Dear Book Friends,
Today I fly to Portland, and once again I’ve packed three (yes THREE) books for the flight. What am I bringing? I’m glad you asked. I’m taking I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond, and Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda. How many books is too many books to bring on a trip? You’ll have to let me know your thoughts. In the meantime, here’s all the book stuff you came for.
Book Deals and Reveals
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Here’s the cover reveal for The Pledge, Cale Dietrich’s upcoming queer YA slasher novel. Dietrich tweeted, “I’m a huge horror fan and it means so much to me that I was able to write a slasher story with a gay guy as the lead!”
Another exciting YA cover reveal: here’s a look at Amparo Ortiz’s upcoming YA fantasy novel Last Sunrise in Eterna. This one’s coming out on March 23, 2023!
Veronica Roth has got a new novel coming out! It’s called Poster Girl, and Today has a first look at the cover, an excerpt from the book, and more.
Tor.com has another cover reveal for us: Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah. This one’s coming out February 21, 2023 from Wednesday Books.
HBO is developing a limited series adaptation of Sula, the novel by Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.
Netflix has released the first set of images for its upcoming young adult vampire drama First Kill, which debuts on the streaming platform on June 10th.
Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings is being adapted into a television series by Greta Lee and A24.
Entertainment Weekly has put together a list of the books they’re most excited to read this summer.
These were the most popular, in-demand books in US libraries from January to March 2022.
2022 is going to be a big year for anime! Here’s a look at some upcoming manga adaptations you need to have on your radar.
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!
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
Can’t Wait for This One
Piñata by Leopoldo Gout (Tor Nightfire, March 14, 2023)
Y’all! This is another one of those books I’ve been HIGHLY anticipating. One of those books that was supposed to come out in late 2022. And yeah, it’s one of those books that got pushed back! I’m so bummed, but also, dang! 2023 is going to be a great year for horror fiction, I predict. And if you’re wondering why you should be excited about this particular book, well, you should have known I was going to tell you more about it.
This book is being described as Hereditary meets Head Full of Ghosts, which are two of the most astoundingly horrifying stories ever. Piñata follows the story of Carmen Sanchez, who is back in her home country of Mexico with her teen daughters Izel and Luna so that she can oversee the renovation of an ancient cathedral into a boutique hotel.
But Carmen’s project is met with adversaries at every turn. The locals treat Carmen and her daughters like outsiders, and her contractors openly sabotage the project. After Luna is nearly injured at the construction site, Carmen decides enough is enough and she returns with her family to New York.
But returning to New York doesn’t mean escaping the troubles the Sanchez family encountered in Mexico. Something has been awakened, and it might be too late for Carmen and her daughters to escape.
Words of Literary Wisdom
“Clocks are everywhere if you know how to recognize them. A dandelion is a clock, obviously. Rice pouring into a bowl is a clock, each grain marking the passage of time. A school assignment, an apple as it withers, a tree waiting for spring. Each of these things measures living moments, what remains before death. Tick, tock.”
— Sundial by Catriona Ward
What’s Up in the Book Community?
My iPhone is constantly telling me I spend too much time staring at my screen, which is honestly so rude. But this means I spend a lot of time scrolling around the online book community: BookTube, Bookstagram, BookTok, BookLinkedIn (JK. That’s not a thing… I don’t think). You get the idea. Don’t have the time, energy, or the will to do all of that yourself? No problem. I got you. In this weekly section of Book Radar, we’ll take a look at something cool, interesting, and/or newsy that’s going on in the book community.
Sick of books being banned? Me too. And now you can get cool shirts to express your frustration and anger while also helping out a good cause. As part of their “Freedom to Read” campaign, the Nashville Public Library Association has created “I Read Banned Books” t-shirts (and coffee mugs). A portion of proceeds from the sales will benefit Nashville Public Library programs, resources, and collections to keep information available to all people, completely free of charge.
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
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On the weekends, my husband and I like to chill out on the couch and read together. And if we’re lucky, Cersei will jump up on the couch and join us. As you can see, this past weekend we were very lucky. And if you’re wondering what Ben is reading, it’s Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James!
Well it’s been lovely checking in with you all this Thursday! Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you Monday.
💙 Emily