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062017-Harmony-Riot-Rundown
Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Penguin Books.
How far will a mother go to save her family? The Hammond family is living in DC, where everything seems to be going just fine, until it becomes clear that the oldest daughter, Tilly, is developing abnormally–a mix of off-the-charts genius and social incompetence. Once Tilly is kicked out of the last school in the area, the family turns to Camp Harmony and the wisdom of child behavior guru Scott Bean for a solution. But what they discover in the woods of New Hampshire will push them to the very limit.
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062017-iPadGiveaway-The-Stack
Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio.
Enter the Penguin Random House Audio sweeps to help “Transform Your Commute! We all know commuting can be stressful, so why not take that time on your way home to unwind with a good audiobook? Visit TryAudiobooks.com/commute to download your free audio copy of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and be entered to win the Grand Prize of an iPad and a year’s worth of audiobooks for your commuting pleasure!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 6/01/17 and 6/30/17. Open to US residents, 18 and older. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. See Official Rules (http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/commute-rules/) for full details.
We have 10 copies of The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder to give away to 10 Riot readers!
Here’s what it’s all about:
A bitingly funny, hugely entertaining novel in which a fractured family from the Chicago suburbs must gather in London for their eldest daughter’s marriage to an upper-crust Englishman, proving that the harder we strain against the ties that bind, the tighter they hold us close.
Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below:
Happy Tuesday! Time for your weekly dose of books! I have a few great titles to tell you about today, and as always, you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about some of our favorite books of 2017 so far, such as Pachinko, Chemistry, and Hunger.
Reminder: All the Backlist debuts this Friday, June 23rd. I AM SO EXCITED. If you’re already subscribed to All the Books, you don’t have to do anything – it will swim right into your stream. If you’re not yet subscribed, you can do so right here.
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby.
Sometimes you just have to laugh—even when life is a dumpster fire! Bitches gotta eat blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette—she’s “35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-something”—sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms—hang in there for the Costco loot—she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as Irby is at capturing powerful emotional truths.
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman by Anne Helen Petersen
An in-depth discussion on women in pop culture who are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an “acceptable” woman, like Lena Dunham, Nicki Minaj, and Kim Kardashian, and why society loves to hate them (and love them) (and hate them again). A great look at feminism and empowerment in the 21st century, told with wit and a sharp eye.
Backlist bump: Shrill by Lindy West
Empire of Glass by Kaitlin Solimine
An American teenager, Lao K, faced with a tough decision in China: Should she help her dying Chinese homestay mother, Li-Ming, end her life? Fast-forward twenty years: Lao K receives a package, containing the story of Li-Ming’s life. As Lao K begins translating the book, the story becomes the novel. But what role with Lao K play in Li-Ming’s tale this time around? Pushing the boundaries of the novel form, this is a gorgeous experimental work.
Backlist bump: No other book, just read this one again.
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
This is a creepy Native American horror novella from one of the most inventive writers working today! A teenage boy wakes in the night to see his father going through a doorway. There’s a problem: his father is dead, having died under mysterious circumstances before his family left the reservation. Still, he follows him through the doorway, only to discover the house is much bigger than he thought. And if he goes the wrong way, he will find things that were better off hidden. Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn!
Backlist bump: After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones
The Force by Don Winslow
If you haven’t read a book by Don Winslow, now is the time to start. He writes gritty, gutsy crime novels, and this one might be his best yet. It’s about crooked cops, criminals, and the fine line that separates them. Denny Malone is a revered cop on the force, but he’s also on the take, and he’ll do anything to protect what he has. If you like The Wire, you’ll love this book!
Backlist bump: The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
Ooooo, it’s several classic characters all in one place! Mary Jekyll is looking for her father’s old partner, the murderous Edward Hyde. If she turns him in, the reward will solve all her financial woes. Instead she finds Hyde’s daughter, Diana, and a group of other women: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. With the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary and the others are going to solve the mysteries of their origins. This book is an epic nerdpurr!
Backlist bump: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavellaro
That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books new and old (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (I HEART RECOMMENDATIONS!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!
Stay rad,
Liberty
Learning to Read as an Adult Changes Deep Regions of the Brain
In a new study, researchers discovered that reading activates brain structures deeper than the cerebral cortex. They had expected to replicate previous findings that changes are limited to the cortex, but brain scans of the study’s participants surprised the researchers. The scans were taken before and after a six-month training where these participants–mostly women from India in their thirties who couldn’t read a single word–reached a first-grade level of reading. The study revealed that reading affects deep brain structures that help the visual cortex filter important information from the flood of visual input. And this discovery shed new light on a possible cause of dyslexia. Super interesting!
