Category: Book Radar

MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM Comes to Amazon Prime in September and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date August 5, 2022

Sponsored by

Hello Book Friends!

Another Monday is here. And hey, rather than thinking about the work week we have ahead of us, let’s think of this week as another opportunity to make more time for books and less time for working. Because work is for suckers. Okay, technically, I’m working right now by writing this newsletter for you. But after this? I’m going to go get a snack or something. For now, let’s chat books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Lucy Liu is narrating the audiobook version of Celeste Ng’s highly anticipated third novel Our Missing Hearts. The book in all of its formats will be released on October 4th.

Hey, let’s talk about my most anticipated movie of the year, and how somehow its release date totally snuck up on me. But in case you missed it (like I did at first), Grady Hendrix tweeted last week that the adaptation of his seriously amazing (my words, not his) horror novel My Best Friend’s Exorcism will be coming to Amazon Prime on September 30th. I’m just going to close my eyes and sleep until the end of September because I legitimately cannot wait a moment longer.

Let’s get into some cover reveals, shall we? Check out the cover of Nick and Charlie, a Heartstopper novella. This book hits shelves on January 3, 2023!

Gabriella Saab’s new historical fiction novel Daughters of Victory is out from HarperCollins on January 1st, 2023. Check out this gorgeous cover.

Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford are hosting a new weekly podcast for SiriusXM’s Stitcher called Vibe Check. The podcast, which debuts on August 17, will focus on news and culture from a Black and queer perspective.

Samantha Shannon revealed the cover of her upcoming novel A Day of Fallen Night, illustrated by Ivan Belikov and designed by David Mann.

LiteraryHub released the cover reveal for Erica Berry’s forthcoming debut Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and What We Tell Ourselves About Fear, which will be published by Flatiron Books on February 21, 2023.

Amazon Studios has greenlit the historical comedy series My Lady Jane for Prime Video. The series is based on the novel My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

The $90 M Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace, J.K. Simmons, and Michael Keaton has officially been pulled by Warner Bros. studio.

Here are 12 new SFF releases out in August that you should add to your TBR.

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!

my government means to kill me book cover

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson (Flatiron Books, August 23)

I feel like this is one of those books where the title and the cover are doing a lot of work. In other words, if you look at this cover and read this title and you’re not intrigued, then I don’t know what else to say to you to get you interested in picking up this book. But okay. I’m going to try.

Author Rasheed Newson is the television drama writer and producer of The Chi, Narcos, and Bel-Air. In his debut novel, Newson tells the story of the personal and political awakening of Earl “Trey” Singleton III, a young gay Black man living in New York City in the 1980s. After leaving his wealthy family behind in Indianapolis, Trey moves to the city where he interacts with a wide range of real-life characters who will change his life forever: his landlord Fred Trump, civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, gay rights activist Larry Kramer, and civil rights leader Dorothy Cotton, to name a few.

Trey ultimately becomes a founding member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). And along his journey as a political and social activist, Trey also finds the strength to examine himself, his past, and the meaning of life itself in the midst of so much death. This is a gay coming-of-age story with many specifics that set it clearly in the 1980s, but it’s also a story that everyone will relate to and be inspired by.

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

What I’m Reading This Week

We Spread by Ian Reid

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

Monday Memes

This Monday Meme goes out to all my Jane Eyre Stans. I see you.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

The cats are loving the new place. Here’s Murray cozying up on my desk while I research cult podcasts. Yes, it was for work, I promise. But if it wasn’t, that would be okay because we’re not trying to work too hard this week, remember?

Anyway, that’s all for today, friends! I hope you have a super chill week full of rest, relaxation, cat cuddles, good books, and all the stuff that makes life bearable. In other words, enjoy the week!

Emily

Book Radar

Check Out the Nonbinary Queer MG Novel SKATING ON MARS and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date August 3, 2022

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

It’s Thursday and somehow we’re diving into August and I don’t know how this time thing works. I can’t keep up at all. At least I have cats and books and a whole lot of coffee to get me through. Coffee, cats, and books are the Book Radar brand after all. If you’re into that, keep reading!

Book Deals and Reveals

Check out the incredible cover for Caroline Huntoon’s Skating on Mars, a nonbinary contemporary MG releasing from Feiwel & Friends on May 30, 2023!

Here’s the cover reveal fo Katie Shepard’s romcom Bear with Me Now. This one’s coming right for you on April 25, 2023.

Laura Brown at Park Row Books won North American rights to J.C. Cervantes’s debut adult novel, The Enchanted Hacienda, as part of a six-figure, two-book agreement.

Jenna Bush Hager and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, have teamed with Kirk Wallace Johnson to develop a series adaptation of Johnson’s true-crime book The Feather Thief.

The CW has announced that the ninth season of The Flash will be its last. The 13-episode final season will air in 2023 as part of the CW’s midseason roster. Production on the final season will begin next month.

New Girl star Hannah Simone has joined the cast of the ABC comedy series Not Dead Yet, based on Alexandra Potter’s 2020 book Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up.

In a six-figure, two-book deal, Lara Jones at Emily Bestler Books bought TJ Alexander’s LGBTQ rom com Second Chances in New Port Stephen.

Would you like to run a bookstore on a desert island in the Maldives for a year? “Barefoot Bookseller” is now accepting applications!

Check out these new and forthcoming 2022-2023 YA anthologies to add to your TBR right away.

Love Beyoncé’s Renaissance? Read these books!

August 2022 horoscopes are here! Find out what August has in store for you and what new book to read!

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

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

The Wrong Kind of Weird by James Ramos (Inkyard Press, January 3, 2023)

Although I have not yet gotten my hands on a copy of James Ramos’ The Wrong Kind of Weird, I already feel like I have a lot of personal connections to the story. I worked at coffee shops through my college years, I consider myself a proud proponent of nerd culture, and I’ve been a theatre kid since birth, pretty much. So I feel like this novel is going to be the kind of YA romance story that will bring back fond memories. Not just for me, but for all of us out there who like to nerd out about stuff, be it a good cup of coffee or theater or whatever. And if you somehow don’t nerd out about anything, then enjoy the cute love story or something.

Let me give you a quick rundown. It’s senior year. Cameron Carson is a member of the multicultural Geeks and Nerds United (G.A.N.U.). Since summer break, he’s been secretly hooking up with his coffee shop coworker Karla Ortega—student council president, cheerleader, and theatre enthusiast. In other words, their friend groups don’t overlap at all, and now that they’re back in school, they’re in totally different worlds. Worlds that Karla doesn’t seem interested in blending together any time soon. Or at all.

Then there’s Mackenzie Briggs, a girl who’s totally open with her feelings and unapologetically herself. Karla ignores Cameron in public, which is something Mackenzie would never do. And so Cameron finds himself also being drawn to Mackenzie. Who can he trust more? And which relationship has more potential?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“It’s such bullshit that there’s stigma around being closeted. We get shit for ‘living a lie’ just because we want to survive. I don’t want to keep losing everyone I’m close to. I don’t want to get disowned and kicked out of my house. It’s self preservation, not dishonesty. I don’t owe anyone the truth, and I’ll take my damn time with talking about it.”

— The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Love Island is over and I’m devastated! But now I have all this free time to watch other things. What shows have you all been watching and enjoying? Let me know! In the meantime, I’ll be going to see Bullet Train this weekend, as I just finished reading the book. The book was great. The movie? I have questions about some of the casting decisions, but we’ll see.

And Here’s A Cat Picture

The most stressful thing about this whole move? Carrying three cats onto a flight. But they were so good! Especially little miss Cersei. Here she is at the airport waiting to board the flight. And she was kind enough to hold my pretzels for me. Thanks, girlie!

And that’s all for today. I hope you have a lovely weekend. Farewell!

