Author: Emily Martin

ALA Announces the Finalists for the 2022 Carnegie Medals: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 12, 2021

Christos Tsiolkas Wins $60,000 Melbourne Prize for Literature

Earlier this week, Melbourne writer Christos Tsiolkas was awarded the $60K Melbourne Prize for Literature, one of the richest literary prizes in Australia. According to the prize’s judges, Tsiolkas was honored for his “outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life.” Tsiolkas has written several bestsellers, including Damascus, which won last year’s Victorian Premier’s prize for fiction. In a short acceptance speech, Tsiolkas thanked his family and his publisher, Jane Palfreyman, and said, “I feel like the luckiest fella tonight.”

Tor Nightfire Announces New Horror Novella from Cassandra Khaw

On Wednesday, Tor Nightfire announced on Twitter that Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth, has a new horror novella. The publisher describes Khaw’s new novel The Salt Grows Heavy as “a sharp and hungry mermaid tale full of creeping dread and delicious gore.” In an article on Tor Nightfire’s website, Khaw explains the unlikely inspiration behind her mermaid horror story: “Funnily, 9gag was the catalyst. Years ago, I saw this ridiculous cartoon strip that showed Ariel laying eggs and Eric being aghast at the whole situation, and that just was the catalyst. It stuck in my head. What if mermaids laid eggs? And what if the eggs came into the world the way little baby sharks do: voracious, keen on everything in sight. What if we poked at a few more things? Touched on mankind’s sense of entitlement to the bounties of his planet?” Look for The Salt Grows Heavy in bookstores everywhere in May 2022.

ALA Announces the Finalists for the 2022 Carnegie Medals

The American Library Association has announced the six books shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The medals are awarded to the best adult fiction and nonfiction books published in the United States in the previous year. The finalists are as follows: The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade, Matrix by Lauren Groff, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin, Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib, and Seek You by Kristen Radtke. The winners will be announced at the ALA Book and Media Awards (BMAs) virtual event on Sunday, January 23, 2022.

Students Petition for Library Books, School Board Members Want to Burn LGBTQ+ Titles, and More Censorship News

Here’s all the censorship news that happened across the United States over the past week. Some of it is good news, and some of it is not so good.

Book Radar

Tor Nightfire Announces New Cassandra Khaw Novella and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 12, 2021

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal for Lisa Jewell’s upcoming novel The Family Remains, the sequel to The Family Upstairs. It will be out in August 2022.

Tor Nightfire’s got some good news for anyone who loved this year’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. Khaw’s next novel The Salt Grows Heavy, “a sharp and hungry mermaid tale full of creeping dread and delicious gore,” is coming out in May 2023!

Ashley Liao & Ross Butler have signed on to star in the upcoming adaptation of Loveboat, Taipei, based on the novel by Abigail Hing Wen.

LGBTQ Reads has got an exclusive cover reveal of Maya Dean’s Wrath Goddess Sing, releasing June 7, 2022 from William Morrow.

Here’s a sneak peek at Alexis Schaitkin’s upcoming novel Elsewhere, which is being described as a mix of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Margaret Atwood. This one will publish June 28, 2022.

Barnes & Noble has just announced the upcoming publication of Family of Liars, E. Lockhart’s prequel to her New York Times bestselling novel We Were Liars. Family of Liars will be out on May 3, 2022.

Here’s the cover reveal of Ellen Hagan’s upcoming YA novel Don’t Call Me A Hurricane, out from Bloomsbury on May 17, 2022.

One more cover reveal this Monday: here’s the really adorable cover of Marcelle Karp’s YA novel Getting Over Max Cooper. This one’s out on April 19, 2022.

The Guadalajara International Book Fair, the biggest Spanish-language book fair, is returning this year with a hybrid in-person and online event, running from November 27 through December 5.

Jon M. Chu has signed on to directed a film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ beloved book Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Jesse Sutanto has won the Comedy Women in Print Award for her novel Dial A for Aunties.

The American Library Association has announced the six books shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction.

Book Riot Recommends

I’m a Contributing Editor at Book Riot, I write the Today in Books newsletter, and I’m a Bibliologist for Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendations subscription service. I also have a PhD in English, so I’m basically a doctor of books. Books are my life, in other words, so in this section of the newsletter, let me share with you some upcoming books I’m super excited about. And I think you will be too!