Maps Reveal the Hidden Structures of “Choose Your Own Adventure” Books
Remember “Choose Your Own Adventure” books and inexorable attempts to trample the magic by attempting to cheat your way to a desirable outcome? Well, Chooseco has trampled the magic for us! Okay, the visual maps of the hidden structures are actually pretty neat. The company, founded by one of the series’ original authors, is republishing new editions of the 80s/90s books, including the maps as an additional feature.
Tracy K. Smith is the New U.S. Poet Laureate
Tracy K. Smith, the author of The Body’s Question, Duende, and Life on Mars, which won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, is the country’s new poet laureate! And the first poet laureate appointed by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Smith gets an office in the Library of Congress, a travel budget, and a stipend. Most importantly, Smith gets, as she said, “time and space and support for the freedom to create.” As a candidate, Smith appealed to Hayden due to the poet’s interest in visiting rural areas to talk about poetry, which aligns with Hayden’s goal to make the library accessible and relatable. Applause all around.
Trump Blocks Stephen King; Enter J.K. Rowling
King was obviously heartbroken when the president blocked him on Twitter. If you follow the author on social media, you undoubtedly know how he feels about the 45th, and it seems King’s scathing remarks had not gone unnoticed by the president. After King announced that he’d been blocked, J.K. Rowling offered to DM the president’s tweets to her fellow best-selling author. I do love a cheeky bookish Twitter story.
Thanks to TarcherPerigee, publisher of Start Where You Are by Meera Lee Patel, for sponsoring this week’s newsletter.
A lushly illustrated, interactive journal featuring beautiful watercolors and inspiring quotes from celebrated writers, artists and visionaries…
The hardest questions are the ones that open doors. Every spread in this book features an inspiring quote from a famous figure paired with an exercise. These exercises–often taking the form of a chart, list or written prompt–are designed to help you apply the lesson within each quote to your life.
There is no right or wrong way to complete this book. If you’re honest with your thoughts, you’ll become privy to various pieces of yourself – some that you know very well, and others that have previously gone unnoticed.
Take your time. Use what you have. Start where you are.
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061817-TheAssignment-Riot-Rundown
Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Carina Press.
What would you do if someone offered to fulfill your wildest fantasies?
Seductive.
Charming.
Dominant.
Dean Sova is everything Maya Clery craves. From the first touch, their connection is intense. After leaving her troubled past behind, Maya thought she was happy—she is happy—but meeting Dean forces her to acknowledge dark needs she longs to explore yet has never had the courage to face.
Hello Insiders! We’ve got a look at the founding and evolution of Book Riot from our CEO Jeff O’Neal below, but before you dive into that we’ve got a few announcements. The first is that your subscriptions have gotten even better, because we added some perks! There’s now a monthly mailbag giveaway for both Novel and Epic-level subscribers, plus commentary from Liberty on some of her favorite books in the New Release Index. You can get the full breakdown right here in the shiny new News section (make sure you’re logged in to see it!).
And so you don’t miss it, we’re moving this month’s store deal up to, well, right here. This month you can buy 2 pint glasses and get coasters free! Use code JUSTCOASTIN at checkout.
Read on, friends.
Last week, I got keys to an office. It’s not huge or fancy. It doesn’t have a kitchen or ping-pong tables or catered, company-paid for lunches. It is four walls, some windows, a few electrical outlets, and decent wi-fi.
But after working on Book Riot for six years out of closets and my bedroom and coffee shops and libraries, it feels like something. I’ve recorded podcasts at midnight, worked on pitch decks while bottle-feeding my kids, and taken conference calls in the bathroom because I couldn’t get reception anywhere else.
When we started working on Book Riot, I had a newborn son and was juggling multiple teaching gigs. We had barely enough money to get the URL designed and running, and it would be awhile before Clint and I got paid anything at all. We knew going in it would be tough and the most likely result would be failure.
So when I unfolded the coffee table and sorted the USB jungle that is my computer set-up and sat down with my coffee for the first time in this new quiet, simple space, it occurred to me to exhale for a moment.
I’ve learned to take a moment to appreciate making progress. A small step after another small step. If you are smart and work hard and are lucky, you might make it to the next part. And then maybe again to the next part after that. The scramble can be all-consuming, so I have learned that if you can see a moment to notice the progress, to see the change that has happened, you’ve got to take it.
