Newsletters Dev – getting it done!

She is the Wrath of the Gods

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date February 15, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got new releases and a couple of fun books from Black indie authors. (One of them, I keep staring at and wondering if I could buy a print of her book cover, it’s that dang cool.) I hope you have good things coming at you this weekend! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday.

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

This week I want to draw your attention to a couple of neat-o SFF Kickstarters. Khōréō year 4 is fundraising! It’s a quarterly magazine of short speculative fiction by immigrant and diaspora writers and artists; they have done such good work the last three years. I also stumbled across this super cool project: An Anthology of Gujarati Pulp Fiction. They’ll be translating a collection of Gujarati novellas and short stories into English, and some of them will be sci-fi, since that falls under the pulp umbrella.

Bookish Goods

Black History Superheroes Shirt by MCoStudioShop

This is some extremely cool art imagining figures in Black history in an Afrofuturist style. The shop’s got the nine face shirt or shirts of individual pictures. The picture does not capture how cool they look — you should definitely check out the seller’s site. $41

New Releases

Jubilee by Stephen K. Stanford

Detectives Col and Danee have an unpleasant mission: retrieve the body of a conservative politician who has been a naughty boy. But this is complicated by the location, Jubilee, a lawless and artificial world that functionally exists within its own parallel universe. When the detectives arrive to pick up the stiff, they find the corpse has been switched out…and that’s just the start of the trouble.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older

Seventeen students and staff have disappeared from Valdegeld University, yet no one but Investigator Mossa has noticed. Mossa will need Pleiti’s assistance in unraveling this mystery, which will take the two of them to Mossa’s home on Io and require them to delve into the history of humanity’s exodus from Earth.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

I talked about brand new indie releases earlier this week, but here are two more recent indie releases from Black authors!

Sistah Samurai by Tatiana Obey

Okay, first, look at that cover. I want to hang that on my wall; it’s so absolutely badass. Also, the story sounds very cool, too, an homage to the anime Afro Samurai in which Sistah Samurai, despite being tired and busy and way past her days of playing hero, will be called on to do just that.

We Are the Origin by C. M. Lockhart

Brandi was forced into service of the queendom before she was old enough to understand “no” and has since been the queen’s own blade, used to cut down the disloyal and blasphemous. She’s a tool and certainly not someone who is supposed to think. But then Freya, goddess of life and judger of souls, charges her to protect rather than destroy — and Brandi has no choice but to obey these new orders, no matter how much of the world is turned against her and how deeply she wades into the messy and deadly politics of gods.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date February 15, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

Today’s pick is a book that has sat on my shelves for a few years and undergone a few moves because I was determined to get to it eventually, and then when I finally read it, I couldn’t believe I’d let it go that long. If you like messy protagonists, complicated relationships, and stories with a big heart, this is a book for you!

Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie

Skye is in her late thirties, and she owns her own business, leading international travel tours for Black women. She spends most of her life on the road and only comes back to her hometown of Philadelphia a few times each year to crash with her oldest friend. While she’s on one of her sporadic trips home, she is shocked when a 12-year-old girl named Vicky approaches her and reveals that she is the result of an egg that Skye donated to a one-time friend with infertility over a decade ago. As if this isn’t jarring enough, Vicky clearly wants a relationship with Skye, and Vicky’s aunt Faye is the woman that Skye recently tried (and failed) to pick up. Although she’s always been more of a cut-and-run type, Skye decides to stick around and see what happens when she takes a chance on getting to know someone.

This book is a truly laugh out loud funny story, and Skye is a really charismatic person — the type of person you definitely want to be friends with, and who always has wild stories, but whose judgment when it comes to relationships (familial, platonic, and romantic) may not be the best. Despite this, I was rooting so hard for her when she decided to stick around Philadelphia and attempt to relate to a kid that she doesn’t know, but nonetheless shares a unique bond with. There is really nothing maternal about Skye, and she makes it clear to Vicky that she can’t be her mom, but that’s why it’s such a joy (and sometimes very hilarious) to watch her learn how to relate to Vicky as an older cousin/aunt/friend/egg donor while also re-examining (and not always liking what she sees) all of her relationships, from her oldest friendships to her fragile relationship with her mom and sometimes contentious connection with her brother.

One thing that I really enjoyed was how well McKenzie brings the Philadelphia setting to life. She writes about the neighborhoods that Skye and Vicky haunt with such loving, affectionate detail, and she details how dizzying Skye finds it when beloved landmarks get lost to gentrification. I’ve never spent much time in Philadelphia, but the setting felt so real it made me want to visit right away. McKenzie also touches upon issues of police violence and the implication of gentrification beyond losing beloved bars and shops and how these things affect the day-to-day lives of the characters. It provides moments of growth as Skye realizes that Vicky isn’t just a cool little friend she hangs out with but someone she begins to feel a responsibility for, and for the first time in her life, that responsibility can be a positive thing. The longer Skye stays in Philadelphia, connecting with Vicky and crushing on her aunt, the more Skye has to face that she has deep connections to her hometown, and jetting off to Brazil or adding another stamp to her passport isn’t a fix when things get tough. McKenzie balances the serious with the humor so well, and I inhaled this delightful book in about two days.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, Hey YA, All the Books, and Instagram. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

True Story

Nonfiction Humor Hour

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date February 15, 2024

Sponsored by

It’s been warm enough that we’ve been taking the Corgis to the dog park, and they come back covered head to floof in mud. Bless their little hearts. At least they have a great time. Giving Corgis baths is labor intensive, so I have at least 1 ½ hours of uninterrupted audiobook listening. Recently, I’ve been loving some books on the funny side of things. But before we get to those, it’s time for bookish goods!

Bookish Goods

Digital Artwork Neon Pink Cat wearing Glasses Reading a book by Made On Windsor

This reading cat is fantastic! Everything about it—the colors, the glasses, the book—perfection. $3

New Releases

My Side of the River: A Memoir by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

As a teenager, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez became the sole provider for her younger brother when both of her parents were deported back to Mexico. Determined to make it work, Camarillo Gutierrez moved Heaven and Earth to make sure her brother was looked after and could pursue his dreams.

Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor by Ronald Drabkin

As a WWI hero, Frederick Rutland fought for England in the Royal Air Force. Years later, he became a spy for Imperial Japan during WWII to fund his incredibly lavish lifestyle in Hollywood. Based on recently declassified documents, Ronald Drabkin gives a look into Rutland’s fascinating double life.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby

From the first essay that I listened to Irby read, I knew she was going to be one of my favorite writers. Her essays are hilarious but still filled with more serious topics, like growing up with a disabled mom and a dad who died far too soon. Yes, Irby uses humor to cope with the difficult things, but she also uses humor to express the bright spots in her life. She describes meeting her wife and falling in love with such tenderness and laugh-out-loud anecdotes.

Sh*t, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West

I love movies and TV. There’s just something about watching a story that taps into universal feelings that we all hold close to our chest. But I also love essays, so when I heard Lindy West had an essay collection all about modern cinema, I downloaded that audiobook so fast. And Sh*t, Actually is a delight. West is known for her over-the-top way of expressing herself, which lends itself to writing about movies. I laughed so much. I can’t recommend it enough if you just need something ridiculous (in the absolute best possible way) to read/listen to as a pick-me-up.

That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy Reading, Friends!

~ Kendra

Unusual Suspects

You’ll Love These Books With Unreliable Narrators

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 15, 2024

Sponsored by

Hello, mystery fans! I had a fun time watching Bottoms, and I’ll sum it up by saying, “Make more weird films and TV, you cowards!”

Bookish Goods

Bookish chapter stickers by eboniismoon

A lovely sticker sheet for book lovers. ($5)

New Releases

Village in the Dark (Cara Kennedy #2) by Iris Yamashita

For fans of procedurals, multiple points of view, past and present cases — including a personal one for the lead detective!

First, a bit about the series as a whole: the first book, City Under One Roof, introduces us to Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy about a year after her son and husband died during a camping trip. She’s on a case in the remote Point Mettier that ends up having the access bridge closed during a snowstorm. This sequel takes us into the death of her husband and son, and it does tell you the solve from the first book, so you may want to start there if that matters to you. If it does not, you won’t be lost or confused starting here.

Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy now has questions about what happened to her husband and son when they went missing, later found dead, during a hike. She’s having their bodies exhumed, and she’s getting their DNA tested again after a gang member was found with photographs of her family from the trip. Even more WTF-y is that every other person in those photographs is missing or dead. One of the missing we get to know is a woman living in Unity, an isolated village that offers protection to women and children hiding from abuse. How does this all connect? And what actually happened to Kennedy’s husband and son?

