Categories
Book Radar

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL Releases First Trailer and More Book Radar!

Hi Book Friends!

Welcome back for more Book Radar on this beautiful Monday! I hope you’ve been doing well, and I hope you had a great weekend. I’ve been reading some Becky Albertalli over the weekend, which always feels like a warm hug! Who’s your comfort read author? Lemme know! You know where to find me. XOXO, Gossip Book Radar.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

cover of The Spy and I by Tiana Smith

Here’s the cover reveal for Tiana Smith’s adult debut, The Spy and I. This thriller/romcom is out on February 13, 2024.

Hulu has released the official trailer for its upcoming series adaptation of The Other Black Girl, based on the book by Zakiya Dalila Harris. The Other Black Girl premieres on September 13.

Cosmopolitan is promising that the cover reveal and excerpt from Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer will “absolutely make you melt.” Check it out, and get ready for the novel’s release on April 2, 2024.

And here’s the cover reveal of Cait Corrain’s Crown of Starlight. This book is the first in a duology that Corrain describes as “spicy, snarky, queer,” marrying “Greek mythology with space opera, reimagining the myth of Ariadne and Dionysus against the shining backdrop of a vibrant galactic empire.” It’s coming out May 14, 2024.

Check out this romcom that Colleen Hoover calls “a warm, sexy, and absolutely charming debut.” Here’s the cover of Naina Kumar’s Say You’ll Be Mine. It’s out on January 16.

Stephen King has suggested that he might write a third installment of his two-book talisman series.

Netflix recently revealed the trailer for their upcoming Scott Pilgrim series. All seven episodes drop on Netflix on November 17.

A group of booksellers, authors, and antitrust activists want the FTC and the Justice Department to investigate Amazon’s bookselling.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Can’t Wait For This One!

hearts still beating book cover

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer (Razorbill, April 2, 2024)

You know what we really need? A zombie apocalypse novel that’s also a sapphic romance. Thank goodness Brooke Archer’s Heart Still Beating will be out next year. I will be waiting with bated breath, and you should be too!

Mara has been infected with a disease that brings the dead back to life. Now that there’s a cure on the horizon, she’s been placed in an experimental resettlement program to see if the cure works and if she can recover. There, she’s reunited with Rory, the best friend she hasn’t seen since before her infection. And after their first kiss. Now Rory and Mara must work together to rebuild their lives and fight for survival, even as the world continues to crumble all around them.

Hearts Still Beating is dark, romantic, and unlike any other zombie apocalypse story you’ve ever heard before.

What I’m Reading This Week

imogen obviously book cover

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Monday Memes

Not really a meme, but this sweet library story touched my heart, and I thought you would love it too. Books (and libraries) bring people together!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

black and orange cat in the window

I leave you with two angels in the window. I love how Remy is spreading out with absolutely zero regard for the fact that he’s about to fall off of the window sill.

And that’s all for today, friends! I’m so excited for the new week. I can’t wait to check back in with you all on Thursday. And until then, be safe out there. Stay cool.

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Tana French Answers Questions About THE HUNTER and More Book Radar!

Dear Book Friends,

Greetings, and happy Thursday! It’s been so incredibly hot this week, and I have barely felt like moving. I really don’t get how anyone likes summer. I’m counting down the days to October. But for now, we’re here, and we’re still reading more books every week. So let’s chat books.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

We Hunt the Flame cover image

Hafsah Faizal took to Instagram to give fans an update on the We Hunt the Flame TV adaptation.

Tana French answered questions on The Today Show about her upcoming novel The Hunter, her sequel to The Searcher.

Loren Long — illustrator of bestselling children’s books by former President Barack Obama, Madonna, and poet Amanda Gorman — has signed a six-figure deal with a Macmillan imprint for two of his own projects.

Aubrey Plaza is joining the Marvel universe, potentially as Kathryn Hahn’s ex in the Disney+ show Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Coven of Chaos is scheduled to premiere in 2024.

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers is launching Stories from Latin America, a series focused on fiction and nonfiction set in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The series launches on September 19 with Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras, written by Nelson Rodríguez and Leonardo Agustín, illustrated by Rosana Faría and Carla Tabora, and translated by Lawrence Schimel.

Cosmopolitan has revealed the cover of Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer. Check out the cover reveal and an excerpt from the novel, and then get ready for the release on April 2, 2024.

What would happen if you wished for the perfect romance? You’d get Swati Teerdhala’s The Boyfriend Wish. Here’s the cover reveal for the upcoming romcom. It’s out this February!

Goodreads has just released several lists rounding up their users’ most anticipated new book releases coming out in the next few months.

Coming soon to a screen near you: these 10 books you probably didn’t know were in the process of being adapted!

Get to know what all of the book clubs are reading in August, from exciting debuts to new releases from beloved authors.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Prepare Your Shelves!

three holidays and a wedding book cover

Three Holidays and A Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, September 26)

I don’t know how it happened, y’all, but it’s that time of year again. The time when we start anticipating the new holiday romcom books of the season. But why have a romcom that only celebrates one holiday when you can have one that celebrates three? Plus a wedding? Color me charmed.

Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson don’t know each other, but they are both flying to Toronto for the holidays, both for their own reasons. Anna is meeting her boyfriend’s family for the first time. Maryam is attending her sister’s wedding. Little do the two strangers know that an unexpected bout of turbulence will have the two confessing all of their deepest darkest secrets to one another. Especially because Maryam’s crush Saif is sitting a few rows behind them…and overhears everything.

When the plane is forced to make an emergency landing, the entire flight ends up snowed in at the charming (and very Hallmark holiday movie-ish) Snow Falls Inn. And who else just so happens to be snowed in at that very same inn? Anna’s actor-crush, who is in town filming a holiday romcom. Will Anna be able to open up to her crush? And what about Maryam and Saif? We’ll just have to read and find out when this one comes out next month!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“I was not and had never been a part of a queer community. How to access such a thing was not just a mystery but an impossibility. The loss of which was sizable. Agony in isolation, the shame and pain that I thought was mine alone. My heart aches for my younger self. A tiny bug running to the rim of an upside-down juice glass. What a difference it would have been to sit with queer and trans pals and have them say, ‘I feel that way, too. I felt that way, too. We don’t have to feel that way. You don’t have to feel that way.'”

— Pageboy by Elliot Page

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.

Book lovers, wondering how you can help Maui relief efforts following the devastating wildfires in the region? The book community is showing up to support, and here’s how you can join in.

The Queer Collective book club is hosting the Maui Relief Effort Readathon. The Readathon runs until August 28th, and you can read more about it here.

Additionally, Romance for Maui is a romance-themed auction to benefit survivors of the Maui wildfires. Bidding has already started, and it ends on the 21st.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Check out Remy sitting on his toy, which is definitely what this is made for and not for playing with. And yeah, there are books in the background. If you can spot any titles, let me know.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! I will see you soon!

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Megan Fox’s Poetry Collection is Already a Bestseller and More Book Radar!

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of restfulness and/or adventure. And I hope you’re ready for another week of all the fun book news and conversation we can fit into one newsletter. It’s another Book Radar Monday, and I’ve got some news for you that’s almost as exciting as the announcement of 1989: Taylor’s Version. Don’t believe me? Read on.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

pretty boys are poisonous book cover

Megan Fox’s poetry collection Pretty Boys Are Poisonous is already a bestseller ahead of its November 7 release date. The 192-page book is described by publisher Simon & Schuster as “heartbreaking and dark.”

Here’s a sneak peek of Kerry Washington’s new memoir Thicker Than Water. The book is out from Little, Brown Spark on September 26.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin has revealed the cover of his new novel The American Daughters! According to Ruffin, the book is “about a group of Black women and girls who form a spy ring to resist the Confederates!” It’s out on March 5, 2024.

And here’s the cover reveal of O.O. Sangoyomi’s Masquerade, a retelling of Persephone set in 1400s West Africa. It’s out on July 2, 2024.

You want more exciting cover reveals? How about this cover reveal of both the U.S. and the UK cover of Kellye Garrett’s Missing White Woman? It’s out on April 30, 2024.

Emily Henry also has a new book coming out soon, and here’s the cover reveal of Funny Story. It’s out on April 23, 2024.

Bestselling children’s book author Kate DiCamillo has a new middle grade novel, Ferris, forthcoming from Candlewick Press next spring. Here’s the cover reveal!

Paste Magazine has shared the cover and an excerpt from Anna Gracia’s The Misdirection of Fault Lines. This one will be out on April 2, 2024.

XO, Kitty has been renewed for a second season. But since we’re not sure when exactly it’ll be coming back, here are 8 books like XO, Kitty you can read in the meantime.

As the start date of a Texas law censoring books approaches, publishers have refused to comply by rating their 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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Can’t Wait for This One!

godly heathens book cover

Godly Heathens by H. E. Edgmon (Wednesday Books, November 28)

We’re almost in the homestretch for 2023, but as we near the end of the year, we have a great new fantasy duology to look forward to. The best part? The second half of this duology is set to release in 2024, so you won’t be waiting for the conclusion to this story for long!

Living in the small town of Gracie, Georgia isn’t always easy for nonbinary Seminole teen Gem Echols. Gem relies on their charm and charisma to shield them from the outside world and keep anyone from knowing who they truly are. So when Willia Mae Hardy moves into town and immediately acts as if she and Gem are best friends, Gem doesn’t know what to make of it. Who is she? And how does she know about Gem’s haunting visions? 

After Gem is attacked by a being claiming to be the Goddess of Death and Willa Mae saves their life, Gem finally gets some answers. But the truth is so much wilder than anything Gem could have anticipated. Willa Mae and Gem are actually reincarnated gods who have lived through many lifetimes. And Gem has made some enemies in those past lives.

What I’m Reading This Week

cover of Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns; illustration of South Asian person looking in car rear view mirror with a pine tree air freshener hanging from the mirror on fire

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher and Sarah Pipher Gilliam

Monday Memes

I’m not into fishing, but I can really get behind this fishing-inspired book meme. Should we make this a thing?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

tuxedo cat in chair

I leave you this week with a picture of Remy sitting in a chair. Probably contemplating what book he’s going to pick up next from his TBR pile. He’s got that look of panic about him.

And that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful few days, and I’ll catch you on Thursday.

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Apple TV+ Releases First Trailer for THE CHANGELING and More Book Radar!

Hi Book Friends!

Happy Thursday. It’s been a long week, but we’ve got a lot of interesting/exciting/intriguing book stuff to discuss. So let’s talk about books and all the wonderful things that come with them.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

the changeling tv show poster

Apple TV+ has released the trailer for its new series The Changeling, starring and executive produced by LaKeith Stanfield. The Changeling is based on the Victor LaValle best-selling book of the same name. The first three episodes premiere on September 8.

Here’s an excerpt from Cassandra Clare’s first adult fantasy novel, Sword Catcher. The book hits shelves on October 10.

Literary Hub has revealed the cover for DéLana R. A. Dameron’s debut novel-in-stories, Redwood Court. It will be out from Dial Press in February.

Love Jane Austen and mysteries? Check out the cover of Katie Oliver’s Cyanide & Sensibility, the third book in the Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series. It’s out from Berkley on December 12.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced that their production company Archewell Productions is developing Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel Meet Me by the Lake into a film.

Despite recent stories about the popularity of BookTok, Neilsen’s survey found that YouTube is actually the most popular online platform for young people to discover new books.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Writers Guild of America strike — and why book lovers should support it.

The 99-year-old publishing company Simon and Schuster is being sold to private equity firm KKR for $1.62 billion. The original sale to PRH was for $2.2 billion.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Prepare Your Shelves!

people collide book

People Collide by Isle McElroy

Isle McElroy’s debut novel The Atmospherians was such a delight, and not just because of its excellent cover. The novel was a fun, satirical story that took down influencer culture and toxic masculinity. And the story was anything but predictable. So when McElroy’s next novel was announced, it immediately shot up to the top of my TBR pile for 2023. Since the book is out in September, it’s time to prepare our shelves!

People Collide is the story of Eli and Elizabeth. One day, Eli leaves the small Bulgarian apartment he shares with his wife Elizabeth, and discovers he’s suddenly inhabiting her body. What’s more, Elizabeth is nowhere to be found. As Eli journeys through Europe and America in search of his missing wife, he’s forced to question many things about himself and his relationship. Now that he’s living in a different body, how much longer will he be able to hide who he truly is? Is his relationship with Elizabeth over? Or is this change exactly what the couple needed to stay together?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Every life is precious. Please treasure each and every day, the present, the moment, and yourself.”

Orange: Volume 2 by Ichigo Takano

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.