I don’t have anything else to compare it to, but building Book Riot has been and continues to be about figuring it out. Making do. Holding it together. Scrapping and stretching and getting it done. Solving one problem so that if you are lucky the next problem you have to solve will be slightly more interesting.
When you are starting something new it is natural to dream about what it could be, and that’s fun. I’ve done it, and still do it now and again. But I am not sure that realizing any of those daydreams would ever be as satisfying as getting to work with people you trust on something you care about. I’ve been fortunate to do that for almost six years now, and I’m busting my ass to continue doing so.
But right now, I have a fresh cup of coffee and a full email inbox and four walls do get to work in.
— Jeff
Hello, book lovers! I know it’s Monday, but there are still a lot of exciting things happening in the world of books. (Including an All the Books spinoff, starting this Friday!) Hope you enjoy your week. Be excellent to each other. – xoxo, Liberty
Deals, Reels, and Squeals
The Dumplin’ movie has cast Willowdean Dickson!
Victoria Schwab has a middle grade novel, called City of Ghosts, coming in 2018.
Shioli Kutsuna joins the cast of Deadpool 2.
Nathan Fillion, Tony Hale, Sara Rue, Lucy Punch and more join the Season 2 cast of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Glenn Close to star in zombie comedy pilot Sea Oak, based on the George Saunders short story. (THE BEST STORY.)
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge is going to be a movie! (I love her books so much. If you’ve never read her, so yourself a favor and pick up Fly By Night. A world of books and a surly goose!)
Martin Freeman to adapt Paradise Lost into “surprisingly modern” TV series.
Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror to spin off into books. (Who would you have write them?)
MGM has acquired the rights to produce Every Day, the feature adaptation to David Levithan’s YA novel.
Judy Greer cast in Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette.
Viking is publishing Nina Stibbe’s An Almost Perfect Christmas.
Cover Reveals
The third title in the awesome Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers was just announced! (June 14, 2018)
Sandhya Menon, author of the fabulous When Dimple Met Rishi, just announced the title of her new book! (Summer 2018)
Gorgeous cover reveal for Tarnished City by Vic James. (Sept. 5, 2017)
It’s the first peek at Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina James. (May 1, 2018)
There’s a cover for the new Anne Bishop book in the World of Others series. (March 6, 2018)
Sneak Peeks!
Marvel released a poster and a teaser trailer for Black Panther!
The trailer for season one of TNT’s Will is up.
The first look at Don’t Come Back from the Moon, based on the novel by Dean Bakopoulos.
Book Riot Recommends
At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week!
Final Girls by Riley Sager (Dutton, July 11)
I’m calling it: this is going to be the biggest thriller of the summer! Quincy Carpenter is a Final Girl – the name given by newspapers to the sole survivors of horror movie-like massacres. Quincy has put her trauma behind her – until the past shows up on her doorstep in the form of Sam, another of the famous Final Girls. Sam arrives the same night as the news about the suicide of the other Final Girl breaks. Sam claims she wants to get to know Quincy and bond over their shared experiences, but can Quincy trust her? As they spend time together, Sam brings out a side of Quincy she has been hiding for years, and unearths dark memories about her night of terror – memories that may prove she was wrong about what happened. This is a super-fast, super-fun summer read!
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero (Doubleday, July 11)
This fantastically fun novel explores the idea of “What happens when Scooby-Doo and the gang grow up? And what if monsters were real all along?” The Blyton Summer Detective Club were notorious for unmasking the Sleepy Lake monster in the summer of 1977. But now it’s 1990, and things have changed drastically for the gang. They’ve drifted apart, haunted by their final night together on a case many years ago, each member more damaged than the last. But finally tired of running from their demons, the gang will face their past – and each other – to learn the truth about their haunted experiences. This is a dark, rollicking good time, full of pop culture and in-jokes (like Zoinx River Valley.) I loved Cantero’s last book, The Supernatural Enhancements, and I loved this one!
And this is funny.
It’s funny because it’s true.
We have copies of Tank and The Vietnam War: The Definitive Illustrated History from DK Books to give away. Here’s what they are all about:
DK has Father’s Day covered.
A visual history of armored vehicles, Tank takes you inside the early vehicles of World War I to present-day models.
A chronicle of America’s fight against Communism in southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, The Vietnam War: The Definitive Illustrated History explores the people, politics, events, and lasting effects of America’s longest conflict of the 20th century.
Both books are created in association with the Smithsonian Institution.
Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the image below!
