Author: Emily Martin

Victor LaValle’s LONE WOMEN Has Been Optioned for TV Adaptation: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 2, 2023

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Camilla Läckberg & Henrik Fexeus Novels Secure Three-Season TV Adaptation At Viaplay

Camilla Läckberg and Henrik Fexeus’ bestselling crime novels are being adapted into a three-season English-language TV series at Viaplay. The adaptation will be based on the books Trapped, Cult and upcoming novel Mirage. “Camilla and Henrik have international followings and their thrilling stories are ideally suited to streaming,” said Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer. The series will be executive produced by Sara Askelöf for Viaplay Group and sold globally by Viaplay Content Distribution.

Victor LaValle’s Lone Women Has Been Optioned for TV Adaptation

An adaptation of Victor LaValle’s most recent novel Lone Women is in the works. “We sold the rights about six months ago to one of the cool streamers,” LaValle said in an interview with Esquire. “I’m adapting that myself. I’ve written the pilot and we have an amazing director attached to it, plus a wonderful actress to play Adelaide. We’re trying to turn that into a season. Here’s hoping.” Lone Women was just published by One World on March 28 of this year.

Author Clint Smith Reads Poem “All At Once” on The Late Show

Author Clint Smith joined The Late Show last week to read a poem from his new book Above Ground. The Late Show shared the full reading on Twitter this past Thursday. Clint Smith’s poetry collection was published by Little, Brown on March 28. In a tweet, Smith described his new book as “a meditation on family, lineage, and how we hold all the complexities of the world alongside one another. I loved writing this book and am so excited to finally share it with you all.”

Writing for the Bad Faith Reader

Authors and readers are more connected than ever. Here’s how one writer avoids obsessing over the bad faith reader.

Today In Books

Sony Pictures Animation Releases New SPIDER-VERSE Short Film: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 1, 2023

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Bestselling Author Brandon Sanderson Challenges Audible Over “Poor” Deal Terms

Bestselling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is publicly challenging Audible, claiming the Amazon audiobook platform “treat[s] authors very poorly.” Sanderson has announced that he is releasing four new titles on Spotify and Speechify rather than on Audible. A spokesperson for Audible told Axiom, “We look forward to ongoing dialogue with [Sanderson] on how we can further improve the experience for him and other creators, while bringing his work and others’ to our listeners.” Sanderson says he has received support from other authors and industry group; however, he’s realistic about what he will be able to accomplish. “How does anyone take on Amazon? Right?” Sanderson said. “I don’t want to go to war with Amazon, they would win.”

Sony Pictures Animation Releases New Spider-Verse Short Film

Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks will release a brand new original short film titled The Spider Within. The short film is set within the world of the upcoming film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The Spider Within is part of the new mentorship program LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers), which aims to give leadership opportunities to high-potential candidates from underrepresented groups. Under the guidance of the program, Michelle Raimo Kouyate and David Schulenburg will work together to produce a short film. It will debut exclusively at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this June.

2023 Whiting Award Winners Announced

The 2023 Whiting Award winners were announced at an in-person ceremony held on March 29 in New York City. Winners of the award are given a cash prize of $50,000 and are recognized as emerging talents in their respective categories of drama, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. This year’s winners are: Tommye Blount, Mia Chung, Ama Codjoe, Marcia Douglas, Sidik Fofana, Carribean Fragoza, R. Kikuo Johnson, Linda Kinstler, Stephania Taladrid, and Emma Wippermann. An in-person event, featuring reading from the award winners, was held on March 30 at the Center for Fiction.

8 of the Best Audiobooks from the First Quarter of 2023

Listen your way into some of the best audiobooks from the beginning of 2023. It’s off to a bang!

Book Radar

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Touring to Promote New Book and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 31, 2023

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Happy Monday, Book Friends!

I hope you’re doing well. And oh my gosh…it’s April. Hopefully you survived April Fool’s Day. As we enter into a new month, we’re given new opportunities. And April also means my husband and I are coming up on our five-year wedding anniversary, so that’s cool too. Here’s to a good month! Now let’s talk book stuff.

Book Deals and Reveals

Lauren Groff has revealed the cover of her upcoming novel The Vaster Wilds, a historical novel she’s been working on since 2017. The book will be out on September 12.

Author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is going on tour to promote his highly-anticipated debut novel Chain-Gang All-Stars.

