Month: April 2018

16 Nonfiction Favorites Now Out in Paperback

Post author By Kim Ukura
Post date April 5, 2018

Hello, fellow humans! This week’s newsletter is my quarterly-ish update on some of the great nonfiction books that have come out in paperback in the last few months.

I think I’ve mentioned before how about paperback is my preferred reading format. I still love physical books, but hardcovers are both expensive and heavy to carry around. I think a trade paperback is the perfect way to read, so I’m always looking for the moment when a book I’ve been coveting finally releases in paperback. Here are 16 that I think are worth your dollars and attention:

Sponsored by THE MANSON WOMEN AND ME by Nikki Meredith published by Citadel Press.

Journalist Nikki Meredith writes of her experience visiting Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel in prison…As Meredith got to know Krenwinkel and Van Houten over the years, she increasingly came to wonder how seemingly normal people can come to commit such vicious, barbaric acts. Meredith asks the questions that have nagged many of us for years—how does this happen?

Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge – A look at American gun violence through stories of the 10 children killed in a single 24-hour period. This one is incredible.

The Unsettlers by Mark Sundeen – A work of immersive journalism about people in “search through the simple life in today’s America.”

Storm in a Teacup by Helen Czerski – An introduction to the world of physics told through everyday life like popping popcorn and fridge magnets.

The One-Cent Magenta by James Barron – “Inside the quest to own the most valuable stamp in the world.”

Word by Word by Kory Stamper – The secret life of dictionaries as told by a lexicographer and editor for Merriam-Webster!

American Hookup by Lisa Wade – An analysis of hookup culture on college campuses, tied to a broader history of sexuality, higher education and feminism.

All the Lives I Want by Alana Massey – “Essays about my best friends who happen to be famous strangers.”

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann – An investigation into the historical murders of members of the Osage Nation, and the early story of the FBI.

Age of Anger by Pankaj Mishra – An attempt to explain the current wave of “paranoid hatreds” that have become nearly everyday occurrences in the modern world.

Somebody with a Little Hammer by Mary Gaitskill – A wide-ranging essay collection that includes political adultery, Björk, and porn star Linda Lovelace.

Love and Trouble by Claire Dederer – A middle-aged mother reflecting on how the emotional intensity of her teenage years mimics her emotional experience now.

The Home that Was Our Country Alia Malek – A history of Syria told through the stories of people who lived in the same apartment building as the author’s grandparents.

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel – “The extraordinary story of the last hermit” and a meditation on the value and difficulty of solitude in the modern world.

Radium Girls by Kate Moore – The true story of hundreds of girls who toiled in factories painting radium on clock dials, before anyone knew radium could cause immeasurable harm.

Cannibalism by Bill Schutt – A history of cannibalism and the role it plays in evolution and human history.

Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life Yiyun Li – A love letter to books written over two years where the author was battling suicidal depression.

Over at Book Riot…

Steph shared six words of narrative journalism that challenge long-held beliefs. I’ve only read one book on the list – Being Mortal by Atul Gawande – but the rest also sound fascinating!

My For Real podcast co-host, Alice, suggests five books about overcoming obstacles. So inspiring!

I also loved Lisa’s post of books by disabled people to tell their own stories. She makes some great points about what it means for abled people to speak on behalf of the disabled, and encourages readers to listen better.

Love cosmetics? Hattie has seven makeup books for cosmetics geeks. This is… not me, but this is a fun list anyway.

ALSO! Book Riot is hiring an Advertising Sales Manager. We strongly encourage women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color to apply. To view position description and apply, go here.

And that’s all for this week! Find me on Twitter @kimthedork, and co-hosting the For Real podcast here at Book Riot. Happy reading!

Riot Rundown TestRiotRundown

040518-AmericanbyDay-Riot-Rundown

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date April 5, 2018

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by American by Day by Derek B. Miller

A gripping and timely novel that follows Sigrid—the dry-witted detective from Derek B. Miller’s best-selling debut Norwegian by Night—from Oslo to the United States on a quest to find her missing brother

Today In Books

THUG Re-Shoots With RIVERDALE Star: Today in Books

Post author By Sharifah Williams
Post date April 4, 2018

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Avery / TarcherPerigee, publisher of 50 WAYS TO GET A JOB by Dev Aujla.

The Hate U Give Is Re-shooting With Riverdale Star

Late yesterday, we received word that the adaptation will be re-shot with Riverdale star K.J. Apa who will replace actor Kian Lawley as the protagonist’s boyfriend. Though the film had wrapped up shooting, the switch was necessitated by the discovery of a video that showed Lawley making racial slurs. Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give is about racism, so that was a “no” for keeping Lawley on the cast.

