Author: Liberty Hardy

Happy Monday! I AM ON VACATION. As you read this, I will be lying on a beach, soaking up the sun and reading a book. JK! I am at home, probably on the couch and maybe wearing pants, but definitely still reading a book. (Why spend money to travel when all you want to do is read??) I plan to get lots of great reading in this week, so I can share it with all of you. I hope that your weekend was swell, and that you all managed to read something wonderful. Have a great week, and remember to be excellent to each other! I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by Valiant Entertainment

Accomplice. Mentor. Savior. And now, Enemy of the State. Seeking to protect other vulnerable superpowered psiots like herself, Livewire plunged the United States into a nationwide blackout, causing untold devastation. After choosing the few over the many, she must now outrun the government she served—and those she once called allies. With the whole world hunting her, what kind of hero will Livewire be…or will she be one at all?

Here’s this week’s trivia question: What American author is godmother to Ernest Hemingway’s son, Jack “Bumby” Hemingway? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Casey McQuiston’s forthcoming Red White & Royal Blue is being adapted for the screen.

N.K. Jemisin has written the foreword for the latest edition of Octavia Butler’s classic Parable of the Sower.

The Handmaid’s Tale star O-T Fagbenle will star opposite Scarlett Johansson in the Black Widow movie.

Basic Witches co-author Jaya Saxana will publish Crystal Clear: Extraordinary Talismans for Everyday Life.

Lilliam Rivera has sold her third novel, Pheus & Eury, a retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus & Eurydice that is set in the Bronx.

Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a limited series adaptation of Gary Shteyngart’s Lake Success for HBO.

Love, Simon is in development as a television series.

And Nightfire, a new horror imprint, will be joining the Tor family in 2021.

Cover Reveals

Jasmine Guillory revealed the cover of her fourth novel, Royal Holiday, coming in the fall. (Berkley, October 1)

And here’s the first look at Unsung Heroine, the latest in Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex series. (DAW, July 2)

Sneak Peaks

Here’s the trailer for Brené Brown: The Call to Courage.

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 Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames (Ecco, May 7)

This is the big, magical historical novel you have been craving. There’s Stella Fortuna, who has escaped death seven (possibly eight) times, first growing up in a small Italian village, then in America, after her parents emigrated just before WWII. It starts out in present-day Connecticut, where Stella and her sister, Tina, have lived next door to one another without speaking for decades. To find out what caused the fight, you have to go waaaaaay back to the beginning. Which is good news for the reader, because everything about this novel is wonderful.

What I’m reading this week:

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

Murder by Milkshake: An Astonishing True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and a Charismatic Killer by Eve Lazarus

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live by Heather B. Armstrong

Your House Will Pay: A Novel by Steph Cha

The Guest Book: A Novel by Sarah Blake

Pun of the week: 

What do you do with chemists when they die? Barium.

Here’s a kitten picture:

Farrokh, the book model.

And this is funny.

Lol, insect jokes.

Trivia answer: Gertrude Stein.

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

Welcome back to another bookish Thursday, book dragons! The air is crisp and lovely, the skies are blue, and there is a bunch of great stuff to tell you about! I have some fun stuff to share with you today. And I’ll be back on Monday with more exciting news. And after that: vacaaaaaation! For me, anyway. (Maybe I could write you a note?) I hope whatever you’re doing, you have a great rest of your week, and remember to be kind to yourself and others.  – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by HMH

The Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without a sovereign. Two young princes are in line to rule, but birthright does not guarantee inheritance: For any successor must sit upon the Burning Throne and pass The Test of Fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible—one that incinerates the unworthy. The princes pass The Test . . . but there is another who also survives: a girl from an outlying kingdom. When she is denied her claim, her father, a powerful demonlord, declares war—leaving the princes to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion.

Trivia question time! What famous writer claimed to name her characters from the telephone book and the obituary columns? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Julianne Moore will star in Apple’s adaptation of Lisey’s Story by Stephen King.

Patrick Rothfuss provides teeny Kingkiller Chronicle book 3 update.

A new Kate Bishop Hawkeye series is in the works.

Killing Eve has been renewed for a third season.

Roxane Gay is starting a podcast with Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom.

There’s a movie in the works based on the Sabrina graphic novel.

N.K. Jemisin revealed her new comic: Far Sector.

Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis is being made into a film as well.

Layne Fargo has a new novel coming. (After the new novel that’s coming, I mean.)

