Month: November 2021

Read This Book…

Post author By Patricia Elzie
Post date November 15, 2021

Sponsored by The Perishing by Natashia Deón

Lou, a young Black woman, wakes up in an alley with no memory of how she got there or where she’s from, only a fleeting sense that this isn’t the first time she’s found herself in similar circumstances. As flashes from different times haunt her dreams, Lou begins to believe she may be an immortal sent to this place and time for a very important reason. But what could it be? Set against the rich historical landscape of 1930s Los Angeles, this “marriage of period lit and science fiction will plug the Lovecraft Country sized hole in your heart.” (Essence).

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor! Also, check out our new podcast Adaptation Nation, all about TV and film adaptations of your favorite books!

Today’s pick is a novella that is great for lovers of alternate history settings and fantasy.

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark

This book takes place in New Orleans in an alternate post-Civil War setting with a steampunk overlay. In this alternate history, the Union and the Confederacy called it a draw so folks were free in the Union states and slavery was legal in the Confederate states. They would put gas masks on the enslaved people and pump them full of a gas that basically made them like living zombies that followed orders. New Orleans is considered neutral ground.

Our protagonist is a teen nicknamed Creeper, because of how deftly she can climb things. The goddess Oya has taken up residence inside Creeper, occasionally giving her visions or even working through her physically. Oya is the Yoruba goddess of the wind, one of the Orisha brought over with the Africans on the first trans-Atlantic slave-trader ships (I’m oversimplifying). Oya gives Creeper a startling vision that puts her on edge, and then Creeper overhears some men talking about a Haitian scientist who is willing to trade The Black God’s Drums for a jewel.

Creeper knows just who to tell, or rather, barter with having this information. There’s an airship Captain who would go to great lengths to keep this out of the hands of the Confederacy and Creeper is looking to become crew on an airship. When Creeper finally is able to talk to the captain privately, the captain, too, has a goddess in residence, the goddess Oshun.

This novella takes so many exciting twists and turns and it’s full of amazing, eclectic characters that make me want even more stories featuring them. It’s a super entertaining read and perfect for this time of year if you’re trying to meet an end-of-year reading goal.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

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Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Today In Books

Beloved NPR Books Editor Has Died: Today in Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date November 14, 2021

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón

NPR Books Editor Petra Mayer Has Died

Petra Mayer, beloved books editor at NPR, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. She was remembered by colleagues as a proud nerd who loved science fiction, comics, and cats, and pointed to George Orwell’s 1984 as inspiring her love of dystopian fiction. She was passionate about books, and supporting those in the book community, as evidenced by the number of heartfelt tributes found around the Internet.

FL School Board Member Files Criminal Complaint Over Book

In the latest wave of censorship, a school board member in Florida has filed a criminal complaint over the inclusion of George M. Johnson’s book All Boys Aren’t Blue in a school library. MSNBC invited Johnson on air to talk about the important of including diverse books that portray a wide range of experiences that kids and teens face.

‘Agatha: House Of Harkness’: Disney+ Confirms Series Order Of Kathryn Hahn ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff

WandaVision fans will be excited to learn that Disney+ has ordered a series starring Agatha, played by Kathryn Hahn. She played the villain in WandaVision, but quickly won over fans. No news on when the show will premiere, but it was one of the many new content announcements Disney+ made this past week.

Riot Rundown

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Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date November 13, 2021

Sponsored by The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

A trip to Lapland was supposed to be best friends Christy and Alix’s perfect Christmas getaway. But with Christy facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, and Alix trying to ignore the sizzle she’s developing for a fellow guest, will their Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

Today In Books

Jon M. Chu to Direct OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Animated Film: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 13, 2021

Isabel Waidner Wins Goldsmiths Prize for Sterling Karat Gold

Isabel Waidner has won the Goldsmiths prize for their third novel Sterling Karat Gold, a work that judges said combines “the real and the mythic, the beautiful and the grotesque, to mind-bending effect.” Waidner’s novel tells the story of a non-binary migrant cleaner who is arrested in London and then must face up against bullfighters, football players, and spaceships to be exonerated. The publisher Peninsula Press describes Sterling Karate Gold as “Kafka’s The Trial written for the era of gaslighting.” Waidner’s work beat out novels such as Claire-Louise Bennett’s Checkout 19, Leone Ross’s This One Sky Day, and Rebecca Watson’s Little Scratch to win the award.

