Author: Tirzah Price

Kidlit Deals for September 2, 2020

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date September 2, 2020

Hooray, It’s Time for September’s Giant List of New Books!

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 31, 2020

So Many Book to Screen Adaptations and More Book Radar!

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 31, 2020

Sponsored by Smash It! by Francina Simone, published by Inkyard Press.

Olivia “Liv” James is done with letting her insecurities get the best of her. So, she does what any self-respecting hot mess of a girl who wants to SMASH junior year does . . . she makes a list–a F*ck-It list. She kicks it off by trying out for the school musical, saying yes to a date and making new friends. However, with change comes a lot of missteps, and being bold means following her heart. So, what happens when Liv’s heart is interested in three different guys—and two of them are her best friends?

Hey there, book nerds! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. The weather is cooling off in the Midwest and I spent a delightful couple of days reading, prepping for fall, and getting crafty all at a high of 68 degrees! I am here for it.

As you get ready to dive into a new week (and a new month!), remember to wear a mask, keep hydrated, and don’t forget your book!

Trivia question: Which famous American novel had the working title Baa! Baa! Black Sheep?

Squeals and Deals

Get a load of this fantastic trailer for the Enola Holmes movie adaptation! It’ll be on Netflix September 23.

Beverly Jenkins’ Bring on the Blessings novels are in development to become a TV show called Hopetown and we can’t wait!

The trailer for the movie adaptation of I’m Thinking of Ending Things has landed. It’ll be on Netflix later this week!

Some bookstores have learned that the first printing of Michael Cohen’s tell-all will be released to Amazon first, which is worrying to many indie bookstores.

The first book to star a Sikh character published by a major publisher has just been released. Fauja Singh Keeps Going is about the oldest person to ever run a marathon!

Michael Crichton’s Sphere is being adapted into a TV show for HBO by a Westworld producer.

Get a load of this amazing preorder campaign for Leigh Bardugo’s The Lives of Saints and the collector’s edition of Shadow and Bone.

We’re getting a sequel to Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton!

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Must read: Speaking of Summer by Kalisha Buckhanon

I had this book on my TBR for a year before finally diving in this previous week. It’s about Autumn Spencer, a Black woman living in New York City who is alarmed when one night her twin sister Summer walks to the roof of their building and disappears completely. Months later, the police still haven’t located her, people seemed to have forgotten her, and Autumn finds herself at a loss for what to do next. I went into this novel expecting a mystery, but instead you get a deep character dive about Autumn, her childhood and her relationships, and the months leading up to that fateful night on the roof. The audiobook narrator for this one, Karen Chilton, was excellent, and I was totally absorbed into the sometimes convoluted but always fascinating storyline.

What I’m reading this week:

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

The Wrong End of the Table: A Mostly Comic Memoir of a Muslim Arab American Woman Just Trying to Fit In by Ayser Salman

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Trivia answer: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I leave you with a photo of the Halloween themed face masks I made this weekend while listening to my audiobook. I never thought I’d reach the point where making seasonal face masks would excite me, but here we are!

Happy reading!

Tirzah

Today In Books

Printers Working Hard to Keep Up With Fall Releases: Today in Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 30, 2020

Read This Book: The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 27, 2020

Sponsored by Size Zero by Abigail Mangin.

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on fashion runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion. This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

Welcome to Read This Book, a weekly newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is a powerful novel from Australia–The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina!

Content warning: assault, death, depictions of grief

Published as Catching Teller Crow in Australia, this is a YA novel about Aboriginal teen Beth Teller, who is a ghost. She died before the book begins in a car accident, and now she lingers on Earth, visible only to her grieving dad. Beth can’t stand to witness how he pushes away their beloved extended family, and so she encourages him to go back to work and take on a case. Her father is a police officer, and he reluctantly accepts a job overseeing the investigation of a fire in a small town that claimed the lives of two people–one the police has been able to identify, and one who remains a mystery. Beth is eager to be useful and is happy to see her father take interest in something again, but when they discover a young woman, Isobel Catching, who is able to see Beth, Beth learns that this case might have a profound effect on her own ability to move on.

For a book that’s under 200 pages, this novel packs a surprisingly powerful punch. It has so many intriguing and unsettling elements, and the small Australian town setting really comes alive as Beth and her father attempt to unravel its secrets. I loved that this book really showcases the relationship between Beth and her father, as they come to terms with this new reality and learn that even though Beth is dead, their relationship is still intact, just different. The book actually weaves back and forth from Beth and Isobel’s perspectives, and Isobel’s chapters are haunting and lyrical as they draw the reader–and Beth–closer and closer to the terrible truth about the crime. But it’s only in confronting the causes for the fire and the consequences it has on the community that Beth finds the key to moving to the next plane of existence–a transition as joyous as it is heartrending for those left behind.

This novel has some of the most beautiful and sensitive writing when it comes to describing the despicable things that some people do to one another, and even though it explores a terrible crime, it prioritizes and values the voices of those directly affected, ensuring that justice is served. I’m of the opinion that some of the best YA books come from the Australian market, and this book just further proves my theory!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, the Insiders Read Harder podcast, All the Books, and Twitter.

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Book Radar

Marley Dias Has a Netflix Show and More Book Radar!

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 26, 2020

Sponsored by Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas with Swoon Reads.

Determined to prove his true gender to his traditional Latinx family, Yadriel tries to summon the ghost of his dead cousin to help set it free.
Instead, Yadriel summons Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy. And Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He needs to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian. . . but the longer they’re together, the less Yadriel wants to let him leave. Don’t miss the paranormal debut Entertainment Weekly calls “groundbreaking” and Paste calls “wildly memorable.”

Hi there, book nerds! I hope you’re making it through the week all right! We’ve seen a resurgence of summer heat in Michigan that makes it hard to believe that next week is September, but I am so ready for cool breezes and fall leaves.

Here’s this week’s round up of book news and excitement! Stay safe out there in the big world, and keep wearing those masks!

Trivia question: What kind of sandwich does Charles Wallace make Mrs. Murry in the first chapter of A Wrinkle in Time?

Deals and Squeals:

Silvia Moreno-Garcia talks about what she hopes to see in the Mexican Gothic limited series adaptation at Hulu.

Noughts + Crosses by Malorie Blackman has been made into a TV series by BBC, and it’ll be available in the U.S. through Peacock TV!

Audible users will now have the opportunity to access Audible’s exclusive content for just $7.95 per month.

A new series starring Batman as a Black man is in the works!

Check out the trailer for Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, a new Netflix show from Marley Dias!

Courtney Milan has a new romance hitting shelves in September!

New book deal alert: Ayana Grey’s Beasts of Prey looks amazing!

Riot Recommendations

Want to Read: A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

Last fall I listened to Bringing Down the Duke because everyone was talking about it and I fell so hard and fast for the characters in the League of Extraordinary Women series. The series is set in 1870s England, and it follows a group of fierce feminists fighting for their rights and for love. Book two is out next week, and I’m so excited to read about Lady Lucie, who must go head to head with Lord Ballentine if she’s to secure a London publishing house to promote the suffragists’ cause! Elizabeth Jasicki narrates both books in the series and I can’t wait!

Book Acquired This Week:

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

Trivia answer: Liverwurst and cream cheese. Yum?

I leave you with my most triumphant acquisition as of late: the limoncello flavored La Croix! It’s my new favorite but I’m already worried that I won’t ever be able to find it again, it’s been so scarce! I would love to know what your favorite La Croix flavor is (and what you’re reading!), so hit me up on social media!

Happy reading!

Tirzah

The Kids Are All Right

Kidlit Deals for August 26, 2020

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 26, 2020

Sponsored by our Kindle Unlimited 1-year subscription giveaway!

