Author: Emily Martin

MEXICAN GOTHIC Series No Longer Happening on Hulu and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 1, 2024

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Hello, and happy Thursday. It’s me, Emily, coming to you from my cat cave. I am surrounded by all three of my cats right now, and they say hello. The cats and I have a lot of book news to share with you today, so let’s do this!

Book Deals and Reveals

Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia has shared some rather disappointing news: “Hulu did not renew the option for Mexican Gothic: so no show will be made,” she tweeted. “I appreciate the hard work of everyone in trying to bring it to the screen. Hopefully it gets adapted in the future.”

Here’s the cover reveal of If I Were You by Cesca Major. The author describes the book as a “mad & sad ‘What If’ soul swapping [love] story set over a fancy wedding weekend!” It’s out this July!

Yellowjackets actress Nicole Maines has announced a new memoir, It Gets Better…Except When It Gets Worse. The book will be published on October 15.

Here’s the cover for Alan Moore’s upcoming novel The Great When. This one’s out from Bloomsbury on October 1.

Jenna Bush Hager has announced her next Read With Jenna book club pick! It’s Real Americans by Rachel Khong!

Butterfly in the Sky, the documentary about Reading Rainbow and its beloved host, LeVar Burton, is now available to stream on available on demand on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, and XBOX!

The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo, the sequel to the international bestseller The Light We Lost, will be published in spring 2025 by Putnam.

Kayla Hardy’s The Quarter Queen, “a mother-daughter saga set in a magically and racially divided 19th-century New Orleans,” with be published by Ballantine. No publication date has been set yet.

Sean “Big Sean” Anderson will publish his book Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace with Simon Element this October.

Participating in Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge? Here are six AAPI books you can read for the challenge to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!

Book Riot Recommends

Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!

Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!

Can’t Wait for This One!

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen (Zando, September 10)

Samantha Allen, author of Patricia Wants to Cuddle, has her sophomore novel out from Zando this fall, and I absolutely cannot wait for this one to hit shelves! It has everything you could possibly want! Romance! Celebrity gossip! Ghosts!

Roland Rogers is an A-list actor who has been hiding a secret for years. But now he’s ready to spill in his brand new tell-all memoir, and he’s chosen the perfect ghostwriter to help him tell his story. For ex-Mormon and memoirist Adam Gallagher, helping a Hollywood heartthrob tell his life story sounds like a pretty cushy gig. There’s only one problem…Roland Rogers isn’t alive anymore.

Yep, you heard right. Roland Rogers is already dead. But with a lot of concentrated effort, the late actor has found a way to communicate to the world of the living through his kitchen speaker. Now he must tell his story to Adam before time runs out and the rest of the world discovers that he’s dead. As the two men race against the clock to get Roland’s story down on paper, they don’t always agree with how the memoir should be written. Nevertheless, they might just fall for each other anyway.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“If TV has taught us anything, it’s that the murder rate in small villages is disproportionately high.”

— How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

a photo of three cats sleeping near each other on a couch

Here we have a very unique sight! A three-cat pile-up! Cersei, Murray, and Remy all existing peacefully together. The end of the world must be nigh.

But we already knew that.

Anyhow! That’s all I have for this round of Book Radar. I hope you have a gorgeous weekend, whether you finish seven books or whether you read nothing at all. Just have fun! And see you Monday!

Emily

Book Radar

X,O KITTY Begins Production on Season 2 and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 26, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Book Friends!

Welcome to another Book Radar. I can’t believe it’s going to be May later this week. Who let this happen?!?! I’ve already shared so much news about 2025 books coming up, and I have more to share this week, including something for 2026! I am not well. The wheels of time, they keep turning. Let’s talk books though!

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover of Lonely Places by Kate Anderson. It’s out on October 29th from Flux Books.

X,O Kitty has begun filming season 2! And, they’ve added three more cast members: Audrey Huynh, Sasha Bhasin, and Joshua Lee have all joined the project.

Speaking of projects! The film adaptation of Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary has finally gotten a release date! The movie, starring Ryan Gosling, hits theaters on March 20, 2026.

Let’s check out another reveal. Here’s C.J. Cooke’s The Book of Witching. Appropriately, it’s out this October from Berkley.

Three of the four leading roles in the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling mystery The Thursday Murder Club have been cast! Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley are all attached to the project. Chris Columbus is set to direct.

John Logan, the three-time Oscar-nominated writer of films such as The Aviator and Gladiator, will adapt Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian novel into a feature film. The film will be directed by John Hillcoat.

Here are the most popular nonfiction books of 2024 so far, according to Goodreads. How many nonfiction titles from this list have you loved so far this year?

The 2024 Gotham Book Prize finalists have been announced! The Gotham Book Prize is given to the best fiction or nonfiction book published each calendar year that takes place in or is about New York City. The prize grants its winner $50,000.

More awards news. Here’s the shortlist for the 2024 Women’s Prize! Winners will be announced June 12.

Book Riot Recommends

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help with handpicked recommendations. Tell the Bibliologists at Tailored Book Recommendations about what you love and what you don’t. You can get your recommendations via email or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18! Subscribe today.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg (Hogarth Press, May 28)

Emma Copley Eisenberg, author of 2020’s The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, has written her first novel! And it’s coming out next month (well, almost this month… omg it’s ALMOST MAY). So, it’s time to prepare your shelves, because this queer road trip story sounds really fun.

Leah and Bernie are two housemates living in Philadelphia who share a love of art and exploring the world around them through their art (Leah is a writer, and Bernie is a photographer). So of course, they’re both game to take a three-week road trip, documenting rural America through their photographs and written words.

But a road trip is never just about discovering the world around you. It’s also about discovering yourself. Through their journeys, Leah and Bernie meet all kinds of people from all different walks of life. People who challenge the two housemates to reflect on their own beliefs and their perspectives of the world and what they want from their lives.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

Monday Memes

You knew we were going to have to focus on Tortured Poets Department memes this week. Enjoy!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

My shy girl is sleeping right behind me as I write this, so I thought I would share! Look at this beautiful angel. I do it all for her.

And that’s all, book friends! See you Thursday!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Genre-Bending Horror is All the More Chilling

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 26, 2024

Sponsored by

Hello, horror fans! It’s Fright Stuff time. I know just a few weeks ago, we were talking about sci-fi/horror, but horror blends well with all sorts of genres. So, this week, I thought I’d share a few more genre-bending horror books that are all the more chilling for their explorations of magic and more.

Bookish Goods

Gunslinger Mug by PinkTreePrintCo

Speaking of genre-bending! Here’s a classic for fans of genre mash-up horror: Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. If you love the Gunslinger, show off your fandom with this beautiful ceramic Gunslinger mug. Available in 11oz or 15oz, starting at $23+

New Releases

Why Didn’t You Just Leave, edited by Julia Rios and Nadia Bulkin

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love a good haunted house story. But, yeah, I do often find myself asking, “Why didn’t you just leave?” Which is part of why I love this short story anthology. All of these stories illustrate that escaping a haunted house is never as simple as just leaving. Don’t believe me? Read and find out.

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols

Are you more scared of serial killers than ghosts? Check out this new horror/thriller reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs. When a local teen is found murdered, the otherwise quiet community of Granite Harbor is turned upside down. Then, another body is found, and single parents Alex and Isabel worry their kids could be next.

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

Riot Recommendations

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

This incredible novel mixes sci-fi, fantasy, body horror, and gothic horror. Vern is seven months pregnant and is desperately trying to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised. So she flees to the forest, where she gives birth to her twins and plans to raise them far away from the outside world. But to truly escape, Vern will have to fight hard against the community that refuses to let her go, all while her body is going through inexplicable and horrifying changes.

Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé

This one blends historical fiction, horror, and fantasy. Nephthys Kinwell is not your average taxi driver. Her 1967 Plymouth Belvedere has a ghost in the trunk, and when the car is summoned, Nephthys must use it to drive ill-fated passengers across the city. Aside from driving, she spends her days grieving the loss of her twin brother, who was murdered and dumped in the Anacostia River. But when her nephew shows up on her doorstep with a cryptic note about the River Man, everything changes.

As someone who tries to read across multiple genres, I love a good genre mash-up. Don’t you? Let me know some of your faves! Message me on Instagram at emandhercat to let me know. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 25, 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!

Not gonna lie. This one is more of a “read this author” rather than “read this book.” I could really pick any book from her catalogue and confidently recommend it to you. But since this is the one that I’ve read most recently — and the one I currently can’t get out of my mind — I have to share.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

The first Catriona Ward book I ever read was The Last House on Needless Street, and it’s probably still my favorite. But having talked to many fans of this author, I’ve learned that most people enjoy their first Catriona Ward book the most. Your first Catriona Ward book is the one that introduces you to the mind-bending world of the author. It’s the book that lets you know that you can absolutely sit back and enjoy the ride, knowing that you’re in good hands. And while you might have moments where you ask yourself what the heck’s going on, you know it’s all going to make sense in the end. And then you’ll want to read it back to figure out what you missed the first time.

That was my experience with The Last House of Needless Street, and that was definitely my experience with Looking Glass Sound, the most loopy, brain-twister of all of Catriona Ward’s novels so far. I will try to sum it up for you, but just know this is only dipping a little toe into what actually goes on in this book.

When Wilder Harlow was young, there was one summer that turned his entire life upside down. It was a summer he will never forget and a traumatic experience from which he still hasn’t been able to completely recover. A killer stalked his small town in Maine, and a tragedy bonded Wilder to his friends Nat and Harper in ways that would forever change them. Now, decades later, Wilder is back in that small town, writing a memoir in the hopes of making sense of that summer. But the longer he spends in the town and the more he writes, the more Wilder feels like he’s losing his grip on reality. And it feels as if the book is somehow writing itself.

Looking Glass Sound is difficult to categorize in terms of genre, but if you like psychological horror and twisty thrillers, this is going to be your kind of story. This novel also serves as a meditation on the art of storytelling. Indeed, the person who controls the narrative controls reality. You’ll see what I mean when you read this and experience the delicious strangeness of this story for yourself.

If Looking Glass Sound ends up being your first Catriona Ward read, I’ll bet it will be your favorite. But I also promise you that you’ll love the rest of them almost as much. So don’t just read this book…read this author!

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

Book Radar

Deadpool and Wolverine Join Forces and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 24, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends, and Happy Thursday!

So good to see you here for another Book Radar. And this Thursday, I have a lot of piping hot book tea for you. So pull up a chair, grab a cup, and let’s get to pouring and sipping.

Book Deals and Reveals

Deadpool and Wolverine are joining forces in Marvel’s first-ever R-rated movie, Deadpool & Wolverine. And the first trailer is out now! You can see the movie, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, in theaters starting on July 26.

Speaking of collabs, writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic are releasing Aliens vs. Avengers this summer.

Farrah Rochon has announced a new novel! Bemused is the “untold origin story of the 5 Muses from Disney’s Hercules.” It’s out on January 7, 2025.

Crime Reads has shared an excerpt and a cover reveal for the upcoming cicada-pocalypse novel from Laurie L. Dove, Mask of the Deer Woman. It’s out from Berkley in January 2025.

Here’s the cover of Ravynn K. Stringfield’s novel Love in 280 Characters or Less. It features art by Kgabo Mametja and a design by Abby Granata. And it’s out on April 15, 2025!

Elliot Page’s Pageboy Productions has optioned the rights to author Eliot Schrefer’s 2021 novel The Darkness Outside Us.

PEN America has canceled its awards following a writer’s boycott over Palestine. Twenty-eight of the 61 writers nominated had withdrawn from consideration, including 9 of the 10 nominees for a $75,000 prize.

Here are the winners of this year’s Los Angeles Times Book Prize, presented to books in over 13 different categories.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber (Wednesday Books, July 30)

Looking for an unconventional beach read to drop in your bag this July? One that will keep you on the edge of your seat? Then get ready for Romina Garber’s dark gothic YA romance/horror, Castle of the Cursed.

Following the mysterious death of her parents, Estella is left alone and determined to be the one to uncover the person responsible for their deaths. As she spirals deeper into depression and survivor’s guilt, Estella agrees to travel overseas to her aunt’s home, la Sombra, a gothic castle in the small town of Oscuro, Spain. Oooh. Estella was looking for an escape, but she soon discovers la Sombra might be the missing key to all the secrets of her parents’ deaths.

Then she meets Sebastián. Sebastián is a boy with silver eyes who claims he is trapped in the castle. But that’s not the most disturbing thing about him. Most troubling of all, it seems like the only one who can see him is Estella. Is he a figment of her imagination? Or is something supernatural happening at la Sombra? And could he possibly help Estella find out what happened to her parents?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“But all these traits — style, hygiene, the ability to care for oneself and one’s home — are, in a man, considered exceptional, almost miraculous. Whereas in women, they are the bare minimum.”

— The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

And before I go, here are two gorgeous sleeping kitties, living their best lives. Murray and Remy wish you a good night, and sweet dreams. No matter what time of day it is when you read this.

That’s all I’ve got for you! Have a fabulous weekend. Do something fun. Eat cookies. Drink plenty of water. Pet cats. Talk soon!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Remember 2020? It Was a Scary Year

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 19, 2024

Sponsored by

Hello, horror fans! Welcome to another Monday, which means it’s time for another new Fright Stuff newsletter. Let’s talk scary stuff today and every Monday, yeah? No real theme for you today; we’re just talking scary stuff in general. Hooray.

Bookish Goods

Frankenstein Planter by DolittleDorks

Yes, I know this version of Frankenstein is totally invented by the movie and is not representative of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. But this planter is still bookish, and so cool. And it’s spring, so it’s time for us to make our horror lives a little more plant-y, don’t you think? $26 for just the planter. $38 for the planter + succulent. I’m in love.

New Releases

Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro

From V. Castro, the author of The Haunting of Alejandra, comes a horrifying new tale of an ancient Aztec vampire who travels the modern world avenging conquered peoples, reclaiming their stolen artifacts, and returning them to their homelands. Malinalli’s travels take her to Dublin, where she searches for stolen Aztec skulls that are connected to her own past. But in this city, she finds something unexpected — two mortal men who speak to Malinalli’s other desires in different ways.

All Things Seen and Unseen by RJ McDaniel

Alex Nguyen is a chronically ill college student whose life is quickly unraveling. Following a recent suicide attempt and a long hospitalization, Alex finds herself without a job, without a romantic relationship, without money to pay for school, and without a place to live. Then, she’s offered a lifeline in the form of a job housesitting for the summer at a mansion on a gulf island. But the mansion — surrounded by a mysterious (and possibly magic) forest and an unsettling, insular community — brings back traumatic memories Alex has long repressed.

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

Riot Recommendations

plain bad heroines by emily a danforth cover

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

2020 was a year, wasn’t it? It feels like yesterday and yet…it feels like another world entirely. That year, I was so thankful for people who were still creating art. So this week, I wanted to highlight books that came out that year. This one is an all-time fave. Brookhants School for Girls is an old boarding school with a troubled and mysterious past, which includes many mysterious deaths. One hundred years have passed since the horrors that befell the school took place, and writer Merritt Emmons has written a book celebrating the queer, feminist history of the school that was so cursed. Her book inspires a horror film adaptation of the story.

The Deep by Alma Katsu

A book about the Titanic, but make it ghosts. Yes, really. On the Titanic’s maiden voyage, several of the passengers are convinced the ship is haunted. Years later, one of those passengers — Annie Hebbley — survives but cannot remember the details of what happened on the Titanic. Now, she’s working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Brittanic. And suddenly, all of the memories are coming back to haunt her.

And that’s it for this Monday of random horrors collected and delivered straight to your inbox. I hope you have a wonderful week, and I will see you very soon. Yes, that was ominous on purpose. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Book Radar

CRAZY RICH ASIANS Gets the Broadway Musical Treatment and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 19, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

How are we doing on this fine Monday? Spring weather has finally come to the Pacific Northwest, and I had a wonderful walk earlier today. The cats are enjoying watching all the tennis players outside. We’re having an okay spring so far. I hope you are, too. And now, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover of Elle Tesch’s What Wakes the Bells. It’s a Dark Fantasy about a bell keeper, her sentient city, and the vengeful Saint her magical bell awakens. It’s out on March 11, 2025.

Here’s an excerpt from Liane Moriarty’s latest novel Here One Moment! It’s coming to bookstores everywhere on September 10.

Crazy Rich Asians is heading to Broadway! The project is currently in development with a book by Leah Nanako Winkler (God Said This), music by Helen Park (KPOP: The Musical), and lyrics by Amanda Green (Bring It On) and music producer Tat Tong.

Check out this cool YA romantic fantasy cover, A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya. It’s coming on December 17!

Netflix has released its first footage of the upcoming adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s classic 1967 novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. The 16-episode series is set to premiere later this year.

Jake Tapper has sold North American rights to The Terrorist Detectives to Atria Books. Atria says the book tells “the unbelievable story of two assistant U.S. attorneys who, working with others in law enforcement, must race against the clock to build a case against a deadly al-Qaeda terrorist before he’s set free,” and explores “the sacrifices and limits of seeking justice in the war on terror.” The Terrorist Detectives is set for a fall 2025 publication.

Here are the winners of the 2024 Republic of Consciousness Prize. The prize aims to support small presses.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore (Feiwel & Friends, May 28)

Anna-Marie McLemore is back with a queer YA horror novel about a strange finishing school and society’s expectations of women. It’s kinda like Stepford Wives, but gay. And even scarier.

The Soler sisters are known around polite society for being brazen and rebellious. Their grandmother isn’t much better, but she also understands that there are certain expectations on young girls, which is why she sends them off to a finishing school called Alarie House, in the hopes of turning them into respectable young socialites. But there’s something strange about the Alarie girls. They’re all just a little too perfect. Immediately, Isla gets the creeps and leaves the school, unable to finish the program. Renata, however, stays and thrives in the finishing school environment.

When Renata returns from the program, she is a little too pleasant to be around. Everything about her is unnervingly perfect, and Isla barely recognizes the sister she once knew. And then Renata disappears. Determined to figure out what’s going on in the Alarie House and what happened to older her sister, Isla reenrolls in the program to uncover the school’s secrets.

What I’m Reading This Week

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Crossroads by Laurel Hightower

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

Monday Memes

We know Zendaya serves on the red carpet. Now, here are books as some of the best 2024 ‘fits from the red carpet queen. Who else is excited about Challengers, btw?

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

tuxedo cat on lap with laptop in background

Check out this action shot of Remy cuddling on my lap while I write this very newsletter to you right now. Pretty cool, huh? Do you feel like you’re in the room with us right now?

And that’s all I’ve got for you today, friends! I hope you have an incredible week. Thanks for spending some time with me today. And I’ll see you on Thursday!

Emily

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 18, 2024

Sponsored by

If you think you have to wait until October to read books about witches, think again. Actually, I happen to think witches are an all-year-round thing, but if you’re a more seasonal type person, hear me out. The book I’m recommending this week is witchy, sure, but it’s a story that feels relevant no matter what the season—especially (unfortunately) in our current political climate.

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings

I first read Megan Giddings’s The Women Could Fly two years ago, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s the type of book that made me feel all of the emotions. I laughed, I cried, I felt deeply unsettled. And I want everyone else to read this book, too, so I can talk to them about it.

This novel is set in a dystopian world where witches are real, and the government closely monitors all women to make sure they don’t turn into one. And if women aren’t married by 30, they become property of The State, their every move dictated and monitored. Josephine Thomas has heard rumors that her mother is a witch, and that’s why she disappeared, abandoning her family, never to be seen again. That was 14 years ago.

Now, as Jo’s 30th birthday looms ever closer, she desperately wants to move past the disappearance of her mother, but marriage and the life society wants her to lead seem wholly uninteresting to Jo. She’s dating, but she doesn’t feel a deep connection with any of the men in her life (including her father, whom she feels doesn’t really know the real her). With all of the pressures and expectations of women in this world, Jo feels like men can’t understand what she’s feeling or going through. In other words, the older Jo gets, the more she understands why her mother would want to run away and leave everything else behind. Jo has often had thoughts of doing the same.

Then Jo is offered a window into another way of life and gets new insight into who her mother was and who she would become. Suddenly, and perhaps for the first time ever in her life, Jo is presented with choices. But the choices aren’t easy, and following her heart might also put her in danger.

I absolutely loved every moment of this book. It confronts sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other topics that, unfortunately, feel very relevant to contemporary times. But most importantly, what made me connect to this story was Jo’s voice. Jo felt authentic and unique as a main character. She’s vulnerable and honest, but she’s also just really, understandably, angry. And somehow, this book still manages to have some genuine moments of humor. Like, I literally laughed out loud at points.

After Lakewood and The Women Could Fly, I can confidently say that Megan Giddings is one of those authors who will immediately jump to the top of my TBR every time she has a new book. If you haven’t checked her out yet, take this as your sign to do it now!

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!

Book Radar

Emily Austin Announces New Novel WE COULD BE RATS and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 17, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time, once again, to talk books. It’s been a long week with lots of doctors appointments and other un-fun things (everything is okay), but I’m looking forward to taking a little break to talk to all of you. So let’s do this.

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover of Eric LaRocca’s upcoming novel At Dark, I Become Loathsome. The cover artwork is by Sarah Sitkin, with a cover design/layout by Kathryn Galloway English. It’s out on January 28, 2025, from Blackstone Publishing.

I know, I can’t believe it’s already time for January 2025 cover reveals, but here’s another one: Alafair Burke’s The Note, “a story of three longtime friends whose girls’ weekend to the Hamptons goes terribly wrong.” It’s out on January 14, 2025.

Emily Austin’s new novel We Could Be Rats is set to be published in spring 2025 by Atria. The book is pitched as “a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination.”

And here’s the cover of Paula Hawkin’s new thriller The Blue Hour. It’s out this October.

If you loved The Other Black Girl and Midsommar, make sure you check out Vincent Tirado’s We Came to Welcome You, out from William Morrow books this September. Here’s the cover reveal.

Nat Cassidy has announced his third novel, which he describes as “a little bit IT and Firestarter, a little bit Terminator 2, a little bit Le Guin, a little bit Koontz, a little bit Grimms, a little bit Twilight Zone, & a lotta bit gonna rip yer face off.” It’s called When the Wolf Comes Home, and it’s coming soon!

The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us has been delayed. The movie will now open on August 9.

Book clubs are really having a moment right now. Are you part of a book club? What are your thoughts about the current boom?

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar (Feiwel & Friends, November 12)

I am so ready for a fun, cute, sapphic YA romance. Aren’t you? Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for this one until November 12. But, you know, as I always say, with the way time works, November 12 will be here tomorrow. So, you might as well go ahead and prepare your shelves, because this one has it all — revenge, romance, comedy, hijinks, a science competition. You get it. Let me tell you about it.

Rani Choudhury can essentially do no wrong. At least, that’s what nearly everyone seems to think, and it’s exhausting for Rani’s ex-best fried, Meghna Rahman, who feels like she constantly has to live up to Miss Perfect. So when Meghna finds out she and Rani will both be competing in the Young Scientist Exhibition, she thinks this could finally be her chance to beat Rani at something.

Meanwhile, Rani just wishes her parents didn’t control every single aspect of her life. They tell her what to do about basically everything, from what she studies in school to who she dates. Rani is annoyed when her parents set her up with their family friend Zak. She’d rather focus on the upcoming science competition. What she doesn’t know is that Zak is also dating Meghna.

When the two girls find out Zak has been seeing both of them at the same time, they call a truce to take down the same enemy. Deciding to compete as partners in the European Young Scientist Exhibition, Rani and Meghna create an app that exposes cheaters. But, as I said, this is a sapphic romance, so you might have guessed what happens next. As Rani and Meghna work closely together, sparks begin to fly.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Each thing we love takes a little piece of us whether we give it willingly or not. By the time we find the person we were meant to be with, we’re a honeycombed shell of what we once were. Each person we love turns us into the strange thing we become.”

— The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca

What I’m Watching This Weekend

You might have noticed, if you’re paying close attention, that I’ve been reading Liane Moriarty’s Apples Never Fall this week. I’m a fan of Moriarty’s books, and I’m a HUGE FAN of Alison Brie, so I’m excited to watch the mini-series based on the book over the weekend. If you want to watch along with me, it’s streaming on Peacock!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

It’s been a minute since I’ve given you a good close up of Remy’s cute little tuxie face. So here he is. He’s been going a little bananas this week because we’ve been gone a lot to doctor’s appointments. And I feel bad because I can’t tell him why! I’m so sorry, little guy. If I could quit everything and spend 24 hours a day playing with cats, I would! Wouldn’t we all?

Aaaand…I’m out! Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Emily

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 15, 2024

Sponsored by

This week, I’m back with another manga recommendation, because I am in my manga era, apparently. This one was also adapted into an anime series, and I just purchased a Crunchyroll subscription just so I can watch it. So yes, that means I really enjoyed this series. But it is a pretty heavy read, so major trigger warning for discussions of grief, depression, and suicide.

Orange by Ichigo Takano

On the first day of 11th grade, Naho receives a strange letter. The writer of the letter claims to be Naho from the future — ten years in the future, to be precise. And in it, future Naho tells her younger self to look out for Kakeru, a new student who will be joining her class. From the moment Naho sees Kakeru, she feels a deep connection with the melancholy boy, and she happily invites him to be a part of her close-knit group of friends. Still, she’s skeptical about the letter. How could it possibly come from an older version of herself in the future? Surely it has to be a prank.

But then things in the letter start coming true. And the more the letter is able to foretell the future, the more Naho has to take the warnings seriously. No matter what the cost, she must save Kakeru from a horrible fate. And every change she makes to the timeline will have consequences.

If you’ve ever lost someone close to you, then you have probably wondered what would have happened if you could go back and change the past, knowing what you know now. You’ve probably wondered if there is some alternate world out there where they are still alive. I really appreciated how this manga explores that possibility. And without giving too much away, we do also get to flash forward to the future to see where Naho and her friends are now, years later, still reeling from the loss of Kakeru, a person who had such an immense impact on their lives when they were younger. How does changing the past affect these people in the future? You will have to read to find out.

Orange is juggling a lot of elements, and I think this series does it really well. It’s a reflection on grief and loss, absolutely. But this is also a story I would comfortably categorize as sci-fi, as it also explores elements of time travel and the consequences of alternate timelines. Orange is also a love story, one in which — no matter how the story shakes out — someone is going to end up brokenhearted.

Above all else, though, this is a story about friendship. This is a story of a group of six friends who will do absolutely anything to support each other and take care of each other. Friends who manage to stay connected into adulthood. Despite the often depressing subject matter of this manga, ultimately, the message of Orange is that friendship is what makes life worth living.

Happy reading, bibliophiles! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @EmAndHerCat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!