This month, we’re bringing you a read for fandom lovers and for fantasy lovers, and if you’re here for both fandom and fantasy, then April will be a good time in spite of Mercury retrograde.
Our book club picks for April are reflective of how fangirls have influential power. The music industry isn’t what it is without fans. The same can be applied for books when considering what #BookTok has done for the publishing industry. Read our picks below to see what we mean:
Nonfiction - Fangirls: Scenes From Modern Music Culture by Hannah Ewens
This book celebrates the fangirl experience and explores what it means to be a fangirl. Today’s well-known fandoms are explored, and Ewens doesn’t shy away from explaining the complications that come with being a part of a fandom. But the greater point of this book is reclaiming “fangirl” as a term for empowerment.
[Trigger warning: Tragic events pertaining to fandom experience (i.e. Ariana Grande concert in Manchester), does go into possible dark sides of fandom: harassment, stalking]
Access - On Amazon: $11.99 on Kindle or $16.50 (w/ Amazon Prime free shipping) paperback. Sign-up with Audible to try free trial.
Fiction - Lightlark by Alex Aster
Inspired by her love for The Hunger Games trilogy, Alex Aster wrote Lightlark. Her book was set to become a major motion picture before it even hit shelves as she generated excitement for release through TikTok. If you’re a fan of Marie Lu and Leigh Bardugo, then Lightlark is a must-read.
The Centennial happens once every hundred years when the island of Lightlark appears for only one hundred days. During that time, the Centennial happens—a deadly game wherein rulers of six realms fight to break their curses. To break those curses and save their realms, one of them must die. For Isla Crown, surviving means having to lie, cheat and betray, but love complicates it all.
[Trigger warning(s): violence with weapons, but not overly gory, parental abuse, mentions of cannibalism.]
Access - On Amazon: $9.25 for Kindle, $13.68 as a hardcover, $9.74 in paperback, or free Audible trial. Available at Barnes & Noble and/or popular enough to possibly be carried at your local bookstore.