Jon M. Chu to Direct Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Animated Film

Jon M. Chu has signed on to direct the animated film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go! for Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Warner Animation Group. This film will mark Bad Robot Productions’ first foray into the world of animated film. Both J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella will share producer credits. Jon Chu is perhaps best known for directing Crazy Rich Asians, and he is currently attached to direct the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Courtenay Valenti, president, production and development at Warner Bros. Pictures, said in a statement, “We are beyond thrilled to bring one of the most beloved Dr. Seuss books to life for so many generations of Seuss fans. The pairing of this classic title, with the creative excellence of Jon Chu and Bad Robot defines what we at WB try to achieve: marry great branded entertainment with singular creative talent.” Oh, The Places You’ll Go is expected to release in 2027.

Spotify is Getting into the Audiobook Business

Spotify, the Swedish audio streaming subscription service giant, is getting into the American audiobook business with an agreement to acquire Ohio-based digital audiobook distributor Findaway for an undisclosed price. “It is Spotify’s ambition to be the destination for all things audio both for listeners and creators. The acquisition of Findaway will accelerate Spotify’s presence in the audiobook space and will help us more quickly meet that ambition,” said Spotify’s chief research and development officer Gustav Söderström.

Nemo the Library Fish’s New Job and More Good Book News This Week

Not all news is bad news! This week, a library goldfish found a new job as a therapy fish. Here’s that story and more good book news from this week.

The Fright Stuff

If You Read It, Then You Read It

Post author By Jessica Avery
Post date November 12, 2021

Sponsored by Vault Comics – the best in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror Comics!

MONSTERS WALK BESIDE US ALL … AND SOMETIMES LURK WITHIN. In her past, the Important Man took away Jacey’s brother. Now Jacey has David, who sometimes transforms into a terrifying beast. Together, they’ve found a way to live – hunt down those who prey on the vulnerable. But the Important Man is still out there – and Jacey and David are about to run into him again. By bestselling author Paul Cornell & artist Sally Cantirino! AVAILABLE NOW! www.vaultcomics.com

Hey‌ ‌there‌ horror fans, ‌I’m‌ ‌Jessica‌ ‌Avery‌ ‌and‌ ‌I’ll‌ ‌be‌ ‌delivering‌ ‌your‌ ‌weekly‌ ‌brief‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌that’s‌ ‌ghastly‌ ‌and‌ ‌grim‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌of‌ ‌Horror.‌ ‌Whether‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌looking‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌backlist‌ ‌book‌ ‌that‌ ‌will‌ ‌give‌‌ you‌ ‌the‌ ‌willies,‌ ‌a‌ ‌terrifying‌ ‌new‌ ‌release,‌ ‌or‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌in‌ ‌horror‌ ‌community‌ ‌news,‌ ‌you’ll‌ ‌find‌ ‌it‌ ‌here‌ in‌ ‌The‌ ‌Fright‌ ‌Stuff.

Back in September, I read Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation for the first time, and I tweeted about this surprising but fascinating quest I was on to determine why Annihilation, a book that is not explicitly queer horror, was giving me such major queer vibes. I did eventually finish Annihilation, complete with my army of color-coded sticky notes. And while breaking down the entire book is a bit more involved than I can fit in one newsletter, there was something I wanted to talk about in this week’s Fright Stuff that is related to my Annihilation project: the validity of reader interpretations.

There has been a lot of discussion in the horror community lately about authors, readers, textual interpretation, and the experience of reading. And I think the whole situation is symptomatic of a larger issue, a sort of lack of general understanding among some horror readers and authors about the right of a reader to form their own interpretations of and opinions about the books they read. And the fact that those interpretations do not require either the author’s consent or the approval of other readers, because individual reading experiences are unique and extremely personal.

Once an English major, always an English major I guess, but one of the things my teachers always drummed into us was that there is no wrong or right way to read a text. If you can provide textual support for your reading (the gold standard of proof in English academia) then your interpretation is valid. End of story. Hark! I think I hear the existential screaming of some of my more hardnosed professors but I don’t even care.