Man Booker Reverses Decision On Nationality Listing

We have an update on the news about the Man Booker changing long listed author Wu Ming-Yi’s nationality from Taiwan to Taiwan, China. After receiving criticism for bowing to pressure from China, the Man Booker’s organizers announced that they would list the country/territory of authors up for the prize, rather than their nationalities, in the future. Wu’s listing will go back to “Taiwan.” Of the decision, Wu wrote that the “prize has affirmed that the will of literature is based on honesty and freedom.”

Joan Silber Wins PEN/Faulkner Award

Silber won the award for Fiction for her book of linked stories, Improvement. Last month, she also won the National Book Critics Circle fiction prize for Improvement. The story is one told from multiple points of view, circling a single mother living in New York with a boyfriend who conducts a cigarette smuggling scheme.

What's Up in YA

YA Adaptations Are The News, Queer YA Talk, and More Links for YA Readers

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date April 4, 2018

Hey YA Readers!

Let’s catch up on the latest news and happenings.

“What’s Up in YA” is sponsored by As She Fades by Abbi Glines.

On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma.

Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale’s brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can’t deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she’s not immune to Slate’s charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship.

Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she’s in Slate’s territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.

It seems like every time I collect the latest news in YA worth sharing, there are a ton of adaptations. This week’s collection won’t be different — but they’re all so good that it’s hard not to get excited about what we’ll soon feast our eyes upon.

Sundance winner and YA adaptation The Miseducation of Cameron Post finally has a distributor and you’ll be able to watch it this summer.
Netflix will adapt The Wicked Deep, which should adapt to the screen really well.
Speaking of atmospheric YA reads perfectly ripe for adaptation, here’s news on The Hazel Wood.
And here’s news about Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses coming to the big screen.
This summer (!!) we’ll get to watch To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix.
The male lead of The Hate U Give has been recast.
How about the teen slasher book There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins being made into a slasher film? I’m 100% here. for. this.
This is a fascinating dive into the magazine Teen Boss. Put this in the “YA adjacent” column of links, but I can’t stop thinking about it and needed to share it.
Teenagers suggest creative ways to connect classic texts to today’s life. Brilliant. Today’s teenagers are seriously brilliant.
The Giant Days comic will be adapted into a YA novel.
The Broadway play “Dear Evan Hanson” will also become a YA novel.
Thinly veiled metaphors in young adult dystopian fiction. This had me in stitches.
Audiobook Sync is back this month! You can snag a free pair of audiobooks each week, with tons of great YA titles included.
There are more queer YA books being published, but are queer girls being left behind? And another thoughtful Bustle piece worth reading: YA novels which are queer reads but under the radar, for young readers who aren’t out (or have other challenges preventing them from reading queer YA openly).
Tomi Adeyemi on writing the biggest book of 2018 so far.
YA books to read if you love Black Panther.
This YA book tour — the Belles and Brujas — looks super fun.

Cheap Reads…

Snag these YA books in eform for not a lot of dough:

You can read Leigh Bardugo’s take on Wonder Woman for $2.

Pick up Jessica Spotswood’s first contemporary YA novel Wild Swans for $2.50.

The fantasy novel The Falconer by Elizabeth May is a whopping 60 cents.

____________________

Thanks for hanging out this week and we’ll meet you back here again soon.

–Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram.

Check Your Shelf

1 Billion Items Borrowed on Overdrive, Film Adaptation Read Alikes, & More Librarian Must-Reads

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date April 4, 2018

Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to all things book talk worth knowing to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).

“Check Your Shelf” is sponsored this week by Stewie BOOM by Christine Bronstein from Nothing But The Truth Publishing.

Stewie BOOM! and Princess Penelope get ready to have a fabulous play-date with Eric, their awesome friend with autism. This book delves into many ways families can embrace neuro-diversity.

Libraries & Librarians

25 libraries every voracious reader must visit. These are some gorgeous spaces.
Regina Anderson was a powerful librarian behind the scenes during the Harlem Renaissance, and this profile of her is outstanding.
Yes, bookmobiles are still a thing. We know this, of course, but the piece is really good despite the headline.

Book Adaptations in the News

The Wicked Deep, a brand new YA book which already hit the bestseller list, is going to be made into a film.
Sundance film winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post has a distributor and will be hitting big screens this summer.
Have you been keeping pace with the number of Stephen King adaptations in the works over the next couple of years? Here’s another one for your list.

Books in the News

Make sure you’re prepared for the holds that’ll come for the new Nicholas Sparks book.
Parent-child reading is tied to psychological benefits. As librarians, we know this, but having more research to highlight about it doesn’t hurt.
There’s a new Khaled Hosseini book coming out, and here’s a look at the cover and what it’s about. It might not be a full novel, but readers will be excited to see it.
Two new Charlotte Brontë manuscripts are being published!

By The Numbers

Who doesn’t read in America? As much as this headline feels gloom and doom, the data isn’t surprising — and let’s also look at the fact a lot of Americans are reading.
Responses came to that data, of course, including this look at the science behind why we should be prioritizing reading.
How about this number: 1 BILLION items have been borrowed via Overdrive since it began in 2013.
And here are the top 10 most-borrowed authors on Overdrive of all time. There is not a single author of color on this list.
Black Panther is absolutely crushing it at the box office.

Award News

Here are this year’s Hugo Award nominees.
The 2018 PEN/Hemingway Award winner has been announced. If you don’t have a copy of this in your collection yet, grab one! This award often predicts big things for the author.
Jacqueline Woodson won a huge cash award with the Astrid Lindgren prize.

Pop Cultured

For readers who love Ready Player One, 25 more books to read.
Meredith Vieira will be hosting PBS’s series “The Great American Read.”
Books for readers who love Love, Simon (or the book).

All Things Comics

The New York Times is starting a graphic novels and comics column.
Great graphic essays and short stories.
14 inclusive comics about coming of age.
An all-star line up has been announced for this comic anthology that’s being made in response to the Las Vegas shooting last fall.

Audiophilia

This list of the 50 best audiobooks of all time isn’t especially surprising. It’s a lot of big-title books, with only a few authors of color represented. BUT: it’s worth reading and thinking about lists like this, as it’s what patrons who want to get started with audiobooks are finding in their search, and it could be a great resource for starting RA with new listeners.
How listening to audiobooks changed the way I read.
Fifty nifty thrillers on audio.
Celebrity-read audiobooks that are worth the time.
Jeremy Irons + TS Eliot. It’s a thing.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

This is from last summer but so good, it’s worth a share: 22 ambassadors recommend one book to read before visiting their country. An excellent book display idea and/or means of expanding reading horizons.
The best nonfiction of 2018 so far.
35 must-read books by women from the last 5 years.
25 classic crime novels you can read in an afternoon.
Thrillers for your spring reading and ordering lists.
Books to honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr, who died 50 years ago this month.
50 must-read board books, for when your collection needs a refresh.
British cozy mysteries: a guide to the genre and a reading list.
Six books by “gravely” disabled people you should read.
If This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is constantly checked out or readers want more books like it, here’s a place to start ’em.
50 must-read classics in translation.

Bookish Curiosities

Hello, weird cookbooks!
7 tips for how to read more books. These are practical and realistic.
Less curiosity, more timeliness: 47 great authors on their favorite poems.

Level Up

Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? Whether or not you read and nominate titles, we’ll end every newsletter with a few upcoming titles worth reading and sharing (and nominating for LibraryReads, if you so choose!). Links here will direct to Edelweiss digital review copies. These books hit shelves in July, giving you plenty of time to read and nominate accordingly.

An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim: “In the vein of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Station Eleven, a sweeping literary love story about two people who are at once mere weeks and many years apart.”
How To Love A Jamaican: Stories by Alexia Arthurs: “From a magnetic new voice, a debut story collection set in Jamaica and America for readers of Zadie Smith, Helen Oyeyemi, and Imbolo Mbue.”
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras: “A mesmerizing debut set against the backdrop of the devastating violence of 1990’s Colombia about a sheltered young girl and a teenage maid who strike an unlikely friendship that threatens to undo them both.”

How adorable are these vintage school library advertisements made into coasters? Grab ’em for $14.

____________________

Thanks for hanging out! We’ll see you back here in two weeks with another edition of Check Your Shelf.

–Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram.

Currently reading Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon.

Giveaways

Win a 12-Month Audible Membership!

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date April 4, 2018

We have a 12-month Audible membership to give away, courtesy of Macmillan audio.

You’ll get one credit per month for a full year that you can use on any Audible title. New releases. Old favorites. Something fun, something serious. Totally up to you.

