Newsletters Dev – Page 838 – getting it done!

Apple Calls For Recall And Destruction Of Tell-All Book: Today In Books

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 19, 2020

021920-Tor.comEAC-Giveaway

Post author By Hannah Cherie Hudson
Post date February 19, 2020

Don’t miss your chance to enter! We’re giving away a prize pack of 28 Tor.com Publishing titles from 2019 to one lucky Book Riot Reader!

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

Here’s what Tor.com is all about:

Tor.com has published award-winning science fiction and fantasy short stories since 2008. Over the past few years, we have been hard at work expanding our publishing program to include novellas and novels in DRM-free ebook, print, and audiobook formats. Sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates on all of our titles and authors, plus excerpts, features, new acquisitions, sweepstakes and more.

In The Club

In the Club – 2/19

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date February 18, 2020

Sponsored by The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, a heart-rending story of family, love, and fate, available from Gallery Books.

Named one of NPR’s best books of 2019, The Stationery Shop has been praised as “moving” (The Wall Street Journal), “powerful” (Newsweek), “emotionally honest” (PopSugar) and “beautifully written” (Bookreporter). Now available in paperback, this stunning novel is perfect for readers of Khaled Hosseini, and book clubs everywhere.

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed. This Portland transplant is in an especially good mood as the sun has decided to show itself these last few days! Before I begin to obsessively plot all the nature excursions I’m about to embark upon once spring hits, let’s talk book clubs as an opportunity for a read aloud.

To the club!!

Before we dive in, have you checked out Book Marks? It’s our brand spanking new reading tracker and journal (complete with recommended reading lists from Book Riot)!

Nibbles and Sips

Imma keep this section short and deliciously sweet, mi gentle. Fellow Rioter Hannah brought in a version of this cake to the office this week and I may have inhaled a giant slice without actually chewing. I regret nothing. Blood orange. Rose. Cardamom. Cake. Do it!

Let’s Get Loud

Rioter Mikkaka recently wrote a piece on why we should all be participating in read-alouds and I thought this might be a great idea for book club! Some thoughts:

A read aloud means no one has to read anything ahead of time! All that’s required is to show up and participate, great for anyone who finds themselves without a lot of extra time in their schedule for reading.
Pick short books that could be read in one meeting, or split the read aloud up into two or more meetups.
When selecting a read, do keep the “out loud” element in mind. What works best will vary from book group to book group: some of you may enjoy slow plots and gorgeous writing while others may need fast-paced page-turners.
Discuss as you go!

Here are my suggestions!

A book of poetry: Homie by Danez Smith – I can think of no better form of book to read aloud than a work of poetry, especially when it’s one by such a talented slam poet. This collection is a meditation on the experience of living in a country overrun by violence, xenophobia, and injustice while in a body defined by race, queerness, and a struggle with mental health. It is also very much about the healing power of friendship, a read that both breaks the heart and shakes the soul.

A YA novel in verse: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – On the same poetry track, try a novel in verse! Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut about a young Afro-Latina slam poet won all the awards for a reason. Acevedo is herself a slam poet and I would very much like to be her friend. But I digress!

A short story: Fox 8 by George Saunders – You have options here: read a standalone short story, one from a collection, or an entire book of short stories. This one by George Saunders is the kind of weird us Saunders fans have come to expect; it’s about a fox who learns to speak “yuman” by hiding in the bushes outside a house and listening to the “yumans” tell their little ones bedtime stories. It’s a dark comedy and cautionary tale of the consequences of man’s quest to tame the natural world. I laughed several times because our friend the fox talks a liiiiiittle like a frat bro.

A novella: Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link – I added this to my TBR when I saw it described as a work of “kitchen-sink magical realism — riffs on haunted convenience stores, husbands and wives, rabbits, zombies, weekly apocalyptic poker parties, witches, superheroes, marriage, and cannons.” Make sure you grab the re-release version of this collection; it includes several new stories as well as a conversation between Joe Hill and Kelly Link.

A straight-up (but shorter) novel: The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon – I want more people to read this book! A slim but powerful dissection of politics, religion, love, faith, and obsession, it’s about a young Korean woman at a schwanky American university who is drawn into a cult’s acts of terrorism.

Suggestion Section

This week on The Handsell (a new weekly bonus of the Get Booked podcast!), Amanda recommends an excellent book club selection.

Speaking of podcasts and excellent book club picks: check out your girl on this bonus episode of the Book Riot podcast! I sat down with Jeff and Sharifah to rant, rave, and make assorted noises about Kiley Reid’s Such a Fun Age.

Because we all get stuck sometimes: a list of book club questions that will help get the convo off the ground.

Pardon the paywall- I try to avoid linking to paid sites as much as I can! If you do happen to be a Washington Post subscriber, here’s a nice piece on hosting a better book club.

Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter, get it on the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too.

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page

What's Up in YA

YA Book News and New Releases This Week

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date February 18, 2020

YA Book News

A couple of worthwhile pieces related to Jason Reynolds this week: A look at why he writes for young people, as well as a reflection on the time he interacted with Kobe Bryant in a really meaningful way. This second piece is especially powerful, as everyone wrestles with the highs and lows of Kobe’s life and reputation.
Adam Silvera’s More Happy Than Not is coming to HBO. I can’t help but wonder when a YA book goes to HBO how much it will be tailored to reach teen viewers.
I cannot wait for Nic Stone’s Dear Justyce.
Fellow Chicago-area folks: go see I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter while it’s on stage at Steppenwolf.
Is watching To All The Boys on Netflix self-care for adults? I love this deep dive on Oprah (and not just because I am quoted — everyone’s insights here are so interesting).
Have you read I Am Not Okay With This? If not, you might want to pick up the YA comic that inspired the upcoming adaptation.
I can’t recall whether or not this ended up in the last news roundup, but there’s a potential new Judy Blume adaptation in the works.
And just for fun, behind-the-scenes facts from the filming of Twilight.

YA New Releases

Let’s dive into the new books that hit shelves this week. A * means I have read and recommend the title. . . and this week, it turns out, I’ve read none of the new releases (I record All The Books episodes for the second Tuesday of the month, so sometimes those third week releases are challenging to get to–it’s no indication of their merit).

All The Ways The World Can End by Abby Sher (paperback)

The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith

Break The Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli (I cannot wait to read this gymnastics book!).

Fatal Throne by MT Anderson (paperback)

The Feminist Agenda of Jemima Kincaid by Kate Hattemer

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young (series, paperback)

Glitch Kingdom by Sheena Boekweg

The Life Below by Alexandra Monir (series)

Miss You Love You Hate You Bye by Abby Sher

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon (series starter!)

Solstice by Lorence Alison

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light

With A Star In My Hand by Margarita Engle

YA On Book Riot

So much great YA talk over on site this past week!

Must-listen middle grade and YA audiobooks with Muslim girl protagonists.
Snap up some of these To All The Boys themed makeup and accessory kits at Sephora.
Audiobooks performed by black women to listen to.
15 excellent Harry Potter quotes about love.
Put a little HEART in your YA book title.

Thanks for hanging out, y’all, and we’ll see you again with some great ebook deals on Saturday.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

**Psst — you can now also preorder my upcoming August release, Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy!

Today In Books

Israeli Librarians Win Wikipedia Contest: Today In Books

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 18, 2020

Sponsored by Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin, published by Celadon Books.

Israeli Librarians Win Wikipedia Contest

The Wikipedia Library and the International Federation of Library Associations hold a biannual competition, One Librarian, One Reference aka #1Lib1Ref, which asks librarians around the world to create new Wikipedia pages and add references to update existing ones. Israeli librarians took first place for making 4,700 edits in three weeks. The awards aren’t based on the location of the librarians but rather the language.

True Grit Author Passed Away

Whether you know about the teen girl who set out to avenge her father’s murder from the novel or either film adaptation (there’s 2!), the story of True Grit is thanks to author Charles Portis, who passed away in Little Rock, Arkansas at the age of 86. The elusive author left us some exceptional work that we’re forever grateful for.

Amateur Porn Filming Not Welcome In Library–Obviously

An unidentified woman apparently filmed a ten minute pornographic film in and around a Santa Monica, California public library during business hours–including boasting about not getting caught. “Children don’t need to be exposed to this. If you want to do porn, stick to the hotels.”

True Story

New Nonfiction: Cults, Prison, and Transformation

Post author By Alice Burton
Post date February 18, 2020

Sponsored by Book Marks: A Reading Tracker.

