Happy Monday, friends! And oh, HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!
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First Monday of the month is giving me positive feelings. Even though I don’t get super excited about summer, I am feeling optimistic about June. I’m hoping to get more reading done this month. I’m hoping to start writing more. I have June resolutions, okay? Do you have any hopes and dreams for the summer? Reach out and let me know! And now…all the book things.
Book Deals and Reveals
For Chuck Tingle’s first full-length, traditionally published novel, Camp Damascus, actress Mara Wilson will be narrating the audiobook.
Tordotcom Publishing has revealed the gorgeous cover of The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohammed. The art & design is by Andrew Davis, and the book will be out in winter 2024!
On Twitter, author Darcy Coates has shared the cover of her upcoming YA horror novel Where He Can’t Find You. The book will be out on November 7!
Hasan Minhaj has joined the cast of It Ends With Us. The actor/comedian will play Marshall opposite Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in Wayfarer Studios and Sony Pictures’ film adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel.
Vaseem Khan has just been elected as the new chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, becoming the first person of color to chair the association in its 70-year history.
Amazon Studios has shared a video of the opening title for season 2 of Good Omens, ahead of of the season’s July 28 release.
After three years in development, Netflix has decided to scrap their adaptation of Keira Cass’ bestselling novel The Selection.
From drag queen story hours to bookish dance parties, find out how queer-owned bookstores across the U.S. are celebrating Pride.
Books Inc., the oldest independent bookstore in California’s Bay Area, is making book fairs accessible to underserved students.
BookTok is a hottest thing in the publishing industry. Here are 9 authors that leveraged TikTok popularity to help get a book deal.
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!
The Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella (Flatiron Books, July 11)
Since it’s Pride Month, I thought we should highlight some really great LGBTQ+ books coming out soon. First up, let’s talk about The Sea Elephants, Shastri Akella’s debut novel. It’s out from Flatiron Books on July 11, so prepare those shelves.
Knowing that he can never be the kind of son his father wants him to be, Shagun leaves his home and enrolls himself in an all-boys boarding school. But what he’s hoping to find isn’t awaiting him at the school. Instead, Shagun finds connection and belonging when he encounters a traveling theatre group. Shagun easily falls in with the group, performing and reimagining the Hindu stories from his childhood. And he falls in love with a photographer named Marc.
But as much as Shagun wants to find happiness with his new found family, it’s not that easy to shake the shame he feels. Nor is it easy to forget his father’s threats to send him off to a conversion camp. And as the past continues to haunt his present, Shagun will have to decide if he’s strong enough to fight for his own happiness.
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What I’m Reading This Week
The Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
Monday Memes
Let’s share some queer bookish memes for Pride Month. Can anyone else identify with the obsession with The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith? NO!??! You’re missing out. That book is fire.
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
Ugh…you know what’s cuter than a cat picture? A close-up cat picture. I was trying to take a picture of Remy’s cute lil paws here. But then he went and started sniffing my phone. Adorable.
Okay, well, stick around and gaze at my cute cat all you want, but I’m gonna go for now. See you on Thursday?