Category: Book Radar

Hey there, book nerds! Happy Monday! I hope your weekends were restorative and full of great books. I got in tons of great audiobook and print reading, and I even started watching Perry Mason on HBO, which is a new adaptation of the 1930s-set mystery series by Erle Stanley Gardner, starring Matthew Rhys. I’m super intrigued, so it’s nice to know there’s a second season to look forward to!

Whatever you’ve got going on this week, I hope you remember to take time for yourself and enjoy a good book!

Trivia time: What was the initial print run of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen?

Deals and Squeals:

One nice thing to come out of pandemic life is Together, Apart, which is a YA anthology of romantic short stories that take place during COVID lockdown. Contributors include Rachael Lippincott, Brittney Morris, Erin A. Craig, and Bill Konigsberg. The anthology will be out in October.

They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman, a YA book that comes out this week, has been optioned by Sydney Sweeney’s new production company! Sweeney plans on starring in the TV adaptation.

It’s looking like Michael Cohen can write his tell-all after all.

If you’re a fan of Tess Sharpe’s thrillers, then good news–her 2021 release The Girls I’ve Been has been optioned by Jason Bateman and Millie Bobby Brown!

Tor reports that Jason Peele is teaming up with Issa Rae to adapt the short story “Sinkhole” by Leyna Krow for film! Rae plans on starring in the film. You can read the short story here.

Disney+ is releasing a contemporary, American adaptation live action of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and Black Beauty will be voiced by Kate Winslet.

Matthew McConaughey is releasing a book in October called Greenlights, but he promises you it’s not the typical celebrity memoir.

#BlackLivesMatter and so does Black art! Check out this incredible coloring book highlighting and celebrating Black artists, called #BlackArtMatters.

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!

Recommendation: No Judgments by Meg Cabot

I went to the beach this past week, and naturally I needed a beach read. I grabbed this romance from Meg Cabot because she has been a reliable author for me for over 15 years, and I was not disappointed. This is the first in her new adult romance series set on the fictional Little Bridge Island, the tiniest in the Florida Keys. It follows Bree, who is living low-key as a waitress and painter with her rescue cat after running from her problems in New York City. When the hurricane of the century swerves for her island, she decides not to evacuate–and it’s a good thing, because the storm wipes out the bridge to the island, separating evacuees from their pets. She goes on a mission to rescue and look after as many animals as possible, aided by her boss’s sexy nephew–and maybe finds her calling along the way. This was such a fun read (that made me glad that my beach is far, far away from tropical storms) and an immersive and welcoming setting. I can’t wait for the second in the series, No Offense, out next week!

What I plan on reading this week:

Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg

Trivia answer: 1,500 copies!

Looking for a fun sewing project with all your fabric scraps that isn’t making face masks? Check out these easy fabric square bookmarks! I’m going to whip up a few the first chance I get!

This Kickstarter for a Reader’s Advisory card deck has already been fully funded, but look at how cool it is! You can still contribute and score a deck for yourself.

I’ll leave you with this photo I took of one of my fave summer reads of this year, and maybe all time, Beach Read by Emily Henry, at its setting–Lake Michigan! As you can see, Lake Michigan beaches are legit, plus there are no tropical storms, no sharks, and no saltwater! (Although they do come with some wicked lake effect snow in winter, so I guess no beach is perfect!)

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Hey, book nerds! Happy Thursday! I hope you’re all having a lovely week, and if you’re having a not so great week–well, it’s almost the weekend, so hold on. I hope you’ve got a giant stack of books awaiting you!

I’ve got more book news and excitement for you, but remember to be kind to yourself if you’re feeling stressed–we’re in the middle of a global pandemic after all–and wash your hands and wear a mask!

Trivia time: What’s Starr’s dad’s name in The Hate U Give?

Deals and Squeals:

Expect more of The Witcher content in your life! Netflix is moving forward with a six-part limited prequel series.

Tor has announced the 2020 World Fantasy Award Finalists!

Speaking of finalists, the Book Prize Longlist has been announced, and we’re thrilled to see Real Life by Brandon Taylor, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, and How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang on the list!

