Categories
Giveaways

We have 100 (!) Copies of THE WAKING LAND to Give Away!

 

Now THIS is a giveaway: we have 100 Advance Reader’s Editions of The Waking Land by Callie Bates to give away to 100 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

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.

Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click on the (pretty amazing) book cover below. Good luck!

 

Categories
This Week In Books

People Who Read Books Are Nicer: This Week In Books

People Who May or May Not Wear Lab Coats Think We’re Nice

“…According to a new study, reading regularly could make you kinder and more empathetic.” Emphasis mine. Well, are we or aren’t we kinder? Because I already bought the t-shirt. Our friends at Kingston University in London conducted a cheeky study, finding that readers were more likely to act in a socially acceptable manner compared to those who preferred watching television. Readers of drama, romance, experimental, and comedy fiction got extra high fives for positive vibes. I personally suspect that the masterminds behind the study forgot to mention that watching television adaptations also counts.

Adapt This! PBS Announces Little Women Miniseries

Oh, you hadn’t heard? Apparently, we’re not done talking about new adaptations of classics. Netflix got Anne of Green Gables, Hulu got The Handmaid’s Tale, and now PBS and MASTERPIECE have announced they’re teaming up with Colin Callender’s Playground and the BBC for a television adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless tale of sisterhood, Little Women. Casting has yet to be announced, but we do know that the three-part miniseries will sit nicely beside the BBC Special Edition Pride & Prejudice DVD box set.

Those Bookish Clintons

First, we hear that former POTUS Bill Clinton is writing a book with James Patterson. The suspense novel, The President is Missing, will be published jointly by Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown and Company in June 2018. Then, we get the news that Hillary Clinton will appear at BookExpo in New York City on the evening of June 1 (what’s that line going to look like?). Go on with your bookish selves, Clintons.

Dapper Tot Reads A Cool Million

Not only do you have to read about Britt David Magnet Academy kindergartner Breyden Suragh to celebrate the fact that he read a million words during the school year; you also have to visit the page to witness his epic-cool fashion sense. Someone get this child a book bow-tie! Six-year-old Breyden and his accomplished peers received celebrity treatment as part of his school’s “millionaire bash” for kids who reached that million-word mark. The reader and his school gained viral attention thanks to his uncle who gave his nephew a shoutout on Twitter. We applaud you, Breyden and crew.


This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson, published by Quirk Books.

Think comic books can’t feature strong female protagonists? Think again! In The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen you’ll meet the most fascinating exemplars of the powerful, compelling, entertaining, and heroic female characters who’ve populated comic books from the very beginning. With vintage art, publication details, a decade-by-decade survey of industry trends and women’s roles in comics, and spotlights on iconic favorites like Wonder Woman and Ms. Marvel, The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen proves that not only do strong female protagonists belong in comics, they’ve always been there.

Categories
Book Radar

Donald Glover Adapts Deadpool, The Martian follow-up, and More Book Radar!

At least there’s one good thing about Mondays: It’s time for Book Radar! Sit back, relax, and check out deals, cover reveals and more upcoming book goodness. – xoxo, Liberty

All the Deal News You Can Use

vampire chroniclesDonald Glover is making an adult, animated Deadpool television series because he loves us.

Anne Rice shared some details about her upcoming Vampire Chronicles television series. 

James Patterson convinced Bill Clinton to write his next book for him collaborate on a new book.

Bryan Cranston is bringing The Dangerous Book for Boys to the small screen.

George R. R. Martin’s 1980 supernatural sci-fi novella Nightflyers is being turned into a TV series.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is officially coming to Broadway next spring.

artemisThere’s a pub date for Artemis, Andy Weir’s follow-up to The Martian! Surprising no one: the film rights were snatched up right away.

In more unsurprising news, Starz has already renewed American Gods for a second season.

There’s a Hellboy reboot in the works with Stranger Things’ star David Harbour.

New Curtis Sittenfeld novel will imagine Hillary Clinton’s life without Bill.

Julia Roberts will star is a film adaptation of The Bookseller.

Tom Hanks will star in the film version of The News of the World. (This was one of my favorite books of 2016!)

Cover Reveals

Out in 2018: Whitney Gardner’s Chaotic Good cover is fabulous!

Nick Harkaway has a new novel coming! It’s called Gnomon and its cover is fin-ally here.

Here’s the fancy cover for Martha Brockenbrough’s Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary.