Emily

Book Radar

Nicola and David Yoon’s Joy Revolution Imprint Publishing Soon and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 29, 2022

Sponsored by

Book Friends,

So this is weird. I’m writing this right before my move, but by the time you read this, I will be in Seattle officially! So let me just pretend I’m there already so that I can create the good vibes. It’s great here. The weather is nice. The cats are settling in nicely. The coffee really is better. Etc. So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about books!

Book Deals and Reveals

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute Book Cover

Nicola Yoon and David Yoon’s Joy Revolution Imprint is set to publish its first YA romance books in spring 2023. Get ready for Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert and (January 3) and Queen Bee by Amalie Howard (April 4). And this is just the beginning!

We’ve got so many cover reveals to get to today, friends. Strap in. Here’s the cover reveal of K.L. Cerra’s upcoming queer horror novel Such Pretty Flowers. This one’s out from Bantam Press on February 7th, 2023.

LGBTQ Reads is back with another exclusive cover reveal: Check out The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora. It’s out from Peachtree Teen on March 7th, 2023.

Next up, Crime Reads has got a cover reveal and an excerpt from Nick Medina’s Sisters of the Lost Nation.

And Publisher’s Weekly has got the cover reveal of A Bed of Stars, the new picture book from author-illustrator Jessica Love.

Lithub is sharing the cover of Szilvia Molnar’s debut novel The Nursery, featuring a beautiful design by Linda Huang.

You can get a look at two-time Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis’s upcoming memoir Dying of Politeness over at Oprah Daily. This book comes out on October 13th. Oh hey, that’s my birthday.

Paste Magazine has got the exclusive cover reveal of The Duchess Takes A Husband by Harper St. George, plus an interview!

It’s that time of year when we gather ’round and discuss former President Barack Obama’s reading list for the summer!

Paramount+ has announced that Sanaa Lathan’s On the Come Up (based on the novel by Angie Thomas) will be hitting the streaming platform on Friday, September 23rd. This will follow the movie’s world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, which runs from September 8-18th.

As sales continue to take a nosedive in the beginning of 2022, it raises a question on the state of ebooks: are they on the decline again?

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

cover of daisy darker by alice feeney, illustration of a house on jagged cliffs of an island

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (Flat Iron Books, August 30th)

I am going to be fully and completely 100% honest with you people since we’re good friends. I read my fair share of thrillers, but… I don’t love most of them. I keep reading them because they’re fun, but I keep giving them low ratings on the ‘ole Goodreads. It’s not that I don’t love thrillers! I DO! I love them. And even when they’re bad, there’s something really enjoyable about reading them. I just… I guess I’m really picky when it comes to thrillers. It’s not something I’m proud of. In fact, it’s my great, deep shame. But I feel like I’m in a safe space right now, so I’m letting y’all know.

Why am I telling you one of my deepest, darkest reading confessions? Well, because Alice Feeney passes my incredibly (unnecessarily) rigorous thriller test. Her thrillers are fun and they’re good, and yeah, I’d recommend them to just about anyone. Her latest one Daisy Darker? Yeah. I recommend it. And it’s just about time for you to get your hands on it, so prepare your shelves.

Let’s set the scene: a dark, crumbling gothic house smack dab in the middle of a little island cut off from the rest of the world. Daisy Darker hasn’t spoken to her family much (or at all) over the past few years, but know the whole Darker clan is gathering at Nana’s house to celebrate her 80th birthday. A storm is raging outside and the hour grows late… and right at the stroke of midnight, Nana is found dead. An hour later, the next family member follows.

Sure there have been plenty of retellings and fresh takes of Agatha Christie’s classic novel And Then There Were None, but none is quite like this one. Alice Feeney is the reigning queen of surprises and twists, and this novel will not disappoint!

