Friday Book Debrief Vol 36

Admin
Aug 14, 2020
3 min read

Every week we’re sharing what our some of our writers are currently reading.

For all of our US readers, we now have our own Bookshop! You can find the full list of the below books here and with every purchase you will be helping local independent bookstores! If you do not live in the US please support your local independent stores, lots are now doing local deliveries and they need your help more then ever in these uncertain times. - ❤️

Witches: The Transformative Power of Women Working Together by Sam George-Allen (Author). The Book Slut book reviews, Description: A celebration of the revolutionary potential of women working with other women, and a powerful statement about myths like the "cool girl" or the "catty workplace" Covens. Girl Bands. Ballet troupes. Convents. In all times and places, girls and women have come together in communities of vocation, of necessity, of support. In Witches, Sam George-Allen explores how wherever women gather, magic happens. Female farmers change the way we grow our food. Online beauty communities democratize skin-care rituals. And more than any other demographic, it's teen girls that shape our culture. Patriarchal societies have long been content to champion boys' clubs, while viewing groups that exclude men as sites of rivalry and suspicion. This deeply personal investigation takes us from our workplaces to our social circles, surveying our heroes, our outcasts, and ourselves, in order to dismantle the persistent and pernicious cultural myth of female isolation and competition . . . once and for all. Product Details Publisher Melville House Publishing Publish Date January 28, 2020 Pages 288 Dimensions 5.5 X 0.9 X 8.1 inches | 0.61 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781612198347 BISAC Categories: Feminism & Feminist Theory

Witches: The Transformative Power of Women Working Together by Sam George-Allen - Mel

I was so excited to dive into a feminist nonfiction, as I’ve been mostly invested in fiction lately. This is just the fix I needed—it addresses the catty/competitive stereotypes assigned to and assumed by women and goes on to demonstrate the power women have despite it all.

Buy it here.

Hold Still by Lynn Steger Strong (Author), The Book Slut book reviews, Description: When Maya Taylor, an English professor with a tendency to hide in her books, sends her daughter to Florida to look after a friend's child, she does so with the best of intentions; it's a chance for Ellie, twenty and spiraling, to rebuild her life. But in the sprawling hours of one humid afternoon, Ellie makes a mistake she cannot take back. In two separate timelines--before and after the catastrophe--Maya and Ellie must try to repair their fractured relationship and find a way to transcend not only their differences but also their more troubling similarities. "[Melding] psychological insight, precise plotting and limpid prose" (Huffington Post), Lynn Steger Strong traces the anatomy of a mistake and the weight of culpability. Hold Still marks a taut and propulsive debut that "builds to a perfect crescendo, an ending that is both surprising and true" (Marcy Dermansky, author of The Red Car). Product Details Price $15.95 Publisher Liveright Publishing Corporation Publish Date March 21, 2017 Pages 272 Dimensions 5.5 X 0.8 X 8.2 inches | 0.45 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781631492655 BISAC Categories: Literary

Hold Still by Lynn Steger Strong - Melissa

My favorite book in high school was called Hold Still, but it was by Nina Lacour. That's part of the reason why I felt drawn to this book, partnered with the fact that I love anything centered around family drama. I'm really loving the author's voice so far—I've never read anything by her before!

Buy it here.

Seasonal Associate Heike Geissler (Author) Kevin Vennemann (Afterword by), The Book Slut book reviews, Description - How the brutalities of working life are transformed into exhaustion, shame, and self-doubt: a writer's account of her experience working in an Amazon fulfillment center. No longer able to live on the proceeds of her freelance writing and translating income, German novelist Heike Geissler takes a seasonal job at Amazon Order Fulfillment in Leipzig. But the job, intended as a stopgap measure, quickly becomes a descent into humiliation, and Geissler soon begins to internalize the dynamics and nature of the post-capitalist labor market and precarious work. Driven to work at Amazon by financial necessity rather than journalistic ambition, Heike Geissler has nonetheless written the first and only literary account of corporate flex-time employment that offers "freedom" to workers who have become an expendable resource. Shifting between the first and the second person, Seasonal Associate is a nuanced expose of the psychic damage that is an essential working condition with mega-corporations. Geissler has written a twenty-first-century account of how the brutalities of working life are transformed into exhaustion, shame, and self-doubt. Product Details Price $16.95 $15.59 Publisher Semiotext(e) Publish Date December 04, 2018 Pages 240 Dimensions 5.5 X 0.7 X 7.9 inches | 0.6 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781635900361 BISAC Categories: Labor Personal Memoirs

Seasonal Associate by Heike Geissler - Nikki

If I didn't already buy few to zero products on Amazon thanks to living in New Zealand, this book would make that happen. A nonfiction account of the author's experience working as a seasonal laborer at one of the biggest corporations on Earth, Seasonal Associate examines the psychological effects of working underpaid, underappreciated jobs out of financial necessity. It's infuriating.

Buy it here (NOT ON AMAZON)

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Author), The Book Slut book reviews, Description BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES Instant New York Times bestseller From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir Amazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 People's Choice Award winner - Favorite Fantasy Bustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 "This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human -- and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear." -- The Washington Post "An Ember in the Ashes could launch Sabaa Tahir into JK Rowling territory...It has the addictive quality of The Hunger Games combined with the fantasy of Harry Potter and the brutality of Game of Thrones."--Public Radio International "An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders--as beautiful and radiant as it is searing."--Huffington Post "A worthy novel - and one as brave as its characters." --The New York Times Book Review Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier--and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined--and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. bookslut, thebookslut.com, Publisher Razorbill Publish Date February 09, 2016 Pages 480 Dimensions 5.9 X 1.3 X 8.9 inches | 1.2 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781595148049 BISAC Categories: Love & Romance Fantasy - Epic Fantasy & Magic Dystopian Politics & Government

Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - Courtney

I was in need of something exciting and fantastical to escape to so I prowled the ebooks available to me from work and have stumbled across a Roman Empire inspired fantasy series. This is the first book but after around 170 electronic pages I am excited to stay in this gladiator-esque magical world.

Buy it here.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass Lewis Carroll (Author) Anna South (Afterword by) John Tenniel (Illustrator) Description Selected for The Great American Read, the PBS series celebrating America's 100 most-loved books. It's a warm summer's afternoon when young Alice first tumbles down the rabbit hole and into the adventures in Wonderland that have kept readers spellbound for more than 150 years. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is brought to life by Sir John Tenniel's legendary illustrations in black and white, and with an afterword by Anna South. Collected here are Lewis Carroll's two classics - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass - in which Alice encounters the laconic Cheshire Cat, the anxious White Rabbit and the terrifying Red Queen, as well as a host of other outlandish and charming characters. bookslut, thebookslut.com, Publisher MacMillan Collector's Library Publish Date April 26, 2016 Pages 288 Dimensions 3.9 X 0.7 X 6.0 inches | 0.4 pounds Language English Type Hardcover EAN/UPC 9781909621572 BISAC Categories: Classics Literary General Classics Classics

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll - Courtney

I have never read this absolutely undeniable classic before and have felt like a bookish fraud for a long time. I won’t say it’s blowing me away but I’m happy to be slowly getting through it.

Buy it here.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Author) Description Donna Tartt, winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her most recent novel, The Goldfinch, established herself as a major talent with The Secret History, which has become a contemporary classic. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill. The Book Slut book reviews, Publisher Vintage Publish Date April 13, 2004 Pages 576 Dimensions 5.2 X 1.1 X 7.9 inches | 0.95 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781400031702 BISAC Categories: Literary

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Courtney

Do I even need to say anything here???? ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Buy it here.

Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America Maria Hinojosa (Author), The Book Slut book reviews, Description "Maria's perspective is powerful and vital. Years ago, when In the Heights was just starting off-Broadway, Maria got the word out to our community to support this new musical about our neighborhoods. She has been a champion of our triumphs, a critic of our detractors, and a driving force to right the wrongs our society faces. When Maria speaks, I'm ready to listen and learn." --Lin-Manuel Miranda Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor of NPR's Latino USA, Maria Hinojosa, tells the story of immigration in America through her family's experiences and decades of reporting, painting an unflinching portrait of a country in crisis. Maria Hinojosa is an award-winning journalist who has collaborated with the most respected networks and is known for bringing humanity to her reporting. In this beautifully-rendered memoir, she relates the history of US immigration policy that has brought us to where we are today, as she shares her deeply personal story. For thirty years, Maria Hinojosa has reported on stories and communities in America that often go ignored by the mainstream media. Bestselling author Julia Alvarez has called her "one of the most important, respected, and beloved cultural leaders in the Latinx community." In Once I Was You, Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the south side of Chicago and documenting the existential wasteland of immigration detention camps for news outlets that often challenged her work. In these pages, she offers a personal and eye-opening account of how the rhetoric around immigration has not only long informed American attitudes toward outsiders, but also enabled willful negligence and profiteering at the expense of our country's most vulnerable populations--charging us with the broken system we have today. This honest and heartrending memoir paints a vivid portrait of how we got here and what it means to be a survivor, a feminist, a citizen, and a journalist who owns her voice while striving for the truth. Once I Was You is an urgent call to fellow Americans to open their eyes to the immigration crisis and understand that it affects us all. Also available in Spanish as Una vez fui t. bookslut, thebookslut.com, Publisher Atria Books Publish Date September 15, 2020 Pages 352 Language English Type Hardcover EAN/UPC 9781982128654 BISAC Categories: Editors, Journalists, Publishers Emigration & Immigration Women

Once I Was You by Maria Hinojosa - Marian

Mexican American award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa has written a heartrending memoir about her experiences in the U.S. including detailing her parents’ immigration in the early 1960s. The book is framed with the metaphor of self-reflection. When Hinojosa crosses paths with a Guatemalan girl in the McAllen, Texas airport, she sees herself in the little girl leaving a detention center enroute to Houston. I am only a few chapters in and am utterly enthralled in Hinojosa’s story.

Pre-order for September 15 2020.

A Lucky Man: Stories by Jamel Brinkley (Author), Description FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION In the nine expansive, searching stories of A Lucky Man, fathers and sons attempt to salvage relationships with friends and family members and confront mistakes made in the past. An imaginative young boy from the Bronx goes swimming with his group from day camp at a backyard pool in the suburbs, and faces the effects of power and privilege in ways he can barely grasp. A teen intent on proving himself a man through the all-night revel of J'Ouvert can't help but look out for his impressionable younger brother. A pair of college boys on the prowl follow two girls home from a party and have to own the uncomfortable truth of their desires. And at a capoeira conference, two brothers grapple with how to tell the story of their family, caught in the dance of their painful, fractured history. Jamel Brinkley's stories, in a debut that announces the arrival of a significant new voice, reflect the tenderness and vulnerability of black men and boys whose hopes sometimes betray them, especially in a world shaped by race, gender, and class--where luck may be the greatest fiction of all. bookslut, thebookslut.com, Publisher Graywolf Press Publish Date June 04, 2019 Pages 256 Dimensions 5.5 X 0.8 X 8.2 inches | 0.7 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781555978433 BISAC Categories: Short Stories (single author)

A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley - Cat

Short stories are really appealing to me and my scattered attention at the moment, allowing me to dip in and out as I find the time and headspace. The nine short stories in this collection explore Black masculinity and experience, often with a focus on relationships and a desire for connection to others. While I've liked some stories more than others so far (I'm about halfway through), Brinkley's writing is immersive and compelling throughout. One of the best collections I've read this year.

Buy it here.

Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women Kate Manne (Author) The Book Slut book reviews, Friday debrief, Description An urgent exploration of men's entitlement and how it serves to police and punish women, from the acclaimed author of Down Girl "Kate Manne is a thrilling and provocative feminist thinker. Her work is indispensable."--Rebecca Traister In this bold and stylish critique, Cornell philosopher Kate Manne offers a radical new framework for understanding misogyny. Ranging widely across the culture, from Harvey Weinstein and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to "Cat Person" and the political misfortunes of Elizabeth Warren, Manne's book shows how privileged men's sense of entitlement--to sex, yes, but more insidiously to admiration, care, bodily autonomy, knowledge, and power--is a pervasive social problem with often devastating consequences. In clear, lucid prose, Manne argues that male entitlement can explain a wide array of phenomena, from mansplaining and the undertreatment of women's pain to mass shootings by incels and the seemingly intractable notion that women are "unelectable." Moreover, Manne implicates each of us in toxic masculinity: It's not just a product of a few bad actors; it's something we all perpetuate, conditioned as we are by the social and cultural mores of our time. The only way to combat it, she says, is to expose the flaws in our default modes of thought while enabling women to take up space, say their piece, and muster resistance to the entitled attitudes of the men around them. With wit and intellectual fierceness, Manne sheds new light on gender and power and offers a vision of a world in which women are just as entitled as men to our collective care and concern. thebookslut.com, bookslut, Publisher Crown Publishing Group (NY) Publish Date August 11, 2020 Pages 288 Dimensions 5.7 X 1.1 X 7.7 inches | 0.85 pounds Language English Type Hardcover EAN/UPC 9781984826558 BISAC Categories: Feminism & Feminist Theory Ethics & Moral Philosophy Women's Studies

Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women by Kate Manne - Maggie

I am flying through this nonfiction account on the entitlement of men and how it creates an unjust society and leads to extreme violence against women. It is infuriating.

Buy it here.

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Fourth Edition Gloria Anzaldua (Author) The Book Slut book reviews, Description: Literary Nonfiction. Poetry. Latino/Latina Studies. LGBT Studies. Fourth Edition. Rooted in Gloria Anzaldúa's experience as a Chicana, a lesbian, an activist, and a writer, the essays and poems in this volume profoundly challenged, and continue to challenge, how we think about identity. BORDERLANDS/LA FRONTERA remaps our understanding of what a "border" is, presenting it not as a simple divide between here and there, us and them, but as a psychic, social, and cultural terrain that we inhabit, and that inhabits all of us. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition features a new introduction by scholars Norma Cantú (University of Texas at San Antonio) and Aída Hurtado (University of California at Santa Cruz) as well as a revised critical bibliography. "The emotional and intellectual impact of the book is disorienting and powerful...all languages are spoken, and survival depends on understanding all modes of thought. In the borderlands new creatures come into being. Anzaldúa celebrates this 'new mestiza' in bold, experimental writing."--The Village Voice "Anzaldúa's pulsating weaving of innovative poetry with sparse informative prose brings us deep into the insider/outsider consciousness of the borderlands; that ancient and contemporary, crashing and blending world that divides and unites America."--Women's Review of Books. thebookslut.com, bookslut, Publisher Aunt Lute Books Publish Date June 12, 2012 Pages 312 Dimensions 5.4 X 0.9 X 8.4 inches | 0.8 pounds Language English Type Paperback EAN/UPC 9781879960855 BISAC Categories: Women

Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa - Karen

Since finishing This Bridge Called My Back I have been in search of the writers that made up that beautiful collection. My search led me to Anzaldúa's Borderlands, a mix of prose and poetry bringing language to the Chicanx experience and it stands as a feminist book as well. I'm only a few pages in but I'm so thankful for this book already.

Buy it here.

