Happy Thursday, Book Friends!
Have I got some book things for you today. And I’m super hyped on caffeine so I don’t want to wait a moment longer. Let’s ditch the small talk and get right into the book things. I’ll meet you at the end with the perfect cat picture. Deal? Okay, let’s go.
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Book Deals and Reveals
Let’s start with a cute rom-com cover reveal. Here’s the cover of Ann Zhao’s Dear Wendy, featuring art by Betsy Cola and design by Julia Bianchi. It’s out next April!
Nnedi Okorafor has revealed a new cover of the first book in the Desert Magician’s duology, illustrated by Greg Ruth. Shadow Speaker is available for preorder now and will publish from DAW Books on September 26.
And here’s the cover reveal for middle grade fantasy novel The Curse of the Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling. The cover features art by James Firnhaber and design by Kaitlin Yang. This one’s coming from Razorbill/PRH in early 2024! Preorder here.
In the mood for a hurricane thriller? Check out the cover of Nishita Parekh’s The Night of the Storm. In a tweet, the author shouts out Sarah Oberrender for “the stunning design.” The book will be out from Dutton Books on January 16, 2024.
Netflix has announced that Shawn Levy’s Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See will premiere on Thursday, November 2. The first teaser trailer has also been dropped.
ComiXology co-founder and former CEO David Steinberger and former ComiXology head of content Chip Mosher are starting a new comic book publishing company, DSTLRY.
Bestselling author Mona Awad’s upcoming novel Rouge will be adapted for film by Freemantle and Sinestra, the production banner launched by Chernobyl director Johan Renck and producer Michael Parets. Rouge isn’t out yet, but it will be out this September.
Max (the new name for HBO Max) has revealed the first footage of the streaming series The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell. The Penguin is scheduled to premiere in 2024.
10 Things That Never Happened is the first installment Material World, a new spin-off series in Alexis Hall’s London Calling universe, and it’s hitting shelves this fall. But ahead of its October 17 release, Paste Magazine is exclusively revealing the book’s cover and the first chapter. You can also learn how the Material World books tie into London Calling here.
The first trailer for The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster is bringing Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein into the modern world. The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster will be out in theaters, as well as available to stream on-demand, on June 9.
Honoring the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, the International Booker Prize has announced its 2023 shortlist.
How can you take action against book bans and in support of public libraries? Check out new tools from For the People and Every Library.
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!
Can’t Wait for This One!
The Future by Naomi Alderman (Simon & Schuster, November 7)
With the series adaptation of The Power out now on Amazon Prime Video, I feel like a lot of people have been wondering what author Naomi Alderman would come out with next. And well…here it is! And yes, it’s a dystopian novel entitled The Future, which seems like such an obvious title for a dystopian story that I’m wondering why no one has ever used it before. Either way, fans of The Power are going to want to get this one when it comes out in November. Never read The Power? Well, you’re still going to want this one.
In The Future, the world is run by a handful of billionaires who have a huge percentage of the world’s wealth. And when I say they control everything, I mean they control everything, from weapons to weather. But for a small group of friends, these rich people are not going to hold dominion over everything in the world without a fight. The five friends are “the daughter of a cult leader, a non-binary hacker, an ousted Silicon Valley visionary, the concerned wife of a dangerous CEO, and an internet-famous survivalist.” This might end up being the biggest heist of their lives — if they can get away with it.
The Future is a tense and exciting new dystopian novel that eerily reflects our near future. It’s a book that’s somehow frightening and uplifting at the same time, and it’s a must-read when it comes out later this year.
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Words of Literary Wisdom
“It was a belated realization to have, but it occurred to me that perhaps this was how grown-up conversations worked—not that your communication didn’t falter, but that you both made good-faith attempts to rectify things after it had.”
— Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
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.
If you’re anything like me, you love a book that will make you cry. If you think that’s weird, just move along.
Okay, now that it’s just us weepy people here, hi. How’s it going? A Clockwork Reader, one of my fave BookTubers, just released a new video featuring 7 sad books that will (probably) make you cry. And if this type of vid is your cup of tea, go back and watch “I read 5 of the saddest books to see if they would make me cry.” This is the type of quality YouTube content that really speaks to us sad folks.
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
Okay, it’s Seattle, but every now and then the sun comes out. And when it does, you’d better believe these cats are basking in those sunbeams. Here’s Murray getting his nap on in the sun.
Oooh…caffeine crash happening now. What I wouldn’t give for a nap.
So on that note, let me let y’all go. I’ll be back with more book stuff for you on Monday. See you then!