Category: Book Radar

Serena Williams to Publish a Memoir and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 20, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

We’ve made it to another Monday Book Radar, and I’m excited because we’re only a week (and a day) away from HALLOWEEN! Do you have any fun Halloween plans? I’m going to a Twilight-themed barre class. Yes, you heard me right. Okay, but while we wait for Halloween to get here, let’s talk books.

Autumn is here, which means it’s time to curl up with a great read and get cozy — whatever your version of cozy looks like. Whether it’s romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or escapist reads you crave, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.

Book Deals and Reveals

Chuck Tingle’s got a new book coming out! Here’s the cover of Bury Your Gays, a “heart-pounding story about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead.” It’s out in July 2024.

Serena Williams will be publishing a memoir. This is part of a two-book deal the tennis pro signed with Penguin Random House. The second book, according to PRH, will be an “inspirational” work, offering “rules for living that draw on her experiences as a philanthropist and advocate, and someone who has long sought to lift a diverse and emergent generation of young women whose aspirations are not confined to the court.”

Pod Save America hosts and Crooked Media co-founders Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor are publishing their first book, Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps. The book will be released from their Zando imprint Crooked Media Reads on June 4, 2024.

Salman Rushdie’s book reflecting on the attempt on his life in Chautauqua, N.Y., in August 2022, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, has been sold to Random House. The book will be out on April 16, 2024.

Britney Spears’s upcoming memoir The Woman in Me is already a bestseller ahead of its release. The book will be out tomorrow!

Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books has opened up submissions for the 2024 Creative Writing Awards. The awards partnership between Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books will award $60,000 in scholarships.

Simon & Schuster may not have been merged with Penguin Random House, but that doesn’t mean KKR’s acquisition of it is without cons.

Here’s the new trailer for the upcoming Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Expect to hear from all of your favorites from the Scott Pilgrim film adaptation, including Michael Cera and Chris Evans. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off premieres November 17 on Netflix.

Bachelor/Bachelorette star Hannah Brown is coming out with a romance novel. Mistakes We Never Made will be out in May 2024.

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!

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda Dewitt (Peachtree Teen, November 7)

A Valentine’s Day book? In the middle of the fall? You betcha! And you’re going to love it. This YA contemporary novel is super fun and has excellent ace representation. I feel like this is really going to speak to fans of Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. And it’s got excellent ace representation!

As the new student council president, Wren Martin’s first plan of action is to put an end to the annual Valentine’s Day dance. The dance is far too expensive, and it’s totally unfair to all of the non-couplely people out there —especially those who are asexual. But his vice president, Leo Reyes, is looking to make this year’s dance the biggest Valentine’s Day dance in the history of Rapture High.

Meanwhile, Wren has other stuff going on in his personal life. He’s joined an anonymous “non-dating” app called Buddy in the hopes of getting a sponsorship deal for the school. It was all supposed to be for research. After all, Wren — who is asexual but not aromantic — decided long ago that dating was way too complicated. But then Wren finds himself catching feelings for someone he’s met on the app. And right before the big dance.

What I’m Reading This Week

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Black Paradox by Junji Ito

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Monday Memes

If your friends aren’t impressed by your home library/reading nook, get new friends.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

If you’ve ever had a cat, then you know boxes are their favorite treat. I just got this belated birthday present in the mail, and before I could throw the box or any of its insides out, Murray fashioned himself a new cat bed. Oh well, this box lives here now.

And that’s all for today, friends! See you soon!

Emily

Book Radar

Scholastic Book Fair Puts Diverse Titles in Separate Category and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 18, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book People,

Hello and happy Thursday! I can’t believe we’re over halfway through October, but I’ve been trying to savor each day, taking lots of pictures and breathing in the fall air. How has your fall reading been going? Are you ready to talk books?

Book Deals and Reveals

More Tiffany D. Jackson news! The author’s first YA fantasy, Storm: Dawn of A Goddess, is coming out on June 4, 2024!

The Scholastic Book Fair has decided to put “diverse” books in a separate category and make them an optional offering at elementary school book fairs. The company claims that the only other option would be to not offer the books at all. Okay.

LeVar Burton will be hosting the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner. The event will take place on November 15, 2023, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Check out the gorgeous cover of Leslie Stephens’ You’re Safe Here, designed by Kelli McAdams. This sci-fi novel is out on June 25, 2024. You’re safe here

Award-winning actress Michelle Williams will narrate the audiobook version of Britney Spears’ memoir The Woman in Me.

Paste has shared an exclusive cover reveal of Tricia Levenseller’s The Darkness Within Us, the sequel to the 2020 novel The Shadows Between Us. It’s out on July 9, 2024.

And Cosmopolitan is sharing a first look at Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ new series, The Grandest Game, set in the same world as The Inheritance Games. The first book in the series will be out on July 30, 2024.

Here’s the cover of Claire Messud’s new novel, This Strange Eventful History, designed by Jaya Miceli. The book will be published by W. W. Norton & Company in May 2024.

Here are 14 new October book club picks featuring a cursed town gothic novel, a Rasta woman’s memoir, a novel about small-town secrets, and more.

Book Riot Recommends

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Can’t Wait for This One

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones (S&S/Saga Press, March 26, 2024)

I can remember how thrilled I was when I discovered that Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw was going to be the first in a trilogy. I absolutely loved My Heart is a Chainsaw, and I couldn’t wait to hear more of Jade’s story. And now here we are, getting ready for the third book already. Time flies when you’re reading really friggin’ good horror novels.

If you haven’t read the first two books in the Indian Lake Trilogy, I will do my best not to include spoilers here, but you might just want to skip the rest of this and go read it if you want to go in without knowing anything. In the third book, we pick up with Jade Daniels four years after the last novel. Returning to her hometown for the first time in four years, she discovers that much has changed about the way people see her and the town itself (like… serial killer cultists?!?).

But there’s one thing about Proofrock that never changes. The curse of the Lake Witch is still alive and well. And no one is safe.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Nena waited. After nine years apart, she still knew the rhythm of his speaking. She knew he had more to say, that he was searching for words or untangling a difficult thought. He was one of the few men she knew who spent time with his thoughts before speaking, even in the midst of an argument or excitement. It was one of the reasons she loved him.”

— Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

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.

Here’s something really cool! The Pudding has taken a look at over 1,400 romance novel covers featured in Publishers Weekly from 2011 to 2023 and evaluated the covers based on their raunchiness, art style, and racial diversity. Be sure to explore their visual essay, especially if you love romance (and/or looking at book cover trends).

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

The fall weather is beautiful, and the cats are really loving all the little fall creatures bustling around out there. From the safety of the other side of a screen door, of course. They mesmerized!

And that’s all for today, friends. I hope your weekend is wonderful. I’ll see you soon!

Emily

Book Radar

Tiffany D. Jackson Announces New Book and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 13, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

Well, I’m older than I was the last time you heard from me. Yeah, I had my birthday on Friday the 13th. Now, as an official old person, I’m here to offer any life advice or words of wisdom you need. Just know I charge $25 per word from now on. Because the older you get, the more valuable your insights are.

No? Not interested? Just want to hear about the books? Okay, I get it. Here we go!

Book Deals and Reveals

If you loved TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea as much as the rest of the world, get excited. The sequel Somewhere Beyond the Sea is hitting shelves in 2024, and here’s the cover reveal!

Here’s another must-read author with a new book coming out. Tiffany D. Jackson just announced her new novel The Scammer, but you’re going to have to wait til winter 2025. Already adding it to my TBR for two years from now.

Another one?!?! Yes, Casey McQuiston just announced their fourth novel (and third adult romance). McQuiston says The Pairing is about “two gloriously slutty bisexual exes having a transformational three-week reunion tour through France, Spain, and Italy.” It’s out in August, 2024.

Acclaimed novelist Salman Rushdie is releasing a memoir about his experience of being attacked on stage last year.

Sonic Youth singer Thurston Moore has canceled his book tour under the advisement of his doctors, who strongly advised against him flying.

This month, the Center for Jewish History opened JewCE! The Museum and Laboratory of the Jewish Comics Experience.

Here’s the cover reveal of Allen Bratton’s Henry Henry. This “reworking of Shakespeare’s daddy issues plays” is out in April.

