Category: Book Radar

Brandy Colbert Shares Cover of New YA Novel THE BLACKWOODS and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 17, 2023

Sponsored by

Hello and Happy Monday!

Tomorrow is the day I’m leaving town, and I’m bringing quite a few books with me. The flight is long, friends. Lots of reading time. Now the question is, when you’re on a plane, do you go audiobook, physical book, or eBook? For me, I think it might end up being audio. We’ll see. For now, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Brandy Colbert has shared the cover of her upcoming YA novel, The Blackwoods. The novel will be out from Balzer and Bray on October 3.

Macmillan has just announced that bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has signed an eight-figure, multi-million-dollar deal “for a slate of new projects to be published across multiple divisions of the company, in a variety of formats, age categories, and genres.”

The Broadway production of Room, which was in rehearsals, has been postponed indefinitely. The production announced earlier today that it would not be moving forward due to a “shortfall in capitalization” and the withdrawal of a lead producer.

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced that writer, comedian, television host, and actress Michelle Buteau will host the 28th Annual Audie Awards.

Angie Thomas, Jesmyn Ward, Kiese Laymon, and Rick Bragg are among the best-selling authors who will be speaking at the first-ever Mississippi Banned Book Festival. The Mississippi Banned Books Festival kicks off at 9 a.m. on March 25 at Millsaps College in Jackson.

On October 17th, Phoebe Robinson’s imprint Tiny Reparations will be publishing comedian and Late Show with James Corden bandleader Reggie Watts’ debut memoir, Great Falls, MT. And Entertainment Weekly is sharing an excerpt of the book along with a cover reveal.

The New York Public Library has announced the five finalists for its 36th annual Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism.

From sweet romances to dark family stories and even historical fiction, here are 11 books Colleen Hoover recommends that fans will love.

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!

Prepare Your Shelves

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling (Atria Books, March 30)

I feel like dystopian novels have been especially difficult over the past, I don’t know, seven years, because it has felt increasingly as if we are living in our own dystopian hell right now. And yet somehow I still love reading them, maybe because it helps my anxious brain to confront the most difficult parts of being alive at this point in history. However you feel about dystopian fiction, or however bleak your outlook is on our current state of affairs, I urge you to give Michelle Min Sterling’s climate change-based dystopian novel a read. And it will be out at the end of the month, so prepare your shelves.

Set in the near future, Camp Zero is the story of an American building project that lies in the far north of Canada. And, yes, it is called Camp Zero. In a desperate effort to help her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother, Rose travels to Camp Zero to spy on its architect, in the hopes of uncovering the project’s many secrets. In exchange, Rose has been offered free housing. Arriving at the same time as Rose is Grant, who has an agenda of his own. Grant is a college professor with a dark family past that he’s desperate to get as far away from as possible.

As Grant and Rose begin to discover just how disturbing the mysteries of Camp Zero are, rumors begin to fly about a nearby Cold War-era climate research station and a group of women soldiers living and working there. Who are they, who is leading them, and what are they doing there?

What I’m Reading This Week

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Orange by Ichigo Takano

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Monday Memes

Another week and I’m still obsessed with these Nicholas Cage/Pedro Pascal memes. I can’t get enough of them!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I’m really going to miss this cutie while I’m out of town, but don’t worry. I’m staying with other cats, so you’ll get pictures of them. Don’t tell Murray though. He thinks he’s the only cat in the world (even though there are two other cats in this house).

And…that’s today’s Book Radar! I hope you had fun. I’ll see you next time.

Emily

Book Radar

Sign Up for the #TransRightsReadathon and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 15, 2023

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

How goes it? I’ve had a busy week getting ready to leave town for this New Orleans wedding, and I’m hoping to get a nap in this weekend. Those are my big weekend goals. What are yours? As always, feel free to reach out and let me know. In the meantime, here’s the book buzz.

Book Deals and Reveals

Mystery lovers, check out the cover of The Curse of Penryth Hall, the Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut from Jess Armstrong. This one hits shelves in December!

And here’s the cover for Elizabeth Crook’s The Madstone. Described as having “echoes of Lonesome Dove and News of the World,” this novel is out from Little Brown in November.

Earlier today, Oprah announced her milestone 100th book club pick on CBS Mornings. The new selection is Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.

Keanu Reeves’ action comic book series BRZRKR is coming to its explosive end, and here’s a preview of the final chapter. BRZRKR #12 goes on sale March 15.

Academy Award-winning actors Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan are reuniting in the upcoming Disney+ series adaptation of American Born Chinese. Released last weekend by Disney+, the series’ first teaser trailer announces a premiere date of May 24.