Here’s a bit of BookTok news that we can’t ignore. One popular BookTuber has been very vocal about her appreciation for hockey romance. Which is all well and good, until you start calling out real hockey players — specifically Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg. Here’s a timeline of how the BookTok attention went from “all in good fun” to sexual harassment.

Bonus: if you want opinions from the BookTube community, they’ve got them: Check out these videos from Swell Entertainment and with cindy. And here’s one from another Book Radar fave Jess Owens.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

black cat and orange cat sitting in window

More cats in the window? Don’t mind if I do. Today, we’ve got a double cat window situation. If you’re new here, that’s Remy on the left and Murray on the right. I love them so much!

And that’s all for today, everyone. Have a wonderful weekend. Try to sleep in or something. I hear sleep is good for you.

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Robert Downey Jr. Shares Sustainable Food Habits in New Book and More Book Radar!

Y’all!

Heartstopper season 2 is out, and I can’t talk to anyone right now because I’m in that post-Heartstopper release bliss bubble. But how are you doing? I hope well! Let’s talk books.

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

Cool Food Book Cover

Robert Downey Jr. has revealed the cover of his forthcoming book, Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time. Per its publisher, Blackstone Publishing, the book is an “eye-opening” exploration of sustainable food habits, action items, and over two dozen delicious recipes. The book, co-written with New York Times bestselling author and journalist Thomas Kostigen, will be out on January 23, 2024.

Here’s the cover of Leanne Schwartz’s upcoming YA romantic fantasy To A Darker Shore. It’s out on April 2, 2024.

Actor Delroy Lindo has sold a currently untitled memoir to Little, Brown. The book is set for a fall 2025 release.

Sarah Pekkanen, co-author of The Wife Between Us, will be writing two more books for St. Martin’s Press. The new books will launch what St. Martin’s intends to be a one-book per-year schedule for Pekkanen.

Eric S. Singer will be adapting his book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer for YA readers. The adult version of the biography was published in 2005 and has since won a Pulitzer and was adapted by Christopher Nolan for his film Oppenheimer.

The Ripped Bodice, a romance book store, opened in Brooklyn over the weekend.

An adaptation of best-selling author Daniel Kraus’ upcoming novel Whalefall is in the works. The book is scheduled to publish on August 8 by MTV Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is reportedly in the process of adapting Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel The Warriors into a Broadway musical.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Can’t Wait for This One!

theres always this year book cover

There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib (Random House, March 26, 2024)

Hanif Abdurraqib is an author, poet, and cultural critic. But one of the most significant parts of his identity is basketball fan. Abdurraqib grew up in Ohio in the 1990s and had the opportunity to witness the golden age of the sport. In this book, Abdurraqib looks at his personal love and connection with basketball while also reflecting on the nature of success, what it means to make it, talent, role models, and LeBron James. Just to name a few topics this book covers!

If you have yet to read one of Abdurraqib’s books, then you’re in for a treat. The author’s prose is passionate, poetic, and personal. And I didn’t mean to go for alliteration there, but it worked out that way. Even if you’re just a casual basketball fan (or don’t care about the sport at all), there is so much to love about Abdurraqib’s lyrical writing and storytelling style.

What I’m Reading This Week

orange vol 2 book cover

Orange: Volume 2 by Ichigo Takano

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher and Sarah Pipher Gilliam

Monday Memes

This is definitely me trying to get everyone to read Chain-Gang All-Stars immediately.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Murray, an orange cat, chilling in a window sill

The beautiful cat-in-window pictures continue! This time we’ve got Murray again. He is the king of window sunbathing. This cat is the most chill and relaxed cat I’ve ever met. It makes me wish I was chill and relaxed too. But, you know, he doesn’t have to pay bills, so that makes it easier for him.

And that’s all for Monday, friends! Have a good week.

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Billy Dee Williams Shares Cover of New Memoir and More Book Radar!

What’s up, Book Friends?

Emily here with another round of Book Radar news to get you through your Thursday. It’s been quite a week with another round of Silent Reading Party and a fun Ghost Files live show. You gotta keep enough fun in your life to stave off the existential mid-week dread, right? Question: do you believe in ghosts? I do! Second question: if you were going to a Silent Reading Party, what book would you be reading? These aren’t rhetorical questions, so feel free to reach out and let me know. In the meantime, let’s talk books!

XOXO, Gossip Emily

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. New books for days. Subscribe today — you won’t be able to read them all, but it’s fun to try!

Book Deals and Reveals

Star Wars star Billy Dee Williams has shared the cover of his upcoming memoir What Have We Here? The book’s editor Victoria Wilson said in a statement, “Billy Dee Williams has had a fascinating life and career. The book he writes is fun and, like Billy, hard to resist and draws you in.” The book will be published on February 13, 2024.

Hyperion Avenue, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, is launching Marvel Crime. The program will publish “hard-edged crime-fiction for adults” and includes three original novels, each featuring different Marvel characters. The first title debuts in 2024.

Penguin Teen has the cover reveal for Black Girl You Are Atlas, “a thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood.” The book is written by award-winning author and poet Renée Watson, with art by Ekua Holmes. It’s hitting shelves on February 13, 2024.

And Literary Hub is sharing the cover of Real Americans by Rachel Khong. It’s out from Knopf on April 30, 2024.

Can’t wait for the next installment of Xio Axelrod’s The Lillys series? Paste has shared the cover of the next book! Girls with Bad Reputations will be out next year.

Check out the cover of Infinity Alchemist, the young adult fantasy debut from award-winning author Kacen Callender. It’s out on February 6, 2024, from Tor Teen.

The new trailer for Loki Season 2 gives fans a first look at Ke Huy Quan as OB, a maintenance man for the Time Variance Authority. This is the actor’s MCU debut. Loki Season 2 premieres on October 6th, streaming on Disney+.

The longlist has been announced for the 2023 Booker Prize.

Are you a President Barbie or a Weird Barbie? Find out which Barbie you really are with this fun Barbie book quiz.

New month, new books! Check out our August 2023 horoscopes to find out which book the planets are guiding you to read.

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!

Join Rebecca & Jeff in the First Edition podcast to consider the 10 finalists for the “It Book” of August and pick a winner.

Prepare Your Shelves!

cover of the death I gave him by em x liu

The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu (Solaris, September 12)

I’ve been patiently awaiting the release of this one since it was announced in 2021, and it’s finally time for all of us to prepare our shelves! The Death I Gave Him is a queer sci-fi retelling of Hamlet that’s also a locked-room mystery. That’s a genre mash-up I can really get behind!

After Hayden Lichfield’s father is found murdered in their laboratory, the facility goes into lockdown until they uncover who committed the crime. Now everyone in the lab is a murder suspect. And days before Hayden’s father died, he recorded a video for his son with the message: Avenge me. Now, over the course of the next 14 hours, Hayden will have to investigate the suspects and uncover the secrets of the lab. His only ally in his pursuit is the lab’s artificial intelligence Horatio, who has been his dear friend since his creation.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“There are a few times in life when you leap up and the past that you’d been standing on falls away behind you, and the future you mean to lean on is not yet in place, and for a moment you are suspended, knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself.”

— The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

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.

How about some Bookstagram drama, friends? Recently, Jess on Youtube posted a video examining one Bookstagrammer’s post about cop romances and the backlash that followed.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Oh, you want more pics of cats in the window? You got ’em! I’ve got a never-ending supply. I had to hold up a toy to get Remy to look at me today, but we got the picture, and that’s all that matters.

And that’s all for Thursday’s Book Radar, friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you next time!

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Lizzo Plays LORD OF THE RINGS Theme Song and More Book Radar!

Book Friends,

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for another round of Book Radar. I hope you had a great weekend filled with books, fun podcasts, kittens, baked goods, and whatever else your heart desired. I’ve been a little under the weather AGAIN, but I’m pulling through. Thanks for asking. Now how about we talk books?

What do S.A. Cosby, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah Bakewell, and Yahdon Israel have in common? They’ve been guests on Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition, where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Subscribe to hear them and stay to hear Book Riot’s editors pick the “it” book of the month.

Book Deals and Reveals

cover of Like Thunder by Need Okorafor

Here’s the cover reveal for Like Thunder, book 2 in Nnedi Okorafor’s Desert Magician’s Duology. This one is out in November from DAW Books.

Entertainment Weekly has shared the cover and an excerpt from Myah Ariel’s debut novel, When I Think of You, inspired by her own past as a Hollywood assistant. It hits shelves on April 24, 2024.

