Newsletters Dev – Page 23 – getting it done!

FilipiNO Way Should You Miss These Comics

Post author By Eileen Gonzalez
Post date June 10, 2024

Sponsored by

Okay, that was a worse pun than usual, but hopefully, the great titles below will make up for it at least a little!

Learn something new, sharpen your skills, and expand your horizons with our Better Living Through Books newsletter. Better Living Through Books is your resource for reading material that helps you live the life you want. From self-help to cookbooks to parenting to personal finance, relationships, and more, Better Living Through Books has got you covered. If it’s part of life, it can be part of your reading life. Sign up for your free subscription to Better Living Through Books today, or become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year and get unlimited access to members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies knowing you are supporting independent media.

Bookish Goods

Superhero Flower Bouquet Gift for Boyfriend, Anniversary, Graduation, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day Gift, Gift for Teacher by CrochetCrowned

Celebrate any occasion — even if that occasion is just a day that ends in Y — with one of these super-bouquets! $28

New Releases

The Mighty Bite: Walrus Brawl at the Mall! by Nathan Hale

In this sequel to last year’s The Mighty Bite, Trilobite and Amber, two displaced prehistoric creatures, are still determined to become internet stars. Along with their human friend Tiffany, they go on a series of wild adventures in search of that elusive viral video!

Second Hand Love by Yamada Murasaki

Murasaki is considered a pioneer for the feminist themes she included in her work. The two stories in this collection were originally published in the 1980s and feature two women dealing with infidelity (their own and other people’s) and the consequences it has for their daily lives.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: the Philippines! June 12 is Philippine Independence Day, so let’s look at a couple of comics that take place there.

After Lambana by Eliza Victoria and Mervin Malonzo

Conrad has a heart condition that only magic can cure. Unfortunately for him, magic is illegal. He must rely on his friend Ignacio to help him navigate the underground world of spirits, mythical beings, and powerful magic in the winding streets of Manila.

The Mythology Class by Arnold Arre

This now-classic comic follows a large group of young people who have been called upon by immortal beings to rid the world of malevolent creatures that they always assumed to be mythical — and that prove to be all too real. Can they fulfill their destiny without killing each other first?

There are two sequels, too: The Children of Bathala and The Journey to Lupan-On.

Thanks for joining me once again on our biweekly romp through the world of comics. I look forward to perusing even more fun titles with you in two days’ time!

~Eileen

Giveaways

061024-PridePromo-Harpercollins-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date June 10, 2024

We are giving away three copies of The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan to three lucky Riot Readers!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

From the author of Love at First Set, a new irresistible enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine queer romcom for fans of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, about a wedding-obsessed city girl who inherits a horse farm from her estranged late aunt, and clashes with the cocky, unfairly hot farrier who thinks she’s going to run the barn into the ground.

Check Your Shelf

Books for All Pride Moods

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date June 10, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. We had our first day of summer reading last Friday, and while most of the SRC questions were handled before the patrons came to the circulation desk, holy banana pants were we busy! Our SRC kickoff also coincided with recruit graduation at the nearby military base, so we also got a ton of calls from new grads looking for passport appointments THAT DAY. Phew. Pretty sure we all survived though, emphasis on the “pretty sure.”

Attention librarians, booksellers, and book nerds! You can apply to become a Bibliologist for Tailored Book Recommendations and get paid for your bookish knowledge! TBR is a subscription-based book recommendation service where customers receive three hand-picked recommendations per quarter that are tailored to their specific reading likes and dislikes. Of special interest: bibliologists who can recommend across a variety of genres. Click here to read more and fill out an application.

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

Imbalances still remain when it comes to Black authors in the bestsellers’ lists.

Four textbook publishers have sued Google for promoting pirated copies of their titles.

OpenAI insiders warn of a “reckless” race for dominance.

Costco plans to stop selling books year-round.

Disney announced a new children’s book program focusing on environmental topics.

A look at how more authors are funding their own marketing campaigns when publishing companies cut budgets.

New & Upcoming Titles

Suzanne Collins is writing a new Hunger Games book, out in March 2025.

Megan Abbott has a new book coming out next summer!

Lisa Scottoline has signed a four-book deal with Grand Central.

Musician Neko Case has written a memoir, out in January 2025.

Bill Gates is also publishing a memoir.

Clay McLeod Chapman announced his first horror short story collection.

Speaking of horror, librarian and horror advocate Becky Spratford is editing a collection of essays from acclaimed horror authors about why they love their genre. Authors include Stephen Graham Jones, Tananarive Due, Paul Tremblay, Alma Katsu, Grady Hendrix, Rachel Harrison, Gabino Iglesias…seriously, this is just scratching the surface, and I need this book IMMEDIATELY.

Best books of the year (so far) from Barnes & Noble, Time.

Summer picks from AARP, Bustle, Chicago Tribune, LA Times (romance), Town & Country.

Weekly picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times.

June picks from Amazon, AV Club, Ebony, Epic Reads, People, Reactor (fantasy, SF).

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Fire Exit – Morgan Talty (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)

The Comfort of Ghosts – Jacqueline Winspear (New York Times, Washington Post)

On the Riot

5 upcoming queer books that you may not have heard about yet.

The best weekly LGBTQ+ book releases.

June picks for mystery/thrillers, romance, SFF, children’s books.

All Things Comics

Anime NYC and Japan Society are launching the American Manga Awards.

8 comics to read for Pride Month.

Audiophilia

AudioFile magazine has named its 2024 Golden Voice narrators.

Apple Books is now the official audiobook home for Reese’s Book Club.

19 of the best audiobooks by Latinas.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

31 sweet picture books that celebrate fatherhood.

9 mysteries that fourth and fifth graders would recommend to their friends.

Timeless books for sixth-grade readers.

The ultimate YA summer reading list.

Adults

15 LGBTQ+ books to read for Pride Month.

75 books for every Pride vibe.

Essential books by Native and Indigenous authors.

30 must-read books to learn about the Indigenous experience in North America.

5 great books about Maine.

7 books to help you battle burnout.

5 of the best books about fatherhood.

Crime fiction that deals with the fascination with fame.

10 books to read if you love Abby Jimenez.

25 books sure to delight Agatha Christie fans.

10 debut LGBTQ+ authors talk about the books that shaped them as writers.

Remembering D-Day.

A Father’s Day reading list for every type of dad.

On the Riot

10 thrilling YA heist novels.

The most-read books of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge (so far).

8 LGBTQ+ serial stories to explore.

Level Up (Library Reads)

Do you take part in Library Reads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? We’ve made it easy for you to find eligible diverse titles to nominate. Kelly Jensen has a guide to discovering upcoming diverse books, and Edelweiss has a new catalog dedicated to diverse titles, which is managed by Early Word Galley Chatter Vicki Nesting. Check it out!

Hard to see from the small size, but that’s Jonesy giving Dini some head kisses. And then a few minutes later, Jonesy tried to gnaw on Dini’s leg like a drumstick. Always exciting with these two!

Okay friends, I’ll pop back on Friday! Peace out!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Patricia Elzie
Post date June 10, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor, because here we go!

Today’s pick is a newly released young adult graphic novel with a big heart.

The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Art by Faith Schaffer

Chihiro Ito is sixteen and has big dreams about being a samurai. She is obsessed with Tatsuo Nakano, a well-known samurai who was the first girl to be accepted to the renowned samurai school known as Keisi Academy. Keisi Academy is notorious for only allowing boys, but Tatsuo’s fierce talent could not be ignored. Tatsuo is glorified in movies and television and on posters (and probably other merch), and Chihiro might just be her biggest fan. Chihiro has been training with her father who himself is an esteemed samurai, though in retirement from serving Daimyo Teshima. Chihiro’s father has an existing injury from his samurai days which makes the fact that he has been called out of retirement and back into service even more worrisome. A large, terrible creature called a yamauba has been kidnapping children in a town in the mountains.

Chihiro is eager to prove herself and volunteers to go in her father’s place. Her parents only allow it if she finds a rōnin to accompany her and fight the monster as a team. Chihiro decides that she is not going to hire just any rōnin. She wants to hire her idol, Tatsuo Nakano. When she finally catches up to Tatsuo and convinces her to join her, Chihiro finds that her idol is not at all who she imagined. Tatsuo is fighting her own demons. She is doing everything she can to escape from grief, which often involves a lot of drinking and a lot of being rude to people so she doesn’t form any kind of attachments.