The Nerd Daily has the exclusive cover reveal of Sudden Superstar by Claire Betita de Guzman. It’s out in November!

Corus Entertainment’s Waterside Studios has snagged the TV adaptation rights to two YA novels by Argentinian author Marcela Citterio: The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Be a Princess and Uma Ghost.

Book Riot Recommends

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy (Tor Nightfire, October 31)

I love domestic horror. I wrote a whole article about it for Book Riot (shameless plug). So you’d better believe I was ready to snatch this book up as soon as I heard about it, especially because it’s got serious Rosemary’s Baby vibes. Prepare your shelves if you’re a horror fan because you’re going to love this, too.

After a horrifically difficult birth, Ana is scarred in more ways than one. Now, she and her husband, Reid, are desperate for some good news. When they win an affordable apartment in one of New York’s most preeminent apartment buildings, they think this is it. But if something seems too good to be true (especially in a horror novel), then you know it probably is.

Nestlings is eerily unsettling and might just make you feel unsafe in your own home. Yes, I mean that as a compliment.

What I’m Reading This Week

Black Paradox by Junji Ito

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Monday Memes

Here are some fresh memes for my girlies (and guys and everything in between) in the publishing industry.

And Here’s A Cat Picture

Is this a shrimp or a cat? I am not quite sure! Note the cute little Calcifer toy Murray is holding. I wish I could say he put it there, but I saw him sleeping and gave it to him. Maybe I shouldn’t have ruined the magic. Either way, it’s cute.

And that’s all I’ve got for you today, friends! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and see you later in the week.

Emily

Book Radar

Gregory Maguire Returns to Oz with a Final WICKED Book and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 11, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

How is your week going? Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’m so excited, because I’m going to Whidbey Island for the weekend. For my witchy people, that’s the filming location of the fall film classic Practical Magic. Pretty cool, I think. I will report back. In the meantime, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Kennedy Ryan has a sequel to Before I Let Go coming soon, and Cosmopolitan has an excerpt and the cover reveal! This Could Be Us will be out on March 5, 2024.

Here’s another exciting cover reveal—Archangels of Funk by Andrea Hairston. This “story of music, resistance, and acceptance” is out on May 7, 2024, from Tordotcom Publishing.

Here’s the cover reveal of Ijeoma Oluo’s Be A Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—and How You Can, Too. It’s coming out in January with HarperOne.

Gregory Maguire is back with one final book in the Wicked series, and Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive excerpt from the novel. The Witch of Maracoor came out this week, so after you sample the story, visit your local bookstore to pick it up now!

Journalist Claire Atkinson has sold the North American rights to Murdoch: The Life and Business of This Century’s Media Master to Grand Central executive editor Karyn Marcus at auction. The book is set to be published in 2025.

Claire Anderson Wheeler’s debut novel, The Gatsby Gambit, was acquired by Viking at auction. Gráinne Fox, who brokered the deal, described the novel as “a clever, atmospheric mystery in the vein of The Christie Affair and Gosford Park,” featuring Jay Gatsby’s sleuthing younger sister, “the plucky and irresistible Greta,” who gets caught up in a murder mystery. The book is set for a fall 2024 release.

Roku has acquired the rights to The Spiderwick Chronicles after Disney+ declined to pick up the completed series. The eight-episode series will premiere on the Roku Channel in early 2024.

The Color Purple‘s musical film adaptation has a new trailer! The film hits theaters on December 25.

Mike Flanagan’s latest Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, is set to begin filming in Alabama next week.

Goodreads has released a list of the top 66 horror novels published in the past three years, according to its users.

Check out these 2023 mysteries and thriller novels that may not have crossed your path, and find out why they’re great!

Book Riot Recommends

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Can’t Wait for This One

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (Berkley, April 7)

Since I was sharing my excitement for my witchy Practical Magic trip earlier in this newsletter, it seemed only right to share my excitement for another cozy witchy story coming out in 2024. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is another magical story from Sangu Mandanna, the bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

After Sera Swan was exiled from her magical guild, the witch begrudgingly went from being one of the most powerful magic wielders in the world to helping her recently resurrected Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire. Accompanying her on her new adventure as an innkeeper is her talking fox friend with a villainous streak and a cold (but HOT) historian who might just hold the key to Sera reigniting her powers. All he has to do is help her decipher an old spell book. There’s just one problem. The historian also happens to be her one-night stand from years earlier. Oops.

Frankly, you had me at talking fox. I can’t wait for this one. It hits shelves on April 2, 2024. So, like…still nearly half a year away, but who’s counting?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Niceness is all about what we do when other people are looking. Kindness, on the other hand, runs deep. Kindness is what happens when no one’s looking.”

— The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Speaking of Mike Flanagan, we’ve got another entry into the Flanaverse out on Netflix this weekend. The Fall of the House of Usher is getting great reviews, and I can’t wait to watch! Will you be watching?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I got to visit one of my favorite cat cafes this week! Neko Cat Cafe is super cute, and their Instragram is super funny/cute. Watch out: it’s Pawctober, which means it’s Elvira Season! Proceed with caution!

These two cuties are Kewpert Mayonnaise (top bunk) and Zest (bottom bunk). I’m obsessed.

Aaaaand…I hope you have a great weekend, friends! I’ll see you soon!

Emily

Book Radar

Hugh Jackman is Writing a Memoir and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 6, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Happy Monday! Welcome to another incredible October week. The weather is crisp. The fall reading is well underway. I’ve had multiple pumpkin spice-flavored things. I’ve had a good month so far, and I hope you have too. Now, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover of Nita Tyndall’s YA thriller Have You Seen This Girl, designed by Julia Feingold. It’s out from HarperCollins on May 21, 2024.

Hugh Jackman is in the early stages of writing a memoir. “Hugh’s choosing to [write this book] now because he’s finally [being] honest with himself [and his] divorce,” says an inside source, “and this book is the first step.”

Speaking of memoirs, RuPaul has announced a new memoir. The House of Hidden Meanings is scheduled to be released on March 5, 2024.

Here are the finalists of the 2023 National Book Awards. Check out the complete list of finalists in five categories.

The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Norwegian novelist and playwright Jon Fosse.

Starz has handed out an eight-episode series order to The Hunting Wives, a thriller based on May Cobb’s book of the same name.

Adults have a lot to say about book bans, but here’s what kids had to say to NPR about banning books.

Book Riot Recommends

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng (Roaring Book Press, November 7)

It seems like ages ago that I was sharing the cover reveal of this stunning YA horror/thriller novel. And now the book is finally coming! I’m so excited. Think fun YA about a K-Pop rivalry, but also think sapphic and spooky. This is going to be a fun one.

After a scandal destroys 18-year-old Sunny Lee’s pop star career, all she can do is reflect on the past and what once was, back when she had her best friends. Sunny, Candie, and Mina used to be inseparable. But then Mina unexpectedly jumped to her death, and everything changed. Now, Sunny has a chance to attend a K-Pop workshop with Candie and get some answers. But instead of getting the closure she wants, Sunny finds herself haunted by strange visions, and the other competitors in the workshop start getting hurt.

What I’m Reading This Week

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Monday Memes

The weather outside is cool, and it’s cozy inside. Is it the perfect weather for reading? Or something else?

And Here’s A Cat Pictures

Here’s another great pic of Remy, if I do say so myself! He’s so cute! He loves his cat tree! He’s in a lil cat tree bucket!

Thanks for reading, everyone! I will see you on Thursday, and in the meantime, have a wonderful week.

Emily

Book Radar

LeVar Burton Says Read Banned Books and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

How is your October going? I’m so excited because this weekend, I’m going to go see Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service! My millennial heart is full! So, friends, if you want to get on my level this weekend as you’re reading your books, maybe listen to Give Up and Transatlanticism for your reading soundtracks. Let’s live in the same sound space! Let’s see how we feel on Monday. In the meantime, let’s talk books!

Book Deals and Reveals

Check out the (sexy) cover of C. Michelle Lindley’s The Nude, designed by Kelli McAdams at Atria. The novel will hit shelves in June 2024.

