Author: Emily Martin

Woman Who Wrote Children’s Book About Grief is Now Charged with Murder: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 10, 2023

Sponsored by

Stephen King’s “The Monkey” is Being Adapted for the Big Screen

The next Stephen King story to get adapted for the big screen is going to be the short story “The Monkey,” first published in 1980 and then included in King’s 1985 collection Skeleton Crew. The film will star Theo James (The Time Traveler’s Wife), will be produced by The Conjuring‘s James Wan, and will be written and directed by Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House). No release date for the project has been announced yet.

A Video Game Adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is Coming Soon

French publisher Microids has announced a video game adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. The publisher describes the game as a “faithful, but augmented” version of Christie’s classic mystery. Microids state that players will lead the investigation by entering detective Hercule Poirot’s head to “discover mind maps and make deductions.” The game also introduces a new character, Joanna Locke, who will help players “regularly exit the train environment during playable flashbacks.” The game is also set in 2023. Microids expects the game to launch by the end of this year.

Woman Who Wrote Children’s Book About Grief is Now Charged with Murder

A year after her husband’s death, Kouri Richins published a children’s book about grief, entitled Are You With Me? Now investigators allege Richins killed her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl. Richins has been charged with aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Kouri Richins was arrested Monday and is currently in custody.

33 Must-Read Books of Nonfiction by AAPI Authors

Nonfiction is where things get really juicy! Get a firsthand look at the truth of AAPI experiences with nonfiction by AAPI authors.

Book Radar

Viral TikTok Video Helps Get Author A Sequel and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 10, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

It’s Thursday, and it’s finally starting to feel like spring up here in the PNW. Still, I have to admit, I’ve spent a lot of time on the couch this week watching Beef and Queen Charlotte on Netflix. Oops. I hope to get out and enjoy the weather this weekend though! How has your week been going? Have you been outdoors enjoying yourself, or have you been a giant couch potato like me? More importantly, are you ready to talk books?

Book Riot has a new podcast for you to check out if you’re looking for more bookish content in your life. First Edition will include interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books. You can subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.

Book Deals and Reveals

Get ready for The Mayor of Maxwell Street. This debut novel follows an ambitious Black debutante and a young biracial conman who meet “on the bloody streets of Chicago when the ’20s first began to roar.” Check out the beautiful cover, designed by Amy King. This one’s out from Hyperion Avenue on January 16, 2024.

The Nerd Daily has revealed the cover for Ivy Ngeow’s romantic suspense-thriller The American Boyfriend. It’s out from Penguin Random House SEA on July 25.

And here’s the cover of Alebrijes by Newberry Award-winning author Donna Barba Higuera. This middle grade sci-fi novel will be out on October 3 from Levine Querido.

Where are my cat people at? You’re going to love the cover of John Scalzi’s Starter Villain, with art from Chesley Award-winning Tristan Elwell. This one will be out on September 19 and you can preorder it here.

Remember when Lloyd Deveraux Richards’ daughter posted a TikTok video that went viral and helped Richards’ book become a bestseller? Well, he’s just sold the rights to a second thriller, Maidens of the Cave, which will be a sequel to his first novel Stone Maidens.

Jennette McCurdy, bestselling author of the memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, has announced a new book club that she will facilitate on her Instagram account.

Marvel Studios is shutting down preproduction on its vampire thriller Blade. The studio says it will restart production once the strike is over.

Christina Hendricks is attached to star in the upcoming psychological thriller Reckoner, based on the short story by the late Rachel Ingalls.

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are in talks to star in an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao.

Check out what all the online book clubs are reading in May, from dystopian fiction to historical fiction set in old Hollywood.

Machine learning and AI have grown leaps and bounds — so why are algorithmically generated book recommendations still so bad?

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!

