Month: August 2017

081317-PortraitOfVengeance-Riot-Rundown

Post author By Devin Service
Post date August 13, 2017

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by PORTRAIT OF VENGEANCE by Carrie Stuart Parks.

Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up, but as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details surface that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. What’s going on?
No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen is an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation more difficult. Questions pile up, answers come slow—and the clock is ticking for a missing girl.
As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a race for the truth.

Giveaways

Win a Copy of GENIUS: THE CON By Leopoldo Gout!

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date August 12, 2017

We have 10 copies of Genius: The Con by Leopoldo Gout to give away to 10 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

Three brilliant teens from around the world must work together to stop a vicious warlord, protect their families, and save the world in this fast-paced sequel to Genius: The Game.

Go here to enter, or just click the cover image below”

Book Radar

EXIT WEST Movie News and More!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date August 11, 2017

Happy Monday, book lovers! (There has to be something good about Mondays, right?) Here’s your rundown of exciting book news! Have a fabulous week, kittens. Be excellent to each other. – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by IMPOSSIBLE VIEWS OF THE WORLD by Lucy Ives, published by Penguin Press

Stella Krakus, a curator at Manhattan’s renowned Central Museum of Art, is having the roughest week in approximately ever. Her soon-to-be ex-husband (the perfectly awful Whit Ghiscolmbe) is stalking her, a workplace romance with “a fascinating, hyper-rational narcissist” is in freefall, and a beloved colleague, Paul, has gone missing. Pulsing with neurotic humor and dagger-sharp prose, Impossible Views of the World is a dazzling debut novel about how to make it through your early thirties with your brain and heart intact.

DEALS, REELS, AND SQUEALS

dawn Ava DuVernay is developing Octavia Butler’s sci-fi novel Dawn as a television series!

Anna Paquin to star in Tell It To the Bees, based on the novel by Fiona Shaw.

Exit West is going to be a movie!

Riz Ahmed in talks to play popular marvel character in Venom.

Cowboy Ninja Viking with Chris Pratt stakes out June 2019 date.

COVER REVEALS

The cover for the new John Green book was revealed on Good Morning America! (Dutton Books for Young Readers, Oct. 10)

BOOK RIOT RECOMMENDS

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week!

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill (Oni Press, October 31): *Chandler Bing voice* Could this book BE any cuter? I’m thinking, nope, it could not. It has tiny DRAGONS that grow leave on their horns which people then use to make TEA. The whole concept is so adorable I could die. The world of Greta and the dragon tea makers is about as delightful and inclusive as you can get. I loved this book with the heat of a thousand suns.

Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo (Knopf, August 22): Powerful debut set in Nigeria told from the perspectives of both a husband and wife about their marriage. Yejide and Akin have always wanted to have children, but after four years of trying, Akin takes a second wife. Furious and heartbroken, Yejide believes the only way to win Akin back is to get pregnant – but at what cost? This is THE debut of the year the was Homegoing was THE debut of last year.

AND THIS IS FUNNY.

I am not only a huge fan of Heather O’Neill’s books, but I am also in love with her Twitter account.

Giveaways

Win a Copy of THE STONE SKY by N.K. Jemisin!

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date August 11, 2017

We have 10 copies of The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin to give away to 10 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

The shattering conclusion to the acclaimed fantasy trilogy that began with THE FIFTH SEASON, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016.

“Jemisin deliberately refuses to provide easy answers: they’re simply not available, in this world or ours. Painful and powerful.” —Kirkus

“Vivid characters, a tautly constructed plot, and outstanding worldbuilding meld into an impressive and timely story of abused, grieving survivors fighting to fix themselves and save the remnants of their shattered home.” —Publishers Weekly

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below:

The Kids Are All Right

Kids’ Books About Books!

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date August 11, 2017

Hello, friends!

It’s no surprise that authors and illustrators love creating books about characters who love books, so I thought I’d give a shout out to some of these stories that have come across my desk this year.

Sponsored by Elizabeth Singer Hunt, author of THE SECRET AGENT JACK AND MAX STALWART series.

