fest Podcasthere.
Check out Rumaan's two podcasts on Slate: Working and Outward
We are honored to have a guest post from Pamela Crane, author of Little Deadly Secrets, on the blog this week. Little Deadly Secrets is the latest addictively readable domestic suspense novel from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Crane. In this book, we meet Mackenzie, Robin, and Lily. They have been inseparable forever, sharing life’s ups and downs and growing even closer as the years have gone by. They know everything about each other—or so they believe.
Welcome, Pamela!
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My kids call me the Mental Mommy. We even made matching t-shirts. Before the pandemic, we wore them to our library so that I could easily find my children amid the book stacks. (Because what other kid would wear a shirt that says Proud child of a Mental Mommy?) The nickname could have evolved because there are four of them and one of me, and since they outnumber me, some days Mommy goes a little...well, mental. When I asked my oldest daughter where they came up with it, she told me it’s because I write stories about domestic drama, particularly mothers and their wild families. I remember sighing with relief (yay, they didn’t think I was a bad mom!)...until she elaborated that she, too, wrote a short story about murder and motherhood. I’m sure I’ll be paying for her therapy over it someday.
Sure, being a mom makes it hard to write. Sneaking in a chapter here, a paragraph there, around naps and snacks and virtual learning (God help me). But motherhood also gives writers an advantage. It stretches you in ways you never imagine—both in how it fills you with a sacrificial love more limitless than the skies, and pushes your buttons more than a trigger-happy child on an elevator. The range of emotions parenthood equips you with is enough to fill a Fyodor Dostoyevsky page count, and the drama (oh, the drama!) would make Shakespeare’s quill pen tremble.
My books are as honest as life. We rarely see this in literature, the darker side of motherhood. Instead we read about the ever-patient mom with kids who are rarely seen or heard. In real life, kids are noisy, messy, curious, always talking over you, screaming a thousand “Mommy’s!” a day. There’s a lot of drama that comes with parenting—whether your child is little or big—and to me, it makes a more exciting family dynamic in fiction. That’s what I write about. The little and big messes that come with family—and in the case of Little Deadly Secrets, include a dash of murder.
If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about. When your toddler paints his bedroom in poo. Or when your five-year-old plays hairdresser and cuts her sister’s hair in a style even the 1980s would disown. From there the problems grow bigger, like when your pre-teen uses his first swear word (he certainly didn’t learn that word from me!). By the time they hit puberty, lying is an art form. Don’t get me started on the teen drama. I’m faint just thinking about it.
You’ll find “Mental Mommy-hood” woven into my drama because life with kids is full of it. Kids are natural rebels, wanting their own way, watching the world around them, wondering how they can tame it for their own. So I feature those rebellious children, angsty teens, and miniature spitfires...then tell my children never to act like Mommy’s characters.
We are reaching out to let you know about a very special upcoming episode of Door to Door that you won't want to miss!
On Tuesday, July 21st at 2:00pm ET, join us for an entirely fresh look at the cities in which we live! Go on an intellectual adventure with Thomas Hynes, author of Wild City and Spike Carlsen, author of A Walk Around the Block.
About Wild City by Thomas Hynes: An illustrated guide to 40 of the most well-known, surprising, notorious, mythical, and sublime non-human citizens of New York City—a love letter to its surprising ecological diversity.
Wild City is chock full of delightful surprises, so be sure to join us to learn more. Below are seven fun facts to get you started!
1. There are more peregrine falcons per square mile in NYC than anywhere else in the world. The ledges and pigeons make it an ideal habitat.
2.The first panda bear to ever set foot (or paw) anywhere in the United States first lived for two months in a Midtown apartment before relocating to a zoo.
3. There are two beavers on the New York City flag.
4. In the late 1800s, there were more horses living in New York City than there were humans living in Pittsburgh.
5. Rooftop honey bees in Brooklyn unintentionally uncovered the largest known marijuana growing facility in New York City's history.
6. New York City, as recently as 1600, was home to half the world's oysters.
7. There is a coyote living in Central Park.
About A Walk Around the Block by Spike Carlsen: The bestselling author of A Splintered History of Wood uses a walk around his hometown to explore how every part of our urban landscape—from manhole covers and recycling bins to pedestrian crossings and bike lanes—impact and shape our lives in this fascinating work of popular science.
Watch this great video introduction to A Walk Around the Block by author Spike Carlsen!
Check out these ten unique experiences Spike Carlsen encountered while researching for A Walk Around the Block!
1. A conversation with Bea Johnson (who explains how her family of four generates a mere quart jar of trash during an entire year).
2. Touring the Trash Museum of New York City (home of 45,000+ items one sanitation worker collected over a 34-year career).
3. Walking through the sewers of Paris (an activity that’s been popular with Parisians for 170 years).
4. Interviewing squirrel linguist Robert Lishak (a professor at Auburn University who’s studied squirrel behavior and language for 40 years) (now I know what Kuk-kuk means).
5. Spending a week with a pigeon racer, his racing club and his 240 "race horses of the sky" as they find their way home from 100 miles away.
6. Working side-by-side in a Paris alley with graffiti artist, Irvin (making a name for myself without being arrested).
7. Judging a roadkill contest in Marlington, West Virginia (the wild boar-pepper dish won over the Bumper Bear tacos and rabbit stew).
8. Nordic Walking with the Nordic Walking Queen (and adding years to my life).
9. Strolling through Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia (a cemetery that’s part public park, part burial ground, part art museum, and part wedding venue).
10. Walking the neighborhood route with my mail delivery person (and finding out why the letter to my next-door neighbors needs to travel 60 miles).
If you don't use Facebook, not to worry! Every episode of Door to Door is available on our blog and our YouTube channel immediately following the Facebook Live broadcast!
Sitting Pretty is a memoir-in-essays from Rebekah Taussig, disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty, reflecting on identity, accessibility, and representation and processing a lifetime of memories to paint a more beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.
The love for this book is pouring in. Check out these reviews:
“A disability advocate debuts with a collection offering potent rejoinders to ableism.... A fierce and fabulous revision to entrenched ableist scripts.” —Kirkus Reviews review
“An invaluable, eye-opening look at disability from a firsthand perspective.” —Booklist
“Her smart and witty observations about living with disabilities will be enlightening and eye-opening for readers.” —Publishers Weekly
"Rebekah writes in a way that is somehow both world-shakingly profound and beautifully intimate. Her voice is unforgettable in its power to make you feel, question, learn, and grow. There aren't words for how much the world needs this book." —Megan Jayne Crabbe, bestselling author of Body Positive Power
"Sitting Pretty is the book I needed years ago as I grappled with my sense of self and my identity as a disabled woman. I put it down while reading only long enough to collect myself each time waves of emotion crashed over me. Rebekah's spunky, self-aware wit, combined with education that never feels didactic, make this book a worthwhile and rewarding read." —Emily Ladau, writer, speaker, and disability rights activist
Be sure to check out Rebekah's recent Q&A with Publishers Weekly.
We have previously heard from Rebekah when she wrote an excellent letter to librarians and when she was interviewed by her editor at HarperOne on our podcast. Listen to the episode here:
You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!
This month, we are thrilled to share that You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria is the #1 LibraryReads pick for August! Congratulations, Alexis!
More great news: The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter, The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline, and No Offense by Meg Cabot have also been selected for the August LibraryReads List! And that's not all! Ilona Andrews officially joins the LibraryReads Hall of Fame with the selection of Emerald Blaze.
Want to hear how our authors reacted to being selected for the August LibraryReads List? Listen to our newest Library Love Fest Podcast episode below to hear their responses!
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria: RITA® Award-winning author Alexis Daria brings readers an unforgettable, hilarious rom-com set in the drama-filled world of telenovelas—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin and The Kiss Quotient.
"RITA Award-winning Daria has created extremely smart and appealing characters, and the scenes of their shooting the show are delicious fun. Fans of Susan Elizabeth Philips will enjoy the humor and chemistry Daria whips up." —Booklist
The Silent Wife by Karin Saughter:New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter returns with another electrifying thriller in the Will Trent series—her 20th book!
"The emotionally sophisticated characters work through the brutality of their jobs in this dynamic psychological thriller and police procedural that will please readers of Slaughter’s 'Grant County' series. For fans of Meg Gardiner, David Baldacci, and Carrie Smith." —Library Journal
Watch Karin Slaughter's guest appearance on Door to Door!
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline: The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Orphan Train returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel that captures the hardship, oppression, opportunity, and hope of a trio of women’s lives—two English convicts and an orphaned Aboriginal girl—in untamed nineteenth-century Australia.
"Master storyteller Christina Baker Kline is at her best in this epic yet intimate tale of nineteenth-century Australia. I loved this book." —Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin
No Offense by Meg Cabot:New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a charming romance between a children's librarian and the town sheriff in the second book in the Little Bridge Island series.
Praise for No Judgments: "You know the woman who wrote The Princess Diaries series (and a dozen other series adding up to more than 80 novels for middle-grade, YA and adult readers) will deliver a happy ending, along with engaging characters, lively dialogue and plenty of plot twists." —Tampa Bay Times
Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews:Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything—except the hearts of those who wield it.
"Andrew’s whirlwind fifth Hidden Legacy romance opens with a bang and maintains a breakneck pace, dealing in magic that rouses and entertains.... Andrew’s world-building is world-class, and the banter between Catalina and Alessandro sings. New readers will have no trouble jumping in with this installment and series fans will not be disappointed." —Publishers Weekly
Previous LibraryReads selections: Sapphire Flames (August 2019) White Hot (May 2017)
Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the August LibraryReads list! Be sure to submit your votes for the September LibraryReads list by August 1st.Click here to find out what we're recommending!
Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive is a chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy.
We three on the library team love this captivating work of nonfiction and we are not alone! Check out all of this incoming praise:
This title was also selected as our Summer 2020 Lead Read by all the HarperCollins sales force.
Check out a few of the many reviews:
"A work of exquisitely distilled anguish and elegiac drama...Through finely honed, evermore harrowing memories, dreams, visions, and musings, Trethewey maps the inexorable path to her mother’s murder.... Trethewey writes, ‘To survive trauma, one must be able to tell a story about it.’ And tell her tragic story she does in this lyrical, courageous, and resounding remembrance." —Booklist review
"Beautifully composed, achingly sad...This profound story of the horrors of domestic abuse and a daughter’s eternal love for her mother will linger long after the book’s last page is turned." —Publishers Weekly
"[A] graceful, moving memoir...Delicate prose distinguishes a narrative of tragedy and grief." —Kirkus Reviews
"A moving, heartbreaking memoir about a traumatic event and the path to healing." —Library Journal
So much praise for this book. Read more quotes here.
Natasha also wrote a great opinion piece in The New York Times about the Mississippi flag.
Natasha will be the keynote speaker at the 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Awards that will take place today, July 9th, at 3:00 PM CDT. You can still register for the event until 2:59 PM CDT here.
We hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. If you're looking for more (book-related) fireworks, then be sure to join us for our virtual book buzz this Thursday, July 9th, from 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT. If you haven't yet registered, you can still do so by visiting this page! If you can't join us live, not to worry: the replay will be available immediately following the live broadcast on CrowdCast, Facebook, and YouTube.
Below, you'll find our staff suggestions for the September LibraryReads List. Remember: votes for the September LibraryReads List are due August 1st!
-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)
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When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole For fans of: Watching You by Lisa Jewell and An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning...
"Cole expertly layers plot twists, raising the stakes until the dramatic finale, and readers will cheer when the real heroes are revealed. Cole is a sure-bet suggestion for romance readers, and When No One Is Watching will expand her already enthusiastic audience." —Booklist review
The Writer's Library by Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager For fans of: The Library Book by Susan Orlean Twenty-three of today's living literary legends, including Donna Tartt, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Andrew Sean Greer, Laila Lalami, and Michael Chabon, reveal the books that made them think, brought them joy, and changed their lives in this intimate, moving, and insightful collection from "America's Librarian" Nancy Pearl and noted playwright Jeff Schwager that celebrates the power of literature and reading to connect us all.
"Pearl, a librarian and critic, and Schwager, a journalist and playwright, bring boundless enthusiasm and curiosity to this eclectic and probing book of interviews.... Readers of this delightful compendium will relish the chance to find many of those shared loves, as well as discover new ones." —Publishers Weekly review
Watch a special message to librarians from Nancy Pearl!