Kween by Vichet Chum (Quill Tree Books, October 3)

I don’t know about you, but I love the energy of this cover. Maybe it’s because I love purple. Maybe it’s because this cover is super cute. Either way, I’m excited to read this one when it comes out in October, and after I tell you about it, I think you will be too.

Soma Kear is a queer Cambodian American teen whose slam poetry videos have gone viral. Soma’s verses are how she makes sense of the world and finds a connection to her true self. But with everything going on at home and her Ba’s deportation to Cambodia, is Soma really ready to put herself out there? And when Soma’s school decides to on a spoken word contest, will she be brave enough to share her truest self — her fears, her uncertainties — with the world?

Vichet Chum’s debut novel promises to be a celebration of Khmer identity, queerness, and “embracing the complicated histories that shape who we are and want to be.”

Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading? Subscribe to Book Riot’s The Deep Dive to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“After all, money was like bunnies – once you had a certain amount of hundreds in your wallet, they just kept multiplying. Either people respected you and gave you opportunities that led to more money, or you put it in the stock market, sat back and watched it give birth over and over again.”

— Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin (I’m manifesting these words of literary wisdom right now)

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.

I feel like this week we have to acknowledge the Taylor Swift memoir conspiracy. So let’s dive in.

So for the past week or so, Taylor Swift fans have been taking to social media to share their theories about an upcoming potential memoir and hints that the musician may (or may not) be dropping about this memoir’s release. In fact, people are so convinced that this unnamed memoir from an undisclosed celebrity is going to be a Taylor Swift memoir that the book has already pushed the mysterious book up the charts.

But Swifties? I’ve got bad news. It has been confirmed that the memoir is not, in fact, by Taylor Swift. So who is the mystery author? Now people are speculating that it might be BTS, but we’ll have to wait and see!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s a little peek into our daily routine. Every morning, the cats get fed and then they immediately go over to the treat drawer to await their treats. So yes, here they are awaiting their morning treats. They are terribly spoiled.

And that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you soon.

Emily

Today In Books

GAME OF THRONES Spinoff Shuts Down Writers Room for Strike: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 9, 2023

Sponsored by

New Butterflies Named After Sauron from Lord of the Rings

A new genus of butterfly has been named after Sauron, the villain of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings. An international team of scientists have identified two species in the new genus — Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera — which are named for their distinctive markings, orange wings with eye-like spots. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien described Sauron as a disembodied, all-seeing eye “rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.”

Zimbabwe Author Tsitsi Dangarembga Has Conviction for Protest Overturned

Zimbabwean author and activist Tsitsi Dangarembga has had her conviction for inciting violence by staging a peaceful protest overturned. Critically-acclaimed author Dangarembga was fined in September 2022 for staging a protest calling for political reform with fellow activist Julie Barnes. On Monday, the high court in Harare overturned the verdict. Dangarembga’s lawyer Chris Mhike said the court did not find evidence of any wrongdoing: “Eventually, justice prevailed in this case. It is most unfortunate that it took so long for Tsitsi and Julie to be set free. Be that as it may, this vindication from the high court is most welcome.”

Game of Thrones Spinoff Shuts Down Writers Room for Strike

The recently-announced Game of Thrones spinoff series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight has shut down its writers room due to the writers strike. Author George R.R. Martin confirmed the shutdown in a blog post on Monday, writing that “[showrunner] Ira Parker and his incredible staff of young talents are on the picket lines.” The Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon is still moving forward, as the scripts for the second season have already been written.

Why Are Algorithms Still So Bad at Recommending Books?

Machine learning and AI have grown leaps and bounds — so why are algorithmically generated book recommendations still so bad?

Today In Books

Is Taylor Swift Releasing a Memoir This Summer? Fans Think So: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 8, 2023

Sponsored by

Jennette McCurdy Announces New Book Club

Jennette McCurdy, bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died, has announced a new book club that she will facilitate on her Instagram account. McCurdy wrote, “I’ll pick one fiction & one non-fiction book each month, post about them, and then eagerly await comments and thoughts from you guys after you read them.” McCurdy’s picks for May are The Anti-Cool Girl by Rosie Waterland and Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls. If you read along, McCurdy encourages her followers to comment on her post to share their thoughts. She also asks people to tag her in any story posts about the books.