Two-time Edgar Award winner Andrew Kivan has sold the world rights to his novel A Woman Underground to Mysterious Press in a six-figure deal. The novel is set for a fall or winter 2024 release.

Four-time Emmy nominee Jeremy Podeswa, best known for his work on Game of Thrones, has signed on to direct the first episode of Amazon’s live-action Blade Runner TV series, Blade Runner 2099. The series is based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

Honoring the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, the International Booker Prize has announced its 2023 longlist.

Get to know this year’s slate of titles honored on the 2023 women’s prize longlist.

Raise money for trans rights while reading books by trans authors by signing up for the #TransRightsReadathon happening March 20-27th!

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca (CLASH Books, June 6)

Eric LaRocca became a BookTok sensation with their novella Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. And while I admittedly don’t always agree with BookTok’s favorites (I know, it must be because I’m old), they got it right with this one. Things Have Gotten Worse is completely disturbing, both psychologically and viscerally, and LaRocca has established themselves as a masterful horror author before ever releasing a full-length novel.

Well…here it is. Eric LaRocca’s first full-length novel is coming out later this year, and I know I’m not the only one who is excited. Everything the Darkness Eats is a supernatural thriller set in a rural village in Connecticut called Henley’s Edge. Following a disturbing and unexplained string of disappearances, a grieving widower with a dark secret finds himself drawn to dark, occult magic and mysterious older gentleman named Heart Crowley. Meanwhile, beneath the idyllic exterior of the small town community, an insidious hatred is growing. And one member of local law enforcement is getting closer to uncovering the truth behind the town’s disappearances just as that hatred is about to bubble to the surface.

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“That’s really the point of romance as a genre, women asking for what they want, without apology.”

— Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

What I’m Watching This Weekend

So the Academy Awards were last weekend, and of course I watched them. Now I have to catch up on all of the movies I missed during awards season. I, like the rest of the world, was a huge fan of Everything Everywhere All At Once. I also really enjoyed Tár and The Banshees of Inisherin. But, look, “Naatu, Naatu” from the film RRR was, in fact, a banger. Just as promised. So yeah, I might need to watch that movie this weekend! Have you seen it? What were your favorite movies from this year’s awards season?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I watched the Oscars at my friend’s house last weekend, which means I got to hang out with these two cuties. Everyone meet Nala and Spuds. If you enjoy them and want more hairless cat pics, I’m sure I can make it happen!

If you’re missing Murray, Remy, and Cersei, don’t worry, they’ll be back. I’ll tell them you said hi.

And that is all for Thursday’s Book Radar. Have a wonderful weekend. Take naps. Eat pizza. Live your life.

Emily

Book Radar

Ali Hazelwood Makes Her YA Debut and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 10, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Book People!

You know how I love a Monday. I’ve got one more week of relaxation at home before I am heading back out for another wedding. This time in New Orleans! Should be fun, and I will also be cat sitting, so I’ll have cute new cats to share with you. Which is why you’re all here. But before we get to that, let’s get to the books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Penguin Teen has shared the cover of Hazelwood’s upcoming novel Check & Mate, a YA romance story about two chess competitors. The novel comes out on November 7, and it’s available for preorder now.

Here’s the beautiful cover reveal of Shannon Takakooka’s The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne. The novel will be published by Candlewick on October 31.

Entertainment Weekly has shared an excerpt from Canadian indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara’s graphic novel Junior High, which comes out May 30.

The Nerd Daily revealed the cover of Jo Segura’s Raiders of the Lost Heart. The novel, described as “an adventure rom-com featuring rival archaeologists,” will be published on December 5 from Berkley.

Tor.com has got the cover reveal for Nicola Griffith’s Menewood, the sequel to Hild. The book comes out on October 3 from MCD Books.

The series adaptation of Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City is no longer moving forward at Hulu.

Independent studio Wiip (Mare of Easttown, Dickinson) has acquired the rights to Vauhini Vara’s debut novel The Immortal King Rao and will be adapting the novel for televison.

The 2023 PEN/Faulkner finalists were announced. The award will honor a winner that three other authors will judge as a “first among equals.”

The 2023 Nebula Award Finalists were also announced by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association this week.

Also…we have questions about Reese Witherspoon’s recent book club selection.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House, April 4)

Spring is almost here, and to me, that means it’s romcom season. So what better novel to read in spring than one literally entitled Romantic Comedy? This one actually crept up on me. I knew Curtis Sittenfeld had a new book coming out, but I didn’t realize it was coming out so soon. So prepare your shelves, because this one is going to be a whole lot of fun.

Sally Miz, sketch writer for a late-night live comedy show called The Night Owls (it airs every Saturday — very SNL), has sworn off love. She’s had enough of opening up her heart just to have it broken time and time again, and at this point in her life, she’s happy with no-strings-attached, one-time hook-ups. When Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst starts dating a beautiful actress who guest-hosted The Night Owls, Sally takes out her frustrations in a sketch poking fun at all the average-looking guys who are able to snag women who are way out of their league. There is no way, she argues, that it would ever happen in reverse.

But then Noah Brewster comes along. Noah is a pop star who notoriously dates models. When he joins an episode of the show as both the host and the musical guest, Noah and Sally hit it off right away. The more the two work together on sketches for the show, the more Sally starts to wonder if their might be actual sparks here. But no one who looks like Noah could fall for someone like her… right?

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

What I’m Reading This Week

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Orange by Ichigo Takano

Monday Memes

So many great memes out right now. But I’ve really been loving all of the iterations of the Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent meme with Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal. Especially when they get bookish.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Action shot! I love when I get a picture of the kitties mid-yawn because they look kinda ferocious, even when in reality they’re just really sleepy. So thanks for allowing me to capture this moment, Remy.

And that is all! I hope you have a wonderful Monday and a wonderful start to your week!

Emily

Book Radar

Paul Tremblay Discusses New Short Story Collection and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 8, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Welcome back for another Thursday edition of Book Radar. AWP is in Seattle this weekend, so I’m hoping maybe I get to do some fun book-related things around the city. Will report back if I experience anything exciting. In the meantime, it’s time to talk books!

Book Deals and Reveals

Jason Derulo is writing his first book, Sing Your Name Out Loud: 15 Rules for Living Your Dream, which will be published by HarperCollins on June 27.

Trevor Noah is back with a new book deal with publisher One World. Noah’s next project is a novel that’s scheduled for a fall 2023 release.

Haruki Murakami is publishing a new novel on April 13. It will be the author’s first novel since 2017’s Killing Commendatore. Unfortunately for English-speaking readers, this publication date is for the Japanese version only. No announcement has been made for translation publication dates yet.

Marvel Comics is launching a new imprint dedicated to 20th Century Studios’ properties. The imprint will kick off with a new Planet of the Apes comic from writer David F. Walker, artist David Wachter and cover artist Joshua Cassara.

Here’s the cover reveal of When We Become Ours, a YA anthology featuring adoptee authors. It’s out from Harper Teen on October 24.

Travis Baldree, author of Legends & Lattes, is back with another book, and here’s the cover reveal. Bookshops & Bonedust will be out from Tor Books on November 7.

Del Rey Books has bought the North American rights to Karen Lord’s The Blue, Beautiful World. This novel was sold along with reprint rights to two of the author’s previous titles, Redemption in Indigo and Unraveling.

According to data, women are now publishing more books than men are, and it’s affecting the publishing world in a big way.

Here are the winners of the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay (William Morrow, July 11)

Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with horror author Paul Tremblay about the adaptation of his book Cabin at the End of the World. If you read this newsletter frequently, then you might remember back at the end of 2022, I mentioned Knock at the Cabin was one of my most anticipated movies of 2023. So this was so exciting for me!

But what I think will be exciting for you, oh readers who love to have your fingers on the pulse of all the exciting new releases? Paul Tremblay also revealed some details about what we can expect from his upcoming short story collection The Beast You Are. “I don’t know if following up a movie with a short story collection with anthropomorphic animals and free-verse is the most commercial thing I could have done, but it’s happening,” he said.

And if you’ve read multiple books from Tremblay, then you’ve probably noticed the author returns to certain characters and has little nods to previous stories. So I asked if we could expect any of that in the new book.

“I don’t think I would ever write a sequel to A Head Full of Ghosts,” Tremblay responded. “But given that Marjorie and Mary, one of their bonds was telling each other stories, I like the idea of writing other stories Marjorie and Mary might have told each other. So in the collection, there are two. One’s a very short story, and it starts with the line, ‘this is another story my sister told me.’ It has Mary and Marjorie and a giant monster. And there’s a story that was originally published in Fangoria a couple of years ago. I wrote it as Karen Brisset, the blogger from A Head Full of Ghosts. In that novel, I mention that she’s hired by Fangoria at some point. So this is her answering letters to Fangoria, and the letters are referring to what she wrote about the TV show The Possession. So that story’s definitely linked to A Head Full of Ghosts.“

There may be a few more connections to previous stories in the book’s short story and its novella about anthropomorphic animals, but you’ll have to read and see for yourself. The Beast You Are is out this July.