Bestselling author Josie Silver is back with a new book this fall, and Goodreads has revealed the cover! A Winter in New York hits shelves in October.

And here’s the cover reveal for Vanessa Chan’s The Storm We Made. This debut novel will be published by Marysue Rucci Books in January 2024.

Paste Magazine has the exclusive cover reveal for Ally Condie’s The Only Girl in Town. This book hits shelves on September 19.

More exclusive cover reveals! Nerd Daily has shared the cover of Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez. This one’s out on September 5.

Dolly Parton has sold the world rights to her book Dolly Parton’s Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones. This book is set for an October release.

The North American rights to Allison Gunn’s debut novel Nowhere were acquired by Atria’s Loan Le in a preempt.

The winners of 2023 Audie Awards were announced this week. The award honors the best audiobook performances in 26 categories.

Emily Henry’s bestselling bookish romance novel Book Lovers is getting the feature film treatment, produced by Lia Buman.

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!

Prepare Your Shelves

Throwback by Maurene Goo (Zando, April 11)

I think I’ve mentioned before in this newsletter that I’m a sucker for ’90s nostalgia. Like, This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey is one of my favorite YA books in recent years. I was living for all of the ’90s references. Now we’ve got Throwback by Maurene Goo coming out in just a little over a week, and it’s going to be magical for us ’90s lovers. And it’s got Back to the Future vibes? Let’s do this.

Samantha Kang and her mother Priscilla have never seen eye-to-eye. After one particularly intense fight between mother and daughter, something unexpected happens. Samantha is transported back in time to the ’90s, where a 17-year-old version of her mother goes to the same high school as her. How will Gen Z Samantha fit in with the Gen X high school crowd? And will Samantha be able to figure out how to help her mother so that she can go back to her own time?

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

What I’m Reading This Week

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Our Share of Night by Marian Enriquez

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Monday Memes

I, like the rest of the world, have been following the wild Gwyneth Paltrow skiing trial. Am I proud of it? No. But the memes are epic. And there are even bookish memes!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I missed Murray so much while I was away. I’m seriously never going to leave home again. I really mean it. How could I leave behind this face and these cuddles?

Those of you who travel and have pets, how do you deal with it? I get so sad every time, and all I can think about is cats.

And with that, Monday’s Book Radar is over! Time flies! See you on Thursday.

Emily

Today In Books

Marjorie Taylor Greene Confronted on School Shootings and Book Bans: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 31, 2023

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New Project Seeks to Bring South Asian Literature to Western Readers

The cross-continental South Asian Literature in Translation (SALT) is launching a new project this summer. The project seeks to bring the “extraordinarily rich” literature of south Asia to English-speaking countries. SALT is a multi-year project set up by the University of Chicago, in partnership with the American Literary Translators Association, English PEN, Words Without Borders and the British Council. Daisy Rockwell, translator of the Hindi-language novel Tomb of Sand and a member of SALT’s advisory board, says she expects the impact of the program to be “enormous.” Rockwell says “there is a vibrant translation scene” in south Asia, especially India, but “scarcely any of this work gets published outside the subcontinent.” The SALT project will begin formally in July.

Metro Detroit Man Uncovers One of the Largest and Most Valuable Comic Book Collections in the Country

A Metro Detroit man has uncovered one of the largest and most valuable comic book collections in the country. His father kept his collection secret for over 50 years, but now what was once a source of shame has become a family’s pride. The full story will be featured in an upcoming documentary called Selling Superman.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Confronted on School Shootings and Book Bans

Members of Congress clashed in Washington earlier this week. Florida democrat Jared Moskowitz angrily confronted republican Marjorie Taylor Greene amid national grief and anger following the Nashville elementary school shooting. “There are six people who are dead in that school — including three children — because you guys got rid of the assault weapons ban,” Moskowitz said. “You guys are worried about banning books. Dead kids can’t read.”

10 Swoon-Worthy Bisexual Romance Books

Whatever you’re looking for in your next read, there’s a hopeful tale in each of these bisexual romance books.

Today In Books

Original Cast of SCOTT PILGRIM Returns for All-New Anime Series: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 30, 2023

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts Adds Lee Sung Jin as Writer

Lee Sung Jin, creator and showrunner of Netflix’s Beef, will write the script for Marvel’s upcoming film Thunderbolts. This project reunites Lee with Beef director Jake Schrier and co-star Steven Yeun. “It’s the whole squad again,” Lee told Variety. “Jake asked me if I would come on board. I probably should have taken a break, but there’s a lot of themes and exciting things about the movie that I couldn’t help but sign on.” Thunderbolts is scheduled to begin filming in June with a July 26, 2024 release date.

