Hi, everyone. I’ve got a nice little low-key post here today where I’m going to talk about some of the most recent additions to my TBR. I’m keeping it nice and simple for a Saturday so without further ado, let’s get into it.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
This is without a doubt one of the most exciting books to go on my TBR in a while. As you can probably guess by my blog name, I love tea and this is being pitched as ‘a gang of outcasts in a deadly heist…’ to ‘save her tearoom—which fronts an illegal blood house, where local vampires can purchase fresh blood’. Um excuse me? I’ll take ten, thanks. This isn’t out until next year, but I’m very excited!
Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen
I love the idea that this is basically Mr and Mrs Smith, but make it regency! I’m not super into action films or spy thrillers or anything like that, but this just sounds like such a fun concept that I couldn’t pass it up. It sounds like the kind of book that will be a nice escape, a fun little romp, you know? I think it’ll be the perfect book to pick up if I’m having a bit of a rough week, or if I just need something to make me smile. I know that Shana Galen has written quite a lot of books, may of which are also on my TBR, but I haven’t read any of them just yet. I did very recently buy Third Son’s A Charm, which is book one in The Survivors series—if I end up enjoying that series, I’ll definitely be picking more of her books up, starting with this one I think!
Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt’s Roaring 20s by Raphael Cormack
I love books about women’s history so the second I heard about this one it went onto my TBR immediately. To be quite honest, I know absolutely nothing about this topic. I’ve read a bit about the 20s before, but mostly historical or mystery novels rather than actual historical fact. So in a way, this is kind of out of my usual comfort zone, especially as it’s talking about the entertainment industry as well but like pretty much every other kid, I went through an Ancient Egyptian phase and now that I’m older I’d love to learn more about its more recent history. I think I’ll probably end up getting this one from the library, or maybe as an eBook rather than buying a physical copy, but I hope I get the chance to read it soon nonetheless.
Home Is Not A Country by Safia Elhillo
There are so many reasons that I put this one on my TBR. For one, that cover—I mean, hello gorgeous! I love flowers on covers, and I think the whole colour scheme of this one just looks beautiful. Secondly, I love novels in verse. I’m big fan of poetry already, so YA novels in verse are basically the best of both worlds right there. I think there’s something about them that often makes them even more heartbreaking and beautiful than prose novels. This one is also blurbed by Elizabeth Acevedo, so that gives me high hopes for the actual writing. In my opinion, Acevedo is one of the best novel in verse writers so the fact that she blurbed this makes me hope that Elhillo’s work will be just as enjoyable…or rather, just as moving and emotional. I believe this also has a little bit more of a magical twist to it and that really interests me as well. All in all, I think this will be an excellent book.
Neo-Victorian Freakery: The Cultural Afterlife of the Victorian Freak Show by Helen Davies
Doing a complete 180 now! I found this book while I was purchasing another one—Freakery by Rosemarie Garland Thomson, which talks about freaks shows and circuses and so forth. I think freak shows are disgusting and I also hate circuses, but I feel like I don’t really know enough about them. I’ve read a few things about the mistreatment and abuse that disabled people encountered because of things like this. Being disabled myself, it just grinds my gears that people were treated like this and that a lot of this ableist language is still around today. I also get really annoyed by people’s tendencies to romanticise circuses and make them seem like fun happy places when they were often cesspits of ableism, racism, transphobia and more. Okay, sorry, rant over. I’m very excited to give this one ago, probably after I’ve read Freakery since I have that one on my shelves right now. I honestly don’t know how much of this will deal with those issues, or whether this is more looking at the cultural phenomenon of the freak show.
What books have been newly added to your TBR?
Earl Grey Books 