Newsletters Dev – Page 34 – getting it done!

Read Harder 2024 is Almost Here! Here’s What’s Changing This Year

Post author By Danika Ellis
Post date December 5, 2023

We’re counting down the days until the 2024 Read Harder Challenge drops on December 13th, but in the meantime, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what’s changing this year. As always, we’ll be posting 24 tasks to get you out of your reading comfort zone. But in 2024, this newsletter will look a little different!

One of our favorite things about Read Harder is the community of passionate readers that has sprung up around it over the years, scattered across many different social media platforms. That’s why this year, we want to host a Read Harder community right here, with a tight-knit, moderated discussion group.

Every two weeks, you’ll get an email with book recommendations that complete one of the Read Harder tasks. On the off week, we’ll let you know about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. Free subscribers will have access to a couple of recommendations, while paid subscribers get access to the full list, plus the recommendations shared by other Read Harder community members in the comments! We’ll also have weekly check-ins for paid subscribers, where we can share our progress, let each other know what we’re reading, and trade advice for completing different tasks.

The Read Harder community is made up of some of the most interesting and well-read people we know, so we’re excited to host that community right here on Book Riot, in a private, cozy, and supportive corner of the internet.

If you want to keep getting free Read Harder newsletters, you don’t have to change anything! Your subscription will stay the same in 2024. If you want the full experience of being part of the Read Harder community, including the complete lists of recommendations plus access to community discussions, you can subscribe for $6 a month or $60 annually. Subscriptions will open up on December 13th, and you’ll get the details on how to sign up then.

We’ll be back soon with the Read Harder tasks for 2024! See you in the comments!

Check Your Shelf

Should We Abolish Literary Genres?

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It’s the first week of December, but I already feel like my schedule has been overbooked. In addition to work stuff, I think I have something planned for just about every weekend in December, and January’s starting to look the same way. Sometimes, the introvert inside me wonders why the heck I keep saying “Yes” to plans…

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

Publishers launch a weeklong #ReadPalestine campaign.

How a book publishing “mistake” reignited the UK’s royal racism furor, plus the author’s response after the Dutch version of Endgame was temporarily pulled from shelves.

These women represent the future of the book publishing industry.

On the rise and fall of Borders Books.

How Norway became a literary powerhouse.

New & Upcoming Titles

Rebecca Yarros says it’s going to be a minute before the third book in the Empyrean series comes out. She has also signed a two-book deal for two standalone contemporary romance novels.

The Umbrella Academy is getting a prequel companion novel in June 2024.

Patricia Cornwell talks about listening to actual 911 calls about Bigfoot for her latest book, Unnatural Death.

Here’s a first look at Liz Cheney’s upcoming book, Oath and Honor.

Here’s the cover reveal for Karen McManus’ Such Charming Liars.

And here’s the cover reveal for Tessa Bailey’s The Au Pair Affair.

5 books that deserved more buzz this year.

The New York Times recommends new thrillers, romances, and mysteries.

Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, LitHub.

November picks from The Guardian (thrillers).

December picks from AARP, Amazon, LA Times, New York Times.

Best books of 2023 from Brightly (middle grade/chapter books, YA), Electric Lit (poetry, short story collections), Esquire, Kirkus (picture books), New Yorker, School Library Journal (nonfiction, YA), Shelf Awareness (adult), Vanity Fair (short books), Wall Street Journal.

Most anticipated books of 2024 from Good Housekeeping, Off the Shelf.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Prophet Song – Paul Lynch (Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post)

The Mystery Guest – Nita Prose (NPR, Shondaland, Washington Post)

Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival – Omid Scobie (New York Times, Washington Post)

RA/Genre Resources

Should we abolish literary genres?

When Britney and Pamela and Paris tell all: “Memoir writing offers women defined by their images a space to speak. But we’re seldom satisfied with what they give us.”

Agatha Christie’s most romantic murder mysteries.

Where to start with the work of the late A.S. Byatt.

The essential Larry McMurtry.

Is the campus novel dead?

The case for never reading the book jacket.

On the Riot

What not to say to bookstore employees.

8 recent dark academia and deadly game books to TBR.

12 must-read new books by Native authors.

The best new weekly releases to TBR.

December picks for mysteries/thrillers, romance, SFF, horror, nonfiction, children’s, YA.

The best SFF of 2022 and 2023, crunched.

All Things Comics

School Library Journal lists their best juvenile graphic novels of the year.

On the Riot

December picks for graphic novels/comics.

Manga and manhwa like Nano Machine.

It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.

Audiophilia

AudioFile’s best audiobooks of 2023.

The best audiobooks to gift.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

Kids’ books that don’t ignore the dark side of life.

Beautiful children’s books for the aspiring artist.

Adults

10 books about protecting our oceans from the climate crisis.

10 comfort reads to snuggle up with on a cold day.

8 books that explore the power dynamics of love triangles.

25 of the best holiday books.

5 Norse fiction books from indie publishers.

7 great cozy mysteries set in the fall.

10 memoirs and essay collections by Black women.

7 books about authorship hoaxes.

48 cold weather mysteries for thrills and chills.

11 holiday romances to make your spirits bright.

12 bodyguard romances to heat up your TBR.

6 character-driven novels to keep you company.

On the Riot

Children’s books to read for the December holidays (that aren’t Christmas).

9 of the best YA books to read if you loved The Hunger Games.

9 fantastic books set in the 1980s.

8 wickedly funny books like Assistant to the Villain.

8 of the best baby books for new parents.

The 25 best Christmas books of all time.

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 Nora Rawlins of Early Word has created a database of upcoming diverse titles to nominate as well that includes information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.

two black cats laying next to each other with their front paws touching

Are Dini and Gilbert holding paws?? Yes! Did we push their paws together to get this photo opportunity? Also yes.

All right, friends. Back on Friday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Swords and Spaceships

Ordinary Life at 17,000 Miles per Hour

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got new releases for you, both from the big pubs and the indies today. Looking ahead into the month, there aren’t a lot of new releases coming our way. But don’t worry, I’m going to be looking at some retrospective books to fill in the gaps! Stay safe out there, space pirates. Have a great week, and I’ll see you on Friday!

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 Entertainment Community Fund, which supports entertainment workers who are striking for living wages and a future where humans can continue to create art for each other.

Bookish Goods

Snow Is Falling Books Are Calling Shirt by AlbertAndellini

All I can say is that this shirt perfectly encapsulates how I felt when I woke up this morning to find it was snowing and cold. It comes in a wide variety of colors too, if you need to brighten up your day. $21

New Releases

After World by Debbie Urbanski

With the world environmentally collapsing, humanity turned to AI to find the solution. And AI did, indeed: remove humans, problem solved. Rather than violence, this removal means digitizing all of humanity and placing them on a new, virtual homeworld. Sen Anon is the last human to be digitized, and an AI is assigned to observe her last days. But while Sen struggles with her impending death, the AI assigned to her has a rather human problem of their own: they love her.

The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh

Conclusion of the series that began with The Beautiful.

The truce between the Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld has broken, and they are at war. Bastien seeks out powerful allies in New Orleans to protect the weakened Winter court. Celine is under the protection of the Summer Court, as is her mother, but it seems unwise to trust anyone. And with no word from Bastien, she decides to take matters into her own hands and stop this war herself.

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

Riot Recommendations

There’s new indie books coming out this week, and here’s two to check out!

On the Isle of Antioch by Amin Maalouf translated by Natasha Lehrer

Alec has just settled on a remote island in the Atlantic, so isolated that he barely even has contact with his neighbor, a woman who wrote a book that developed a cult following. But when a power failure cuts them off from the world at large, it’s only the herald of more seismic shifts. Suddenly the world is on the brink of nuclear war, society seems about to collapse, and otherworldly protectors have arrived to cure all illness…and intervene in the US presidency.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Six astronauts orbit the earth, the last mission to be sent to the space station before it is to be decommissioned. The story is not filled with danger or intrigue, but rather the ordinary lives of those hurtling around the planet at 17,000 miles per hour, working through their mission and watching their home far below.

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.

The Stack

Celebrating Diversity Through Comics

Post author By Eileen Gonzalez
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, and happy December while we’re at it! I know there’s a lot going on this month, so let’s dive right into the comics so you can get back to what you were doing. (If you were procrastinating, well, read this slowly.)

Bookish Goods

Spider-Man Hawaiian Shirt by JoyunboundStore

Missing the warm weather? Planning a midwinter trip to Australia, where summer has just begun? This shirt (and optional shorts) might be for you! $37

New Releases

Neighborhood Story Volume One by Ai Yazawa

Mikako and Tsutomu have been friends since childhood, so they’re happy that they both got into the same art school. At first, Mikako is focused on becoming a fashion designer. But when Tsutomu becomes an unexpected hit with the ladies on campus, she starts to experience some not-so-platonic feelings about her platonic best friend!

The Great British Bump-Off by John Allison and Max Sarin

Fans of murder mysteries and baking shows will appreciate this fun mash-up! Shauna is determined to win a national baking contest, but there’s something bigger afoot: one of her fellow contestants was just poisoned! Can Shauna get to the bottom of things without ruining her own baked goods — or being poisoned herself?

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: Muslim characters! The world continues to be upsettingly Islamophobic, so it’s nice that we have comics like these where we can have a few minutes of escape with some fun Muslim characters just living their lives.

Ms. Marvel Volume One: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

This is the one that started it all: the book that became a New York Times bestseller, made Kamala Khan a household name, and eventually led to her integration into the MCU. This modern classic recounts Ms. Marvel’s origin story and her early attempts to reconcile her faith with her dreams and goals.

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy

Before her family moved to Dearborn, Huda based much of her identity on being a Muslim girl in a non-Muslim community. Now that she’s surrounded by Muslims, she will have to find a new way to make friends and relate to others (and herself!). And be sure to check out the follow-up book, Huda F Cares?, available now!

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: comics, no matter how great, can’t fix everything. But they are a good and comforting start, whether you are looking to escape or for a reminder that our differences are what make us interesting and valuable as people.

~Eileen

The Kids Are All Right

Books to Gift, Reindeer Readers, And More!

Post author By Margaret Kingsbury
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, kidlit friends! I still don’t have my Christmas tree up. We keep our Christmas tree and decorations in our attic, but our roof was replaced earlier in the year, and it left a lot of debris on everything in the attic. We haven’t had the time or energy to go up there and try to excavate the tree. I guess we should get to it soon! Or else it will be our winter solstice tree.

This week, I give lots of ideas for books to gift on a theme, as well as reviewing two new releases.

Bookish Goods

Reindeer Reading Shirt by PoppyRosePrintCo

This reindeer reading T-shirt has such an adorable design. $16+

New Releases

I’m Going to be a Princess by Stephanie Taylor, illustrated by Jade Orlando

In this picture book, Maya tells her mom she wants to be a princess when she grows up. But her mom thinks she should aspire to be something else. She tells her daughter about many Black women and their accomplishments, like the rocket scientist Annie Easley, Olympic athlete Alice Coachman, and more, in the hope of convincing her to change her mind. She doesn’t convince Maya, though, who tells her mother about Princess Amina, who protected her West African people and helped them prosper. This is an affirming picture book celebrating Black women and their accomplishments.

I Will Find You by Daphne Benedis-Grab

In this middle grade thriller, a school camping trip goes horribly wrong when a student — the class bully — disappears. Gracie and her cabin mates were the last to see him. The three are determined to find Nicky for their own reasons, especially when it seems like the police are on the wrong track. This is an entertaining and compelling read.

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

Riot Recommendations

I wanted to do something a bit different this week and give short recommendations on a theme for various ages, in case anyone is doing some present shopping.

What to buy for the kid…

…who loves animals.

For board book readers, check out Copy That, Copy Cat! by Katrina Tangen, an interactive board book with flaps and peek-throughs about inventions inspired by animals. For better or worse, picture book readers will love The Big Book of Butts by Eva Manzano, which uncovers fun facts about animal and human butts. For older elementary school kids, Superpowered Animals by Soledad Romero Mariño is fascinating. While not technically for kids, Allen Crawford’s nonfiction A Wild Promise celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act and would be a beautiful gift for middle graders.

…who loves to laugh.

Kids love funny books. For picture book readers, check out The Boy Who Cried Poop! by Alessandra Requena, Cake vs. Pie by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, and I Want to Be Spaghetti! by Kiera Wright-Ruiz. Kids who want to write their own jokes will enjoy Lol 101: A Kid’s Guide to Writing Jokes by David Roth and Rinee Shah. For my daughter, I’m buying the early reader graphic novels Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli. Middle graders will enjoy Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey and Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson.

…who is swept away by fantasy.

Picture book readers should check out the fantastical SEL Weather Together by Jessie Sima, the dark fairytale The Skull by Jon Klassen, and the magical River of Mariposas by Mirelle Ortega. The latest Princess in Black book is out —Prince in Pink — for chapter book readers, and I also love the new series Isla of Adventure by Dela Costa, the first book being Welcome to the Island. For middle grade readers, Nell of Gumbling by Emma Steinkellner is a delight, as is Lei and the Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea and Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark.

…is hard to buy for.

I love a good book box! Here are some of my favorites. The ColorPop Books bundles center diverse families. Their picture book bundles are $45 and come with three hardcover books, an activity, and a card. The Little Feminist book subscriptions have four options for ages 0-9. Each box comes with 1-2 books, an activity, and discussion cards. Prices are $23 a month. I have yet to try out a middle grade book subscription, but a friend gets Owl Crate, Jr. and loves all the extra stuff. It’s $33 a month.

No matter the weather, sometimes a parent has to bundle up and put together a trolley for stuffed animals using yarn and whatever wheeled toy is around the house. Admittedly, it was only in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit. So Tennessee cold, not Northern cold. The stuffed animals traveled to get their hair cut at the salon, had a sleepover at Unicorni’s house, and then had a picnic. We spent a solid 4+ hours outside. I’m glad for our warm coats!

If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, 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

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Tuesday, star bits! How is your December going so far? I have been spending a lot of time working on updating my 2024 spreadsheet of upcoming releases, and let me tell you, it is going to be an AMAZING year. I know I say it all the time, but there is nothing I love more than helping people find books they want to read. I’m so grateful you join me every week to learn about a few! For this week’s newsletter, I have three books out today that I am really looking forward to reading: a GBBO spoof, a debut steeped in West African mythology, and a chilly Victorian thriller.

At the top of my list of books to pick up for myself this week are Molly by Blake Butler, The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie, and Loaded: The Life (and Afterlife) of the Velvet Underground by Dylan Jones. You can hear about more fabulous books on this week’s episode of All the Books! Danika and I talked about December 2023 books that we’re excited about, including Prophet Song, Good Girls, and Game On.

Dazzling by Chikodili Emelumadu

First of all, how stunning is that cover??? It’s…dazzling. (Sorry, not sorry.) This is a fantastical story set in 1990s Nigeria and inspired by West African mythology. It’s about two young women trying to find their way after losing their fathers. Treasure meets a floating man who promises he can bring her father back from the dead — for a horrible price. And Ozoemena is wrestling with fulfilling a promise that she doesn’t want to keep, but she made it to her father before he vanished. Both these situations are going to spiral out of control, causing the girls to cross paths and have to figure out together what they are willing to pay to get what they want.

Backlist bump: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

The Great British Bump-Off by John Allison, Max Sarin

Okay, this one I actually did read and it’s great fun! It’s a send-up of the reality baking competition The Great British Bake-Off, and it’s pretty delightful. When someone poisons the most obnoxious, entitled contestant on a baking show just before they are set to start filming, the producers are sure the season is over before it starts. But contestant Shauna Wickle is determined the show must go on and convinces them to let her solve the mystery before anything else bad happens. But with so many suspects, it isn’t going to be (over) easy! (I realize I just wrote that whole paragraph when all I needed to say was that one of the judges is a cat. Automatic buy, lol.)

Backlist bump: Giant Days by John Allison, Max Sarin

Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes

Ally Wilkes sure likes setting thrillers in cold climates! Her first novel was survival horror on an Antarctic expedition. And this one is about two scary Victorian polar expeditions. Like The Endurance, but with more horror! And who doesn’t want a little historical horror for the holidays? William Day is a disgraced ship captain famous for a failed polar expedition in which several crew members were eaten. When his second-in-command from that expedition goes missing in the same area thirteen years later, Day sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself if he can find the missing man. But this trip may prove to be just as doomed as the first. Because as he will learn, the past haunts him still, and the dead are very patient.

Backlist bump: All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

This week, I am reading The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard and The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hasashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood (translator). In non-book things…well, it’s pretty much been all books this week, lol. I’m trying to catch up after being sick for so long! The song stuck in my head this week is “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” by Bryan Ferry. And here is your weekly cat picture: It never looks like Zevon could really fit his whole body in that bowl, but I promise you it’s true.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Patricia Elzie
Post date December 4, 2023

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 an absolutely delightful fake dating romance.

While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

This book takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it starts with our hero, Ben Stephens, who is running late to work. Ben works for an ad agency, and they have a major project pitch to give to a tech company. He did a lot of work on the project and knows it backwards and forwards; however, this doesn’t really matter because Ben knows his bosses and the rest of the team will do the presentation and take the glory while Ben, the only Black person, will be present to show how “diverse” their team is. At least, that’s how it normally goes, and that is what Ben is expecting. The universe has other ideas, and he gets a call from the rest of his team, who are stuck in L.A., which is an hour flight but a good six-hour drive from where they need to be, so Ben is going to have to give the presentation alone.

He arrives at the company, about to start his presentation when the most beautiful woman he has ever seen walks in the door to the conference room. This woman is Oscar-nominated actress Anna Gardiner, and she is the talent for this ad campaign. No one expected her to show up to the pitch meetings, and she was counting on that. Of course, she was charmed by Ben, and he got the contract. At Anna’s request, he also oversaw the entire project, and they spent a lot of time together on set.

During one of the shoots, Anna gets a call. Her parents are down near Palm Springs on a trip, and her father has to get rushed to the hospital. Unbeknownst to everyone, Anna deals with severe anxiety. She knew it would be ridiculous to rush down to Southern California to check on her dad when it was likely just dehydration, but she really started to freak out a bit. She called her assistant to get her a flight, but there were none that could work with the schedule. Ben notices Anna’s barely controlled freakout; one thing leads to another, and there is suddenly an impromptu road trip to Palm Springs.

The attraction between the two of them is palpable, and they don’t even try to hide their flirting and chemistry. They get to Palm Springs, but the hotel they get to only has a single room. They keep their physical fun a secret, but Simon, Anna’s manager, catches on. Simon’s not mad; he actually thinks it’s good for Anna’s image, and Ben agrees to no strings and only fun, just how they both want it (this is totally not sustainable).

This book was so incredibly steamy while also being incredibly hilarious.

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.