Prepare Your Shelves!

Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera (Quill Tree Books, December 28, 2021)

Back in 2018, I listened to the audiobook of What if It’s Us when I was on a road trip, and I fell in love with these characters. I loved that Arthur was a fellow theater nerd and I related to his awkwardness. And Ben seemed like the kind of fantasy boyfriend that could get Arthur to break out of his shell. But at the same time, Ben also had a personality and a story of his own. And while these two seemed like the perfect match for each other, not everything worked out perfectly. And that’s okay. In life, things don’t always fall exactly into place, and I appreciate the realism. So I honestly wasn’t looking for a sequel. I was happy with where we left things.

And yet… when the sequel came out, I had to get my hands on it. So where are Ben and Arthur now? Well, they’re both in New York, but after two years apart, they’re focusing on their own goals and their own, separate visions of the future. And yet, while these two are on seemingly totally different trajectories, they keep running into each other. Is New York really that small, or are they just destined to get back together? Here’s to Us is a book you could probably enjoy on its own. Enough context is provided where you can fall into the story and understand the characters’ history without having read the previous book. But What If It’s Us was such a fun read, why wouldn’t you want to just read both?

If you are a fan of audiobooks, I recommend these on audio. I love audiobooks where different narrators read for the different characters’ perspectives. I feel like it gives my ears a little break and reset when I’m sitting down for a long listening session. Noah Galvin and Froy Gutierrez narrated the audiobook for What if It’s Us, and they’re back for Here’s to Us. After a few years away from these characters and their story, it was nice to return to these familiar voices.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Will by Will Smith

Monday Memes

This meme is so relatable to me. Just as an example, Cersei is my favorite character in Game of Thrones (the books and the show), and I feel like I have to defend that constantly.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

Remember how I said I love planning things? Well, friends, it’s that time of the year. Time to pick out my 2022 planners. Yes, I am a big fan of paper planners. I like writing plans down by hand. It helps me remember everything and I love seeing it all on paper. I’ve been getting Passion Planners for the last several years for my everyday planning, and I’m going with Passion Planner again this year. This year, I ordered the Weekly 2022 Annual in Elegant Marble (the large one, of course).

I’ve also been enjoying using reading planners lately as well. Yes, I’m still using Goodreads, and I love, love, love Tirzah Price’s reading logs—I can’t wait to see what her 2022 log will look like. But now I’m also tracking my reading with planners. This year, I’m trying a new one. I’ve preordered Little Inkling’s 2022 Always Fully Booked Planner. The black and white one I ordered is sold out, but the rainbow one is still available!

And Here’s a Cat Picture!

Since it’s Monday and all, let’s make it “Take Your Cat to Work Day.” Here’s a picture of sweet Murray helping me to start my work week off right. He’s definitely not thinking about pushing all of my stuff off the desk. No way.

Thanks for your help, sweet Murray! Are you taking your pet with you to work today?

Well, bye! That’s all I’ve got for you today. I hope you have a nice day. Make sure to bring a coat when you go out. And if it gets hot while you’re out and you take your coat off, make sure you remember to grab it when you come back home. I’ve lost lots of coats. That’s all I’m saying.

❤️ Emily

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Today In Books

Ashley Liao & Ross Butler to Star in LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI Adaptation: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 11, 2021

Sponsored by Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne

Saint X Author Alexis Schaitkin Has A New Book! Here’s A First Look

Alexis Shaitkin, the author of Saint X, has a new book coming out on June 28, 2022, and Entertainment Weekly has a first look at the novel. Schaitkin’s new novel Elsewhere is being described by the publishers as a mix of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Margaret Atwood. The book is about small town where mothers disappear. It is available for preorder right now.

Ashley Liao & Ross Butler to Star in Loveboat, Taipei Adaptation

Ashley Liao (Physical, Fresh Off the Boat) and Ross Butler (Too All the Boys, Shazam!) have signed on to star in the upcoming romance film Loveboat, Taipei. The movie is an adaptation of Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. The movie from ACE Entertainment will be directed by Arvin Chen (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?) and is set to begin production in Taipei at the end of the month. Nico Hiraga (Booksmart) and Chelsea Zhang (Daybreak) have also joined the cast of the film. Author Abigail Hing Wen said of the casting, “These past few months have been a dream watching this cast filling out…I can’t wait to see sparks fly as these four pal around Taipei, and for everyone to meet the amazing ensemble and magic still to come.”