And I am firmly of the belief that the above doesn’t just apply to so-called “literary” texts. Horror readers know very well how much an author can pack into a single, terrifying book in terms of themes, metaphors, tropes, etc. So the idea that genre fiction doesn’t have the depth needed to support interpretive reading is, frankly, bullshit.

And even if it weren’t, the experience of reading a book isn’t a sola scriptura event. Yes, you use the text to support your interpretation, but at least a portion of how you come to interpret a book has to do with where and when you’re reading it. That’s why you can read the same book at different times in your life and have two completely different experiences with the same work of fiction. Reader interpretations are entirely subjective, and that’s not a bad thing.

For example: I am fully aware that my reading of Annihilation as a queer text was influenced by my own journey of sexual identity. I read the Biologist’s experience of transformation inside Area X as, specifically, a narrative of sexual discovery because that was a huge part of my life at the time. But depending on the reader, her story could easily be read as a trans narrative, as an expression of humanity’s displacement from nature, or any number of possibilities that haven’t even occurred to me because I’m not the right reader for that particular interpretation.

My ability to read that queer narrative within Annihilation was a result of the themes present in the novel – themes of transformation, identity, the intersection of biology and humanity – which are, if not intrinsically, then at least tangentially queer. They’re themes that have invited queer interpretations of literature for years, even of texts that are not overtly queer, and the presence of those themes allows me to support my reading of Annihilation as a queer horror book. But it was my personal experience that allowed me to see the queer narrative that I might have missed if I had read the book at another time in my life.

And, though the impostor syndrome monster living deep in my soul shrieks in agony at the thought, I know that I can put my interpretation out there in the world with confidence, as can any reader, because our experiences as readers are honest, and our own.

Fresh From the Skeleton’s Mouth

Did you see that Kiersten White’s (The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein) forthcoming adult horror novel, Hide, has a stunning new cover? It’s to die for! I didn’t think it was possible to be even more excited about this book but I am. I defy you to think of a creepier setting than an abandoned amusement park.

Speaking of gorgeous covers, Ava Reid (The Wolf and the Woodsman) revealed the cover of her forthcoming baroque gothic novel Juniper and Thorn, and it is pure perfection. And that synopsis? Where’s a chef’s kiss emoji when you need one.

Nightfire is going just determined to ruin my life in the best ways. They’ve just announced a new novella from Cassandra Khaw, slated for May of 2023, about a flesh eating mermaid. The Salt Grows Heavy sounds like everything I could want in a horror novella and more!

We’ve got a brand new podcast over at Book Riot! Adaptation Nation is all about TV and film adaptations of your favorite books! And given this glorious genre renaissance in which we find ourselves, you just know some of those adaptations are going to be horror!

As always, you can catch me on twitter at @JtheBookworm, where I try to keep up on all that’s new and frightening.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

The Kids Are All Right

Children’s Books for the Holidays

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date November 12, 2021

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis, illustrated by Daniel Minter

I adore Daniel Minter’s illustrative style (Going Down Home with Daddy, a book he illustrated, won a Caldecott Honor a couple of years ago), and this book is beautifully created with linoleum block prints. In this story, seven brothers are constantly fighting, but when their father dies, the brothers are tasked with creating gold out of seven spools of thread. If they can’t accomplish this by sundown, they will live the rest of their life as beggars. Using the Nguzo Saba, or “seven principles” of Kwanzaa, the author has created an unforgettable story that shows how family members can pull together, for their own good and the good of the entire community.

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Sonia Manzano from Sesame Street writes this sweet tale about the joys of an urban Christmas. On the day before Christmas, Mami brings home a delicious roast for a Christmas feast. When they discover it’s too big to fit in their oven, Jose and Papa need to find an oven big enough to cook Mami’s roast. They visit their neighbors to find a bigger oven, bringing Christmas cheer with them along the way.

Red and Green and Blue and White by Lee Wind, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

It’s December, and the houses on Isaac and Teresa’s block are getting ready for the holidays. Isaac and his family decorate their big window for Chanukah, and across the street, his best friend Teresa and her family trim their Christmas tree. When it gets dark, Teresa’s house glows red and green and Isaac’s decorative menorah glows blue and white. But when someone throws a rock through Isaac’s window late at night, the celebratory spirit is extinguished until the whole community joins together to support Isaac and his family and celebrate the true spirit of the holidays.

The Real Santa by Nancy Redd, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

This sweet picture book answers the age old question: What does Santa look like? A family celebrates the Christmas season with family, representation, and holiday spirit.

The Legend of the Christmas Witch by Dan Murphy and Aubrey Plaza, illustrated by Julia Iredale (November 16, 2021, Penguin)

There are many sides to every story, and this story is about Kristoffer and Kristtorn. They lived alone in the woods until one day, Kristoffer was found by a couple and taken away to live with them while Kristtorn was left alone. She ends up finding a home with a witch who recognized her powers and tried to protect her from the world. But Kristtorn grew up and her powers grew, and she learned that the world was afraid of her. Beautiful illustrations accompany this Christmas tale.

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

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Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Highly Engaged

111421-WeddingGuest-EnhancedEblast

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date November 12, 2021

Sponsored by The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery

Guilted into being bridesmaids at their parents’ vow renewal ceremony, sisters Reggie and Dena Sommerville come together for the holiday wedding, only to find love in the most unexpected of places–in their small hometown.

Today In Books

ALA Announces the Finalists for the 2022 Carnegie Medals: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 12, 2021

Christos Tsiolkas Wins $60,000 Melbourne Prize for Literature

Earlier this week, Melbourne writer Christos Tsiolkas was awarded the $60K Melbourne Prize for Literature, one of the richest literary prizes in Australia. According to the prize’s judges, Tsiolkas was honored for his “outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life.” Tsiolkas has written several bestsellers, including Damascus, which won last year’s Victorian Premier’s prize for fiction. In a short acceptance speech, Tsiolkas thanked his family and his publisher, Jane Palfreyman, and said, “I feel like the luckiest fella tonight.”

Tor Nightfire Announces New Horror Novella from Cassandra Khaw

On Wednesday, Tor Nightfire announced on Twitter that Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth, has a new horror novella. The publisher describes Khaw’s new novel The Salt Grows Heavy as “a sharp and hungry mermaid tale full of creeping dread and delicious gore.” In an article on Tor Nightfire’s website, Khaw explains the unlikely inspiration behind her mermaid horror story: “Funnily, 9gag was the catalyst. Years ago, I saw this ridiculous cartoon strip that showed Ariel laying eggs and Eric being aghast at the whole situation, and that just was the catalyst. It stuck in my head. What if mermaids laid eggs? And what if the eggs came into the world the way little baby sharks do: voracious, keen on everything in sight. What if we poked at a few more things? Touched on mankind’s sense of entitlement to the bounties of his planet?” Look for The Salt Grows Heavy in bookstores everywhere in May 2022.

ALA Announces the Finalists for the 2022 Carnegie Medals

The American Library Association has announced the six books shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The medals are awarded to the best adult fiction and nonfiction books published in the United States in the previous year. The finalists are as follows: The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade, Matrix by Lauren Groff, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin, Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib, and Seek You by Kristen Radtke. The winners will be announced at the ALA Book and Media Awards (BMAs) virtual event on Sunday, January 23, 2022.

Students Petition for Library Books, School Board Members Want to Burn LGBTQ+ Titles, and More Censorship News

Here’s all the censorship news that happened across the United States over the past week. Some of it is good news, and some of it is not so good.

Book Radar

Tor Nightfire Announces New Cassandra Khaw Novella and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 12, 2021

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal for Lisa Jewell’s upcoming novel The Family Remains, the sequel to The Family Upstairs. It will be out in August 2022.

Tor Nightfire’s got some good news for anyone who loved this year’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. Khaw’s next novel The Salt Grows Heavy, “a sharp and hungry mermaid tale full of creeping dread and delicious gore,” is coming out in May 2023!

Ashley Liao & Ross Butler have signed on to star in the upcoming adaptation of Loveboat, Taipei, based on the novel by Abigail Hing Wen.