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“I used to think soul mates were two of the same. I used to think I was supposed to look for somebody that was like me. I don’t believe in soul mates anymore and I’m not looking for anything. But if I did believe in them, I’d believe your soul mate was somebody who had all the things you didn’t, that needed all the things you had. Not somebody who’s suffering from the same stuff you are.”

— Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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.

Another author is responding poorly to book reviews. This keeps coming up in the world of online books over and over again. So how do we avoid this in the future? If you’re an author, here’s a hint. Maybe don’t read reviews if they’re going to upset you and lead you to attack reviewers. Or just don’t read reviews at all, either way. And if you’re upset about a review you read, I can’t imagine getting into Twitter and Goodreads arguments with your readers would somehow make you feel better.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Look who’s helping me write this week! Remy is a business cat wearing a tuxedo in to work. Very fancy. I am very proud of him.

Anyway, Remy and I are going to type type type some other things now. I hope you have a great weekend! We’ll talk again soon.

Emily

Book Radar

Get A First Look at Ashley Winstead’s MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 3, 2023

Sponsored by

Wow…

It’s Monday again. That just keeps happening, doesn’t it? And it’s March too. Wild. I know everyone says this, but it’s because it’s true. January always feels like a whole year in and of itself. And now that we’re out of January, the rest of the year is just going to fly by. Mark my words. I hope you’ve already made your plans for the holidays because that’s basically right around the corner. Anyhow. Let’s try to make time stand still for just a few moments while we talk about books.

Book Deals and Reveals

The School Library Journal has the exclusive cover reveal of Shanna Miles’ The Fall of the House of Tatterly. This middle grade novel will be out from Union Square Kids on August 29.

Crime Reads has shared the cover and an excerpt from the upcoming novel Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead. This one will be published on October 3.

Fonda Lee has announced a new cyberpunk space opera duology that she describes as “what you’d get if Akira Kurosawa wrote Dune starring a 50-something give-no-fucks swordswoman on her last job, blended with vibes of Blade Runner plus a touch of John Wick.” The Last Contract of Isako is set for a winter 2025 release.

After a turbulent few months for the publishing company, Penguin Random House has announced new leadership. The interim chief executive of Penguin Random House, Nihar Malaviya, will retain the “interim” title for now, but he will be taking charge for the foreseeable future.

Priyanka Chopra’s Purple Pebble Pictures is producing a limited series based on Tanya Selvaratnam’s memoir Assume Nothing for Amazon Studios.

Barnes & Noble is making changes to its membership program. Previously, the membership cost $25 a year and gave members 40% off hardcover bestsellers, 10% off all in-store purchases, free shipping online, and a few bonus perks through the year. Read more about the new program here.

The Great British Baking Show finalist Kim-Joy has written a graphic novel. Titled Turtle Bread: A Graphic Novel About Baking, Fitting In, and the Power of Friendship, the graphic novel is inspired by Kim-Joy’s mental health struggles and her love of baking. It will be available digitally in May via Comixology, and in print this fall from Dark Horse.

Volusia County Schools in Florida want to “invest” in Moms for Liberty’s book rating system to help them remove books.

Let’s look at the 10 bestselling fantasy books of all time — as well as 10 other fantasy stories that deserve this title.

Welcome the new month with March 2023 horoscopes and new book recommendations for each sign.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves

Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa (First Second, March 21)

You know, I haven’t featured that many graphic novels here, which is a shame because I have been making an effort to read more graphic novels. So it’s about time I share my new love and appreciation of graphic novels with all of you. And in honor of my new obsession with Heartstopper, it only seems right that we start with another queer YA graphic novel. Belle of the Ball is soooo freaking adorable. And SO PINK! Best of all, it’s coming out soon, so prepare your shelves.

Belle Hawkins is a senior in high school and a total wallflower who does her best not to stand out from the crowd. That’s why she’s perfectly happy hiding in the school mascot costume at all the games. When she finally works up the courage to take off her mask and ask out her crush, head cheerleader Regina Moreno, there’s one tiny (ok, kind of big) problem: Regina is already dating athletic all-star Chloe Kitagawa.

