Nonfiction readers, this giveaway’s for you! We’ve picked 10 exciting new nonfiction books from our book mail to give to one lucky Riot reader.
(If you like nonfiction, or really just books in general, you might also like our new podcast series, Annotated. It’s an audio-documentary series telling stories about books, reading, and language. The first episode, “Is It 1984 Yet?” on George Orwell’s 1984, just launched today and you can listen to it here).
Happy end of June, folks! Today we’ve got Jeff talking about his latest big project. But first, our regularly scheduled housekeeping:
– There’s now a Lit Fic chat for the Insiders Forum! Check out the updated schedule here.
– We’ve pushed out an update to the New Release Index, aimed at making all the bells and whistles (the month selector, the Watchlist ribbon, etc.) work better, smoother, faster. Give it a whirl and let us know how we did!
– Congrats to our Epic mailbag winner of this month, Nicole H.! We’ll let you know the Novel-level winner next round; make sure to keep your New Release Index updated each month to be entered.
I remember the day I became a podcast fan. It was seven years ago, and I was re-painting a bedroom for our yet-to-be-born son. And I hate painting, so in effort to make the day more palatable, I downloaded a bunch of episodes of this radio show that my friend had recommended, This American Life.
I wouldn’t say I was head-over-heels, but I enjoyed the 10 episodes I listened to that day and was interested to see what else was out there. I ran through the now-usual suspects next: RadioLab, Planet Money, etc. I also finally pulled the trigger on listening to some of the talk show-format podcasts that writers I liked were doing (Bill Simmons, John Gruber). And that was it. Podcasts became a part of my everyday life.
It was a few years later after Book Riot had been around awhile that I heard a show called The Frequency on Dan Benjamin’s 5by5 podcast network, which hosted and still hosts the podcast that has meant more to me than almost any other, Back to Work with Benjamin and Merlin Mann.
The Frequency is a weekly rundown of interesting stories from the world of technology. It’s informal, zany, and geeky. And I realized that I wanted to do a show like that, but for books. So Rebecca and I got some USB mics, convinced my brother Kyle to edit the shows for us, and as of today we are 215 episodes into the Book Riot podcast. And then came All the Books, Reading Lives (RIP), Dear Book Nerd (RIP), Get Booked, Read or Dead, and SFF Yeah!
The connection we made with the Book Riot audience through podcasts has been the biggest surprise in this whole BR experiment. Our podcast listeners are the most engaged, vocal, and frankly valuable part of our audience. It’s impossible now to imagine doing what we do without these shows, both in terms of the revenue the advertising brings in, and how much the connection with people matters and keeps us going.
But I kept thinking about how I got into podcasts in the first place. The audio-documentary format that uses the medium of personal audio to create a strange intimacy between the subjects, hosts, and listeners. What would it take to do something like that with books? It’s been on my mind for years.
And so this week sees the premiere of episode #1 of Annotated. It’s a short-form documentary podcast series about books, reading, and language. This first episode, “Is it 1984 yet?,” is about the resurgence of interest in George Orwell’s 1984 and the story of how 1984 came to be.
There will be five more episodes in this first season, with a new episode coming out every two weeks through the first week in September. It’s been a dream of mine to try and it’s been tough, and nerve-wracking, and exciting. We’ve got some great stories coming out, so I hope you will give it a chance. I’d love to hear what people think–we’re learning as we go and want to get better and tell more interesting, fun, and thought-provoking stories (email me at annotated@bookriot.com).
My great friend and writer Jeremy Desmon agreed to help with with structuring the stories and figuring out if my nerdy story ideas were decent (most weren’t), and my brother Kyle continues to be up for anything we throw at him. The folks at Hachette took a flyer on being the exclusive sponsor of this limited run show, and I am really humbled that they agreed with nothing more than a Google doc to go on.
Toni Morrison said you’ve got to write the book you want to see in the world, so this is the podcast version of that for me. I am not sure if it will work or be sustainable as part of the business, but I couldn’t not try.