The limited series TV adaptations of Little Fires Everywhere and Watchmen have been nominated for an Emmy!

In the yikes category, Newsweek reported that Patrick Rothfuss’s editor reacted to an article published on Book Riot, Authors Don’t Owe You Books, by claiming she hasn’t seen book three of Rothfuss’s series, and that she doubts that Rothfuss has even been working on it in recent years. She expressed lots of frustration felt by fans, but it definitely seems like something that should have been addressed with the author and his agent, not on Facebook!

Ethan Herisse, who starred in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, will narrate the audiobook of Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam. Herissa portrayed Salaam in DuVernay’s film.

Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran is being adapted into a six-part TV series. The novel covers three generations in a Sri Lankan family following the country’s independence in 1948 to the present.

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!

Want to Read: A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

I’m always, always on the lookout for gorgeous new graphic novels, and just look at this cover! This book is about two girls who forge a friendship on the basketball court, only for one girl to move away and fall out of touch. When she shows up again years later, the former friends find themselves both on a newly formed women’s basketball team at their school, trying to rebuild their relationship and trust each other again. I absolutely cannot wait for my copy to arrive. It’ll be out next week, August 4th!

My book acquisitions this week:

Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan

Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

Trivia answer: Maverick! And fun fact–Angie Thomas’s new novel Concrete Rose stars Maverick as a teen!

Read on Book Riot: Screen Time is Money: How Authors Make Money on Ebooks

I hope you have a fantastic weekend full of socially-distanced summer fun! I’ll leave you with a picture I snapped of my hammock reading session with Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner, which was probably the most fun I’d had…in a while. There’s something great about enjoying a book while hanging suspended in the air, and this one was extra great!

Happy reading,

Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope your weekends were grand and full of lots of reading. I spent all Sunday afternoon parked in front of the AC because it was one of those days in Michigan. But I got loads of reading in, both in print and on audio, so no complaints from me!

I’ve got some really exciting bookish news for you this week, so let’s dive in, shall we?

Trivia time: What was the original title of Fahrenheit 451?

Deals and Squeals:

Calling all Paper Girls fans! Amazon just greenlit a TV adaptation of the series, which is about a bunch of 1980s middle school girls with a paper route who find themselves caught up in a weird time traveling battle. The comic series is excellent, and I think this TV adaptation will appeal to Stranger Things fans while also being totally different!

Jason Reynolds has an adult novel in the works! Scribner will publish The Mouthless God and Jesus Number Two in 2022!

Magpie Murders is coming to PBS Masterpiece! Based off the novel by Anthony Horowitz, it’s set to be a six-part series, but no word on when it’ll air. Horowitz adapted it for TV.

HBO’s reboot of Perry Mason has been so successful (it was the most popular premiere in two years!) that a second season has already been ordered. The series is based off of the books by Erle Stanley Gardner.

If you love SFF, and you’re a parent, then you might be keen to know about Don’t Touch That!, a sci-fi/fantasy anthology project that just launched on Kickstarter! If successfully funded, we’ll get humorous short SFF stories about the perils of parenting from Aliette de Bodard, Mark Oshiro, Valerie Valdes, and more.

Elisabeth Moss will star in the AppleTV adaptation of The Shining Girls, which is about a woman who survives a brutal attack only to discover her attacker is a time traveling serial killer.

HBO is bringing the stage adaptation of Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates to screens! The special will include readings from Coates and documentary footage, as well as animation.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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!

Book Recommendation: Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby

I was really excited to hear about this new release a few weeks back, and even more eager when Jamie, who writes our Unusual Suspects newsletter, gave it two thumbs up. I inhaled the audiobook over the weekend! This is the story of Beauregard, aka Bug, who lives in the rural south and has been proudly working as a mechanic, with his own garage to his name. He’s a family man with a past, and when he finds himself short on money with bills to pay in every direction, he gets sucked into driving the getaway car for one last job–except, for people like him, it’s never just one last job. And when the heist is successful, but with unexpected fallout, Bug will have to use all his wits to come out unscathed, and protect his family. This is a suspenseful and deeply compelling novel about people pushed to their limits, and a fantastic new addition to the Southern Noir genre.