When Hawkins approaches Regina, Regina knows Hawkins will do anything to get close to her, and so she sees an opportunity. Chloe is not doing well in English, and Hawkins would be willing to tutor Chloe free of charge. Little does Regina know that Chloe and Hawkins go way back. They’ve known each other since they were kids, back when Hawkins went by Belle and wore princess dresses to school every single day. And when romance starts to blossom between Hawkins and Chloe, this love triangle goes in a much different direction than Regina expected.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Orange by Ichigo Takano

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Monday Memes

I think we need to take a moment to just acknowledge that we as a people are all obsessed with Pedro Pascal. And if you’re not already, you should be.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I’m so excited because my friend got to visit me last week. This was my first friend to come visit me in my new home, and it was so fun showing her around Seattle and getting to be like “yep, I live here!” But I think the best part was showing off my cats, of course. So anyway, here’s a picture my friend took of Murray being bad. Unfortunately, he’s still really cute even when he’s bad.

And that’s where we end today, friends. I hope you have a wonderful week. I’ll be here again with more book things on Thursday. See you then!

Emily

Book Radar

Indiana Jones Meets Enemies-to-Lovers Romcom in Rosie Danan’s DO YOUR WORST and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 1, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Happy Thursday! We’re almost to the end of the week, and I’m hoping for a nice, chill weekend with plenty of reading time. But before we get there, we have today to talk books. So let’s do this.

Book Deals and Reveals

Indiana Jones meets enemies-to-lovers meets supernatural romcom in Rosie Danan’s latest novel Do Your Worst, and here’s a first look at the upcoming book. Do Your Worst is out from Berkley on November 14.

Pascale Lacelle’s Curious Tides is all about dark magic and secret socities, and Tor.com has the cover reveal. This book — the first book in the Drowned Gods Duology— is publishing October 3, 2023 with Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Rick Riordan has unveiled the cover of his upcoming novel titled Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods. This one will be out on September 26.

And here’s the cover of Katee Robert’s new novel Hunt on Dark Waters. This one’s out on November 7.

Gatsby, a brand-new musical stage adaptation of the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, will have its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in 2024.

65 years after Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was published, the classic Christmas story is getting a sequel. How the Grinch Lost Christmas will hit shelves on September 5.

HBO Max given a straight-to-series order to a drama based on Stephen King’s horror novel It. Andy Muschietti (who made the film adaptations It and It: Chapter Two) will direct multiple episodes of the series, including the first episode.

Juli Min’s debut novel Shanghailanders was sold to Spiegel & Grau at auction. The novel, set for spring 2024, is described by the publisher as a “kaleidoscopic” work that follows a wealthy family in Shanghai, moving back and forth in time between 2014 and 2040.

Nnedi Okorafor has sold three adult fantasy novellas to DAW Books. The first book under contract is entitled She Who Knows and is set for a spring 2024 release.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One

House Woman by Adorah Nworah (The Unnamed Press, June 6)

This debut novel is an exciting and unique thriller set in a Nigerian immigrant community in Sugar Land, TX. So if you enjoy a good domestic thriller but have been getting tired of the same old formula, House Woman will surprise you, and it’s going to be one you’ll want to put on your TBR list for June this year.

When young dancer Ikemefuna leaves her home in Lagos for an arranged marriage to a man she’s never met, her new husband Nna gives her all sorts of promises for what her new life in Houston will mean for her. A life with Nna will mean a chance for an education. A chance for freedom.

Desperate to please, Ikemefuna will do anything to fit in with her new family and her new home with Nna and her in-laws. But Nna’s parents are desperate for something else: grandchildren. And the pressures to give them what they want become increasingly suffocating by the day. Meanwhile, as Nna tries to grapple with his parents’ desires and his own feelings towards his obedient but very strange new wife, family secrets come to the surface.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Maybe touching someone is the kindest thing you can do; making a person feel like it’s okay to touch them, that they’re touchable and not disgusting, is the easiest and best way to make a person feel good in the world.”

— Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Oh look! I have my computer back, and so I’m here to share a new picture with you. My husband got our cat Cersei a cute little cat house so she can hide from the other boys. Isn’t she precious? Ok, yeah, she still looks a little scared, but that’s just her vibe.

Anyway, I hope you have a good weekend. Talk to you next week!

Emily

Book Radar

Alison Brie Joins APPLES NEVER FALL and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date February 24, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Hello and welcome to another Monday here in Book Radar land. I hope you’re weekend went well, and I hope you’re ready to get down to business. Because somehow March is coming this week? Where does the time go? 2023, you are weird.

Book Deals and Reveals

Bram Stoker Award-winning author Hailey Piper has a new novella coming out! Here’s the cover reveal for Even the Worm Will Turn. This book comes out on April 22.

Tor.com has the cover reveal and an exclusive excerpt from Vanessa Montalban’s A Tall Dark Trouble. It’s out from Zando Young Readers on August 29.