If you enjoy multicast audiobooks, go with that format, narrated by Sophie Oda, Blaire Chandler, and Aspen Vincent.

(TW past child death/ domestic abuse/ mentions past sexual assault/ off page addiction, overdose death suspected/ past miscarriage mention/ traditional hunting/ terminal lung cancer, not main characters/ mentions past child abuse/ dementia)

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace

For fans of book editor amateur sleuths, inheritance, and English country estates!

Jo Jones, an autistic book editor working in NY, leaves her current life for an abandoned country estate in England following her mother’s death. It’s the perfect opportunity to start her life fresh and put her energy into restoring the estate. But it’s a mystery, so you know she’s going to instead happen upon a murder: Sid Randles, caretaker, dead in the cottage. She obviously reports this to the local police, along with a woman she saw disappear, but since she’s autistic and from NY, the police take the skeptical shitty approach to the case. So Jo, along with some people she’s befriended in town, get to sleuthing!

This is one of my most anticipated 2024 mystery reads, and the only reason I haven’t gotten to it yet was HarperCollins no longer has an ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) program, and I wanted to read this book in audiobook, so I had to wait until pub day. (Life, it is so hard.)

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Here are two crime books that have multiple POVs and a (fictional) true crime book/writer focusing on the unsolved case in the book.

The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda, translated by Alison Watts

For fans of translated Japanese novels, multiple POVs, and a narrative structured as responses to an interviewer!

The unsolved case: In the 1970s, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, the Aosawa family hosted a party where almost 20 people died from cyanide poisoning, which was inside drinks delivered as gifts.

The (fictional) true crime writer: More than 30 years later, Makiko Saiga, who was a neighbor child at the time, wrote a book about the crimes and is now talking to an interviewer about the case.

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

For fans of cat-and-mouse thrillers, Irish settings, and dual-narrated audiobooks!

The unsolved case: A serial killer murdered a family with only a little girl escaping.

The (fictional) true crime writer: Eve Black is that little girl, now an adult, who has written a true crime book about her case. We read her book and also the serial killer’s POV as he reads it too…

If you’re always in need of a page-turning thriller, Howard has yet to disappoint me. In no particular order, also check out 56 Days, Run Time, The Trap, and The Liar’s Girl.

(TW rape/ domestic abuse/ mentions suicide, detail)

News and Roundups

Diary of an Abomination (an excerpt from My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book Two)

Unreliable narrators, food detectives, and more exciting February reads

Amazon Prime Video Ad Tier Sparks Class Action Lawsuit From Subscribers

Anthology in the darkness: True Detective: Night Country features some of Jodie Foster’s best work

15 Thrilling Movies Where the Mystery Doesn’t Get Solved

Trust Us: You’ll Love These Books With Unreliable Narrators

Amazon’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith Is The Reimagining You Didn’t Know That You Wanted

Over 600 writers have signed this open letter to PEN America.

Autauga-Prattville Library Board Bans LGBTQ+ Books for Under 17s; Red Labeling Queer Adult Books

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.

Check Your Shelf

More Laser-Eyed Loons

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date February 15, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. By the time you read this newsletter, I will be in (partially) sunny Florida for a short Disney & Universal Studios vacation! We’re expecting some rain while we’re out there, but thankfully, it should still be fairly warm, and honestly, anything above 45 degrees feels like a nice reprieve.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

ALA updates their core values.

Keeping libraries “right side up:” Budgets and funding 2024.

OCLC has filed a lawsuit against the shadow library search engine Anna’s Archive for allegedly stealing 2.2 TB of data from WorldCat. OCLC provided a follow-up statement.

Here’s a profile of Diana Haneski, the librarian at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who received the I Love My Librarian Award for her work making her school library a safe space for students after the Parkland shooting.

The 2024 Rainbow Book List has been published.

Cool Library Updates

The St. Paul Public Library launches a laser-eyed loon library card. (Best. Headline. Ever.)

Worth Reading

(Paywalled): Colorado librarians are now front-line workers in crisis intervention.

“Reading is so sexy:” Gen Z turns to physical books and libraries.

Book Adaptations in the News

Black British authors speak out about the truth behind the satire in American Fiction.

Tia Williams’ Seven Days in June is being developed as a series for Prime Video.

Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything will be adapted as an animated TV series.

