Category: Book Radar

Dearest Book Friends,

It’s Monday, which means it’s once again time for Book Radar! One of the best parts of Monday. For me, anyway. I hope you’re enjoying it, too. This week, I’ve got some juicy book news for you and an upcoming release I can’t wait to tell you about. Plus another unforgettable cat picture. So really, just all of the stuff you’ve come to expect, know, and love (?) from this newsletter. Let’s get crackin’.

Book Deals and Reveals

Netflix has released the trailer for the highly-anticipated gothic horror miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher, created by Mike Flanagan. The series, based on the Edgar Allan Poe short story of the same name, releases on October 12.

Amanda Gorman has been chosen as the American Bookseller Association’s Indie Bookstore Ambassador this year. In an Instagram post, Gorman writes, “Independent Bookstores are vital parts of our communities and bastions of literature. We must work together to support local booksellers everywhere so that they can continue to thrive and champion books on a local level with the personal touch and human connection that we all need, now more than ever.”

Prize-winning fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, has signed a 7-figure deal for her next two books with Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Here’s another exciting new trailer drop: Apple TV+’s trailer for Lessons in Chemistry, the new series based on Bonnie Garmus’ bestselling novel of the same name. This one’s out on October 13.

Pack your bags, because everyone’s favorite Guncle is heading abroad! Here’s the cover reveal of Steven Rowley’s The Guncle Abroad. It’s out from Putnam Books in May 2024.

Entertainment Weekly has revealed the cover of Wake Me Most Wickedly, a gender-bent (and Jewish!) romance inspired by “Snow White.” The book hits shelves in April 2024.

And check out the cover of this upcoming YA thriller, Kill Call by Jeff Wooten. This one is out on February 20th, 2024!

Alan Moore, writer of comic books like Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell, and Batman: The Killing Joke, has announced that he would like DC to send all of his future adaptation royalties to Black Lives Matter.

The National Book Awards rescinded Drew Barrymore’s invitation to host their awards ceremony after she announced continuing her show.

Rating and reviewing are staple features of Goodreads and The StoryGraph. But how do these platforms differ?

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!

What I’m Reading This Week

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Monday Memes

Shout out to all the people who refuse to trade in physical books for a Kindle. You are my people.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I recently purchased this scarf in anticipation of cooler weather (it’s on its way!) but yeah… I didn’t put it away right away, and look who’s loving on it now. I guess this is Murray’s scarf now. Too bad so sad.

And…that’s it! That’s a wrap for today, friends. Have a lovely week.

Emily

Hello Hello Book Friends!

How has your week been going? I can’t believe it’s already Thursday and we’re nearly halfway through September. And I know the autumn equinox isn’t until September 23, but I don’t care. It’s officially fall! You all know how I feel about summer, and it’s finally overrrrr! To mark the occasion, I broke out my Halloween clothes today. I’m committed to this. And while we’re riding this wave of seasonal joy, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Grady Hendrix has announced the upcoming release of his short story “Ankle Snatcher.” This short story is a part of Amazon’s Creature Feature series, which are creepy stories that “can be read or listened to in one petrifying sitting.” Preorder now, and it’ll be out on September 26th! So soon!

GLAAD Media Award-winner Samantha Allen will be publishing her second novel Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet with Zando Publishing. The novel follows “a (recently departed) closeted A-list celebrity and his (living) mid-list ghostwriter” as they discover “the meaning of life and love after death.”

Literary Hub revealed the cover of the short story collection You Are the Snake by Juliet Escoria. The cover was designed by Farjana Yasmin. The book is out from Soft Skull Press in June.

Jeffrey Eugenides recently shared the story behind his novel The Virgin Suicides with The Guardian.

And here’s the cover for Jumata Emil’s sophomore novel Wander in the Dark. It’s out from Delacorte Press on January 30!

The seven winners of the sixth annual Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes have been announced. Each winner took home a $20,000 grant this year.

Looking for your own bookish community online? Let’s take a look at some of the best online book clubs!