What I’m reading this week:

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

The Less Dead by Denise Mina

Trivia Answer: The original working title was The Fireman!

I’ll leave you with a photo of my dog, Scout, who is often very concerned when she’s left out of anything, whether it’s a walk out to the mailbox or shutting the door on her so I can record a Book Riot podcast. Here she is outside the office door, feeling so left out she brought two toys up from downstairs to keep her company!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Thursday, book nerds! I hope you’re all making it through the week with the help of some great books. I finally watched Palm Springs, which Liberty and I chatted about on Tuesday’s All the Books!, and I loved it! I already can’t wait to watch it again!

But back to books–we’ve got a lot of interesting news and fun announcements this week, plus I’m excited to tell you more about what’s on my radar. Remember to wear a mask, and be safe out there!

Trivia time: What year did the (first) Shakespeare and Company bookstore open in Paris?

Deals and Squeals

If Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam isn’t on your radar, then here’s a reason to put it on your TBR: The movie rights have just sold to Netflix, with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington attached to star. It’s about a NYC family renting a house out in the country, away from cell service, who are disturbed when the home’s owners arrive unexpectedly and claim that city is in the middle of a blackout. The book will be out this October.

Publishers Weekly has an analysis of the bestselling books of 2020 so far, and the numbers are interesting! Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens tops the adult chart and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is a teen bestseller.

Speaking of bestsellers, Mary L. Trump’s book Too Much and Never Enough broke records for Simon & Schuster by selling 950,000 copies on its first day alone. So many books never sell that many copies in a lifetime!

A movie adaptation of The Prisoner of Paradise by Romesh Gunesekera will start filming in September, despite COVID concerns.

A lead actress has been cast for the movie adaptation of The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson! The film is still in development, but this is a cool next step.

Brittney Morris has a new YA coming next year, and the cover was revealed in EW! The Cost of Knowing is about a Black teen who can see into the future, and gets a vision of his younger brother’s death.

Chelsea Clinton is persisting with new Nevertheless, She Persisted chapter books, and this time she’s expanding the line up of amazing authors. There will be books about Helen Keller, Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, and more, all authored by a different bestselling children’s author. The books will release throughout 2021.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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!

Excited to read: The Survivors by Jane Harper

I squealed so hard when I got a digital review copy of Jane Harper’s newest mystery, The Survivors! It’s set in Tasmania, and it’s about Kieran Elliott, who left home after a big mistake and giant storm changed his life for good, but just as he returns home, a body is discovered on the beach, bringing it all rushing back. I’ve loved everything Jane Harper has written (but I especially loved The Lost Man), and I am so ready for another one of her immersive Australian mysteries. This one won’t hit shelves in the U.S. until February but if you think I’m waiting that long, you’re bananas.

Check out: Liberty and I talk new books on All the Books this week! Some of our titles include He Started It by Samantha Downing, The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson, and The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue.

My new book acquisitions this week:

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Mirage and Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Trivia answer: That would be 1919! It closed in 1941 due to the Nazi occupation of France, and that original location never reopened, but a second Shakespeare and Company opened in the 1950’s, and officially changed their name to Shakespeare and Company in 1964.

I’ll leave you with this photo of Lobizona (isn’t that cover GORGEOUS?) and a tiny baby aloe plant, which I grew from seed! Fun fact: I planted this guy on March 10, the last day I walked around in the world before self-quarantining. It’s so small, yet I’m so proud of its progress!

Happy reading!

Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope you all had most excellent weekends. I packed my book and a little picnic and spent a good four hour chunk on Saturday in my hammock in the park, reading Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner, which is a delightful queer romance set in Hollywood! If that’s not self care, then I don’t know what is!

I’ve got a bunch of bookish excitement, news, and deals for you, but remember to practice safe social distancing and wear a mask!

Trivia time! Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize–but which book snagged her the prize?

Deals and Squeals!

Calling all Brat Pack fans! Andrew McCarthy has announced a deal with Grand Central Publishing to release his memoir, Brat: An ’80’s Story, set to release in spring of 2021. This isn’t the first time McCarthy has published–he’s the author of The Longest Way Home, a memoir about his adult years, and Just Fly Away, a YA novel.