Hulu has (maybe?) scrapped the adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Ryan Reynolds and Paramount are working on an adaptation of John Scalzi’s Starter Villain.

Turtles All the Way Down is set to release on Max this year.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is in development with Orion Pictures, with America Ferrera making her directorial debut.

Season 3 of AMC’s The Terror will be based on Victor LaValle’s The Devil in Silver.

Percy Jackson has been renewed for a second season, as has Interview With the Vampire.

The Color Purple gets a streaming release date on Max.

Uglies is coming to Netflix later this year.

Here’s the trailer for the film adaptation of Wicked.

Casting update for The Man in My Basement.

Here’s a first look at Paramount’s A Gentleman in Moscow, starring Ewan McGregor.

Apple TV+ released a trailer for their 2024 lineup, and it features a lot of book adaptations.

Teaser trailer for Dark Matter.

Censorship News

Why do we even read?

LeVar Burton responds to book bans with a Reading Rainbow video on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

San Francisco and Kansas City libraries united during the Super Bowl to raise public awareness about censorship and book bans.

Khaled Hosseini talks about book bans in the US: “It betrays students.”

Books are quietly disappearing from the shelves in Conroe ISD (TX).

The Community Standards Review Committee in League City, Texas, is ready to start reviewing potentially age-inappropriate books.

La Grange ISD school board members (TX) are trying to prohibit the purchase of a handful of new books because they contain specific keywords or because the author has already been banned in other school districts in the country. Please note that the board members have not actually read the books.

Brevard County Schools (FL) removed A Court of Thorns and Roses from shelves.

(Paywalled): Pasco Schools (FL) received their first formal book challenge for The Letter Q, a collection of essays for teens about being queer.

The Hernando County School Board (FL) voted against committee recommendations and permanently banned The Kite Runner and The Black Friend.

St. Johns County School District (FL) has a very long list of books that have been challenged, banned, restricted, or “quarantined.”

The MSAD 44 Board of Directors (ME) held a special meeting this week to hear from community members about whether or not to remove Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which was challenged by a former school board member.

Andover Public Schools (MA) have denied two separate challenges to four individual titles since 2018.

“After a principal had at least 117 manga removed from a classroom and effectively disbanded Magnolia Middle School’s anime and manga club in September, a new club has been formed and some of the books are being returned to the school library.” And at least one parent says that the school never followed their own book removal policy in the first place. This is in Delaware.

Carroll County Schools (MD) have retained several challenged books, but not all of them.

57 books are to be “temporarily removed” from Rockingham County Schools (VA). But at least it’s not a ban, amirite?? /s

“Explicit library content targeting minors roils Botetourt [VA].” THERE IS NO EXPLICIT LIBRARY CONTENT TARGETING MINORS, and the newspapers that publish these types of headlines are only fanning the flames.

A parent who wants over 670 books removed from Dorchester School District Two (SC) gets a profile piece, even though the article mentions that only a quarter of the books are even in the school district. Also, another parent chimes in with their interpretation of book banning: “‘When you write a book, publish it and distribute it, that’s not banning it.’” Truly, I cannot believe how ridiculous these book ban definitions are becoming. And the ACLU of South Carolina has spoken out against the situation in DD2.

The Lexington-Richland Five School District (SC) has removed the graphic novel The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb, although no one is entirely sure why since the school won’t release details. The article also notes that this is the same district where someone filed a challenge against a single book in the Court of Thorns & Roses series; a review committee found it appropriate, and the board voted not only to remove the challenged book but to remove the entire series, even though none of the other titles had been formally challenged.

Alabama’s break with ALA signals a broader attack on library independence.

Here’s a non-paywalled link to an editorial from the Decatur Daily (AL): Libraries shouldn’t be political battlegrounds.

The Autauga-Prattville Library Board (AL) has banned LGBTQ+ books for all patrons under 17, and library staff will “affix a red warning label prominently on the binding of any book or other material in the library’s collection containing content including, but not limited to, obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance and advertised for consumers 18 and older.”

Some conservative Georgia state senators want the state to withdraw from ALA.

The Lafayette Parish Library (LA) has lifted its ban on Black History Month and Pride displays.

Nashville students marched to the State Capitol prior to the annual State of the State address, demanding better gun control laws and no book bans.

How Indiana schools are tackling library book complaints.

“A Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would give school boards the authority to approve or deny curricular materials concerning human sexuality.” This is in Indiana.

A new Wisconsin bill would target school librarians for books that some parents consider “obscene.”

“A proposal to give city councils more authority over public libraries would bring partisan political decision-making into library operations, including book selection, dozens of public library officials and supporters warned state lawmakers Thursday at the Iowa Capitol.”

A Johnston School Board member (IA) is on Twitter, citing BookLooks as a reason why Sold by Patricia McCormick should be banned.

A Nebraska State Board of Education member proposed a rule revision that would prohibit “pornographic materials or sexually explicit content” in all Nebraska public school libraries.

“A bill requiring public schools and libraries to publicize their policies for restricting minors from accessing obscene matter or materials passed in the House Education Committee Monday morning.” This is in South Dakota.

Colorado’s recently proposed “Freedom to Read” bill would establish a baseline process for challenging books in schools and public libraries.

“Lawmakers in the [Washington] state House have passed a bill that essentially bans the banning of books that focus on people of a protected or marginalized class.”

Kern County Board of Education [CA] trustee Lori Cisneros serves a school that doesn’t even have a school library, and yet she wants to further restrict students’ access to books. She’s particularly concerned about Ellen Hopkins’ book Smoke. Also, this is somewhat beside the point, but if I had to imagine the most stereotypical outfit I would expect a book banner to wear, it would look remarkably like the outfit she’s wearing in the embedded video.

Books & Authors in the News

Writers Against the War on Gaza have written an open letter to PEN/America to release an official statement about the “225 poets, playwrights, journalists, scholars, and novelists killed in Gaza” by Israeli forces.

In celebration of The Martian’s 10th anniversary (holy crap, has it been that long??), Andy Weir has released a series of “lost” journal entries from Mark Watney.

Saul Bellow is getting his own official postage stamp.

Numbers & Trends

The best-selling books of the week.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Here’s an article from Slate about how students are losing the ability to read critically or effectively.

On the Riot

Dictionary.com has released a list of new and updated words for 2024.

I can’t even begin to describe how snuggly Dini has become in the last couple months and especially since we said goodbye to Gilbert. I personally think he’s making the case for us to get another kitty friend, but I’m enjoying the snuggles regardless.

All right, friends. I’ll be back on Tuesday and back in Illinois again. Have a good weekend!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Giveaways

021524-FebEACPushes-2024-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date February 15, 2024

We’re teaming up with Harlequin to give away a Kobo Libra 2 to one lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

Here’s a bit more from our sponsor: Harlequin.com is the official Harlequin book site. Join us to see the newest romance novels, read exclusive free stories from Harlequin authors, connect with our community of romance book lovers, meet your favorite authors, buy romance books online and more!

The Stack

Comics as Refuge

Post author By Eileen Gonzalez
Post date February 14, 2024

Sponsored by

For those of us who love comics, the medium is often a much-needed escape from the real world. Sometimes, however, they serve the opposite purpose: to teach us about people with lives far different from our own. We’ll be looking at comics that fall into this second category later, but first…

Bookish Goods

Comic Book Wedding Livret Wedding Invitation Booklet by NestingProjectPaper

Are you and your equally nerdy partner about to tie the knot? Let your friends and family know with these personalized invites! $4+

New Releases

Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert

Like all too many college students, Molly depends on financial aid to pay her tuition. But when that aid suddenly disappears, the only way she can stay in school is by convincing a bunch of other art majors to form a softball team and compete for an athletic scholarship!

Marvel: February 1964 Omnibus by Various Creators

Did you know that this month marks the 60th anniversary of Daredevil’s debut? Marvel pays homage to this beloved character by reprinting all — yes, ALL — of the comics they published that month in this single volume. It’s a unique and fascinating snapshot of an especially productive time in Marvel’s history.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: refugees. I’ve covered immigrants before, but given the state of, well, everywhere these days, it’s important to remember the plight of refugees specifically as well.

Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System by Safdar Ahmed

Australia’s immigration system has come under fire more than once for its extreme cruelty. This account of the author’s 2011 visit to one refugee camp tells the stories of multiple detainees, including the hardships they face and the little things that help them retain hope.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illustrated by Iman Geddy

This memoir tells the story of Omar and Hassan, young brothers from Somalia, growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp. As the older sibling, Omar knows it is his responsibility to take care of Hassan as best he can, even if that means leaving Hassan alone to go to school and get the education that will better their lives.