I immediately clicked this link when I saw “Indiana Jones set in space.” It’s an upcoming book from Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Sneak Peeks!

Shonda Rhimes tweeted the first look at Still Star-Crossed, her television sequel to Romeo And Juliet.

A new trailer for the new adaptation of Stephen King’s It. And there’s one for The Mist. (I may have to make a whole separate column just for SK adaptation news.)

Get your tissues ready: It’s the new trailer for Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything movie.

The trailer for the Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049, looks batty.

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!

Today I want to mention a couple upcoming sequels I just read and loved, so you have plenty of time to read the first books before these come out!

one dark throneOne Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns) by Kendare Blake (Sept. 19, HarperTeen): Last year I read the first book, Three Dark Crowns, and was like WHOAAAAA. It’s about three sisters who must fight each other to the death to decide who will be king. And it’s so dark and twisted and sexy! Every time I thought it couldn’t get twistier, IT DID. And it ended in a cliffhanger that had me clamoring for the next book. WHICH IS SO GOOD. It’s a kick-ass, magicky, medieval extravaganza!

the dire kingThe Dire King: A Jackaby Novel by William Ritter (Aug. 22, Algonquin Young Readers):This is the fourth – and last – adventure of Jackaby and Miss Rook. I am having so many feeling about finishing up this series. It has been so much fun! It’s like a mash-up of Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And unlike the last book in a lot of series, I loved this one.

And this is funny.

A little Cher book humor at the library.

Categories
Giveaways

Win DRIVING MISS NORMA Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle!

We have 10 copies of Driving Miss Norma by Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle to give away!

Here’s what it’s all about:

At the age of 90, in the same hospital where her husband of 67 years passed away just days earlier, Miss Norma received the news that she had cancer. Declining traditional cancer treatment, Miss Norma opted instead to live the remainder of her life to the fullest, traveling the country in an RV with her son Tim, his wife Ramie, and their poodle, Ringo. As Miss Norma put it to her oncologist: “I’m 90 years old. I’m hitting the road”. Come along for the ride of this unforgettable journey, and let Miss Norma inspire you to say YES to living.

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

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships May 12

It’s time for a very speculative Friday, y’all! I am writing this from your past, and you are reading this in my future. Welcome back.

Who’s ready for a new Nick Harkaway novel??? (Answer: Me, I am, right here.) He answered 20 questions for the Times Literary Supplement and there’s a section in it about Gnomon, which is coming to the UK in October and the US in January (sob).

The adaptations roll on:
Wired feels some kind of way about The Dark Tower trailer and if that one’s on your list, this piece is worth a read.
– Game of Thrones is getting FOUR spin-offs (and here I just want one measly Jacqueline Carey adaptation).
– The Black Company series by Glen Cook has been optioned by Eliza Dushku’s production company (#TeamFaith). Guess I need to read these now!

“If we do not imagine the future, how can we invent (or prevent) it?” The healthcare industry in the UK wants your science-fictional ideas, and I love everything about this contest.

What do we think about the new design for the World Fantasy Awards? Does anyone else feel like that tree wants to talk to them, and not in a friendly way? Creepiness aside, this seems like a solid choice, both in terms of symbolism and in terms of picking something that is currently inclusive and can stay inclusive in meaning.

It’s Friday, we all deserve a beer! Alex has some pairings for you — speculative fiction and beer pairings, naturally.

For this week’s reviews, let’s have some astrophysics and some necromancy!

Astrophysics for People In a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

cover of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse TysonIf you are like me and often skim through the sciencier parts of science fiction, this book is for you! If you cannot get enough of NDT’s dad jokes, this book is also for you. If you are already an astrophysicist and/or a science-nerd, you probably know everything in it already.

Tyson is, as we know, great at breaking complex theory into digestible nuggets. And as the title suggests, that’s the goal here: to bring astrophysics to readers who otherwise don’t have time for it. (Hi Neil, it’s like you know me!) While I read this just to feel a little bit smarter — which I 100% did, upon finishing — I also found that it complimented the harder sci-fi reading I’ve done. Faster than light travel, dark matter, the origins of moons, exoplanets: these things all make sense now in ways they didn’t before, and I was deeply entertained by Tyson’s bons mots sprinkled throughout the actual explanations. In addition to being funny and informative it is less than 300 pages, and has an absolutely gorgeous cover.