I’ve remembered in the course of this that there are so many amazing stories out there about these books we love, the authors who have written them, and the librarians and editors and booksellers and teachers and advocates for reading who have been out there making the reading world as we know it. We hope to do them justice.
If you like the show, do pass it along to other who might like it. And if you have an extra moment to rate and review it, especially on Apple Podcasts, that goes along way toward finding a large enough audience to support more shows.
(Brooklyn, NY) – Annotated, a podcast telling stories about books, reading, and language became available for download today. “Is it 1984 yet?” will kick off the six-episode season, telling the backstory of George Orwell’s 1984, with future episodes touching on indie bookselling, the world’s most glamorous librarian, and the court case that changed the way the First Amendment was applied to literature. Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Joines Schinsky host the podcast with episodes written by award-winning musical theatre bookwriter and lyricist Jeremy Desmon. Sound editing and design is by Kyle O’Neal.
“This podcast is different from the news, recommendations, and genre podcasts Book Riot produces,” said Book Riot Executive Editor Jeff O’Neal. “These episodes are short audio documentaries about the richness of books that readers of all stripes can appreciate.”
The first episode, “Is it 1984 yet?” traces the recent rise of the not-new 1984 to the number one spot on Amazon’s best-selling books list. Jeff and Rebecca explore the backstory of 1984, from how it became stock high school reading to its CIA-supported appearance on the silver screen, to how, seemingly, a January 22nd news interview thrust it back into our collective consciousness as the example of a political nightmare.
Listeners may subscribe to Annotated for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or via RSS through their podcatcher of choice. The first episode releases today, June 29, with future episodes releasing every two weeks on Thursday.
Annotated is presented by Hachette Book Group.
About Riot New Media Group, Inc: Riot New Media Group, founded in 2011, creates communities dedicated to the idea that content around fandoms should be just as diverse as the fans are. So sometimes we are serious and sometimes we’re silly. Some of our contributors are pros. Many of them aren’t. We like a good list just as much as we like a good review, and we believe that there are smart, funny, and informative things to say about both. RNMG reaches 11MM monthly unique visitors through Book Riot, Book Riot Comics, and the Riot Ad Network.
From New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a masterful exploration of how love, determination, and hope can change a person’s fate. MIDNIGHT AT THE ELECTRIC is a novel told in three unforgettable points of view from three girls in three different moments in time. While their stories span thousands of miles and multiple generations, Adri, Catherine, and Lenore’s fates are entwined with love and connected by the hope that we can live on, even though we can’t live forever.
We’re delighted to announce the launch of our newest podcast, Annotated, coming to your ears as of today! Presented by Hachette Book Group, Annotated is an audio documentary series about books, reading, and language. We’re kicking things off with a deep dive into George Orwell’s 1984: how it became stock high school reading, its CIA-supported appearance on the silver screen, its current resurgence, and more. Check it out atbookriot.com/annotated or search for Annotated in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your podcatcher of choice.
In the newsletter last week, I fangirled pretty hard over Titus Welliver and his narration of the later Harry Bosch audiobooks. Bear with me, cuz I have more (but different!) fangirling to do now: this weekend, I listened to all of Maile Meloy’s new book, Do Not Become Alarmed, in a single day.
Meet Libby, a new app built with love for readers to discover and enjoy eBooks and audiobooks from your library. Created by OverDrive and inspired by library users, Libby was designed to get people reading as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Libby is a one-tap reading app for your library who is a good friend always ready to go to the library with you. One-tap to borrow, one-tap to read, and one-tap to return to your library or bookshelf to begin your next great book.
The first time I heard Meloy read something was in the New Yorker Fiction podcast when she read the story “Mr. Parker” by Laurie Colwin. “Mr. Parker” is one of my all-time favorite short stories; it’s about a girl on the brink of teenagehood, in that last moment of innocence before she is launched into womanhood and all the perils that come with it. Meloy’s voice is perfect for the story–-soft, but strong and clear with the self-awareness that begins to creep into the young girl’s consciousness. I highly recommend listening to it, which you can do here.
So, I was thrilled to learn that Meloy reads the audio of Do Not Become Alarmed and, once again, her voice is perfect for the subject. It’s the story of two families who take a cruise together and on a land excursion, the children go missing. So much of the novel is about the tension between ignorance and awareness, between attitudes of those with privilege and those without. I listened to the whole book in a day; I lost of doing work but couldn’t stop without knowing how things turned out.
Star Spangled Audiobooks
One of the *few* silver linings I can see in the Trump presidency and the chaos around it is an increased conversation around how government works. Our president often seems unclear about how the three branches of government work or what the Constitution says and as a result, those issues have been discussed more widely than they have in the past. Remember that moment at the Democratic National Committee convention when gold-star father Khizr Khan offered to lend Trump a copy of his pocket Constitution? Something tells me the Trump never took him up on the offer.
Fortunately for all of us, Penguin Random House has teamed up with PEN America and the National Coalition Against Censorship to bring us free streaming audio recordings of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Narrated by Frank Langella and Boyd Gaines, these recordings will be available through the end of July. If you wanna let others know you’re brushing up on your founding documents and see what others have to say, folks will be using the #wethepeoplelisten hashtag to share their thoughts. Listen at www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/wethepeoplelisten
If you are a politics nerd like I am, you may also enjoy one of the most nerdtastic items I have ever purchased. May it Please the Court is a print book but it comes with an audio CD. The book contains the transcripts from the most seminal supreme court cases between 1955 and 2007; the audio CD has the actual recordings of those arguments. From the publisher, “May It Please the Court includes both live recordings and transcripts of oral arguments in twenty-three of the most significant cases argued before the Supreme Court in the second half of the twentieth century…through the voices of some of the nation’s most important lawyers and justices, including Thurgood Marshall, Archibald Cox, and Earl Warren, it offers a chance to hear firsthand our justice system at work, in the highest court of the land.”
Take a look at some of the cases included: Gideon v. Wainwright (right to counsel) Abington School District v. Schempp (school prayer) Miranda v. Arizona (“the right to remain silent”) Roe v. Wade (abortion rights) Edwards v. Aguillard (teaching “creationism”) Regents v. Bakke (reverse discrimination) Wisconsin v. Yoder (compulsory schooling for the Amish) Tinker v. Des Moines (Vietnam protest in schools) Texas v. Johnson (flag burning) New York Times v. United States (Pentagon Papers) Cox v. Louisiana (civil rights demonstrations) Communist Party v. Subversive Activities Control Board (freedom of association) Terry v. Ohio (“stop and frisk” by police) Gregg v. Georgia (capital punishment) Cooper v. Aaron (Little Rock school desegregation) Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (public accommodations) Palmer v. Thompson (swimming pool integration) Loving v. Virginia (interracial marriage) San Antonio v. Rodriguez (equal funding for public schools) Bowers v. Hardwick (homosexual rights) Baker v. Carr (“one person, one vote”) United States v. Nixon (Watergate tapes) DeShaney v. Winnebago County (child abuse).
This is the first I have heard of the Refugee Rights series but count me in.
“This book tracks the author’s travels to Syrian refugee camps and informal tented settlements in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Relying on his legal background, he offers an unfiltered account of the plight of Syrian refugees from a legal, political, and humanitarian perspective.
Yet this book is more than just an account of the lives of Syrian refugees; it answers that burning question on so many people’s minds: how can I help? In discussing corporate partnerships with aid organizations, civil society initiatives, humanitarian missions, volunteering and fundraising, the author shows that there is a role anyone can play in making a lasting, positive impact on Syrian refugees and restoring dignity to their lives.”
“Lizzie, the only daughter of celebrated war photographer Kurtiz Ross, went missing four years ago. Kurtiz and her ex-husband, Oliver, arrive in Paris following an unconfirmed sighting of their daughter.
Oliver rushes to find her while Kurtiz waits, praying for a reunion. As sirens wail, Kurtiz finds comfort in Marguerite Courtenay – a glamorous former actress. As Marguerite distracts Kurtiz with stories of her life in postwar Provence, Kurtiz must confront her own ghosts and face up to home truths.”
“As a storm rages across the Mediterranean Sea, a terrifying distress call is made to the Italian Coast Guard. Days later, a body washes ashore.
Identified as a high-value terrorism suspect (who had disappeared three years prior), his name sends panic through the Central Intelligence Agency. Where was he headed? What was he planning? And could he be connected to the “spectacular attack” they have been fearing all summer?
In a race against time, the CIA taps an unorthodox source to get answers: Navy SEAL turned covert counterterrorism operative, Scot Harvath. Hired on a black contract, Harvath will provide the deniability the United States needs while he breaks every rule along the way.”
This week’s “What’s Up in YA” newsletter is sponsored by The Waking Land by Callie Bates.
In the lush and magical tradition of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted comes this riveting debut from brilliant young writer Callie Bates—whose imagination places her among the finest authors of fantasy fiction, including Sarah J. Maas and Sabaa Tahir.
Lady Elanna is fiercely devoted to the king who raised her like a daughter. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder—and must flee for her life.
Returning to the homeland she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her estranged father. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the powers that suddenly stir within her.
Don’t forget that if you haven’t dropped your pick for favorite YA read of 2017 so far, you have another day or two to have your pick counted. These’ll be rounded up and shared, top 10 style, in next week’s newsletter.
While you’re chowing down on your favorite holiday treats over this long weekend/holiday, why not catch up on some of the latest in YA news? Here’s a round-up of what’s been up in the world of YA.
David Levithan’s Every Day has been picked up for adaptation. The adaptation was done by none other than YA author Jesse Andrews, who you might know from Me and Earl and The Dying Girl. Here’s to the scene where A cannot fathom what having a fat body could possibly be like and is disgusted by the entire notion of it being cut, cut, cut.
Rights to adapt the forthcoming Holly Black novel, The Cruel Prince, have been snapped up.
We have our Willowdean for the adaptation of Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’. What a great choice.
This piece about being a teenager and hating YA lit is really worth a read. What’s interesting to me is that, while the writer certainly has some good points, a lot of the assertions mimic those made by adults who haven’t read much YA. It’s superficial in scope of what YA is as a whole, though in this piece, there are specificities that suggest to me the writer has done a lot of reading. Perhaps she just hasn’t found what suits her yet? (& if I’m being honest: in contemporary YA at least, I read very few absolutely gorgeous characters or those who are sarcastic and biting — those seem to be rarer and rarer in today’s lit).
A gripping novel about two sisters who are left homeless by their mother’s death and the lengths the fierce older sister will go to protect her beloved young charge.
“A deliciously compulsive read. . . . It lingers like a summer dream after the last page is turned.” —Amy Gentry, author of Good as Gone
“Part mystery, part road novel, part family saga, The Sisters Chase had me riveted from the first secret to the last revelation.” —Lisa Lutz, author of The Passenger and How to Start a Fire
“Captivating . . . a fierce and unstoppable force of nature.” —Publishers Weekly
How has your Pride Month been going? I’m still recovering from last week’s Librarian Con (AKA the ALA Annual Conference), which didn’t help with the whole endless TBR thing.
Austin’s dreams of domestic bliss involved watching Netflix and eating hot dogs with the love of her life. But then he cheated on her. And dumped her—as if the whole thing was her fault. To maintain her pride and restore her sanity, she decides to get revenge.
Thatch, a plastic surgeon straight out of residency, knows he ruined the best thing that ever happened to him. But not all cheaters are created equal. He got himself into this messed-up situation—true—but he has his reasons for what happened, and he’d do it all again to protect Austin.