If you’ve got the funds to spare, consider heading to Charity Navigator and finding a trustworthy charity that operates in Palestine, Ukraine, or any other place where someone might need help.

~Eileen

What's Up in YA

A Gag Gift Gone Not-So-Gag and More YA Book Talk and News: February 15, 2024

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date February 14, 2024

Sponsored by

Hey, YA Readers!

I hope you enjoyed your Valentine’s Day, whether that meant going out on a date with friends or your beloved or hanging out with you and yourself.

Let’s dive into all things new YA paperbacks this week, as well as all of the YA news you can use.

Bookish Goods

Stayed Up All Night Reading Mug by AriellaSkyDesigns

I love a glass mug, and I love a glass mug that identifies why I need the caffeinated contents held within said mug. This is a fun one for your stash or to gift to a fellow book lover. $21.

New Releases

It’s paperback time! We’ve got a bunch of great paperback YA titles out this week, and below are just two of them. You can grab the entire list right here.

The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim

This one is for the K-drama fans out there!

High school senior Chloe Chang got a 23andMe test as a gag gift from her friends. Chloe has always just lived with her mom in Oklahoma following the death of her dad in Seoul before she was even born. Even though she knows the test is a gag and doesn’t believe anything will come from it, Chloe takes it anyway.

She’s shocked to learn that she is part of a wealthy family in Seoul, thanks to her father. Chloe wants to meet them, and even though her mom is hesitant to let her teen daughter go meet the family she never knew about, Chloe goes.

But what she discovers about the Nohs will change her life in ways she could have never suspected.

Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed edited by Marissa Meyer

This anthology got a fresh cover in paperback, and even though illustrated covers are not my favorite, this one is more eye-catching than the hardcover.

Looking for a collection of short stories by some rad YA authors that explore your favorite romance tropes? Grab this book ASAP. Some of the tropes include the fake relationship, the secret admirer, and more. Stories in the collection include work by Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

I know I made it sound like there was an abundance of YA book news to cover earlier in the newsletter, but there isn’t. Just a handful of stories this week, all of which are about adaptations.

Here’s a first look at the adaptation of Turtles All The Way Down.
The Alex Van Helsing YA books are being adapted for a television series.
Meanwhile, A Court of Thorns and Roses was canned at Hulu.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday for your YA ebook deals.

Until then, happy reading!

–Kelly Jensen

Book Radar

Kate McKinnon to Write a Novel and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date February 14, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, everyone!

I hope your week has been going well. Did you have a nice Valentine’s Day? After a quick little jaunt to Nashville, I’m back home in Seattle and ready to dive into another Thursday edition of Book Radar. So let’s do this.

Book Deals and Reveals

Scholastic Graphix has announced two new comic adaptations of The Baby-sitters Club, based on the novels by Ann M. Martin. The Baby-sitters Club: Kristy and the Walking Disaster by Ellen T. Crenshaw is scheduled for a September release. The Baby-sitters Litter Sister: Karen’s Grandmothers by DK Yingst is scheduled for October. Get a first look at both of the books here!

SNL alum Kate McKinnon is writing a debut novel aimed at readers aged 8 through 12. The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science will be published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group, on October 1.

The Color Purple, the movie musical starring Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, and Halle Bailey, will be streaming on Max starting on February 16.

Despite a report earlier this week that the project was scrapped, Hulu’s TV adaptation of Sarah J. Maas’s romantasy book series A Court of Thorns and Roses is still a go. For now.

Tiny Reparations Books has secured North American rights to two new books by National Book Award–longlisted author LaToya Watkins. The first book, The Book of Chuck, will be published in spring 2026.

Tia Williams has sold North American rights to two new novels to Grand Central. The publisher says the first book is about “a woman employed by a search-engine company who accidentally sparks a worldwide search for the sexy stranger she made a deep connection with on a flight.”

Here’s the cover of Matt Haig’s The Life Impossible. It’s out on September 3.

Dictionary.com has released a list of new and updated words for 2024. Which words are your favorite?

Book Riot Recommends

Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!

Can’t Wait for This One!

Exhibit by R.O. Kwon (Riverhead, May 21)

If you read R.O. Kwon’s bestselling debut novel, The Incendiaries, then you’re probably already eagerly awaiting this one. R.O. Kwon’s sophomore novel Exhibit is a lot of everything I love. Complicated female relationships. Characters with intense artistic passions. And check out this amazing cover designed by Vi-An Nguyen. Because, while we should never judge a book by its cover, it never hurts to read a book with a gorgeous one.