LGBTQ Reads has got an exclusive cover reveal of Maya Dean’s Wrath Goddess Sing, releasing June 7, 2022 from William Morrow.

Here’s a sneak peek at Alexis Schaitkin’s upcoming novel Elsewhere, which is being described as a mix of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Margaret Atwood. This one will publish June 28, 2022.

Barnes & Noble has just announced the upcoming publication of Family of Liars, E. Lockhart’s prequel to her New York Times bestselling novel We Were Liars. Family of Liars will be out on May 3, 2022.

Here’s the cover reveal of Ellen Hagan’s upcoming YA novel Don’t Call Me A Hurricane, out from Bloomsbury on May 17, 2022.

One more cover reveal this Monday: here’s the really adorable cover of Marcelle Karp’s YA novel Getting Over Max Cooper. This one’s out on April 19, 2022.

The Guadalajara International Book Fair, the biggest Spanish-language book fair, is returning this year with a hybrid in-person and online event, running from November 27 through December 5.

Jon M. Chu has signed on to directed a film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ beloved book Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Jesse Sutanto has won the Comedy Women in Print Award for her novel Dial A for Aunties.

The American Library Association has announced the six books shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction.

Book Riot Recommends

I’m a Contributing Editor at Book Riot, I write the Today in Books newsletter, and I’m a Bibliologist for Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendations subscription service. I also have a PhD in English, so I’m basically a doctor of books. Books are my life, in other words, so in this section of the newsletter, let me share with you some upcoming books I’m super excited about. And I think you will be too!

Prepare Your Shelves!

Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera (Quill Tree Books, December 28, 2021)

Back in 2018, I listened to the audiobook of What if It’s Us when I was on a road trip, and I fell in love with these characters. I loved that Arthur was a fellow theater nerd and I related to his awkwardness. And Ben seemed like the kind of fantasy boyfriend that could get Arthur to break out of his shell. But at the same time, Ben also had a personality and a story of his own. And while these two seemed like the perfect match for each other, not everything worked out perfectly. And that’s okay. In life, things don’t always fall exactly into place, and I appreciate the realism. So I honestly wasn’t looking for a sequel. I was happy with where we left things.

And yet… when the sequel came out, I had to get my hands on it. So where are Ben and Arthur now? Well, they’re both in New York, but after two years apart, they’re focusing on their own goals and their own, separate visions of the future. And yet, while these two are on seemingly totally different trajectories, they keep running into each other. Is New York really that small, or are they just destined to get back together? Here’s to Us is a book you could probably enjoy on its own. Enough context is provided where you can fall into the story and understand the characters’ history without having read the previous book. But What If It’s Us was such a fun read, why wouldn’t you want to just read both?

If you are a fan of audiobooks, I recommend these on audio. I love audiobooks where different narrators read for the different characters’ perspectives. I feel like it gives my ears a little break and reset when I’m sitting down for a long listening session. Noah Galvin and Froy Gutierrez narrated the audiobook for What if It’s Us, and they’re back for Here’s to Us. After a few years away from these characters and their story, it was nice to return to these familiar voices.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Will by Will Smith

Monday Memes

This meme is so relatable to me. Just as an example, Cersei is my favorite character in Game of Thrones (the books and the show), and I feel like I have to defend that constantly.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

Remember how I said I love planning things? Well, friends, it’s that time of the year. Time to pick out my 2022 planners. Yes, I am a big fan of paper planners. I like writing plans down by hand. It helps me remember everything and I love seeing it all on paper. I’ve been getting Passion Planners for the last several years for my everyday planning, and I’m going with Passion Planner again this year. This year, I ordered the Weekly 2022 Annual in Elegant Marble (the large one, of course).

I’ve also been enjoying using reading planners lately as well. Yes, I’m still using Goodreads, and I love, love, love Tirzah Price’s reading logs—I can’t wait to see what her 2022 log will look like. But now I’m also tracking my reading with planners. This year, I’m trying a new one. I’ve preordered Little Inkling’s 2022 Always Fully Booked Planner. The black and white one I ordered is sold out, but the rainbow one is still available!

And Here’s a Cat Picture!

Since it’s Monday and all, let’s make it “Take Your Cat to Work Day.” Here’s a picture of sweet Murray helping me to start my work week off right. He’s definitely not thinking about pushing all of my stuff off the desk. No way.