The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe For fans of: The Collector's Apprentice by B. A. Shapiro and Tangerine by Christine Mangan Catch Me If You Can meets Patricia Highsmith in this electrifying page-turner of greed and obsession, survival and self-invention, that is a piercing character study of one unforgettable female con artist.
"The gritty underbelly of the art market and the pathology of decades of financial chicanery meet their delirious match in Tedrowe’s Miss Farwell, who stands glaring up at the reader from the intersection of Hitchcock’s Marnie and Highsmith’s Ripley. Watch out for papercuts." —Jonathan Lethem, bestselling author of The Feral Detective
Listen to our podcast episode featuring author Emily Gray Tedrowe in conversation with her father Alan Gray, Darien Library Director.
Monogamy by Sue Miller For fans of: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver and My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.
"A robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage…. The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love…. A spectacular, powerful return." —Publishers Weekly review
Watch author Sue Miller's guest appearance on Door to Door!
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots For fans of: Vengeful by V. E. Schwab and Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
A smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet.
"Walschots playfully pokes at both office politics and comic book absurdity while offering gripping action and gut-wrenching body horror. The inventive premise, accessible heroine, and biting wit will have readers eager for more from this talented author." —Publishers Weekly review
The Most Precious of Cargoes by Jean-Claude Grumberg For fans of: Fox 8 by George Saunders Set during the height of World War II, a powerful and unsettling tale about a woodcutter and his wife, who find a mysterious parcel thrown from a passing train.
"With subtlety and intention, the novella ultimately implores us to consider the purpose of literature after tragedy: well-trodden thematic territory after 1945, to be sure, but approached here in a unique way. It is difficult, in 2020, to write a work of fiction about the Holocaust that is original; even simply in this sense, Grumberg’s work succeeds where many have failed. A postmodern fairy tale, by turns evoking horror and wonder, that scrutinizes the relationship between myth and history." —Kirkus Reviews review
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever For fans of: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai and My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent The Secret History meets Call Me by Your Name in Micah Nemerever's compulsively readable debut novel—a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence.
"As unsettling as it is enthralling, These Violent Delights will engulf you: first in the intoxication of obsession, then in its toxic consequences. Micah Nemerever's debut is a beautiful portrait of intimacy, desperation, and the damage that damaged hearts can cause. It shattered me." —Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire and Mother Daughter Widow Wife
The Short Life and Curious Death of Free Speech in America by Ellis Cose For fans of: Open Season by Ben Crump and How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The critically acclaimed journalist and bestselling author of The Rage of a Privileged Class explores one of the most essential rights in America—free speech—and reveals how it is crumbling under the combined weight of polarization, technology, money and systematized lying in this concise yet powerful and timely book.
"In a stunningly original book, Ellis Cose cuts to the very core of free speech battles. Ordinary people are being held captive by ear-splitting political voices while not enough Americans are protecting and being freed by listening to the voices of ordinary people. An abolitionist book for this moment, for this time when free speech slumbers in chains." —Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist
Make Them Cry by Smith Henderson and Jon Marc Smith For fans of: Bearskin by James McLaughlin and Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane For fans of The Border and Jason Bourne, Make Them Cry is an explosive action thriller about a DEA agent sucked into a dangerous turf war on the US-Mexico border.
"Diane 'Hardball' Harbaugh has helped put a lot of drug dealers behind bars. 'You got two speeds, girl,' her partner says. 'Legal eagle and meth dealer.' The woman has a whole lot more bravery than sense, but that makes for the good story this is.... Plenty of flaws in the main character but few in this satisfying thriller." —Kirkus Reviews review
For fans of: Late in the Day by Tessa Hadley and The Burning Girl by Claire Messud From the acclaimed author of the classics Shiloh and Other Stories and In Country comes a beautifully crafted and profoundly moving novel which follows a woman as she looks back over her life and her first love.
"Vividly recreates those heady counterculture days as a poignant backdrop for the regrets one often faces when one follows one’s head instead of one’s heart." —Booklist
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons
For fans of: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center and How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper
Infused with the emotional power of Me Before You and the irresistible charm of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Be Frank with Me, a moving and joyous novel about an elderly woman ready to embrace death and the little girl who reminds her what it means to live.
