Sponsored by Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé with Fierce Reads.
Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, in this blistering exploration of racism, identity, and privilege by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. When Devon and Chiamaka are selected to be part of their elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. Shortly after the announcement, someone begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down. What seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Show your hand on 06.01.2021.
Happy Monday, kittens! I hope you are having a good Monday and not a Garfield-like Monday. Is anyone going to watch Shadow and Bone on Netflix? It premiered last week, but I haven’t read any reviews of it yet. (Mostly because I am lazy, lol.) I read the books, but I am not sure about watching the show yet. Let me know what you think, darklings.
Moving on: I have some exciting book news for you today. Not a lot today, but it’s good stuff. I also have a look at a delightful upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, plus cover reveals, a terrible pun, an upside-down orange fur dragon 🙃, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?
Here’s Monday’s trivia question: Emma Donoghue’s The Wonder is set in what country? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)
Deals, Reals, and Squeals!
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Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman has won the Aspen Words Literary Prize.
Stephen King shared the amazing cover for Road of Bones, the upcoming novel by Christopher Golden.
LisaGay Hamilton has joined the cast of the new adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer.
The International Booker Prize has announced its 2021 shortlist.
A third season of Mindhunter might happen after all.
The Grimoire of Grave Fates, a new YA fantasy novel told in interconnected points of view by 18 acclaimed young adult authors, will be published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
Thomasin McKenzie & Sian Clifford will star in the BBC adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life.
Here’s the cover reveal of Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief by Victoria Chang.
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is being made into a series by Netflix.
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:
The Midnight Brigade by Adam Borba (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 7)
This is a delightful middle grade fantasy book about friendship, fears, and chasing your dreams. Carl Chesterfield’s life in Pittsburgh changes quite a bit when his father, a bridge worker, decides to quit his job and follow his dream of owning a food truck. Following your dreams? Good. Carl’s father’s cooking? Bad. His father’s less than stellar food means that the family’s finances are in danger, and they could lose their house. But Carl is afraid to tell his father how he really feels about the food.
Carl has also made two new friends: Bee, his crush and a fellow student whose food critic mother has the ability to sink Carl’s father business; and Teddy, another student who invites Carl to be a member, along with Bee, of his monster hunting club: The Midnight Brigade. Because something really big has been leaving scratches on the bridges of Pittsburgh, and the kids think it might be a monster.
And only Carl knows what might be causing it. Did I say he made two new friends? I meant three new friends. Because Carl has a secret new friend: Frank, a 20-foot troll who lives under the bridges of Pittsburgh (of which there are 400!), who Carl accidentally met late one night. Will Carl be able to keep the truth of Frank hidden from his monster-hunting friends while also helping save his father’s business?
I loved this book! It has charm and humor, but also a wee bit of ridiculousness. I thought Carl’s dilemmas were handled really well, as was the friction between Bee and Teddy, whose divorced parents are dating. And the story of Carl’s parents and the strain of a new business and the threat of losing their home is a very real thing. And I loved Frank, who was once a proud bridge troll (but he only ate one human, once, a long time ago! He promises!) but now wanders the world because of a tragic accident in his past. I highly recommend this book for kids, adults, and teachers, especially!
(CW for mention of suspenseful situations, historical tragedy, divorce, and anxiety.)
What I’m reading this week.
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White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
Don’t Call it a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM by Sarah Berman
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
Find You First by Linwood Barclay
Groan-worthy joke of the week:
I was going to tell a time-traveling joke, but you guys didn’t like it.
And this is funny:
Happy things:
Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:
- The Chase: Somehow, I have gone many years without hearing of this game show, but now I am all in. It’s a quiz show in which contestants go up a man with an IQ of 155, who is referred to as “The Beast.” (He is a formidable man, yes, but his nickname is actually a literal translation of his surname ‘Labbett.’) I hate all the fake posturing and insults, but I love the trivia questions, because I love learning things in small, easily ingestible bits. The first two seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, and you can catch a new season on ABC starting June 6th.
- My Noise: A very comprehensive catalog of sounds to liven up the background noise or lull you to sleep.
- Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
And here’s a cat picture!
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My little pineapple upside-down cake.
Trivia answer: Ireland.
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