To enter for your chance to win, fill out the entry form below, including signing up for Hear, Here: Macmillan Audio’s newsletter newsletter featuring exclusive audiobook information about your favorite authors, new releases, advance clips, special offers and more.

Go here to enter for your chance to win, or just click the image below. Good luck!

Audiobooks

New Audiobooks for April

Post author By Katie MacBride
Post date April 4, 2018

Happy April, Audiophiles!

A new month means new audiobooks for your listening pleasure! There are tons to get to, so let’s dive right in. As always, I’ve put the publisher descriptions in quotes.

Sponsored by The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind by Barbara K. Lipska

As a deadly cancer spread inside her brain, leading neuroscientist Barbara Lipska was plunged into madness—only to miraculously survive with her memories intact. In the tradition of My Stroke of Insight and Brain on Fire, this powerful memoir recounts her ordeal, and explains its unforgettable lessons about the brain and mind.

The Recovering written and read by Leslie Jamison; release date: 04-03-18

I’m halfway through this audiobook and thus far it’s excellent. Granted, this is a pretty easy sell for me: Leslie Jamison is a female writer who got sober in her 20s. I’m all those things too, but instead of being Leslie Jamison, I’m just a Leslie Jamison fan. The Recovering is part memoir, part meditation on writers, creativity, and booze. As someone who used to wake up and crack open a bottle of vodka before sitting down at my desk (because Hemingway?) before writing a bunch of gibberish and passing out….well, yes, this book is right up my alley. But if you’re a fan of Jamison (which if you’ve read her is pretty hard not to be), you can’t go wrong with this title.

Meaty written and read by Samantha Irby; release date: 04-03-18

As you may know, I loooove Sam Irby. My sister was kind enough to gift me her first collection of essays (Meaty) years ago and I got hooked on both the book and her blog (bitches gotta eat). She topped many a “best of” list in 2017 with her collection of essays, “we are never meeting in real life.” Now, she’s updated and expanded her first collection of essays and please trust me when I say if you liked WANMIRL, you will NOT be disappointed with Meaty.

Failing Up : How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning written and read by Leslie Odom Jr; release date: 04-10-18

Leslie Odom Jr. shot to fame in 2015 as Aaron Burr in the original Broadway Cast of Hamilton. This short audiobook (running time three hours thirty-seven minutes) “asks the questions that will help you unlock your true potential and achieve your goals even when they seem impossible. What work did you put in today that will help you improve tomorrow? How do you surround yourself with people who will care about your dreams as much as you do? How do you know when to play it safe and when to risk it all for something bigger and better?” If you’re looking for inspiration and insight from a super talented guy, this is a safe bet.

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership written and read by James Comey

Who is James Comey? Is he the man who cost Hillary Clinton the election? Is he the man whose firing might be the catalyst for Trump’s impeachment? Or is he just a guy who tweets pictures of waterfalls alongside Martin Luther King Jr. quotes? Lordy, who knows?! Listen to the audiobook, narrated by the man himself, and find out.

The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman; narrated by Saskia Maarleveld; release date: 04-17-18

“‘Philomena’ meets ‘The Orphan Train’ in this suspenseful, provocative novel filled with love, secrets, and deceit – the story of a young unwed mother who is forcibly separated from her daughter at birth and the lengths to which they go to find each other.”

War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence written and read by Ronan Farrow; release date: 04-24-18

Ronan Farrow is the dogged reporter behind the New Yorker expose of Harvey Weinstein. Before he was a reporter, however, he was a diplomat. His experiences in this role are the core of this book. “In an astonishing account ranging from Washington, DC, to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North Korea in the years since 9/11, Farrow illuminates one of the most consequential and poorly understood changes in American history…Farrow’s narrative is richly informed by interviews with whistle-blowers, policymakers, and a warlord, from Henry Kissinger to Hillary Clinton. Diplomacy, Farrow argues, has declined after decades of political cowardice, short-sightedness, and outright malice – but it may just offer America a way out of a world at war.”

You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld; narrated by Emily Rankin and Mark Deacon; release date: 04-24-18

The author of Prep, American Wife, and Eligible releases her first collection of short stories later this month. In it, she “upends assumptions about class, relationships, and gender roles in a nation that feels both adrift and viscerally divided. In ‘The World Has Many Butterflies’, married acquaintances play a strangely intimate game with devastating consequences. In ‘Vox Clamantis in Deserto’, a shy Ivy League student learns the truth about a classmate’s seemingly enviable life.” Sittenfeld at her best reminds me of some of my favorite short story writers (Lorrie Moore, Robin Black) and I’m excited to see if that plays out in this collection.