Meet your new reading buddy: an all-in-one spot to record everything and anything book related. Inspired by bullet journaling, Book Marks offers ideas for setting up a multitude of book tracking pages with a mix of fill-in prompts, charts, lists, and plenty of dot-grid pages to customize. To help expand your literary horizons, the journal also includes a section of recommended reading lists compiled by Book Riot. Use Book Marks to jot down what you’re currently reading, what’s on your nightstand, your favorite quotes, new vocabulary words, memorable characters, your reviews of recent reads, and more. A clever bonus: the back flap has a punch-out bookmark!

February is more than half done! How are we supposed to read the thousands of books we need to if time insists on MOVING. This task is about to get all the harder as our wave of new nonfiction starts growing bigger and bigger. I say too much to read is better than not enough, so let us embrace the onslaught and carry on!

Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America’s Most Dangerous Cults by Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr. The AP reporter authors of this deeply researched investigation characterize Word of Faith Fellowship as including a charismatic leader, members who cut ties to their families, and extreme emotional and physical abuse. All these are signs of a cult, and one you’ll want to be aware of, as it’s still in operation.

The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America by Charlotte Alter. Did you know there are 26 Millennials in Congress? Journalist Alter covers how the generation that was primarily teenagers when the September 11th attacks occurred has begun its takeover of the political landscape and what that can mean for the future.

golden gates cover Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America by Conor Dougherty. While owning a house used to be within one’s reach, it’s now a pipe dream for many. New York Times journalist Dougherty looks at the housing crisis from one of its starkest examples: the San Francisco Bay Area. If you’re interested in how we got here and what individuals are trying to do to make housing a reality for every person, check it out.

The Second Chance Club: Hardship and Hope After Prison by Jason Hardy. Hardy was a parole officer and here he tells the stories of seven parolees in Louisiana — citizens with no social support or employment, who frequently leave prison worse off than when they entered. He argues that the best solution is giving people who have been incarcerated the tools they need to re-enter society.

Backlist Bonus

Here are some paired backlist reads for our new releases this week!

High Rise Stories: Voices from Chicago Public Housing, ed. by Audrey Petty. From McSweeney’s Voice of Witness series: “Former residents of Chicago’s public housing projects describe life in the now-demolished high-rises. These stories of community, displacement, and poverty in the wake of gentrification give voice to those who have long been ignored, but whose hopes and struggles exist firmly at the heart of our national identity.”

Inside This Place, Not of It: Narratives from Women’s Prisons, ed. by Ayelet Waldman and Robin Levi. For those interested in another perspective beyond Piper Kerman’s Orange Is the New Black, this anthology highlights 13 voices who tell the story of their lives leading up to incarceration, and how they survived once they were there.

That’s it for new releases this week! Don’t forget to enter Book Riot’s Black History Month giveaway (20 books!! 5 winners! some AMAZING nonfiction). You can find me on Twitter at @itsalicetime and co-hosting the For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. See you on Friday for 3 on a Theme!

Unusual Suspects

Eerie Mystery, Legal Thriller, and 2020 Favorite Read

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 18, 2020

Sponsored by William Morrow Paperbacks, publisher of The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day.

Most people who go missing are never found. But Alice was the lucky one… From the author of the Edgar Award®-nominated novel Under A Dark Sky comes an unforgettable, chilling new story about a young woman who recognizes the man who kidnapped her as a child, setting off a search for justice, and into danger. Twisting and compulsively readable, The Lucky One explores the lies we tell ourselves to feel safe.

Hi mystery fans! This week I have for you a favorite crime read of this year (already!), an eerie past and present mystery, and a legal thriller for fans of procedural shows.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara: This will definitely be one of my favorite reads of the year. It was hard to read this and not think about all the discussions happening surrounding American Dirt and its issues, including it being trauma porn because Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is the complete opposite of trauma porn. Yes, it follows children navigating through slums in India to find a missing friend as children are going missing and the police are not putting in much effort, but underserved communities are still communities filled with different types of people with lives and desires and this novel shows that.

Jai is a nine-year-old boy who has watched so much procedural shows that he believes himself able to find out what happened to his missing classmate and enlists schoolmates Faiz and Pari to help. They’re determined to find out if a bad djinn is responsible for the disappearance, or a bad person, and they set out through the city to get their answers.