Marvel Shuts Down Production on Blade Due to Writers Strike

Marvel Studios is shutting down preproduction on its vampire thriller Blade. The project, starring Mahershala Ali, was set to begin filming next month in Atlanta. Blade is the first tentpole movie impacted by the strike, which began this past Tuesday. The studio says it will restart production once the strike is over.

Is Taylor Swift Releasing a Memoir This Summer? Fans Think So

Swifties and people all over BookTok are pretty sure Taylor Swift is planning to release a memoir this summer. The theories all started with a TikTok video shared by the owner of the independent bookstore Good Neighbor Bookstore. While the original video was quickly deleted at the request of the publisher, Swiftie fan accounts captured and shared the video. The original post lays out some compelling evidence: there is an unnamed nonfiction book coming out on Sunday, July 9. This release date is two days after the announced release date for Taylor’s version of Speak Now. Fans think Swift herself has also released hints of the book’s release on her Instagram account. But is Taylor Swift releasing a memoir? We’ll find out on June 13th, when the title is announced.

12 Book Clubs’ Excellent Picks for May 2023

Check out what all the online book clubs are reading in May, from dystopian fiction to historical fiction set in old Hollywood.

Today In Books

Melinda French Gates Hopes New Book Imprint Will Open People’s Eyes on Gender Equity: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 7, 2023

Sponsored by

Kamilah Cole Reveals Cover of New YA Fantasy So Let Them Burn

Kamilah Cole has shared the cover of her debut YA fantasy novel So Let Them Burn on Instagram. “When I saw this cover, with art by @tajfrancis and design by @jennykimuradesign, I actually cried,” Cole wrote. “Faron’s face. The city hidden in the smoke. The dragons. The swirling power. The tease of her armor. It’s everything I could have wanted and more.” Cole’s Jamaican-inspired fantasy is described as perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Priory of the Orange Tree. It’s out from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on January 16, 2024.

Melinda French Gates Hopes New Book Imprint Will “Open People’s Eyes” on Gender Equity

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates hopes that her new book imprint, Moment of Lift Books, can help others gain a new perspective on gender equity and “what it’s really going to take” to get there. French Gates’s imprint was created in partnership with Flatiron Books and shares a name with French Gates’s book, Moment of Lift.The imprint’s first release is Radical Inclusion by David Moinina Sengeh, which French Gates believes is “the perfect place to start.”

A Romance-Themed Bookshop is Coming to Downtown Belfast, ME

A new bookstore is opening in Belfast, Maine, and it specializes in romance novels. Grump & Sunshine Books, owned by Cassidy Gintz, is aiming to open at 159 High Street in Belfast in late May. The shop will carry mainstream romance writers as well as more obscure titles. When choosing her inventory for the store, Gintz says she “really tried to dig deep into smaller voices and authors that I love that you wouldn’t necessarily see in, say, a Barnes & Noble, authors that maybe don’t get featured quite as much. I’m definitely trying to focus on giving authors a brick-and-mortar platform that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.” You can follow Grump & Sunshine on TikTok to get all the updates on the store’s opening.

8 Books About Exercise for All Bodies

Bodies you don’t see when it comes to exercise: fat bodies, disabled bodies, senior bodies, pregnant bodies. These books show ’em.

