Hello Book Friends!
How was your weekend? It’s still hot here, but at least we got to go to New Orleans over the weekend. So we were still hot, but we were somewhere fun. Look, in case I haven’t made it clear, I hate summer. That’s all there is to it. I know that’s a hot take (pun intended), but it is what it is. Anyhow, let’s talk books. Something we can all (mostly) agree on.
Book Deals and Reveals
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Tordotcom has revealed the cover of The Mimicking of Known Successes, a gaslamp murder mystery and sapphic romance from Malka Older, out on March 7th.
Here’s the cover reveal of Spell Bound, the upcoming novel from F.T. Lukens, the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After. Coming at you on April 4, 2023.
Nerd Daily’s got the cover reveal of The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel, which is releasing on February 14th, 2023.
Here’s the cover of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant YA novel, written by LaLa Thomas. MTV Books will publish the novel in January, and it’s available for preorder now.
LGBTQ sales have increased over the past few years and show no sign of slowing down, with Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End leading the charge.
Pretty Little Liars is back, in the form of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a new series set to premiere on HBO Max on July 28th. And HBO Max has dropped the first teaser trailer.
Just a few weeks following his tea with the Queen of England, it has been announced that Paddington Bear is set to star in Paddington in Peru, the third installment in his hit franchise.
Lady Gaga is in talks to play Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the upcoming follow-up to 2019’s Joker. The sequel film is also set to be a musical, with a working title of Joker: Folie à Deux.
As mentioned last week, James Patterson said in an interview that white men authors face “another form of racism” and that it is difficult for them to get writing jobs. Here’s what authors have been saying about Patterson’s comments.
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!
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey (Tor Books, July 19)
There are authors who can do one genre really, really well. And then there are authors like Sarah Gailey who seem to just nail whatever genre they decide to tackle. Gailey has written fantasy, mystery, western, sci-fi… and now Just Like Home is their entry into the world of horror. And if you’re wondering how horror this book is… it is legitimately scary. And bizarre. But isn’t the best horror fiction also super weird?
When Vera was a child, her father was arrested for being a serial killer and hiding the dead bodies in their house. Years have passed, and Vera hasn’t been back to her childhood home since she became estranged from her mother. But when her sick mother asks her to return, Vera obeys, despite the hard feelings, difficult memories, and even the fact that now Vera’s mother is renting out the home to true crime fanatics who want to be closer to the action. Still, something draws Vera back to the house. And when she starts to discover notes around the house that were written in her father’s handwriting, she wonders if the house is trying to send her a message.
I mentioned in the beginning of the year that Just Like Home was one of my most-anticipated books of the year, and this one definitely does not disappoint. So horror fans, prepare your shelves ASAP, because this one is coming at you on July 19th. You won’t be able to stop thinking about it. Mostly you’ll be asking yourself, “what the heck did I just read?” In a good way!
What I’m Reading This Week
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All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
The Perfume Thief by Timothy Schaffert
This is Not the Real World by Anna Carey
Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
Monday Memes
Here’s a nice collection of book-related tweets that are extremely relatable. Tag yourself. I’m the person who panics whenever someone asks me what my favorite book is.
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
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The cat tree is a very popular destination for these cats, especially my orange boy Murray. Here’s one where he looks especially relaxed but also still like a weirdo.
And with that, we’ve reached the end of Book Radar for Monday! I hope you’ve had a good time. I certainly have. Now off to do more Monday things.
💙 Emily