Amidst the snarky dialogue and plenty of humor, this graphic novel is absolutely about the ways in which grief can tear us apart and bring us together. Content warnings for violence and death of friends and family members.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, Bluesky, and Instagram.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Bookish Goods

Bookish Good of the Week: June 9, 2024

Post author By Erica Ezeifedi
Post date June 9, 2024

Acrylic Library Window Hanging by ShopKiwiTreasures

This faux stain-glass decoration will make such a unique and pretty addition to your book nook! $46

Kissing Books

Just Another Musical Monday

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date June 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, your guide to all things romance-related. Thanks for taking time from your day to give this a read! I hope this newsletter helps to brighten up your day just a little bit more.

Since it’s my birthday month, I’m currently in a “can’t buy things for myself” period. The exception to this rule is my BOTM subscription. And since it’s my birthday month, I get a bonus credit for an extra book. All this lead-up was to let y’all know that I recently acquired One-Star Romance and Leather & Lark, and can’t wait to get started on them.

That is, once I finish the half dozen books I’m already currently reading.

Bookish Goods

Regency Romance Pin by AwfullySentimental

With the second half of Bridgerton‘s third season just days away, this type of romance is likely on everyone’s minds. So, it only seemed fitting to share this pin. $10.00

New Releases

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

When Aaliyah’s family insinuates that her body and personality are the reason for her single status, the plus-sized beauty quickly retorts that her man loves everything about her. The problem is she doesn’t have a boyfriend. When she tells local bartender Ahmad about her predicament, he suggests a dating app as the solution to her problem. However, the more time she spends with the handsome man, the more she wonders if her perfect match has been right in front of her all this time.

The Curse of the Goddess by C.C. González

When the Skylian Princess Valda loses her vision before her 25th birthday, she misses the opportunity to find her soulmate. After the destruction of her home in the Sea Kingdom, Maris has lived her life as quietly as she could since, as a Sealian, she is unwelcome in the Sky Kingdom. When she’s assigned to be Valda’s new assistant, she finds herself working around the man she believes is responsible for the death of her family. Further complicating the situation is that it appears she is Valda’s mate and neither can resist the pull between them. Are they destined to be together, or will Fate be even crueler to them by keeping them apart?

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Today’s recommendation theme was inspired by Book Riot Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz’s recent guest post in the In Reading Color newsletter. There is apparently a lot of hatred for books that include playlists which, frankly, boggles my mind.

I love music as much as I do reading. When the two are brought together, in any capacity, it’s always chef’s kiss for me. Not only do I like playlists, but I also like it when chapters are song titles and when song lyrics are the titles for books. The last one there is what I’m going with today for my recommendations for you.

Also, if you’re interested in signing up for the In Reading Color newsletter, you can do so with this link. You can either choose “Basic” for the free content or set up a subscription for the bonus.

Now onto the recs!

Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

After dating apps lead to more than a few dead-end dates, romance book lover Tara decides to revisit her exes in the hope of finding love with the second-chance trope. She enlists the help of Trevor, her new roommate, to help get these reconnections set up. But the more time they spend together, the more she wonders if she’s been searching in the wrong trope.

Originally, when I picked this book, I was thinking of the Trisha Yearwood song, but you can also pair it with the Elle King song as well.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

After ER doctor Alexis has a one-night stand with carpenter Daniel, she’s unable to forget the encounter. Soon, she is dividing her time between her job in the city and Daniel’s farm, where there’s an endless supply of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, baby goat snuggles, and incredible sex. But the more time she spends with Daniel, the more she questions if she’s fulfilled with her current life or if a change is necessary for her to find true happiness.

This song has been in my head ever since I saw a burlesque performance to it last week. And yes, it was as interesting as you are imagining it would be.

Who doesn’t like their romances with a little dash of magic?

Here is Marie Claire’s round-up of some of the best 2024 romances (so far).

While I don’t mind the third act break-up, I know there are others who detest it. If you’re in that camp, then this list is for you.

And that’s all she wrote for today. Remember, you can always keep up with my adventures in book-land over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.

What's Up in YA

Queer Short Story Collections + More YA Book Talk: June 10, 2024

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date June 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Hey, YA Readers!

This week brings with it a bunch of new YA releases to get excited about, as well as a roundup of queer short story collections. You’ll also be getting a bonus send of the newsletter with a book cover and excerpt reveal that I am so dang excited about this week, and it will offer some reminders of just how amazing teens—our primary YA audience, of course—truly are.

Now, let’s dive in.

Bookish Goods

Queer Book Club Print by pagodahome

This handmade print would be beautiful in any space where queer books and a love of talking about queer books are the focus. It is a print you’ll get by mail, rather than a download. Grab one from among many size options starting at $23.

New Releases

As always, you can peep the entire roundup of this week’s releases over here. I’ve pulled out three to talk about across a few genres because, well, we’re still in the thick of many releases and winnowing down what to highlight is tough!

The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson

In this social justice thriller, Calvin and his family are white-passing. They’ve lived in Chicago forever but a tragedy in the city forces them to move. The family goes to an all-white suburb that offers them everything imaginable. Calvin’s dad pressures everyone to conform to the standards set there, especially because they can pass. The problem is Calvin can’t in good conscious do it. He’s instead elected to make friends across down where he doesn’t have to perform as someone he is not. It doesn’t hurt he can see his crush there, either.

But Calvin is beginning to uncover dark secrets about this suburb. It’s not safe for him nor his family, and now, he feels compelled to push back against his dad’s wishes to keep nice in order to save them—and in order to be who he truly is.

There Is a Door in the Darkness by Kristin Cashore

The latest read from bestselling fantasy author Cashore is a contemporary novel…with a magical bent and it sounds so dang good.

Wilhelmina is the class of 2020. That means she began with a terrible presidential election in 2016 and ended with the pandemic shutting down schools before she could experience a graduation ceremony in 2020. She experienced a ton of personal losses during this time, too, and as a result of such upheaval, she’s elected to defer going to college. What she’ll do during this time, she’s not sure, but she cannot plow through like nothing has happened.

But magic is beginning to show up everywhere. She’s seeing weird flashes of whimsy, and while they don’t make sense when they appear, Wilhelmina is convinced they’re trying to send her a message. Now, she’s down the rabbit hole—heh—following a trail of elephants, birds, stale donuts, and more.

Where Wolves Don’t Die by Anton Treuer

Ezra Cloud hates northern Minnesota, where he lives with his family. It’s not pretty, it’s not the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, and it’s got the meanest bully he’s ever come face to face with in Matt. Matt is mean to Ezra, as well as Ezra’s best friend Nora.

Then Matt’s house burns down, and it happens the night after Ezra and Matt have a big brawl. Ezra is a prime suspect in the fire, even though he didn’t do it. There is no way he’ll get a word in about it, and his parents decide that the best recourse at this point is to send Ezra elsewhere. So he’s shipped to remote Canada where he’ll live with his grandfather.

Getting that far away won’t stop Matt’s family from trying to find Ezra and lay the blame of the fire on him, but it will help Ezra learn how to stand up for himself, lean into her heritage, and build a powerful relationship with one of his elder family members.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

LGBTQ+ Short Story Collections

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about short stories lately, in part because that’s about my reading attention span anymore and in part because I just updated the (massive) index to YA short stories in anthologies.

Earlier this year while my colleague Danika was on vacation, I wrote several editions of their newsletter, Our Queerest Shelves. One of those posts was about queer YA short story collections. In honor of both highlighting some excellent anthologies and celebrating Pride this month, I’m sharing parts of that post this week.

The titles below are those which exclusively speak to the queer experience in some capacity, rather than anthologies that incorporate queer voices throughout (those are rad and worth picking up, too, of course!). Note that many of these are edited by white authors—publishing continues to be predominantly white—but the authors included in the anthologies are diverse and live at various intersections.

All Out, Out There, and Out Now, all edited by Saundra Mitchell

I am kicking this list off by cheating a tiny bit and including three titles for the price of one entry. Mitchell has gathered dozens of writers to contribute to this trilogy of anthologies that feature queer teens across genres. All Out is historical fiction, while Out There explores fantasy and offers a mix of contemporary and speculative stories. You can read them as standalones and in any order.