Original Cast of Scott Pilgrim Returns for All-New Anime Series

The original cast of the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World are reuniting to voice an all-new anime series based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley and artist BenDavid Grabinski. O’Malley and Grabinski will serve as executive producers, writers and showrunners on the project. Edgar Wright — the director, co-writer and producer of the 2010 film — will also return as an executive producer. “We’re getting the band back together!” said O’Malley and Grabinski in a joint statement. “A stellar cast, perfectly assembled by Edgar Wright. And, with Science SARU leading the phenomenal animation, we couldn’t ask for a better team for this adventure. We can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to see what we and our partners at Science SARU have been cooking up. It’s going to be a wild ride.” The Scott Pilgrim anime series is coming soon, streaming on Netflix.

Author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah on Tour for Chain-Gang All-Stars

Author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is going on tour to promote his highly-anticipated debut novel Chain-Gang All-Stars. The tour kicks off on Tuesday, May 2 at a PEN Out Loud event in New York, where Adjei-Brenyah will be in conversation with Roxane Gay. Other notable authors Adjei-Brenyah will talk with on his tour: Tayari Jones (Atlanta, GA on May 4); Sequoia Nagamatsu (St. Paul, MN on May 9); Tommy Orange (San Francisco, CA on May 17); Yaa Gyasi (Brooklyn, NY on May 24); Tochi Onyebuchi (New York, NY on May 31); and many more. See a full list of tour dates and get event details here.

A Likewise App Review: Does it Work for Books?

Likewise promises to learn your taste to give better recommendations for TV, books, and more. Find more in this Likewise app review.

Book Radar

Jhumpa Lahiri Releasing New Short Story Collection and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 29, 2023

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Dear Book Friends,

Greetings from the air! I’m in flight and on my way back home to Seattle, and I’m so excited to get back to cooler weather. I will say I did a lot of walking while I was in New Orleans, which means I did a lot of audiobook listening. And I went to my favorite coffee shop in New Orleans not one, not two, not three, but FOUR TIMES. I am serious about how much I love French Truck Coffee, ok? I also got some coffee to bring home with me, because apparently we don’t have enough delicious coffee in Seattle. Hey, I know what I like. So yeah, if you love books and obsess over your favorite coffee, you’re my people. And you’ve come to the right newsletter. There will be cats later too. So stick around.

Before we get to Book Radar, have you heard about Book Riot’s latest newsletter, The Deep Dive? If you’re looking for fascinating insider stories from long standing experts in the book and publishing world. then you should check it out. For just $5 a month, you’ll receive exclusive content via email twice a month. You can also try The Splash Pad for free, which will round up recs and bookish goods once a month. Read more and find your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com.

Book Deals and Reveals

Publisher Alfred A. Knopf has announced a new short story collection from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. Roman Stories will be out from Knopf on October 10.

And here’s the cover reveal for Pulitzer Prize winner J.M. Coetzee’s new novel. The Pole is out from Liveright this September.

Here’s the cover reveal for Hailey Piper’s A Light Most Hateful. The book is out from Titan Books on October 10. Preorder here!

Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon will be out in limited theaters starting on October 6. The film will get a wide release on October 20.

Netflix has handed out a fifth season renewal to its series You, starring Penn Badgley. This will be the show’s final season.

Publisher HarperCollins is editing Agatha Christie’s classic detective novels to remove language considered offensive to modern audiences.

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown will publish her first novel Nineteen Steps with William Morrow this fall. You can preorder here.

Prince Harry’s bestselling memoir Spare is getting the parody treatment with the book Spare Us! A Harrody. The joke book is very real, and it will be available to buy in the U.K. on April 5.

If you’re looking to get a tween or teen into comics, here are the 8 most popular graphic novels, according to a high school book club.

Are publishers acquiring fewer LGBTQ+ and diverse books in the wake of rising censorship?

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora (Penguin Teen, August 14)

If you love YA horror featuring atmospheric, dark gothic houses, creepy dolls, and oh yeah, cats, then this book is for you. And yeah, if you’re seeing the title of this book and thinking “this reminds me of Holly Hobbie,” you’re not wrong! This book is a dark reimagining of the classic character Holly Hobbie. So if you ever enjoyed the Holly Hobbie greeting cards, dolls, or even the TV series, but thought to yourself, “I wish this was horror,” then yes, this book is also for you.

