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Book Radar

The New Novel from Anthony Doerr and More Book Radar!

Happy Monday, readers! I am writing this on Friday, and once I finish, I will be starting a big weekend of reading. I hope you have been able to read something wonderful recently. This was a pretty hard week here in Maine, so I want to take a moment to remind you that things won’t always be this way. I really believe that. So take a second and take a breath if you need one, and know that I am rooting for you.

“Ew, gross, Liberty, enough sappy stuff.” Okay, okay. Moving on, I have a little book news for you today, including a look at a delightfully funny and sad new novel, and tons of book news, plus a terrible pun, a cat picture, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: The Fireman was a 1951 novella that was later expanded into what full-length novel? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Here’s the first look at Cloud Cuckoo Land, the new novel from Anthony Doerr since 2014’s All the Light We Cannot See.

Here’s more about Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet.

Netflix has renewed Bridgerton for a second season.

Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham, has a new release date.

Brayden Harrington, the 13-year-old who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, has a book deal.

The Walter Dean Myers and Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards have been announced.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman will be an eight-part series on Netflix.

Here’s the first look at Getaway by Baby Teeth author Zoje Stage.

You can listen to the first chapter of The Four Winds, Kristin Hannah’s upcoming novel.

A 13-foot Book of the Dead scroll was unearthed by archeologists in an Egyptian queen’s tomb.

AMC will air the British limited series The Beast Must Die, based on the novel by Nicholas Blake.

A new Game of Thrones prequel is in the works at HBO.

Lesley Manville will star in the upcoming adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders for PBS Masterpiece and Britbox UK.

Brie Larson will star in the Apple TV+ series Lessons In Chemistry, which is based on the upcoming debut novel from author Bonnie Garmus.

And here’s the trailer for the tenth—yes, the tenth—season of The Walking Dead.

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!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin (Atria Books, July 6)

Gilda is a twenty-something, atheist, animal-loving lesbian who often finds herself in awkward situations. She likes to live a quiet existence and she doesn’t like to put anyone out or make anyone feel bad. Because of this, she accidentally winds up working as a receptionist at a Catholic church, pretending to be interested in God and men, while secretly looking into the death of her predecessor, Grace.

She is also deathly afraid of dying (pun intended), and spends a lot of time wondering what happens after we are dead. As Gilda investigates the death of the previous receptionist while ruminating on her own mortal coil, her own life unravels more and more. She has a lot to unpack from a childhood spent with her repressive parents, and she has been neglecting her relationship with her girlfriend, choosing instead to spend time hiding in her apartment and posing as Grace in emails with Grace’s old friend. As all the events swirling around in her life come to a head, Gilda will have to face her fears and decide what makes life worth living.

This fantastic dramedy of errors gave me all the feels. It is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read (OMG the cast illustration—I cackled) and also one of the most sensitive and touching. I spent a lot of the book wondering how the author knew some of my innermost thoughts, and I have heard from other readers that they wondered the same thing, because Austin has done an incredible job giving anxious internal thoughts a voice. It was amazing to read a book that so perfectly captures anxiety and depression and its many manifestations. This book is a precious gem.

(Content warning for mentions of homophobia, mental illness, chemical abuse, suicide, self-harm, anxiety, murder, animal death, and a car accident.)

What I’m reading this week.

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen 

Hola Papi!: How to Come Out to Your Boyfriend in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Lessons on Love, Race, and Sexuality by JP Brammer 

The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois: a Novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers 

All’s Well by Mona Awad 

Pun of the week: 

Want to hear a joke about paper? Never mind—it’s tearable.

And this is funny:

This is my favorite of the “Bernie at the inauguration” memes.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

  • Palm Springs: Yep, I’m back to my latest movie obsession.
  • Knights of Badassdom: Oh, yeah, and my old movie obsession too.
  • Jigsaw puzzles! I have moved on to two-in-one puzzles, where you have to separate the pieces to make two entirely different puzzles.
  • Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
  • Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

This is the cover image for the debut album from Millay and The Orange Monsters.

Trivia answer: Fahrenheit 451.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty