Riot New Media – Newsletters

102021-YouNeekStudios-OS:Giveaway

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date October 20, 2021

We’re giving away five bundles of books from YouNeek Studios to five lucky Riot readers! Each winner will receive Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1, Iyanu: Child of Wonder Volume 1, and E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams Volume 1.

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

Dark Horse Books and YouNeek Studios are proud to present a shared universe of fantasy and superhero stories inspired by African history, culture, and mythology—crafted by Nigerian comics talent!

Now available: brand-new editions of Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1, Iyanu: Child of Wonder Volume 1, and E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams Volume 1. These beautiful collections are packed with new bonus art, additional stories, creator commentary, and more.

Kissing Books

Patience, Grace, and Fanfiction

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date October 20, 2021

Sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio.

Book Riot is teaming up with Penguin Random House Audio to give away an audiobook bundle to one lucky winner! This bundle includes the following titles: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, Monster in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique, and Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout. To enter, simply fill out the form and subscribe to the Penguin Random House Audio newsletter for a chance to win!

There’s still time to get some awesome swag to celebrate our 10th birthday!

Welcome to the Kissing Books newsletter y’all. I’m P.N. Hinton, your guide to the world of romance novels. I hope your spirit is doing well today. Whether it’s a backlist, new release, or an under the radar delight, I aim to help you find a book or two that you can get lost in. If you’re new to the Kissing Books newsletter, welcome and enjoy your stay. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back; it’s good to see you again.

We’re a couple of weeks away from Halloween and, honestly, this is the most anti-climactic it has ever been for me. The teenager isn’t interested in trick-or-treating this year. While a change, this is just part of him growing up, I’m sure. So, I’ll be content with just staying at home and watching Toy Story of Terror, the Gravity Falls Summer-ween episode, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown—because you’re never too old for Charlie Brown.

Romance Reflection

Between the chatter among Book Riot peers and the tweets flying around, it seems that a few books have gotten their publication dates pushed back. Which can be a huge bummer, especially if you were looking forward to a specific book. But sometimes life happens.

This time around the ‘life happening’ situation is a supply chain issue and printing delays, which are completely and utterly outside of the author’s control. Everyone is feeling the crunch here and that is why everyone and their grandmother is telling you to shop early for the holidays if you’re ordering from out of state or overseas. The books will get to us and I’m sure that none of us have completely empty TBR piles just yet. So, there is still plenty to read in the meantime.

All of this is to say: show patience and grace to the authors and publishers behind this. It’s something they wanted to do, it’s something they had to. And be sure to extend this to everyone else who may be in some sort of crunch.

Book Riot Romance

Catch up with the latest episode of When in Romance where Trisha and Jess discuss how they find book recommendations. You can also send them your recommendation requests. Also, be sure to pick up the next book club pick, Sweet Disorder!

And here is a nice round-up of some of the best enemies-to-lovers in Fantasy Romance.

Do you love horror, romance, and manga? Then you’re in luck!

Around the Web in Romance

Here’s even more hate-to-love romances!

An Asian led holiday romance is happening this year and there is cause for much excitement on this.

Paranormal romances are great any time of year but extra perfect around Halloween.

Recommendations

One of the buzziest romance books around currently is The Love Hypothesis, and as with most buzzy books, there is a division in Romancelandia on it. A lot of it is centered around the fact that it started as Keylo fanfiction.

I won’t go too much into that because it’s a long involved conversation and both sides have very good points. It did get me to thinking that fanfiction, for all the sneers it gets from ‘high-browed literary types’ is still very present across all genres, even literature. So, it is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination.

And that leads us to today’s recommendations; books that are, at their very core, fanfiction. As a bonus, y’all get four today since two of these are novellas.

Halloween Boo by Sarah Spade

Ever since she moved in a year ago, Dani has felt that her apartment was haunted. Despite that, she and her ghostly roommate have fallen into a routine with each other. She even calls him Casper. Then on Halloween Night, suddenly Casper, who’s really named Zack, appears to her on the one night that the dead can cross the veil and be mortal. Clearly, this is a Hocus Pocus fanfiction novella and, considering the current season, was always going to be on this list. It is quite delightful and naturally has an HEA.

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

In this Jane Austen retelling, chef Ashna and soccer star Rico are paired up on the new reality show, Cooking with the Stars. The only snag here is that they’re each others first loves and things did not end well. When their first interaction goes viral though, all eyes are on them and their undeniable chemistry. Will they be able to work through the past and ignore the feelings still present in the future to both win the competition and protect their hearts?

Her Mad Hatter by Marie Hall

This version of Alice is all grown up and runs her own cupcake and tea shop. She’s content with her life there until a very determined fairy godmother pulls her into Wonderland where she meets the Mad Hatter. The Hatter is determined to not fall into his fairy godmother’s trap having been burned by previous Alices before. But this one is different from the others, leaving him to wonder if he finally found his Alice.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Despite a horrid first date, Darcy and Elle decide to engage in a bit of fake dating to get Darcy’s brother and Elle’s family off their respective backs. Along the way though the two women learn more about each other and that maybe first impressions aren’t always accurate and second chances may be warranted. This one is a nod to both Bridget Jones and Pride & Prejudice.

And that’s all I have for you this week. I’ll be back bright and early Monday, depending on what time the newsletter gets to your inbox. If you want to see me before then, just follow @PScribe801 over on Twitter. Happy weekend!

What's Up in YA

Horror for Teens, The Death of Dystopia, and More YA Book News and New Books: October 21, 2021

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 20, 2021

Sponsored by Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu with Fierce Reads.

From the acclaimed author of Moxie comes a gripping gender-flipped reimagining of The Outsiders that explores the deep bonds of female friendship and what it takes to be a “bad girl.” Evie Barnes and her friends are bad girls. Above all else, they protect their own against the world. So when Evie is saved from a sinister encounter by a good girl from the “right” side of the tracks, every rule she’s always lived by is called into question. Now she must redefine what it means to be a bad girl and rethink everything she knew about loyalty.

Hey YA Readers!

I hope you’re having the best kind of October available to you and you’re able to find a good book or two. Let’s catch up on the latest in YA book news and new YA books this week.

A note, too: in Monday’s newsletter, I mentioned the main character in Baby and Solo being gay. He is not — his brother, however, was a member of the LGBTQ community during his life. I wanted to clarify that, since it matters pretty heavily to what Joel, the main character, wrestles with. (So many books, so many details, and so many distractions in life!).

YA Book News

There’s a lot of interesting horror-themed news and features this week!

First, though: we’re getting a spin-off from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before! Get ready for Kitty’s story in XO, Kitty, written by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian for Netflix.
Here’s Reese Witherspoon’s latest YA Book Club pick.
A look at the rise and fall of YA dystopian franchises.
RL Stine talks about making horror work for young readers, as well as the success of the adaptation of his Fear Street series.
The YA horror anthology A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts has been optioned for adaptation.
A fun look at the Halloween franchise novels for young adults and how they foretold where the story went decades later.
I’m not sure there’s anything new or revolutionary here, but it’s a good read regardless: how negative reviews on Goodreads impact authors (the writer is a YA author, as are many of those interviewed).

New YA Books This Week

Please note that with supply chain issues, paper supply challenges, and the pandemic more broadly, publication dates are changing at a pace I can’t keep up with. Some release dates may be pushed back. If a book catches your attention, the smartest thing to do right now is to preorder it or request it from your library. It’ll be a fun surprise when it arrives. This goes, too, for any books you might be planning to purchase for the holidays — the sooner you pick up the hard copies, if that’s your preference, the better.