Miami Book Fair Returns for 38th Year

After going completely virtual last year, the Miami Book Fair is back in person for 2021. The book fair will still remain a little bit smaller than previous years, however, featuring 150 authors instead of 500. The Miami Book Fair will also continue with a virtual component of the fair for people who would like to participate remotely. The Book Fair begins Sunday, November 14, and runs through November 21. To find out more about the Book Fair, who will be there, and how you cain join in on the fun, check out the Miami Book Fair website.

8 Bookish Nonprofits and Organizations to Donate to on Giving Tuesday

What better way to participate in Giving Tuesday than by supporting a bookish nonprofit? Here are 8 bookish nonprofits you can support this Giving Tuesday.

Book Radar

Why the Book Community Should Care About the Penguin/S&S Merger and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 10, 2021

Book Deals and Reveals

poster for the g film Spider-Man: No Way Home

Sony has released the first official poster for the upcoming film Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Here is the stunning cover reveal of Leesa Cross-Smith’s upcoming novel Half-Blown Rose. This one is out in July 2022.

Bestselling author Anna Todd is launching a new imprint in partnership with Wattpad Books.

Alma Katsu has revealed the paperback cover for her 2021 novel Red Widow.

A TV series adaptation of The Royal Diaries is in the works from Legendary Television and Scholastic Entertainment.

Graywolf Press publisher Fiona McCrae has announced that she will retire in June 2022.

The Nerd Daily has an exclusive cover reveal of The Beach Trap by Ali Brady. This reimagining of the classic film The Parent Trap will be out on June 14, 2022.

Saeed Jones is opening up about the creative process in his new newsletter Werk-in-Progress.

Middle grade novel Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan has gotten a cover reveal! Check out the cover now, and preorder the book, out in July 2022.

Israeli bookstores have pulled Sally Rooney’s books from shelves in response to the author refusing to allow her new book to be translated into Hebrew.

This new report from PEN America highlights the wide ranging damage from educational gag orders across the country.

Here are the best cities for book lovers in 2022 (and the worst ones too).

And here are all of the 850 books Texas lawmaker Matt Krause wants to ban from school libraries.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One

Wahala by Nikki May (Custom House, January 11, 2022)

Wahala by Nikki May is coming out right at the beginning of 2022, so we won’t have to wait too long for this one. You might even consider this one to be “Prepare Your Shelves” territory. I know everyone keeps saying it, but isn’t it odd that 2022 is that close? Like, how? The older I get, the less I understand time.

But anyway, let’s just get past the fact that 2022 is soon and get excited for this debut novel. Let me tell you about why. Wahala is the story of three Anglo-Nigerian best friends. There’s Ronke who wants nothing more than a happily ever after with a nice husband and kids. Meanwhile Boo has everything Ronke wants, but she’s frustrated with domestic life and desperate to reconnect with who she used to be before the husband and kids. Then there’s Simi, the one with the seemingly perfect life who is nonetheless struggling with impostor syndrome.

The three women’s lives are turned upside down when a fourth woman infiltrates their friend group. At first, Isobel seems like the missing puzzle piece. She brings out the best in each woman and pushes them to go outside of their comfort zone. But the more Isobel meddles with the other women’s lives, the more chaotic everything becomes. And soon enough, Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship threatens to fall apart.

I love a story about the power and complexity of female friendship, and so of course Wahala is a must-read for me. And while this book does sound like it’s going to be an unputdownable page-turner, the premise promises something a little more thought-provoking than your typical beach read. The blurb promises a “sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal,” and I am here for it.

If you think this sounds like it would make an amazing television show, you’re not alone. This book is already being developed into a TV series for BBC. I’m going to pick this one up right away so I can be prepared for the show. Yes, I’m already pre-excited for the TV adaptation of the book.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“If every story had a happy ending, then we’d have no reason to start again. Life is all about choices, and learning how to put ourselves back together when we fall apart. Which we all do. Even the people who pretend they don’t.”

— Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

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.

I know I’ve mentioned before how much I love Jess Owens’ “Book CommuniTEA” series on YouTube, but I wanted to point out an episode that recently came out that I think is particularly worth a watch. If you’ve been curious about what’s going on with Penguin Random House attempting to purchase Simon & Schuster, here’s a nice rundown of what’s going on and why this merger would be really, really bad news for books. Check it out!