Major squeal time–Sandhya Menon announced on Instagram that her debut novel When Dimple Met Rishi has been adapted into a TV series by Netflix India! The show is set in India, not the U.S., so expect some major changes, but the show should be available on Netflix worldwide later this year. Can’t wait? Here are 7 Bollywood Movies to Watch If You Loved When Dimple Met Rishi to marathon in the meantime.

Tor has announced that there will be a sequel to Seanan McGuire’s Middlegame! The book will be called Seasonal Fears and you can expect it in spring 2022.

Speaking of new books, Colson Whitehead also revealed on Twitter that the title of his next book is Harlem Shuffle, and it will hit shelves fall 2021!

The production company Sister has acquired TV rights to Jennifer Weiner’s Mrs. Everything, her novel about two sisters whose lives and relationships change as they come of age in the 20th century.

Lucifer Season 5 now has a trailer! Watch the season on Netflix starting August 21.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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!

Excited to read: The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan

Last week’s news that McTiernan has signed a deal for three new mysteries set in the U.S. made me really wish that I had a copy of her latest, which is sadly not published here in the U.S. yet (Penguin, c’mon!). I loved The Ruin and The Scholar (which are available in the U.S. in paperback), so I decided to heck with it, and I bought an international copy of The Good Turn because I can’t wait for American publishing to catch up! I also listened to two Audible exclusive shorts she wrote over the weekend (The Roommate and The Sisters), so I cannot wait. Fingers crossed that the book doesn’t get lost in international shipping!

What I’m Reading This Week:

The Pretty One by Keah Brown (gotta get those Read Harder challenge books in!)

No Judgements by Meg Cabot (the sequel to this romance is coming out next month, and I can’t wait!)

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura (this has been sitting on my shelf for a while and it’s suddenly calling to me!)

Trivia Answer: The Age of Innocence

I’ll leave you with this must-read on Book Riot–Contemporary Native Literature: Looking Beyond the “Indian Du Jour”

Please enjoy this photo of my orange monster in a box that was meant for a bunch of books before he decided, nope, it was his box now. Cats. There is no reasoning with them.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Thursday, readers! We’re almost to the weekend, and thank goodness because it’s been a week of rushing about to meet deadlines and braving the outside world to shop in actual stores for the first time in weeks–but I managed to buy yeast, so that’s a win! After all that, I just want to find a cool and breezy place to hang my hammock this weekend, and read all the books!

No matter what you’ve got going on this weekend, I hope you’re keeping safe and that you’ve got a nice hoard of books! Remember to drink lots of water and wear a mask!

Literary trivia: In Normal People by Sally Rooney, where in Ireland do Marianne and Connell grow up?

Deals and Squeals

Dervla McTiernan has signed with HarperCollins for three more crime books! The Irish author currently lives in Australia, but her new books will be set in the U.S. I can’t wait–I love her Cormac Reilly series, which begins with The Ruin.

The Shirley Jackson Award winners have been unveiled! The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter won best novel, and Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma won best novella! See the full winner list.

A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee, a fun foodie rom-com out this week, is in development for film! Daniel Dae Kim will produce and star in the adaptation.

Get ready for more Eva Innocente! Valerie Valdes has announced the sale of two more books, one of which is confirmed to be a sequel to Chilling Effect and Prime Deceptions.

Early reviews of Mary L. Trump’s Too Much and Never Enough indicate that the book is so much more than just an exploration of her uncle’s character.

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series is now available on audio, with some star-studded narrators.

Children’s author Chris Grabenstein has signed an exclusive deal with a talent agency to see more of his work on the screen. He’s the author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, in addition to many other books and being a frequent collaborator with James Patterson.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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 a book recommendation for you!

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

I’m a big fan of Emma Donoghue, even if I’m still working my way through her backlist! This new release was actually pushed up to next week because of its relevance to the world right now–it’s about the 1918 flu epidemic. The novel is set over the course of three days in a hospital in Dublin, where nurse Julia Powell is working on the tiny maternity fever ward for expectant mothers with the flu. Overwhelmed and understaffed, the hospital gives her an untrained volunteer named Bridie to help her care for her patients, and Julia and Bridie’s paths cross with a nonfictional character–the female Dr. Lynn who is wanted because she opposed English rule.

