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Hello, my little ducklings! As I write this, it is Tuesday afternoon. I normally write Thursday’s newsletter on Wednesday, but election day has me too nervous to sit still, so I am getting my Wednesday work done early. I was reading books earlier, but my mind chewed through its restraints and is now running amok in my brain pan. All I can do right now is carry on with my day and hope for the best, because I want things to change for the better. (I’m pretty sure once I finish writing this, I’m going to start watching Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper on Hulu, because it’s all my brain can handle.)
Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. Please be safe, and remember to wear a mask and wash your hands. And please be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™
Trivia question time! In Crazy Rich Asians, Rachel is a professor at what university? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)
Deals, Reals, and Squeals!
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Here’s the first look at The Turnout by Megan Abbott.
Toni Morrison’s book collection is up for sale.
Joe Hill’s novella The Black Phone will be adapted into a film.
Stephan James and Ashton Sanders will star with Tom Hardy and Pete Davidson in the adaptation of The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.
Karena Evans will direct the first episodes of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot.
Here are the World Fantasy Awards Winners!
Here’s the first trailer for Shondaland’s Bridgerton, adapted from the Julia Quinn novels.
Jeremy Irons will star in the Netflix adaptation of Munich by Robert Harris.
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 learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)
Excited to read:
Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley (Algonquin Books, April 20, 2021)
I was a big fan of Mosley’s last novel, Elmet, so I am extra-delighted to learn she has a new one coming next year! (In fact, I think I will read it again very soon!)
This is about a group of people in contemporary London who are all connected someway to a building owned by a mysterious billionaire named Agatha, who has decided to knock it down and build fancy shops and condos in its place. This upsets several people who work and visit a brothel housed in the current building, as well as squatters who have been living in the basement. I can’t wait to get my hands on this and find out what happens!
What I’m reading this week.
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The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
The Night Library of Sternendach: A Vampire Opera in Verse by Jessica Lévai
A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot 1) by Becky Chambers
First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel (translator)
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Song stuck in my head:
Time for Me To Fly by REO Speedwagon (Related: I recently had to show my husband the REO Speedwagon video about the knight with bad eyesight because he thought I was making it up. ) (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)
And this is funny:
Lolololol egg horse.
Happy things:
Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:
- The Great on Hulu. Horrifying and hilarious, my favorite combo.
- Sprite. I imagine it’s what freshly-squeezed sprites taste like, and it’s all I want to drink lately.
- They Can Talk comics. I’m always down for animal jokes.
- It’s always a good time to watch Over the Garden Wall, but fall is the goodest time! (Yes, I know ‘goodest’ isn’t a real word, but I like to think that Greg would use it.)
- Numberzilla.
- Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
And here’s a cat picture!
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Ask me about my cats.
Trivia answer: New York University (NYU).
You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L