Your Weekend Reading Soundtrack

This is what we’re going to listen to this weekend. More info on this coming in just a few sentences. But yes this should be a fun one!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Check out these two bad cats hanging out on top of the fridge. What are they doing up there? Forming a special Bad Cat Club?

Underneath them, you’ll see some fancy Flight of the Conchords magnets, which was the inspiration for this week’s Reading Soundtrack. I hope you enjoy the funny if you’ve never listened, and I hope you enjoy the memories if you haven’t listened for a while. But most importantly, I hope you enjoyed this cat picture.

Well, that’s all! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. This weekend, I say you should get yourself a nice hot beverage, and let’s all toast to cooler weather.

❤️ Emily

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Today In Books

WE WERE LIARS Prequel Announced: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 10, 2021

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

Jesse Sutanto Wins the Comedy Women in Print Award for Dial A for Aunties

Jesse Sutanto has won the Comedy Women in Print Prize, the UK’s only award for humorous writing by women, for her novel Dial A for Aunties. Joanne Harris, the chair of the judging panel and the author of Chocolat, said Sutanto’s novel was packed with “absurd situations, hilarious dialogue, wonderful family dynamics and crackling with comic energy.” Sutanto said winning the £3,000 award felt “unreal.” She added, “I feel like a lot of women are raised to be very humble, and when people give us compliments, we’re supposed to be like, ‘Oh, no, it’s not that big a deal.’ “Yesterday, my husband said to our five-year-old, ‘Mama did an amazing thing, she is certified the funniest female author in an entire country.’ And my five-year-old was like, wow, and I said, ‘Oh, no, Papa is just exaggerating.’ He said, ‘I’m literally not,’ and then it hit me and I had to have a moment because that’s just too big. I needed to have a moment to let it sink in.” The prize was set up in 2019 by comedian and writer Helen Lederer. Sutanto’s win was announced at a ceremony at the Groucho Club in London on Monday.

Barnes & Noble Announces We Were Liars Prequel

Barnes & Noble has just announced the upcoming publication of Family of Liars, E. Lockhart’s prequel to her New York Times bestselling novel We Were Liars. Barnes & Noble will carry an exclusive edition of the book featuring a unique jacket, a customized case and end papers, a map of Beechwood Island, a Sinclair family tree, an author Q&A, a playlist/mix tape, Tipper’s lemon pound cake recipe, and more. Family of Liars will be out on May 3, 2022.

School District Pulls 29 Books from Libraries

A Kansas school district has removed 29 books from circulation in school libraries. Julie Cannizzo, the assistant superintendent for academic affairs for Goddard Public Schools, sent an email out to principals and librarians with a list of the books and said the district is assembling a committee to “rate the content of the books on the list.” Cannizzo wrote, “At this time, the district is not in a position to know if the books contained on this list meet our educational goals or not. Additionally, we need to gain a better understanding of the processes utilized to select books for our school libraries.” The list includes several acclaimed novels, such as The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fences by August Wilson.

12 Free Short Stories by Your Favorite Authors

Looking for short stories from your favorite authors that you can read for free? These short stories by your favorite authors will entice and enchant you with bookkeeping aliens, ant writing, and sentient drones.

Today In Books

Omar El Akkad Wins Soctiabank Giller Prize for WHAT STRANGE PARADISE: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 9, 2021

Author Anna Todd to Launch New Book Imprint with Wattpad Books

Bestselling author Anna Todd’s Frayed Edges multimedia company is launching a new book imprint with Wattpad Books. Frayed Pages x Wattpad Books is a new cobranded publishing imprint under the recently formed Wattpad Webtoon Book Group. The imprint’s first release will be be After: The Graphic Novel, a graphic adaptation of Todd’s series of the same name. The graphic novel will be released in spring 2022. Next, FPxWB will release a new trilogy by Todd. The first volume will publish in summer 2022 and the second will be out in the fall. Todd originally published her After series online on Wattpad, and later the books were published in print by Simon & Schuster. Todd’s new imprint marks a return to Wattpad. “My journey started with those first words on Wattpad, so entering into this new partnership truly is a full circle moment,” Todd said. She also emphasized that the mission of FPxWB is “to not only celebrate writers telling stories from unique perspectives, but to broaden the world of storytelling to give a new generation of talent the tools to get their words to readers everywhere.”

Omar El Akkad Wins Scotiabank Giller Prize for What Strange Paradise

Canadian journalist and author Omar El Akkad has won the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel What Strange Paradise. The prize is $100,000, which is the richest in Canadian literature. “I didn’t think I had a chance in hell of winning this … this is by far the greatest honor in my career,” El Akkad said in his acceptance speech on Monday at a gala in Toronto. “I’ve had the incredible honour of being mentioned in the same breath as four outstanding authors, any of whom could be standing up here right now.” The prize was chosen by a five-person jury chaired by Canadian writer Zalika Reid-Benta. The jurors read from a selection of 132 books, narrowed it down to a longlist of 12 and then further narrowed to a shortlist of 5. Other books included on the shortlist were Miriam Toews for Fight Night, Angélique Lalonde for Glorious Frazzled Beings, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia for The Son of the House, and Jordan Tannahill for The Listeners.

Saeed Jones Opens Up About Creative Process in Newly Debuted Newsletter

In his newly debuted newsletter Werk-in-Progress, author Saeed Jones is opening up about the creative process. Jones says he intends to publish the newsletter two to three times a week via Substack. The newsletter will include poems and essays, writing prompts, and discussion topics provided by Jones. The newsletter was inspired in part by Jones’ creative exhaustion during the pandemic. “Every morning, I felt like I was rebuilding myself from the ground up,” Jones writes. “Waking up was hard. Getting to my desk to write was hard. Taking care of my body was hard. Remembering the point of it all was hard.” What else can subscribers expect from the newsletter? Jones promises upcoming cameos from his dog Caesar, for one. “Good chaos is coming, y’all,” he says. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

2021 World Fantasy Award Winners Announced

This year’s World Fantasy Awards were announced over the weekend. Here are the winners across each category.

Today In Books

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Reveals First Official Poster: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 8, 2021

Sponsored by ThriftBooks. Shop ThriftBooks for Buy One, Get One Free on all children’s and YA Books!

Will Smith is Heading Back to Philadelphia for First Stop on Book Tour

Today, actor Will Smith is returning home to Philadelphia for the first stop on his book tour, promoting his new memoir Will, out this week. Smith is calling the event “An Evening Of Stories With Friends,” and it will take place at the Met. Smith will visit four more cities after his return to Philadelphia, and each event will include a guest appearance from one of Smith’s friends. Tonight, Queen Latifah joins Smith onstage. On November 9, Smith will be in Brooklyn with guest Spike Lee; on November 10, Smith is joined by Mark Manson in Chicago; on November 11, Ava DuVernay joins Smith in Los Angeles; and finally, Smith will be in London with Idris Elba on November 18. You can buy tickets for the tour here. Each ticket comes with a copy of Will.

The Royal Diaries Television Series in the Works

Legendary Television and Scholastic Entertainment are developing a TV series based on The Royal Diaries books. The Royal Diaries is a series of novels published by Scholastic Press between 1999 and 2005. In each of the 20 books, the story is told from the perspective of a different historical figure in the form of a diary. The books cover famous female royals, including Cleopatra VII of Egypt, Elizabeth I of England, Marie Antoinette of Austria-France, Anastasia of Russia, Ka’iulani of Hawaii, Jahanara of India, Anacaona of Haiti, and Nzingha, Queen of Matamba, Angola. The planned series will adapt the books into a collection of “mostly true” stories about these historical figures during their adolescence. Iole Lucchese and Caitlin Friedman will oversee for Scholastic Entertainment. Anne Thomopoulos and Ali Mendes will oversee for Legendary.

Sony Releases First Official Poster for Spider-Man: No Way Home

Sony has released the first official poster for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the image includes many clues about what we can expect from the upcoming superhero film. The poster shows Tom Holland’s Spider-Man encircled by Doc Ock’s tentacles. In the background, you can also see an image of the Green Goblin. The new film, directed by Jon Watts, hits theaters around the world on December 15 and debuts in North America on December 17, exclusively in movie theaters.

How to Support Libraries in Times of Increased Censorship

As book banners are getting more fired up, here’s what you can do to support your local libraries.

Today In Books

Tracy Clarke’s BROKEN PLACES in Development as a Series: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 6, 2021

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

Kim Sherwood Set to Expand James Bond Universe

Bond aficionado and novelist Kim Sherwood has been authorized by the estate of Ian Fleming to expand the James Bond universe. Sherwood will write three contemporary thrillers for HarperCollins that are set in the world of James Bond but the original 007 is missing, presumed captured or killed. Sherwood, who is known for her debut thriller novel Testament, says that James Bond has been “one of the enduring loves of my life since I first watched Pierce Brosnan dive from the dam in GoldenEye.” The series is set to launch in September 2022, and Sherwood said in a tweet that she “can’t wait” for readers to meet her new characters.

Tracy Clarke’s Broken Places in Development as a Series

Author Tracy Clarke announced on Twitter this Friday that her novel Broken Places is in development as a series with Sony Pictures Television. The novel tells the story of a Black private investigator in Chicago who is pursuing the killer of her only father figure, a priest found murdered in his church confessional. The development deal was made by Lucy Stille at Lucy Still Literary and Evan Marshall at the Evan Mashall Agency. Tracy Clarke tweeted, “Thanks, Evan! Thanks, Lucy! Thanks @KensingtonBooks! And thanks to loyal readers! Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Timothy Olyphant Joins the Cast of Daisy Jones & the Six at Amazon

Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Santa Clarita Diet) has joined the cast of the Amazon musical drama Daisy Jones & the Six. The 10-episode series, based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel of the same name, will follow the rise and fall of a fictional 1970s rock band. Olyphant will play their road manager Rod. Also cast in the series is Riley Keough, who stars as Daisy Jones, Sam Caflin as Billy Dunne, and Will Harrison as Graham Dunne. Also included in the cast are Camila Morrone, Suki Waterhouse, Josh Witehouse, Nabiya Be, Sebastian Chacon and Tom Wright. A premiere date has yet to be revealed.

Characters of Color in UK Kids’ Books Have Quadrupled and More Good Book News

Here’s a roundup of all the good book news from this week, including increased diversity in UK children’s books, an underwater bookstore, and more!

Today In Books

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to Star in WICKED Adaptation: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 5, 2021

RL Stine Announces a New Collection of Short Stories

Horror author RL Stine has written 10 new stories for young readers in new collection Stinetinglers, which is due out on August 30, 2022. Each story will start with an introduction from the author himself, adding a personal touch to the collection. RL Stine has done an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, including a cover reveal of Stinetinglers.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to Star in Wicked Adaptation

Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and Grammy winner Ariana Grande have been announced as the stars of the film adaptation of Wicked. Erivo, who won a Tony for her performance in The Color Purple, will play Elphaba, and Grande has been cast as Glinda. Both stars announced the casting decision—and their excitement—on their personal Instagram accounts. Jon M. Chu of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights is set to direct the project. No release date has been announced as of yet.

Taika Waititi to Direct Film Adaptation of The Incal

Filmmaker Taika Waititi is attached to direct and co-write a feature adaptation of The Incal, the critically-acclaimed comic book from Alejandro Jodorowsky and the late artist Moebius. Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi’s collaborator for What We Do in the Shadows and Flight of the Conchords, will be co-writing the script, along with Peter Warren. “The films and graphic novels of Alejandro Jodorowsky have influenced me and so many others for so long. I was stunned to be given the opportunity to bring his iconic characters to life,” Waititi said in a statement.

All 850 Books Texas Lawmaker Matt Krause Wants to Ban: An Analysis

Lawmaker Matt Krause wants 850 books removed from school libraries. Here are some stats and highlights from the list of books, including one truly ironic pick.

Book Radar

RL Stine’s Got 10 New Stinetingling Short Stories and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 5, 2021

Sponsored by Penguin Random House & Underlined.

The start of an epic new fantasy series, Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid in this West African inspired historical fantasy debut by Natasha Bowen that is perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Roseanne A. Brown. Simi is a Mami Wata—a mermaid—bound by the laws of gods and charged with blessing the souls of slaves lost at sea. But when Simi does the unthinkable and saves the life of a boy instead, she finds herself in the deepest trouble at the bottom of the sea.

Book Friends,

I don’t know how this keeps happening to us, but it’s Monday again, which means it’s time for a new week filled with books and more Book Radar.