I listened to the audiobook in nearly one sitting–it’s such a mesmerizing tale about perseverance in the face of unrelenting work and fear, and finding hope in the small spaces. I’m glad this book will be out Tuesday so I can shout about it from the rooftops!

What’s on my radar this week:

White Fox by Sara Faring (the second novel from the author of The Tenth Girl)

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (this was an impulse listen that I started the other night, and it’s so good!)

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby (out now, and it looks amazing!)

Trivia answer: County Sligo!

I’ll leave you with a photo of my own orange monster, aka Oliver! He can be cute, when he’s not looking to bite someone or something.

Have a fantastic weekend, and happy reading!

Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope you had a restorative weekend full of lots of books! I spent time reading with my eyes and ears, and wrapped up watching Safe on Netflix, which is created by crime writer Harlan Coben. I also really enjoyed The Stranger (also on Netflix, based off of his book The Stranger), and I have a couple more Netflix shows based off of his work on my watchlist. I love finding a solid mystery writer whose work I can marathon read or watch!

I’ve got a whole slew of great bookish news and excitement for you this week, but remember to stay hydrated, wash your hands, and keep practicing healthy social distancing habits!

Trivia time! Which critically acclaimed mystery writer debuted his long-running series about an eleven-year-old girl solving mysteries in her small English village when he was 71 years old?

Reveals, Deals, and Movie Squeals

The long-awaited sequel to Ready Player One will be out in November! Ready Player Two has a release date and cover, but you’re going to have to wait a littttttle bit longer for plot details.

HBO Max is developing a film of When Katie Met Cassidy, a lesbian rom-com by Camille Perri. Perri will write the screenplay, and all I can say is YAY, because we need more queer rom-coms in the world!

Philip Pullman is releasing a new novella about teenage Lyra! Serpentine will release this October, and bridge the gap between the end of His Dark Materials trilogy and The Book of Dust.

Phoebe Robinson is on fire! The comedian will launch her own imprint called Tiny Reparations, aimed to address the lack of diversity in publishing. She’ll also release a new book in early 2021 called Six Feet Apart about–surprise surprise–pandemic life.

Sad news: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been canceled at Netflix. But if my perusal of 2021 book catalogs is any indication, we’ll have plenty of dark witchy books hitting shelves to fill that Sabrina void.

But speaking of Netflix–a trailer for season two of The Umbrella Academy just dropped!

Looking ahead, Saara El-Arifi has sold her debut fantasy novel The Final Strife at auction in the UK and in a pre-empt here in the U.S.! The book, which is the first in a trilogy, is pitched as “N.K. Jemisin meets Patrick Rothfuss” and it’ll be out in 2022!

Riot Recommendations

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

Girl Serpent Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust looks incredible, and I so enjoyed her first novel, Girls Made of Snow and Glass (a queer Snow White retelling told from the POVs of Snow White and her stepmother). And I’ve been wanting to read more books by Native/Indigenous authors, so I’m really looking forward to Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford, about a Cherokee woman and her daughter in the 1970’s-1980’s.

From Book Riot: Normalize Black history with five books about some extraordinary Black people you should know about.

What I’m planning on reading this week:

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon (give me alllll the fun rom-coms!)

The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones (I’ve really been into horror lately, 2020 has been a trip)

Roll with It by Jamie Sumner (ticking off the Read Harder challenges!)

Trivia answer: Alan Bradley! Read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie if you haven’t already!

That’s it for me, bookish peeps! I leave you with a photo of this precious little fawn, who came bounding out of the underbrush the other day while my partner and I were on a walk. He stopped and stared at us, then bounced back the way he came. Later down the trail, we saw mama deer, so no worries!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Thursday, book nerds! Surprise, surprise, I’ve got a load of fun book news for you today! I’ve been spending my work days plopped in front of the fan in my dining room, trying to stay adequately hydrated while listening to audiobooks on and off as I work. There’s something reassuring about listening to a book where the characters are melting in the heat as much as I am (The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires), but wow, my kingdom for some AC!

