by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books)
Before I share three books coming out today that I'm excited to read, I wanted to highlight two that I've already read. You can read my reviews of Kristina Forest's Now that I've Found You and Daisy Johnson's Sisters at jenlovesbooks.com.
Now, on to three brand-new books I haven't read yet!
Adib Khorram's Darius the Great Deserves Better
Description from Publisher:
"In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It’s everything he’s ever wanted–but what if he deserves better?
"Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran this past spring, a lot has changed. He’s getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, his varsity soccer practices, and his internship at his favorite tea shop, Darius is feeling pretty okay. Like he finally knows what it means to be Darius Kellner.
"Then, of course, everything changes. Darius’s grandmothers are in town for a long visit while his dad is gone on business, and Darius isn’t sure whether they even like him. The internship isn’t what Darius thought it would be, and now he doesn’t know about turning tea into his career. He was sure he liked Landon, but when he starts hanging out with Chip–soccer teammate and best friend of Trent Bolger, epic bully–well, he’s just not so sure about Landon anymore, either.
"Darius thought he knew exactly who he was and what he wanted, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he deserves better."
Why I want to read it:
Darius the Great Is Not Okay was one of my favorite books of 2019 (I even talked about it on our Unabridged Awards episode!). I pre-ordered this one as soon as it was available and cannot WAIT to read more about Darius.
Evelyn Lozada and Holly Lörincz's The Wrong Mr. Darcy
Description from Publisher:
"In Evelyn Lozada and Holly Lörincz's lightly inspired Pride and Prejudice romantic comedy, two unlikely people discover the error of judging by first impressions and the beauty of family, friendship and love. This book will entice you through the last page.
"Hara Isari has big ambitions and they won’t be sidetracked by her mother’s insisting that she settle down soon. She dreams of leaving her small-town newspaper behind, as well as her felon father, and building a career as a sports writer, so when she is chosen to exclusively interview a basketball superstar, she jumps at the chance. It’s time to show the bigwigs what she’s truly made of.
"At the same time, she meets a rookie on the rise, Derek Darcy. Darcy is incredibly handsome, obnoxiously proud, and has a major chip on his shoulder. Hara can’t think of a man more arrogant and infuriating. However, fate keeps bringing them together—from locker rooms to elegant parties, to the storm of the century—and what begins as a clash might just be more complicated than Hara anticipated. When she begins to see Darcy in a new light, Hara is not quite sure if she should drop the ball or play the love game."
Why I want to read it:
You know I love a Jane Austen re-telling! (Check out our episode about Ibi Zoboi's Pride for more details.) I've also talked before about how, though I'm not an athletic person, I do love books about sports, so I'm going to give this one a try for sure.
Rebekah Taussig's Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body
Description from Publisher:
"A memoir-in-essays from disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty Rebekah Taussig, processing a lifetime of memories to paint a beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.
"Growing up as a paralyzed girl during the 90s and early 2000s, Rebekah Taussig only saw disability depicted as something monstrous (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), inspirational (Helen Keller), or angelic (Forrest Gump). None of this felt right; and as she got older, she longed for more stories that allowed disability to be complex and ordinary, uncomfortable and fine, painful and fulfilling.
"Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and how the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates to everyday life.
"Disability affects all of us, directly or indirectly, at one point or another. By exploring this truth in poignant and lyrical essays, Taussig illustrates the need for more stories and more voices to understand the diversity of humanity. Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story."
Why I want to read it:
This memoir sounds fabulous--I love that Taussig is writing an own voices essay collection that shares her experience with nuance. The reviews on this one are great!
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