Newsletters Dev – Page 1318

Jon Hamm Does Audiobooks

Post author By Katie MacBride
Post date May 24, 2017

Happy Thursday, Audiobooks fans!

We’ve got lots of new releases and audiobooks new, so let’s dive right in!

New Releases:

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby:

I am a huuuge fan of Samantha Irby (keep your eyes peeled for an interview with her on Book Riot in the not-too-distant-future) and her new book, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, is out on May 30th. Irby is funny and sarcastic without shying away from painful topics. I’ve been reading her writing for years but We Are Never Meeting in Real Life is the first time I’ve gotten to hear her voice and her narration is perfection.

May 30th really is shaping up to be an excellent day for audiobook releases. Random House is releasing the audiobook version of Walt Whitman’s Life and Adventures of Jack Engle, just in time for the author’s 198th birthday on May 31st. The book will be narrated by none other the Don Drap–-I mean Jon Hamm. Hamm said of the opportunity, “I had been a fan of Whitman’s work, so it was an easy choice for me. And this is a lost work. It’s exciting to read something new by someone who’s been dead over 100 years.”

The story follows orphan Jack Engle through 1850s New York as he tries to make his way as a young lawyer, apprenticing with the cheating Covert, uncovering the truth about his own father’s murder, and revealing Covert’s deceit about his inheritance.

You can hear an excerpt of Hamm’s narration of the book here.

It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell

The last thriller I listened to was a bit of a disappointment, so I’m really looking forward to listening to this book, described by Kirkus as “an intriguing whodunit that examines the explosive potential of secrets to destroy friendships, marriages, and lives… a page-turner.”

So what do I want when I say I’m looking for a thriller? One of my favorite thrillers is The Passenger by Lisa Lutz. I’m scared of…well, most things, but I was able to listen to Lutz’s book while alone in a cabin in Tahoe *at night* and I didn’t have to sleep with the lights on. I highly recommend it. And if you do listen to it and love/hate/whatever it, let me know! You can find me on Twitter at @msmacb.

10 Listens to Inspire Better Cooking and Eating: The Audible blog has neat little playlists–-the most recent one I found particularly helpful seeing as I know how to cook exactly one thing (omelets) but I love learning about how other people cook and listen to stories about people who are more motivated than I am to make delicious food.

People Doing Good Through Audiobooks: Look, I don’t know if there are any Book Riot Audiobook Newsletter readers in Bangkok, but I love to see this kind of stuff happening. Pond Sinlaparatsamee, a third-year student from the Albert Laurence School of Communication Arts at Assumption University of Thailand is heading a project named “Voice Out”, and hopes to raise awareness about the lack of educational audiobooks available for the visually impaired.

Following-up

Last week, I talked about W. Kamau Bell’s audiobook, The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell. If you’re still unsure about if his book sounds good, check out the interview with him here.

Audiostate, a subdivision of a new Dallas-based entertainment company, is creating audiobooks that are like movies for your ears. In other words, they’ve got a full cast, an original score, sound effects, and so on. They released the first title, The Narrow Caves, last week.

Mystery Adaptations to Watch Now

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date May 23, 2017

Hello fellow mystery fans! I’m back again with some mystery adaptations currently streaming that are worth your viewing time. Pop some popcorn and enjoy!

Sponsored by Sister Sister by Sue Fortin

From the USA Today bestselling author comes a brand new psychological thriller…
Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar.

Clare: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous.

Clare thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life.

Alice thinks Clare is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family.

One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac.

Two sisters. One truth.

Streaming on Netflix:

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!: Set in 1940s Calcutta during World War II, the film is based on Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s detective mysteries, and after enjoying this adaptation I’m going to have to read whatever has been translated to English. The film felt like a mixture of so many things, but rather than feeling like a strange mishmash it ended up blending really well: there’s a vintage movie feel, noir-ish feel, action, drama, a laughing evil genius… While I enjoyed the story and characters (some side characters I actually wanted more of), I really fell in love with the sets and the feeling of the film. Being transported to Calcutta felt like a treat, even if it was set during a war-torn period.

Banerjee asks Byomkesh to please help him find his father, who is missing. They don’t get off to a great start since Byomkesh isn’t really interested, and Banerjee keeps withholding information. Once Byomkesh is on the case, things don’t get easier. There seems to be more mystery surrounding what type of a person Banerjee’s father was, creating even more of a challenge in figuring out where he may be or what might have happened to him. I found myself crushing on the actor playing Byomkesh, loving the sets and clothing, and enjoying the film so much that the things I could point out as not having worked really ended up not weighing down the fun experience for me. And I am so here for the sequel!

Streaming on Hulu:

Elementary: I’m always surprised by the amount of people who perfectly fit this show’s target audience who’ve never watched even a minute of it. I always tell them to watch, that they’ll really enjoy it. They nod. This usually goes on for a year or two before they finally watch and then I find myself getting texts saying how much they like the show and that Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller were perfectly cast. My response is always, “I know!”