I hope you’re staying cool, drinking lots, and are well stocked in books! Keep on washing those hands, wearing your bookish masks, and staying socially distant!

Trivia time: What play does Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury get its title from?

Book and Adaptation News

I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee, a book I squealed about last month on All the Books, has been picked up by HBO Max!

Check out the cover reveal for Black Futures, a visual anthology that will release later this year!

Book Rioters have rounded up some of the best books of 2020 so far, and the list is amazing!

Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer and The Refugees, has a new book coming out in 2021! The Committed is set in Paris in 1982, and the cover is striking!

Rainbow Rowell has announced that the Eleanor & Park movie now has a director attached, and casting will start this week. The news has caused a resurgence of critiques surrounding how Park, a biracial Korean-American character, is portrayed in the novel. So far, Rowell hasn’t addressed that criticism.

Mary L. Trump’s book about Donald Trump is not only proceeding with publication, but it will be out as early as next week!

Book Riot Recommends:

At Book Riot, I am a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and create content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s a book I recently read and loved!

Goodbye from Nowhere by Sara Zarr

I’m a huge Sara Zarr fan (everything she writes is amazing, and the Lifetime movie adaptation of her first novel, Story of a Girl, is directed by Kyra Sedgwick and is *chef’s kiss*), so I was super excited to finally start in on her 2020 release, which I’ve had since May! This is the first book she’s written from a male POV, and I thought she did a fantastic job. This book is about Kyle, a California teen who thinks his family is a little messy but mostly great, and he’s super proud to introduce them all to his girlfriend at Thanksgiving. But then shortly afterwards, he learns that his mom is having an affair–and that his dad knows all about it. Kyle begins spinning out, trying to reconcile the family he thought he had with his new reality. During this time, he reaches out to his cousin Emily, who lives hours away, and finds their friendship deepening as she supports him through this tumultuous time, especially when the family learns their grandparents are selling the family farm.

I loved the emotional arcs in this book, and the characters! Kyle is a baseball loving, classic musical watching teen who loves his family, but turns a blind eye to their deeper-rooted issues until he has to face them head on. Along the way, he learns the importance of communicating your feelings and fighting for what you want and what you believe in. He also discovers that just because you’re family doesn’t mean that your relationship is secure–being there for one another takes work and time, but it can be totally worth it. I also loved the family farm setting–so different from what you see of a lot of California settings!–and the family dynamics. This is a great pick if you’ve never read a book by Sara Zarr, and a must-read if you’re already a fan!

Check out: 12 Must-Read High Fantasy Novels Coming Out in the Second Half of 2020

On My Radar This Week:

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (finally started, loving it so much!)

The Mysterious Messenger by Gilbert Ford

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA edited by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X.R. Pan

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (this is a queer fantasy about Black girls taking down an evil system, and I am so excited for it!)

Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka (the latest book in one of my favorite mystery series!)

Trivia Answer: It’s Hamlet, by William Shakespeare!

I’ll leave you with a photo of a recent read, and a bowl of the best homemade animal crackers I’ve ever had. (Let’s be real, they’re more like cookies and I am okay with this.) I followed the Half-Baked Harvest recipe, which is easy albeit a little fussy in this hot weather and they were delicious–the frosting is made from confectioner’s sugar and strawberry juice and it’s perfection. I got the cookie cutters from Etsy, and eating these totally made me feel like a kid again!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I’m taking over for Liberty while she is on summer break, and I’m so excited to bring you a dose of book news, fun, and recent reads! I hope you all had the most excellent socially distanced holiday weekend. Who watched Hamilton on Disney+? I saw it, cried like a baby, and now I’m all up in the Hamilton feelings and singing “Wait for It” under my breath. Also, my partner discovered the National Geographic channel on Disney+, so I guess we’re not canceling our subscription anytime soon, thus playing right into Disney’s hands!

I hope whatever you’re reading and watching this week, you’re staying cool and staying healthy!

Trivia time: What year were the first Pulitzer Prize awards given?