We’re giving away a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited courtesy of Early Bird Books! Early Bird Books brings you free and bargain eBooks that match your interests. You can sign up for free, read the books on any device, and the books are yours to keep. Click to enter!

Hey kidlit, pals! I hope you’re doing well this final week of August, whether you’re enjoying the last bits of summer or navigating in person or virtual school! I’ve got a nice load of fantastic book deals to help you relax–everything from historical fiction to award-winning fantasy. Let’s dive in!

As always, prices change without notice, so get these deals while they’re hot!

One of my all-time favorites and Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is just $2.

Speaking of modern classics, Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is just $3.

Want a great short story, or ten? Flying Lessons and Other Stories, edited by Ellen Oh, has some amazing stories by some of the top voices in kidlit, and it’s only $2.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacey McAnulty is $2.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is also just $2, which is an amazing price for such a wonderful book.

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, which is in the works to become a new animated series, is just $2.

The multiple award-winning book One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia is under $5, as are the sequels P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama!

The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole can be yours for just $4. This is a great book to pick up ahead of Ruby Bridges’s own children’s book release This Is Your Time, out in November.

Loser by Jerry Spinelli (author of Stargirl) is just $4.

Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot is just $2. Buy it, read it, watch the movie for a fun family activity!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time For New Books!

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 24, 2020

Sponsored by Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Sara and Elizabeth could not be more different. Sara is at a new school unlike the Islamic school she used to attend. Elizabeth has her own problems: her British mum has been struggling with depression. The girls meet in a South Asian cooking class and form a shaky alliance that gradually deepens, and they make plans to create an amazing cross-cultural dish and win a spot on a food show. They make good cooking partners . . . but can they learn to trust each other enough to become true friends?

Welcome to your weekly round of new books! This is the last week of an abnormally packed August full of new books, and it’s so hard to narrow it down to just a few picks! I’m really excited to get my hands on a copy of Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale, Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien (love the Noodle Shop Mysteries!), and Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig.

Make sure you catch this week’s episode of All the Books! with Liberty and Patricia! They discuss The Great Offshore Grounds, Don’t Tell Me to Relax, and more!

Now onto some new releases!

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

I am so pumped for this mystery/thriller, which stars Virgil, who lives on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Virgil works as a kind of last resort for justice in his community–when something goes wrong and the American legal system or the tribal council can’t get justice, people come to him. And when heroin begins entering the reservation, Virgil has his work cut out for him. He investigates the source of the heroin, uncovering secrets that force him to reckon with his identity and his place in his community.

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

In this sequel to Darius the Great is Not Okay, we find Darius back home in the U.S., playing soccer, dating his first boyfriend, and keeping up a long distance friendship with Sohrab. But when both of Darius’s grandmothers arrive in town and his new internship at a tea shop doesn’t go quite as planned, plus Sohrab begins ghosting him and his dad is away on business, Darius’s life begins to scramble once again. And he has to decide if he wants to accept it, or that he deserves better.

Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley

Can you believe it is 2020 and this is the first time that Beowulf has been translated into English by a woman? Maria Dahvana Headley, who is a fantastic writer in her own right, has breathed new life into this old tale with her new verse translation about ambitious men, a woman seeking vengeance for her child, and monsters that walk among us. I haven’t read Beowulf since college, but I can’t wait for this new translation, which promises to give readers new context and nuance to one of our oldest surviving tales.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Book Radar

Leigh Bardugo’s Next Book Revealed and More Book Radar!

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 24, 2020

Sponsored by Skyhunter by Marie Lu, with Fierce Reads.

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu comes an immersive world where the only hope against overwhelming evil is a team of warriors willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love. The Karensa Federation has conquered a dozen countries, leaving Mara as one of the last free nations in the world. Refugees flee to its borders to escape a fate worse than death—transformation into mutant war beasts known as Ghosts. The Strikers, Mara’s elite fighting force, are trained to stop these monsters. But as the number of Ghosts grows, defeat seems inevitable. Still, one Striker refuses to give up hope.

