Hi, Book Friends!
Welcome to another Monday Book Radar. It’s been a great month for books so far, and I have a bunch of book news to share with you this week, so let’s just skip the small talk and get right to the book talk. Let’s go!
Book Deals and Reveals
Marisha Pessl has announced her next novel, Darkly. The author told her followers on Instagram, “I am so proud of this book — it’s one of the most personal, twisty, gutting mysteries I’ve ever written and I cannot wait for you to survive every twist and turn — and live to tell the tale…” It’s out this November!
Tor Nightfire shared the cover of American Rapture by CJ Leede. The art is by Carly Janine Mazur, and the design is by Christine Foltzer. It’s out on October 15.
And Penguin Teen has shared the cover of Preeti Ghhibber’s upcoming revenge romance YA novel Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot. It’s out on September 24.
Clay McLeod Chapman has a new horror novel coming out in January 2025! Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is out from Quirk Books on January 7 and is available for preorder now.
Here’s the trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series Dark Matter, based on the novel by Blake Crouch. The first episode airs on May 8.
People has the exclusive cover reveal of Loreal Palmer’s upcoming memoir, Keep Living. It’ll be out on May 14.
Venus Williams has announced a new health and wellness book, STRIVE. The tennis star says she hopes to share the tips and tricks that helped her. It’s out on September 10.
And here’s the cover reveal for Homeseeking by Karissa Chen. It will be published by Putnam on January 7th, 2025.
Reactor has an exclusive cover reveal and excerpt from Alexis Henderson’s upcoming novel An Academy for Liars. This dark academia novel is out from Ace/Penguin Random House on September 17.
Here are the book club picks for April 2024. Which ones will you be reading?
The 2024 International Booker Prize shortlist has been announced! The International Booker Prize 2024 ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 21st. The event will be live-streamed on the book prizes’ channels.
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!
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help with handpicked recommendations. Tell the Bibliologists at Tailored Book Recommendations about what you love and what you don’t. You can get your recommendations via email or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18! Subscribe today.
Prepare Your Shelves!
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen (Poisoned Pen Press, May 14)
Do you think you’re close with your friends? Well! Imagine if you had a friend who could actually possess your body. The only thing that Roos Beckman likes about her life is Ruth, her spirit companion that 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 everything changes for Roos when she meets Agnes. Agnes Knoop is 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.
This debut gothic novel is deliciously dark and wonderfully sapphic. And, while you could compare this to other gothic horror stories like Crimson Peak and The Warm Hands of Ghosts, I think this book is doing so many things that feel entirely new. See for yourself when this book comes out next month!
What I’m Reading This Week
While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca
Crossroads by Laurel Hightower
How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
Monday Memes
What’s the appeal of boarding school books? Do you think this is it? Let me know!
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
This is my whole life right now. Remy being silly. Books. And marathoning The Traitors. Not the worst way to spend a weekend. Hope yours was good, too!
And now for the week ahead…I hope you have a wonderful one, and I’ll see you again on Thursday for another round of everything books!