LeVar Burton says you should read banned books, and now you can wear that on a shirt. The money raised from the limited-run T-shirt will “support MoveOn’s work to stop book bans and build a world where everyone can see themselves in the pages of a book.”

Merriam-Webster has started a new online series called Word Choices, where celebrated writers share their quest to find the right words. The first episode features Celeste Ng and a discussion of her search for the right title for her novel Our Missing Hearts.

Here’s the trailer for Netflix’s adaptation Leave the World Behind, based on the novel by Rumaan Alam. The film is out on December 8!

As if October couldn’t get any better, we have more Heartstopper news! Netflix has confirmed that production for season 3 of Heartstopper is underway!

Entertainment Weekly is sharing an excerpt of Tessa Bailey’s recently released holiday rom-com Wreck the Halls. Wreck the Halls was published on October 3 and is available in bookstores everywhere!

Europa Editions has acquired world rights to Iranian novelist Shokoofeh Azar’s new novel The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen. The book is set to release in fall 2024.

Bonnie Kistler’s latest psychological thriller, Shell Games, has been acquired by Harper. The book will be published in July 2024.

Journalist and NPR host Celeste Headlee’s Freedom’s Daughters was acquired by Flatiron Books at auction. Flatiron says the book tells the story of Headlee’s great-grandmother Carrie Still Shepperson and “the post–Civil War generation of Black women who championed literacy and education as the foundations of freedom.” It’s out in spring 2026.

The award-winning, bestselling book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr has been adapted into a Netflix miniseries. Here’s the trailer!

What new release should you read this month? Find out in Book Riot’s October 2023 horoscopes.

Book Riot Recommends

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Can’t Wait for This One

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang (Scholastic Press, February 6)

What if Lara Jean had sent hate letters instead of love letters? Then, instead of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, you’d have I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang. It’s out early next year, it sounds so fun, and I can’t wait!

For Sadie Wen, her public reputation means everything. She’s the perfect student, the school captain, the valedictorian, always with the perfect smile plastered on her face. How does Sadie stay so perfect in the public eye? She channels all of her frustrations into emails she’ll never actually send. She knows she can say whatever she wants in her emails about all of the people in her life who frustrate her because she’s never going to send them out. Until one day… boom. They go out into the world.

In a matter of seconds, Sadie’s perfect image is in tatters, and everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them. Especially her co-captain, Julius Gong, who has annoyed Sadie with his vanity, arrogance, and competitiveness since they were little kids.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Potatoes make everything okay.”

— Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

What’s Up in the Book Community?

It’s not too late to join Bookshop.org’s Fall into Reading Challenge! Grand Prize Winners will get a $250 Bookshop.org Gift Card and $250 donated to the bookstore of your choice. 10 Gold Prize winners will win a $50 Bookshop.org gift card. You also win for getting a Bingo! 10% off your next Bookshop.org order. If you fill out your whole card, you’ll get 20% off an additional order.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I love when cats just flop on the floor like this. What does this little guy want? Look at his little face! I’m the #1 member of the Murray fan club. The president, the VP, the secretary, everything.

And that is all for today, everyone! Let’s meet back here on Monday!

Emily

Book Radar

Alice Oseman Reveals Cover of HEARTSTOPPER Volume 5 and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date September 29, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

I cannot contain my excitement. It’s finally October, and I’m feeling extremely festive! October is the month when I want everything to slow down so I can take in every joyous day of the best month of the year. But with all the fun stuff I have planned this month, I’m afraid it’s going to go by in a flash. So now, while we’re on the first Monday of the month, let’s all just take a moment. Breathe in. Enjoy that great October air. And just savor this gorgeous day. Are you with me? Let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Get excited for this upcoming reality TV-based sapphic rom-com written by real-life couple Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters. Karelia Stetz-Waters shared the cover reveal for Second Night Stand on Instagram. It hits shelves on May 21, 2024.

A group calling themselves Friends 4 Levine Querido have raised almost $110,000 in an auction to support the indie children’s publisher Levine Querido. LQ, which specializes in publishing books from BIPOC and LGBTQ authors, has been hit hard by book bans.

Sara El-Arifi has revealed the cover of her novel Faebound. It’s out from Penguin Random House on January 23, 2024.