People all over have been talking about romance over the past couple weeks.
Just recently, The Book Voyagers put out a list of single parents in romance. It’s pretty great, especially if your catnip involves strong women, wild kids, and sudden parenthood. It’s also got handy dandy indicators of books with queer characters or by authors of color.
Entangled publishing is having a huge sale! Check it out.
Over on Heroes and Heartbreakers, Robin discussed whether romance novels needed trigger warnings. If you read my last issue of Kissing Books, you know I am totally in that camp. Others may decide not to, but I will do my best to point out if something has something that needs a massive content warning, like rape or suicide. What other situations do you like to have prior warning of in your stories?
Ria Cheyne at Public Books wrote about an oldie-but-goodie that really marks the way a romance author can write good disability rep. I haven’t read the book in question, but it definitely went on my list once I read this article.
Not book-related, but it was interesting reading this Mary Sue article about The Big Sick statistically doing better than Transformers this weekend. It probably says more about Transformers, really, but it’s nice to see romantic comedies being well-received yet again. Maybe there’s hope for the world beyond Passionflix yet. Let’s see what happens when it’s out of limited release.
Happy Duchess week, y’all! I’ll bet some of you suddenly came down with a terrible cold on Tuesday or Wednseday of this week, but if you haven’t yet, this book is for you! I have read the previous two books in the series, but I suck at remembering things I’ve read and can honestly say that as long as you’re okay with discovering *gasp* that the couples from previous books end up together, you can totally read this without having read the others. Then you’ll want to read the others because the Soiled S’s are a riot and you’ll definitely want more of them.
Here, Sarah MacLean answers the question all of us who do remember the events of The Rogue Not Taken had upon learning of this book: why on Earth would Sera reconcile with Haven? Serafina, the oldest and most dangerous of the Dangerous Daughters, left her husband and her family several years ago, with no indication of where she was going or whether she was okay. Now she’s back, and her husband, the Duke of Haven, has his first view of her in years. Where does he see her? The House of Lords. Why? They happen to be the only body in Britain capable of granting her a divorce. With an introduction like that, how can it lead to a happy ending? The story that leads up to the answer is well crafted in MacLean’s signature heartbreaking and hilarious way. I’ll admit, I was actually going for a slightly different ending; if you want to know how I’d have liked to see it turn out, send me an email at the address down at the bottom of this email.
Okay, so apparently this week is for alliterations and possessives.
This, too, is the third in a series, but just like Duchess you don’t need to have read the first two. There is a slightly bigger spoiler for something that happens in The Lawrence Browne Affair but it’s not an explosive one. (Or is it…)
Lord Courtenay, who we meet in The Lawrence Browne Affair is a rake. He’s also an uncle, and has been banned from seeing the boy he practically raised with his recently-deceased sister, who was estranged from her husband, the Earl of Radnor. One way he might be welcomed back into the family, however reluctantly, is to clean up his act. Enter Julian Medlock, brother to one of Radnor’s friends and colleagues, who has Higgens-like capability to get this Eliza ready for the Embassy Ball. Or at least make Courtenay presentable enough to get people of quality to actually speak to him again.
If only there weren’t that damned attraction that neither was really willing to deny—really, for Julian, it’s just getting in the way.
And since I’ve given you two books that are third books, I should probably give those of you who don’t read out of order a series starter to enjoy:
When Minnie Lane’s solitude is interrupted by the Duke of Clermont, she is not interested in furthering their acquaintance. But something about her intrigues him to the point where they come to know each other well in the small Victorian town the pair both currently inhabit, for the time being. She’s clever and smart, and Clermont is torn between knowing her more and keeping his secret—whatever that may be.
This is the first book in the series, but be prepared to down all five novels and the prequel novella once you’ve finished.
And as usual, here are more recent releases and books coming out before we meet again! (Sorry, it’s a short one this week.)
Time to get back to reading (not even gonna lie about “getting caught up”). In the meantime, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!
Chasing Waves