Alex Gino’s book Rick, a companion book to George, will be out in 2020.

And Jonathan Maberry’s zombie YA series Rot & Ruin is going to be a film.

The High Fidelity reboot with Zoë Kravitz is moving from Disney to Hulu.

I’m going to need this picture book: No Fuzzball! by Isabella Kung.

Cover Reveals

Here’s the first look at the gorgeous cover of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance. (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), December 3)

And Paste has the first look at the cover of Reverie by Ryan La Sala. (Sourcebooks Fire, January 1)

And Catapult revealed the cover for The Crying Book by Heather Christie. (Catapult, November 5)

Sneak Peeks

You will hear me talk about Gideon the Ninth pretty much nonstop until it comes out. I am a wee bit obsessed. And now you can read the first two chapters.

Disney released the first full-length trailer for Lion Hamlet The Lion King.

There’s tiny glimpses of Megan Abbott’s Dare Me in this USA commercial.

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:

Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson (Atlantic Monthly Press, October 1)

A new Jeannette Winterson is a reason for a national holiday! Seriously, she is amazing, and I cannot wait to read her Frankenstein-inspired “exploration of transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and queer love.” Everything she writes about is amazing in her hands. If you’ve never read her, I’d suggest starting with Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit or The Passion.

What I’m reading this week.

How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper

The Rage of Dragons (The Burning) by Evan Winter

The Grammarians: A Novel by Cathleen Schine

And this is funny.

Really, really clever.

Trivia answer: Dorothy Parker.

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

Do you feel that? *shudders* It’s Monday. That’s okay, because I have lots of fun stuff to share with you today! We’ll get through it together. I had a delightful weekend full of reading and kittens.  I hope that your weekend was equally as swell, and that you all managed to read something wonderful. Have a great week, and remember to be excellent to each other! I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by Dynamite

In a world where costumed heroes soar through the sky and masked vigilantes prowl the night, someone’s got to make sure the “supes” don’t get out of line. Billy Butcher, Wee Hughie, Mother’s Milk, The Frenchman, and The Female are The Boys: A CIA-backed team of very dangerous people, each one dedicated to the struggle against the most dangerous force on Earth – superpower!

Here’s this week’s trivia question: Which author was the first black woman to become a cable car conductor in San Francisco? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Space Opera by Cat Valente is getting a sequel. (Space Operb?) (I’ll show myself out.)

A Day of the Dead LGBTQ* paranormal romance is on the way from Aiden Thomas.

Chuck Wendig’s upcoming novel, Wanderers, will be adapted for television.

Brandy Colbert announced her upcoming YA novel.

Also coming to television: Lie To Me by J.T. Ellison.

Maya Angelou’s life and works are being developed for Broadway.

Women Talking by Miriam Toews will be a film with Frances McDormand.

Kumail Nanjiani in talks to join Angelina Jolie in Marvel’s The Eternals.

Mackenzi Lee’s novella, The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky, will be published in November.

Netflix announced some of the cast of its adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, which includes John Cho.

Holland Taylor, Madeleine Arthur, and Sarayu Blue have joined the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel.

Marlon James and George R.R. Martin will talk about fantasy literature and you can watch.

Amy Adams will star in Hillbilly Elegy for Netflix.

And Netflix plans to adapt Ruth Reichl’s memoir Comfort Me With Apples into a television series.

TV’s original Nancy Drew, Pamela Sue Martin, has been cast in the CW pilot adaptation.

Timothy Simons & Ron Cephas Jones have joined Hulu’s adaptation of Looking for Alaska by John Green.

And Apple’s adaptation of William Landay’s Defending Jacob has several new cast members. (I loved this book.)

Cover Reveals

Caitlin Doughy shared the cover of her new book, which has the greatest title ever: Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? (W. W. Norton & Company, September 10)

TaraShea Nesbit shared the cover of her second novel: Beheld. (March 2020)

Here’s the first peek at the cover for Baking with Kim-Joy: Cute and Creative Bakes to Make You Smile by Kim-Joy. (Quadrille Publishing, September 3)

Sneak Peaks

Here’s the first look at AMC’s adaptation of Joe Hill’s NOS4A2.

Here’s the trailer for the Netflix movie about Ted Bundy with Zac Efron, adapted from The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall. (I wasn’t planning on watching the film but then I found out James Hetfield, the lead singer of Metallica, is in it.)

And here’s the trailer for Trial By Fire with Laura Dern, based on the New Yorker essay by David Grann.

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:

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia (HMH Books, October 8)

Ohhhhhhhh, I am so delgihted with this book! Do you want to recapture the feeling of reading The Westing Game or Agatha Christie novels for the first time? Then read this book. Well, when it comes out. (In the meantime, you can read Bellwether Rhapsody, which will do the trick.) I loved reading Tuesday Mooney. It’s a spooky, charming scavenger hunt, kind of like a ghostly reality show, but better because you don’t have to look at anyone. Reading this made me feel like I was a kid again watching Mr. Boogedy, just absolutely thrilled and tickled pink.

What I’m reading this week:

The Rage of Dragons (The Burning) by Evan Winter

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames

Pun of the week: 

What would bears be without bees? Ears.

Here’s a kitten picture: Book model.

And this is funny.

That’s one angry lizard.

Trivia answer: Maya Angelou.

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

It’s Thursday again! Funny how that happens. I have had a delightful week, full of books and…well, books. But that’s all I want, so it works out! Speaking of books, it’s the Dewey’s Readathon again this weekend. I’ll be running their Litsy account – I hope you can join us. There’s still time to sign up! I have some fun stuff to share with you today. And I’ll be back on Monday with more great stuff to tell you. I hope whatever you’re doing, you have a great rest of your week, and remember to be kind to yourself and others.  – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson, published by Celadon Books.

Eighteen-year-old Stella stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him? Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Family asks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?

Trivia question time! Who said, “I can’t explain inspiration. A writer is either compelled to write or not. And if I waited for inspiration I wouldn’t really be a writer.” (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, might be opening a bookstore.

Lupita Nyong’o has a children’s book coming in October!

The Goodman Theatre is adapting The Outsiders.

Umbrella Academy has been renewed for a second season by Netflix.

Danielle Brooks to star in Shakespeare in the Park’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Reese Witherspoon chose The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo as her next book club pick.

Steve Hamilton, Reed Farrel Coleman, and Meg Gardiner have joined Blackstone Publishing.

Paramount TV, Anonymous to adapt Susan Orlean’s The Library Book.

Minnesota Opera adapts St. Paul writer’s memoir The Song Poet.

Disney announces Shuri-centric animated special for Marvel Rising.

Sarah J. Maas announced House of Earth and Blood, coming January 2020.

Sneak Peeks

Here’s the new trailer for Avengers: Endgame.

And the first trailer for Joker with Joaquin Phoenix.

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:

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai (HarperCollins, September 3)

I love, love, love Lai’s middle grade novels Inside Out and Back Again and Listen, Slowly, so I cannot wait to see what she does for her YA debut! It’s about a brother and sister who are split apart during the Vietnam War – he is taken to America while she is left behind – and their reunion sixteen years later.

What I’m reading this week.

Gods of Jade and Shadow: A Novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Yes, again.)

And this is funny.

How lucky we are to be alive right now.

Trivia answer: Toni Morrison.

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

Happy Monday, readers! I finally feel like my old bony self again. As I’m writing this, it’s Friday, and I’m getting ready to throw myself a weekend readathon, to try and catch up on some work reading. I hope that your weekend will have been equally as swell, and that you all managed to read something wonderful. It wasn’t a huge news weekend, but I have a couple of fun things for you today, and of course, kitten pictures. Have a great week, and remember to be excellent to each other! I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

P.S. Shameless self-promotion: Did you see the artwork for our All the Books! 200th episode commemorative merch???

Sponsored by Flatiron Books

A lifetime of secrets. A history untold. No. It is a simple word, uttered on a summer porch in 1936. And it will haunt Kitty Milton for the rest of her life and its consequences will ripple through the Milton family for generations. Moving through three generations and back and forth in time, The Guest Book asks how we remember and what we choose to forget, and tells the story of a family and a country that buries its past in quiet, until the present calls forth a reckoning.

Oh! Before I get started, I have exciting news! For those of you who love to read (or love to give) picture books and chapter books, we’ve got a new podcast, hosted by author and BR contributor Karina Glaser and children’s librarian Matthew Winner! It’s called Kidlit These Days and you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcatcher.

Here’s this week’s trivia question: What famous author was once roommates with Marlon Brando? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird is going national.

Angelina Jolie is in talks to make her Marvel movie debut.

There’s going to be a new Gish Jen novel next year!

Sophie Kinsella announced a new Shopaholic book.

Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand are teaming up for a Macbeth movie. (Reminder that Scotland, PA is a thing that exists and is AMAZING.)

Jordan Fisher is going to play John Ambrose McClaren in the sequel of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

The rights to Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock have sold.

Cover Reveals

Here’s the first look at Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers by Celia C. Pérez (Kokila, September 3)

And here’s the reveal of I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones. (Sourcebooks Fire, October 1)

And the cover of the last book in Holly Black’s Folk of the Air trilogy: The Queen of Nothing. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 7, 2020)

Sneak Peaks

Here’s the first full trailer for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!

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:

Miracle Creek: A Novel by Angie Kim (Sarah Crichton Books, April 16)

Really, All I want to write here is “Read it” over and over and over. It’s definitely one of the year’s best novels. It’s about a couple who find themselves embroiled in a murder trial after their experimental medical treatment device kills two people. But it’s also a story of family, and responsibility, and immigration. The writing is astounding, and it will deliver a kick-o-gram straight to your heart. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

What I’m reading this week:

Ayesha At Last: A Novel by Uzma Jalaluddin

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

Gods of Jade and Shadow: A Novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Pun of the week: eBay is so useless. I tried to look up lighters and all they had was 13,749 matches.

Here’s a kitten picture: Actually, here’s a bunch of kitten pictures. They’re getting so big!

And this is funny.

Oh, Excel.

Trivia answer: James Baldwin.

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

Happy Thursday! I am finally over the plague, and so happy to be up and around again. And it’s spring! It’s so beautiful here in Maine. Things are turning green! (Er, the right things, nothing scary.) I have some fun stuff to share with you today. And I’ll be back on Monday with more great stuff to tell you. I hope whatever you’re doing, you have a great rest of your week, and remember to be kind to yourself and others.  – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by JIMMY Patterson Books

Ari Helix has been chased her entire life. A fugitive refugee in territory controlled by the evil Mercer Corporation, Ari has always had to hide who she is. Until she crash lands on Old Earth, pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, and becomes the forty-second reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure.

Oh! Before I get started, I have exciting news! For those of you who love to read (or love to give) picture books and chapter books, we’ve got a new podcast, hosted by author and BR contributor Karina Glaser and children’s librarian Matthew Winner! It’s called Kidlit These Days and you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcatcher.

Trivia question time! Who is the popular contemporary author who wrote a book claiming English painter Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

A Princess Bride musical is in the works. (I can’t wait for the show-stopping number Anybody Want a Peanut?)

Viola Davis is adapting Wild Seed by Octavia Butler for Amazon, and Nnedi Okorafor is writing the script!

Todd Mitchell’s forthcoming YA novel, The Naming Girl, will be a film directed by Jennifer Pheng.

The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel has a new director.

Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley will be back in a new series.

Graywolf Press will publish a new Claudia Rankine book.

New Angels in America audiobook to be narrated by the full cast of the Broadway revival.

Melville House will make the Mueller Report its first mass market publication.

Crazy Rich Asians’ actress Sonoya Mizuno will play the title role in the Mouse Guard adaptation.

An Asunda drama series based on the comics is in the works at HBO.

Del Rey is publishing its first Star Wars audio original.

A book tribute to Anthony Bourdain will be published in May.

Charlie Bennett will be a recurring character in S2 of You.

And a follow-up to Sex in the City is in the works.

Cover Reveals

Elton John revealed the cover of his upcoming autobiography, Me, in a YouTube video. (I am ridiculously excited for this book. Is anyone else?) (Henry Holt and Co., October 15)

Here’s the first look at Obviously: Stories From My Timeline by Akilah Hughes. (Razorbill, September 24)

Random House revealed Ali Wong’s upcoming memoir, Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life. (Random House, October 15)

And here’s the first look at The Night Country, Melissa Albert’s follow-up to The Hazel Wood. (Flatiron Books, January 7, 2020)

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:

Erosion: Essays of Undoing by Terry Tempest Williams (Sarah Crichton Books, October 8)

If you have been hanging around Book Riot for a while, you know that me ‘n my ginger lifemate, Rebecca Schinsky, are HUGE fans of TTW. So the idea that we get a new book of essays is exciting x one million! If you’ve never read her before, you should pick one of her books up. She is one of the smartest, most considerate writers out there.

What I’m reading this week.

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Naamah: A Novel by Sarah Blake

The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End by Gary M. Pomerantz

And this is funny.

Trivia answer: Patricia Cornwell.

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