"The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is an exquisitely poignant tale of life, friendship and facing death. In the latter, the author dares to explore a subject that many shy away from, but she does so with touching sensitivity, gentle humour and absolute honesty. Eudora’s courage, dignity and wry sense of fun are beautifully drawn as she takes the reader on the heart-breaking yet ultimately uplifting journey of her life and death. Everyone should read this book." —Ruth Hogan, author of Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel
To Tell You the Truth by Gilly MacMillan Also from the author: What She Knew and The Perfect Girl
The acclaimed author of The Nanny, I Know You Know, and Odd Child Out returns with another serpentine thriller that is a potent blend of atmosphere, tarnished memories, mystery, and twisty secrets from the past.
"To Tell You the Truth is a spellbinding book about a missing child, and about the life of a writer. Bold, suspenseful, and impossible to put down. This one will stay with me for a long time." —Samantha Downing, New York Times bestselling author of My Lovely Wife
Prime Deceptions by Valerie Valdes For fans of: Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik and Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers The lovably flawed crew of La Sirena Negra and their psychic cats return in this fast-paced and outrageously fun science-fiction novel, in which they confront past failures and face new threats in the far reaches of space, from the author of the critically acclaimed Chilling Effect.
Praise for Chilling Effect: "Featuring memorable Cuban-descended characters, this engaging space opera debut delivers a story that dances between hilarity and seriousness, with all the joy and frustration psychic cats can bring to the mix." —Library Journal review
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey For fans of: The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory and The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez In Tessa Bailey’s rom-com follow-up to Fix Her Up and Love Her or Lose Her, two enemies must team up to flip a house—and the sparks between them will either burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore!
"Fans of the 'Hot and Hammered' series (Fix Her Up; Love Her or Lose Her) will delight in visiting with familiar characters, but this can certainly be read as a stand-alone. Fans of Christina Lauren and Helena Hunting should add Bailey to their list of go-to rom-com authors." —Library Journal review
The Night Portraitby Laura Morelli For fans of: The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester An exciting dual timeline historical fiction novel about one of da Vinci's most famous paintings, Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine, and the woman who saved it from Nazi destruction in World War II.
"The Night Portrait...[is] a novel of profound emotional resonance. A respected art historian, Morelli brings an exceptional depth of research and understanding to a story already made memorable by her beautiful prose. This is a truly original novel that has earned its place among my favorite works of historical fiction." —Jennifer Robson, bestselling author of The Gown
We are so excited to welcome emily m. danforth, author of Plain Bad Heroines, to the podcast this week. She speaks with Jessica Williams, her editor at William Morrow. This is a book that has been getting a lot of buzz with librarians. It was also a BookExpo 2020 buzz book. There's a lot to dive into with this larger-than-life book and this conversation is a perfect way to jump in. They spotlight the idea behind the book, the extra features of illustrations and footnotes included in the story, and a glimpse into the editor/author relationship. We love this book and can't wait for you to read it for yourself!
More about Plain Bad Heroines, on-sale October 20, 2020: The award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Postmakes her adult debutwith this highly imaginative and original horror-comedy centered around a cursed New England boarding school for girls—a wickedly whimsical celebration of the art of storytelling, sapphic love, and the rebellious female spirit.
Check out these rave reviews:
"The expertly rendered characters are as heartbreaking as they are written with an integrity of vision that saturates every page. Plain Bad Heroines is a queer roar and it's terrifying and it's a goddamned triumph." —Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Simply one of the best books I've read in the last decade.” —Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman
“Brimming from start to finish with sly humor and gothic mischief, Plain Bad Heroines is a brilliant piece of exuberant storytelling by a terrifically talented author.” —Sarah Waters, New York Times bestselling author of The Little Stranger and Fingersmith
1. There are more peregrine falcons per square mile in NYC than anywhere else in the world. The ledges and pigeons make it an ideal habitat. 
5. Rooftop honey bees in Brooklyn unintentionally uncovered the largest known marijuana growing facility in New York City's history.
1. A conversation with Bea Johnson (who explains how her family of four generates a mere quart jar of trash during an entire year).
6. Working side-by-side in a Paris alley with graffiti artist, Irvin (making a name for myself without being arrested).
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