Author: Emily Martin

HEARTSTOPPER Season 3 is On Its Way and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 22, 2024

Sponsored by

It’s Monday, Book Friends!

How was your weekend? Did you watch Irish Wish with me? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts. I gave it three enthusiastic stars, which I think is a really great rating for a Netflix rom-com, tbh. I’m all in for the Lindsay Lohan Netflix rom-com era. Let’s have more!

Okay, as much as I would love to make a whole newsletter about Lindsay Lohan, you’re here to talk books. So let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

we are all ghosts in the forest book cover

SciFiNow has revealed the cover of Lorraine Wilson’s We Are All Ghosts in the Forest, designed by Jo Walker. It’s out from Solaris on November 7.

My birthday month just got even more exciting, everyone. Heartstopper season 3 is coming to Netflix in October! You can read all the details here.

And more good news for fans of series adaptations. House of the Dragon is coming back to HBO for a second season on June 16. HBO has dropped two trailers for the new season, one focused on Rhaenrya and one on Alicent.

More cover reveals! Check out the cover of Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte. It’s out on September 17.

And here’s the cover of Tamara Jerée’s sapphic paranormal romance A Wolf Steps in Blood. It’s coming on April 16.

Two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper has two books out this fall. Her middle grade novel Out of My Dreams will be released from Simon & Schuster this September. And, her debut picture book Bella Ballerina is out from Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books this fall, too. Check out the covers for both upcoming books.

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon. It’s coming to theaters on August 2.

Lorrie Moore won a National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction for I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home. You can see more details about the awards, which were given out last Thursday, here.

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!

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Prepare Your Shelves!

immortal pleasures by v castro book cover

Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro (Del Ray, April 16)

You’re probably looking at the cover of V. Castro’s latest and thinking, “Wow, this book looks scary as hell, but also sexy.” And if that’s the vibe you get, then the cover designer really did their job, because that’s exactly what you can expect from Immortal Pleasures. This super hot vampire novel is coming at you in April, so prepare your shelves.

Immortal Pleasures is the dark and twisted tale of an ancient Aztec vampire who travels the modern world avenging conquered peoples, reclaiming their stolen artifacts, and returning them to their homelands. The vampire was once known, in her mortal life, as La Malinche. She was a Nahua woman who translated for the conquistador Cortés.

Now she has been reborn as Malinalli. Malinalli’s hunt for revenge sends her to Dublin, where she searches for stolen Aztec skulls that are connected to her own past. But while thirsty to avenge her people, Malinalli is also hungry for something more. And, in Dublin, she finds something unexpected — two mortal men who speak to Malinalli’s other desires in different ways.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Band by Christine Ma-Kellams

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Monday Memes

This is a constant struggle for me. Does anyone else feel the same?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Now that my husband is back home, we have this tray set up for him so he can get on his computer in bed, but Cersei has decided this tray is actually her tent. Her little cat fortress. I thought it was very cute and wanted to share with all of you!

All right, friends. That’s a wrap on Monday’s Book Radar. Thanks so much for hanging out. See you Thursday?

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Creepy Apartments? Actually, Yes, Please!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 22, 2024

Sponsored by

It’s Monday, which means it’s Fright Stuff time, horror fans! I know I always say this, but this is truly the best day of the week, because I love talking about horror. You know what else I love? Horror stories about weird apartment buildings. I just read one I loved, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to share this horror subgenre with all of you! Enjoy!

Bookish Goods

Rosemary’s Baby Tannis Root Charm Necklace by Fantasia Trinkets

Speaking of weird apartment buildings…we can’t talk about this genre without talking about the most iconic of them all…the weird, witchy, Satan-worshipping apartment dwellers in Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. I mean, if you are getting ready to birth the spawn of Satan, you really shouldn’t try to do it without this gorgeous and super demon-friendly Tannis root pendant necklace. It starts at $21, but can you put a price on Satanism?

New Releases

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones

I’ve been hyping this one up for some time, and it’s here this week! Hooray! We’re finally getting the final chapter in Stephen Graham Jones’ Indian Lake Trilogy. Four years after the events of the first novel, our heroine Jade Daniels has returned to Proofrock, Idaho, to rebuild her life after protecting her friend Letha and her family all those years ago. It’s also a chance for one final confrontation, to face the Lake Witch and end the curse once and for all.