What's Up in YA

These Hotels Don’t Let You Check Out: YA Book Talk and New Books, December 4, 2023

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Hey YA Readers!

As we are barreling down to the final weeks of the year, I hope you are finding comfort and joy in some kind of ritual. For many of us, that’s reading, of course. One that I partake in is enjoying a midday hot chocolate–in those sometimes draggy hours of the day, it’s nice to have something to look forward to.

Another little ritual? Looking ahead to the books hitting shelves. For real. I love a good catalog perusal and filling up my ereader and my shelves with upcoming books. Even amid a reading slump, it’s nice having a huge array of options.

And speaking of having reading options—TBR now has paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.

Bookish Goods

Bookworm Friendship Bracelet by TheBookishWitchery

Have you been all in on the friendship bracelets this year? It doesn’t matter if your interest came from Taylor Swift or from simply seeing them everywhere, what a fun little accessory. It counters so much of the specific beige-y aesthetics that have dominated so much social media for years.

Anyway, here’s a bookish take on the friendship bracelet. It’d be perfect for a gift or for you to give yourself. $5.50.

New Releases

It is an interesting week for new releases in YA world. Many of the new books hitting shelves are continuations of series, so highlighting them below would feel weird with spoilers, but it also feels wrong not to mention several series continuations released this week. Let’s do it rapid style, then. First, here’s the whole list of new releases today. Second, the following continuations of series hit shelves in hardcover:

The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh
The World’s End by Rin Chupeco
This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede

And now, two standalones for your TBR this week, including one that is a dual paperback/hardcover release. We’ll be seeing this happen more in the coming year, which is an interesting trend.

Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose

Devin Baez has been looking forward to winter break at his family’s cabin in Lake Andreas. But then he runs into the neighbors, the Seo-Cookes, who have been dominating in the local winter games for years. The families decide to amp things up this year with a bet: the Baez family offers up their cabin as a prize if the Seo-Cookes win again this year.

Julian Seo-Cooke needs a fake boyfriend, and Devin agrees. He sees it as a chance to score some secrets and win the games this year.

But as much as Julian and Devin are supposed to be hating each other…there might be more complicated feelings involved.

This book will be available in hardcover and paperback at the same time.

Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson

When they were younger, Ethan and Rebecca met and became quick friends. They shared secrets and kisses until Ethan’s mom took him away. He’s able to visit periodically, and when he does, he leaves a flower on Rebecca’s windowsill.

Four years later, Ethan is gone for good. He’s now responsible for taking care of his mom, who struggles with substance use.

Two years ago, Rebecca and her father were in a terrible car accident that left him dead. She became a wheelchair user.

Now, Ethan and Rebecca are reconnecting. But can they find common ground in their grief and trauma? Or are they forever pulled apart?

Hotel Stories

I keep a list of topics I want to write about in the newsletter and too often, I end up not using it because I’ve got a different idea in mind when I actually sit down to write. This week, I kept coming up empty on ideas–I don’t want to hit you over the head with holiday reads, in part because I did that last year and in part because I know how much *I* like something that is not holiday-focused this time of the year. So I pulled up the handy list.

Several YA books over the last few years have taken place at a hotel or motel. Among them are Sabaa Tahir’s huge hit All My Rage, Where The Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass, Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young, and others. I wanted to pull out two more titles, both of which are recentish, where the story is set primarily in or at a hotel/motel but with a little twist–what if you couldn’t escape the hotel? What if the magic of the space happened because of the humans trapped inside?

Hotel Magnifique by Emily Taylor

This book is a little bit of a twist on The Night Circus and follows Jani, who is resigned to her boring life in a small port town taking care of her younger sister. But then Hotel Magnifique comes to town. It’s known for being whimsical and magical, as well as for its ability to appear in a new place every morning. Jani and her sister cannot afford to go stay at the hotel, so they do the next best thing: interview to work at the hotel.

All seems well enough once they’re inside. Then Jani discovers that they cannot get out of their work contracts and now, they’re stuck inside. It does not take long before the magic of Hotel Magnifique begins to wear off and the place shares its much darker underbelly. With her little sister in trouble, Jani needs to build an alliance with a good-looking doorman to save her–and to save them all from a future stuck inside a place that is nothing that it seems to be.

Midnight at the Houdini by Delilah S. Dawson

Anna has always stayed in the background, letting big sister Emily have the spotlight. But when Emily gets married and announces that she’ll be moving away, Anna is shattered. Angry, sad, and devastated, Anna rushes out of the wedding reception and makes her way to The Houdini, a hotel she has never seen before.

Immediately, Anna is taken by the hotel and its luxury…and the cute boy named Max who has lived inside the hotel his entire life. What Anna doesn’t know is that once the clock hits midnight, she’ll be stuck inside forever, too. Can she break through the magical spell the hotel has cast upon her and leave Max behind in order to get out? Or will she become the next Max herself?

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you later this week for some YA paperback releases and YA book news.

Until then, happy reading–and happy hot chocolate sipping, too.

–Kelly Jensen

Kissing Books

Hello Again December

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Greetings and salutations! Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, here to give you the rundown on the world of romance, including new releases, recommendations, and other entertaining ways to pass your time.

Well December is here, and with it the last month of 2023. I know that a lot of people really look forward to this time of the year. Soon we will be in a new year and *almost* halfway through the current decade, which is just…wow. Hard to believe. Instead of focusing too hard on that, though, I’m going to try to make the best of this season, even though I’m already beyond exhausted.

Before we get into the picks — the holidays have arrived, and so has our new paperback level at TBR! If you (or a reader you know) are just over-carrying around bulky hardcovers or are looking for a more budget-friendly option, we’ve got you. Check out all the offerings at mybtro.com/gift, and give personalized reading recommendations customized for any and every reader.

Bookish Goods

Gingerbread Bookstore Sticker by BlissfullyBookedCo

This adorable sticker seems like the perfect way to kick off December. Even though I feel gingerbread is an acquired taste that I do not share, I know that this cookie in all its various forms tend to go hand in hand with the holiday season. $4

New Releases

Technically Yours by Denise Williams

When a scandal threatens the reputation of OurCode, a nonprofit coding program aimed at high schoolers, Pearl will do anything to help salvage it, including working with Cord, the man whose heart she broke eight years earlier. When they reunite to help OurCode, the sparks are still there, but both know that it would not be a good idea to entertain them. However, it soon becomes apparent that they cannot ignore their feelings and have to determine the best way to balance it all.

The Toy Runners by Adriana Herrera

This steamy anthology, comprised of three novellas previously released by Herrera, includes a Sapphic Santa pairing, an arranged marriage where the soon-to-be bride has eyes for the brother of the groom, and a bodyguard grumpy/sunshine pairing. This collection is the perfect way to kick off the holidays!

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

Riot Recommendations

I’m taking a semi-break from the petty train today and will be recommending holiday romance books. Now, to be fair, both of these were released in 2023 (one just in the last few weeks) so I suppose it could still be considered a jab.

But the second one listed was just released, so I would think it was too new to be considered for a nomination. And the first one mentioned is an inspirational one, which means that it is an “off the pages” romance, and we all know that those almost never appear on the list. Which is an entirely different conversation I don’t have the spoons or word space for.

Enjoy!

You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh

Between being single, unemployed, and having to witness her sister get married to her ex-boyfriend, the holidays are not looking so holly-jolly for Starr. Then she discovers that Waylon, her brother’s BFF, will also be in attendance and things start to look up. And since she’s helping him make over his deceased mother’s shop, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the spark between them. Will it be enough to convince her to stay, or will she decide to go back to the big city?

Hook-Up to Holidate by Priscilla Rose

When Indigo and Vega first met at the bar, they were both just looking for a fling to blow off some steam from the respective stressors in their lives. Things get completed when they discover that Vega is Indigo’s new boss, and then even more so when Indigo asks Vega to be her fake date for her family’s holiday get-together. As they spend more time together, though, they soon discover that they both want something more than a temporary affair.

Design a romantic holiday movie and get a treat to eat. Y’all, some of these options are unhinged! I freely admit to going through and picking darker ones before creating a more traditionally sweet movie.

And that’s all I have for y’all for today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday with another newsletter and in the meantime you can find me still over on the bird app under @PScribe801. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated.

Book Radar

John Green and Jodi Picoult Sue Iowa Over Book-Banning Law and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date December 4, 2023

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

Welcome to another Book Radar Monday! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I cannot tell you how RELIEVED I am that November is behind us and that we’re on to December. I’m ready for the holiday vibes. My Christmas tree is up. Let’s do this.

(Speaking of the holidays! Are you looking for the perfect gift for that bookish special someone in your life this holiday season? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help! We’ve got three levels — recs-only, paperback, and hardcover — and you can gift a full year or one time, so there are options for every budget! Get all the details at mybtro.com/gift.)

Book Deals and Reveals

Brandon Sanderson has a new standalone novel coming in March, and here is the cover reveal! You can preorder The Sunlit Man now.

Penguin Random House and several bestselling authors, including novelists John Green and Jodi Picoult, are part of a lawsuit challenging Iowa’s new book banning law that prohibits libraries and classrooms from having practically any book that depicts sexual activity.

Marcela Fuentes’ debut novel Malas is coming out on June 4, and ahead of its release, we’re getting a cover reveal. The author describes the novel as “a story of passion and revenge, the kinship between two women living on the Texas Mexico border, and a curse that reverberates across generations.”

Here’s another exciting cover reveal for an upcoming debut novel. Lauren Ling Brown’s Society of Lies will be published by Bantam on August 13.

Another debut? Here’s the cover of Jenna Satterthwaite’s Made For You, designed by Elita Sidiropoulou. It’s out from Mira on July 2.

Entertainment Weekly has shared the cover of Kristy Greenwood’s The Love of My Afterlife, a romance novel that explores the possibility of finding love after death. It’s out on June 3!

AudioFIle has released its 53-title list of the best audiobooks of 2023, which are spread out across 9 categories.

A list of the best-selling indie books of 2023 has been released by Bookshop.org. It includes everything from self-help to monster romance.

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!

Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib (Catapult, December 5)

As you get ready to hop on a plane and travel over the holidays, make sure you pick up a copy of this book. It’s out tomorrow, so don’t even worry about preparing your shelves. Just put this one straight into your carry-on bag.

Airplane Mode is a collection of essays by Indian author and translator Shahnaz Habib. These travel essays explore the history and implications of travel from the perspective of a woman of color raised in a developing country. Through these essays, Habib explores the question, “what does it mean to be a joyous traveler when we live in the ruins of colonialism, capitalism and climate change?” Habib’s essays cover everything from passports to Western consumerism to guidebooks to the concept of wanderlust itself. Airplane Mode is at once curious, optimistic, humorous, and analytical, and it’s the perfect nonfiction read to round out your TBR list at the end of the year.

What I’m Reading This Week

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

The Only One Left by Riley Sagar

Making it So by Patrick Stewart

This Spells Love by Kate Robb

Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman

Bookish Memes

Where are my What We Do in the Shadows fans? I absolutely loved this Instagram reel “Books as What We Do in the Shadows quotes.” I have watched it several (and I mean several) times.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s a cute lil sleepy boy in a cat tree. Look at his little white whiskers! He’s actually meowing at me right now, and I think he’s saying “Tell your Book Radar friends to have a happy Monday.” Thanks, Remy!

So yeah! Go have a happy Monday, and we’ll talk on Thursday, yes?

Emily