Category: Book Radar

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

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date August 4, 2023

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Y’all!

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

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

Book Deals and Reveals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Riot Recommends

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

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

Can’t Wait for This One!

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

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

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

What I’m Reading This Week

Orange: Volume 2 by Ichigo Takano

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher and Sarah Pipher Gilliam

Monday Memes

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

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Murray, an orange cat, chilling in a window sill

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

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

Emily

Book Radar

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

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date August 2, 2023

Sponsored by

What’s up, Book Friends?

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

XOXO, Gossip Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The longlist has been announced for the 2023 Booker Prize.

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

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

Book Riot Recommends

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

Prepare Your Shelves!

cover of the death I gave him by em x liu

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

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

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

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

— The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

What’s Up in the Book Community?

My iPhone is constantly telling me I spend too much time staring at my screen, which is honestly so rude. But this means I spend a lot of time scrolling around the online book community: BookTube, Bookstagram, BookTok, BookLinkedIn (JK. That’s not a thing…I don’t think). You get the idea. Don’t have the time, energy, or the will to do all of that yourself? No problem. I got you. In this weekly section of Book Radar, we’ll take a look at something cool, interesting, and/or newsy that’s going on in the book community.

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

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

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

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

Emily

Book Radar

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

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 28, 2023

Sponsored by

Book Friends,

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

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

Book Deals and Reveals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Riot Recommends

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

Can’t Wait for This One

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

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

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

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

What I’m Reading This Week

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

Pageboy by Elliot Page

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Monday Memes

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

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

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

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

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

Emily

Book Radar

HEARTSTOPPER Season 2 Trailer Released and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 26, 2023

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

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

Book Deals and Reveals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Riot Recommends

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

Prepare Your Shelves!

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

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

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

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

— Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

What I’m Watching This Weekend

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

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

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

Emily

Book Radar

Barack Obama Announces Summer Reading List and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 21, 2023

Sponsored by

Hello Book Friends!

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

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

Book Deals and Reveals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Riot Recommends

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

Can’t Wait for This One

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

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

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

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

What I’m Reading This Week

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

Pageboy by Elliot Page

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Monday Memes

More Barbie memes? They will never get old!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

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

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

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

Emily

Book Radar

Barbie-Themed TBRs and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 19, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Barbie Day, Book Friends!

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

Book Deals and Reveals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Riot Recommends

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

Prepare Your Shelves!

Bridge by Lauren Beukes (Mulholland Books, August 8)

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

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

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

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

— Pageboy by Elliot Page

What’s Up in the Book Community?

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

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

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

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

Emily

Book Radar

Patrick Rothfuss Returns to the World of the Kingkiller Chronicles and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 14, 2023

Sponsored by

It’s Monday, and it’s Barbie week!

Have I ever been more excited about a movie I’ve never seen? Doubtful. I got my nails painted florescent pink, and I am ready to go. But in the meantime, let’s talk books.

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

Book Deals and Reveals

the narrow road between desires book cover

Patrick Rothfuss returns to the Kingkiller Chronicle universe with The Narrow Road Between Desires, a reimagining of his stand-alone story “The Lightning Tree.” The book, illustrated by Nate Taylor, publishes on November 14, 2023, with DAW Books.

Tor.com also has the cover reveal of Carissa Broadbent’s The Serpent and the Wings of Night. This start of a new series will be out on December 5, 2023, from Bramble.

And here’s the cover reveal for the upcoming Defiant graphic novel. The new graphic novel comes from comic book artists Nikolas Draper-Ivey (Static: Shadows Of Dakota, Black Panther soundtrack cover) and Ray-Anthony Height (Marvel Comics’ Star Wars: Doctor Aphra) with editor Chris Robinson (Marvel Comics’ Black Panther).

Rap icon Jay-Z has announced a special exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library entitled The Book of HOV.

BOOM! Studios is releasing a graphic novel adaptation of the official A.C.H. Smith novelization of the 1986 film Labyrinth.

Little Free Libraries has teamed up with Venables Bell + Partners to create the Unbanned Book Club.

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

We’ve selected the best books of 2023 so far! From historical romance to queer stories to comedic horror, and more.

Book Riot Recommends

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

Can’t Wait for This One

Make Me A Liar by Melissa Landers (Disney Hyperion, December 5)

Any time I hear a book compared to Veronica Mars, I’m 100% in. If you’re like me, then you’ll want to check out Melissa Landers’ Make Me A Liar, a book that’s like a sci-fi/fantasy version of everyone’s favorite amateur sleuth, Veronica Mars.

Tia Dante has the genetic gift of being able to transfer her consciousness into other bodies. Everyone at Harvey Davis High School knows about Tia’s special powers, and she’s got a reputation for using her gifts to help others. Whether it’s helping someone get revenge on a cheating ex or getting back at a bully, no job is too strange or awkward as long as it’s in the name of doing what’s right.

But then, one day, when Tia is off on a mission, someone else uses her body to commit a crime…murdering the town prosecutor. What’s worse, there is camera footage of Tia committing the murder, and she has no alibi. To find out who the real murderer is and prove her innocence, Tia will be forced to team up with her ex Nash Brock to crack the case.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

The Troop by Nick Cutter

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Orange by Ichigo Takano

Monday Memes

I’m sharing this for the Barbie side only, because screw reading what you think you’re supposed to read.

A Note About Milan Kundera

The Unbearable Lightness of Being is one of my favorite books of all time, and I went through a long period in college where I just tore my way through all of Milan Kundera’s books. Needless to say, I was very sad to hear of the author’s passing last Tuesday. Kundera, who published 10 novels, in addition to several short stories, essays, and poetry collections, was 94 at his time of death.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I was away from home all day today, so this picture came from my husband. Serious FOMO. Look at the cute cat moments I missed out on today. Leaving home is for chumps.

See you on Thursday, friends!

Emily

Book Radar

Britney Spears Memoir Coming This Fall and More Book Radar

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 12, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Happy Thursday! Just think…next week at this time, we’ll all be watching the Barbie movie (or at least I will. I have my tickets for July 20). I can’t wait. In the meantime, I guess let’s talk about books. That’s what we’re here for! But wait…did you know Barbie is partially inspired by Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher. So it is book related! Ok, ok. I’ll move on.

Book Deals and Reveals

britney spears the woman in me book cover

Pop icon Britney Spears is releasing her much-anticipated memoir The Woman in Me on October 23.

Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions is releasing its first short story anthology. Out There Screaming “explores the worlds of horror, sci-fi, folklore & more through short stories crafted by Black authors.” It’s out on October 3.

Here’s the cover reveal of Mónica Mancillas’ debut middle grade novel Sing it Like Celia. With artwork from Mirelle Ortega and a design by Mary Claire Cruz, the book will be out from Penguin Kids in April 2024.

Superman: Legacy has added Nathan Fillion to its cast as The Green Lantern. Also joining the cast are Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.

The official trailer for Wonka, starring Timothy Chalamet as Willy Wonka, has been released. Wonka hits theaters on December 15.

Jennifer Garner will be reprising her role as Elektra in the upcoming Deadpool 3 movie. Deadpool 3 is currently expected to hit theaters on May 3, 2024.

Nimona creator ND Stevenson announced on Twitter that copies of his graphic novel were sold out on Amazon following the release of Netflix’s film adaptation.

109-year-old Viola Ford Fletcher has published a memoir about growing up during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Don’t Let Them Bury My Story will be out on August 15.

Nnedi Okorafor has sold her novel The Africanfuturist to HarperCollins/William Morrow in a seven-figure deal. The book is scheduled for a winter 2025 release.

Book Riot Recommends

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

Prepare Your Shelves!

Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer (MIRA, August 29)

Can you believe it’s already time to start preparing ourselves for the next batch of romance novels for the holiday season, 2023? Where has the year gone? And yet…reading holiday-themed romcom books at the end of every year is one of my favorite things. And this one comes from Jean Meltzer, the author of the adorable novel The Matzah Ball. So yes, I’m constantly in an existential crisis as I think about the passage of time, but on the plus side, look at this book! It’s very exciting!

Avital Cohen’s chronic pain has forced her to set aside her dreams of becoming a photographer and her love life. She is doing everything she can to manage her family’s bakery, but she knows she needs help. So when handsome and charming Ethan Lippmann shows up at Best Babka in Brooklyn, Avital feels like she’s found the perfect person to help out around the bakery.

There’s only one problem…Ethan isn’t there to help. He’s there to spy on the bakery for his grandfather, the owner of a mass-produced kosher baked goods company. Ethan is there to steal the Cohen family secrets — especially their Pumpkin Spice Babka recipe. But the more time he spends with Avital, the more Ethan wants something different from his relationship with her.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“There is no value in simply being busy—everyone these days is busy. There is value in focus. In the satisfaction of control and the productivity of lucrative work.”

— The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

What’s Up in the Book Community?

So we’re already over halfway through the year (woo here comes my stress and anxiety about time passing once again). How are you doing on your reading goals? If you’re behind like me, there’s nothing a little readathon can’t fix. This summer, there are a ton of readathons going on all over BookTube. Unsure of where to start? Check out this guide to readathons happening in July!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

a white cat and a brown cat laying on top of one another

Today, we have some guest stars in the newsletter! Everyone, meet Pizza Roll and Gwen. These two cuties belong to my friends Mary and Todd. I couldn’t get over how cute they look stacked on top of each other here, and I thought you all would enjoy them as well.

On that pleasant note, have a wonderful week, and happy week-before-Barbie!

Emily

Book Radar

RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE Trailer Drops and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 7, 2023

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

Welcome back for another Monday’s Book Radar. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was pretty chill. I watched all of The Good Place. I read some books. Super huge accomplishments. But sometimes it’s okay to not be productive, right? Let’s talk books.

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

Book Deals and Reveals

Crime Reads has shared the cover for Heather Levy’s upcoming novel Hurt for Me. The novel is out from Montlake on January 30, 2024.

Prime Video has just released the official trailer for the film adaptation of the bestselling book Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The series starts streaming on Prime Video on August 11, 2023.

Knopf has bought the U.S. rights to Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Tommy Orange’s Wandering Stars. Knopf says Wandering Stars traces “the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School through to the shattering aftermath of Orvil Redfeather’s shooting depicted in There There.” The novel is out in March 2024.

Adult Swim’s adaptation of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki is still in the works.

Authors Mona Awad and Paul Tremblay filed a lawsuit against Open AI, ChatGPT’s parent company. The lawsuit claims that the company used their books to teach its AI tool about novels.

The 2023 Hugo Award finalists have been announced. This year’s selection is the most globally diverse so far.

Reese Witherspoon announced that her July Book Club pick is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang.

AIGA has announced the winners for the 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2022 competition, which highlights the best book covers of the previous year.

Book Riot Recommends

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

Can’t Wait for This One!

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (Feiwel & Friends, January 16, 2024)

Can you ever have too many Pride and Prejudice retellings? The answer is no. Can you have too many queer Pride and Prejudice retellings? Um… obviously not. Most Ardently is a YA queer retelling of P&P coming out at the beginning of next year, and it looks absolutely delightful.

Oliver Bennet is a trans boy who feels trapped. Trapped in a world that forces him to wear corsets and skirts and trapped by society’s expectations of him. The world expects him to be Elizabeth and to attend balls and social events until someone chooses him as their wife. But Oliver doesn’t want this life for himself. To escape the pressures of his everyday life, he finds time to sneak out of his home and head to the city dressed as a young gentleman.

This is how Oliver meets Darcy, a grumpy young man who was recently rude to Oliver (when he appeared as Elizabeth) at a party. But in the city, when Oliver can be Oliver, Oliver begins to see that Darcy is truly a kind boy who is warm and intelligent. And the more Oliver spends time with Darcy as his true self, the more Oliver dares to dream that this version of himself could become his whole reality.

What I’m Reading This Week

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

The Troop by Nick Cutter

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

Tomie by Junji Ito

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Monday Memes

I’ve seen this meme a lot, but this version speaks the most to me.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Remy is all wrapped up in his toys today. Love seeing him chill in his hammock surrounded by other things he could play with. The true definition of spoiled.