At last, we’ve gotten a cover reveal for Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper: Volume 5! The graphic novel will be released in the U.S. on December 19, 2023.

Barnes & Noble has announced the 2023 Discover Prize Finalists. Last year’s prize went to Tess Gunty’s debut novel The Rabbit Hutch.

A Smithsonian museum has acquired a huge Phillis Wheatley collection that tells of the poet’s life as well as a country at odds with itself.

From new series to high fantasy, rom-coms to chilling horror, your guide to fall 2023 YA book releases has everything.

A survey conducted by Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute found that most parents think book bans are a “waste of time” and infringe on their parental rights.

Book Riot Recommends

Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang (One World, October 24)

Fasten your seatbelts because you’re in for a wild ride with K-Ming Chang’s latest, Organ Meats. It all starts when best friends Anita and Rainie visit an old sycamore tree and the stray dogs who live nearby. When the girls discover that the dogs can communicate with them, they also find out that they, too, have the power to turn into dogs. Anita convinces Rainie to turn into a dog with her; and to find their way back to each other, they tie red string collars around their necks.

But as soon as the girls become separated, all bets are off. Anita falls deep into a dream world filled with ghosts and bodily entrails. In the real world, as Anita’s mind strays further and further into her dreams, her body begins to rot. Now, Rainie must gather new organs to rebuild her friend’s body and keep her tethered to reality.

If this book sounds absolutely bananas, that’s because it is. But it’s also beautiful and grotesque and heartbreaking and brutal. And you can experience it for yourself later this month!

What I’m Reading This Week

What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Monday Memes

This was true for me, but then I discovered audiobooks. Just sayin’.

And Here’s A Cat Picture

Remy loves to flop around this cat tree. This is another one of those times I wish I could share a video because he likes to flop around from platform to platform like he’s a Slinky.

And with that, we’re already done with the first newsletter of October! How sad! Time is truly flying already! I hope you have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you on Thursday!

Emily

Book Radar

PRH Hits The Road with Banned Wagon Tour and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date September 27, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Welcome back for another Thursday Book Radar! How have you been this week? Today, I’m thinking of taking a walk and listening to an audiobook, and picking up some kind of seasonal coffee beverage. We’re fully leaning into the season, friends! This is the time when we bookish people thrive! I hope you’re living your best life. Let’s talk books.

Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus five mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!

Book Deals and Reveals

Isabel Allende is making her picture book debut with Perla, the Mighty Dog, illustrated by Sandy Rodriguez. “I love dogs more than people because we have so much to learn from them,” Allende said in a statement. “Perla and Nico’s adventures are about the power of friendship, teamwork, and the magic hidden in our daily lives.” The book, which is the first in a series, will be published on June 4, 2024.

Penguin Random House is hitting the road with their Banned Wagon Tour! PRH, Freedom to Read Foundation, PEN America, and Little Free Library will hand out copies of banned books in some of the most affected communities across the country. Check out the schedule to see if the tour is coming to a city near you!

Here’s the cover reveal of a new debut historical fantasy coming out next year! Rosalie M. Lin’s Daughter of Calamity hits shelves next June.

Kennedy Ryan’s follow-up to Before I Let Go, entitled This Could Be Us, releases on March 5. The author tweeted, “Final stage of proofreading means ARCs will be available soon. OMG. Cannot wait for you to meet Soledad.”

Here’s the cover reveal of Jordan Morris and Bowen McCurdy’s Youth Group, a YA horror-comedy graphic novel. It’s out on July 16.

Kalie Holford’s YA debut, The Last Love Song, is a bi Mamma Mia-inspired book, out next April. Here’s the cover reveal!

Evil wizards, killer squids, and a garlic festival? Check out the cover of Caitlin Rozakis’s Dreadful, forthcoming June 2024, from Titan Books.

Literary Hub has shared the exclusive cover reveal of Amy Lin’s memoir Here After. It’s out from Zibby Books in March.

This week, Longwood University announced the finalists for the 2023 John Dos Passos Prize. Here is the shortlist.

Gen Z celebrity book clubs are starting to take off! How do these celebrities speak to younger readers in a way the established book clubbers like Oprah or Reese don’t?

