Newsletters Dev – Page 30 – getting it done!

052824-EACInternalPushes-May2024-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 28, 2024

We’re teaming up with Gungnir to give away a 1-year subscription to Tailored Book Recommendations (TBR) to one lucky winner!

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

Here’s a bit more from our sponsor: We believe creators deserve a spotlight, a gateway to the broad, energized audiences hungry for journeys of inspiration, tales of might, and sagas of magnitude… adventures that challenge and delight.‍

We live the attitude of punk rock, manifested by the power of subversive storytelling. GUNGNIR knows that today’s fresh creators are 21st Century philosophers, provocateurs, and mythmakers.. Their voices, ideas, and inspired views of society will ignite the conversations that shape tomorrow.

We’re here to stand watch as new worlds grow. The first and best defense against the mundane dark might seem like a blade. But at GUNGNIR…we know the right story can cut even deeper.

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The Author Reviving PRINCESS GWENEVERE AND THE JEWEL RIDERS

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date May 28, 2024

We’d like to introduce you to Jordie Bellaire, an award-winning author from Portland, Oregon. Known for their work on Batman and Wonder Woman: Young Diana, Jordie’s most recent published work revives the popular sparkling ’90s cartoon, Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders! Keep reading to find out what Jordie is reading right now, what books have been important to Jordie’s reading life, and more.

What Are You Reading?

Mason Mooney: Paranormal Investigator by Seaerra Miller

I only very recently discovered this beautiful series and I’m absolutely hooked. Seaerra Miller really understands my desire for all things paranormal!

With great sweetness, playful spookums and lovable characters – you never want to stop reading! Illustrated with great detail and glory, I’ll be a Searrea Miller fan forever and so should you!

Books That Shaped Me

Becky Cloonan is one of my greatest influences having met them at my first ever comic convention when I was only 11. That same year, my whole life changed drastically and it sort of robbed me of feeling like a kid for the rest of my life! Becky’s work was definitely not age-appropriate but at the time I had the hunger for something creative, new and ultimately dark. I became obsessed with her work on Minis. So much in fact, I began focusing on making comics for myself. I even xeroxed my own hand drawn sad stories to hand out at school – with cringy titles like Judy Sarcastic – that unfortunately did cost my father’s fax machine a toner cartridge or two.

More Good Stuff

I Saw the TV Glow is not a book but a movie, but if you’re into these above things, I think it’s worth looking into. The film Past Lives made me cry my eyes out. Homunculus by Joe Sparrow is just exceptional and I want everyone I know to read it. Accept these further recommendations in my absence, as I do not plan on attending any conventions or meetups for the next millenia at least.

I will be updating my website with signed comics available for sale later this summer if anyone wants to snag a copy with what may become a rather elusive signature.

Giveaways

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Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 25, 2024

We’re giving away three copies of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros to three lucky Riot readers!

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

We’re teaming with Dragons & Spaceships to give away three copies of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros.

Dragons & Spaceships – For the Fans, By the Fans. We keep a close eye on the horizon of fantasy and scifi books, ensuring you’re the first to know about shifts in the genre, upcoming releases, and author interviews. Step into a realm where magic meets machinery, where dragons soar amongst the stars, and where every week is a new journey. Join the adventure!

The Kids Are All Right

Chapter Books, Bird Nests, And More Great Kids’ Books!

Post author By Margaret Kingsbury
Post date May 24, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! Tonight I’m celebrating my birthday at a silly restaurant with my family. I hope you’re having a great day, too!

Make this your most bookish summer yet with personalized reading recommendations from Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists (aka professional book nerds) are standing by to help you find your next favorite read. Get your recommendations via email, or opt to receive hardcovers or paperbacks delivered right to your door. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Get started today from just $18!

Today I review four fantastic new chapter books, plus two great new releases.

Bookish Goods

Dino Reading Sticker by PagePalsStickers

I adore this dino-tastic sticker. $4

New Releases

Sour Cherries by Dezh Azaad, illustrated by Nan Cao

This is a lovely, rhyming picture book about Afghani immigrants picking cherries on a summer day for three dishes. The child’s favorite day of the year is when he picks cherries with his mother. The entire family participates, dividing the picked cherries into baskets for jam, tea, and dinner. As the family drinks the cherry tea on a picnic blanket, the mother tells stories of her mother, the narrator’s Bibi, and how she taught the mother the recipes for the cherry dishes they’re making today. The child hopes he can visit Afghanistan one day. A recipe for cherry tea is included in the back.

Aqua Boy by Ken Wilson-Max

Aaron and his sister love going to the ocean, but while Aaron’s sister swims in and out of the water, Aaron is afraid of getting his head wet. His parents gently encourage him, saying that one day he’ll be ready. After a storm, Aaron and his sister help clean up trash from the beach. Aaron spots an octopus on the sand and his dad helps it back into the ocean. Aaron wants to follow, but to see the octopus, he’ll need to put his head in the water. My daughter has this same fear of getting her face wet, so I really appreciate a picture book about just that topic! This will be a great summer read, especially for reluctant swimmers.

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

Riot Recommendations

There have been so many excellent chapter books lately. My 6-year-old reads chapter books primarily now, and we have both enjoyed all of these. A few weeks ago, I reviewed The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class, so I won’t review them again here, but I wanted to give the series another shoutout because they’re so great.

Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home by A. R. Capetta, illustrated by Charlene Chua

This adorable magical chapter book releases on Tuesday. Even though my daughter is a cat lover, she adored this one! It’s about two cute pups at the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets who need to find a home. The other pups in their litter have already found homes, but these two wanted to find a home together, so they’ve been intentionally causing a bit of mayhem whenever someone comes to adopt a puppy but only wants one. When they accidentally cause a magical mess in their search for a home, Jinx, the witch who found the litter of the puppies, plus her three young apprentices, jumps in to help. This is so much fun, and I love the diverse range of pronouns used by characters. It’s the first in a planned series.

Seashell Key by Lourdes Heuer, illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao

This is another first book in a lovely, diverse chapter book series. It follows the children of three families who call the beach-side town of Seashell Key home. Each act follows a different family, and the last act includes them all. In the first act, Mateo starts his own kite shop at the beach. In the second act, sisters Sasha and Sophia, who are complete opposites and disagree about everything, find something to agree on. In the third act, siblings Eli, Ezra, and Elana decide to pretend to be tour guides for their lighthouse home. It’s a perfect chapter book to bring along to beach trips!

Puggleton Park by Deanna Kizis, illustrated by Hannah Peck

This first book in a new chapter book series is so sweet and charming. It takes place in Regency-era England and is about a pug named Penelope who loses her Lady in a park when she chases after a squirrel (the dog, not the Lady). After weeks of searching for her Lady, the kind Lady Diggleton takes her home in the hopes of finding her proper owner. But the longer Penelope stays with Lady Diggleton, the less she wants to find her previous beloved Lady. I was surprised by how much we loved this one! I was worried about it being a bit hard to get into for younger readers given the time period it’s set in, but it is very accessible and fun. Also check out the second book in this series, Penelope and the Curse of the Canis Diamond.

Legendarios: Wrath of the Rain God by Karla Arenas Valenti, illustrated by Vanessa Morales

This is the first book in a new fantasy chapter book series. Twins Emma and Martín are not enthusiastic about moving from their home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to Chicago. At their going-away party, their abuela gifts them a book of Mexican legends to help them remember home. Once in Chicago, the twins realize the book is magical. It transports them to Texcoco, where the rain god refuses to stop the rain until his missing lightning bolt is returned to him. This is an action-packed read!

On a hike, we came across this goose with her gosling babies. So cute!

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

Giveaways

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Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 24, 2024

Each winner will receive a copy of Funny Story by Emily Henry, The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, and Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez.

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

We’re teaming up with Dreamscape Publishing to give away three copies each of Funny Story by Emily Henry, The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, and Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez to three lucky Riot Readers!
Here’s a bit more about the Dreamscape Audiobook Newsletter: Sign up to learn about Dreamscape’s newest audiobook releases, hear about audiobooks deals, and be the first to know about our giveaways!

True Story

More Book Recs for AANHPI Heritage Month!

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date May 23, 2024

Sponsored by

Spring is always a busy time. The semester and the regular school year are ending, we have a slew of family birthdays, and there are a host of delightful author events filling up my calendar. But ever the introvert, I’m always excited to take a quiet moment to sit in a corner and listen to a great audiobook. There’s just something peaceful about sitting with the sounds of nature while taking in a great story through my headphones. Today, I’ll be featuring a few of those stories, but first, bookish goods!

Bookish Goods

Library UFO Alien Abduction Bookmark by TurtlesSoup

Summer reading is starting for my gaggle of nieces and nephews, and this adorable bookmark seems exactly like something they need. $4

New Releases

Pack Light: A Journey to Find Myself by Shilletha Curtis

Shilletha Curtis traverses the Appalachian trail, traveling from Georgia all the way up into Maine. In eight months, she travels through fourteen states. She uses her journey to work through depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD.

Sobremesa: Easy Mexican Recipes for Every Day by Susana Villasuso

As the book description says, “sobremesa means ‘relaxing at the table after a heavy meal,’ usually after getting together with family and friends.” Susana Villasuso provides simple, everyday recipes that give readers the perfect meal for any day of the week.

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

Riot Recommendations

Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change by Anjali Enjeti

Enjeti and her family moved to the South when she was small. Since then, she’s called the South her home. But as a mixed-race Brown girl, many people there didn’t necessarily make her feel welcome. Now an adult, Enjeti writes about her experience with racism as well as her complicity in systemic racism. These essays feature her thoughts on feminism, the new South, gun violence, voter suppression, and so much more.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, edited by Alice Wong

Disability activist Alice Wong has gathered together some of the best disabled writers of the last few decades. This collection features authors from a wide range of backgrounds, each with their own unique experience of disability. Each essay gives a different perspective on what it’s like to live as a disabled person in the U.S. Plus, there are even more disability media resources in the back of the book.

That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy reading, Friends!

~ Kendra

Giveaways

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Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 23, 2024

We’re teaming up with Dreamscape to give away a 12-credit bundle to Libro.fm to one lucky winner!

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

Here’s a bit more about the Dreamscape Audiobook Newsletter: Sign up to learn about Dreamscape’s newest audiobook releases, hear about audiobooks deals, and be the first to know about our giveaways!

Swords and Spaceships

“KNIVES OUT In space with a PARASITE Twist” and More New SFF!

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 23, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and as promised I’ve got a second double dose of new releases for you today. I’ve got a yard sale lined up to eat my weekend, and we’ve got a shocking number of books to sell after thinning out the shelves. But I personally like having books for cheap at a yard sale because it lets readers, like I used to be, trying to make the most of my allowance money, get a lot of bang for their buck. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.

Bookish Goods

The Trash Reader T-shirt by TheLibraryCloset

I identify with this shirt a lot. It’s me, I’m the trash reader, just a raccoon digging through book piles and living my best life. $29

New Releases

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

In a world half-drowned by rising seas, survivors live in five partially submerged buildings off the coast of West Africa. Unsurprisingly, the wealthy live in the highest levels, where they can see the sky and get fresh air. The poor are banished below the surface of the water. And there are those who were abandoned and left for the Atlantic Ocean to swallow. Now, an ancient power has awakened them from their water graves and offered them a chance at revenge.

Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf

The bastard daughter of a noble house has survived the order that her duke father gave, which killed her mother and just missed her. And now she’s out for revenge, powered by pure, white-hot rage — and a Heavenbreaker, one of the few war machines left after the last, devastating conflict. But she isn’t alone in her mission, not anymore. Because something is in the Heavenbreaker with her.

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

Riot Recommendations

As promised, the double dose of new releases is incoming, right here.

Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo

A luxury resort in low Earth orbit is host to reunions for the Rochford Institute, a school of only the most wealthy and well-bred students. But the 25th reunion of this class has a special twist to it: finance magnate Ava is taking this opportunity to seek the truth behind the murder of her brother, which occurred during their senior year at the school. And while the wealthy pursue their intrigues, the ones who they have left to rot on Earth have their own plans.

A House Like an Accordion by Audrey Burges

Keryth Miller has felt like she’s fading away before. Burnout, two teenage daughters, and an increasingly distant husband will do that to a person. But now she’s literally fading away, becoming translucent — and there can only be one cause. It means her father is drawing her, which means her father is alive. As she continues to fade away, Keryth searches for her father, hoping she can find him before she disappears entirely.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 23, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, your go-to newsletter if you’re looking to expand your TBR pile. Each week, I’ll recommend a book I think is an absolute must-read. Some will be new releases, some will be old favorites, and the books will vary in genre and subject matter every time. I hope you’re ready to get reading!

Love Dungeons & Dragons? Ever dreamed of being a rockstar? Do you adore sweet, squishy romances? Stories of self-acceptance? If you said yes to any of the above (and why wouldn’t you?), then you should 100% read this book.

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

One thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older: older adults aren’t necessarily any smarter or more mature than young adults. Time has, however, given me the opportunity to wear many hats. I have been the aspiring rockstar. I have been the nerdy kid playing Dungeons & Dragons for hours on end. Through it all, I’ve been nothing if not completely self-critical and unsure of my every decision. Hooray for growing and not learning! This is one of the reasons Young Adult books can really work for everyone. None of us (at any age) actually knows what we’re doing. And this is why I wanted — no, needed — this adorable and affirming YA rom-com in my life.

Delilah is a cool girl in a punk rock band. Reggie is a D&D nerd so deeply steeped in the culture that he writes essays about D&D for fun. They don’t have a lot in common, but they see something in each other that they admire, and yes, they spend a year falling for one another (just as the title suggests). The premise was too cute to deny; on the outside, Reggie and Delilah appear to be from two different worlds, and yet the two connect over and over again over multiple holidays — New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day…you get the idea.

What I love about Delilah and Reggie’s relationship is how much it was based on mutual feelings of admiration and respect. They appreciate each other for what they can learn from each other and how they can help each other grow. And they love who they become when they are around each other. Delilah loves how Reggie is so unapologetically himself. Reggie appreciates Delilah for her boldness. They both wish they could be as brave as the other one, and they both bring out those qualities in each other.

Another big bonus about this book? The friendships. This is a love story, but Reggie and Delilah have other significant people in their lives. For instance, we see Delilah develop a friendship with a super cool rockstar chick named Ryan, who was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. It was nice to see that Delilah’s journey to self-acceptance and confidence wasn’t just centered around her relationship with Reggie. She also had Ryan in her corner.

If you’re looking for a sweet YA romance with unique and nuanced characters, this is the one. I absolutely loved this book. It’s the perfect love story for the summer. Or for Christmas. Or New Year’s Eve. Or Valentine’s Day. You get the idea.

Happy weekend reading, bibliophiles! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @EmAndHerCat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!

Unusual Suspects

Crime and thrillers of the month

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date May 23, 2024

Sponsored by

Hello, mystery fans! I’m currently loving the new season of Hacks (HBO Max) —I’ll watch anything with Jean Smart — and speaking of when Max was good, Gordita Chronicles, is now streaming on Hulu.

Bookish Goods

I Bought More Books Sticker by BadNBoujeeByDestinee

I did just buy a huge stack of books. Again. ($4)

New Releases

The Alone Time by Elle Marr

For fans of multiple POVs of family members, sisters, past and present storylines, and a documentary shaking out the truth!

Twenty-five years ago, Fiona and Violet Seng were in a private plane crash as kids with their parents. As the only survivors, the sisters spent months in the wilderness alone, which became a huge news story once they were rescued. Now the sisters are estranged but forced to deal with the past when a documentary leads to questions about what really happened — from the cause of the crash to the aftermath…

Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall

For fans of YA thrillers and a fictional serial killer’s child as the lead!

Sid Atkinson’s father is in prison for murdering five girls ten years ago. Sid changed their last name and lives with their grandmother trying to escape the horror of being the kid of a serial killer. Except now, with their dad in prison, there’s a new wave of bodies that has to be a copycat — something Sid is determined to solve, even at great risk to themself…

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

Riot Recommendations

Here are two covers with a character peeking through window blinds!

Witnesses for the Dead: Stories edited by Gary Phillips and Gar Anthony Haywood

Anthologies are an excellent way to find new authors. Plus, reading short stories can be a great palate cleanser between books, and they’re perfect for anyone who wants to read but doesn’t have a lot of time.

All the short stories in this collection have a theme: if you witness a crime, how does it affect you and your life, and what changes might be in store?

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

If you’re looking for an older protagonist who is very opinionated and inserts herself into a murder case — going so far as outlining the body with a marker to the horror of the police — grab this one. After discovering a dead body in her tea shop Vera Wong decides to get to know the people she suspects may have played a role…

News and Roundups

‘The only healing will be through justice’: Pulitzer winner Cristina Rivera Garza on femicide in Mexico

The Guardian: Crime and thrillers of the month

Netflix’s Jo Nesbo Detective Adaptation Finds Its Harry Hole in The Last Kingdom Star Tobias Santelmann

Elle Cosimano announced the fifth book in Finlay Donovan series, Digs Her Own Grave, will release March 4, 2025!

Mark Ruffalo in Talks to Join Chris Hemsworth in Movie Based on Don Winslow’s Crime 101

The Marlow Murder Club Renewed for Season 2 by Masterpiece, UKTV

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.