Hello Book Friends!
I can tell my cats missed me when I was gone because today Murray has been on my lap pretty much nonstop all day. Right now I’m trying to write, but the cat is not really interested in letting me have both arms. I’m doing the best I can. So let’s see if I can get through this newsletter with a cute ginger cat draped across me. Wish me luck.
Book Deals and Reveals
Amanda Gorman has announced her second children’s book Something, Someday, which will be released on September 16 by Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers.
Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has signed a seven-figure, two-book deal with authors George M. Johnson and Leah Johnson. Their first book is scheduled for release in 2025.
Here’s the cover reveal for Elena Armas’ upcoming novel The Long Game. The “brand new small-town soccer romance” is coming out September 5.
Brian Wasson has shared the cover of his upcoming contemporary YA debut, Seven Minutes in Candyland. The author says the story is “about a boy whose chance meeting with a longtime crush opens his eyes and heart to some sweet and sour truths about growing up and letting go.”
Lisa Springer’s debut YA contemporary horror-comedy looks like a lot of fun. Check out the cover reveal here. There’s No Way I’d Die First is out September 5.
There’s a new book for adults coming from Bill Watterson, bestselling creator of Calvin and Hobbes, and caricaturist John Kascht. The Mysteries will be available on October 10.
Former defensive back and two-time Super Bowl winner Malcolm Jenkins sold North American rights to What Winners Don’t Tell You to Simon & Schuster. The book will feature an introduction by quarterback Tom Brady.
Timothy Schaffert has sold North American rights to The Titanic Survivors Book Club to Doubleday. The novel is scheduled for a spring 2024 release.
A live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon is heading to theaters on March 14, 2025.
The HarperCollins Union has voted to ratify the contract with HarperCollins. The employees represented by the union will return 2/21.
PEN America’s Literary Award Finalists have been announced. They include books by debut writers and well-known writers alike.
Love BookTok? Love horror? Find the best books on HorrorTok now to scare the sh*t out of you and make you say “What did I just read?!”
Book Riot Recommends
Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!
Prepare Your Shelves
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly (Forever, March 7)
Romance lovers could not get enough of Anita Kelly’s Love & Other Disasters last year. Now the author is back with their second full-length novel. It’s a M/M romance that I already know people are going to be just obsessed with. It’s going to be just as charming and unforgettable as Kelly’s first, so go ahead and make space on your TBR now. This is one you’ll want to read in March so you can be part of the conversation.
When Alexei Lebedev starts his journey on the Pacific Crest Trail, he’s prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and spending months with no one but himself to keep him company. And yet somehow, on this 2,500-mile trail, Lex keeps running into the same guy — Ben Caravalho. For Ben, Lex isn’t the first beautiful man he’s let creep into his heart, but there’s something different about the gorgeous and, yes, slightly nerdy guy that Ben can’t get out of his head. Is it coincidence that these two keep running into each other over and over again? Or is the trail somehow bringing them together?
What I’m Reading This Week
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth
Severance by Ling Ma
Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata
Monday Memes
I’m taking a break from bookish memes this week to share with you a cat-related meme. Because have I mentioned I really missed my cats while I was away?
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
Just to bookend this whole newsletter, this is exactly what I was talking about. Murray has been chilling out on my lap pretty much nonstop all day. I kind of love it, even if it means my productivity has been less than optimal. Sometimes it’s nice to take a long break after a tiring trip. We all have to stop and cuddle the cats every now and then.
And that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful week.