Being Ace : An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection edited by Madeline Dyer

Dyer has brought together a wide range of writers who are all writing about the asexuality experience. The stories cross genres, making it the kind of collection that not only fills in a lot of gaps in representation but presents the opportunity for readers to try out the kinds of genres that might otherwise not be their usual fare. You’ll get to explore haunted cemeteries, experience a vengeful water spirit, take a wheelchair race, and more.

Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror Delight edited by Shelly Page and Alex Brown

This one sits atop my to-read because it scratches all of my itches. First, it’s horror. Second, it’s exploring tropes in horror. Third, the characters are all queer and all from the global majority. Each story is about a Halloween night that changed the character’s life forever. Count me in.

Schoolbooks & Sorcery: An Anthology of Inclusive YA Urban Fantasy edited by Michael M. Jones

Born from a successful Kickstarter, this collection offers a range of stories in urban fantasy for YA readers. The urban fantasy in YA is not especially robust, so this addition—with its focus on queer stories—is much welcomed. Some of the contributors to this collection include Seanan McGuire, Cheryl Rainfield, Cecilia Tan, E.C. Myers, and Rajan Khanna.

Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic edited by g. haron davis

What exactly is the trans experience? The answer is that it is as diverse as trans people themselves. This is a short story collection that explores transness through a fantasy lens, allowing trans and nonbinary people to be magical beings and more.

Contributors to this collection are knock-outs and include AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy, g. haron davis, Mason Deaver, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Emery Lee, Saundra Mitchell, Cam Montgomery, Ash Nouveau, Sonora Reyes, Renee Reynolds, Dove Salvatierra, Ayida Shonibar, Francesca Tacchi, and Nik Traxler.

We Mostly Come Out at Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures edited by Rob Costello

Monster means something slightly (or vastly!) different to everyone. This anthology, which features only trans and queer authors, attempts to explore the truth behind the experiences of being confronted by monsters—and being seen as a monster, too. It includes familiar monsters of legends and lore, as well as new ones. The contributor lineup is excellent, too, and includes Kalynn Bayron, David Bowles, H.E. Edgmon, Michael Thomas Ford, Naomi Kanakia, Claire Kann, Sam J. Miller, Alexandra Villasante, and more.

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you a couple more times this week!

Until then, happy reading!

–Kelly Jensen

Book Radar

A New HUNGER GAMES Book and Movie Are Coming and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date June 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

Today is going to be a really good week. I can feel it in my bones. I can also see it on my weather app. This week we’re getting long walks with audiobooks weather. I hope you have similar weather where you are. And I hope you get out there and enjoy it if you do. For now, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Suzanne Collins has a new Hunger Games book coming out in 2025! Sunrise on the Reaping, which will tell the story of the Second Quarter Quell, will also be adapted into a movie in 2026.

Here’s the cover of Marguerite Sheffer’s short story collection The Man in the Banana Trees. It’s out on November 5th from the University of Iowa Press.

Anjelica Huston is set to star in the upcoming three-part adaptation of Agatha Christie‘s classic mystery novel Towards Zero.

In other casting news, trans actor and YouTuber Abigail Thorn has confirmed that she has joined the cast of HBO’s House of the Dragon. Check out her character Sharako Lohar in season 2, which premieres later this month.

Nicola Coughlan, Nonso Anozie, and Jessica Gunning have joined the cast of the upcoming adaptation of Enid Blyton‘s The Magic Faraway Tree. The film is adapted by Simon Farnaby and will be directed by Ben Gregor.

Ainslie Hogarth, author of Motherthing, took to Instagram to share the cover of the upcoming horror anthology Of the Flesh, featuring her story “Waffle Thomas.” Other authors in the anthology include Mariana Enriquez, Lionel Shriver, Susan Barker, and more!

Here are Barnes & Noble’s picks for the best books of 2024 so far! Yes, it’s that time of the year.

And here are the winners of the 2024 International Thriller Awards. Additionally, this year’s Thriller Master Award was presented to Tess Gerritsen and Dennis Lehane; the Thriller Legend Award was given to Audible.com; and the Silver Bullet Award was presented to Louise Penny.

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!

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (Atria, June 18)

I’m currently reading this book, and weird things just started happening from the jump. Although I’m admittedly not done with it yet, I’m enjoying it so much. I missed out on this story when it was on Reddit’s NoSleep forum. But now, it’s been expanded into a full novel. It’s also going to be adapted into a film starring Blake Lively. So the hype is real, it’s building, and you should prepare your shelves, because this one is out next week.

Eve has just moved into a new place with her partner, Charlie. Their plans are to renovate the house (and/or knock it down…time will tell). But the couple has barely moved in when Eve, at the house all by herself, hears a knock on the door. It’s a family whose patriarch claims to have lived in the house three years ago, and they’re hoping to have a look around. But as soon as the family enters the house, strange things start happening.

This book ramps up quickly and knocked me off my feet almost immediately. I’m so excited to see where it goes from here. So far, it’s sort of giving me House of Leaves vibes, but, like, if House of Leaves were a million times more straightforward. You’ll have to read it for yourself and let me know if you see the connection!

What I’m Reading This Week

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

Here for the Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulson and Lydia Wang

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Monday Memes

Okay, it had to be done. Here are some Pride book memes for Pride Month. Enjoy!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

My husband is still recovering from surgery, but thankfully, he has this sweet orange angel cuddling him and taking care of him. Murray, you are perfect in every way. Thanks for offering your healing presence!

And…that’s it, friends. I’ll be here again on Thursday to update you on all the new book things. And in the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful week! Farewell!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

This Year’s Best Horror Novel is Out This Week

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date June 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, horror fans! I’m so excited for this week’s new releases because two of my most anticipated books of the year are hitting shelves. I can’t wait to tell you about them. But before that, I must tell you…I got attacked by not one. Not two. But THREE crows last weekend. I know you all say it’s not personal, but it’s starting to feel personal. Will update you next week if I encounter any more crows. But for now…horror things.

Bookish Goods

Felt Ghost Reading Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House by NeedleGhosts

I love these little felt ghosts so much. NeedleGhosts makes tiny little books for the ghosts to hold and read, so you can pick your favorites. My choice would be Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. There are plenty of other scary books to choose from, though. Or, you could get a bunch and have a full ghost book club. These are $33. Adorbs.

New Releases

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

Best book of the year so far, friends. Hands down. I’m so excited that this one is finally out so you can all get it in your hands and start talking to me about it. This book follows a group of young filmmakers setting out to film an indie, experimental horror movie. But after many troubles on set, it’s a horror movie that will never see the light of day. In the present timeline, buzz about the never-released film is building, and some scenes have been released on YouTube. Demand for the film is high, so it’s no surprise that a major budget reboot is in the works. But some movies are just cursed, no matter how many times you try to film them or how much money you put into them.

One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon

This is another top read of the year for me, and I am so excited to see Nicola Yoon excel in adult fiction as well as young adult fiction. Not that I’m surprised. Jasmyn and King Williams move their family to Liberty, California in the hopes of becoming part of a supportive, thriving Black community. But Liberty is not the Black utopia Jasmyn dreamed it would be. Something strange is going on in this place, and the truth might destroy everything Jasmyn and King have built for their family.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado

It’s still pride month, so I will be featuring queer horror books all month. Here are two more I love! Bronwyn is stuck in rural Hillwoods for a whole year while her grandmother is in hospice. And, as much as she knows she should get in some final moments of quality time with her grandmother, Bronwyn is freaking miserable. If only she could go for a swim in the lake or the pool to distract herself from how depressing her life is at the moment, but everyone keeps warning her not to go swimming. What is really going on in Hillwoods, and what will happen when Bronwyn digs up secrets that would be better left hidden?

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

How fortunate for me that I found this book right when I moved up to the PNW! It’s got all the woodsy, big foot-y, lesbiany vibes a girl could ask for. In Patricia Wants to Cuddle, the final four contestants of a reality TV dating show are taken to a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest. They anticipated competing for love. But they were not prepared for Patricia, a temperamental local who lives alone in the woods and is desperate to make a connection of her own.