Speaking of book clubs, here are all of the book club picks for September 2023.

It isn’t just a feeling. Books are getting more expensive. How much have book prices increased since 2019?

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!

Can’t Wait for This One

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Maybe there’s no such thing as soulmates. Maybe there are only people who trust each other enough to begin something without being assured of the end.”

— You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

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.

File this under BookTok made me do it. I just finished reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Now I can’t stop watching YouTube and BookTok videos about the book. And friends, the book community is divided! I loved this video where Reads with Rachel “explains” Fourth Wing to her husband. In the process, she really highlights some of the more absurd moments in the story. But on the other hand, I have also really appreciated the BookTok videos like this one from lydia.arina where she explains the disability representation in this book and just how important it is to see Ehlers Danlos Syndrome represented in fiction.

Have you read Fourth Wing yet? If so, what were your opinions? Feel free to shoot me a note and let me know. Would love to chat about it!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I really wish you could see the animation on this image, because Cersei was rolling around and being super sweet and cute! Cats are truly the best animals in the whole world!

Aaaand…that’s a wrap on Thursday’s Book Radar! I hope you have a beautiful weekend. May it feel like fall!

Emily

Oooh, it’s a Monday Book Radar hot off the presses.

How are we doing, Book Friends? I spent this weekend figuring out my finances and student loans and things because that’s coming back soon. Not to be a bummer. But…yeah, it’s a bummer! Sorry everyone! It’s the struggle of our generation. On a more positive note, I will now be taking over the Fright Stuff newsletter, so if you like horror, join me over there. But for now, we’re here, so let’s do this.

Book Deals and Reveals

You might have known Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste was being adapted into a film. Now here’s the teaser trailer. The film, written and directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, is coming soon to theaters.

R.L. Stine’s iconic Goosebumps series is being adapted for the small screen on Disney+. Goosebumps will premiere on Friday, the 13th of October, and here’s the teaser trailer.

Olivia Dade has a new book! Check out the cover for At First Spite, out from HarperCollins in February 2024.

And here’s the cover reveal of Emma Lord’s first adult rom-com, The Break-Up Pact, hitting shelves on August 13, 2024.

Omar Epps has shared an excerpt of his upcoming dystopian novel with Entertainment Weekly. The second book in his two-part dystopian YA series, Nubia: the Reckoning, will be out on September 26.

Here’s another must-read dystopian novel hitting shelves soon! Check out the cover for Baby X, a dystopian sci-fi thriller perfect for fans of Black Mirror. It’s written by Kira Peikoff, and it’s out in March, 2024.

Do authors actually like the books they blurb? Or do they even read them? Esquire investigates the “favor economy” of book blurbs.

Sarah Holland-Batt’sThe Jaguar, a poetry collection about the death of her father, has won the $25,000 top prize at the Queensland literary awards.

Through a unique project involving national parks, Poet Laureate Ada Limón is working on a poetry project to better connect us with our natural environment.

The idea of a millennial genre has been floating around for a while and seems to be here to stay. But what is it, and who does it cater to?

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

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!

Can’t Wait for This One!

What I’m Reading This Week

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Monday Memes

This is everyone who tried to get me to read Fourth Wing. Leave me alone. I’m reading it now.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I told Ben that I needed to take a picture of the cat for the newsletter. So Ben picked up Murray and held him up so that I could get a picture for all of you. Clearly Murray is very pleased. But he’s a trooper, through and through. You gotta love how easy-going orange cats can be.

Anyway, I hope your Monday is the least Monday Monday you’ve ever Mondayed. And I’ll see you again on Thursday!

Emily

Happy Thursday, Book Friends!

Did you miss me on Monday? I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day holiday, if you live in a place that observes that holiday. I was hiking Mount Rainier, but somehow I still managed to talk about books. Fun fact: I convinced my friend to read I’m Glad My Mom Died, and she’s already finished it! So I’d say that’s a successful hiking trip (even though she got stung by a hornet). Anyway, good news! There are no hornets on the internet. Just book talk. So let’s get to it.