For fans of the award-winning SECRET AGENT JACK STALWART comes a new chapter book series! Jack teams up with his older brother, Max, to solve international mysteries, using their special training as secret agents.

In THE BATTLE FOR THE EMERALD BUDDHA, Jack is temporarily retired from the Global Protection Force and on family vacation. However, Jack and Max are motivated to act when a band of thieves takes the Emerald Buddha from the Grand Palace in Bangkok. On their own, up against one of the smartest and wealthiest villains they’ve ever faced, can the brothers find Thailand’s treasure in time?

Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Eric Velasquez comes out September 12th (Candlewick), and it spoke to me in so many ways. First of all, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is just a few blocks away from my apartment in Harlem, and I’ve always wondered about the person the library was named after. Arturo Schomburg immigrated to New York from Puerto Rico in 1891 and taught Spanish lessons while learning English in night school. He could not pursue medicine or law because he had no educational records, and he eventually moved on to be a messenger and a law clerk. He pursued his love of books by collecting all books he could find about African history and the history of African-Americans, and in 1926 the Carnegie Corporation purchased his extensive collection and donated it to the New York Public Library. A fascinating portrait of an incredible man.

The Treasure Box by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, is a picture book that begins with an unnamed enemy bombing the library. Only one book remains, one that Peter and his father carry with them as they are ordered out of their homes and flee the city on foot. The story continues as we follow Peter and the book over the course of decades, and there is a lovely message about the resilience of books and ideas even in the face of war and destruction.

Hooray for Books! by Brian Won (HMH Books for Young Readers, 9/12/17) is a delightful picture book about Turtle who is on the search for his favorite book. Turtle questions all his friends about it’s whereabouts, and they each encourage him to try a different book and broaden his reading horizons. This story is sure to please young readers who share a love for books. I want to frame and hang up these adorable illustrations on my walls!

The Library Book by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark, illustrated by Church Groenink (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 10/3/17), is a picture book about a little girl extolling the love she has for her library. With repeating text, I am sure kids will be calling out phrases during read-alouds! I love the illustrations, which capture all the best parts of a library: cozy plush chairs, the date stamp, and, of course, wooden bookshelves packed with books!

The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman is the sequel to the NYT bestselling book The Book Scavengers. This middle grade story begins when Emily and James suspect something fishy going on in San Francisco. A coded note is dropped by Mr. Quisling at a book event, and clues lead to a trail of encrypted messages in Mark Twain-penned books through the Book Scavenger game. Even more mysterious, each hidden book triggers an arsen fire. Can Emily and James figure out who is starting all the fires, and why before it causes too much damage?

The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, is about a shiny green bug named Eddie who lives in a fourth grade classroom with his fifty-three brothers and sisters. When his favorite aunt goes missing during a trip to the library, Eddie knows he has to look for her. When he gets there, he not only finds his aunt but also a concerning development in the library. Can Eddie help save the library? This cute book with delightful illustrations would be perfect for younger middle grade readers.

New Releases
All of these books release this Tuesday!

Bear Make Den by Jane Godwin and Michael Wagner (Candlewick)
“Bear is sitting on the floor of his empty new den when he suddenly notices it’s not quite done. It needs . . . chairs! And a table! But stretched out on his table after a carpentry job well done, Bear realizes his den is still not quite right. . . . Cozy furniture, nice lamps, delicious food, an enticing game — is there anything Bear’s den still needs as he stands alone and surveys his handiwork? Vibrantly colored illustrations make kids feel right at home in this fun-to-read ode to friendship.” (Description from Goodreads)

Philomena’s New Glasses by Brenna Maloney (Penguin Random House)
I loved this sweet book starring three guinea pig sisters! I mean come on, look at this cover! The photos are adorable, and the story is so sweet and honest and funny. The first page begins like this: “Philomena was the oldest, by three seconds. Audrey was the largest, by half a pound. And then there was Nora Jane.” When Philomena needs glasses, Audrey and Nora Jane get glasses too… whether they need them or not. And so it continues, until all three sisters acquire so many things they don’t need just because the others have it. Oh my goodness, I couldn’t love this book enough!