And here’s the cover reveal for Synithia Williams’s upcoming romance novel The Secret to a Southern Wedding. Coming August 2023.

Alison Brie has joined Peacock’s series adaptation of Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Brie will star as Amy Delaney, the oldest Delaney child.

Samantha Sotto Yambao has sold the English world rights to her novel Water Moon to Del Ray in a six-figure deal. Del Rey said the novel was pitched as “Erin Morgenstern meets Studio Ghibli” and follows “a woman who inherits a pawnshop in Tokyo where you can sell your regrets.”

TikTok star Tinx sold North American rights to The Shift to Simon & Schuster. The book is slated for a May release.

Another exciting cover reveal! Check out the cover of Isle McElroy’s People Collide. The novel will be published by HarperVia on September 26.

The Audie Awards recognizes the best audiobooks of the year. Here are the finalists for overall best audiobook, best narrator, and more.

Clarkesworld has closed submissions after being flooded with hundreds of AI-generated stories.

PEN America’s Literary Award Finalists have been announced. They include books of by debut writers and well-known writers alike.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves

While You Were Dreaming by Alicia Rai (HarperCollins, March 21)

Alicia Rai is the bestselling author of many romance novels, but While You Were Dreaming is the author’s first young adult romance novel. This contemporary YA romance is so quirky and fun, and it’s coming out in just a few short weeks. So if you love cute romance, unlikely superheroes, and comic cons, prepare your shelves. This one is coming!

Sonia Patil has a plan. All she has to do is show up at comic con in an amazing costume, and her crush will be unable to ignore her. But nothing ever goes quite to plan, does it? Instead of winning her crush over, he faints into a canal and Sonia has to rescue him. Suddenly Sonia is a superhero in her own right, and no one can find out her true identity. Sonia’s sister is undocumented, and Sonia and her sister have been trying to lay low since their mother got deported. How long will Sonia be able to hide in plain sight?

What I’m Reading This Week

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Monday Memes

I’m totally vibing with this meme, and I hope you enjoy it too. Are you looking for a beach read? Or are you looking to intrigue people on the bus? Or both?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Hiiiii I still don’t have my computer. But let’s check out my new favorite kitty from Orphan Kitten Club: Freebie! Do you follow Orphan Kitten Club? It probably won’t surprise you to know I’m a proud club member.

Emily

Book Radar

Jimmy Choo Launches Collection Inspired by SAILOR MOON and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date February 22, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Well. It’s been a week. I love my cats to death, but one of them… well he owes me a new computer. Word of advice to everyone: don’t leave water next to your open computer when you have three cats in the house. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. Anyway, onward and upward, right? We’re still here, and I’m on a borrowed computer for the time being, so let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Simon & Schuster will soon be publishing Awad’s latest novel Rouge. The publisher describes the novel as a “horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her into a warped pursuit of youth & beauty.” Rouge will be released on September 12.

Greta Thunberg released a new book entitled The Climate Book, and the Twitter community has thoughts. The main critique? That the book is printed on paper, when it would be better for the environment to publish an ebook.

New editions of Roald Dahl’s books have been edited for less offensive language and more inclusivity. Publisher Puffin wrote in a statement included in the books, “The wonderful words of Roald Dahl can transport you to different worlds and introduce you to the most marvelous characters. This book was written many years ago, and so we regularly review the language to ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”

Just days after Netflix announced a release date for the upcoming Bridgerton spin-off series Queen Charlotte, Shondaland has announced another expansion to the “Bridgerverse”: Queen Charlotte is getting her very own book.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the beloved anime/manga series, Jimmy Choo has launched a collection inspired by Sailor Moon.

Margeaux Weston, the nonfiction editor at the Hugo Award-winning literary magazine FIYAH, has announced a new nonfiction middle grade collection. Everything but Typical will highlight the lives of a diverse group of influential people who are also neurodivergent, including Simone Biles, Greta Thunberg, Armani Williams, Octavia Butler, and more.

Amazon has released a new trailer of Daisy Jones and the Six ahead of the series’ March 3rd premiere.

Vermont author Lloyd Devereux Richards is now a bestselling author more than a decade after publishing his first novel, Stone Maidens, and it’s all thanks to the TikTok account his daughter created to promote his work.

Authors like Roxanne Gay and Alexander Chee have signed an open letter to The New York Times calling out their anti-trans coverage.

PEN America has counted and reviewed the most banned picture books from 2021-2022 and found a few common elements.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One

The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan (ECW, April 18)

Of course, it’s not all about book covers. But I’m a Libra. Aesthetics matter to me. And this book cover is doing a lot of good work. It’s bright, it’s exciting, and yeah, it’s also super creepy. Like…what is growing out of this apartment building? How can you not want to read this one? Thankfully we don’t have to wait too, too long. Just a few more months and you can be reading this book on the bus while strangers eye the cover and wonder, “what is this interesting person reading? That cover slaps.”

Okay, but what about the inside of the book, you ask? This is a horror novel about an evil apartment complex with a dangerous mold manifestation. Yeah, all mold is dangerous, but I mean, like, this mold has A MIND OF ITS OWN. The Marigold is a luxury apartment complex that hasn’t sold as well as expected. In fact, the building is only half full. And next to it lie the unfinished remains of the Marigold II that never was.

But what’s truly scary is what lies beneath the Marigold II. And when public health inspector Cathy Jin investigates the toxic mold growing in the building, she discovers just how horrifying the growth around the Marigold(s) is. This satirical horror novel takes on gentrification, the false promises of luxury living, ecological issues of the modern age, and more.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Does he not know the rules, though? Slashers aren’t into guns. One of the papers she wrote for Mr. Holmes, even, back in the days of extra credit, was how the reason bullets never can take the slasher down is that they’re not in the gun economy at all, are far outside it, like there’s some unspoken deal in place: I won’t use you, you can’t hurt me.”

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

And Here’s A Cat Picture!… Wait.

What’s this? No cat picture? Like I said, I am on a borrowed computer right now and I don’t have easy access to my iCloud. I’m so sorry. I’m promise I’m not punishing my cat for ruining my life. He can still be famous. But for now, check out the Instagram from my fave cat cafe in Seattle, NEKO Cat Cafe. And if you want to support them, they have cute merch and they ship!

And that’s all for today, my sweet friends. Thanks so much for showing up. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Emily

Book Radar

George M. Johnson and Leah Johnson Sign Seven Figure Book Deal and More Book Radar

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date February 17, 2023

Sponsored by

Hello Book Friends!

I can tell my cats missed me when I was gone because today Murray has been on my lap pretty much nonstop all day. Right now I’m trying to write, but the cat is not really interested in letting me have both arms. I’m doing the best I can. So let’s see if I can get through this newsletter with a cute ginger cat draped across me. Wish me luck.

Book Deals and Reveals

Amanda Gorman has announced her second children’s book Something, Someday, which will be released on September 16 by Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers.

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has signed a seven-figure, two-book deal with authors George M. Johnson and Leah Johnson. Their first book is scheduled for release in 2025.

Here’s the cover reveal for Elena Armas’ upcoming novel The Long Game. The “brand new small-town soccer romance” is coming out September 5.

Brian Wasson has shared the cover of his upcoming contemporary YA debut, Seven Minutes in Candyland. The author says the story is “about a boy whose chance meeting with a longtime crush opens his eyes and heart to some sweet and sour truths about growing up and letting go.”

Lisa Springer’s debut YA contemporary horror-comedy looks like a lot of fun. Check out the cover reveal here. There’s No Way I’d Die First is out September 5.

There’s a new book for adults coming from Bill Watterson, bestselling creator of Calvin and Hobbes, and caricaturist John Kascht. The Mysteries will be available on October 10.

Former defensive back and two-time Super Bowl winner Malcolm Jenkins sold North American rights to What Winners Don’t Tell You to Simon & Schuster. The book will feature an introduction by quarterback Tom Brady.

Timothy Schaffert has sold North American rights to The Titanic Survivors Book Club to Doubleday. The novel is scheduled for a spring 2024 release.

A live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon is heading to theaters on March 14, 2025.

The HarperCollins Union has voted to ratify the contract with HarperCollins. The employees represented by the union will return 2/21.

PEN America’s Literary Award Finalists have been announced. They include books by debut writers and well-known writers alike.

Love BookTok? Love horror? Find the best books on HorrorTok now to scare the sh*t out of you and make you say “What did I just read?!”

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly (Forever, March 7)

Romance lovers could not get enough of Anita Kelly’s Love & Other Disasters last year. Now the author is back with their second full-length novel. It’s a M/M romance that I already know people are going to be just obsessed with. It’s going to be just as charming and unforgettable as Kelly’s first, so go ahead and make space on your TBR now. This is one you’ll want to read in March so you can be part of the conversation.

When Alexei Lebedev starts his journey on the Pacific Crest Trail, he’s prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and spending months with no one but himself to keep him company. And yet somehow, on this 2,500-mile trail, Lex keeps running into the same guy — Ben Caravalho. For Ben, Lex isn’t the first beautiful man he’s let creep into his heart, but there’s something different about the gorgeous and, yes, slightly nerdy guy that Ben can’t get out of his head. Is it coincidence that these two keep running into each other over and over again? Or is the trail somehow bringing them together?