Hey there, bookish friends! I can’t believe it’s the last week of August already–I know summer isn’t technically over until late September, but it always feels like the end once Labor Day hits–even this year, without the usual structure of outside the house life. I hope you’re enjoying your week and wringing the last bit of summer goodness out of the season. For me, that includes freezing a lot of garden produce and then relaxing in my reading hammock at the park–a safe distance away from others!

We’re heading into fall, which is bursting with new releases and bookish fun, and it seems like the bookish news has gotten a head start on all the fun! There are so many excellent cover reveals and announcements to get to–but first, remember to wear your masks, hydrate often and well, and stay safe out there.

Trivia: What was the name of Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas’s dog?

Deals and Squeals:

Leigh Bardugo has a new fantasy coming in 2021, and it’s the sequel to King of Scars! Get a look at the cover of what Bardugo is calling “the finale for the Grishaverse.”

Emily Henry is the author of Beach Read, one of the year’s biggest romances, and her next rom-com cover, title, and first chapter were revealed! I cannot wait!

Speaking of romance, Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White, and Royal Blue, has a new book and the cover is adorbs!

A new picture book about Kamala Harris is hitting shelves this week!

Disney is releasing a YA novel about Nebula and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, written by Mackenzi Lee.

Marvel is releasing a comic special written by and celebrating Indigenous voices!

The Bloggess is releasing a new book! Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson will release in April 2021!

Kenneth Branagh strikes again as Poirot! Watch the trailer for the adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic, Death on the Nile.

Can someone invent a pill for human longevity ASAP? Because Ocean Vuong is the latest author to submit an original work for the Future Library, to be locked away until year 2114.

Riot Recommendations

Must-Read Book: Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner

I inhaled this fantastic novel over the weekend! It’s about Raina and Millie, two very different teen girls who find themselves burned by the same guy and his mock trial team. They decide to get revenge (and pursue their own dreams) by forming an all-girls mock trial team to take on the guys, and they assemble a team of six girls who are angry and fed up with the sexism in their school and lives. This is a really funny, heartfelt, and political read that includes political knitting, yarn bombing, and lots of very excellent arguments. If you need something to give you some political hope moving into this election season, then grab this book!

What I’m Reading This Week:

Girl Serpent Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (finally!)

Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper

Mad & Bad: The Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch

Trivia answer: Basket

I leave you with a snapshot of my weekend–reading in my hammock with the river in sight! I don’t normally read on my ereader but with so many printing shortages, publishers are turning to digital review copies. It’s not the worst thing in the world! Take me back there, please!

Happy reading!

Tirzah

Today In Books

Leigh Bardugo Has a New Book in 2021: Today in Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date August 23, 2020

Sponsored by Trade Deadline by Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn.

All The Details On Leigh Bardugo’s Next Book

EW has broken the news of Leigh Bardugo’s next book, the King of Scars sequel! Rule of Wolves will hit shelves March 2021, and you can view the cover on EW. Bardugo describes it as the “grand finale for the Grishaverse” books. If that makes you sad, then rest assured that you can look forward to the Netflix adaptation of the series at least!

People Want To Support Their Local Bookstores. They Might Be Hurting Them Instead.

Bookstores are hurting, but not the way you think. So many customers have turned to indie bookstores to support small business and to get their book fixes, but when orders are delayed or bookstores have a hard time fulfilling orders in a timely manner (due to demand, and delays caused by COVID), customers cancel or complain–hurting their indies in the long run. Remember to be patient and kind to your local booksellers!

Father-Daughter Duo Opens Library In Chicago With 1,000 Free Books

Here’s a heartwarming story–a father and daughter run Books 4 Cause, an organization founded in 2009 to bring lightly used textbooks to African communities, but now have turned to bringing free books to their Chicago communities. Books 4 Cause has opened one free library already, and plan to utilize empty storefronts throughout the South and West sides of Chicago to reach even more people through free books.