You're Ready For Season Five of "The Crown"

Want a new perspective on American history or are a fan of legal thrillers

Hi friends,

First off, thanks to Laura Hankin for the fabulous recs last week.

I had a great trip to South Bend, Indiana, where I visited a very cool bookstore, Brain Lair Books. If you’re in the area (looking at you, Indiana Pizza Club), it’s worth visiting. They’ve got excellent middle-grade and romance sections, in particular, and have these cute shirts.

And, now, what to read if…

You’re Ready to Watch Season Five of “The Crown”

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay

Netflix will premiere the latest season of “The Crown,” its dramatization of the life of Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday. This new round of episodes will focus on the scandals of the 1990s, especially the breakup of Charles and Diana’s marriage. If it has you looking for a royal romance — with a happier ending — grab a copy of Tracey Livesay’s American Royalty. 

The novel imagines a romance between Duchess, a Megan-Thee-Stallion-esque rapper, and Prince Jameson, the Queen’s grandson who has chosen the ivory tower over life in the palace. The two are thrown together when Jameson — who has no understanding of pop culture — decides an artist named Duchess is the perfect choice to headline a concert celebrating his grandfather’s legacy. His selection of the raunchy rapper scandalizes the family, but Jameson and Duchess develop a surprising and strong connection. With paparazzi and the royal family watching their every move, can they figure out a way to make it work?

Livesay drew inspiration from the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but she takes it beyond the stories and headlines we’ve all seen. The result is a swoon-worthy romance — with some genuinely funny moments — that includes a searing critique of royalty and celebrity.

Reminder recs: I wrote about a book that imagines Queen Elizabeth as a sleuth here and rounded up a list of nonfiction books about the House of Windsor for Parade.

You Like to Learn the History Left Out of Textbooks

Secret City by James Kirchick

I devoured Secret City, James Kirchick’s new book highlighting the role gay Americans played in nearly every major political event — from the rise of McCarthyism to the Iran Contra affair — of the 20th century on my flights last week. I was blown away by both the storytelling and the level of reporting and research Kirchick did to write such an in-depth history. I knew I had to recommend it immediately.

At the peak of the Cold War, political leaders feared gay government employees could easily be blackmailed by communists seeking to infiltrate the U.S. (The irony, as Kirchick points out, is that if Americans could be open about their sexuality, they wouldn’t be susceptible to blackmail.) This largely unfounded fear led to the Lavender Scare, a purge of gay employees from the federal government, and caused countless others to hide their identities. Kirchick shows the ways this cultural and political anxiety had damaging ripple effects — for individuals and the nation — across generations.

In his introduction, Kirchick writes, “The tendency to view ‘gay history’ as a subject separate and distinct from American history has always struck me as erroneous and constrictive… my overriding ambition has been to integrate these two histories.” He succeeded, showing how gay Americans — and anti-gay animus — shaped the U.S. One of the best nonfiction books — if not the best — I’ve read this year.

You’re a John Grisham Fan

The Local by Joey Hartsone

I love a good legal thriller, and based on John Grisham’s enduring popularity, I don’t think I’m the only one. If you’re looking for a new courtroom drama, add Joey Hartstone’s The Local to your TBR list.

The titular local is James Euchre, a patent attorney living in Marshall, Texas. It’s a town that draws dozens of big intellectual property cases each year because of its speedy trials and massive payouts (this is based in real life). To win, though, big-city lawyers need an attorney who can connect with local juries. That’s where James comes in.

As the book opens, James’ new client, Amir Zawar, gets into a heated confrontation with a judge who is found murdered a few hours later. Amir, an outsider with no alibi, is immediately arrested and demands James represent him. The lawyer agrees, not because he believes Amir is innocent, but because the dead judge was his mentor, and he wants to uncover the truth.

Legal thriller fans will find a lot of to love about The Local — memorable characters, a distinct setting and courtroom drama. Hartstone has written for “The Good Wife” (RIP Will Gardner) and “The Good Fight” and carries those shows’ snappy dialogue to the book. I’m hoping it’s the start of a series starring James and his private investigator, Lisa “The Leg” Morgan, a former high school football star.

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Thanks for reading! If you missed, you can catch my Q&A with Jane Pek, here. (I was delighted to hear that so many of you are also excited about a sequel to The Verifiers.)

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