Despite their popularity, bestseller lists are painfully boring.

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Can’t Wait for This One

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley, February 6)

If you care about romance novels, like, at all, then you’ve definitely heard of Ali Hazelwood. You’ve probably read The Love Hypothesis. Maybe you also picked up Love, Theoretically, or one of her other STEMinist novellas. But now…get ready for a romance that’s taking Hazelwood in an entirely different direction. This one’s going to be so fun, and I can’t wait for February!

In this fantasy/paranormal romance, we follow Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest. In a move to form an alliance with the Vampyres’ dreaded enemies, Misery has reluctantly agreed to an arranged marriage with Lowe Moreland, an Alpha Werewolf. Lowe, like all other Weres, is wild and unpredictable. Unlike Vampyres, Weres are driven by emotions and impulses. Knowing how cold and calculated Vampyres can be, Lowe is certain this arranged marriage is not to be trusted. And he’s not wrong.

For Misery, there are plenty of reasons to go through with this marriage. And they’re not all ones the Vampyre council has approved. Misery is willing to go deep into the wolves’ den to get what she wants.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Writing is such a solitary activity. You have no assurance that what you’re creating has any value, and any indication that you’re behind in the rat race sends you spiraling into the pits of despair. Keep your eyes on your own paper, they say. But that’s hard to do when everyone else’s papers are flapping constantly in your face.”

— Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

What’s Up in the Book Community?

BookTube is going mainstream! Famous BookTuber Jack Edwards will be hosting this year’s Booker Prize Livestream. “I’m so so thrilled to share that I’ll be hosting the official livestream for the Booker Prize 2023 on Sunday November 26th across mine and the Booker’s channels, in which one of these six glorious novels will be crowned the winner of this year’s prize!” Jack Edwards wrote in a statement on Instagram. “I discovered so many of my favourite books and authors because of this incredible prize which champions diverse, global, thought-provoking literature, so it’s an absolute privilege to get to be a part of the ceremony this year.”

New to Jack Edwards? Check out his YouTube channel here.

And Here’s a Cat Picture!

Cersei loves to position herself like this, straddling the couch with an arm and leg on either side. It’s very weird, but cute. And if you look closely, you can see Murray sitting behind her. His little orange face is poking up in the background.

I hope you have had a wonderful week, friends. The weekend is right around the corner. And then? October! We’re almost there! See you then!

Emily

Book Radar

Tomi Adeyemi’s Long-Awaited Trilogy Finale is Coming Soon and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date September 22, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Happy Monday, and welcome to another round of Book Radar! I feel like I need a weekend from my weekend, but it’s going to be okay! We’ve made it through Monday before, and we’ll do it again. With the help of memes, book chat, and a good cat pic or two. Let’s do this, book friends.

Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus five mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!

Book Deals and Reveals

We Need Diverse Books has shared the cover of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar’s Four Eids and a Funeral. The romantic YA novel will be out on June 4.

Paramount Animation and Temple Hill is adapting Superworld, created and illustrated by Yarrow and Carrie Cheney, into an animated movie.

Author Jane Riordan has unveiled a new Winnie the Pooh character for her upcoming authorized sequel, Winnie-the-Pooh: Tales From the Forest.

Tomi Adeyemi is sharing the cover of Children of Anguish, the third and final book in her Legacy of Orïsha series. The highly-anticipated book will be published on June 25, 2024, through Macmillan’s imprint Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.

The 2023 Booker Prize shortlist has been announced! It is comprised of six novels that span the globe and the decades, all from authors new to the Booker Prize.

Reading advocate and icon Levar Burton will serve as the first actor to lead Banned Books Week as the honorary chair.

More than 150 artists, musicians, actors, and writers have signed an open letter decrying book bans across the country.

Lionsgate has dropped a full-length trailer for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a feature film based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins.

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Prepare Your Shelves!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (Delacorte Press, October 17)

The Unmaking of June Farrow has a little bit of something for everyone. Mystery. Romance. Magic. Family drama. And if you love reading about all of those things (like most people do), then you’re in for a treat. This book from Adrienne Young, the author of Spells for Forgetting, is hitting shelves in just a few short weeks!