Hardcover

Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu

book cover for hunting by stars by cherie dimaline

Hunting By Stars by Cherie Dimaline (series)

Lies My Memory Told Me by Sacha Wunsch

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

On Top of Glass by Karina Manta (nonfiction)

Out of the Fire by Andrea Contos

A Rebel in Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather (nonfiction)

That Dark Infinity by Kate Pentecost

Where Echoes Lie by Shannon Schuren

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield (nonfiction)

Paperback

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn

Girl Crushed by Katie Heaney

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore

YA Book Talk on Book Riot

YA books that explore addiction.
New Indigenous YA books for your TBR.
Last week’s book challenges across the US involved a whole lot of YA books.
And a school district in Texas tells teachers they need to balance “both sides” of the Holocaust and more in classroom libraries.

As always, thanks for hanging out, y’all. We’ll see you on Saturday for some ebook deals and on Monday for more YA book talk.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.

Book Radar

Eva Longoria to Star in THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 20, 2021

Book Deals and Reveals

cover of How You Grew Wings by Rimma Onoseta

Here’s the cover reveal for Rimma Onoseta’s debut novel, How You Grow Wings, out from Algonquin Young Readers on August 9, 2022.

Eva Longoria will star in a new TV adaptation of Isabel Allende’s bestselling novel The House of the Spirits.

Here’s another stunning cover reveal: Megan Van Dyke’s Second Star to the Left will be out on February 15, 2022!

DC is developing a Milestone animated film based on classic black superhero characters!

We’ve got a cover reveal for Faith Gardner’s upcoming novel How We Ricochet, coming out from Harper Teen in May 2022.

The To All the Boys I Loved Before spinoff tv series, XO, Kitty, is moving forward on Netflix.

May Chen with William Morrow has preempted world English rights—jointly with Ann Bissell at HarperCollins UK imprint Borough Press—for Rebecca F. Kuang’s Yellowface.

Melinda Gates has started a new nonfiction imprint with Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan.

Here’s the trailer for Robert Weide’s upcoming documentary about Kurt Vonnegut, entitled Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time.

Nonprofit organization is declining donations from Jamie Lynn Spears’ upcoming book.

Beloved author Gary Paulsen, winner of three Newberry Medals, has died at the age of 82.

Here are the 2021 Harvey Award Winners, the best comic books of the year.

Book Riot Recommends

I’m a Contributing Editor at Book Riot, I write the Today in Books newsletter, and I’m a Bibliologist for Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendations subscription service. I also have a PhD in English, so I’m basically a doctor of books. Books are my life, in other words, so in this section of the newsletter, let me share with you some upcoming books I’m super excited about. And I think you will be too!

Can’t Wait for This One

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Ballantine Books, February 1, 2022)

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel Black Cake hasn’t even hit shelves yet, and already it’s being made into a Hulu TV series from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. With so much buzz around his book already, I can’t help but send it straight to the top of my to-read pile as soon as I can get my hands on a copy of it.

Okay, so Oprah likes this book, but what is it about? Black Cake is described as a family drama wrapped up in a murder mystery. Or is it a murder mystery wrapped up in family drama? Only time will tell. When Byron and Benny’s mother unexpectedly dies, she leaves behind something even more unexpected: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history. There’s also a voice recording in which Eleanor shares a story with her children: the story of a young swimmer who escapes her home after she’s suspected of murder. As the story unfolds, secrets about Eleanor—and her family—are revealed.

Are you intrigued? I certainly am, and I feel like this is going to be a book a lot of people are going to be talking about in 2022, so it’s time get excited about it now.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“The best cure for anything [is] candles and a bath.”

— The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

What’s Up in the Book Community?

My iPhone is constantly telling me I spend too much time staring at my screen, which is honestly so rude. But this means I spend a lot of time scrolling around the online book community: BookTube, Bookstagram, BookTok, BookLinkedIn (JK. That’s not a thing… I don’t think). You get the idea. Don’t have the time, energy, or the will to do all of that yourself? No problem. I got you. In this weekly section of Book Radar, we’ll take a look at something cool, interesting, and/or newsy that’s going on in the book community.

Looking for an online bookclub with great nonbinary rep? Try Enby Book Club on Instagram. For October, they’re reading Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon. November’s book is We Are Not Broken by George M. Johnson. And in December, they’re reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.

Your Weekend Reading Soundtrack

I said it’s Radar-ween, so I’ve got to make good on that promise here. This week, I’ve got part 1 of your Halloween reading soundtrack. Next week, I’ll be back for part 2. This one is great for reading or decorating pumpkins or bobbing for apples or whatever other scary Halloween stuff you’ve got planned for this weekend.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Today, we’re back in the cat tree.

Cersei is chilling inside her house, bathing, living her best life. I know this is probably a private moment for her, but I had to share this excellent bathing action shot with all of you! I hope you enjoy.

And that’s all for Book Radar-ween today! See you next week, my ghosts and ghouls! Ooooooooooo! (that was a ghost sound)

❤️ Emily

Riot Rundown

102021-DragomirAcademy-RR

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date October 20, 2021

Read This Book…

Post author By Nusrah Javed
Post date October 19, 2021

Sponsored by Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu with Fierce Reads.

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that you should add to your TBR pile or nightstand or hidden stack under the bed, right away!

When I was young-ish, I used to sneak in Jackie Collins’ novels under my school desk and read them during class. I couldn’t get enough of the tensions, the power plays, and the heroines, always the heroines, fighting the odds.

Fast forward a couple of years. I discovered Eve Babitz. Dabbling primarily in her non-fiction she had a similar but also very distinct sharp voice like Collins’. There was just something about that ‘insider looks at inside’ perspective that had me captivated.

So my next pick for all you is a book that feels like a love child of the above two authors’ works. It gives the inside picture of Los Angeles and the Hollywood scene with sharp wit and commentary and an understanding of what it means to be part of both.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

How do you fall in love with a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel? You remember what you are getting: a delicious story, dynamic characters, and drama.

Malibu Rising, as one can guess, is set around Malibu Beach in Los Angeles, California. It brings to life one of the most beautiful places that the West Coast has to offer and that is the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).

Told in dual timelines, we follow Mick and June who set out to accomplish their dreams of fame and the money it brings along with it. And the second is the story of their four children- Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit- and how their fates have played out.

The story begins at Nina’s house with everybody getting ready for the annual party that Nina hosts. When I say everybody, I mean the entirety of Hollywood and then some. But the four siblings are fighting their own battles on the day of the party with infidelity, illness, secrets about love, and coming to terms with their identity. The pot comes to a boil when all four of these tensions find themselves facing each other at the party along with their pasts, all threatening to alter the course of the life they have made for themselves.

That’s all you should know about the plot before you dive in because, in my opinion, that’s the best part of this book, trying to pace yourself to find out what happens next. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a masterful storyteller. As someone who lives in perpetual awe of the PCH, for me, she makes it come to life. Her movement from one sentence to another is incredibly fluid, so much so that you feel like you are living in the story, and not just reading it. If you are looking for a good fast read similar to The Nest, then consider picking this up. Pair it with our 10 year anniversary, limited-edition merch line from bookriot.com/merch, and a drive down the coast.

So how do you fall in love with a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel? You remember what it’s like to simply read a good story and dive right in.

Come tell me what you thought of the pick on Twitter @JavedNusrah.

Happy Reading!
Nusrah

True Story

New Releases: Mutiny! Etc.

Post author By Alice Burton
Post date October 19, 2021

Sponsored by The Light Streamed Beneath It (ECW Press).

A lifetime of finding punchlines in his heartache comes to a shuddering stop when comedian and writer Shawn Hitchins loses two great loves to sudden death. In this deeply poignant memoir, Hitchins explores the messiness of being alive: the longing and desire, scorching-earth anger, raw grief — and the pathway of healing he discovers when he lets his heart remain open. A heartrending, hope-filled story of resilience in the wake of death, The Light Streamed Beneath It affirms that life is essentially good, as Hitchins weaves his tale full of tenacious spirit, humor, kindness, and grit through life’s most unforgiving challenges.

So close to Halloween. I love how for Sept./Oct. we’re allowed to be spooky, and then it feels like November 1, cuts that right out. If you’re a November holdout, more power to you. Personally, I feel the Halloween season should be September 1 – November JustBeforeThanksgiving. My neighborhood’s getting pretty decked out, which is v exciting. I hope yours is too!

You might have heard of supply chain issues causing a book shortage. Get those gifts now! Or presents for yourself! What if your TBR pile dwindles down to a mere fifty books — THEN where will you be? Probably at the library, because who reads their TBR pile. But anyway! Onward to new releases:

African Icons: Ten People Who Built a Continent by Tracey Baptiste

This is for ages 8 – 12! Which is extremely great because, as recently mentioned in this newsletter, it is v v difficult to get non-super-academic African history books in the US, and especially so for kids! This is about ten “real-life kings, queens, inventors, scholars, and visionaries who lived in Africa thousands of years ago and changed the world.” Ugh, so cool. Learn about Mansa Musa and Amanirenas and eight others!

Mutiny on the Rising Sun: A Tragic Tale of Slavery, Smuggling, and Chocolate by Jared Ross Hardesty

The year is 1743. It’s prime smuggling time. The ship Rising Sun sells a group of enslaved people from Africa to the Dutch colony of Suriname and is sailing away when three of its sailors murder four people on board and mutiny, taking over the schooner. This is about the mutiny and “an international chocolate smuggling ring.” ALSO it’s from NYU Press, so it’s an academic press book!

One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America by Saru Jayaraman

The federal tipped minimum wage since 1991 (yes, that is thirty years) has been $2.13. Prior to COVID, six million people that we are aware of worked off this system, meaning when the pandemic hit, tons of them lost their jobs and the varied security that came with them. In Jayaraman’s newest book, she “shines a light on these workers, illustrating how the people left out of the fight for a fair minimum wage are society’s most marginalized: people of color, many of them immigrants; women, who form the majority of tipped workers; disabled workers; incarcerated workers; and youth workers.” Jayaraman is the director of the Food Labor Research Center at U-C Berkeley.

The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick

In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered in Egypt. Carved in 196 BCE, it uses Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts, and also Ancient Greek. It is how we in the modern era could finally decipher Ancient Egyptian. DID the British steal it from Egypt in 1801 and haul it back to their country? Yes. It has been on display in the British Museum since 1802. Hm. But THIS book is about the translation itself and how two British and French guys decided to make it a big competition. It’s also about the culture of Egypt and I am a sucker for a book that talks about history and objects and dramatic happenings, even if those dramatic happenings were two dudes trying to be James Spader in Stargate.

For more nonfiction reads, check out the For Real podcast which I co-host with the excellent Kim here at Book Riot. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @itsalicetime. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.

Unusual Suspects

All Aboard The Revenge Train

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date October 19, 2021

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

There’s a study being conducted on psychopaths at a university, by one of the professors. He believes much of what has been believed and the way society treats psychopaths is wrong. The students enrolled wear specific smart watches and keep a journal along with meeting with the professor. They do not know of any other members in the study, nor does the public know of this study.

We mainly get the point of view of three students in the study: Chloe, Charles, and Andre. Chloe is very clearly in the study and at this school for only one reason: she’s going to kill the student who assaulted her when she was a tween. That’s it, get out of her way. Charles is very much using the program to learn and adapt and trying to do well in school and maintain his relationship with his girlfriend. Andre is lying about being a psychopath–what started as kind of a joke snowballed and then he couldn’t turn down a full scholarship. While they all have their own individual issues, they all end up with one shared issue: someone is killing them off!

This worked for me on a lot of levels, starting with it being thoughtfully written and not another book filled with stereotypes. I really liked how different all the characters were and following their individual stories. As for the main reasons I couldn’t put this book down: I really needed to know if Chloe would succeed and also to find out who is behind the murders! I really look forward to what Kurian writes next.

(TW nonconsensual drugging/ past tween rape/ adult child abuse/ briefly recounts teacher student statutory relationship, not graphic/ webcam hacking and non-consensual distribution of sexual images/ past suicide briefly mentioned, detail)

The Hollow Inside by Brooke Lauren Davis

I absolutely stayed up way past my bedtime reading this. I was grabbed from the very opening page as Phoenix, a seventeen-year-old, is sent to rob a home by her mother–I mean there is already so much to unpack! I will stop here for a second to say I knew NOTHING about this book when I started and loved watching how layer by layer everything past and present unfolds. Brooke Lauren Davis clearly understands that part of a good mystery/thriller can be in the way information is doled out to the reader. So with that said, I can’t remember what is revealed early vs later, so if you like the full ride, just go grab the book rather than reading below.

After that tense opening scene, you follow along as this mother duo team (Phoenix and Nina), who are living in a van and steal everything they need, make their way to a small town that Nina grew up in. They have one very clear mission: ruin the life of the man who ruined Nina’s life. It’s not going to be so easy though, because Ellis Bowman is literally the town hero. The head of the perfect and beloved family. He’s also a blockbuster author who keeps putting out memoir/self-help books based on how perfect his life is.

But Nina has a plan, and Phoenix is to carry it out. Except things immediately go wrong, and Phoenix ends up being taken in by the Bowman family. Maybe this new plan will work better? But while Bowman’s son is like a golden retriever in human form and ready to believe all of Phoenix’s lies and help her, his sister Melody is the complete opposite. Melody is certain Phoenix is there for the family’s recent misfortune and to sell information to the papers.

What starts as a straight revenge plan suddenly gets more complicated for Phoenix as she recognizes herself in Melody and starts to have difficult decisions to make in carrying out her mom’s plan.

I loved the way this unfolded, how you get to know past and present Nina, and Melody and Phoenix’s relationship. I also loved the way the points of view are shown: instead of the present story being from the revenge seekers POV, we only see in past chapters what happened to lead up to Nina wanting revenge and the rest of the book is narrated by Phoenix who doesn’t know she’s caught between it all until it’s too late.

(TW domestic abuse, not graphic nor on page but a “fleeing” scene/ statutory rape/ brief mention of past suicide, detail/ side character with terminal cancer)

From The Book Riot Crime Vault

7 Postmodern Murder Mysteries

Don’t forget to check out the limited edition Book Riot merch, celebrating our 10th birthday!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2021 releases. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

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

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

In The Club

All Thrill, No Chill

Post author By Erica Ezeifedi
Post date October 19, 2021

Sponsored by Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu with Fierce Reads.

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.

Friends! Have you been keeping up with Only Murders in the Building? Last week I told myself that I would only watch again once all the episodes were in. Those cliffhangers really irk my soul. Naturally, I watched it anyway and found myself, once again, being upset at those credits rolling. A part from that, though, Jane Lynch in last week’s episode was *chef’s kiss*. I mean, she’s always wonderful in everything she’s in, but her role in this show! Plus, that whole gag about hip motions was sending me. By the time this newsletter comes out, the finale will have aired. We’ll talk more about who killed Tim Kono then. In the meantime, don’t forget to get your Book Riot 10th anniversary schwag that’s only available for a short time!

Now, on to the club!

Nibbles and Sips

I had some drunken noodles for the first time the other day, and let me tell you, they slap. Like many Thai dishes, fresh basil is center stage in the flavor profile. Many add chicken or shrimp, but the tofu I had with mine was delicious. Just make sure your noodles are extra t h i c c. Pai leads us to glory.

SN: the picture is from a different site.

For When You Want a Little Turbulence

…but don’t want to crash. Know what I mean? Here are some interesting thrillers by women to shake you up a little.

Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha

Learning about the story that inspired this made my blood boil. Grace Park’s family, despite the sheltered life her Korean immigrant parents have afforded her, is broken. Shawn Matthews deals with a disjointed family as well. One that suffered the murder of his teenage sister in 1991. When Grace’s mother is shot in a drive-by, Shawn must provide an alibi. Although he’s eventually cleared, he begins to wonder about his cousin Ray’s involvement, and Grace starts to realize why her sister Miriam hasn’t spoken to their mother in years.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Here, three brothers manage land in Queensland so vast there are hours between each of their houses. One of the brothers, Cam, never comes home one day and is later found on the stockman’s grave— an old landmark associated with local ghost stories— with his keys neatly placed in the front seat of his car. Cam is thought to have taken his own life, but the unsettling dynamic amongst those in his household as well as family secrets seem to suggest otherwise. Jane Harper always seems to write the Australian settings she uses as other characters, and this one helps to push themes of isolation, which serves to amplify the family drama.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

This YA novel falls under what the kids call dark academia and secured its twenty one year old author a seven figure book deal. Gen Z just being built different is a reality I often discuss, and clearly, Àbíké-Íyímídé is no exception. It follows head girl Chiamaka and the talented Devon —the only two Black students at a prestigious and very white high school— as they contend with an anonymous texter known as Aces. Aces is hellbent on exposing everything Chiamaka and Devon want to keep secret and takes their torture of the two students quite far in this queer novel that explores systemic racism with echoes of Gossip Girl.

Suggestion Section

From Book Riot

If you haven’t read it yet, here’s maybe why you should read The Body Keeps the Score
Here’s a roundup of censorship news from last week
Compare scores from this literary Who Wants to be a Millionaire quiz during your next book club meetup
Uzo Aduba is hosting the new Netflix book club that will focus on books the streaming service has adapted
Sankofa is Reese’s October Book Club pick
We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza is GMA’s October pick

I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_ . You can also catch me choppin’ it up with Kelly Jensen on the Hey YA podcast every couple of weeks. I also write the new newsletter In Reading Color that focuses exclusively on literature by people of color. It’s out every Tuesday.

Until next week,

-E

Today In Books

Netflix Moves Forward with TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE Spinoff: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 19, 2021

Sponsored by Wonderbound – the new Young Readers graphic novel imprint!

Frances Lincoln Gives Free Copies of This Book is Anti-Racist to Schools

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books is partnering up with with Peters, a school library supplier, to give UK schools free copies of This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell and Aurélia Durand. The book teaches readers about the history of racism and the resistance against it, and it shows readers how they can become an active part of the antiracist movement. Claire Bowles, the sales and marketing director for Peters said, “We’re committed to supporting schools in ensuring they have diverse and inclusive books that empower all children and young people, so we’re delighted to be partnering with Quarto to get this important book into the hands of secondary school students across the UK.” The book will be available to libraries and secondary schools throughout the month of October to coincide with the UK’s Black History Month.

Netflix Moves Forward with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Spinoff

Earlier this year, there were whispers that a To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before spinoff series was in development. Now, Netflix has officially handed out a 10-episode series order for XO, Kitty, a half-hour comedy starring Anna Cathcart, reprising her role as Kitty Song Covey. Jenny Han, author of the To All the Boys series, will serve as a show-runner on the new series alongside Sascha Rothchild (GLOW, The Baby-Sitters Club, The Bold Type). Han and Rothchild will also executive produce alongside Matt Kaplan from ACE Entertainment. There is no word yet on when the series will be released.

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Has Released a Documentary on Diversity in Children’s Books

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation has just released a documentary on diversity in children’s books, which is available to view for free on their website. “Tell Me Another Story” is a 30-minute free access documentary, produced by the EJK Foundation, in association with The Office Performing Arts + Film, that “presents a compelling and lively portrait of the giants, past and present, who have advanced diversity in picture books, illuminating the reality that multicultural literature is critical to our children’s quality of life and the health of our society.” The documentary is directed by Damani Baker.

In Defense of Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn has been getting a lot of attention lately. Here’s why the DC star deserves all her recent shine.