What I’m Reading This Week

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

Severance by Ling Ma

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Monday Memes

I’m taking a break from bookish memes this week to share with you a cat-related meme. Because have I mentioned I really missed my cats while I was away?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Just to bookend this whole newsletter, this is exactly what I was talking about. Murray has been chilling out on my lap pretty much nonstop all day. I kind of love it, even if it means my productivity has been less than optimal. Sometimes it’s nice to take a long break after a tiring trip. We all have to stop and cuddle the cats every now and then.

And that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful week.

Emily

Book Radar

Shelley Parker-Chan’s HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD Out in August and More Book Radar

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date February 15, 2023

Sponsored by

Hi Book Fam!

How was your Valentine’s Day? Did you remember to head to the drug store on 2/15 to pick up your discounted candy hearts? It might not be too late if you run to the store right now. I’ll wait… Okay hi. Welcome back. Are you ready to talk books?

Book Deals and Reveals

Shelley Parker-Chan has revealed the U.S. cover of their upcoming fantasy novel He Who Drowned the World. It’s coming out from Tor Books on August 22. Preorder here!

Sandhya Menon has shared the cover of her upcoming novel Of Dreams and Destiny, the third book in the Rosetta Academy series. The YA fantasy romance novel will be out on September 19.

Here’s the cover reveal of DaVaun Sanders’ Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew, a new middle grade fantasy series out on October 17.

Check out this new queer, gender-bent retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma. Emmett by L.C. Rosen hits shelves on November 7.

To celebrate the five-year anniversary of Love and Other Words, Christina Lauren has announced a special hardcover edition of the book. Copies will ship in May, and you can preorder the book here.

Devi Pillai, president and publisher at Tor Publishing, has announced a new romantic imprint for the publishing company, Bramble.

Matthew McConaughey is set to publish his first children’s book Just Because on September 12. The book features illustrations by Renée Kurilla, and an audiobook version narrated by McConaughey will also be released.

A new series based on Patricia Highsmith’s Talented Mr. Ripley novels will no longer air on Showtime. The show, titled Ripley and starring Andrew Scott as the title character, will instead stream on Netflix.

Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television are developing a Spider-Man Noir live-action series.

Months after a federal court ruling blocked the Penguin Random House deal, the publisher Simon & Schuster is once again up for sale.

Here are the winners of the 2023 Summer Scares! Summer Scares aims to introduce new readers — and deepen the knowledge of fans — to great horror books for adults, teens, and middle graders.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury, June 30)

I feel like whenever Kalynn Bayron has a new book out, you know I’m going to feature it here. And I’m not even going to apologize for it. If you haven’t read any Kalynn Bayron books, maybe this one will be the one where you start. Or check out any of her other amazing LGBTQ+ YA books, such as Cinderella is Dead or This Poison Heart.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight is such an excellent title, and it’s the perfect book for fans of “final girl”/slasher horror stories. But of course this book introduces new twists to the genre. Camp Mirror Lake is a place where people can go to live out their favorite horror movies. Guests pay to be scared at this full-contact horror attraction. For Charity Curtis, she’s getting to work the summer job of her dreams playing the “final girl” at the camp and recreating scenes from the classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake.

But then on the last weekend of the season, Charity’s co-workers start disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity begins to wonder if she’s becoming a final girl in real life. Now if Charity and her girlfriend Bezi want to survive the night, they’ll have to figure out who is killing off all the campers and what the killer wants.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“No matter how bleak or dire, end-of-the-world scenarios appeal to us because we take meaning from the end. Aside from the obvious and well-discussed idea that our narcissism is served when imagining we, out of all the billions who perish, might survive… there’s also undeniable allure to witnessing the beginning of the end and perishing along with everyone and everything else.”

— The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

What’s Up in the Book Community?

With Cindy is one of my favorite BookTubers. And if you’ve missed out on all of the literary drama that’s happened so far in 2023, this is the video for you. Here, Cindy is tier ranking all of the book drama that’s happened so far this year. Enjoy laughing while becoming more informed about what’s going on in the world of books!

And Here’s A Dog Picture!

We’re switching things up this week! I know we’re usually a cat-centric newsletter, but this week, we’re featuring one of the world’s best dogs. This is my BFF’s dog Koala. He’s a cutie, and he’s also traveled the world! Everyone say hi to Koala!

And that’s all for today, friends. I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Emily