Sponsored by Scaredy Cat, published by Jimmy Patterson Books.
When shelter cats Pasha and Poop move in with their new human family, they find themselves up against a ghostly bully. Scaredy Cat demands they follow his rules or he’ll cause all kinds of trouble-knock over lamps, spill kitty litter, and even get them shipped back to the animal shelter! But Pasha and Poop are stubborn and rebellious. They won’t follow the Scaredy Cat’s ridiculous rules like all of the other pets on the block. Together, they set out to find the truth behind who the Scaredy Cat really is, and how they can end his mischief-making for good.
Happy Monday, friends! I don’t know if it’s all the sunshine we’ve been getting or all the great upcoming books I have read lately, but I feel like my spirits are lifting a bit. Or maybe it’s all the amazing adaptation news that has been announced lately. There are so many books I love that are now going to be movies or television series. I need to clone myself just so I can watch them all! (Despite all the books and films in which cloning goes horribly wrong, I am still not sure I wouldn’t do it, lol.)
Moving on: I have some exciting book news for you today and a look at another book in a fantastic middle grade comic series, plus cover reveals, a terrible pun, my cat posse, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?
Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What is believed to be the first full-length novel ever written? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)
Deals, Reals, and Squeals!
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Toni Collette will make her feature directing debut with Writers & Lovers by Lily King.
Our very own Jenn Northington is hosting an Epic Reads YA fantasy panel next month, featuring Adam Silvera, Jessica Rubinkowski, Rena Barron, Brittany Cavallaro, and Maya Motayne!
Here’s the cover reveal of Recognize!: An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson.
Toni Morrison’s Song Of Solomon is getting the limited series treatment.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction has announced its 2021 longlist.
Here’s the cover reveal of A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria.
The City of Ghosts series by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab is going to be a television series.
Here’s the cover reveal of You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo.
In the Quick by Kate Hope Day—one of my favorite books of the year—has been chosen as a GMA Bookclub Buzz Pick.
Natalie Portman & Lupita Nyong’o will star in a series adaptation of Lady In The Lake by Laura Lippman.
Here’s the cover reveal of Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson.
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Deesha Philyaw has won the 2020 Story Prize for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.
Indigenous actors Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins and Jillian Dion have joined the cast of Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon.
Dakota Fanning has joined Showtime’s Talented Mr. Ripley series.
FX is filming a limited series based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is In Trouble.
Nicole Kidman will star in an adaptation of Gordon Reece’s YA novel Mice.
Jesmyn Ward mentioned she is working on a YA novel.
Book Riot Recommends
At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)
Loved, loved, loved:
Unicorn Famous: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson (Andrews McMeel Publishing, April 6)
Are you looking for something happy-making, thoughtful, and funny to read? Then you definitely need to read the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series! This series is one of the great delights of my life. It’s about a young girl named—you guessed it—Phoebe and a unicorn named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. After meeting in the forest, the two become best friends. Marigold has a huge ego, but you would too if you were a beautiful unicorn with magical powers.
The two of them have adventures in Marigold’s field of expertise, such as magic and trolls, and in Phoebe’s middle school world, where she battles homework and trolls of another kind. I love their friendship and how they support one another. Marigold is hella-snarky, but her heart is huge and she is still always wise and supportive. And Phoebe learns valuable lessons about friendship and always being kind and being yourself. Plus the illustrations are adorable, and they book is often funny.
If you are new to the series, you can rejoice in knowing you have 12 volumes to read before this one comes out. And if you have already read the books, you can rejoice in knowing you have time to reread the first 12 volumes before this one comes out. That’s so much rejoicing across the land!
What I’m reading this week.
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O Beautiful by Jung Yun
Stories to Tell: A Memoir by Richard Marx
The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb
Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori Lee
While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
Groan-worthy joke of the week:
Shout out to my fingers. I can count on all of them.
And this is funny:
No one ever thinks of Mark.
Happy things:
Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:
- My happy light: Because sometimes you need a little help. Every time I use it, I think of Walt on Northern Exposure. But seriously, I’ve had this light for almost six years, and it’s worth the money.
- Disney Emoji Blitz: Ooops, I started playing this again. But I’m trying really hard to resist downloading the Funko Pop! Blitz.
- Gravity Falls: Okay, but seriously, have you watched this show? It’s my favorite cartoon. Yes, I just rewatched it three weeks ago. Yes, it has been many times. No, I’m not sorry. I also made a playlist with 64 versions of the theme song.
- Joseph’s Chocolate Hommus: This is my favorite treat! It’s like eating brownie batter.
- Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
And here’s a cat picture!
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Sometimes it feels like I have three hundred cats, not three. If I stop and think too much about three small sentient creatures moving about the house, making their own decisions about where to go and what to do, I get a little freaked out. 😂
Trivia answer: The Tale of Genji, written in 1008 by Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu.
Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty