Books to Read to Celebrate Agent Carter Season 2!

Looking for books to satisfy your Agent Carter feels?

I’m so stoked that Peggy Carter, Jarvis, and the gang are back for season 2 of Agent Carter. I think it’s one of the best shows on tv! It wears its feminism on its sleeve, has great witty writing, and Peggy is the total best. After watching the season two premiere, I was clamoring for more books that evoke the same feel. So here we go!

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff! This sci-fi novel is so engrossing and one of the main characters is Kady, who is basically future hacker Peggy. Howard Stark with his genius mind would probably go crazy for AIDAN, the artificial intelligence of the spaceship.

 

Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond! Perhaps an obvious choice because Lois, like Peggy, is a famous comic book character. Gwenda’s Lois Lane origin story sucked me in because of how awesome Lois is. She takes no shit like Peggy and is relentless in her desire to help people and prove herself as a journalist (or an SSR agent, same thing). Just like Agent Carter’s season 1 did a great job at integrating Steve/Captain America into the show in a way he didn’t overshadow it, so does Gwenda in how she constructs Clark Kent.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby! Maybe a less obvious choice… but in the same way Agent Carter is proud of its feminism, so is Bone Gap. I think Peggy would love Roza and Petey, two girls who are overlooked because of their gender and their looks and fight to save themselves. Agent Carter also has Sousa, a disabled character who is capable of taking care of himself and more than just his war injury. Bone Gap also has a main character with a surprising disability, who is more than just a disability. 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab! A superhero/villain novel! This novel captured the comic book feel and though it’s about two men, it also has a sister relationship as its second anchor. Much like Captain America was a science experiment, Victor and Eli both experiment on themselves. There’s a very interesting rationale behind how powers/ability types manifest in people which I haven’t seen done before.

All the Rage by Courtney Summers! This book is hard and painful and gut-wrenching. It’s rape culture and sexism and misogyny and all the things Peggy fights daily. This story, tonally, is very different from the Agent Carter aesthetic, but all the same issues are there.

 

The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne! This political contemporary is a girl’s coming of age story. It has no explosions or flamingos or toxic gas that makes an entire theater full of people maul each other. But Kate’s journey reminds me of Peggy. She stays true to her ideals, especially on the important issue of immigration and fights for the people she loves. This book might not as be as flashy as Agent Carter is, but I think, at its core, it has the same tone (and of course a great female character leading it).

The Conspiracy of Us & Map of Fates by Maggie Hall! Also another book that has the same feel to me. But different from Wrong Side. Conspiracy has the whirlwind and intrigue and action. Avery is not a boss fighter like Peggy, but she uses her intellect to make her way through a new world she’s just uncovering for the first time. She’s also struggling to find her power because there are too many adults and a mandate/prophecy trying to steal her agency. But Avery, like Peggy, is not going to give in. She’s going to make her own way. 

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee! This is a historical, just like Agent Carter, but set like 100 years before in the late 1840s. Sam and Annamae face sexism and danger on the Oregon Trail as they flee slavery, racism, and a murder charge. Just like Peggy and Angie had such a great relationship (ANGIE, WE MISS YOU), Sam and Annamae take care of each other on this harrowing journey.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson! Another superhero/villain story you guys just can’t miss! I love this book so much.

 

 

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin! So I just finished this book and have so many feels but Yael has been through hell and is still so full of feels and goodness and dedicated to her mission and Captain America and Peggy would be horrified if the Axis Powers had won the war and just please everyone read this book. It is incredible and like a darker Agent Carter but with amazing Yael.

Honorable Mentions!

 

Comic Recs!

What books would you put on this list? Have you read any of these? DON’T YOU LOVE AGENT CARTER?

Book Review: Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Check out what I thought about Stacey Lee’s debut novel UNDER A PAINTED SKY!

Title: Under a Painted Sky
Author: Stacey Lee
Amazon: Click!
B&N: Click click!!
Goodreads: Your shelf will be 100000x prettier with this book

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship.

I am a history nerd, so I always get excited about YA historicals. But I get more excited when they have:

• ladies being amazing
• ladies being besties
• diversity
• horses
• a trio of cute boys who love each other (bromance alert)

Oh! Did I just describe Under a Painted Sky? I think I did!

Samantha and Annamae are the heart and soul of this book. Their friendship develops out of horrible circumstances, but it saves them. They both take turns being the strong one, relying on each other. I was so happy to find a book that puts female friendship at its center.

Historicals have this amazing job of being neither contemporary nor fantasy. They are both. It’s our world, but not our world all at once. Well, Under a Painted Sky nails that. Samantha’s experiences not only as a woman, but a Chinese woman come to life. Annamae’s plight as a slave seeking freedom. The Underground Railroad, life on the trails heading west, illness, and GIRLS ON THEIR PERIOD WHILE PRETENDING TO BE BOYS IN 1849.

And to swoon over romance for a second because who doesn’t love that? Sam and West!!! MY FEELS. Annamae and Petey are also adorable but Sam and West hit me hard. The best part of cross-dressing girls stories are when they can’t tell/show the dude they like them and it creates all kinds of shenanigans. This book had plenty of those ‘omg I like you so much’ moments.

Under a Painted Sky is one of the best books I read this year. I devoured it in a day. It has amazing characters and relationships, world building that sucks you in, and stakes that put the rest to shame.

Cover Thoughts

We just need a dinosaur in the distance and IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

Favorite Line
‘You miss being a girl?’ I ask her.
‘Not as much as I thought I would. Just feels like when I’m being a boy, I can cut a wider path.’

Favorite Character 
Cal…