Sponsored by Smash It! by Francina Simone, published by Inkyard Press.
Olivia “Liv” James is done with letting her insecurities get the best of her. So, she does what any self-respecting hot mess of a girl who wants to SMASH junior year does . . . she makes a list–a F*ck-It list. She kicks it off by trying out for the school musical, saying yes to a date and making new friends. However, with change comes a lot of missteps, and being bold means following her heart. So, what happens when Liv’s heart is interested in three different guys—and two of them are her best friends?
Hey there, book nerds! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. The weather is cooling off in the Midwest and I spent a delightful couple of days reading, prepping for fall, and getting crafty all at a high of 68 degrees! I am here for it.
As you get ready to dive into a new week (and a new month!), remember to wear a mask, keep hydrated, and don’t forget your book!
Trivia question: Which famous American novel had the working title Baa! Baa! Black Sheep?
Squeals and Deals
Get a load of this fantastic trailer for the Enola Holmes movie adaptation! It’ll be on Netflix September 23.
Beverly Jenkins’ Bring on the Blessings novels are in development to become a TV show called Hopetown and we can’t wait!
The trailer for the movie adaptation of I’m Thinking of Ending Things has landed. It’ll be on Netflix later this week!
Some bookstores have learned that the first printing of Michael Cohen’s tell-all will be released to Amazon first, which is worrying to many indie bookstores.
The first book to star a Sikh character published by a major publisher has just been released. Fauja Singh Keeps Going is about the oldest person to ever run a marathon!
Michael Crichton’s Sphere is being adapted into a TV show for HBO by a Westworld producer.
Get a load of this amazing preorder campaign for Leigh Bardugo’s The Lives of Saints and the collector’s edition of Shadow and Bone.
We’re getting a sequel to Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton!
Riot Recommendations
At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!
Must read: Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon
I had this book on my TBR for a year before finally diving in this previous week. It’s about Autumn Spencer, a Black woman living in New York City who is alarmed when one night her twin sister Summer walks to the roof of their building and disappears completely. Months later, the police still haven’t located her, people seemed to have forgotten her, and Autumn finds herself at a loss for what to do next. I went into this novel expecting a mystery, but instead you get a deep character dive about Autumn, her childhood and her relationships, and the months leading up to that fateful night on the roof. The audiobook narrator for this one, Karen Chilton, was excellent, and I was totally absorbed into the sometimes convoluted but always fascinating storyline.
What I’m reading this week:
A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore
The Wrong End of the Table: A Mostly Comic Memoir of a Muslim Arab American Woman Just Trying to Fit In by Ayser Salman
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Trivia answer: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
I leave you with a photo of the Halloween themed face masks I made this weekend while listening to my audiobook. I never thought I’d reach the point where making seasonal face masks would excite me, but here we are!
Happy reading!
Tirzah