Novel Ideas #80: Eat All Your Peas & Carrots!
Wherein I ask WHY to Patrick Rothfuss stating the Kingkiller Chronicles is just a “million word prologue,” spend way too long talking about Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, introduce a new segment called “Tables & Fables” where I pair a book with a board game, interview debut author Bryan Camp on his first book, The City of Lost Fortunes, out April 17, and overuse a Forrest Gump quote.
Like our music? That’s “Brave” by Jonathan Coulton, off his newest album Solid State.
We have a new Goodreads discussion group! Please join and talk to us about books.
Independent Bookstore Day is fast approaching! Join us Saturday, May 12 for some amazing author discussions, exclusive sale items, and more!
Timestamps:
:00 Intro
1:00 Book Industry News
5:24 Book of the Month: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
18:32 Tables & Fables: Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and Evolution from North Star Games
21:59 Interview with local debut author of The City of Lost Fortunes, Bryan Camp
34:56 Wrap-Up and Coming next month
Book & Game Industry News
Patrick Rothfuss says the Kingkiller Chronicles are just a prologue
Hugo Awards finalists announced
Extras: I didn’t mention these bits on the podcast, but they’re good to know!
Lin-Manuel Miranda was cast as Lee Scorsby in new His Dark Materials adaptation
Lambda Literary Award finalists announced
Amazon might be making the Three Body Problem into a TV series
Amazon has picked up Lord of the Rings, and it’s set to be the most expensive TV show in history
Book of the Month: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
In this segment, I talk WAY too much about Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Children of Blood and Bone is the story of Zélie Adebola, a teen who definitely does not have a mundane, simple life and who has seen her share of trauma, who has a quest thrust upon her by an older ex-maji woman to undergo a dangerous journey to save magic. With the help of her brother, Tzain, and a rebellious princess, Amari, Zélie encounters obstacles, has to outsmart the crown prince, Inan, who has his own past haunting him, and has to learn to believe in herself to complete her quest and save magic.
Adeyemi builds a magnificent world touching on all the senses and explores social themes like men’s control over women’s bodies (and white control over black bodies), state-sponsored killing, community building, identity struggles, allyship, friendship, bondage and slavery, gender roles, and acknowledging, questioning, and re-evaluating the values with which you’re raised and redirecting them (or not). Adeyemi channels the magic and worldbuilding of Black Panther and the social justice themes of Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give into a breathtaking YA fantasy that will sweep you off your feet.
I wrote an in depth review of Children of Blood and Bone for our blog. Check it out!
Next month, I’ll be discussing The Sea Beast Takes a Lover by Michael Andreasen. This is a book of fantastical short stories grounded in the real world. From Penguin’s website:
“Andreasen’s stories are simultaneously daring and deeply familiar, unfolding in wildly inventive worlds that convey our common yearning for connection and understanding. With a captivating new voice from an incredible author, The Sea Beast Takes a Lover uses the supernatural and extraordinary to expose us at our most human.”
Michael will also be on the podcast next month, so I can’t wait to talk to him about this book! If you decide to read it with me, please go to our Goodreads discussion group and let me know your thoughts in the thread. I may feature them on the podcast next month!
Remember that you can order any book discussed or mentioned on our podcast by filling out our Special Order form or by calling or stopping by the store.
Tables & Fables: Evolution & Annihilation
In the inaugural “Tables & Fables” segment, I discussed the thematic similarities of North Star Games Evolution and Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation.
Released in the same year (2014), both Annihilation and Evolution focus on the environment and the weird things that evolve if left to their own devices. They’re both survival of the fittest with a weird twist. If you like one, you’re sure to like the other!
Both Annihilation and Evolution are available for purchase at Tubby & Coo’s.
Interview: Bryan Camp
For this month’s interview segment, I welcome Bryan Camp. Bryan is a graduate of the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop and the University of New Orleans’ Low-Residency MFA program. He has been, at various points in his life: a security guard at a stockcar race track, a printer in a flag factory, an office worker in an oil refinery, and a high school English teacher. He started his first novel, The City of Lost Fortunes, which is releasing April 17, in the backseat of his parents’ car as they evacuated for Hurricane Katrina. He lives in New Orleans with his wife and their three cats, one of whom is named after a superhero.
Bryan and I discuss SUPERHERO CATS, the ethics of storytelling, and how getting a book deal changes your life.
You can find Bryan on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Join me again next month for more book industry news, my book of the month discussion of The Sea Beast Takes a Lover by Michael Andreason, along with an interview with Michael, and a brand new segment called “Write Right,” where I discuss writing tips and tricks.
Remember that you can order any book discussed or mentioned on our podcast by filling out our Special Order form or by calling or stopping by the store.
You can also find the bookstore on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @tubbyandcoos. And did I mention our new Goodreads discussion group, where you can find a list of all the books our book clubs are reading, this podcast’s book of the month, and more? Tell us what you’re reading, we’d love to discuss with you!
Again, the music you heard in this podcast is “Brave” by Jonathan Coulton, off his newest album, Solid State.
Keep on reading!
Novel Ideas is a podcast in partnership with WRBH Reading Radio, 88.3 FM New Orleans. WRBH is the nation’s only full-time FM reading radio service and is one of only three such stations in the world.