Book Deals and Reveals

Alert! Heartstopper has been renewed for a third season! Netflix announced the new season on Instagram earlier this week. “We’ll be back,” they wrote on social media, “as will Nick and Charlie.”

Here’s the cover reveal of former Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, Greg Wrenn’s memoir, Mothership: A Memoir of Wonder and Crisis. It’s out from Regalo Press in March 2024.

And here’s an inclusive interview and cover reveal of Kekla Magoon’s The Secret Library. The cover is designed by Maria Middleton with cover artist Bea Jackson. The Secret Library hits shelves on March 7, 2024.

Speaking of cover reveals, it’s time for an artist reveal! The previously uncredited Wrinkle in Time illustrator is finally getting some credit!

Jenna Bush Hager has announced her next book club pick—Fran Littlewood’s Amazing Grace Adams.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Stephen King says he knows anti-vaxxers are going to hate his new book Holly.

Here’s the cover reveal of Samira Ahmed’s next YA novel, This Book Won’t Burn. It’s out on May 7, 2024!

Another cover reveal featuring burning? Are we sensing a trend for 2024? Here’s the cover of While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi. This one’s out in April 2024.

The time has come! Check out our September 2023 horoscopes to find out which new book you should read.

The 2023 Ned Kelly Award winners have been announced! Check out the full list of winners and nominees here.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Our minds do this all the time. They talk us out of things we don’t want to know.”

— Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Thursday Memes

Getting excited about new fall releases? Maybe you should temper your expectations.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Wait… it’s still technically summer? Booooo! Remy says wake him up when the leaves start to fall. He’s just going to cover his face with his paw and pretend the next few weeks aren’t real.

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

Emily

Dearest Book Friends,

We’ve made it to another Thursday, and I’m done dogsitting and back in a cat house. So if you missed the cat picture on Monday, we’re back, baby! If you enjoyed the dog pic, then yay, and I’m sorry. I’ll send you another next time I’m around a dog. In the meantime, you know what we all love almost as much as dogs and cats? Books! Let’s talk about ’em.

Book Deals and Reveals

Matthew A. Cherry and and Vashti Harrison have teamed up once again for a new book called Hair Love ABCs. The children’s book aims to “share the joy of styling and taking care of Black hair.”

Yes, we all know Fifty Shades of Grey was once Twilight fanfic. But did you know Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel The Love Hypothesis is based on Reylo (Star War‘s Rey and Kylo Ren) fanfic? And there are lots of other examples! Fanfic is going mainstream, my friends.

In the midst of Hollywood strikes, the release date for Dune: Part 2 has been delayed until March 2024.

In more Dune news, Denis Villeneuve teased a possible Dune: Part 3 in a recent interview with Empire Magazine.

Here’s the trailer for Foe, a sci-fi drama starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, based on the novel by bestselling author Iain Reid. Foe will debut in theaters on October 6.

Melissa de la Cruz has shared the cover of her new book Beyond the Isle of the Lost, a brand-new prequel adventure in the best-selling Descendants book series. It’s out on May 7, 2024.

Disney+ has announced that it will not be moving ahead with the completed six-episode series adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles. The series is currently being shopped to other potential buyers.

The authors who will be attending the 2023 YALLFest have been announced! YALLFest is an in-person event this year, taking place in Charleston, South Carolina.

Which books bought their way onto The New York Times Best Seller list and how did they get away with it?

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

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!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Our minds do this all the time. They talk us out of things we don’t want to know.”

— Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

What I’m Watching This Weekend

If it’s not queer, I don’t want it. This weekend, I’m excited to finally watch Red, White, and Royal Blue, which I’ve heard is super fun. And I’m also going to go see Bottoms, which looks to be a fun, raunchy lesbian sex comedy. I’m excited!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I can tell Murray missed me while I was gone! Look at that sad look on his face. He’s dying for pets! My heart aches. Do you all have as much trouble leaving your pets at home as I do? It’s the worst.

And that’s all for Thursday’s Book Radar! I hope you have the best weekend. Stay safe. Do something fun. Sleep in and/or go to bed early. Have a great time.

Emily

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

How was your weekend? I’ve been dogsitting, so my environment has been a little bit different, but we’ve still got animals, so everything is great. Stay tuned for a pic of the dog I’ve been chilling with. I know you’re all secretly here for the animal pics anyway! But in the meantime, let’s talk about books.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

From Katherine Arden, The New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale, comes the supernatural historical fantasy novel The Warm Hands of Ghosts. Publisher Del Ray shared the cover, and it’s out on February 13, 2024.

Literary Hub has the exclusive cover reveal for Emily Raboteau’s next book Lessons for Survival. The novel will be out on March 12, 2024.

Here’s the teaser trailer for Amazon Prime Video’s Wilderness, based on the novel by B.E. Jones. Wilderness premieres on the streaming service on September 15.

Parks and Recreation and Severance star Adam Scott is voicing a stormtrooper in the audiobook recording of the short story “Trooper Trouble” by Laura Pohl. The short story is part of the new collection Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi, which will be released from Random House Worlds in both book and audiobook form on August 29.

Jordan Peele is co-developing a new Prime Video series based on the graphic novel Coyotes by Sean Lewis.

First Light Books has opened its doors in Austin’s historic Hyde Park neighborhood. 

BookTok has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, but has its influence come to an end? A new book sales analysis sheds some light.

Your book club can help fight book bans! See how many squares on this anti-censorship BINGO board you can fill out together.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Can’t Wait for This One!

What I’m Reading This Week

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Monday Memes

This series of memes is completely unhinged, and I’m here for it.

And Here’s A Dog Picture!

Everyone, meet Monty! He and I are going to finish reading Imogen, Obviously today. He’s such a sweetie. I will make sure to give him pets from all of you.

Aaaaand…that’s it for today. Thanks so much for spending this time with me on this fine Monday. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and I’ll catch you on Thurs!

Emily

Happy Thurs, Book Friends!

It’s been a smoky week here in Seattle. I know the weather has been wild out there for a lot of people, and I hope you all are staying safe and healthy. Climate change is real, friends. I don’t really know how to follow that up, so I’ll just say…let’s change the subject and talk about books?

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal of Natasha Pulley’s The Mars House, “a gripping queer sci-fi novel about the relationship between an Earth refugee and a xenophobic Mars politician.” This novel is out from Bloomsbury on March 19, 2024.

Disney+ has released a teaser trailer for its upcoming Percy Jackson series. The first two episodes will be released on December 20, followed by weekly drops.

And here’s the trailer for Zombie Town, an upcoming film adaptation of the R.L. Stine novel. The movie’s in theaters on September 1.

People has shared an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming book Amy Winehouse: In Her Words. The book about the Grammy winner will be released on August 29, days before what would have been Winehouse’s 40th birthday. 

The winners at the inaugural TikTok Book Awards were voted on by thousands of TikTok users through the app. Here’s who won big.

Here’s the cover reveal of Sue Lynn Tan’s Tales of Celestial Kingdom. All author proceeds from this title will be donated to charity. It’s out in February 2024. 

“Mexican Gothic meets The Lie Tree by way of Oscar Wilde and Mary Shelley” in Noah Medlock’s horror debut A Botanical Daughter. Here’s the cover reveal! It’s out March 2024!

Adam Rapp, the Pulitzer finalist and the showrunner of the Showtime series American Rust, has sold his novel Wolf at the Table in a world rights agreement. The novel, which was pitched as The Corrections meets We Need to Talk About Kevin, is slated for a spring 2024 release.

Dua Lipa has announced Patti Smith’s Just Kids as her next book club pick. Lipa described Smith as “a personal hero” of hers in a joint Instagram post with Service95. 

Get up to date on what’s going on at the intersection of AI and the world of books with this brief primer.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“It’s like there’s this idea that you have to earn your label through suffering. And then you have to prove it with who you date, how you dress, how other people perceive you.”

— Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

What I’m Watching This Weekend

I know I’ve mentioned this plenty of times, but I’m a huge Love Island UK fan. Friends, USA’s Love Island has finally found its stride. This season is great! If you need a little book break, Love Island is streaming right now on Peacock. I know I’ll be catching up this weekend.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I haven’t gotten to share my shy girl in a while. She’s been sleeping on my pillow at night a lot lately, which is fine. But she isn’t really leaving a lot of space for my head…which is what my pillow is for. Anyway, when you’ve got a cat this cute, who needs sleep?

And with that, I’m signing off for now. Stay cool out there, friends. Be good. Have a great weekend.

Emily

Hi Book Friends!

Welcome back for more Book Radar on this beautiful Monday! I hope you’ve been doing well, and I hope you had a great weekend. I’ve been reading some Becky Albertalli over the weekend, which always feels like a warm hug! Who’s your comfort read author? Lemme know! You know where to find me. XOXO, Gossip Book Radar.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal for Tiana Smith’s adult debut, The Spy and I. This thriller/romcom is out on February 13, 2024.

Hulu has released the official trailer for its upcoming series adaptation of The Other Black Girl, based on the book by Zakiya Dalila Harris. The Other Black Girl premieres on September 13.

Cosmopolitan is promising that the cover reveal and excerpt from Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer will “absolutely make you melt.” Check it out, and get ready for the novel’s release on April 2, 2024.

And here’s the cover reveal of Cait Corrain’s Crown of Starlight. This book is the first in a duology that Corrain describes as “spicy, snarky, queer,” marrying “Greek mythology with space opera, reimagining the myth of Ariadne and Dionysus against the shining backdrop of a vibrant galactic empire.” It’s coming out May 14, 2024.

Check out this romcom that Colleen Hoover calls “a warm, sexy, and absolutely charming debut.” Here’s the cover of Naina Kumar’s Say You’ll Be Mine. It’s out on January 16.

Stephen King has suggested that he might write a third installment of his two-book talisman series.

Netflix recently revealed the trailer for their upcoming Scott Pilgrim series. All seven episodes drop on Netflix on November 17.

A group of booksellers, authors, and antitrust activists want the FTC and the Justice Department to investigate Amazon’s bookselling.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Can’t Wait For This One!

What I’m Reading This Week

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Monday Memes

Not really a meme, but this sweet library story touched my heart, and I thought you would love it too. Books (and libraries) bring people together!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I leave you with two angels in the window. I love how Remy is spreading out with absolutely zero regard for the fact that he’s about to fall off of the window sill.

And that’s all for today, friends! I’m so excited for the new week. I can’t wait to check back in with you all on Thursday. And until then, be safe out there. Stay cool.

Emily

Dear Book Friends,

Greetings, and happy Thursday! It’s been so incredibly hot this week, and I have barely felt like moving. I really don’t get how anyone likes summer. I’m counting down the days to October. But for now, we’re here, and we’re still reading more books every week. So let’s chat books.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

Hafsah Faizal took to Instagram to give fans an update on the We Hunt the Flame TV adaptation.

Tana French answered questions on The Today Show about her upcoming novel The Hunter, her sequel to The Searcher.

Loren Long — illustrator of bestselling children’s books by former President Barack Obama, Madonna, and poet Amanda Gorman — has signed a six-figure deal with a Macmillan imprint for two of his own projects.

Aubrey Plaza is joining the Marvel universe, potentially as Kathryn Hahn’s ex in the Disney+ show Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Coven of Chaos is scheduled to premiere in 2024.

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers is launching Stories from Latin America, a series focused on fiction and nonfiction set in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The series launches on September 19 with Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras, written by Nelson Rodríguez and Leonardo Agustín, illustrated by Rosana Faría and Carla Tabora, and translated by Lawrence Schimel.