What a week, right? I’ll be back next week with more horror things for you, and yes, I’ll let you know about the crows, as promised. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

The Kids Are All Right

Juneteenth, Super Pancakes, And More Great Kids’ Books!

Post author By Margaret Kingsbury
Post date June 7, 2024

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Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! Do you celebrate half-birthdays? We decided to start this year, and today is my daughter’s half-birthday. We’re celebrating by visiting a cat donation center to pet some cats. I’m gonna need to double up on my allergy meds!

Today, I review two great new releases, plus four books to check out for Juneteenth.

Bookish Goods

Brown Kids Reading Tumbler by thetrinigee

You’re going to need to stay hydrated for whatever Juneteenth celebrations you attend, and this tumbler is a great way to do so. $33

New Releases

Super Pancake and the Mini Muffin Mayhem by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Abhi Alwar

The second book in the delightful Super Pancake early reader graphic novel series is out! Peggy Pancake is struggling to juggle her superhero activities with school and home life. Her mother sets her up to babysit six mini muffins, and Peggy decides to bring them with her when she meets her superhero trainer, Professor Egg. One of them steals a device that turns the mini muffin into one GIANT muffin of supervillainious inclinations. If being a superhero is hard, being a babysitter is even harder. This series is so funny and clever!

The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

Short girls unite! This martial arts middle grade fiction is a super fun novel about 12-year-old Mo Seto and her love of taekwondo. Though she’s quite good at taekwondo, her tiny stature makes it difficult to compete with people like her nemesis Dax, who is so much bigger than her. When she loses to Dax in a competition, she despairs, but a chance to star in a martial arts movie with her hero lifts her mood. She needs permission from her parents to audition, but her dad is away on a trip to China, and her mother disapproves of Mo’s interest in taekwondo. Meanwhile, she discovers a book of her grandmother’s about an older martial arts practice for small women that combines dance with taekwondo. She begins to practice the movements, but doing so seems to scare both of her parents for reasons she doesn’t understand.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Juneteenth is in 10 days, so it’s time to either buy these Juneteenth children’s books or put them on hold at the library!

Juneteenth Is by Natasha Tripplett, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien

A young girl narrates her family’s Juneteenth activities in this joyful depiction of the holiday. She wakes up to the smoky smell of her father’s slow-cooked brisket. The family gathers for the neighborhood parade, then for lunch and games. The girl’s granddaddy reminds her that Juneteenth is about remembering “lives long before our memories,” and the two talk about Juneteenth’s history. Back matter includes a description of the significance of red. The father in this wonderful picture book uses a prosthetic leg.

They Built Me for Freedom by Tonya Duncan Ellis, illustrated by Jenin Mohammed

This is a gorgeously illustrated picture book about the history of Juneteenth and of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas, a park that was built as a dedication to honor the day. The park is the narrator, and it recalls its 150-year history as well as the history of Juneteenth in sparse yet poetic words. It’s a beautiful and moving picture book.

Juneteenth by Van G. Garrett, illustrated by Reginald C. Adams and Samson Bimbo Adenugba

This colorful and joyful picture book depicts a child attending a Juneteenth parade with his family in Galveston, Texas, where Juneteenth began. The family packs up the car and makes their way to the parade, and when they arrive, the boy is shocked to see so many faces that look like his own and his family’s. Garrett uses lyrics from “Lift Every Voice and Sing” throughout the lyrical text.

The Juneteenth Cookbook by Alliah L. Agostini and Chef Taffy Elrod, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud

This picture book for older readers takes a unique approach to explaining Juneteenth’s history — through recipes! Alliah and her grandparents discuss Juneteenth’s history as they prepare 18 dishes, with recipes included, from Freedom Fizz, a raspberry-based drink, to Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches. Recipes are divided into five categories: Drinks, Appetizers, Mains, Sides, and Desserts. Each section also includes a game or activity.

I love my daughter’s newest cat book, about a very hungry cat stumbling upon a pumpkin patch and getting stuck inside a pumpkin. Can you tell we’re a Halloween family?

If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, Bluesky @AReaderlyMom.bsky.social, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.

All the best,

Margaret Kingsbury