Dear Book Friends,
Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going well and that you’re excited for the weekend. I am because the next time I talk to you, I’ll be communicating from Belgium. It’s been a while since I’ve had a big trip, so I’m pretty excited. Anyway, for now, it’s time to talk books.
Book Deals and Reveals
American Psycho meets The Devil Wears Prada in E.K. Sathue’s horror satire youthjuice, and here is the cover reveal! You’ll never moisturize the same way again, starting on June 6, 2024 (which is when this book will be released).
Here’s the cover reveal of M.K. Pagano’s debut YA thriller, Girls Who Burn. It’s out from Penguin Teen on August 6, 2024.
Tor.com has shared the cover of Kerstin Hall’s Asunder, a standalone dark fantasy novel coming out in August 2024.
Here are Publishers Weekly‘s picks for the best books of 2023. Along with a top 10, PW shares their favorites across many genres, including mystery/thriller, poetry, romance, and more.
As we get closer and closer to the release date of Heartstopper: Vol 2, we’re getting more sneak peeks! Here is the full cover of Alice Oseman’s highly anticipated graphic novel. It’s out in December.
Speaking of sneak peeks! Entertainment Weekly has a sneak peek of the sequel to Stephen King’s Cujo. The sequel, “Rattlesnakes,” is one of 12 new short stories included in King’s new collection You Like It Darker. It’s out from Scribner on May 21, 2024.
HarperCollins has signed an agreement to publish a new book by Pope Francis. Life, My Story Through History is expected to publish next spring.
Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary for the Biden administration, has signed a two-book deal with Scribner. The first book, Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World, will be published in May 2024. No date has been set for the second book.
National Book Award finalist and winner of the 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award in Literature Grace M. Cho has sold North American rights to her novel We Will Go to Jinju to Viking at auction. No publication date has been announced yet.
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!
Power up your reading life with thoughtful writing on books and publishing, courtesy of The Deep Dive. Over at our Substack publication, you’ll find timely stories, informed takes, and useful advice from our in-house experts. We’re here to share our expertise and perspective, drawing from our backgrounds as booksellers, librarians, educators, authors, editors, and publishing professionals. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and then get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox. You can also upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features connecting you to like-minded readers.
Can’t Wait for This One!
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez (Flatiron Books, March 5, 2024)
Xochitl Gonzalez, the author of Olga Dies Dreaming, is out with a new novel next year! And it’s going to be a good one. Gonzalez’s latest work is a mesmerizing literary mystery that examines the art world, academia, and what it takes to be remembered.
In 1985, Anita de Monte was a rising star in the art world and had all the potential for an exciting career. But all of that was cut short when she was tragically found dead in New York City. Thirteen years later, most people have forgotten her name.
It’s here in 1998 that we are introduced to Raquel, an art history student who feels isolated as one of the few people of color at her school. She knows she will be forced to work twice as hard as her predominantly white cohort, and she’s resentful of that fact. But when she becomes involved with an older, well-connected art student who helps her get a leg up in the art world, she wonders if her fortunes have changed. And stumbling across the tragic story of Anita de Monte, Raquel is struck by how much Anita’s story mirrors her own.
Words of Literary Wisdom
“While musical prodigies are always celebrated, early readers aren’t. And that’s because early readers are only good at something others will eventually be good at, too. So being first isn’t special – it’s just annoying.”
— Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
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.
Want to spend money on books and support a good cause? Books for Palestine is currently holding an auction that will continue until Saturday, November 11. Auction winners will donate directly to their choice of three organizations: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, the Adalah Justice Project, and the Palestine Writes Literature Festival. Learn more here. And then participate in the auction here.
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
Does the time change have you feeling as sleepy as Cersei Anne has felt this week? I know I’ve been dragging a bit. And you gotta love those 4:30 p.m. sunsets! Right? November’s the worst!
And that’s all for today, friends. Have a wonderful weekend.