So, to sum up: if you or someone you know has forgotten everything you learned in college physics (assuming you took it) and would like a powerhouse scientist and pop culture figure to explain it to you, look no further than Astrophysics For People In a Hurry.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

The Bone Witch by Rin ChupecoBefore we talk about anything else, I have to warn you that this book is extremely Book 1 of a Series. The ending actually made me yell “WHAT!?!” to an empty room, and we’re going to have to wait till March of 2018 for the next installment. So if you’re not prepared to sequel-wait, put this towards the bottom of your TBR list — but definitely still put it there, if you’re a fan of necromancy, world-building, and/or female characters who refuse to play by the rules.

The Bone Witch follows Tea, who is born with the power to raise the dead and channel Dark magic. She doesn’t find this out until she accidentally resurrects her dead older brother at his funeral, of course. Awkward! In Tea’s world, “bone witches” or Dark asha are known and training is available, but they’re also looked on with suspicion and fear. The story alternates between the discovery of her powers in her early teens and subsequent training, and her at 17, on a beach and making some very dark choices indeed. This was my favorite part of the book — I love a complicated heroine, and when the heroine in question might burn down the world you have my full attention.

If I had to point to a flaw, it would be the lack of any plot resolution; no threads are tied up, and we’re left with far more questions than answers. But that’s part of what makes the story so urgent, and keeps the pages turning. It’s an origin story, an immersion into a beautifully-rendered and complex Asian-inspired new world, and a meditation on power: who can wield it, and what happens when it wields the user. For an excellent dive into that last in Bone Witch, see this piece on Tor.com (especially all the Buffy fans in the audience).

Magic and ritual, darkness and light, politics and passion: The Bone Witch has these all in spades. Consider me very ready for whatever comes next.


This newsletter is sponsored by Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.

cover of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 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.

Categories
Giveaways

Woman no. 17 giveaway

We have 10 copies of Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki to give away to 10 Riot readers.

Here’s what it’s all about:

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has taken a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the guest house, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her teenage son, Seth. But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Seth takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new from Edan Lepucki novel defies expectation.

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below!

Categories
What's Up in YA

Adaptations Galore, Veronica Chambers on Mexican Immigrant Stereotypes, & More YA News This Week

Heyyy YA!!!!! 

(Imagine that in Goonies voice)

This week’s “What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Carry On by Rainbow Rowell from 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.

____________________

Let’s take this week to catch up on a wealth of YA news and pieces of interest floating around. It might be more accurate, though, to call this a big round-up of recent adaptation news because there’s been a lot of it. Grab yourself a snack and settle in!

 

 

 

 

  • And keep your eyes peeled for a manga adaptation of the YA Star Wars book Lost Stars. Say that ten times fast.

 

 

 

  • New trailer for Everything Everything is up. Do you plan on seeing this? I’m so curious about it, but it might be one I wait to Netflix down the road. I liked the book with some reservation and am curious how it’ll be done on the big screen. Plus, Amandla.

 

 

 

 

 

Time to ask a very serious question now. If you’ve been listening to book news lately outside of the YA world, you likely have heard about the Bill Clinton/James Patterson book news. This begs the question: which politicians and YA authors would you love to see paired up? Hit reply and send your wildest and best pair ups. Feel free to ignore things like time and history; as far as I care, there’s a magical time machine that would allow Abe Lincoln to sit alongside Nicola Yoon for a romantic YA novel, okay? Maybe we can connect Norma Klein and Wendy Davis, who’d have a lot to say together about adults and teens and maturity and sex and growing up.

Send me your picks and I might include them in a future edition of the newsletter. Let’s have fun and let imagination run wild. 

See you back here next week.

 

– Kelly Jensen @veronikellymars

Categories
True Story

New Political Biographies, Memoirs and Adaptations

This week’s newsletter has gotten pretty political, thanks to new biographies, adaptations and memoirs by and about major political figures. Let’s dive in!


Sponsored by Timber Press, an imprint of Workman Publishing

At the age of thirty-four, Leslie Buck put her personal life on hold to pursue her passion. She became the first American woman to join Uetoh Zoen, one of the oldest and most highly acclaimed landscape companies in Kyoto. The work was often grueling and the cultural differences challenging, but a reverence for nature brought her and the dedicated craftsmen together. Cutting Back recounts Buck’s journey and her revelations along the way. This delicate and reflective memoir powerfully appeals to women working in a man’s world, visitors in foreign lands, and the other in us all.