The novel shines a light on the underserved communities, treatment of women, and the voices ignored by those in power while keeping focus on the victims and those silenced rather than the perpetrators. Anappara brings to life beautiful characters who keep things upbeat while exploring the darkness of the world in a story that starts with a coming-of-age mystery that travels along into noir territory. If you’re an audiobook listener I can not recommend it enough in that format. The narrators, Indira Varma, Himesh Patel, and Antonio Aakeel, are fantastic! (TW child, domestic abuse/ child deaths)

The Sun Down Motel cover image The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James: A ghostly mystery!

Thirty-five years after her aunt Viv disappeared from her shift at a motel Carly decides to take the same job at the same motel and figure out what happened to her aunt, along with who her aunt was, being that she grew up really not hearing much. The thing about this motel is that it’s definitely creepy and haunted. Doors open and slam on their own, customers are either walking red flags or shrouded in mystery, someone keeps smoking but there is no one there…

Told in past and present chapters we follow as Carly in the present tries to piece together what her aunt was doing and what happened to her, and we watch Viv in the past doing her own detective work as the two storylines begin barreling towards each other.

A great past and present mystery with an eerie setting and some spooks. (TW mentions past rape, not graphic)

The Holdout cover image The Holdout by Graham Moore: A legal thriller for fans of procedural shows and films.

This had the implausibility feeling to it that I really enjoy because it let me sit back and just be entertained. The premise is that a group of jurors from a case that got national attention reunite for a true-crime docuseries because one juror is convinced they got it wrong the first time. Maya Seale, who after the case went to law school, was the juror who convinced everyone that the Black teacher was innocent in the disappearance of his white student. There has never been a body, the teacher has since disappeared, and the girl’s father is still certain a guilty man walked away when one of the past jurors is murdered and Maya becomes the prime suspect.

Basically everyone’s secrets are gonna come out! (TW mentions past PTSD/ past statutory, not graphic/ talk of pedophile and sex offenders/ attempted rape, partially on page/ past child, domestic abuse/ suicide)

Recent Releases

The Aosawa Murders cover image The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda, Alison Watts (Translator) (Really looking forward to this one about a mass cyanide poisoning and a little girl that survives and is suspected…)

Second Sister by Chan Ho-Kei, Jeremy Tiang (Translator) (Currently reading: Young woman hires a Sherlock hacker type detective to find out who was responsible for her sister’s death by suicide.) (TW public groping/ suicide, detail/ date rape)

The Other Mrs cover image The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica (An author who I always pick up is back with a psychological thriller about a murdered neighbor in a small-town in Maine.)

Foul Is Fair (Foul Is Fair #1) by Hannah Capin (A revenge fantasy where a teen girl and her friends go after the boys that raped her.)

Death in the Family (Shana Merchant #1) by Tessa Wegert (Trapped on an island murder-mystery!)

A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #4) by Deanna Raybourn (Paperback release of one of my favorite series.)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2020 upcoming releases. An Unusual Suspects Pinterest board. Get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, 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.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for February 18

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date February 17, 2020

RWA Board Resigns, All Kinds of Audio Recs, and More

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date February 17, 2020

Sponsored by Book Marks: A Reading Tracker

Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

The full RWA board has resigned and will hold a special election in March to fill the Board seats until August. Need a recap? Here’s an extremely detailed account of everything that’s happened with the RWA since December, broken down by date and supported with links to additional news items.
The Coronavirus outbreak is impacting Chinese publishers, many of which are temporarily shuttered due to the outbreak. UK publishers are also being affected.
Asian American writers are finally breaking out on their own terms.
Updates and an amazing speaker list for the 2nd annual Antiracist Book Festival in Washington D.C.
Amazon is quietly removing white nationalist books from its site.

New & Upcoming Titles

Marilynne Robinson is publishing a new book in October.
Naomi Novik is writing a new fantasy trilogy, which publisher Del Rey describes as a “twisted, super dark, super modern, female-led Harry Potter.” SIGN ME UP RIGHT NOW!
V.E. Schwab’s new book The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will be released in October.
A preview of Jeff VanderMeer’s upcoming novel, A Peculiar Peril, which comes out in July.
Jeff Kinney is expanding his Wimpy Kid universe with a fantasy adventure book, out in April.
Epic Reads has a great Twitter thread of upcoming YA novels this fall. The covers alone are breathtaking.
Upcoming true crime books to make 2020 your most paranoid year ever.
February picks from Crime Reads (international crime, nonfiction, psychological thrillers), O: Oprah Magazine, Popsugar, and Town & Country.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Weather – Jenny Offill (Esquire, Guardian, NPR, Shondaland, USA Today, Vulture)
The Regrets – Amy Bonnaffons (NPR, USA Today, Washington Post)
The Mercies – Kiran Millwood Hargrave (New York Times, NPR, USA Today)
Eden Mine – S.M. Hulse (LA Times, New York Times)
Something That May Shock and Discredit You – Daniel Mallory Ortberg (currently Daniel M. Lavery) (LA Times, New York Times)
And I Do Not Forgive You – Amber Sparks (NPR, Washington Post)

RA/Genre Resources

Crime Writers of Color has a great list of black crime authors to read for Black History Month.
Tor.com has a guide to the queer fantasy romance of K.J. Charles.

On the Riot

100 upcoming spring releases.
How the New York Times Best Sellers List became the Big Deal (™) that it is today.
Reading pathway for Courtney Milan.

All Things Comics

A first look at The Batman and Robert Pattinson’s camera test.
Read these comics if you loved Birds of Prey.

On the Riot

5 comics (almost) as good as Saga.
Diverse Green Lanterns from DC Kids.

Audiophilia

Colin Kaepernick launches a publishing house and lands a deal with Audible.
10 best audiobook apps for Android.
15 podcasts and audiobooks to improve your commute.

On the Riot

15 LGBTQ YA audiobooks to listen to in the first half of 2020.
20 must-read audiobooks narrated by black women.
15 of the best Audible Escape books.
8 great contemporary romance audiobooks.
What are your audiobook quirks?

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

5 books that teach your kids about amazing black women in history.
16 ice skating books for kids.
23 YA romance novels better than a candlelit dinner.
15 YA novels to read after watching To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.
7 YA novels to read if you loved watching You on Netflix.

Adults

6 SFF books to read for Black Future Month.
Books for people concerned about Coronavirus.
8 impactful books for Black History Month.
8 swoony fantasy romances.
13 celebrity memoirs to read after finishing Jessica Simpson’s Open Book.
10 books about black Appalachia.

On the Riot

Picture books about parental love that even grumpy cynics will enjoy.
8 meta romance novels.
What to read after Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
Books that would make great video games.
3 underrated memoirs by black women that changed this reader’s life.
10 feminist historical fiction titles to add to your TBR.
4 awesome memoirs by Latinx authors.
23 books authors are reading on Instagram this winter.

Level Up (Library Reads)

Do you take part in LibraryReads, 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 created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.

Keep your eyes on the (Friday) prize! Catch you later!

Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber.

Today In Books

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS Fanfiction Was A Thing In 1700s: Today In Books

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 17, 2020

Sponsored by Amazon Publishing and Don’t Look Down by Hilary Davidson.

Gulliver’s Travels Fanfiction Was A Thing In 1700s

I don’t know what life event would require you to know the trivia that Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels inspired readers to create fan art and fanfiction but now you know and you’re welcome. Fans delighted–or cringed-at the idea of Lemuel Gulliver receiving a Lilliputian enema and Gulliver’s wife complaining in poems about her husband’s absence.

Bookstore Donates To Mermaids When Customers Buy JK Rowling’s Books

The Second Shelf, a Soho, London feminist bookstore, said when a customer buys one of JK Rowling’s books it makes a donation to Mermaids, the British charity and advocacy organization that supports gender variant and transgender youth. The article explains it’s in response to Rowling’s transphobic tweets.

Celebrity Death Prompts Book Donations

Caroline Flack’s death has led to a flooding of book donations being offered to anyone who feels like they may need Matt Haig’s memoir Reasons to Stay Alive. “I’m getting thousands of DMs from people who need the book, and who are telling me why,” bookseller Simon Key said on Monday. “This book has made a difference – lots of people have said it saved their lives. And this is not just about people getting the book, it’s about how they’re getting it. They’ve been brave enough to ask for it, and that’s a step forward.”