Categories
The Stack

The First Newsletter of the Rest of Your Lives

Hello again! By the time you read this, I will be back from a week-long stay in Disney World! (The past three newsletters, including this one, were all submitted super early, so if I missed any huge comics news, sorry about that.) Now it’s time to return to the real world and talk about comics featuring anthropomorphic animals, alien/human hybrids, and moon people!

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!

Bookish Goods

a pet tag with the name Jack! in a comics-style text burst

Pet ID Tag — Comic Burst Series by TagNTrail

Everything’s more fun when you can share it with your pet, even your love of comics! This personalized tag will really make your best bud stand out. $14

New Releases

How to Catch a Unicorn cover

Pup and Dragon: How to Catch a Unicorn by Alice Walstead and Paul Gill

This is part of a series that follows two best friends, Pup and Dragon, as they go on quests to find the rarest, most amazing creatures around. This time, they’re off to the zoo on the rainbow trail of a unicorn!

Lunar Boy cover

Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo

Moving to a new place and trying to fit in with a new stepfamily are huge challenges for any kid. Imagine trying to handle both at once! Indu is struggling to do just that when all he really wants is to go back to his original home on the moon. But when he gets the chance to do so, will he take it, or will he give life on Earth another chance?

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: graduation! ‘Tis the season, and while graduation ceremonies are unfortunately going to look very different for some students this year, new grads should still be proud of their academic accomplishments!

King Cheer cover

King Cheer by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, and Jamie Green

As her graduation looms, Leah is overwhelmed with doubt and uncertainty, so she decides to give up captaining the cheer squad to attend to “more important” matters. When the squad’s new leaders start to make Leah’s old team miserable, can Leah step up to set things right?

Blue Beetle Graduation Day cover

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day by Josh Trujillo and Adrian Gutierrez

Jaime Reyes, alias the Blue Beetle, is now a college graduate, but he and his friends have other things on their minds — like being sidelined by the Justice League in the middle of an alien invasion. The above link goes to the English version, but you can buy this book in Spanish, too. It’s a good way to keep up with your Spanish now that you don’t have to go to class!

See you next time, nerd friends!

~Eileen

Categories
Giveaways

051324-EACInternalPushes-May2024-Giveaway

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.

Categories
Check Your Shelf

AAPI Heritage Month Reads

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I was frustrated to learn this week that Publishers Weekly has recently implemented a paywall that limits non-subscribers to 5 free articles/reviews per month. I have access to the print version of PW at work, but I rely heavily on their online access to put together these newsletters, so this is going to be a pain in the ass moving forward. (As library folks, I imagine many of you are in the same boat as well.)

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!

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

OpenAI, “mass scraper of copyrighted work,” claims copyright over the logo used by the ChatGPT subreddit. Oh, how the turn tables.

How TikTok Shop ads turned an obscure, inaccurate book about herbal remedies into a bestseller.

The book publishing industry is in crisis, so why is it so hard to talk about the labor that goes into making books?

New & Upcoming Titles

Here’s a peek at Whoopi Goldberg’s new memoir, Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me.

Kenny G is publishing a memoir this fall.

Priscilla Presley is publishing a new memoir.

We’re getting a new horror novel published posthumously from George A. Romero, and co-written with Daniel Kraus.

Neil Gorsuch is publishing a memoir this summer.

Here’s a new anthology of psychological horror stories, edited (of course) by Ellen Datlow. I WANT.

A look at Alina Grabowski’s novel Women and Children First, which Vogue describes as “a mystery for people who don’t think they like mysteries.”

And here’s a first look at the long-lost novel from Peter Beagle, which is coming out this month.

Cover reveal for Trang Thanh Tran’s latest YA horror novel, They Bloom at Night.

Cover reveal for Ann Hood’s The Stolen Child.

10 new mysteries and thrillers coming out in May.

20 of the most addictive books of 2024 (so far).

Here are the big book club picks for May.

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

May picks from Crime Reads (international crime fiction), People, Reactor (fantasy).

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Coming Home – Brittney Griner (New York Times, Time, USA Today, Washington Post)

Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk – Kathleen Hanna (Time, Washington Post)

Long Island – Colm Toíbín (New York Times, NPR)

RA/Genre Resources

Against the term “Latin American literature.”

Why we love time travel stories.

On the Riot

New YA books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors.

The best new weekly releases to TBR.

The best new BIPOC books out last week.

5 new LGBTQ YA and children’s books and 7 new queer books for adults released last week.

12 book club picks for May 2024.

New book club books to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

All Things Comics

On the Riot

Horror comics to give you the chills.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

20 books for kids that celebrate mothers and caregivers.

Adults

116 (!) books to read for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The best books to read for Mother’s Day.

Spicy, sports-themed romance novels to read if you’re obsessed with Challengers.

5 novels to transport you to wild worlds.

9 books featuring fascinating mother-daughter relationships.

7 books to expand your view of the world.

7 heart-wrenching Chinese family sagas.

8 of the greatest campus novels ever written.

6 books featuring killer women.

20 romance novels for fans of Bridgerton.

8 books inspired by Asian mythology.

On the Riot

9 of the best memoirs to read.

10 of the best spy novels to keep you turning the pages.

12 immersive romantic adventure stories to take you away.

10 excellent epic fantasy debuts.

The most popular histories and biographies of the last 10 years.

8 of the best translated historical fiction novels.

7 unforgettable Indigenous historical fiction books.

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!

a brown tabby cat and a black and white cat sitting in separate cardboard boxes

Look at these two knuckleheads!! They were very excited when the new cat tree we ordered came with not one but TWO boxes for them to sit in! For a few short minutes, there was no fighting and no shenanigans. Just peaceful co-existence.

All right, friends. I’ll be back on Friday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Categories
Read This Book

Read This Book…

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!

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’s pick is a Korean space opera about love, grief, and the struggle to find one’s place in the solar system.

Book cover of Ocean’s Godori: A Novel by Elaine U. Cho

Ocean’s Godori: A Novel by Elaine U. Cho

It’s the twenty-third century: Korea has long since united and has cultivated the pinnacle of space exploration. Korea is the genesis of the Alliance, which is the space military that oversees the safety and order of the solar system, also referred to as “the solar.” Ocean Yoon is a space pilot who has had a major demotion because of a past incident and we find her working on a much lower-class ship than she once did. When Ocean was eight years old, she was sent away from the Jeju province in Korea to the diplomat school, where she was expected to train to be a diplomat until she was 18. She dropped out of this program a year before graduation to join the Alliance. Ocean’s older brother had taught her how to fly spacecraft. As a person who loves to drive and also sometimes misses the satisfaction of driving a manual, I was tickled by the care and focus that the author takes when talking about how Ocean flies the spacecraft. I had never thought I would encounter a manual spaceship, but I am absolutely delighted by it.

Teo Anand is the younger son of a hugely wealthy family, perhaps the wealthiest family in the solar. The Anand family’s companies are responsible for a lot of terraforming and designing a lot of tech, especially the tech used by the Alliance. Ocean and Teo are unlikely friends and as such, their friendship is kept secret. Their bond is the kind that can only be formed from shared trauma.

Ocean is part of a ragtag crew on a Class 4 ship, definitely not the class of ship that sees any action. The Captain, Dae, is a bit sketchy and very money-focused. She hires on a new medic, who is from the group of people that handle death and death rites. His name is Haven Sasani, and his people have very strict rules around physical touch — that is, it is forbidden to touch him. His people are also looked down upon by everyone else in the solar.

Dae takes on what is supposed to be a fairly underwhelming mission to go to a place where there is a bunch of abandoned technology and do some diagnostic work. Everything goes horribly wrong. Meanwhile, Teo, as a member of the Alliance, is part of the crew on a ship that is escorting Seonbi, an elite group of scholars, to Mars. Everything goes horribly wrong.

This book has a lot of moving parts and is beautifully choreographed. It was an incredibly fun read that I enjoyed, and I hope you do too.

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.

Categories
Bookish Goods

Bookish Good of the Week: May 12, 2024

Book Shaped Bookmark Holder

Book Shaped Bookmark Holder by Bridgedesigned

These book-shaped bookmark holders are cute and functional. $10+

Categories
Giveaways

051124-ChildrenOfAnguishAndAnarchy-Giveaway

We’re giving away three copies of Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi to three lucky Riot readers!

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

Featuring gorgeous designed edges, dazzling metallic foil designs on the jacket and case, and an exclusive endpaper map that reveals new unexplored territories, Tomi Adeyemi’s #1 bestselling Legacy of Orïsha series comes to an earth-shaking conclusion.

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The Fright Stuff

It’s the Middle of May, and We’re Overflowing with Horror

Horror fans!

I know last week I told you some of the scariest things that happened to me that week. This week, the scariest thing is that we’re HALFWAY through May somehow. And there are soooo many good new horror releases to share with you. There was no way I could cut it down to two, so I have three (!!!) for you this time.

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!

Bookish Goods

midsommar bookmark

Midsommar Bookmark by SnarkyAndSage

It’s May, and you know what that means. Time to celebrate the season with the May Queen from Midsommar. If you love books (and you do because you’re here), then you can represent your love for the season with this gorgeous May Queen bookmark. Skål! It’s $4.25!

New Releases

the house that horror built

The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry

I have three (!!) new horror novels to recommend for you this week, and it was hard to narrow it down to these three. Let’s start with the latest from Christina Henry.

Javier Castillo was an award-winning horror movie director who had audiences at the edge of their seats with every new film release. But after his family was hit with tragedy and scandal, the director was forced to step away from the spotlight. Now single mom (and film aficionado) Harry Adams has accepted a job cleaning Javier’s home. Javier values discretion over everything else, and Harry promises not to ask questions. But when Harry hears a voice behind a locked door calling for help, she’s not so sure she can keep her promise.

it waits in the forest book cover

It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass

This next one is a chilling YA horror fantasy from Rick Riordan Presents. Set on the Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, It Waits in the Forest follows Selina DaSilva, a plant-loving young girl who dreams of leaving the island to study pharmacology. But that was before her mother and father were viciously attacked. Now, her father is dead and her mother is in a coma, and Selina’s ex-boyfriend Gabriel wants to get to the bottom of who is violently killing people on the island. There have always been stories of evil lurking in the forest, something Selina’s logical mind always refused to regard as truth. But now she’s not so sure.

my darling dreadful thing book cover

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

This final book is a queer supernatural horror novel. Roos Beckman has a spirit companion, Ruth, who only she can see. Roos uses her abilities to connect with the spirit world to conduct questionable séances where she and her mother feed on the vulnerability of people grieving their loved ones. But then she meets Agnes Knoop, a wealthy young widow who also has a spirit companion. Realizing that they are kindred spirits, Agnes invites Roos to come live with her at the crumbling estate she inherited from her dead husband. Agnes and Roos quickly form a deep bond with one another. When someone ends up dead, Roos’ sanity is questioned, and she’s forced to choose between her love for Agnes and her deep bond with Ruth.

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

Riot Recommendations

the troop book cover

The Troop by Nick Cutter

It’s mid-May, which means summer is around the corner. The scariest time of the year if you ask me, friends. I hate hot weather. But you know what’s summery and a great setting for scary stories? Camps/summer camps. The Troops is pretty much the creepiest camping story I’ve ever read. Every year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs takes his troop into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip. Of course, scary stories have long been a staple of camping trips. But when those scary stories become real, this camping trip becomes so much more terrifying than anything the troop leader or the boys could have planned for.

dead girls walking book cover

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Last (but not least), here’s a new YA horror novel set in a queer summer camp for horror fans. OMG, right? Temple Baker’s father is the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer who has been convicted of murdering 20 people. But did he kill Temple’s mother? Looking for answers, Temple returns to the scene of the alleged crime, a farm that has now been turned into an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls. When a girl at the camp ends up dead, Temple worries that there’s a copycat killer amongst the campers.

Phew, all this talk of summer camp is making me want to shut down the computer and explore the great outdoors. So I’m out of here for now, but I’ll see you next Monday! Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Categories
Book Radar

THE IDEA OF YOU Author Speaks Out About Film Adaptation’s Changes and More Book Radar!

What a weekend, Book Friends!

I hope yours was restful. I was working for most of the weekend, but it was fun work, so don’t be sad for me. I’m happy that it’s Monday, though. I’m one of those weirdos who actually likes Mondays. Especially because it means I get to say hello to you again. Shall we talk books?

Book Deals and Reveals

Zoe Brennan, First Crush book cover

Paste has shared the cover and an excerpt from Laura Piper Lee’s Zoe Brennan, First Crush, the follow-up to the rom-com Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair. It’s out on January 21, 2025.

Here’s a first look at Netflix’s adaptation of The Decameron, starring Zosia Mamet, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, and Tanya Reynolds. It’s coming out in July!

Adam Cesare’s Audible Original Influencer is getting an expanded paperback release, and here’s the cover reveal! The cover features art by Tomasz Majewski.

Did you love Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine? Author Robinne Lee is a little disappointed with the changes the film made to her story. (warning: spoilers for the film and the novel)

Check out the cover of Jenni Howell’s YA dark academia thriller Boys With Sharp Teeth. It’s out in winter 2025 and is available for preorder now.

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that they’re developing a new movie based on Gollum from the Lord of the Rings. Andy Serkis is set to reprise the role of Gollum and direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

Sailor Moon has officially launched a new line of clothing, jewelry, accessories, and home-related items in an official collaboration with the Japanese brand RoseMarie Seoir.

Here are all the book club picks for May 2024. What books are your book club(s) reading this month?

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!

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!

Prepare Your Shelves!

bright and tender dark book cover

Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson (Bloomsbury, June 4)

Joanna Pearson’s debut novel Bright and Tender Dark is perfect for fans of Notes on an Execution and I Have Some Questions for You. If you love dark academia books, this is for you. If you love literary thrillers that are character-driven, this one is for you. And, it’s out right at the start of June, so make sure you prepare your shelves.

Set in 1999 and 2019, this book examines the murder of Karlie Richard, a charismatic 19-year-old student who was the It Girl on her campus. Twenty years after Karlie is found murdered, those who were close to Karlie are still rattled by her untimely death. Karlie’s freshman roommate, Joy, is now a middle-aged woman still living in the town where it all happened. But now, fresh out of a divorce, Joy is desperate to leave the past behind her.

But then Joy finds a letter from Karlie that the authorities missed, and the letter is enough to convince Joy that the man who was convicted for Karlie’s death might actually be innocent. In an effort to find out the truth about Karlie’s death, Joy dives deep into the case, exploring conspiracy theories and amateur sleuth blogs. Her investigation connects her with others who are still unable to stop thinking about Karlie’s murder: KC, the trans night manager at the building where Karlie was killed; Sheri, the mother of the man convicted of the murder; and Jacob, the professor with whom Karlie was secretly in a romantic relationship.

What I’m Reading This Week

a graphic of the cover of Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

Codename: Sailor V, Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

Monday Memes

Have you seen The Challengers yet? I know you’ve at least seen the meme! Here are some bookish Challengers memes! Love to see it.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

tuxedo cat with a journal

Did you know that my little tuxedo cat, Remy, is also a huge fan of journaling? This is his little “Cattitude Journal” and he loves it. Cats! They’re bookish just like us!

And that’s it for this Monday! I’ll catch you all on Thursday. Thanks so much for reading.

Emily

Categories
Kissing Books

Booktroverts Unite

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.

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!

This Friday, Curio Mrvosa will be hosting its second Skullastic Book Fair. Longtime readers may recall I mentioned this last October and how much fun I had there. So, of course, I’m beyond happy that the store is working to make this a recurring thing, and can’t wait to see what my “halfway to Halloween” haul will look like.

Bookish Goods

picture of booktrovert sweatshirt

Booktrovert Sweatshirt by

While it may not be sweatshirt weather for everyone right now, at some point, it will be. And when it is, this is the perfect sweatshirt to wear when snuggling up with your favorite beverage on a lazy weekend indoors.  $48.

New Releases

cover of Wyatt: The Barlowe Mafia

Wyatt: The Barlowe Mafia by Asia Monique

When Wyatt’s father dies, he becomes head of his family’s mafia. His main priority is to put an end to the rivalry with the Callahan mafia. The proposed agreement is for him to marry Analia, the daughter of a high-ranking Callahan member. While both are prepared to do whatever is necessary for their respective families, neither expected love to be part of the agreement.

cover of Spirits and Sirens

Spirits and Sirens by Kelly and Tana Fireside

After her dad asks for her help with their family funeral home, medium Elena returns home to Owen Station, fully ready to embrace the sixth sense that initially made her leave. The one person who isn’t pleased with her return is Allison, the new fire chief, and the feeling is mutual. But when she needs her help in solving a 70-year-old mystery, they agree to a truce and soon are looking at each other with unexpected and different eyes. 

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

Riot Recommendations

My sister recently sent me this TikTok that was talking about the superiority of Grease 2, which was one of the movies that we watched constantly growing up. Now, I like both equally. And I do understand the pop culture relevance of Grease. However, that doesn’t mean that its sequel is inferior by any stretch. For some, it is the superior musical, even. 

This train of thought led me to think about books that were the second in a series that were just as good as the first one. Now, I know that, as with the Grease versus Grease 2 debate, it is purely subjective. But these are two that stand out the most to me. Enjoy!  

cover of breathless

Breathless by Beverly Jenkins

Due to not having either in her early childhood, hotelier Portia strives for respect and stability. She also refuses to give up her independence and be tied down to a man, knowing how quickly love can sour. Still, she’s tempted to rethink this mindset when family friend Kent comes back to town. Kent is looking for a forever home and a wife, and sets his eyes on Portia. Once he realizes her feelings towards him, he works even harder to prove to her that they are meant to be. 

cover of Tender Rebel

Tender Rebel by Johanna Lindsey

Roslynn needs a quick marriage of convenience to save her from would-be fortune hunters. When handsome rake Anthony offers to help her, she is hesitant to accept, knowing that he could prove too tempting for her. After spending more time with the Scottish beauty, Anthony knows he has met the woman who he is willing to give up his roguish ways for. And, once that is determined, he sets out to prove it to her.

Take this quiz to find out which Emily Henry hero is your soulmate.

There’s also this one, in case you need some inspiration for your next date night.

And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Thursday and in the meantime you can always give a follow over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated!

Categories
The Kids Are All Right

Manga, Secret Libraries, And More Great Kids’ Books!

Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! And happy Mother’s Day to U.S. readers! Recently Farshore and HarperCollins released a study analyzing trends in children’s reading. There are lots of interesting stuff to dig into here; I recommend reading it if you have the chance.

Here are a few highlights from the 0-12 readers studied: Child readers tend to be happier and have less anxiety. The percentage of 5-7-year-olds reading daily for fun is up from 2012. However, parents are reading to their children less, especially in the preschool population, and there’s a very strong link between being read aloud to and reading for pleasure.

In general, daily reading is lower. With the pandemic, plus political attacks on libraries and rampant book bans, 2023 was a very different year than 2012, and I can’t help but think that might be part of the reason many of these numbers are lower.

Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!

As for today’s book recommendations, I review manga and two excellent new releases.