Mary Toft; Or, the Rabbit Queen Dexter Palmer (Author) The Book Slut book reviews, Friday debrief. Description In 1726, in the town of Godalming, England, a woman confounded the nation's medical community by giving birth to seventeen rabbits. This astonishing true story is the basis for Dexter Palmer's stunning, powerfully evocative new novel. Surgeon's apprentice Zachary Walsh knows that his master, John Howard, prides himself on his rationality. But John cannot explain how or why Mary Toft, the wife of a local journeyman, has managed to give birth to a dead rabbit. When this singular event be-comes a regular occurrence, John and Zach-ary realize that nothing in their experience as rural physicians has prepared them to deal with a situation like this--strange, troubling, and possibly miraculous. John contacts sev-eral of London's finest surgeons, three of whom soon arrive in Godalming to observe, argue, and perhaps use the case to cultivate their own fame. When King George I learns of Mary's plight, she and her doctors are summoned to London, where Zachary experiences a world far removed from his small-town ex-istence and is exposed to some of the dark-est corners of the human soul. All the while Mary lies in bed, as doubts begin to blossom among her caretakers and a growing group of onlookers waits with impatience for an-other birth, another miracle. www.thebookslut.com Publisher Pantheon Books Publish Date November 19, 2019 Pages 336 Dimensions 6.25 X 0.88 X 9.25 inches | 1.5 pounds Language English Type Hardcover EAN/UPC 9781101871935 BISAC Categories: Historical - General. bookslut, About the Author DEXTER PALMER is the author of two previous novels: Version Control, which was selected as one of the best novels of 2016 by GQ, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications, and The Dream of Per-petual Motion, which was selected as one of the best fiction debuts of 2010 by Kirkus Re-views. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey. Reviews "Palmer spins a cracking tale that, despite its disconcerting subject, is piquantly cheerful and compassionate . . . With empathy and imagination, Palmer explores the master/apprentice relationship, first love and first rivalry, spite and kindness: conjuring a world to raise a wry smile . . . Palmer is paying Mary the compliment of complexity . . . She is a woman whose story, both happily and unhappily, is rather more than the sum of its rabbit parts." --Katharine Grant, The New York Times Book Review "[Palmer] takes a daring narrative leap: He tells the story not from Mary's perspective, but from the point of view of Zachary Walsh, a fourteen-year-old apprentice to the real-life figure of John Howard, a local surgeon in Godalming who helped discover Mary Toft and bring her to prominence . . . From there, Palmer's impeccable research kicks in . . . Where there are gaps or fuzzy areas in the actual history of Mary Toft, Palmer fills in the illustration with lush detail, vivid characterization -- and most importantly, philosophy . . . Epistemology is a big pill to swallow in a work of historical fiction, but Palmer coats it with sure storytelling, a compelling voice in the form of Zachary, and a gripping mystery at the core of the story . . . Palmer has always been a novelist of big ideas, and Mary Toft is his most thoughtful work yet." --Jason Heller, NPR "Dexter Palmer's Mary Toft; or, the Rabbit Queen brings the past to life with authenticity and unexpected relevance . . . A zesty blend of bawdy entertainment and thoughtful coming-of-age story, Mary Toft tantalizes the contemporary conscious as its truth-seeking characters wade through truth-defying circumstances." --Mari Carlson, Bookpage "Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen serves as a reminder that the issues that dictate -- and sometimes define -- our lives can often be as complex as the very people attempting to solve them . . . The language Palmer uses feels just as meticulous as the surgeries Howard and Zachary perform. This kind of thoughtful, detailed approach in the writing style feels necessary for a novel of such magnitude . . . I imagine the term 'audacious' will be used often regarding Palmer's newest work. Such a word is certainly fitting. Dexter Palmer is a bold and daring writer, and Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen is a novel that captures his voice at its very best." --Bradley Sides, The Chicago Review of Books "Vivid, sensitive . . . The novel lingers on those who are most torn; those who, like me, want to test their capacity for belief. These confused characters, especially Mary's 'man-midwife, ' John Howard, become vehicles through which Palmer asks the novel's central question: Why would anyone believe a woman who claimed she was giving birth to rabbits? . . . Rather than mock John's credulity, though, Palmer treats his "man-midwife" with respect." --Lily Meyer, The Atlantic "Mr. Palmer hews closely to historical records, a reasonable decision when history is this insane." --Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal "[A] frolicsome period comedy." --The New Yorker "This gripping, well-written novel is a wonder of characterization . . . Faith and science, uneducated villagers and London's aristocratic elite, this novel plumbs the spectrum to offer an immersion in the world of the burgeoning Enlightenment. A fascinating, propulsive read from beginning to end, this is a stimulating novel of ideas and imagination." --Bethany Latham, Historical Novel Review "Sharp, droll, and actually fairly profound in its observations about human experience, and the nature of belief. I can't wait for the work day to be over so I can get back to reading it." --Emily Temple, LitHub "A suspenseful, thought-provoking narrative that pairs well with dystopian fiction such as The Handmaid's Tale." --Shelf Awareness "A brilliant work . . . Like the historical fiction of Hillary Mantel or Caryl Phillips, Palmer does not shy away from the depravity of the past. Expertly utilizing an actual bizarre historical event to explore faith, reason, and the foundations of our current economic system, this exhaustively researched and dexterously constructed novel is another triumph to add to Palmer's incredibly diverse corpus of works." --Booklist (starred review) "Palmer brilliantly fictionalizes the true story of Mary Toft . . . [He] evocatively captures the period . . . But more impressive are the novel's inquiries into the human concerns of wonder, denial, and belief. . . Palmer skillfully and rewardingly delves into the humanity at the heart of this true historical oddity." --Publishers Weekly "Deft, droll, and provocatively philosophical . . . A novel that attempts to illuminate 'the slippery nature of truth, ' when everything from God to reality is up for grabs." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A beautifully written, slyly profound meditation on perception and reality. I relished each immersive scene, each detail. I wanted to sit and discuss with the characters their beliefs about the world. Reading it, I was torn between wanting to gobble it all up quickly or savor it over time." --Nicole Galland, author of I, Iago "Mary Toft is wonderful! The kind of novel that you want to read and then discuss with other readers. But then Dexter Palmer is a writer like Hilary Mantel or Kate Atkinson, able to move between genres and time periods, by virtue of the almost supernatural sympathy he is able to invoke for his characters and the sense of the worlds they inhabit." --Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble "Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen is provoking in ways that reach well beyond the premise, anticipating as it does our own 'world of ash, ' with all its spectacle, factionalism, and noise. It is vividly composed and audaciously imagined, filled with characters who do battle against a world that perceives them as strange--or who, conversely, assume strangeness as a mask in order to induce the world to see them at all. It is yet another wonder in Dexter Palmer's cabinet of wonders." --Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead. thebookslut.com

Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen by Dexter Palmer - Victoria

Mary Toft tells the story of a woman in England in 1726 who confounded the medical community by giving birth to seventeen rabbits. The novel itself isn't quite as absurd as you'd think, with a premise like that, but it's definitely absorbing.

Buy it here.

A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals Alyssa Cole (Author) The Book Slut book reviews, Friday Debrief. thebookslut.com Description From acclaimed author Alyssa Cole comes the tale of a city Cinderella and her Prince Charming in disguise . . . Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn't have time for fairy tales...or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she's betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she's learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won't convince her otherwise. Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can't resist the chance to experience life--and love--without the burden of his crown. The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after? Selected as one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2018! Publisher HarperTrophy Publish Date February 27, 2018 Pages 384 Dimensions 4.0 X 1.1 X 6.6 inches | 0.4 pounds Language English Type Mass Market Paperbound EAN/UPC 9780062685544 BISAC Categories: Romance - Contemporary Romance - Multicultural & Interracial Romance - Romantic Comedy. About the Author Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she's not working, she can usually be found watching anime with her husband or wrangling their menagerie of animals. Reviews "Alyssa Cole is the newly coronated queen of contemporary royal romance! A Princess in Theory is delicious fun... a smart, funny heroine; a sweetly sexy prince; swoon-worthy romance; and an epic happily-ever-after. Long live the queen!"--Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries "A delightful and sexy take on love between a suave African prince and a nerdy epidemiology student."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Attention-grabbing from page one, this first book in the Reluctant Royals series will absolutely warm your heart. A Princess in Theory is a delightful love story that introduces a princess -- with attitude! -- who readers will enjoy rooting for. Naledi is skeptical about modern royalty, but her ambition and tough demeanor shine. Cultural differences aside, this is a simple and heartfelt story to be savored."--RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars- TOP PICK) "a funny, fast-moving, smart-alecky romance... A PRINCESS IN THEORY is pure fun. It will have you laughing, cringing and hooked from the start!"--Romance Junkies "the best new romance I've read in a while..."--New York Times Book Review "This is a fun, fanciful romance perfect for readers dreaming of royal weddings."--BookPage "In Cole's world, royalty and romance go hand in hand with compassion, open-heartedness, and intelligence, as well as a clear-eyed sense of real-world politics. A Princess in Theory is a fairy tale, yes, but one consistently grounded in reality, which makes the happily-ever-after all the more satisfying."--Entertainment Weekly "This book was a lot of fun, sexy, with a compelling story. I really enjoyed the romance as it developed between Ledi and Thabioso, both interesting characters together and as individuals. Lots of erotic tension and a deeply satisfying ending. Definitely dive into this one."--Roxane Gay

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole - Jessica Maria

A delightful read that's also proven to be surprising in how much it talks about infectious diseases, since the main character, Naledi, is training to be an epidemiologist. Not that that takes over the intense romance brewing between her and a masquerading prince...

Buy it here.