This book is set in Jasper, North Carolina, a small mountain town where the Farrow women have a thriving family farm…and a family curse that has followed them through several generations. But more than anything, the Farrow family is known for the rumors surrounding June Farrow’s mother and her strange disappearance. What happened to Susanna Farrow?

June is tired of the mysteries surrounding her family, and she’s determined to end the Farrow curse once and for all. In search of answers, June embarks on a strange magical journey and puts everything — even her own heart — on the line.

What I’m Reading This Week

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Monday Memes

Love the celeb auction memes? Here are some literary ones!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I love writing this newsletter for all of you, but you know what slows me down sometimes? Cats who hop into my lap and use my arms (the arms I need to write) as a little cradle.

But it’s cute, so at least I got a good pic out of it. I hope you enjoy.

And…you know what time it is. It’s time to wrap up Monday’s Book Radar! I wish you the best throughout your week.

Emily

Book Radar

Leigh Bardugo’s THE FAMILIAR Hits Shelves Soon and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date September 20, 2023

Sponsored by

Dearest Book Radarites,

How is your week going? As much as I love the chillier weather, these cloudier days are, I admit, making me a little bit sleepy. But hey, it’s been a perfect week for reading and for trying out my new tea collection. So everything is okay! Now let’s talk books.

Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler plus five mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!

Book Deals and Reveals

Bestselling author Leigh Bardugo is back with a brand new novel next year, and Goodreads has revealed the dark, creepy cover of The Familiar. This dark historical fantasy is out from Flatiron Books on April 9.

Here’s another favorite who’s back with another book: R.O. Kwon returns with the novel Exhibit, and here’s the stunning cover! It’s out from Riverhead Books in May 2024.

And Timothy Schaffert has a new book out next year! Here’s the cover of The Titanic Survivors Book Club, out from Doubleday Books in April 2024.

Disney+ has released a trailer for its Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The first two episodes of the highly-anticipated series will be out on December 20.

American Fiction, the new film based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett, has won the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Awards.

Oprah has announced Nathan Hill’s Wellness as her 102nd Book Club pick!

What are the other book clubs reading this month? Dive into 13 picks for September book clubs and learn how to join the conversation.

You might know that Millie Bobby Brown wrote a book, but did you know she’s already looking to adapt Nineteen Steps into a film?

These are the highest-rated books from local authors in 130+ countries, including graphics for each continent!

The longlists for the 2023 National Book Awards have been announced. Check out which titles made it in each of the five categories.

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Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.

Can’t Wait for This One

The Hunter by Tana French (Viking, March 5 2024)

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the chance to hype a Tana French book in this newsletter before, so this is a really exciting time for me, friends. Here’s where I get to tell you all about Tana French and how she’s the best mystery/thriller author writing today. And with so many excellent mysteries and thrillers coming out right now, that really means something!

The Hunter is French’s latest, the sequel to The Searcher. Former Chicago police officer Cal Hooper has moved to rural Ireland to retire and build a life with a local woman named Lena. He also forms a bond with teenager Trey Reddy. But then Trey’s father comes back into the picture. And along with him, he brings an English millionaire and big plans to help the whole town get richer. Cal and Lena will do anything to protect Trey from her father’s schemes. But Trey has other ideas.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“If they tell you there’s not even one weapon hidden in their car, they’re lying. As a driver, you have to protect yourself. Out there in the city, we’re on our own.”

— Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

What I’m Watching This Weekend

We’ve got two more great TV adaptations to watch this fall! First, there’s The Changeling on Apple TV+, based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle. And on Hulu, we’ve got The Other Black Girl, based on Zakiya Dalila Harris’ book. I’ll be checking out both this weekend.

And then then there’s all that reality TV… Love is Blind? The Golden Bachelor? F Boy Island? Bachelor in Paradise? At this rate, maybe I’ll never read again.

Will you be watching any of these? Let me know what you think!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Of course, who can think about watching anything when you have a cute little calico cat rolling around in front of your TV? Cersei is the true star of the show, not whatever new adaptation or reality TV series is out this month.

And that’s all, friends! Have a wonderful weekend. Talk Monday?

Emily