At the beginning of every week, I end up setting little mini-reading goals for myself, and this week I mean very mini. I have a little stack of novellas I want to get through this week. They’re the kind of books that I’ve meant to read all year, but every time I look at them, I think, “Oh that won’t take me long! I’ll read it later!” Well, later is now. So I’m reading 2021 novellas. Some I’m revisiting, some I’m reading for the first time. Do you have any favorite novellas from 2021? I’d love to hear about them. Always feel free to reach out.

Anyway, let’s talk about some book stuff.

❤️ Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Flatiron Books has revealed to cover for Julia Armfield’s upcoming literary novel Our Wives Under the Sea. This one’s out July 12, 2022.

Reese Witherspoon has announced her book club pick for November. It’s The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.

RL Stine is releasing 10 new short stories for young readers in a new collection called Stinetinglers, out August 30, 2022.

Comic book author Mariko Tamaki has launched, Surely Books, a new LGBTQ+ graphic novel imprint. The first publication from the imprint will be Lifetime Passes by writer Terry Blas and artist Claudia Aguirre, out later this month.

Tin House has announced that they will be publishing the debut memoir When They Tell You to Be Good in October 2022. This is Editor-at-Large Hanif Abdurraqib’s first acquisition for Tin House.

Paul Newman’s memoir will be published in 2022, 14 years after the actor’s death.

Here’s the cover reveal for Vanessa Hua’s upcoming historical fiction novel Forbidden City. This book will be available April 19th, 2022.

Sony Pictures Television is developing Myriam Gurba’s Mean as a series. The story is about the author’s experiences coming of age as a queer Chicana in Santa Maria, California in the 1980s/90s.

Here’s the brand new trailer for the upcoming adaptation of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. The movie stars Lucy Hale and Robbie Amell.

Taika Waititi will be directing and co-writing the script for the upcoming film adaptaiton of acclaimed comic The Incal from Alejandro Jodorowsky and the late artist Moebius.

Playground Entertainment is adapting the Korean graphic novel Moms by Yeong-shin Ma as a TV series.

The Promise by Damon Galgut has won the 2021 Booker Prize.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim (December 7, Ecco)

Audiobook fans, listen up because here’s one coming out next week that is particularly good on audio. The audiobook is narrated by Sue Jean Kim (Bachelorette) and Raymond Lee (Mozart in the Jungle). I love a multi-narrator audiobook, but especially when the characters are this well rendered, it’s nice to hear their voices brought to life with a good narration. But if you prefer print or ebook? I’m sure all of that still comes through. Just had to give a shout out to my audiobook people!

Beasts of a Little Land is a historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement. The novel follows the stories of two characters. Jade is a young girl who sold to Miss Silver’s courtesan school by her family. She meets a boy named JungHo, an orphan who makes a living by begging on the streets of Seoul, and the two form a close friendship. As the two grow older, their lives take them in different directions. Jade becomes a sought-after performer and catches the eye of a nobleman. JungHo joins the fight for Korean independence. But the two characters’ fates remain intertwined.

This sweeping historical novel covers many decades of Korean history. The details are well-researched and if you’re unaware of many of the details of the Korean independence movement (as I was), this story will teach you something about history. But like all exceptional historical fiction, the history and the details of the setting serve to make the characters and the story all the more compelling.

Added bonus: look at the beautiful cover.

What I’m Reading This Week

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric Larocca

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Monday Memes

Today, I had to share this perfect meme from our very own Book Riot Instagram. It’s just too good.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

I know I’ve been watching a lot of book-to-series adaptations lately. This week, I’ve got another one that’s worth a watch. I finally broke down and got Peacock TV so that I could watch One of Us is Lying. The book by Karen M. McManus was so fun, and I was excited to see what they would do with the show. So far so good, though I do envy viewers that will watch and not know the answer to the mystery yet! What do you prefer? Watching the tv show/movie first and then reading the book? Or reading the book and then watching the adaptation? Again, hit me up and let me know.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s another one from the archives.

This is kitten Murray. Back when Murray was tiny, this stuffed owl was his favorite toy. He’d even bathe it sometimes. Now that he’s a grown kitty, he’s moved on to other toys, and the owl has gone the way of all the toys in Toy Story 3. They always grow up so fast!

Friends, thank you so much for tuning in to Book Radar. I hope your week is wonderful. I hope it’s productive if that’s what you’re going for, and I hope it’s restful if you need rest.

❤️ Emily