Holly Horror is the story of Evie Archer, who moves to Ravenglass, Massachusetts following her parents’ divorce. All her family needs is a fresh start, but in their new home—known by locals as the Horror House—Evie gets way more than she bargained for. Before Evie’s family moved into the house, it was the home of Holly Hobbie, who disappeared mysteriously out of her bedroom one night. Now the memory of Holly haunts the home and begins to take over Evie’s life. Can Evie find out what happened to Holly the night she disappeared? Or is history doomed to repeat itself?

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“The mind is a different matter than the body. It’s meant to be sacred, private.”

— House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

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.

This is old news now, but as of 2022, Tumblr is making a comeback. Like every good millennial, I was on Tumblr back when I was in college. Now I’m thinking it might be time to return and foster a book community there? There are already a bunch of great bookish blogs on Tumblr: bookphile, bookaddict24-7, books-cupcakes, booksarefriends… just to name a few. Are you on Tumblr? What book accounts do you follow? Let me know!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I’m back home today, but I thought we should look back at the cats we left behind in New Orleans. Here’s Indigo, the other fluffy angel I had the honor of hanging with while i was visiting my friends. Look how cute she is. She is all floof.

And that’s all for Thursday’s Book Radar, friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Emily

Today In Books

Lauren Groff Reveals Cover of Upcoming Novel THE VASTER WILDS: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 29, 2023

Sponsored by

London’s County Hall to Host Immersive Paddington Bear Theatre Show

The world of Paddington Bear is being recreated for an immersive theatre show at London’s County Hall. Audiences will be invited to explore 32 Windsor Gardens, the setting for Michael Bond’s Paddington books. The Paddington Bear Experience, designed by Immersive Octopus, will span 26,000 sq ft and will center around a story written by Katie Lyons, in which the audience will help the Brown family prepare for a special occasion. You can find out more about The Paddington Experience at their website.

Jerry Torre Memoir The Marble Farm of Grey Gardens to be Adapted for Film

A film adaptation of Jerry Torre’s memoir The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens is in the works from Unger Media. Leo Geter (Longmire) will write the script and also produce. Drew Droege and Unger Media CEO Jonathan Unger will executive produce. Torre will also be involved creatively. Casting is currently underway for the role of Torre.

Lauren Groff Reveals Cover of Upcoming Novel The Vaster Wilds

Lauren Groff has revealed the cover of her upcoming novel The Vaster Wilds, a historical novel she’s been working on since 2017. “I don’t believe in any dogma,” Groff said when interviewed about her new novel, “but I want to sort of wrestle with God or whatever that means for me at the moment—the larger purpose, the eternal mysteries, the wonder of the world. I think this book allowed me to really pay a lot of attention to these things, to think through a spiritual relationship to God that doesn’t necessarily have much to do with the hierarchies of the Protestant church in which I was raised. I think that I was very grateful for that, for the book, bringing that back to me.” The Vaster Wilds will be out on September 12.

Oprah’s Book Club by the Numbers

Oprah just picked her 100th book for her book club. So here’s a fun breakdown of Oprah’s book club by the numbers!

Today In Books

Martin Scorsese’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Gets October Release Date: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 28, 2023

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Margo Jefferson Wins 2023 Rathbones Folio Prize

Margo Jefferson has won the 2023 Rathbones Folio Prize for her memoir Constructing a Nervous System. Constructing a Nervous System combines memoir and criticism to explore Black womanhood through the pop culture icons Jefferson grew up with. The memoir, which the judges called “astounding and rhapsodic” took home the prize for nonfiction as well as the overall award. Michelle de Kretser won the fiction award for Scary Monsters, and Victoria Adukwei Bulley took home the poetry award for her debut collection Quiet. The category winners each received £2,000, and Jefferson was awarded an additional £30,000 for winning the overall award.

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon Gets October Release Date

Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon will be out in limited theaters starting on October 6. The film will get a wide release on October 20. Killers of the Flower Moon, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, and Brendan Fraser, is based on David Grann’s best-selling book of the same name. The film is produced by Apple Original Films and will also be available to stream on Apple TV+ at an unspecified date.