Bookish Goods

Kiki's Delivery Service Bookends by DreamCollectiveArts

Kiki’s Delivery Service Bookends by DreamCollectiveArts

I imagine there’s a lot of crossover between kids who love manga and kids who love Studio Ghibli movies. These bookends are so lovely. Kiki’s Delivery Service is my daughter’s favorite Ghibli movie. $45

New Releases

Cover of Go and Get with Rex by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Go and Get with Rex by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

This delightfully funny picture book is great for preschoolers and kindergartners learning their alphabet. Jack, Jill, and the pup Rex are playing a game where they go and get an item beginning with each letter of the alphabet. While Jack and Jill’s items always fit, Rex’s are a little more creative, and invariable involve a duck. As an activity to accompany reading this book, you can have kids play the game with items around the house or classroom. When my daughter was younger, I set a timer and had her gather as many items starting with the specified letter she could find.

Cover of The Secret Library by by Kekla Magoon

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon

I love a good book about libraries! In this middle grade fantasy, 11-year-old Dally, who is biracial (Black father, white mother), is still grieving her grandfather’s death when she discovers a letter he meant for her. The letter leads her to a magical library, where each book is a portal into another world. Meanwhile, at home, her single mother wants her to study hard so she can take over the family business. The magical library provides an escape for Dally, but it holds many secrets, ones that could shatter her family.

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

Riot Recommendations

Though I started reading manga later in my thirties, many kids love manga. Here are two children’s manga I enjoyed, plus two how-to-draw manga books for kids.

Cover of The Evil Secret Society of Cats by PANDANIA

The Evil Secret Society of Cats by PANDANIA

I have read this book so many times with my daughter. We often joke around the house by saying, “We will teach humans to fear the feline race!” It’s essentially a bunch of adorable cats under the leadership of the Feline Commander trying to make humans restructure their entire lives around their needs before they take over the world. We are doomed. There are three volumes in this series.

Cover of Unico: Awakening by Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin, & Gurihiru

Unico: Awakening by Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin, & Gurihiru

I am cheating because this doesn’t release until August! It’s a new adventure starring the same character from the popular Unico Japanese manga and film series from the 1970s and ’80s. Unico has been expelled from the heavens for irritating the evil goddess Venus. The West Wind was supposed to place him on the Hill of Forgetfulness, but instead, feeling sad for the small unicorn, she takes him to the mortal realm, where he can be free. When Unico awakens, he finds a cat named Chloe, and the two take refuge in an elderly woman’s home. However, the more Unico comes to love others, the more he draws the attention of Venus. Fantasy readers will love this.

Cover of How to Draw Kawaii Manga Characters by Misako Misako Rocks!

How to Draw Kawaii Manga Characters by Misako Misako Rocks!

If your kid loves drawing and manga, there are a lot of great manga art instruction books out there. This one, by the author and illustrator of the children’s manga Bounce Back, provides step-by-step instructions for drawing manga characters, including expressions, hairstyles, different angles, and more. Also check out her book How to Draw Kawaii Manga Fashion. It’s easy to lay these books out flat while drawing along.

Cover of Learn to Draw Manga Basics for Kids by Yuyu Kouhara

Learn to Draw Manga Basics for Kids by Yuyu Kouhara

This is another great manga art instruction book for kids. It includes a story along with instructions. Lemon is a 7th grader who loves drawing. Momiji, her cousin, is an illustrator in her twenties. Their interactions, where Lemon asks Momiji to teach her how to draw manga, are written in panels. It’s a great way to incorporate art instruction with a story. This is a three-book series. The other two books are Learn to Draw Manga Poses for Kids and Learn to Draw Manga Faces for Kids.

Cicadas, the kids are all right

Cicada Brood XIX has emerged here in Nashville after 13 years underground, and my daughter and I have been having fun watching them come out of their shells and listening to their song. While they’re certainly weird looking, they play an important part in the ecosystem.

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