And here’s the cover reveal for Ashley Elston’s adult debut, First Lie Wins. It’s out from Headline Books in January 2024.

Tor.com has got the cover reveal for River Mumma, a contemporary fantasy novel by Zalika Reid-Benta. The novel will be out on February 20, 2024, from Erewhon Books.

Canelo is launching a new horror imprint in October 2023. The imprint, which will “honor books and authors that have shaped the genre while charting its own territory to offer the most unique and chilling novels being written today,” kicks off with John Langan’s The Fisherman on October 9.

The lawsuit against Taylor Swift, which accused her of copying design elements from a self-published poetry book, has been dropped.

Literary Hub is sharing their picks for the best book covers of July.

Twitter is a breeding ground of negativity. Meanwhile, Tumblr has found new popularity. Should Book Twitter migrate to Tumblr?

Here is the best new Korean literature in translation, from science fiction like Counterweight by Djuna and translated by Anton Hur to literary fiction, short stories, and poetry.

The Digital Public Library of America has launched a new program that lets readers download banned books depending on their area.

Looking for a little bookish joy this Monday? Here’s Lizzo playing the theme song to Lord of the Rings on the recorder.

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!

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. Start your 14-day free trial today.

Can’t Wait for This One

a haunting on the hill book cover

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand (Mulholland Books, October 3)

Did you read Elizabeth Hand’s 2022 novel Hokuloa Road? How about Wylding Hall? If so, you already know Elizabeth Hand is a talented author of horror and thrillers (and many other genres at that). What you might not know is that Hand’s next novel is the first-ever authorized return to the world of Shirley Jackson’s classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House. And it’s queer. In other words, I cannot wait for this one.

Holly Sherwin is a struggling playwright who has received a grant to develop her play The Witch of Edmonton. When she comes upon Hill House, she thinks it’s the perfect getaway spot to finish the play. Soon Holly is joined by her girlfriend, Nisa, and a group of actors. But each person who enters Hill House brings with them ghosts of their own, and soon the house retaliates against its new inhabitants.

Halloween fans, this one is coming out right at the beginning of October, so this is going to be the perfect read to get you ready for the best season of the year. Let’s all read it together? Book Radar Halloween book club?

What I’m Reading This Week

the beast you are book cover

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Monday Memes

Hi Barbie! Did I see Barbie again over the weekend? You betcha. Here are some more bookish Barbie memes. Be sure to scroll through all of them! My favorite is the meme of Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

shocked tuxedo cat in a cat house

Okay, I want you all to caption this one. I’m too busy laughing.

But yeah…Remy loves his new little cat house. Look how relaxed he is.

And that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have an incredible week. See you soon!

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

HEARTSTOPPER Season 2 Trailer Released and More Book Radar!

Hi Book Friends!

Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going well, friends. I’ve got a boatload of fun book stuff to share with you today, so let’s skip the small talk and get right into it? Y’all know I can’t wait another second to gush about Heartstopper. Let’s do this.

What do S.A. Cosby, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah Bakewell, and Yahdon Israel have in common? They’ve been guests on Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition, where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Subscribe to hear them and stay to hear Book Riot’s editors pick the “it” book of the month.

Book Deals and Reveals

heartstopper season 2 poster

Let’s start with the news I really cannot wait to share! Heartstopper season 2 is dropping next week (on August 3!), and Netflix has released a trailer for the upcoming season. I cannot wait for this joy of a show to return, and I’ve just been basking in the new trailer in the meantime.

Now let’s get to the most exciting cover reveal we’ve gotten in some time (in my humble opinion). Alyssa Cole has a new thriller coming out! Here’s the cover of One of Us Knows, designed by Ploy Siripant. This one’s out from William Morrow on April 16, 2024. You can preorder it here.

Cosmopolitan has shared the cover and the first chapter of Melissa Blair’s A Vicious Game. The novel is set to be released on February 6, 2024.

And from Paste, we’ve gotten the cover reveal and an excerpt from the next book in Mimi Matthew’s Belles of London series, The Lily of Ludgate Hall. This one hits shelves on January 16, 2024.

George R.R. Martin has announced that his overall deal with HBO was suspended on June 1. Like many other film and television deals, Martin’s has been put on pause while Hollywood writers and actors strike in pursuit of equitable pay and greater transparency in the streaming era.