Cosmopolitan has revealed the cover of Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer. Check out the cover reveal and an excerpt from the novel, and then get ready for the release on April 2, 2024.

What would happen if you wished for the perfect romance? You’d get Swati Teerdhala’s The Boyfriend Wish. Here’s the cover reveal for the upcoming romcom. It’s out this February!

Goodreads has just released several lists rounding up their users’ most anticipated new book releases coming out in the next few months.

Coming soon to a screen near you: these 10 books you probably didn’t know were in the process of being adapted!

Get to know what all of the book clubs are reading in August, from exciting debuts to new releases from beloved authors.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“I was not and had never been a part of a queer community. How to access such a thing was not just a mystery but an impossibility. The loss of which was sizable. Agony in isolation, the shame and pain that I thought was mine alone. My heart aches for my younger self. A tiny bug running to the rim of an upside-down juice glass. What a difference it would have been to sit with queer and trans pals and have them say, ‘I feel that way, too. I felt that way, too. We don’t have to feel that way. You don’t have to feel that way.'”

— Pageboy by Elliot Page

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.

Book lovers, wondering how you can help Maui relief efforts following the devastating wildfires in the region? The book community is showing up to support, and here’s how you can join in.

The Queer Collective book club is hosting the Maui Relief Effort Readathon. The Readathon runs until August 28th, and you can read more about it here.

Additionally, Romance for Maui is a romance-themed auction to benefit survivors of the Maui wildfires. Bidding has already started, and it ends on the 21st.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Check out Remy sitting on his toy, which is definitely what this is made for and not for playing with. And yeah, there are books in the background. If you can spot any titles, let me know.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! I will see you soon!

Emily

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of restfulness and/or adventure. And I hope you’re ready for another week of all the fun book news and conversation we can fit into one newsletter. It’s another Book Radar Monday, and I’ve got some news for you that’s almost as exciting as the announcement of 1989: Taylor’s Version. Don’t believe me? Read on.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

Megan Fox’s poetry collection Pretty Boys Are Poisonous is already a bestseller ahead of its November 7 release date. The 192-page book is described by publisher Simon & Schuster as “heartbreaking and dark.”

Here’s a sneak peek of Kerry Washington’s new memoir Thicker Than Water. The book is out from Little, Brown Spark on September 26.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin has revealed the cover of his new novel The American Daughters! According to Ruffin, the book is “about a group of Black women and girls who form a spy ring to resist the Confederates!” It’s out on March 5, 2024.

And here’s the cover reveal of O.O. Sangoyomi’s Masquerade, a retelling of Persephone set in 1400s West Africa. It’s out on July 2, 2024.

You want more exciting cover reveals? How about this cover reveal of both the U.S. and the UK cover of Kellye Garrett’s Missing White Woman? It’s out on April 30, 2024.

Emily Henry also has a new book coming out soon, and here’s the cover reveal of Funny Story. It’s out on April 23, 2024.

Bestselling children’s book author Kate DiCamillo has a new middle grade novel, Ferris, forthcoming from Candlewick Press next spring. Here’s the cover reveal!

Paste Magazine has shared the cover and an excerpt from Anna Gracia’s The Misdirection of Fault Lines. This one will be out on April 2, 2024.

XO, Kitty has been renewed for a second season. But since we’re not sure when exactly it’ll be coming back, here are 8 books like XO, Kitty you can read in the meantime.

As the start date of a Texas law censoring books approaches, publishers have refused to comply by rating their books.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Can’t Wait for This One!

What I’m Reading This Week

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher and Sarah Pipher Gilliam

Monday Memes

I’m not into fishing, but I can really get behind this fishing-inspired book meme. Should we make this a thing?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I leave you this week with a picture of Remy sitting in a chair. Probably contemplating what book he’s going to pick up next from his TBR pile. He’s got that look of panic about him.

And that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful few days, and I’ll catch you on Thursday.

Emily