Aaaaand…that’s all! See you Thursday!

Emily

Book Radar

Greta Gerwig to Direct Narnia Movie and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 5, 2023

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Welcome to Thursday! I hope you survived the 4th of July. My cats barely did, but here we are. Let’s talk about books?

Book Deals and Reveals

The Lineup has shared the cover of Gwendolyn Kiste’s The Haunting of Velkwood. It’s out from Saga Press in March 2024.

Amina Akhtar revealed the cover of her new novel Almost Surely Dead, coming from Mindy Kaling’s imprint Mindy’s Book Studio. Almost Surely Dead will be out on February 6, 2024.

Barbie and Little Women director Greta Gerwig is attached to direct a feature film version of The Chronicles of Narnia books for Netflix. Netflix acquired the film and TV rights to the Narnia book series in 2018.

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed the title and the cover of her highly-anticipated upcoming memoir. Worthy is out on October 17, and Pinkett Smith will follow the release with a book tour.

Leslye Headland will be directing Netflix’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

The Wall Street Journal and editor Ben Fritz are releasing a new, four-part podcast series called With Great Power: The Rise of Superhero Cinema. The podcast will explore the 21^st century’s fascination (and fatigue) with superhero movies. Episodes are releasing this week.

Netflix has officially released the teaser trailer for the second season of Heartstopper. Heartstopper season 2 premieres on Netflix on August 3.

The second official trailer for Dune: Part Two has been released. Dune: Part Two releases in theaters on November 3.

Prime Video has released the season 2 trailer for The Summer I Turned Pretty, a series based on the novels by Jenny Han. The first three episodes of season 2 of The Summer I Turn Pretty will be out on Prime Video on July 14. New episodes will follow weekly until the season finale on Friday, August 18.

Tokyopop has launched a new romance manga imprint named LoveLove.

Check out new titles from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Sara Desai, and more in Book Riot’s July 2023 horoscopes.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is starting its own publishing company. What will that mean for BookTok?

Book Riot Recommends

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

Prepare Your Shelves!

Burn the Negative by Josh Winning (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, July 11)

We love a horror/slasher set on a film set. Think The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman. Think Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth. Like, yeah, we have seen stories like Burn the Negative before, but there’s definitely more to be explored in thrillers, horror, and slashers surrounding movies. And this one definitely delivers. What’s more, it comes out next week, so prepare your shelves, and get ready for your favorite new summer thriller.

Burn the Negative is all about the remake of a classic slasher film called The Guesthouse. Laura Warren is a journalist reporting on the remaking of the film, even though she’s been trying to run away from the original for her entire life. In the original version of The Guesthouse released back in the ’90s, Laura played a little girl who had the unsettling gift of being able to tell when and how the Needle Man would kill people. Then eight people on the set of the film died in ways that mirrored the movie’s murders. The movie became a cult classic and subsequently ruined Laura’s life. Now as deaths begin to happen again around the cursed movie set, Laura goes on the run. But can she ever outrun the Needle Man?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“We get so used to twenty-four-year-old actors playing high school students, and we seem so mature in our own memories, that we forget actual teenagers have limited vocabularies, have bad posture and questionable hygiene, laugh too loud, don’t know how to dress for their body types, want chicken nuggets and macaroni for lunch. It’s easier to see the twelve-year-olds they just were than the twenty-year-olds they’ll soon be.”

— I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Okay, misleading, because I know normally this segment is about what I’m going to watch in the upcoming weekend, but the 4th of July holiday has me all wonky, so here’s what I’ve been watching instead of going out and celebrating the holiday. On the 4th, I went to see Past Lives, which is a beautiful movie, and it made me cry, and everyone should go see it! And I know I’m late to the game, but I was looking for something light and fluffy to watch at home, so I’ve started watching The Good Place at last.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Murray doesn’t normally hide behind the Super Nintendo, but I guess this week was a special occasion. Either way, I thought it was cute. Also don’t ask me when the last time was that I played that Super Nintendo because it was waaaay before we moved to Seattle, and I don’t actually remember.