Saeed Jones has won the Ohioana Book Award for Poetry for his book Alive at the End of the World.

The sequel to Emil Harris’ graphic novel My Favorite Thing is Monsters will be out on April 9, 2024. It’s available for preorder now.

In an analysis of 300,000 English Literature syllabi, these are the novels by women authors that were the most commonly assigned.

One home baker tested the best pound cake recipes from five popular cookbooks. Which one was a crumb above the rest?

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!

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. Start your 14-day free trial today.

Prepare Your Shelves!

the trap book cover

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard (Blackstone Publishing, August 1)

In 2021, Catherine Ryan Howard published 56 days, a thriller set during the COVID-19 lockdown. The novel had everyone talking, and every thriller fan was reading it. That’s going to be The Trap this August, and it’s out tomorrow, so prepare your shelves!

The Trap is a unique thriller inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the ’90s. One year ago, Lucy’s sister Nicki went out to a pub in Dublin and never returned. Nicki wasn’t the first woman to go missing, and no one seems to have answers. So Lucy decides to take the investigation into her own hands. Meanwhile, Angela in the Missing Persons Unit is desperate to become an official member of the Irish police force. When the official investigation into the missing women in Dublin meets a dead end, Angela sees this as her opportunity to break through and solve the case. But is she prepared to put everything on the line to uncover the killer?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“I don’t know her well enough for that. We’re friendly, but it’s not like we have the kind of rapport that I can say, ‘My childhood friend was watching you and thinks your daughter is under demonic threat. Would you care to meet her?”

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

What I’m Watching This Weekend

I know everyone is still buzzing about Barbie and Oppenheimer, but we have a new weekend coming up, and there’s one highly anticipated new film that I hear is worth the hype. Talk to Me is the must-see horror movie of the summer, and I must see it this weekend. Are you going? Let me know!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s another classic cat-in-the-window picture. Friends, the weather in Seattle has been TO DIE FOR. Cool. Sunny. Gorgeous. Murray is just lapping it all up just like the rest of us are. Murray and I have been in Seattle for nearly a whole year, and it’s the best! I hope you’ve been having a wonderful summer as well. And, hey, I’ll see you on Monday!

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Barack Obama Announces Summer Reading List and More Book Radar!

Hello Book Friends!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, and Happy Monday! How are you doing? Me, I’m watching YouTube videos about the latest Sims 4 expansion pack, Horse Ranch. Why? Because even though I don’t care about having horses, I’m a sucker for a Sims expansion pack. So maybe my Sims are about to become horse people. Does anyone else play the Sims? Anyone play the Sims while listening to audiobooks? Cause I do. Let me know. And…now for more book chat.

What do S.A. Cosby, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah Bakewell, and Yahdon Israel have in common? They’ve been guests on Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition, where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Subscribe to hear them and stay to hear Book Riot’s editors pick the “it” book of the month.

Book Deals and Reveals

maybe it's a sign book cover

Barack Obama has announced his list of books he’s reading this summer.

Here’s the cover of Maybe It’s a Sign by E. L. Shen. The book features artwork from Sher Rill Ng. It’s out in January!

The next book release from Gillian Flynn’s imprint has gotten a cover reveal! Here’s the cover of One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall.

And here’s the cover reveal for Blessing Musariri’s All That It Ever Meant. This YA novel is out in November 2023.

Harlequin Trade Publishing has announced that it will close the Inkyard Press imprint and transition the imprint’s titles to Harper Collins Children’s Books.

Hulu is releasing the full 10-episode series The Other Black Girl on September 13. The original series is based on the novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris.

The Wheel of Time season 2 trailer has been released by Prime Video. Season two will premiere on Prime Video on September 1 this year.

American Psycho is getting a comic book adaptation. The four-issue comic book series will publish later this year.

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!

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. Start your 14-day free trial today.

Can’t Wait for This One

a tempest of tea book cover

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, February 20, 2024)

Here’s a new duology we can get excited about in 2024, and it’s from Hafsah Faizal, the bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame. Criminal mastermind Arthie Casimir runs a prestigious tearoom by day, but at night the room transforms into an illegal bloodhouse. Here, vampires who are feared by society are welcome to gather in the dark.

But when Arthie’s establishment is threatened, she will be forced to call upon the outcasts of the city, forging unlikely alliances to protect her business. Together, they will infiltrate the vampire society known as the Athereum. Still, Arthie is a criminal dealing with other criminals, and no one is quite sure who they can trust.

This book is being described as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, but with vampires. Sounds amazing to me, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this and the sequel — although a release date for the second novel has not been announced yet.

What I’m Reading This Week

seven empty houses book cover

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

Pageboy by Elliot Page

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Monday Memes

More Barbie memes? They will never get old!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

cat on rainbow stripes

Since so many of you enjoyed seeing Pizza Roll last week, here’s another pic of Pizza Roll I thought you might enjoy. And if you want to join the adventures of Pizza Roll and his siblings, check out his Instagram, pizzaparty_4u.

Thanks to Pizza Roll’s parents for allowing me to share him with you!

And that’s all for Book Radar today. Have a great week. <3

Emily

Categories
Book Radar

Barbie-Themed TBRs and More Book Radar!

Happy Barbie Day, Book Friends!

What do S.A. Cosby, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah Bakewell, and Yahdon Israel have in common? They’ve been guests on Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition, where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Subscribe to hear them and stay to hear Book Riot’s editors pick the “it” book of the month.

Today is the day I finally go see the Barbie movie. Will my life be changed forever? Only time will tell. In the meantime, let’s chat books, shall we?

Book Deals and Reveals

Goon with a Spoon cookbook cover

Snoop Dogg is releasing a cookbook with E-40 called Goon with the Spoon, and here’s the cover reveal! It’s out this fall from Chronicle Books.

Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham are collaborating on Lunar New Year Love Story, a young adult graphic novel out from First Second in January. Here’s the cover reveal!

Excited about The Marvels? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Marvel movie. The film hits theaters this November.

Speaking of The Marvels, Iman Vellani, star of the upcoming movie, is writing a new Ms. Marvel comic.

Let’s keep the Marvel news coming. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 will be available to stream on Disney+ on August 2.

And here’s a first look at the Pet Semetary sequel film, Pet Semetary: Bloodlines. Just in time for Halloween, the movie will premiere on October 6 on Paramount+.

Publishers Weekly has just released a list of the bestselling print books of the first half of 2023, including Adult, YA, and Children’s.

Reader’s Digest has released a list of 100 of the best books of all time, including a mix of nonfiction and fiction of differing genres.

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!

Delighting velocireaders since 2017, Book Riot’s New Release Index will keep you in the know about all the latest books. Start your 14-day free trial today.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Bridge Book Cover

Bridge by Lauren Beukes (Mulholland Books, August 8)

What’s so fun about Lauren Beukes novels? Well, they’re all a little bit different, but generally speaking, they’re suspense thrillers that are dark, edgy, surprising, and creative. If you’ve never read Lauren Beukes before, you should know you’re likely going to encounter some sort of fantasy or sci-fi element happening as well. In other words, what’s not to love?

Beuke’s latest novel Bridge might be her most inventive story yet. Bridget Kittinger’s mother, Jo, is a neuroscientist obsessed with the mythical object “the dreamworm,” which she believed would allow her to travel to different worlds. Then after Jo mysteriously dies, Bridget finds the dreamworm deep in her mother’s freezer. Yes, the dreamworm is real and it can transport the user to other realities. Does this mean her mother is out there somewhere?

August is just around the corner, and this one is out on August 8, so prepare your shelves!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Hollywood is built on leveraging queerness. Tucking it away when needed, pulling it out when beneficial, while patting themselves on the back. Hollywood doesn’t lead the way, it responds, it follows, slowly and far behind. The depth of that closet, the trove of secrets buried, indifferent to the consequences. I was punished for being queer while I watched others be protected and celebrated, who gleefully abused people in the wide open.”

Pageboy by Elliot Page

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.

Like I’ve been saying, it’s time for Barbie, and I’m not the only one who’s excited. A lot of people have been putting together their very own Barbie TBRs. Let’s have a look at a few!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

cat sleeping in window

We’ve got a theme going on. And it’s Murray in the window. I hope you enjoy, because it’s summer, the sun is out, and this is his position of choice. We love him.

And that’s all friends! Again, Happy Barbie weekend to all who observe this holiday. See you next week!

Emily