Internet Archive Loses Lawsuit Over Ebook Copyright Infringement

Leading publishing houses Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House all sued the Internet Archive for scanning and lending out numerous digital copies of copyrighted books. The Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization, says that it was launched to help people who lost access to their physical libraries during the pandemic. U.S. District Court Judge John G. Koeltl sided with the plaintiffs, agreeing that the Internet Archive should no longer have the right to distribute copyrighted content. “Libraries are more than the customer service departments for corporate database products. For democracy to thrive at global scale, libraries must be able to sustain their historic role in society — owning, preserving, and lending books,” said Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle. “This ruling is a blow for libraries, readers, and authors and we plan to appeal it.”

10 of the Best Word Game Apps to Get You Through 2023

If you’re looking for some new word games to exercise your brain, check out the 10 best word game apps 2023 has to offer!

Today In Books

HEARTSTOPPER Author Alice Oseman Slams “Thriving” Homophobia Following Book Ban in Florida: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 27, 2023

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Agatha Christie’s Classic Detective Novels Edited to Remove Potentially Offensive Language

Publisher HarperCollins is editing Agatha Christie’s classic detective novels to remove language considered offensive to modern audiences. The books, published between 1920 and 1976, have been changed to remove some of the characters’ inner dialogue to remove offensive character descriptions. Other passages have been entirely removed. These edits will be seen in the new digital editions of the books.

Heartstopper Author Alice Oseman Slams “Thriving” Homophobia Following Book Ban in Florida

In response to a recent ban of their graphic novel Heartstopper, author Alice Oseman decried the book bans as thinly-veiled homophobia. “Racism, homophobia and transphobia are thriving under the guise of ‘concern for children.’ This is not just a U.S. issue either,” Oseman said. “We’re seeing the exact same ‘concern’ here in the UK.” Oseman also shared a statement by the Florida Freedom to Read Project, including the quote: “Indoctrination happens when you remove access to ideas.”

Alfred A. Knopf Announces New Jhumpa Lahiri Book Out This Fall

Publisher Alfred A. Knopf has announced a new short story collection from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. This is the first short story collection from Lahiri since her number one New York Times best seller Unaccustomed Earth. Lahiri’s new book Roman Stories will be out from Knopf on October 10 and is available for preorder now.

8 Books to Read After Rian Johnson’s Poker Face

Love Rian Johnson’s Poker Face? Here are 8 books like Poker Face in the spirit of Charlie Cale and her mystery-solving adventures.

Today In Books

Netflix’s YOU Renewed for Fifth and Final Season: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 26, 2023

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Millie Bobby Brown’s Novel Nineteen Steps Coming from William Morrow This Fall

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown will publish her first novel Nineteen Steps with William Morrow this fall. The novel is described by the publisher as an “epic story of love, loss, and secrets.” It follows the story of 18-year-old Nellie Morris, who lives with her family in Bethnal Green during WWII. Following a chance encounter with an American airman stationed nearby, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid that leads to disastrous consequences. “Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart,” Brown said in a statement. “I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. I’m honored to keep her story alive.” The book will be out on September 12.

Netflix’s You Renewed for Fifth and Final Season

Netflix has handed out a fifth season renewal to its series You, starring Penn Badgley. This will be the show’s final season. Showrunner Sera Gamble, who helmed the first four seasons, will be stepping down for season five. Fellow executive producers Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo will take over as showrunners. Gamble will remain credited as an executive producer. “We are so incredibly grateful to Netflix and Sera and everyone that has been a part of this show from the beginning,” producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter said in a joint statement. “Sera is the most brilliant writer and partner and she will remain a key part of the You family as an executive producer. We intend to bring her every idea we can from our company for years to come. Ever since our friends at Alloy shared Caroline Kepnes’ fantastic book we have always conceived it as a five-season journey. We are excited to continue our relationship with Mike and Justin as they take over the reins as co-showrunners and prepare to bring Joe Goldberg home.”

Toronto is Getting a Sailor Moon-Themed Pop-Up Cafe Next Month

A Sailor Moon-themed pop-up cafe is opening up at Oishiii Sweets in Toronto this April. “Moon Princess Halation” will run for two days (April 22 and 23) and will offer an afternoon tea menu featuring themed baked goods, tableside games, and a mini-performance. Staff maids will all be dressed up like the Sailor Senshi. Tickets start at around $68 and can be purchased on Eventbrite, with a choice of six time slots.

Marriage of Convenience Romance Novels

Take the fake dating trope to the next level with these marriage of convenience romance novels.