Today In Books

Halle Bailey’s LITTLE MERMAID Doll Becomes Instant Bestseller: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 6, 2023

Sponsored by

Chelsea Handler Pushes Back Against Florida Book Banning in TikTok Video

In a video shared on Instagram and TikTok, comedian Chelsea Handler is pushing back against book banning in Florida. The video, entitled, “Florida, Get Your Shit Together,” shows Handler telling viewers, “Let’s show our support and solidarity to our teachers who have to continue to put up with your shitty kids and now a government who wants to put them in jail for having kids read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Halle Bailey’s New Little Mermaid Doll Becomes Instant Bestseller on Amazon

A doll based on Halle Bailey’s character from the highly-anticipated film The Little Mermaid is extremely popular on Amazon. The doll was released on April 23 and immediately had an extensive waitlist due to high demand for the item. Bailey had previously shared the doll with fans in a video posted to her Instagram in early March. “The little girl in me is pinching herself right now,” Bailey said. “I have my own Little Mermaid Ariel doll.” The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26.

One of the United States’s Oldest Asian American Bookstores Closes

Eastwind Books in Berkley, California is closing. Local residents mourn the loss of one of the oldest Asian American bookstores in the U.S. and the community it created. In April, owners Harvey Dong and Beatrice “Bea” Dong announced that the store would be closing due to the rising costs of business and the need to take care of elderly parents. Still, while the brick-and-mortar shop may be closing, Eastwind will continue to sell books online. Additionally, its non-profit arm, Eastwind Books Multicultural Services, will still be partnering with libraries and organizations for events.

10 Great New YA Books to Read in May

From engaging YA stories that offer some incisive social commentary to swoony romcoms to horror, there’s a lot going on in May.

Book Radar

DUNE: PART TWO Official Trailer Released and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 5, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

We’ve made our way to another week and somehow we’re also deep into May now? I don’t know how to feel about anything anymore. But don’t worry. Nothing a little coffee won’t fix. Why don’t you grab your own cup of coffee (or tea, I guess), have a seat, and we’ll chat books?

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s a cover reveal, excerpt, and guest post all rolled into one! Check out Jennifer Weiner’s The Bigfoot Queen over on the School Library Journal. The cover is designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena and Irene Vandervoort. It’s illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim.

Meanwhile, Tor.com has revealed the cover of H. A. Clarke’s The Feast Makers, the final installment of the Scapegracers trilogy. It’s available March 26, 2024 from Erewhon Books.

Fan-favorite webtoon Lumine is coming out in print! Here’s a look at the cover of volume 1, which will be out from WEBTOON Unscrolled on December 5.

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are in talks to star in an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao.

Christina Hendricks is attached to star in the upcoming psychological thriller Reckoner, based on the short story by the late Rachel Ingalls.

Netflix has handed out a third and final season renewal to Sweet Tooth, the series based on the DC comics.

Oscar winner Taika Waititi is in negotiations to direct an adaptation of Klara and the Sun, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Sci-fi fans, get ready for Dune: Part Two! Here’s the trailer.

The Seattle Public Library is offering free access to banned books. The Seattle Public library is the second to offer free library cards through an initiative started by the Brooklyn Public library.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

I’m Not Supposed to be in the Dark by Riss M. Neilson (Henry Holt & Company, May 9)

Here’s another book you should get excited about right now, because it comes out tomorrow. This one comes from Riss M. Neilson, author of 2022’s Deep in Providence. It’s a ghost story. It’s a romance. It’s a story of friendship. You get the idea. It’s a must-read.

Seventeen-year-old Aria Cayetano used to see ghosts. But when she started drinking a special tea given to her by her grandfather, the visions go away. Then a decades old rosebush suddenly dies across the street, and Aria is certain something supernatural is going on. While Aria would love to look into what happened to the rosebush, the plant in question sits in the lawn of her friend-turned-enemy Derek Johnson. She’s not exactly sure what caused them to have a falling out all those years ago, but she knows he doesn’t want anything to do with her now.

Then out of nowhere Derek starts talking to her again. And while at first Aria thinks her friend has returned to her, she soon realizes what’s really happening. Derek has been possessed by a ghost, and if Aria doesn’t get the ghost out, Derek might die.

What I’m Reading This Week

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Be sure to check out First Edition, where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.

Monday Memes

My husband tries to get me to stop buying books all the time. I’m telling him this next time.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

More pictures of cats in windows, but I love this one because you can see Murray’s lil face reflected in the window. I die.

And that is all I’ve got for you today. Go out and live your lives! Be free!

Emily

Today In Books

Junji Ito Hopes to Create Horror Manga So Creepy AI Tools Can’t Match It: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 5, 2023

Sponsored by

Library Funding is on the Line as Book Battles Intensify

As libraries are facing more and more bans on books — most with LGBTQ themes or discussing race and racism, funding for these libraries is also being put into question. Under a new “administrative rule” enacted by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in Missouri, libraries would lose state funding if they give minors books parents don’t want them to read, don’t keep “age-inappropriate” books away from minors, or fail to publicize how they select books and how parents can challenge those book selections. Librarians are unsure of how this rule would be enacted, but it makes many of them feel uncertain about the future. “I think we’re all just in shock,” says Otter Bowman, a library associate at the Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia, Mo. “It’s not clear-cut at all how in the world this is going to work, and there’s so much that could go wrong…I could go home thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, I just cost my library $160,000,’ because that’s the amount of state aid we would lose if we violated the rule.”

Junji Ito Hopes to Create Horror Manga So Creepy AI Tools Can’t Match It

In a recent interview with the Japanese video game website 4Gamer, horror manga writer and artist Junji Ito expressed concern that manga will eventually be drawn with AI tech. To combat that fear, Ito says he has to create horror so unexpected and scary that AI won’t be able to match it. “It’s like something that you didn’t think you were afraid of before suddenly becomes scary,” Ito explains. “I once drew a manga called Uzumaki. The swirl pattern that exists naturally and fear are connected, and the swirl pattern that was casually seen until then becomes scary. In this way, I would like to create a story in which the unexpected becomes frightening before AI.”

Illustrated Children’s Biography of King Charles Hits No 1 on UK Book Charts Ahead of Coronation

Ahead of King Charles’s coronation on May 6, a children’s biography about the king has hit number one on UK book charts. The nonfiction book, illustrated by Matt Hunt, is the first of the Little People, Big Dreams series to reach the top of book charts. But not everyone is excited about the success of the book. After the book’s publication in April, one Glasgow bookstore boycotted the book. And actor Samuel West tweeted, “Kids, you too can be a King if you work hard enough. Adding this title to the Little People, Big Dreams stable certainly puts the achievements of Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai in perspective.” The book is expected to stay on top of the charts for several weeks after the king’s coronation.

What is Literary Fiction, Anyway?

We know what genres are. At least, maybe we do. So what the heck is literary fiction? Is it a genre? No genre?

Today In Books

Illinois Set to Become the First State to End Book Bans: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Christina Hendricks to Star in XYZ Films Thriller Reckoner

Christina Hendricks is attached to star in the upcoming psychological thriller Reckoner, based on the short story by the late Rachel Ingalls. The story will be adapted for the screen by Nissar Modi, who will also be stepping behind the camera for his directorial debut. The project will be produced by XYZ Films and Two & Two Pictures. Hendricks will play a rich woman whose affluent way of life is threatened when she encounters a young man with connections to a dark secret from her past. Nissar Modi called the story a “haunting tale of guilt, obsession and revenge.”

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in Talks to Star in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet Adaptation

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are in talks to star in an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao. O’Farrell and Zhao will write the screen adaptation together. Liza Marshall of Hera Pictures and Pippa Harris and Sam Mendes are producing the film on behalf of Neal Street. Nic Gonda will be executive producing on behalf of Book of Shadows.

Illinois Set to Become the First State to End Book Bans

Illinois might become the first state to punish public institutions for banning books. Democratic Governor JB Pritzker says he supports a House bill that would withhold state funding from any of Illinois’ 1,600 public or school libraries that remove books from their shelves. “In Illinois, we don’t hide from the truth, we embrace it and lead with it,” Pritzker said. “Banning books is a devastating attempt to erase our history and the authentic stories of many.” The House bill passed the state Senate 39 to 19 on Wednesday. Pritzker is now expected to sign the legislation.

Today is the First National Black Authors Day!

This May 4th is the first National Black Authors Day! The day’s founder spoke to us about the day’s purpose and how it came to be.

Book Radar

Oprah Winfrey Chooses Her Next Book Club Book and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 3, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Thursday, friends!

What a week this has been. I’m totally thrilled for this weekend, because I have zero plans and I can’t wait to just wing it. Maybe catch up with my reading. Maybe the sun will come out again. We just have to get through Thursday and Friday first, friends, and then we’re home free! Let’s talk books to get us through to the weekend.

Book Riot has a new podcast for you to check out if you’re looking for more bookish content in your life. First Edition will include interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books. You can subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.

Book Deals and Reveals

The Nerd Daily has revealed the cover of Kate Anderson’s upcoming novel Here Lies Olive. It’s out on October 24 from Flux Books.

Jurassic Park meets Hummingbird Salamander in Ray Nayler’s upcoming eco-thriller The Tusks of Extinction. It’s coming January 16, 2024, from Tordotcom Publishing, and here’s the cover reveal.

Twenty years later Jeanne DuPrau is back with a new book, Project F. Publishers Weekly has revealed the cover of this new book, which will be out from Random House Children’s Books this October.

Penguin Random House announced that an unpublished Gabriel García Márquez novel will be published across Latin America in 2024. An English edition of the novel has not yet been announced.

Oprah Winfrey has chosen her next book club pick — and it’s Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water. This is Verghese’s first novel since 2009’s Cutting for Stone.

Author Emily Dunlay’s forthcoming novel Teddy will be out from Harper in 2024. The story is set in 1960s Rome and follows the wife of an American diplomat who is trying to hide a scandal from her past.

Grand Central has acquired the rights to Daniel Aleman’s first adult novel, Sorry to Disappoint. Publication is planned for fall 2024.

A new trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s next Hercule Poirot Mystery has been released. The film, A Haunting in Venice, is based on Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party and will be out on September 15.

From local challenges with prizes to online programs, these are the best summer reading programs 2023 has to offer kids!

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman (Quirk Books, September 12)

Every Clay McLeod Chapman novel has felt like a new and exciting exploration into horror unlike anything done before. There’s something that feels almost dangerous about reading his novels because it’s hard to predict where the story will go. Which is why I am so, so, so excited about his upcoming Southern Gothic horror novel What Kind of Mother.

Madi Price left home as a teen mom. But now that she’s strapped for cash, she has reluctantly returned to her hometown of Brandywine, Virginia, with her 17-year-old daughter in tow. Madi scrapes by working as a palm reader at the local farmer’s market. Here’s where she reconnects with old high school flame Henry McCabe, whose infant son went missing five years ago. Everyone assumes Henry’s son is dead, but when Madi reads his palm, she sees haunting visions that suggest otherwise.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Instinct doesn’t exist. Morals don’t exist. They were just fake
sensibilities that came from a world that was constantly transforming.”

— Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Friends, has anyone seen Renfield? I know that it got sort of middling reviews, but now it’s available streaming, so it seems like a good, fun one to watch this weekend. It’s got a great cast, and I’m a sucker (pun intended) for anything Dracula–related. Speaking of movies, I also need to get to the theaters to see Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret ASAP. It looks so good!

BTW, horror fans…saw Evil Dead Rise last weekend and yeah, it was pretty great.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

My little tuxedo boy Remy has been getting so cuddly as he gets older. And he loooves snuggling up on the bed. Just look at his little white paws. I love him.

Sorry, I had to gush about this cat for a little while. The whiskers! The tail!

And that is all, friends. I hope your week ends on a high note, and I’ll see you on Monday!

Emily