Exhibit follows the story of Jin Han, a brilliant young photographer, and Lidija Jung, a beautiful ballerina who has left her company under mysterious circumstances. The two meet at a party and end up talking all night. As they talk, Jin and Lidija become so comfortable with one another that Jin actually reveals her biggest secret: a family curse that is meant to remain hidden at the risk of death. But now that the curse is out in the open, the two become entangled in one another’s lives, and nothing for either woman will ever be the same.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Society wants us to look for the approval of men in everything we do. Self-care is the radical act of dressing and living for ourselves.”

— Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Today, I leave you with this cat puddle. Because there’s nothing better than a cat cuddle puddle. Enjoy.

And have a wonderful weekend, friends. Thanks for being here!

Emily

Kissing Books

All the Grumps!

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date February 14, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter. If you’re a regular reader, I’m glad to see you again. Or, if this is your first time here, I’m glad that you joined us. I’m PN Hinton, and I’ll be your guide through all things romance-related.

I had a great time last weekend at my library’s Romance Social! There were a few craft options, but the only one I partook in was the resin keychain, which I will enclose a photo of below. I also picked up two books by two new-to-me authors. The first was An Earl Unmasked by Rachel Ann Smith, and the second was Secrets with the Marquess by Ceilia Rene.

Bookish Goods

Book-Bish Mug by FailedScientistCafe

Is this mug more than a little sassy? Yes. Does that make me love it just a bit more? Also yes. Seriously, I may have to rethink not getting myself a new mug because this one it just too tempting. And with prices starting at $12 and four color options, there is bound to be one for everyone.

New Releases

The Catch by Amy Lea

A misunderstanding about check-in dates lands influencer Melanie at a bed and breakfast in a rural east-coast Canadian fishing village, where she meets grumpy Evan and his bubbly cousin Lucy. When a boating accident lands Evan in the hospital, Mel claims to be his fiancée to make sure he isn’t left alone. But when his feuding family arrives, the two agree to keep up the pretense for their own personal reasons. As the week passes, the two find themselves being drawn to one another while being all too aware that their city versus country personalities may prove to be too different.

The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett

In an effort to make some quick cash while adjusting to various life changes, Jesse agrees to take part in a ‘friendship study.’ When he finds himself paired up with Lulu, a woman who he recently ghosted after a hot date, it just seems to be another one of life jabs. Still, the two try to make the best of this odd situation while simultaneously ignoring the chemistry that is still very present between the two of them.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Tomorrow is “Do a Grouch a Favor Day,” which is easier said than done since grouches tend to be…well, grouchy and not always receptive to help. However, there is often a reason for the hard exterior as well as a super soft heart beneath it. Even Oscar the Grouch has affection for his friends and his pet Wormy; it is just not always obvious.

In honor of today, I’m going to be recommending some grumpy/sunshine romances since that is a steady favorite in Romancelandia, especially with this girl. Enjoy!

With Her Own Two Hands by Tasha L. Harrison

Artist Julian left Philadelphia heartbroken and robbed of the creativity that once made him stand out among his peers. He ends up with a space next to Agostina’s shop in an art studio and is drawn to the woman and her carefree nature. Agostina offers him spiritual help to help him get over the drastic changes his life has made. But Julian may need more than that type of help to get out of his slump, and Agostina may just be the woman who can give it to him, provided she can get over her own hang-ups about love.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

Former footballer Alfie has been strong-armed into selling his memoirs even though he knows he will have difficulty putting his emotions to paper. That is where ghostwriter Mable comes in, but her sunshiny nature is instantly at odds with his storm clouds. When their working relationship is mistaken for a romance though, they find themselves fake dating to appease the fans. However, soon, real feelings develop between the two of them, leaving them to wonder if there is a happily ever after in the cards for them.

I’ve actually read all the Sapphic romances here and can attest to their awesomeness.

And this list is perfect for all my mafia-loving readers.

Choose a rom-com and get your favorite hot beverage.

In addition to a picture of my new keychain, I’m going to close this out with the reminder that as of today, all Valentine’s Day goodies, be they chocolate, candy, or decorations, should, at the very least, be 50% off. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday with a fresh newsletter, and in the meantime, you can find me over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.