This Sherlock Holmes modern reimagining really works because it’s a good television show whether you’re a fan of Holmes or never read the classic works and just enjoy procedurals. Holmes is living in Manhattan and his father has forced a sober companion on him: enter Joan Watson, a doctor no longer practicing but instead working to help addicts out of rehab transition back into their lives. This is where the series starts, but not where it stays: Watson and Holmes find themselves (and their careers) changing as they help the police solve cases–as only Holmes can. And Watson. The supporting cast and characters are great, the weekly police mystery along with the longer arc mysteries are always satisfying, and Liu and Miller are fantastic as Watson and Holmes. So not only do I recommend you read Conan Doyle’s Holmes (or listen to it, narrated by Stephen Fry!) if you never have, but also go watch Elementary. You can find the 1st four seasons streaming on Hulu.

I leave you with:

The official trailer for TNT’s The Alienist, adapted from Caleb Carr ’s Dr. Laszlo Kreizler series.

It looks like there’s a Clue: The Golden Girls edition coming from USAopoly! (It was Rose, with a St. Olaf story, in the kitchen!)

Sherlock season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.

The real, unsolved murder that inspired Twin Peaks.

Next week’s newsletter has a little Q&A with Tess Gerritsen!!

And now you can find all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

The Goods

Just Add Books! 25% Off Any Tote + Water Bottle

Post author By Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Post date May 23, 2017

Here’s one beachin’ bundle! Pair any tote + water bottle for 25% off, and just add books.

Riot Rundown

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Post author By Devin Service
Post date May 23, 2017

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by St. Martin’s Press.

A #1 New York Times bestseller

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.

His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend dumped him, and there’s a monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz, his roommate and nemesis, would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and he hasn’t shown up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, and a mystery. It has as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far more monsters.

The Stack

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Post author By Devin Service
Post date May 23, 2017

Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Book Riot Insiders!

Join your fellow book nerds at Book Riot Insiders and get a sweet store deal, exclusive content, the magical New Releases Index, and more!

Insiders

Get Epic on Wednesday!

Post author By Jenn Northington
Post date May 22, 2017

Howdy Novel folks! A few Epic spots have opened up and, as promised, you are the first ones to hear about it. They’ll be available starting this Wednesday, May 24, at 10 a.m. Eastern and we expect them to go fast.

Ready to upgrade and get access to the Insiders Forum on Slack? Just head to My Account on insiders.bookriot.com on May 24, click “Manage My Subscription,” and grab your Epic spot!

Giveaways

Win a Copy of Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker!

Post author By Jeff O'Neal
Post date May 22, 2017

We have 10 copies of Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker to give away to 10 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

Much advice about achievement is logical, earnest… and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success. You’ll learn:

• Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires

• How your biggest weakness might be your greatest strength

• Lessons about cooperation from gangs, pirates, and serial killers

• The Navy SEAL secret to “grit”

• How to find work-life balance from Genghis Khan, Albert Einstein, and Spider-Man

By looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn how to be more like them—and discover why it’s sometimes good that we aren’t.

Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click on the cover image below. Good luck!

New Books

Murderous Grannies, Musical Writing, and More New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date May 22, 2017

Book time, book time, la la la la la la! First things first: Radiate, the third book in C.A. Higgin’s Lightless trilogy, is out today!!! I loved these books so much. So spacey and dark! Now I’ll tell you about a few new books not wrapping up awesome trilogies, and you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about amazing books we loved, such as Black Mad Wheel, Chemistry, and Augustown.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld.

Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Uncanny manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. The Spill claimed Addison’s parents and scarred her little sister, Lexa, who hasn’t spoken since. Addison provides for her sister by photographing the Zone’s twisted attractions on illicit midnight rides. Art collectors pay top dollar for these bizarre images, but getting close enough for the perfect shot can mean death—or worse.

When an eccentric collector makes a million-dollar offer, Addison breaks her own hard-learned rules of survival and ventures farther than she has ever dared. Within the Spill Zone, Hell awaits—and it seems to be calling Addison’s name.

Wicked Wonders by Ellen Klages

Amazing oddities and fantastic flights of fancy dominate this fabulous collection of tales. A haunted penny arcade, faeries, and rebellious children are just part of the fun in these clever stories. Klages has been putting out incredible work for years and years – most recently The Green Glass Sea – and it would be wonderful to see her get a bigger audience and more recognition.

Backlist bump: You Have Never Been Here by Mary Rickert

A Good Country by Laleh Khadivi

Alireza Courdee has always been a straight-A student, working to make his Iranian immigrant parents proud. But he’s also a fourteen-year-old boy, and he has begun engaging in normal teenage behavior: experimenting with drugs, sneaking out to parties, surfing, sex. But what begins as a time of carefree experimentation for Reza slips into dangerous territory when he joins a group of boys who share his background and soon finds himself on his way to Syria. A Good Country is a timely and powerful read that questions how big a role we play in our destinies.