OK, this one isn’t from April, it was released last month but somehow I missed it and I must atone for my grievous mistake.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Marlon Bundo, Jill Twiss; narrated by Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Ellie Kemper, John Lithgow, Jack McBrayer, RuPaul; release date: 03-18-18

The book that started out as a spoof of the book Vice President Pence’s wife wrote (about a day in the life of the VP, from the perspective of his bunny Marlon Bundo) became an overnight bestseller. “With a message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children’s book explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Beautifully performed by an all-star cast, featuring Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Ellie Kemper, John Lithgow, Jack McBrayer, and RuPaul, this sweet and funny story is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.”

Did you listen to anything last month that you loved? Are you looking forward to an upcoming release? Let me know or just say hey at katie@riotnewmedia.com or on Twitter at msmacb.

Until next week,

~Katie

Kissing Books

Romance Has a Race Problem

Post author By Jessica Pryde
Post date April 4, 2018

Well, since we last spoke, romance twitter has been calling out the racism in romance that so many authors have not felt the confidence to speak of before. Having never gone to the RWA national conference and having only ever gone to one chapter meeting for my local RWA, and of course, having never made any attempt to publish, I don’t have anything worthwhile to contribute.

Sponsored by Flatiron Books

Following two sisters in their pursuit of passion and independence, this is a genre-bending novel that is part coming-of-age, part historical fiction, with elements of mystery and paranormal. When one of the sisters goes missing, the other must put aside her books to find her–and start living.

So here are some words:

Courtney Milan, dropping some knowledge
Piper Huguley on some history
Jen has thoughts on structure and purpose
Barbara Ferrer tells a horrifying story

This is just the tippy tip top of the iceberg, and I recognize that three of the people I’ve listed here are not black women. If you’d like to read more (because it’s exhausting, painful, and uncomfortable work that needs to be done), I’ve retweeted countless other stories of what it’s like to be black in romance. Just hit my twitter feed and start scrolling (there is also some other, much more fun stuff, which you probably need). These tweets include some stories, yes, but their authors are often engaging white readers to help do something about it. If this is you, take their words to heart, and see how you can contribute to the breaking of the cycle.

This is not the end of this story, and I imagine you’ll be hearing more about it from me as things evolve. Which we hope they will, because we’ve apparently been here before. (RWA made a statement about diversity and inclusion in 2016, which has different goals than their 2018 statement, and members of the board have spoken to that statement, but I don’t know what has been done in practice.)

In other news, which muse are you? I got Thalia, the muse of Comedy. Here’s what it says:

When it comes to romance novels, your taste runs to biting dialogue, witty remarks and ridiculous plots. The more over the top it is, the more cutting the criticisms characters make, the more helplessly everything goes wrong, the better.

If you’ve seen any of my book reviews ever, you know they are…very much not wrong.

And speaking of over the top and cutting criticisms, have you seen the cover for Jasmine Guillory’s new book, The Proposal? I can’t wait!

Also, let’s celebrate NPR’s most recent coverage of Alisha Rai. NPR is doing Good Work.

Finally: Harlequin date videos are back. This one isn’t as hilarious as the Viking or the Highlander, but I still enjoyed it a very great deal. Though with A Princess in Theory (I know, that’s not Harlequin) and books like Therese Beharrie’s Falling for his Convenient Queen, they missed their opportunity to throw in a little bit of not-white-ness. (Though of course, with Kimani closing and only a portion of their authors being signed to other series, who knows what they’re thinking over there.)

Deals

Invaluable by Alana Albertson is 99 cents.

K.M. Jackson’s Through the Lens is 3.99.

Deliver Me, the first book in Farrah Rochon’s Holmes Brothers series, is FREE right now.

Savannah J. Frierson’s Reconstructing Jada Channing is 3.99.

Feud by Phyllis Bourne is 2.99.

Over on Book Riot

Bookworm on Tinder? It’s like a romance novel come to life. Or something.

Sonja makes us really glad we have access to huge amounts of romances wherein this doesn’t happen.

We’re excited about some books coming out this month, including some good-looking romances.

Have you seen Rah’s list of affirming trans books? Good books in all categories.

Recs!

Here are some books I’ve recently finished or am reading right now and have every intention of finishing someday, when I’m not wildly busy. Three of them are non-Regency, US-set historicals, and the last is a queer retelling of a classic. If either of those are your jam, you’re in for a treat.

The Doctor’s Discretion
EE Ottoman

This historical romance, written by a trans author, features two doctors—one black, one white—in nineteenth-century New York. They have been hired to catalog a deceased doctor’s library, but that’s not what matters. What matters is that they are ridiculously attracted to one another, and after an evening together one doctor enlists the other to assist him in saving a patient. This is not the conventional style of saving, though; this patient, on the verge of imprisonment, would first have to undergo the most intrusive analysis imaginable by the hospital’s senior doctors and other interested parties from all around, all because he lives as a man but has the body of a woman. It’s a quick, surprisingly light read. Also, you’ll learn a lot about mid-nineteenth-century medicine.

Night Song
Beverly Jenkins

When I picked this up, I didn’t realize that it was a reprint of Beverly Jenkins’s first novel. This is where the original Henry Adams story lives. Our heroine, who grew up in Georgia before, during, and after the Civil War, joins the earliest part of the Great Migration and joins one of many black communities in Kansas. She isn’t too keen on the hero, in part because he is a cocky bastard, but also because he wears Union Blues—the same color as the men who killed her grandfather in cold blood and destroyed her family home. But they’re growing on each other.

Let Us Dream
Alyssa Cole

I know. I KNOW. What took me so long, right? It’s been sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to pick it up. This story first appeared in Daughters of a Nation, an anthology featuring multiple novellas about women fighting for women’s suffrage. Here, Bertha owns a club in 1917 Harlem. She uses her influence and space to help educate the women who might be gaining the vote, and that same influence to sway the thoughts and minds of the men who would be voting for the vote. What she wasn’t expecting is to be so smitten with her new dishwasher, Amir, an Indian immigrant who wants more rights for people like him.

Pride and Porters
Charlotte Greene

I’ve only just started this book, and the writing is a little off-putting, but I can’t resist a good Pride and Prejudice retelling. This one particularly stuck out as one that features a lesbian (f/f, wlw, whichever way you want to say it) romance. Erin and her sister Jen run a brewery in a small city in Colorado, and Charlie Betters is looking to learn more about the trade. Charlie’s friend Darcy is…not a great person. She’s a snob who might say she’s looking out for her friend, but she’s also more than a bit of an asshole. But people can change, right?

New and Upcoming Releases

Still Loving You by Sheryl Lister

Scoring Off the Field by Naima Simone

Cheeky Prince by Nana Malone

The Thief by JR Ward (April 10)

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (April 10)

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Giveaways

Win a Copy of THE GUNNERS by Rebecca Kauffman!

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date April 3, 2018

We have 10 copies of The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman to give away to 10 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

The Gunners is the literary mash-up of the films The Big Chill and St. Elmo’s Fire. O, The Oprah Magazine named it one of the best books to read in April 2018, saying, “In the beautifully wrought The Gunners, life ends not with a whimper, but with a bang…This engrossing book’s suspense lies not just in what will happen, but in what already has…Kauffman is interested in the muddiness of love—how it can be selfish and desperate, even cruel…When it comes to love, Kauffman suggests, we’re equal parts predator and prey.”

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

Today In Books

Kathryn Hahn to Star in MRS. FLETCHER Adaptation: Today in Books

Post author By Sharifah Williams
Post date April 3, 2018

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Dynamite Entertainment, publisher of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising.

Kathryn Hahn To Star In Mrs. Fletcher

HBO ordered a pilot for the series adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s Mrs. Fletcher. Kathryn Hahn will star as Eve Fletcher in the comedy about a mother and son who explore their newfound freedom after the son goes to college. Perrotta will write the pilot and executive produce.

Man Booker Changes Taiwanese Author’s Nationality

The Man Booker came under fire for changing a prize nominee’s nationality. Long listed author of The Stolen Bicycle Wu Ming-Yi posted the news of his nomination and made positive mention of the fact that his nationality was listed as Taiwan, rather than Taiwan, China. About two weeks later, the Man Booker changed the line in response to pressure from Beijing whose stance is that the self-governed island is part of China. People took to Man Booker’s Facebook page to criticize the move. Wu has declined to speak on the subject.

Neil Gaiman Is Bringing Gormenghast Back To TV

Back in 2000, BBC produced a four-part miniseries of Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake’s classic fantasy series about the (super-weird) inhabitants of a crumbling mansion, and now Neil Gaiman is bringing it back to the small screen. Gaiman has been working on the adaptation, originally planned as a film, for a couple of years with the blessing of Fabian Peake (Mervyn’s son).