#136: What Do You Do If Your Dad Is Death

Amanda and Jenn discuss disabled heroines, fast-paced audiobooks, Saga read-alikes, and more in this week's episode of Get Booked.

This episode is sponsored by Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen and We Are Gathered by Jamie Weisman.

Questions

1. I am looking for a book for a recommendation where the heroine has a disability. I am trying to find books where the person takes care of themselves, meaning they do not need someone to take care of them.

I just do not like how some books make women with disability are helpless. I want to find a women empowerment centered story, that can give women in my community know we can do anything.

Thank you for the time and recommendations.

--Alicia

2. I'm going on vacation in July, and likely won't have a ton of time to read. I'm looking for some graphic novel/comics I can bring with me for those moments where I can sneak in a few reading minutes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Saga, but am having a hard time finding other graphic novels/comics that give me the same feelings and can hold my interest. I've tried Monstress and Ms. Marvel, and found they were ok, but not really my thing. I'm new (ish) to this genre, so I haven't read a whole lot in it. Thinking maybe something fantasy related, as I love to read in that genre, but it isn't a necessity. Thanks!

--Sherry

3. My husband’s birthday is coming up end of June and I would love to gift him a great book. He mostly reads non fiction war history or science books (he’s a big fan of Jarod Diamond for example). He is a mountaineer, rock and ice climber and a huge outdoor person so enjoys stories about overcoming huge obstacles. He’s read a lot of books about Everest expeditions. When he wants to read something “for fun” he likes Stephen King or James Patterson.

Hope you can help!!

Thanks!

--Heidi

4. I'm planning to challenge myself this summer on school break (I'm a history prof) and read around the world in 80 books. I'm good on Europe, Asia, much of Africa, and the Americas (of course, with some help from some of your previous show recommendations), but I'd like some recommendations from Australia/New Zealand, and perhaps a country that isn't usually a common setting, or a city that is often ignored by this type of atmospheric fiction or one I may not think of on my own.

I'd like the physical setting to play an important part in the book; I really want to experience these places through reading, not just read something that could be Anycity, world edition. I'd love to get something by authors with an indigenous background, though women and LGBTQ authors are also encouraged. I'd prefer to have authors that are from the areas or have lived in them for significant periods of time.

For this particular challenge, I'd like to read fiction. Favorite genres include mystery/noire (a "Witness the Night" type book would be amazing), I do like literary fiction, women-centered fiction that is feminist leaning and is funny, historical fiction without too much sex abuse--I'm so tired of my main characters getting sold into sex work--and books that center in some way around food and cooking such as "Like Water for Chocolate." I enjoy magical realism.

No hurry! I won't be starting this until June, and I've got a number of books to start with before I need more.

--Kate

5. Hello!

I've recently started reading more romance novels and noticed that most of what I've read has featured men who align with pretty normative ideas of masculinity. I don't mean to say this is inherently bad or that the characters or books are misogynistic. Also, I will say we almost always get to see a softer side to these men. It's just the men aren't usually shown as soft from the get go, if that makes sense. I was just wondering if y'all could recommend any adult romance novels that feature men who exhibit gentleness as a prominent feature of their personality. I tend to read historical romance, but will be happy to take any recommendations.

Thank you both so much & have a great day!

--Jessica

6. Hi Amanda and Jenn!

I'm looking for a good audiobook while i'm in public transportation. I've tried some audiobook and only few were able to keep me active. I've realise that most of it is because of the narrator. Some heavy old british accent made me sleepy! ahah

I love fantasy but I prefer to read it instead of listen to it.

I realise that I prefer shorter standalone audiobooks because their tends to have faster pace.

Some examples of audiobooks that I've loved: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

Some other example of books that i loved last year: The Hate U Give and The Night Circus

Thank you so much!

--Emilie

7. I recently started getting serious with a pretty fantastic guy. The thing is, he has two kids (7 and 9) and I'm a little freaked out about the prospect of being a stepmom. Do you have any book recommendations about navigating this territory? I'm good with fiction or non-fiction, any genres. Bonus if it there's some diversity in the picks as his kids are biracial and we are an interracial couple as well. Thanks ladies!

--Amanda

Books Discussed

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Friend (With Benefits) Zone by Laura Brown

Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios

ODY-C by Matt Fraction and Christian Ward

Shark Drunk by Morten A. Stroksnes

Terra Incognita by Sara Wheeler

The Bone People by Keri Hulme (tw: child abuse)

That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott

Bound to be a Groom by Megan Mulry

Here's a post about beta males in romance

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert (tw: discussion of abusive relationships)

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

Stepmonster by Wednesday Martin

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman (tw: miscarriage)

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