Backlist bump: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Murder In Matera: A True Story of Passion, Family, and Forgiveness in Southern Italy by Helene Stapinski

Stapinski grew up in a family of thieves in Chicago – but they weren’t the only relatives who may have broken the law. Growing up, she heard that her Italian grandmother had murdered someone before moving to America. Stapinski’s interest in her grandmother’s story only deepened as an adult, and over the years and several trips to Italy, she uncovered long-buried secrets that she then turned into this wonderful historical whodunit/family memoir. Makes you wonder about your own grandmother…

Backlist bump: Five-Finger Discount: A Crooked Family History by Helene Stapinski (One of my favorite memoirs!)

Shake It Up: Great American Writing on Rock and Pop from Elvis to Jay Z: A Library of America Special Publication by Jonathan Lethem (Editor), Kevin Dettmar (Editor)

A fantastic anthology of important music writing comprised of fifty pieces covering pretty much every genre. Featuring discussions on Axl Rose, heavy metal, Elvis, Prince, emo, Sam Cooke, and more. Contributors include Chuck Klosterman, Lester Bangs, Amiri Baraka, Eve Babitz, and John Jeremiah Sullivan. A beautiful gift for a dad, grad, or any other music lover in your life!

Backlist bump: Let it Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America’s Greatest Rock Critic by Jim Derogatis

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 L itsy under ‘Liberty’!

And ICYMI, I’m writing the new Book Riot newsletter, Book Radar, which will give you all those things! You can sign up here.

Stay rad,

Liberty

Riot Rundown

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Post author By Devin Service
Post date May 21, 2017

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by HarperOne, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

· Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires
· How your biggest weakness might be your greatest strength
· Lessons about cooperation from gangs, pirates, and serial killers

· The Navy SEAL secret to “grit”

· How to find work-life balance from Genghis Khan, Albert Einstein, and Spider-Man

By looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn how to be more like them—and discover why it’s sometimes good that we aren’t.

This Week In Books

Stop Donating THE DA VINCI CODE to Used Bookstores: This Week in Books

Post author By Sharifah Williams
Post date May 20, 2017

Sorry, Dan Brown, you’re not welcome at the Oxfam Shop in Swansea. Oookay, that’s totally not true. I’m sure the shop’s employees and customers would love to meet the man himself, but they ask–they beg–please, stop giving them copies of The Da Vinci Code. The charity shop has been receiving an average of one copy of the book per week, resulting in a dearth of space for other books. The situation grew dire enough that the Oxfam posted a sign asking customers to stop it with the copies. Don’t worry, Oxfam. Next time I’m in the UK, I promise I won’t show up on your doorstep with The Da Vinci Code. But how about this copy of Fifty Shades of Grey?

Whatever your opinion of Amazon, it has undeniably become the online book buying destination. So when the retailer launched Amazon Charts, their first weekly bestseller list, the book world took note. Amazon Charts will include not only their top 20 bestsellers in fiction and nonfiction, but also the 20 most read books in both categories. The list is unconventional with a unique array of features, which you can see for yourself.

Lately, when I read the news I hear a desperate, shell-shocked voice in my head. It mutters, “But that can’t happen…right?” But when I learned about the ceasing of all library services in Oregon’s Douglas County where residents voted down a ballot measure that would have saved their libraries from a funding crisis, that voice went silent. It did happen, it does happen, it will happen when we don’t make libraries a priority; when we don’t stop to consider the important services they provide, and I’m not just talking about books. I hear an ominous voice and it says, “Anything can happen.”

Netflix’s adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, Anne with an E, was released last Friday, and I’ve watched them all. I was ready to curl up into a new version of the cozy story I’d loved so much as a kid (although, truly, Emily of New Moon was my jam), but where’s the cozy at, Netflix? I’m going to watch the next season when it’s out, but I can’t deny HuffPost’s conclusion that the show seems to revel in Anne’s pain. That opening sequence tho.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Tender: Stories by Sofia Samatar, published in hardcover and ebook from Small Beer Press.

Sofia Samatar’s first novel won three awards. Now you can dive into twenty of her stories collected for the first time in Tender: Stories. Discover the “Ogres of East Africa” or read a student’s paper on the maybe-urban-legend-maybe-not “Walkdog.” Feel your heart break reading “Selkie Stories Are for Losers” and wonder who if anyone is telling the truth in “An Account of the Land of Witches.” Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, said “These stories are windows into an impressively deep imagination guided by sensitivity, joyful intellect, and a graceful mastery of language.”

New Releases:

Following-up

More Links for Your Ears: