Author: Liberty Hardy

Happy Thursday, readers. It’s time for me to rock your reading worlds with more bookish excitement! I love writing these newsletters. Every day, I flag posts and take screenshots of things that I want to share with you when I write the next one. My husband has become used to me pausing a show we are watching two or three times because I suddenly remembered a book I wanted to look up or a bit of news I want to mark down. My life is books and cats, 24/7. I’m a real-life Edward Gorey cartoon!

Moving on to today’s newsletter: I have exciting book news for you about adaptations, book covers, and an upcoming fairytale from T. Kingfisher that I am excited to read. Plus I’ve included a picture of my boneless orange tabby, some trivia, and more! I love writing these newsletters and I appreciate your support so much. Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I hope you good bob and we same place again very now. I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! In The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, what did Cora inherit from her mother, who had inherited it from Cora’s grandmother? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is Reese Witherspoon’s new YA book club pick.

We’ve got a giveaway for a chance to win an iPad Mini! Enter here.

Here’s the first look at Jami Attenberg’s first nonfiction book I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home.

Here’s the cover reveal of Goliath, the first full-length novel for adults by Tochi Onyebuchi.

Tim Burton has cast Wednesday Addams for his forthcoming live-action Addams Family spinoff Wednesday.

Ibi Zoboi has written Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler, a biography in verse aimed at middle grade readers.

Whitley Strieber’s The Hunger, which was made into an amazing 1983 movie with David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve, is getting a remake.

Here’s what we know about Flight, the upcoming novel from Want author Lynn Steger Strong.

Here’s a sneak peak at Blackout, the collaborative YA novel by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk , and Nicola Yoon.

Here’s the trailer for the Fear Street trilogy, based on the book series written by R.L. Stine.

Nathalie Emmanuel and Garrett Hedlund will star in the lead roles in The Bride, inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Lee Mandelo’s new novella, set in the world of wolves, was announced.

Here’s the first look at Rosebud by Paul Cornell.

Here’s the cover reveal of Until the Last of Me: A Take Them to the Stars Novel by Sylvain Neuvel.

Here’s the first look at Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester.

Here’s the first trailer for The Lost Symbol on Peacock.

Tordotcom announced The Archive Undying, a queer novel about giant robots by Emma Mieko Candon. They also acquired the novella The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman, about magic and grad school.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (Tor Books, April 26, 2022)

Are you ready for more fairytales? I sure am! This one is about Marra, a “shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter” who decides that after watching her older sisters be abused for years by an evil prince, she will be the one to save them. And by save them, I mean she’s going to kill the prince. In order to complete her mission, she must first complete three impossible tasks. If Marra can do that, she will free her family and her country from a tyrant. I am so excited about all of that but I would be lying if I didn’t mention I am even more excited by Marra’s ragtag crew who help her on her mission: a gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Let me just say that again: a chicken possessed by a demon. *faints*

Yes, this one is really far away, but it doesn’t mean you can’t mark it down on your TBR now! I have lovedlovedloved Kingfisher’s last two adult novels, The Twisted Ones and The Hollow Places, which managed to be both hilarious and absolutely terrifying, and I also loved her recent fantasy novel, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which is up for several awards this year!

And if you didn’t know, T. Kingfisher is the pen name of Ursula Vernon, who is the genius behind the adorable Dragonbreath series and more! My point is that you have a ton of Kingfisher/Vernon backlist to visit while you wait for this book, which is sure to be as spectacular as everything else she has done!

What I’m reading this week.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh 

Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult by Faith Jones

We Are Watching Eliza Bright by A.E. Osworth

Fierce Little Thing by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu

Song stuck in my head:

The Bends by Radiohead. I didn’t expect to wake up with this song in my head for no discernible reason, but here we are. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

A two-for-one of double Shakespeare-related laughs here and here.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Ted Lasso: A rewatch of this delightful show is just what the doctor ordered. I heart Coach Beard.
• Lungwort: We got these (horribly named) plants for the first time and placed them in several spots around our yard and they’re lovely!
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

I don’t even know what is happening here. My best guess is that all of Zevon’s bones have melted.

Trivia answer: A garden plot.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Happy Monday, you marvelous humans! I am hoping you all had enjoyable weekends. So many of you were excited I mentioned Person of Interest last week! I have to say that I did not yet start it, but it is still at the top of my list. My next few weeks are filled with work assignments and video chats, which is how I like it. If you’d like to join me for an author chat, my next event is with Rafe Posey. We’ll be discussing his new book The Stars We Share tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18th at 7pm! I also added a couple more fantastic video chats that I can’t tell you about quite yet, but I am EXCITED.

Moving on: I have some delightful book news for you today. I also have a look at another charming upcoming holiday romance, plus SO MANY cover reveals, a terrible pun, my adorable little head tilter, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: In Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth, in what state is the Brookhants School for Girls located? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Queen Latifah and The Jim Henson Company are developing a film adaptation of The Conductors by Nicole Glover.

Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill will return for an Enola Holmes sequel on Netflix.

We’ve got a giveaway for a chance to win an iPad Mini! Enter here.

Roxane Gay and Jesmyn Ward have launched book clubs.

Here’s the first look at Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon adaptation.

Jamie Bell to join Elisabeth Moss in the adaptation of The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes.

Here are the winners of the 2021 Publishing Triangle Awards.

Here’s the first trailer for Panic, based on the series by Lauren Oliver.

Here’s the first look at Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Nivenan.

Here’s the trailer for Lisey’s Story, based on the novel by Stephen King.

Cherry Jones has joined the cast of the adaptation of Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink.

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Penguin Teen revealed a few fabulous covers.

Here’s the cover reveal for Un-su Kim’s forthcoming novel, The Cabinet. (I love the cat.)

Here’s the first look at Spear by Nicola Griffith.

Here’s the cover reveal of The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: A Collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in Translation by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang.

Here’s the cover reveal of The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson.

Check out the reveal of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long.

Here’s the cover reveal of The Date from Hell by Gwenda Bond.

Spirits Abroad: and Other Stories by Zen Cho has a new edition with a new cover.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, October 5)

I didn’t expect to be recommending two marvelous holiday romances in a row, but here we are!

Charlie Goodwin is a talented chef and the cohost of a popular cooking show, but things aren’t going so well right now. The show is being cancelled after the holiday special, and Charlie only has one week left to show the producers they should pick her for the host of their new show. Her first big problem is her jerk of a cohost, Austin, who is willing to fight dirty to get the job for himself. The second problem is a bump on the head: Charlie gets a concussion just before she’s set to tape the holiday special. How can she compete now?!?

The answer: call her identical twin, Cass, an equally talented cook and owner of a small bakery in their hometown. Cass is also having problems. She’s just broken up with her long-time boyfriend and a new chain bakery is moving in next door to try and You’ve Got Mail her out of business. So when Charlie suggests they switch for the week, she’s all in.

At first, the switch is pretty easy. It’s a lot easier to make decisions and pass judgements when the results won’t affect you personally. But as Charlie and Cass work their way through mishaps and triumphs pretending to be each other, they both find themselves in the stickiest of situations: they’re in love. Charlie falls for Cass’s best friend, Jake, while Cass is swooning over Charlie’s doctor, Miguel. But coming clean about their trickery might backfire in their face. Can the twins save the day and find love?

This book is a freaking delight. I loved both the sisters and how they were like, “Oh, sure, this is a great idea, no problem” and immediately tacked everything head on. I thought the ensuing confusion that always results when people switch was fun and handled well. Cass takes no guff from Austin and it’s awesome. All told, it was the utterly charming story that I wanted it to be.

What I’m reading this week.

The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu 

We Are Watching Eliza Bright by A.E. Osworth

Fierce Little Thing by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn 

Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill 

Groan-worthy joke of the week: 

Sundays are always a little sad, but the day before is a sadder day.

And this is funny:

I still need to watch this franchise, but I would 100% watch this one.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Infinity Train: I am still slowly working my way through this series, because it is so weird, it requires my full concentration. I am a big fan of Atticus, King of the Corgis, and also LOL forever at the door that is impossible to open.
• 30 Rock: After an attempt to start a popular older HBO show I hadn’t seen before (so! much! animal! death!), I needed something to scrub my brain clean, so I went back to this sitcom. I find it strange that I have only watched it once all the way through, given how much of it I still quote.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Zevon is the king of head tilts, and has a cute snoot to boot.

Trivia answer: Rhode Island.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. xoxo, Liberty

Happy Monday, star bits! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am actually writing this a bit early because I am on vacation this week. So just think, it is entirely possible that as you read this I have been eaten by a dragon or flung into the face of the sun. (Don’t worry, if this is the case, my editors will adjust the info accordingly.) For my time off, I am planning to do a LOT of reading and finish up my rewatch of Warehouse 13. And then I was thinking I would try Person of Interest, because so many people have recommended it.

Moving on: I have some exciting book news for you today. Not a lot today, but it’s good stuff. I also have a look at a charming upcoming holiday romance, plus cover reveals, a terrible pun, an orange minotaur in the labyrinth, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What mystery series character was born on May, 5, 1950? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Greta Lee will star in, write, and produce a series adaptation of Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings.

We’ve got a giveaway for a chance to win an iPad Mini! Enter here.

Reese Witherspoon’s Where the Crawdads Sing adaptation is set for release in June 2022.

Here’s the cover reveal for The Archer by Shruti Swamy.

Sanditon has been renewed for seasons 2 and 3 at PBS.

Henry Golding will star opposite Dakota Johnson in Netflix’s Persuasion remake.

Brandy Colbert announced her next book, a Parent Trap-inspired middle grade novel.

Here’s the cover reveal for These Deadly Games by Diana Urban.

Adam Silvera is adapting his novel They Both Die at the End as a series.

Blake Lively and Diablo Cody are teaming up for an adaptation of Lady Killer.

Kaitlyn Dever will star in a revisionist take on Romeo & Juliet.

Here’s the cover reveal for Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore.

Chris Lowell is joining Elsie Fisher and Amiah Miller in the adaptation of My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer (MIRA, September 28)

Oh my stars and kittens, I loved this book to pieces! It’s just so delightful, you’re going to love it. I actually guffawed, which is not something my species is known to do.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt has a secret: she writes bestselling Christmas romance novels under a pseudonym. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but Rachel is the daughter of one of New York’s most respected rabbis, and she’s certain her parents wouldn’t approve of their Jewish daughter’s love of Christmas. And she really does love Christmas—she has a whole locked room in her home filled with Christmas trees and decorations.

Rachel’s secret has been treating her really well for years now. She makes enough money to live in a fabulous Manhattan apartment and her career working from home is helpful, because Rachel has a chronic illness that often makes it hard for her to go out. But then her publisher drops a bombshell: her last few Christmas romances haven’t been doing very well, so they’re not going to sign another contract for more. What they want instead is a Hanukkah romance. At first Rachel is distressed—what is romantic and magical about Hanukkah, she cries? But then she hears about an event called The Matzah Ball. It’s a swanky charity event held on the last night of Hanukkah. Maybe that’s where she’ll get her inspiration.

But there’s another big problem: The Matzah Ball is the brainchild of Rachel’s childhood summer camp love, Jacob Greenberg. Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since that summer when Jacob broke her heart. But Rachel really needs inspiration if she’s going to continue writing books for her publisher, so she swallows her pride and asks Jacob for a ticket. Unfortunately, there’s a problem: the event is 100% at capacity. But he has a few tickets set aside for volunteers. If Rachel agrees to help set up the event, she can have a ticket. So she agrees. And as she spends more time with Jacob, old feelings return. But so do misunderstandings and hijinks. Will Rachel get her real-life holiday romance?

As I said, this book is so delightful! Rachel is awesome. She’s smart, funny, and takes no shit. This is an #ownvoices novel: Meltzer also has myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, as it is commonly known, and this book does a great job imparting information about the illness as well as having Rachel explain what it is like for her to live with it. Meltzer also includes an informative section about myalgic encephalomyelitis at the end of the book.

I liked that the conflict between Rachel and Jacob when they were young felt real, not just an excuse to break them apart. I think it’s hard sometimes with HEAs to come up with a good reason to split characters up. It’s also a really, really funny book! There’s an amazing scene involving a Matzah Ball mascot costume and a daycare of unruly children, and Jacob’s bubbe is awesome. And Rachel’s idea of a therapist is so, so great. (I can’t say more.) If you love charming romance novels, or just like fun, this is a wonderful book for readers year-round.

(CW for mentions of chronic illness, cancer, and loss of a parent.)

What I’m reading this week.

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

The Fields by Erin Young

No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Weiwei

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes

Groan-worthy joke of the week: 

Why did the math book look so sad? Because of all of its problems.

And this is funny:

And now you have the song stuck in your head, too.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Infinity Train: Someone sent me a DM on Instagram (thank you, nice person!) to recommend this super-weird show and so far, I am digging it. Kate Mulgrew is a talking cat!
• Warehouse 13: I have circled back to this older Syfy show. I find the sci-fi shows like The Librarians, Stargate, STNG, etc, to be extremely comforting these days.
• Lantanas: It’s mostly beautiful here in Maine now, which means it is time to go to the greenhouse and acquire my favorite flowering plant. Lantanas come in lots of colors but my favorite are the Froot Loops-colored ones that seem to make the hummingbirds in our area very happy.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Farrokh looks like he’s trying to find Jared and his baby brother at the end of Labyrinth.

Trivia answer: Kinsey Millhone.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. xoxo, Liberty

Happy Thursday, star bits! I had a very exciting beginning to my week. I was a part of author Aidan Truhen‘s secret identity reveal for the launch of his second book and it turns out he’s none other than—drum roll—Nick Harkaway! Needless to say, I was honored and delighted to be a part of this fabulous event with one of my very favorite authors. And the good news for you Harkaway fans is that there are two more books out there than you realized! GO FORTH AND READ.

Moving on to today’s newsletter: I have exciting book news for you about adaptations, book covers, and a book I am excited to read, plus I’ve included a picture of the queen of my heart, some trivia, and more! I love writing these newsletters and I appreciate your support so much. Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I hope you good bob and we same place again very now. I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! In Where’d You Go, Bernadette, what musical instrument did Bee play? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Berkley Romance is publishing the first three Selena Montgomery romance novels by Stacey Abrams.

We’ve got a giveaway for a chance to win an iPad Mini! Enter here.

Julianna Margulies talks about her new memoir Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life.

Here’s the cover reveal of They Can’t Take Your Name by Robert Justice.

The Locus Awards finalists have been announced.

Pride Book Fest 2021 kicks off virtually in June.

Here’s the cover reveal of the upcoming f/nb queer romance Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly.

Tegan & Sara Quin’s memoir High School to be a series.

Here’s the first look at Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith as Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel.

Here’s the cover reveal of Stuntboy, In the Meantime, the first illustrated middle grade fiction by Jason Reynolds.

The Sherlock Holmes detective drama The Irregulars has been canceled by Netflix after one season.

Barack & Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground is adapting Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us as a Spotify podcast series.

Here’s the first look at The Bench, the debut children’s book from Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, with illustrations by Christian Robinson.

Here’s the trailer for the adaptation of The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes.

Here’s the cover reveal of Kerstin Hall’s Second Spear.

Christopher Eccleston, David Threlfall, Billy Jenkins, and Saira Choudhry will star in the BBC’s Dodger, based in the world of Oliver Twist.

Elizabeth Olsen will star in a true crime limited series called Love and Death, based on the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson. (This crime was also already the subject of an excellent 1990 television movie with Barbara Hershey that still gives me nightmares.)

Here’s the cover reveal for Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children) by Seanan McGuire.

Holly Hunter is in talks to star in the adaptation of Sue Miller’s Monogamy.

Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, who played hobbits Merry and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings films, are launching a podcast based on the franchise.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

Devil House by John Darnielle (MCD, January 25, 2022)

Sometimes, the universe gives you a lift right when you need it. I was feeling kinda ho-hum the other day and then I found out that John Darnielle, author and frontman of The Mountain Goats, has a new novel coming in January! It turned my whole day around! Much like what happens when I listen to The Mountain Goats. What an amazing surprise it was to hear him play live after the National Book Awards ceremony last year!

I am a huge fan of his previous novels, Wolf in White Van and Universal Harvester, and Devil House also sounds fantastic. It’s about a successful true crime writer who has an opportunity to move into the ‘Devil House’, where a pair of murders occurred in 1980s. And his investigation into what happened is going to lead him to a place he never expected—his own life.

OOOOOOO. Sounds creepy and fun! I can’t wait to see the cover. If you love a ‘there’s something wrong in that house’ book, mark this one down now.

What I’m reading this week.

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

The Anatomy of Desire by L. R. Dorn

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Weiwei

Song stuck in my head:

Your Ghost by Kristin Hersh with Michael Stipe. Hersh’s new memoir, Seeing Sideways: A Memoir of Music and Motherhood, is out now, so I have been playing a lot of her music. Also, if you have missed me saying it the one million times I have mentioned it before, her memoir Rat Girl is my favorite memoir. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

Oh, mom.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Warehouse 13: I have circled back to this older Syfy show. I find the sci-fi shows like The Librarians, Stargate, STNG, etc, to be extremely comforting these days.
• Lantanas: It’s mostly beautiful here in Maine now, which means it is time to go to the greenhouse and acquire my favorite flowering plant. Lantanas are Froot Loops-colored little flowers that seem to make the hummingbirds in our area very happy.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Here’s my sweet, smiley queen, Millay.

Trivia answer: Flute.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Happy Monday, my book fair-weather friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. Thanks to everyone who told me how they felt about the Shadow and Bone show. Can you believe I have never seen Ben Barnes in anything? Speaking of shows, if a whole season doesn’t go up at once, I like to wait until the season has finished airing before I start it, so I can watch the whole thing at once. But I broke my rule last week for Mare of Easttown and watched the first two episodes, and I’m so mad at myself now, because I want to know EVERYTHING this very minute. It’s so good, and Kate Winslet is everything, but also wow is it similar to Happy Valley.

Moving on: I have some exciting book news for you today. Not a lot today, but it’s good stuff. I also have a look at a pulse-pounding YA sci-fi novel, plus cover reveals, a terrible pun, another upside-down orange fur dragon 🙃, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: In The Shining by Stephen King, the Torrances’ VW Bug is red. In the Kubrick adaptation, it is what color? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Gal Gadot will star in and co-produce Meet Me In Another Life by Catriona Silvey. (I love this book so much!!!)

Here’s the first look at Rebekah Weatherspoon’s Beauty and the Beast-inspired novel A Thorn in the Saddle.

Hulu is adapting the upcoming debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez. Here’s the cover reveal and an excerpt.

Here’s the cover reveal of Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us by Colleen Kinder.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is being made into a series.

Here’s the first teaser trailer for Sweet Tooth on Netflix.

Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society has nabbed the rights to Akwaeke Emezi’s upcoming novel You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty.

Atsuko Hirayanagi will direct The Last Adventures Of Constance Verity, starring Awkwafina.

Here’s the first teaser trailer for the Dexter limited revival series.

Here’s the first look at Elizabeth Gilpin’s Stolen: A Memoir.

The Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist has been announced.

The winners of the Edgar Awards have been announced.

Here are the actors in the five lead roles, who will be joining Sarah Michelle Gellar in Hot Pink.

Grace Gummer has joined the cast of the Let the Right One In series.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera (Bloomsbury YA, October 5)

This is an action-packed alien invasion YA novel, set in Los Angeles a few years from now.

Pedro, Luna, and Rafa are three Latinx teens who attend Fairfax High School together, although they’re not really friends. Pedro is a social media influencer who captures every bit of his life on film; Luna is still reeling from the coronavirus death of her cousin and best friend, Tasha; and Rafa is trying to keep his family safe and together while they experience homelessness in the city.

Then comes the Visitor from outer space.

Basically, aliens on the Visitor’s planet have decided that humans are really bad at living on Earth and they no longer deserve to have it, so they send a representative to scout the place out and prepare it for a full invasion, which will include the total annihilation of all human life. When the Visitor arrives, it assumes the form of Luna’s dead cousin, Tasha, which confuses everyone up until the point that alien Tasha starts unleashing destruction and chaos. Pedro, Luna, and Rafa wind up on the run together from Alien Tasha, while also trying to help stop her. Complicating matters is the behavior of the police, who are still trying to detain and arrest people in the middle of an alien invasion.

While an alien invasion is maybe not totally realistic, other aspects of this book are all too real. I loved the relationships and road blocks that pop up in the trio’s lives, and there is so much action in this book! It’s a lot of fun.

(CW for violence, death, illness, pandemic, police violence and killings, people experiencing houselessness, racism, and bullying.)

What I’m reading this week.

Fault Lines by Emily Itami

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow 

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Emma Who Saved My Life by Wilton Barnhardt

Groan-worthy joke of the week: 

I’m afraid for the calendar. Its days are numbered.

And this is funny:

This made me snort water up my nose, because it’s so true.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Star vs. the Forces of Evil: Yes, I have watched this eleventy million times. It has become one of the shows in my stable of background noise shows. I like to put it on while I do data entry work, such as populating the New Release Index. (Which is as much nerdy fun as it sounds like it would be.)
• Jeopardy: I’m big into trivia right now. I don’t play any online, because there’s always too much nonsense attached, even with the Jeopardy app. I don’t want to pick levels, spend points, or other trivial (heh) things they make you do just to answer a question. So for now, I will continue to watch old episodes of quiz shows.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

I must take at least one picture of a day of Zevon posed like this. He’s very relaxed, and I’m quite sure, boneless.

Trivia answer: Yellow.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. xoxo, Liberty

It’s Thursday! Er…it is Thursday, right? I can’t keep the days straight. Yesterday I said it was both Tuesday and Thursday at different times, when in fact it was Wednesday, lol. Anything exciting going on out there in the world? It has been a quiet week for me, although I am excited to tell you I will be in conversation with author Aidan Truhen about his latest crime novel next Tuesday, if you want to check it out. I love doing author talks!

Moving on to today’s newsletter: I have exciting book news for you about adaptations and book covers, and I’ve included a picture of one of my ridiculous orange monsters, some trivia, and more! I love writing these newsletters and I appreciate your support so much. Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I hope you good bob and we same place again very now. I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! What famous mystery writer once worked as an ophthalmologist? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Tordotcom Publishing has acquired six more Martha Wells books, including three more in the Murderbot Diaries series. The first is Witch King, a fantasy novel coming in 2022.

Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett will score The Great Gatsby for Broadway.

Here’s the first look at We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera. (I loved this book!)

Here’s a preview of Impostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang. (I also loved this book!)

The Paper Girls series adaptation has cast its Paper Girls.

Here’s the first trailer for Hulu’s adaptation of Nine Perfect Strangers.

Destin Daniel Cretton is attached to direct an adaptation of the upcoming book Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown.

Here is the cover reveal for Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang.

A reboot of The Borrowers is in the works.

Here’s the cover reveal for High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir by Edgar Gomez.

Reese Witherspoon has launched the LitUp Fellowship for Underrepresented Women Writers.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore is being adapted for the big screen, with Stephen Curry attached to produce.

Walton Goggins, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Omar Miller are among five new actors to join the adaptation of Walter Mosley’s The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey.

Don Winslow’s debut novel A Cool Breeze On The Underground is being adapted into a series.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Trollhunters: Rise Of The Titans adaptation gets a Netflix release date and teaser trailer.

Here’s the trailer for Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

Bibliolepsy by Gina Apostol (Soho Press, January 4, 2022)

I know I have talked about Insurrecto and The Revolution According to Raymundo Matatwo, two of Apostol’s other novels, here and on the podcast. I think her work is fantastic, and I am even more excited to read this next one, coming at the beginning of 2022, because it involves books! My life math is simple: Books = yay! Books about books = OMG YAY.

This is Apostol’s Philippine National Book Award-winning debut novel, available in the US soon for the first time. It’s about a book lover, living under Ferdinand Marcos’s brutal rule, who wants to find happiness and live her life by getting to know the authors she loves. It sounds intriguing and it has great reviews, so it’s going right to the top of anticipated books of 2022!

What I’m reading this week.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee 

Emma Who Saved My Life by Wilton Barnhardt

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfishr

White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson 

The Perishing by Natashia Deón

Song stuck in my head:

I Want Everything by Cracker (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

Welp, I finally found an epitaph for my headstone.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Knights of Basassdom: Yep, back on this nonsense. It’s so ridiculous, plus I heart Jimmi Simpson. I always put it on when I can’t decide what I should watch.
• Jeopardy: I’m big into trivia right now. I don’t play any online, because there’s always too much nonsense attached, even with the Jeopardy app. I don’t want to pick levels, spend points, or other trivial (heh) things they make you do just to answer a question. So for now, I will continue to watch old episodes of quiz shows.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

You put your left paw in, you put your left paw out…

Trivia answer: Arthur Conan Doyle.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L