The New Books Roundup, April 11: Star Wars Does Have Something New Today
Although fans may have been disappointed at the Star Wars announcement this morning, they can find comfort in this week’s new books roundup.
Although Good Morning America hyped up a big Star Wars announcement this week, it wasn’t a trailer for The Last Jedi. Instead, it’s time for another Force for Change campaign. Granted, the prizes are pretty great, but still, it may have seemed a bit lacking for some fans.
You may be asking right now why we’re talking about Star Wars when this is the New Books Roundup. Well, understandably enough, our leadoff book this week happens to be a Star Wars title.
For those unfamiliar with how this works, each week, we spotlight some of the latest releases from across the world of books. We summarize each title via official descriptions on Goodreads, which is where the title links take you.
Thrawn
Timothy Zahn has come back to Star Wars, and he’s brought his most iconic creation along for the ride. As the title suggests, Thrawn will re-incorporate the Grand Admiral into the canon and show how a Chiss named Mitt’hraw’nuruodo became, well, Grand Admiral Thrawn in service of the Galactic Empire. Fans of the original Extended Universe might have avoided the new canon books before, but it’s hard to say no to Zahn and Thrawn. Del Rey; hardcover, 360 pages; list price on Amazon: $28.99.
Alex and Eliza: A Love Story
This one’s for those of you who have been listening to Hamilton: An American Musical basically non-stop (pun intended) since it dropped. There’s no judgment here, only book recommendations. Melissa de la Cruz has written a slightly more teen-friendly version of the romance between Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton. (Admit it, you heard the musical line from Hamilton when you read his name, or you just heard it after reading this sentence.) You know the basics thanks to the musical, but it’s time to go a bit deeper. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; hardcover, 336 pages; list price on Amazon: $17.99.
Spindle Fire
The description of Lexa Hillyer’s Spindle Fire seems quite impressive, in that it’s a fairy tale retelling without actually telling you which fairy tale it is. Then again, there’s a princess named Aurora who falls into an enchanted sleep and needs a kiss to wake her up. You may expect that her half-sister has the name Briar Rose, but, alas, it’s Isabelle instead. Still, Isabelle will do her best to find the proper prince as quickly as she can, because a faerie army is coming. (There doesn’t seem to be a dragon, either. Perhaps Disney hasn’t totally permeated this one.) HarperTeen; hardcover, 368 pages; list price on Amazon: $17.99.
Next: Review: Brimstone, Cherie Priest
What are you reading this week? Let us know in the comments below.