Dino-mite and Sharktastic (Downtown Bookworks)
These books are fun gifts for the naturalists in your life. Each book comes with a real dinosaur fossil and a shark tooth, which my kids thought was super cool. The books are packed with information and bright photos, sure to interest any kid interested in the extreme facts!

Karma Khullar’s Mustache by Kristi Wientge (Simon & Schuster)
This is a book I wish I had when I was in middle school. Karma Khullar is starting middle school, and she’s just not sure about anything anymore because seventeen hairs have sprouted on her upper lip. As if that wasn’t enough, her best friend has found another (blonder) best friend and the boys in her class are relentless in their teasing about her “mustache”. A wonderful coming of age story about growing up and finding your identity. (And how much do I love that cover!)

The Wild Ones: Great Escape by C. Alexander London (Penguin Random House)
“The wild animals of Ankle Snap Alley have been disappearing, and Kit knows exactly why: The People are animal-napping them and taking them to the zoo! Not only that, but they are at the very same zoo where Kit’s mother is being held captive. So Kit decides to round up the Moonlight Brigade and lead the charge to set the Wild Ones free. But this rescue mission might be his most difficult one yet. The Flealess and some of the zoo animals have teamed up against Kit–and the Rat King brings warnings of coming danger! Will Kit be able to set his friends and family free?” -Description from Goodreads

That’s it for this week! Right now I’m reading The Wonderlings by Mira Bartók (Candlewick, 9/26/17), Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford (HMH Books for Young Readers, 10/3/17), and The New Kid: The Carver Chronicles by Karen English (HMH Books for Young Readers, 12/5/17). What children’s books are you reading and enjoying this week? Find me on social media and let me know! I’m on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or send me an email at karina@bookriot.com. Have a great week!

Until next time,
Karina

Izzy, my TBR list inspector.

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*

This Week In Books

LeVar Burton Sued for Using READING RAINBOW Catchphrase: This Week in Books

Post author By Sharifah Williams
Post date August 10, 2017

When You Sue LeVar Burton for Using the Reading Rainbow Catchphrase; When You Have No Soul

Whoever is leading WNED-TV Buffalo, New York’s campaign to sue LeVar Burton for using the catchphrase, “But you don’t have to take my word for it,” must not have been raised on Reading Rainbow. Because how could you? Burton has used the phrase on his new podcast for grown Rainbow readers, LeVar Burton Reads. Let’s get real, WNED, Burton is Reading Rainbow.

Oh, Palahniuk, You Strange, Interesting Human

I want to spend a day inside Chuck Palahniuk’s head. Wait, no I don’t. Wait, yes I do. Hmm. Palahniuk is certainly an Eccentric, so are we even surprised that he hid a time capsule in his former home? Well, the current owners found Chuck’s Horcrux, and in it…a signed copy of Fight Club, some family photographs, and more randomness. I have a sneaking suspicion Palahniuk was disappointed when he heard the news. Disappointed that a strange, unconventional future society of curiously haunted Portlandians didn’t stumble upon it. Plant another and give it maybe 10 years.

Pearl-Clutchers Strike Again

After Brandon James/Princess Onya Mann applied to host a drag queen story hour at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, a conservative citizen group called Keep NC Safe lashed out on Facebook. “Males dressing in women’s fashion or in a feminine manner is shameful and that sort of shameful behavior should not be sanctioned by public libraries,” said one commenter (as someone passed around the smelling salts, I imagine). I hope Keep NC Safe never applies to host story hour because won’t somebody think of the children?

The “Let’s Pretend It Doesn’t Exist” School of Survivalism

“I find it very telling how little these worlds that are so much about power and oppression and ways of resistance also magically somehow have solved race,” said Daniel José Older in a Vulture article titled, “Why Don’t Dystopias Know How to Talk About Race?” The article examines the inexplicable absence of conversations about race in dystopian storytelling, where the genre seems to rely on the concept that things get so dire and survival becomes so important that other issues (like, you know, the small matter of racism) are superseded. Yeah, suspension of disbelief is not go.

Thanks to Other Press for sponsoring this week’s newsletter. Read The Die is Cast, the first book of the Leona trilogy, by the “queen of Nordic noir” Jenny Rogneby.

This best-selling Scandinavian thriller follows its troubled heroine as she investigates a high-profile robbery for Stockholm’s Violent Crimes Division. A hardboiled crime novel, filled with unexpected twists and turns, featuring an unusual heroine. Leona makes for gripping reading while challenging feminine norms and questioning what is behind the choices we make. Millennium Series author David Lagercrantz calls Jenny Rogneby “the new queen of Nordic noir.”

Giveaways

Win a Copy of THE END OF THE WORLD RUNNING CLUB by Adrian Walker!

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date August 10, 2017

We have 10 copies of The End of the World Running Club by Adrian Walker to give away to 10 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

#1 International Bestseller!

When the world ends and you find yourself stranded on the wrong side of the country, every second counts. No one knows this more than Edgar Hill: over five hundred miles of devastated wasteland stretch between him and his family. To get back to them, he must push himself to the very limit—or risk losing them forever.

His best option is to run. But what if his best isn’t good enough? A powerful postapocalyptic thriller, The End of the World Running Club is an otherworldly yet extremely human story of hope, love, and the endurance of both body and spirit.

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below:

Riot Rundown

081017-Leona-Riot-Rundown

Post author By Devin Service
Post date August 10, 2017

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Other Press. Read The Die is Cast, the first book of the Leona trilogy, by the “queen of Nordic noir” Jenny Rogneby.

This best-selling Scandinavian thriller follows its troubled heroine as she investigates a high-profile robbery for Stockholm’s Violent Crimes Division. A hardboiled crime novel, filled with unexpected twists and turns, featuring an unusual heroine. Leona makes for gripping reading while challenging feminine norms and questioning what is behind the choices we make. Millennium Series author David Lagercrantz calls Jenny Rogneby “the new queen of Nordic noir.”

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships Aug 11

Post author By Jenn Northington
Post date August 9, 2017

Happy Friday, slayers and spacefarers! Today we’re talking about the Mercy Thompson series and Miles Morales, plus action heroines, kids fantasy books, space colonization, and more.

This post is sponsored by Vanguard by Ann Aguirre.

Ann Aguirre’s bestselling Razorland saga continues with Vanguard!

Adventures almost never go according to plan, and when Tegan understands what her heart truly wants, it might change her life forever. . . .

We have an amazing new shirt celebrating four bad-ass ladies of science fiction and fantasy, and you could win one! That giveaway closes this Sunday, 8/13, so get clicking.

It’s not looking good for our future on Europa: icy planets like it might skip a habitable period altogether, even if there is increased heat available from their suns. Back to the space-colonization drawing board…

Vulture has declared the 11 most influential action heroines; how do we feel about this list? I can’t quite decide — it does have Ripley from Alien and Letty from The Fast and Furious, but where is Leia the Huttslayer?

In adaptation news, China Mieville’s The City and the City is coming to TV! BBC Two has adapted it into a four-part drama. I don’t know how to feel about David Morrissey as Borlú, but I am all about Mandheep Dillon for Corwi. Also, I need to reread it immediately.

Last week on SFF Yeah we talked about middle-grade fantasy and sci-fi, and this week has provided a 100 Best Middle-Grade Fantasy Books post as the perfect follow-up.

And of course, some whimsy: Powerpuff/Avengers mash-up perfection!

In today’s reviews, we’ve got urban fantasy and a superhero novel (which, come to think of it, is not that far from urban fantasy).

The Mercy Thompson series: Moon Called, Blood Bound, and Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

While I’m not a regular reader of urban fantasy, I am a diehard fan of a few series in particular. Kate Daniels what what! And there’s no way I can stop reading the Dresden Files now that we’re so close to the end. So it was with surprise I found I had been missing out on a great one: the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs. Thanks to the Insiders Forum, I have been shown the error of my ways.

Mercy Thompson is an auto mechanic with her own small shop, her ex-boss is some kind of gremlin, her neighbor is the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, one of her clients is a vampire, and she herself is a walker — she can turn into a coyote basically whenever she wants. Supernaturals represent! Humanity is only marginally aware of them, of course; while the Fae have gone public, werewolves and vampires are still undercover, and Mercy herself isn’t eager to share her magical nature with anyone, be it local law enforcement or other beings. She’s led a pretty low-key life since she left her adopted werewolf family, and she’s trying to keep it that way. (Good luck with that, Mercy.)

What immediately sets Mercy apart from many other UF hero/ines is her lack of grumpiness. I love me a good cranky protagonist, but it’s nice to have a change of pace from time to time. She’s pragmatic; she’s tough without being isolated or prickly; she’s got friends and, while family is complicated for her, she’s built her own found family. She’s stubborn and independent, but knows when to back off and when to rely on others for help. She’s got even got a sense of humor! If you can’t tell, I adore her.

Moon Called is, as you might guess from the title, focused on werewolves; Blood Bound deals with vampires, and Iron Kissed with the Fae. While I could have used a heads-up about the rape sequence in Iron Kissed (consider yourselves warned!), on the whole I have enjoyed the Hel out of these books. The supporting characters are multidimensional, diverse, and important to the plot development; the ethnic representation is handled respectfully in as far as I am able to judge; and Mercy is the kick-ass heroine of my heart. While her path grows increasingly dark from book to book, and her life becomes more and more complex, she retains her spirit, her sense of humor, and her immense compassion and humanity. I just picked up Book 4 from the library, and look forward to continuing on.

Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds

For the record, I have never read a Miles Morales comic and am not a Spider-Man fan in general. The odds of me watching a Spider-Man movie or read a Spidey comic are very low. (Although I will admit that Tom Holland’s turn in Civil War made that fight scene an all-time favorite.) So why did I pick up this novel? Because I’ve read Jason Reynolds before, and was curious to see what this award-winning YA writer would do with a licensed character.

The answer is, what he does best! Miles, his family, and his friends are amazing: they are complicated, messy, real characters. Basically any chapter in which two people were having a real conversation was immediately my favorite scene, whether it was Miles and his parents, barbershop banter, roommate hijinks with Ganke, awkward flirting — it’s all there on the page, and all fantastic. Miles’s doubts and fears about his own role and abilities as a superhero feel genuine, and I would have loved to see this thread developed even further! Reynolds also takes a hard look at systemic racism, the prison industrial complex, and its affect on young people of color, which is not something you see every day (any day??) in comics.

If Miles Morales has a flaw it’s that Reynolds is new to writing about superheroes, and the action sequences show it. But for me, the characters were well worth the read.

And that’s all she wrote! If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations (including the occasional book club question!) you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda.

Live long and prosper,
Jenn

Audiobooks

Secret Identity Audiobooks

Post author By Katie MacBride
Post date August 9, 2017

Good morning, audiobook fans!

Quick reminder if you are a Book Riot Insiders subscriber–-I’ll be hosting an audiobooks chat on the Insiders Slack today and every second Thursday of the month at 1 PM (10 AM, if you’re a West Coastie like me).

Sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio

Help your children keep up with their reading by listening to audiobooks. Visit TryAudiobooks.com/Family-Travel for suggested listens and for a free audiobook download of MY FATHER’s DRAGON!

This week is all about secret identities! Why? Cuz they’re awesome and intriguing. I’ve talked about my love of Lisa Lutz’s The Passenger in this newsletter before and one of the many reasons I love that book is because it’s so fun to watch the protagonist slip from one persona to the next. So here’s a list of books where folks have secret identities or are pretending to be someone they’re not. (For whatever reason, a lot of these are YA–-probably because I read a ton of it. But if there are other secret identity-ish books I should know about–-hit me up on twitter @msmacb!)

Secret Identities and other You’re-Not-Who-I-Thought-You -Were Books

(publisher descriptions in quotes)

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

Fictional stories about characters with secret identities are cool but what’s even cooler are these women who went undercover during the Civil War. From Bella Boyd, who became a Confederate spy after shooting a Union soldier to Elizabeth Van Lew, a rich abolitionist in Virginia who “hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring,” these women weren’t messing around. With NYT bestselling author Karen Abbott behind the wheel, you can bet this book is a pretty fun ride.

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

“When Henry Day is seven years old, he is kidnapped by ageless beings called changelings, who leave another child in Henry’s place, a boy who will be his duplicate. Haunted by memories, both boys are driven to search for the keys to whom they once were before they switched places.”

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Nick Pearson isn’t really Nick Pearson, which is kind of the point. “Nick” is in the Witness Protection Program and is supposed to be keeping a low profile. But when his new friend Eli turns up dead, Nick feels compelled to find out what really happened. And that puts Nick and his family in serious jeopardy.

Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe

Eva’s just taken a new job at a coffee shop when she;s approached by two wealthy teens who claim Eva looks just like their missing cousin, Aurora. Eva’s a runaway with no money and Aurora apparently has a large inheritance to her name. Eva gets roped into a scheme to get the inheritance but when a ghost shows up, the situation becomes much more frightening for everyone involved.

A Study in Scarlet Women Sherry Thomas

“With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper-class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old, but in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

OK, I’m a cheater. But this book is so good and kind of works for the subject. The first surprise single mother and lawyer Kate Baron received was when her teenage daughter’s private school called to tell her Amelia had been caught cheating. Upon arriving at the school, Kate was informed of something far worse: her daughter had committed suicide by jumping off the top of a school building. Shocked and grief-stricken, Kate receives a text message with just three words: “She didn’t jump.” Through emails, texts, and social media, Kate struggles to figure out who her daughter really was and why she ended her life. I started by reading the print book and then got my hands on the audio when I couldn’t bear to leave the story on my commute.

Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

Similar to Ghost Flower, Only Daughter is about a young woman who assumes a missing girl’s identity. The imposter in Only Daughter does it to escape her desperate situation and likely incarceration. She pretends to be Bec, a girl who went missing 11 years early, to whom she bears a striking resemblance. The point of view switches back and forth between 11 years prior, just before she went missing, and the imposter’s present day account. Unfortunately for the imposter (whose name is never revealed), Bec went missing for a reason. And that reason isn’t real excited about her being “back.”

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson

The inimitable Jacqueline Woodson followed up Miracle Boys with this 2002 novel about Evie Thomas. Evie “used to live in a beautiful house with a breathtaking view of the mountains. She felt happy and safe with her policeman father, her schoolteacher mother and her popular cheerleading older sister. Her name used to Toswiah Green.” But then her family ends up in the witness protection program and they have to flip their lives upside down into the unknown.

New Release of the Week:

Playing Hurt: My Journey from Despair to Hope by John Saunders

I don’t know much sports/football, but I do know about mental illness. And I know that it’s pretty rare for a “leading figure the sports world” to talk about their constant battle with depression. In Playing Hurt, that’s what the longtime ESPN commentator does in this book. He talks about the root causes of his depression, including an abusive father. He talks honestly about his various treatments for the illness as well as how it impacted his relationships. Unfortunately, Saunders died (of natural causes) before the book’s publication but one hopes his message of reducing the stigma about mental illness will spread far and wide.

Book Riot Audiobooks Round-up:

LEARNING TO LISTEN: TIPS TO HELP YOU GET INTO AUDIOBOOKS

Rioter Carina shares how she got into audiobooks after being a skeptic.

A NEW KIND OF BESTSELLER: WE ARE LEGION (WE ARE BOB)

Can Audible determine a book’s success?

Links For Your Ears:

Great Rexpectations: Audible sells audiobooks to dogs

I can attest to the fact that my dog completely mellows out when I have audiobooks going on in the background. I’ve listened to Harry Potter in the car so much that I think my dog has a Pavolvian response to Jim Dale’s voice and just falls asleep as soon as she hears it. (Shameless insertion of a picture of my dog, Sally, isn’t she the cutest in the whole world?)

Why most books need to be rewritten for audio

Huh. A’ight.

Until next week!

~Katie