Book Radar Friends!
It’s Thursday, and the weather is freaking wild this week! It’s cold outside, and it’s supposed to snow all weekend. I’m excited to maybe cuddle up with a kitty, some books, and a warm cuppa tea. But before we do all of that, we gotta talk book news.
Book Deals and Reveals
Akwaeke Emezi has a new novel coming out later this year, and a few days ago, they revealed the beautiful cover of their eighth book! Emezi writes, “Little Rot is an absolutely unhinged story set in the underbelly of a Nigerian city.” It’s out on June 18.
Rainbow Rowell is releasing her first adult novel since Landline. Slow Dance is coming in July.
Tor.com has revealed the cover of Paolo Bacigalupi’s new sweeping literary fantasy Navola. It’s out from Knopf on July 9.
Here’s the cover reveal of Wendy Chen’s debut novel Their Divine Fires, which is described as “a gorgeously poetic family saga that begins at the dawn of the Chinese Revolution and spans 100 years to trace the intricate lives of four generations of Chinese and Chinese American women grappling with history, obligations, betrayal, and love in order to come into their own power and learn not just how to survive but flourish.” It’s out on May 7.
Little Golden Book is making a children’s book version of Alien. A is for Alien: An ABC Book will teach children their ABCs using illustrations from the sci-fi horror movie. The book is set to release on July 9, 2024.
Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo have signed on to lead Audible’s audio adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984. Andrew Scott and Tom Hardy will also star. The audio drama is set to release in April.
Speaking of Andrew Garfield, the actor has left Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, Jacob Elordi will take on the role of Frankenstein’s monster.
Skydance has bought the adaptation rights to the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan in the hopes of turning it into a franchise.
Connect with book lovers all over the world by following 17 of the best bookstores and libraries on TikTok.
Based on trends and data, and including everything from fantasy to romance, these are the next big TikTok books.
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!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!
Can’t Wait for This One!
One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon (Knopf, June 11)
Nicola Yoon is one of those YA authors that never misses. Everything, Everything? Great. The Sun is Also A Star? I’m not ashamed to say I cried my eyes out. And this is wild, but I only realized a few years back that she’s married to David Yoon. Nicola and David launched a YA romance imprint by and about people of color in 2020. Talk about a power couple!
But Nicola Yoon isn’t going to stop there, because this year, she’s releasing her debut adult novel One of Our Kind. Not only is the cover absolutely gorgeous, but this book sounds incredible. I mean, it’s described as The Stepford Wives meets Get Out. Sign me up.
The story begins with Jasmyn and King Williams moving their family to Liberty, California. In this Black utopia, the Williamses hope to find a community of like-minded people who care just as much as they do about social justice and making the world a better place. Instead, Jasmyn is dismayed to discover that everyone in the community seems more intent on ignoring the outside world.
Words of Literary Wisdom
“Women got that feeling about him, that funny one we all get when we know something isn’t right, but we don’t know how to politely extricate ourselves from the situation without escalating the threat of violence or harassment. That is not a skill women are taught, the same way men are not taught that it is okay to leave a woman alone if what she wants is to be left alone.”
— Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
I hate that I’ve had to work so much this week because all I really want to do is cuddle with this cutie! Just look at his little happy face! Maybe this weekend, with the cold weather, I’ll get more cat cuddle time. I hope you get some, too, if you have a cat this cute in your life.
And…that’s it! Stay warm this weekend, friends. January is Januarying!