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

I’m so obsessed with this cover! My copy just came in the mail, and I was immediately like, “Oh yes, this is top-tier horror novel cover design stuff right here.” But also, this story sounds soooo creepy, and I can’t wait to dive in. This is a story about a family vacation gone very, very wrong. The Pace family has planned a vacation in a remote villa in Monteperso. But, for Anna Pace, who has always felt like an outsider in her family, this is all way too much family time. And now, to make matters worse, she keeps hearing strange noises at night, and the villagers approach the family with unsettling warnings about the villa’s violent past.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Okay, let’s get into it. The book that inspired the theme for this whooole newsletter this week. Nestlings by Nat Cassidy is such an intense, spine-tingling story about an apartment unlike any you’ve seen before. And while this one definitely has Rosemary’s Baby vibes, trust me that it goes in surprising new directions. A difficult birth has left Ana paralyzed. Meanwhile, her husband Reid is working a thankless job for people he loathes. So, when the couple wins a lottery for an affordable apartment in one of New York’s most preeminent apartment buildings, they think they’ve finally gotten some good news. But it quickly becomes apparent that something sinister is going on in this building.

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike

I know I have recommended this one before, but I have to bring it up again because, if you’re looking for apartment horror, you have to read The Graveyard Apartment. You would think an apartment building right next to a grave would be an immediate no-go; but for the young married couple in this novel? This seemed like the perfect location to move in with their young child. But then strange things start happening here, and one by one, people start moving away. Eventually, the young family is all alone in this giant, creepy apartment…or are they?

And that’s all for today! We’ll do this all again next Monday. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 21, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, your go-to newsletter if you’re looking to expand your TBR pile. Each week, I’ll recommend a book I think is an absolute must-read. Some will be new releases, some will be old favorites, and the books will vary in genre and subject matter every time. I hope you’re ready to get reading!

This one has been on my TBR for quite a while, and I don’t know what took me so long to get around to it, because it’s really hitting all the marks for me. It’s a quick read. It’s a horror novel that’s really about grief. There’s a haunted (?) Siri-like home device. That’s what I knew about this book before I read it. Seriously, I don’t know what kept me away. Anyway, I am so glad I finally got around to it, because this book truly delivered. If you’ve also been thinking about reading this one for a while, do it. And if you’ve never heard of this one before, you should also just read it.

OMG, but what book is it, you ask? Okay, I’m getting to it. Here we go.

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

This Thing Between Us is a little book. Almost square in shape and only 272 pages. But there’s a lot going on within these pages, and this cosmic horror really packs a punch. Just look at that cover. You know something wild is going to happen to these people. And every time you think you have a handle on where this story is going, it takes a big left turn and goes somewhere weirder. Are you in?

When married couple Vera and Thiago buy an Itza — the “world’s most advanced smart speaker!” — for their new condo, Thiago isn’t fully committed to the new contraption. Vera, however, just had to have it. After all, with all of the weird things happening in their home, she thought a high-tech home device would bring them a little joy. [Narrator: It didn’t bring them any joy.]

Instead, with the Itza in their home, things get weirder. Strange packages start showing up at their door, and the Itza plays eerie music and projects strange lights on the wall in the middle of the night. Thiago can’t help but wonder…is the Itza trying to send them some kind of message? Is the house trying to talk to them through their new speaker?

But before Thiago and Vera have a chance to explore the strange happening in their house further, Vera unexpectedly dies, leaving Thiago behind to pick up the pieces and unravel the mysteries of their condo and their demonic Itza all by himself. When things become too intense for Thiago to bear, he does the only thing he can think to do: escape the city and find solace in a secluded cabin in Colorado. But there is no escaping the evil that tore apart his life back in Chicago. It follows him everywhere, and it is slowly causing him to unravel.

This Thing Between Us is such a bone-chilling horror novel featuring imagery that is truly the stuff of nightmares. But this book is also such an intense, emotional exploration of grief. I found myself underlining giant passages from this novel, lines about grief, loss, and love that I will hold close to my heart for the rest of time. The story is told from Thiago’s perspective, as if he is telling the story to his late wife, Vera. In this way, the story gives insight into this marriage even after Vera’s death, and the reader is given an intimate look at how the loss of Vera has lasting effects on Thiago’s psyche.

Just talking about this book makes me want to read it for a second time and get haunted by this strange story all over again. I gave this one five very enthusiastic stars, and I think you’ll love it too.

Happy weekend reading, book fans! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @emandhercat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!

<3 Emily

Book Radar

50 Cent is Publishing a New Thriller and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 20, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

Welcome to Book Radar, the Thursday edition. I hope you’ve been having a fun week. For me, it’s been a week of ups and downs, but I’m looking forward to the weekend. More on that later. For now, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, is writing a new novel perfect for fans of heist stories and detective novels. The Accomplice, the first novel in a two-book deal, will be published in September through Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Here’s the cover of Julie Leong’s debut fantasy novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes. It will be published on November 5 from Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

And here’s the cover of The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines. This YA fantasy novel is out from Titan Books on October 22.

Here’s another gorgeous YA cover reveal: Such Lovely Skin by Tatian Schlote-Bonne. This horror novel about a Twitch streamer who ends up haunted by an evil doppelgänger is out on September 17.

Author Lauren Groff is opening a new bookstore! The indie bookstore Lynx will open in Gainesville, Florida, sometime in April.

Nzingha Stewart is attached to direct the first episode of We Were Liars, the upcoming Amazon Prime adaptation of the E. Lockhart YA novel. Mamie Gummer, Caitlin FitzGerald, and Candice King will star.

The National Book Foundation has announced its 5 Under 35 honorees for 2024. Honorees each receive a $1,000 prize, funded by the Amazon Literary Partnership. These authors will also be celebrated at the 5 Under 35 Ceremony on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the Brooklyn Museum.

Tomorrow is the first day of the second annual Trans Rights Readathon, which goes from March 22 to March 29.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire, September 24)

Ever since I read The Spite House last year, I’ve been excited to see what author Johnny Compton would do next. Well, on September 24, it’s time to find out. And it looks to be a wild one, so I really can’t wait for this one.

All her life, Sarito has been watched over by a guardian angel called Angelo. And while Angelo protects her, Sarito decides to keep him a secret. But secrets can’t stay hidden forever, and after Angelo murders someone Sarito loves, he can no longer remain hidden in the shadows. Now if Sarito hopes to survive, she will be forced to acknowledge the darkness that has always surrounded her and face it head-on.

This book is a gothic horror filled with monsters, angels, devils, and vampires. If you love vampire stories like Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Certain Dark Things, I would put this one on your TBR list immediately. If it’s anything like Compton’s first novel, expect for the horror tropes you know and love to be turned upside down and reexamined in exciting new ways. September can’t come soon enough.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“We were like plants that way. Each of us working hard to grow and survive. But it was all about the soil you were planted in from the beginning and whether someone chose to water you or not water you.”

— Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

What I’m Watching This Weekend

What a weekend it’s going to be, friends. Because this weekend, I will be watching the cinematic masterpiece that is Irish Wish. I thought you all might be interested to know because it is a movie about an author. And we know this because Lindsay Lohan wears glasses and a plaid blazer. The vibes are vibing.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

a white, orange, and black cat lying on a bed beside a copy of Butcher and Blackbird

I love it when my cat poses with a book or two! Without me asking! Here’s Cersei posing with one of my most recent reads, Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver.

Okay, book fam. I gotta run! It’s been great, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Maybe watch Irish Wish with me? Talk soon!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Must-Read New Queer Horror Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 15, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, horror fans! I have to say, March is a great month for new LGBTQ+ horror releases. I’ve got two new ones to share with you today, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to mention some other recent queer horror releases I think you’ll love! Let’s do this.

Bookish Goods

Black Phillip Bath Bomb by The Fizzing Witch

Okay, so The Witch is not a book, but it’s one of my favorite horror movies. And honestly, what’s a better bookish feeling than getting in the tub with a delicious bath bomb and a book? This Black Phillip bath bomb is really going to set the mood for a good horror read the next time you’re in the tub. And it’s $10.

New Releases

Bury Your Gays: An Anthology of Tragic Queer Horror, edited by Sofia Ajram

Okay, let’s talk about the queer horror new releases that inspired this week’s focus on LGBTQ+ stories. First up, a new horror anthology that features 16 stories by queer authors that explore and subvert the tragic “bury your gays” trope. This includes new stories from Cassandra Khaw, Joe Koch, Gretchen Felker-Martin, Robbie Banfitch, August Clarke, Son M., Jonathan Louis Duckworth, M.V. Pine, Ed Kurtz, LC Von Hessen, Matteo L. Cerilli, November Rush, Meredith Rose, Charlene Adhiambo, Violet, and Thomas Kearnes.

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

And we’re getting a new one from Lee Mandelo — author of Summer Sons and Feed them Silence — this week. Set in Appalachia in the 1920s, The Woods All Black is a queer historical romance/horror story/revenge thriller. When Leslie Brun is sent to the township of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, he believes he’s truly ready for the judging eyes of Spar Creek’s backwoods/churchy inhabitants. But something violent is bubbling beneath the surface in this town, and the hills and the woods surrounding Spar Creek contain secrets and horrors beyond Leslie’s comprehension.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

Here’s a fabulous queer YA horror novel set in Vietnam. When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, all she wants to do is smile and get along so she can get away with the college money her father has promised her. But there’s something strange about the house her father is restoring. Every night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls are thrumming. And the ghost of a beautiful bride keeps leaving Jade cryptic warnings.

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

This literary horror/thriller is one I read back in 2021, and it’s still on my mind. The Quigley House is a full-contact escape room where survivors have the opportunity to win a cash prize. They just have to make it to the end without saying the safe word, “reprieve.” Told through court transcripts, flashbacks, and cross-examinations, Reprieve tells the story of one group who makes it to the end, but not all of them will make it out alive.

And that’s all for this week! I’ll be back next week with more scary stories to make your skin crawl. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Book Radar

Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience to Become a Musical Parody and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 15, 2024

Sponsored by

Hello, Book Friends!

Welcome to another Monday Book Radar. Monday is the perfect time to look forward to the week, all the book things to come, and more. And we’re out of the hospital this week, so good news all around. Yay!

Book Deals and Reveals

Crime Reads has got the cover reveal and an excerpt from Christina Lynch’s Pony Confidential. This mystery novel, told from the perspective of a pony, is out from Berkley Books in November.

And here’s the cover of queer, supernatural romance Keep It In the Dark by Justin Arnold. It’s out on December 3!

Electric Lit shared the cover of the upcoming poetry collection Ominous Music Intensifying by Alexandra Teague. It will be published by Persea Books on October 1.

The Bear creator Christopher Storer has signed on to adapt and direct The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles for the big screen.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has announced the finalists for the 59th Annual Nebula Awards!

The viral disaster that was the Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience is being adapted as a musical satire by Richard Kraft and Riki Lindhome. Willy Fest: A Musical Parody is hoping to launch in late 2024.

In the wake of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s upcoming overhaul of the DC Cinematic Universe, director Patty Jenkins has confirmed that her time on Wonder Woman 3 is “over for the time being, easily forever.” For the time being, Jenkins is focusing on a new Star Wars project, Lucasfilm’s Rogue Squadron.

Ted Lasso fans, there’s a new book on the way! Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, The Show That Kicked Its Way into Our Hearts by New York Times television editor Jeremy Egner hits shelves on November 12.

The Atlantic just launched their list of The Great American Novels. Which novels have you read on their list?

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen (Dutton, April 16)

Mark my words. This debut thriller is going to be what everyone is talking about in April. It’s a character-driven page-turner that is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Lisa Jewell. And, it’s an excellent representation of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a mental health issue that is often misrepresented in media.

Annie “Anh Le” Shaw was poor growing up, but now she seemingly has it all. She’s got the career of her dreams, a beautiful home, and a loving husband and daughter. But beneath the surface, Annie feels like she’s on the brink of unraveling. And when her mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly, her OCD comes back, this time manifesting itself as really disturbing fixations that Annie thinks might just be true.

As Annie continues to spiral, she finds herself pulling away from her friends and family. Then one day, she wakes up naked in a hotel room that she doesn’t remember. And a lifeless body is lying next to her. When police come to her for questioning, Annie doesn’t know how to answer. This twisty thriller is a pulse-racing story that examines family, mental health, and the refugee experience.

What I’m Reading This Week

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Monday Memes

Sure, the Oscars this year were suuuuper predictable. Nevertheless, I’m still thinking about the Oscars and all of the bookish Academy Awards memes.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Just two cats on a bed. Nothing to see here. Except cuteness.

And on that note, I’m going to call this Book Radar a wrap! I hope you have a lovely week, friends. See you Thursday.

Emily

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 14, 2024

Sponsored by

Today, we’re talking about one of my favorite reads of the year so far. And it’s probably one you’ve heard of already, because it’s been getting so much buzz. With good reason, friends! If you haven’t picked it up already, you’re in for a treat.

interesting facts about space book cover

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

Emily Austin’s debut novel Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead was a big hit with readers and critics alike (and yes, we did talk about it here in this very newsletter)! But I think I might like her sophomore effort, Interesting Facts About Space, even more. This book had me laughing out loud, bursting into tears, and basically feeling all the feels from the beginning to the final page.

Emily Austin has already established herself as an expert at creating characters that are compellingly flawed and incredibly lovable in their idiosyncrasies. This book introduces readers to Enid, a woman who spends her free time listening to true crime podcasts, obsessing over space trivia with her mom, and picking up women on dating apps. These are the only things that keep Enid’s anxiety at bay when she’s confronted with her greatest fear: bald men. Or when she worries that someone has been following her and snooping around her apartment while she’s away.

Enid’s family life is stressing her out as well. When she was a child, her father left her mother and started a new family, leaving his old one behind. Now Enid’s father is dead, and her half-sisters and stepmother want to have a relationship with her after all these years. As Enid’s life spirals out of control, she wonders who she can trust, what’s real, and what’s just her mind playing tricks on her.

Based on that description, you might think this book is going to go down the mystery/thriller route, but that’s not the direction Austin is going with this story. Sure, that would be fine, but this story is more about the mysteries of Enid’s heart, her repressed emotions and memories, and her journey to self-discovery. Just set aside whatever expectations you have for this story, and allow yourself to go for the ride. What you’ll get is a story that is endlessly rewarding and heartfelt. And while it’s still early in the year, Interesting Facts About Space is on track to be one of my favorites of 2024.

Bonus rec! Emily Austin is keeping busy this year. Last month, the author released Gay Girl Prayers, a poetry collection in which Austin reclaims Catholic prayers and biblical passages to empower the LGBTQ+ community. So if you can’t get enough of this author, make sure to check out her poetry too.

Happy weekend reading, book fans! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @emandhercat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!

<3 Emily

Book Radar

Dolly Parton Announces New Cookbook and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 13, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Radarites!

Welcome to another Thursday Book Radar. I am still coming to you from the hospital, so please keep thinking healing thoughts for my husband, and thank you to everyone who has reached out with well wishes. Y’all are the best. Anyway, let’s talk books, because I have thoughts and feelings about book stuff today, friends.

Book Deals and Reveals

the city and its uncertain walls book cover

Here’s the cover reveal of the latest from Haruki Murakami! The City and Its Uncertain Walls is out from Knopf on November 26.

Dolly Parton is publishing her first-ever cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin, and it’s already a #1 bestseller on Amazon only hours after the book’s announcement. It’s out on September 17.

Zando is launching a new romance imprint this summer. The imprint will be called Slowburn, a nod to the “slow burn” romance trope. Slowburn plans to publish two to three titles annually through 2026, and then four to six titles each year after that.

Despite the author’s request that the novel be destroyed, Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s Until August will be published this March, nearly 10 years after Márquez’s death.

Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino has announced a new memoir, Sonny Boy. The book is out from Penguin Random House this October.

The latest adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot will skip the theaters and go directly to streaming, premiering exclusively on Max later this year.

Sarah Paulson is set to play author Glennon Doyle in an upcoming TV adaptation of the best-selling memoir Untamed.

What are you reading for book club this month? Here’s what all the big book clubs will be reading for March.

The longlist for the 2024 International Booker Prize has been announced! The winning book will be awarded £50,000, which is split between the author and translator. Shortlisted books receive £5,000. The shortlist of six books will be announced on April 9, and the winner will be announced on May 21.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston (Berkley, June 25)

Who’s looking forward to summer? I know a lot of y’all are big summer people. I am very much NOT. But I do love reading a fun romance in the summer. Especially when it’s got a little bit of magic in it. Especially when I can read this magical summer romance somewhere with air conditioning. This one is out June 25, and it’s a whole vibe and an absolute must-read for feel-good summer romance lovers.

Elsy Merriweather is a bibliophile who has decided that love interests in books are way more appealing than any love interest she’s ever had in real life. After all, fictional boyfriends never break your heart. And so she happily escapes into the fictional world of Eloraton, the town where her favorite romance series takes place. Eloraton is a cute little town where the weather always matches your mood, the local candy store sells deliciously sweet honey taffy, and everyone gets their storybook ending. That is, until the author died before finishing the latest novel.

Then on the way to Elsy’s annual book club retreat, her car breaks down, and she finds herself stranded…in Eloraton. At first, Elsy doesn’t understand how she can be in this fictional town. But then she realizes she’s been summoned here to help the late author finish the final Eloraton novel. There’s only one problem: Eloraton’s grumpy bookstore owner doesn’t want that novel to be finished.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Toads are capable of sarcasm, but their blood runs too cold for hysteria.”
— Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

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.

Something weird is going on in the book world. Remember last year when Colleen Hoover planned an It Ends with Us coloring book and it got canceled and everyone was so outraged?

Well, now there’s an It Ends with Us nail polish collection, and everyone is excited about it. I am really confused. Why is this any better than the coloring book idea? Is it just because people like nail polish more than they like coloring books? Feel free to reach out and let me know your thoughts.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

an orange cat sleeping with his head on a cushion

Did anyone order a sleepy cat this Thursday? This week has been long, and clearly, Murray is feeling the full weight of it. What an exhausting month March has been. I feel you, Murray.

Anyway, everyone, I hope you have a lovely weekend. I’ll see you on Monday!

Emily

Book Radar

Maureen Johnson Delivers a New Standalone YA Mystery and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Hello, Book Friends!

Welcome to another Monday Book Radar. Still coming to you from the hospital, so keep thinking those healing thoughts. We’re doing okay, though. Thanks to everyone who has been checking in. Anyway, you’re not here for my life update. You’re here for the books. And honestly, I am, too. So let’s do this.

Book Deals and Reveals

Crime Reads shared the cover of Maureen Johnson’s Death at Morning House, the author’s first standalone YA mystery in years. It’s out from Harper Teen this August.

Here’s another cover reveal for an upcoming August release: Gabi Burton’s Drown Me With Dreams, the sequel to Sing Me to Sleep. Get ready; it’s out on August 20.

Hugo Award-winning author Nghi Vo has a new novella coming out soon from Tor Publishing Group. The City in Glass has been pitched as This Is How You Lose the Time War meets Good Omens. It’s coming this fall.

Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal are returning to Broadway for an upcoming revival of Shakespeare’s Othello. The play opens in the spring of 2025.

Waleed Zuaiter’s FlipNarrative has optioned the rights to Shannon Chakraborty’s novel The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. The plan is to develop the novel into a multi-season series and gaming platform.

In a bidding war, 20th Century Studios won theatrical distribution rights to Imagine Entertainment‘s thriller Whalefall, based on the Daniel Kraus novel published last summer by MTV Books.

Jessica Biel is publishing a children’s book about periods. A Kids Book About Periods, which aims to de-stigmatize the topic of menstruation, will be published by A Kids Co. this spring. “People don’t talk enough about periods,” Biel told PEOPLE. “I’ve always felt strongly that we need to normalize the discussion around periods and as a parent, writing this book felt like an organic way to engage kids in the conversation from early on.”

Dakota Johnson has announced her new book club. TeaTime Book Club’s first monthly pick is Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Memory Piece by Lisa Ko (Riverhead Books, March 19)

Lisa Ko’s 2016 novel The Leavers was an unforgettable read and a major award-winner. This debut novel won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction and was a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award for Fiction. Now Ko is back with her second novel, and, no, we are in no way looking at a sophomore slump here. Memory Piece is, dare I say it, even better. I know I’m a huge sucker for stories about childhood friendships (especially friendships between girls), so I am a little biased here. But I feel like this story has a little something for everyone.

The story follows three friends through multiple decades, starting in the 1980s and going all the way into the 2040s (yes, the future). As children in the early 1980s, best friends Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong, and Ellen Ng are bonded together through their shared alienation, their artistic pursuits, and their hopes for the future.

Years later, as adults, Giselle, Jackie, and Ellen’s dreams and aspirations have diverged and taken them all in different directions. Giselle becomes a performance artist, Jackie works as a coder, and Ellen is a community activist. As their definition of success and their priorities change, so do their friendships. The world they live in now might be different from the one they imagined for themselves in their childhoods, but their pursuit of satisfying, meaningful lives remains a central part of their stories.

What I’m Reading This Week

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

Monday Memes

Now, this is the kind of hot girl era I can get behind.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

ginger cat Murray as a kitten, snuggled up with a stuffed owl toy

I was looking through my husband’s phone, and I found this really cute picture of Murray as a tiny kitten, so I thought I would share! Of course, I love Murray as he is now, but it’s nice to look back at what a tiny, sweet kitten he used to be. Look at how big his feet were!

Well, friends, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Monday, and we’ll chat again on Thursday!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

The Fright Stuff: Monster Monday

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, horror fans! It’s the best day of the week, because it’s the day we all get to geek out about horror. And because I am a word nerd and a horror nerd, I thought today we’d go with a little alliteration and call today, March 11, Monster Monday. Stay tuned to find out more.

Bookish Goods

Cryptid Field Art Sketchbook by Ballyraven

For all my monster fiends tuning into The Fright Stuff today, happy Monster Monday. This Cryptid Field Art Sketchbook is the perfect introduction to the world of monsters, with colorful illustrations and QR codes to access even more information about all of your favorite cryptids. You can purchase a paperback version for $23, or a coil-bound copy for $27.

New Releases

Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas

We’re talking monsters this week, so I have to mention this new Frankenstein adaptation that just came out this month. Against the backdrop of a United States politicizing the reanimation process, an unnamed paralegal is brought back to life. All memories of his life pre-reanimation have been lost, and as he searches for answers on the life he left behind, he falls in love with a lawyer named Faustina Godínez and comes to terms with a world that would rather he didn’t exist.

The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste

Okay, not a monster novel (sorry), but this is a book I hyped late last year, so now I have to ring the alarm and alert everyone that it’s out. Meaning, you can go read it right now. Twenty years ago, Velkwood Street and everyone who lived there disappeared overnight. The only ones who survived were three best friends. They watched their homes and their loved ones disappear behind a near-impenetrable veil that’s now known as the Velkwood Vicinity. But what happened all those years ago? Now that a researcher is tracking down the survivors, will they finally be able to get answers?

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

Want some more monster horror novels to celebrate Monster Monday? Here’s one of my favorites. When the finalists for the dating reality TV show The Catch go to Otters Island to film the last episodes of the season, they’re expecting to compete with one another for the lead’s attention (and, of course, the social media clout that comes with that). What they’re not expecting? Patricia, a woefully misunderstood creature who hides in the dark and is looking for a connection of her own.

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

We can’t really talk monsters without mentioning Frankenstein at least twice, right? And this is a really great retelling worth checking out as well. Set in U.S.-occupied Baghdad, this is the story of Hadi, a scavenger who collects human body parts and stitches them together as a statement to the government about recognizing body parts as people and giving them a proper burial. But when his stitched-up body goes missing, troubling news begins circulating around the city. A horrifying criminal who seemingly cannot be killed is indiscriminately murdering people.

I hope you had a marvelous Monster Monday. Let’s do it again soon. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!