Deals & Squeals!

Take a dive into the history of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s and learn about the real inspiration behind Holly Golightly.

The webcomic One of These Days will be a book!

Check out the cover of Malinda Lo’s new book, Last Night at the Telegraph Club! It’s set in the 1950’s San Francisco queer scene, and you can read an excerpt now! This is one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2021!

We all know that books are going to be written about COVID-19, but this book might set the record for fastest fiction title to be released! Don’t Stand So Close to Me by Eric Walters is an upper MG/young YA novel about the effects of COVID-19 on a group of thirteen-year-olds, and it’s out now on Kindle, and will be available in paperback in September.

The DeadEndia comic series is being adapted at Netflix, and it is perfect for fans of Steven Universe. Haven’t read DeadEndia yet? Sounds like now is the perfect time!

Norman Reedus is writing a novel.

Have you been watching the documentary I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, based off of Michelle McNamara’s book of the same title? I watched the first episode and it was great. Director Liz Garbus talks about the process of adapting the book.

YA author Kimberly Jones (I’m Not Dying With You Tonight) recently went viral for her Youtube video “How Can We Win?” about the systemic racism and oppression Black people face in America. The book will expand upon that topic, and will be released from Henry Holt next spring.

The Baby-Sitter’s Club is now streaming on Netflix, and everyone agrees that it’s a winning adaptation!

If you’ve been following the news surrounding Mary L. Trump’s book, an appeals court has ruled that the book can move forward, although the fight isn’t over yet.

Riot Recommendations

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

Want more rom-coms in your life? Here are 20 must-read YA rom-coms hitting shelves in 2020.

Excited to read:

I’m still social distancing, and one of the hard parts has been waiting for my book mail to arrive. I’m still waiting on my copy of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (cries forever), but I might crack and start the audiobook. Praise the book gods for instant downloads.

What I’m reading this week:

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring

Goodbye from Nowhere by Sara Zarr

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi

Trivia answer: The year 1917!

I shall leave you with this photo of my new book shelves, plus my dog Scout, who very clearly thinks that this photo is all about her! Thanks for sticking with me today, and happy reading!

–Tirzah Price

Happy Thursday! I have some fun stuff to tell you today. It’s all about – SPOILER – books! Try not to be shocked, lol. I have been enjoying a good run of reading, but it might all come screeching to a halt because I just reactivated my World of Warcraft account. I found my old WoW shirt over the weekend and was overcome with the need to play again. We’ll see if I can go longer than two weeks before I delete it this time. Sorry, unread books, mama has to shard some purples!

Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you virtual hugs. Please be safe, and remember to wear a mask and wash your hands. And please be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty

Trivia question time! Whose first novel was called Pebble in the Sky? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Jennifer Egan is writing a companion novel to A Visit From the Goon Squad.

Candice Carty-Williams and Bernardine Evaristo are this year’s British Book Awards winners.

Sir Patrick Stewart is working on a memoir. And so is Lenny Kravitz.

Here’s the first look at The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch.

HBO will adapt The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

Adam Christopher is writing a Mandalorian novel.

Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion by Tanisha C. Ford is being developed by Gabrielle Union and Freida Pinto.

And here’s a look at Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy.

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: 

This deal was just announced yesterday, so it doesn’t even have a cover or a title yet! But I am so excited to read this, I had to mention it: Brandy Colbert, author of The Voting Booth (which is out next week), is writing a non-fiction YA book about the Tulsa Massacre. It will be released next fall to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the devastation. I am all about more YA nonfiction, and this is an event that needs to be taught in schools, so I hope this book will become part of curriculum. Mark it down now!

What I’m reading this week.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Song stuck in my head:

Dollar Bill by Screaming Trees

And this is funny:

The kids are all right.

Happy things:

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

• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
• Here are livestreams of animals. I particularly enjoy the bat one.
• And more cute animal pictures.
• Music Catch, one of my favorite desktop games. I also still play Lemonade Stand occasionally.
• Disney Emoji Blitz!
• We Bare Bears

And here’s a cat picture!

DO NOT WANT.

Trivia answer: Isaac Asimov.

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