New Books On My Radar

Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama by David Garrow (May 9 from William Morrow) – Is the world ready for a nearly 1,500 page biography of Barack Obama’s early years, covering his childhood through his run for the White House? I’m not sure, but it’s here anyway.

Bonus Read: The New York Times has a good review of the book, covering some of the more controversial aspects. The author also spoke about his process and motivations on Inside Edition.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (May 2 from W.W. Norton) – In this book, “Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.” Woo, science!

Bonus Read: CBS News published some excerpts from the book, which will give you a good taste of what’s to come.

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich (May 16 from Flatiron Books) – This book is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, thanks to the overwhelming good buzz about it on the Book Riot backchannels. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich, a young lawyer, begins to question her long-held beliefs about the death penalty after exploring a shocking case. As she digs deeper, she also has to grapple with long-buried family secrets and her past.

Bonus Listen: You can listen to about 10 minutes of the prologue read by the author at this link.

Adaptation News

There’s been some interesting news trickling out about some upcoming film and TV adaptations.

Mindy Kaling has optioned Alyssa Mastromonaco’s memoir Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House. The book, published just last month, chronicles Mastromonaco’s time working for Barack Obama. Kaling plans to turn the book into a tv series, which sounds SO GOOD.

Reviews for The Lost City of Z, based on the 2009 book by David Grann, have been largely good (although not totally glowing). I liked this one from the New York Times, and this one in The Atlantic. I’m excited by the notes about how it feels like a classic Hollywood movie updated with more contemporary awareness.

The Glass Castle finally has a release date, August 11! The adaptation of Jeannette Walls’ 2005 best-selling memoir stars Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts. This is another one of those big nonfiction books I haven’t read, but it looks like it’s on my summer reading list.

And in more political news, Shattered, a new book by journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes about Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid, has been optioned for a limited television series. I honestly can’t decide what I think about this… it feels too soon, but maybe it’s what we all need in order to put 2016 to bed? What do you think, dear readers?

Book Review Schadenfreude

Normally, I am not into reading bad reviews of books just for the fun of it… but for Ivanka Trump, I will make an exception. The reviews for her new book, Women Who Work, have been almost universally terrible – you can get a peek at the highlights (or lowlights?) in this round up.

I did check Women Who Work out from the library to form my own opinion, but aside from the few eye-rolling moments highlighted in the reviews, it’s boring enough that I don’t think I’ll finish it. If you want some better books on working women, Rioter Trisha Brown put together a great list of books to read about women and work when your father isn’t a billionaire.

On My Nightstand

I’m currently in the middle of The Art of Grace: On Moving Well Through Life by Washington Post critic and senior arts writer Sarah L. Kaufman. By looking at grace in many forms, with an emphasis on arts and culture, Kaufman explores a “philosophy of living that promotes human connection and fulfillment.” I picked this one up impulsively while out shopping, and so far have been pleasantly surprised. I like the idea of trying to move through the world with more thoughtfulness and attention, and am enjoying the range of examples Kaufman has been drawing on to make her case.

Correction: A reader emailed to point out I made a mistake in my blurb for This Is Just My Face by Gabourey Sidibe. Sidibe is known for her role in the movie Precious, which was based on the novel Push by Sapphire. My mistake, apologies!

And that’s all for this week! As always, feedback and comments are always welcome. You can catch me on Twitter @kimthedork, Instagram @kimthedork, or via email at kim@riotnewmedia.com. Happy reading!

Categories
The Stack

051117-5WorldsTheSandWarrior-TheStack

Today’s The Stack is sponsored by 5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior, published by Random House Children’s Books.

The 5 Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. When war erupts, three unlikely heroes will discover there’s more to themselves than meets the eye. The clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, Oona Lee is a fighter with a big destiny. A boy from the poorest slums, An Tzu has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations. Star athlete Jax Amboy is beloved by an entire galaxy, but has no real friends. Can these three kids discover their talents in time to save the 5 Worlds?

Categories
Giveaways

Win a $250 Barnes & Noble Giftcard

 

Can you feel it? Lawn chairs and iced tea. Beach towels and umbrella drinks. And a book (or twelve).

Friends, summer reading season is upon us, and we have a whopping $250 Barnes & Noble gift card to give away courtesy of our friends at Riffle Books.

So, dream for a minute about loading up on bestsellers or ebooks or backlist to your heart’s content.

And when you are done, go here to enter the giveaway, or just click on the image below. Good luck!