Thanks for your help, sweet Murray! Are you taking your pet with you to work today?

Well, bye! That’s all I’ve got for you today. I hope you have a nice day. Make sure to bring a coat when you go out. And if it gets hot while you’re out and you take your coat off, make sure you remember to grab it when you come back home. I’ve lost lots of coats. That’s all I’m saying.

❤️ Emily

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Kissing Books

Respect Romance Roots

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date November 12, 2021

Romance Reflection

Last week, our dear Mrs. Bev got reported over on Twitter after getting into a back and forth with another writer after re-tweeting something about rejection. And I remember seeing that tweet and feeling a warm fuzzy inside. Because we all know rejection hurts. And sometimes hearing about someone else’s experience, especially an author you admire, can help you get through it. And that was the whole point of the tweet.

The issue arose when the other party tried to tell Mrs. Bev that it was bad form to acknowledge that she had seen it or something of that nature. That is just what I could surmise. I couldn’t find the specific response, as the other party has since made their tweets private. Which is completely her prerogative. I’m not judging her for that at all. This time of the year especially, I’m a big proponent of doing what you have to do for your mental well being.

That said, I do have feedback regarding a few things that were said. One is the accusation that Mrs. Bev sent her followers after her. Let’s be clear; Mrs. Bev has reached a level where she doesn’t have to ask her fans to do anything. They will defend her if they think she’s being attacked. That is one of the privileges (and sometimes pitfalls) that come from a long and successful career.

The other is that it sounds like she was telling Mrs. Bev how publishing works, which is laughable. She’s been in the game for a while so she has an idea of how it’s played. Most people who have been in any field for a set period of time will get defensive when a newer person comes in and tries to tell them how it works. That’s just human nature.

But Mrs. Bev still stayed courteous throughout this exchange; her fans were the ones that, some would argue rightfully so, told the other person how mistaken she was in all her assumptions about the type of person she was and how she should have reacted to the original tweet.

Yes, it’s important to have young fresh faces and voices in any field. But, it’s equally as important to acknowledge that you’re not entering uncharted territory and there are many other pioneers that came before you.

Book Riot Romance

Rioter Alison put together this handy-dandy Jackie Lau reading pathway.

And if you enjoyed The Heart Principle, Rioter Julia has some read-a-like recs for you.

Don’t forget to check out Adaptation Nation, Book Riot’s latest podcast.

Around the Web in Romance

Fated Mates came out with their Best Books of 2021.

Here’s some more excitement for The Hating Game adaptation.

Cartel has acquired 25 Brenda Jackson books for adaptation.

After seeing this trailer, I can’t not share it because it looks adorable.

Tomorrow you can tune in to The Ripped Bodice’s Facebook Live event where Sonali Dev and Sara Desai will be discussing Desai’s latest release, The Singles Table.

Paul Rudd was named Sexiest Man Alive for 2021 and all I can say is, “Yes.”

So much truth here.

Check out this interview that Goodreads did with Talia Hibbert about her favorite romances of 2021.

New Releases

Here are some of the new releases that are hitting the shelves this week. Due to the supply chain issues, some of these may not be available in physical form or may sell out quickly. But these were the dates that I found as of the writing of this newsletter.

The Chef’s Choice by Susan D. Peters (11/15)

The Singles Table by Sara Desai (11/16)

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins (11/16)

House on Fire by Jenn Burke (11/16)

Rare Danger by Beverly Jenkins (11/16)

Rosie’s Curl and Weave by Rocheller Alers, Donna Hill, Felicia Mason, and Francis Ray (11/16)

All the Feels by Olivia Dade (11/16)

Forever Wilde in Aster Valley by Lucy Lennox (11/16)

An Alaskan Wedding by Nance Sparks (11/16)

The Professor’s Dragon by Louisa Masters (11/18)

And that’s all I have for you today. In case you’re wondering, yes, it was weird to not include deals but I’m confident we’ll all adjust to this! I’ll be back Thursday with some Thanksgiving romance recommendations to get you through the holiday next week. As always, give me a follow over on Twitter @PScribe801. Until then.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!