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

What I’m Reading This Week

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

Monday Memes

I saw this one today, and it really spoke to me. IYKYK (Persuasion)

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

If you’re wondering what the situation is while I’m writing these newsletters, it usually looks something like this. Cat in lap. La Croix on deck. Vibes.

As always when it happens, I’m sorry for including my face, but I’m trying to make up for it with Murray’s pleased-as-punch face. I mean! Look at how cute he is!

And that is all. It’s Monday, and that means it’s the beginning of a new adventure. Not just for me, exploring a new city today, but for all of us. I know. I’m all optimistic today. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Anyway, I hope it’s a good week for you. And y’all know I’ll be back on Thursday. Byeeee!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

The True Story of Beauty and the Beast and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 27, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book People,

Happy Thursday! We’re three days away from my big move, and I’m so ready to be done with cleaning and packing. But on the bright side, I’ve gotten through a bunch of audiobooks. How has your week been? I hope more relaxing than mine. Anyway, let’s chat books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Let’s start with a cover reveal! Check out the cover of Marvelous by Molly Greeley, a historical fiction novel based on the true story of “Beauty and the Beast.” This one releases from William Morrow in February 2023.

Author Chloe Gong recently announced Last Violent Call, a set of two novellas in the world of These Violent Delights. This also hits shelves in February 2023.

Let’s look at some upcoming queer romances. Here’s the cover reveal of The Fiancée Farce, a sapphic marriage of convenience romance out from Avon on April 18th, 2023.

And LGBTQ Reads has exclusively revealed the cover of Ander and Santi Were Here by Johnny Garza Villa. This YA gay romance releases April 11th, 2023 from Wednesday Books.

What’s the latest cover I’m totally obsessed with? In Nightfall by Suzanne Young. If a book described as The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer sounds interesting to you, then check this book out. It’s coming on March 28th, 2023.

Tor Nightfire’s senior editor Kelly Lonesome has acquired two new horror novels from two time Hugo-award finalist Dr. Chuck Tingle. The first novel is entitles Camp Damascus and is scheduled for a July 18, 2023 release.

AMC has released the full trailer for their upcoming series based on Anne Rice’s beloved novel Interview with the Vampire. The seven-episode series premieres on AMC and AMC Plus on Sunday, October 2nd.

Last week, a stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 best-selling novel, The Kite Runner, opened on Broadway for a limited run.

Did you read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and think to yourself, “I really wish there was a cruise themed around this book”? Well, you are in luck.

These were the most popular in-demand books in US libraries from April to June 2022.

This week, we’re matching up to $2500 in donations to the National Network of Abortion Funds. Here’s how to take part.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury (Margaret K. McElderry Books, February 28th, 2023)

This is another book where, I have to say, the cover is doing some serious WORK. Will you look at this stunning thing? First of all, trees are scary as heck (don’t @ me). And people with tree limbs? It’s giving Titus Andronicus. And the creepy house in the background and the ominous reflection in the water? Okay, we know this is going to be some creepy haunted house stuff. YA horror/thrillers have been especially exiting over the past couple of years. So I am. Here. For. This.

Delicious Monsters is being called a psychological thriller that’s The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie. Daisy sees dead people, so in navigating life in Ontario, she’s completely unsurprised by the amount of ghosts she sees walking the city. Her boyfriend breaking up with her? Now that is surprising. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion, Daisy jumps at the chance for an escape to a quieter life. But the house—and what’s inside it—might be more than all of Daisy’s experiences with the supernatural have prepared her for.

Flash forward to ten years later. Brittney’s desperate to get away from her abusive mother, and she’s quite certain that the book her mother wrote about a “Miracle Mansion” is a total sham. So what does Brittney decide to do? She takes her popular web series Haunted on location to the mansion to find out what happened there ten years earlier and expose her mother’s lies.

My guess? This house is haunted as heck and through these dual storylines, we’re going to see both Daisy and Brittney encounter some truly terrifying things. But y’all, we gotta wait ’til February 2023 to find out! The suspense is killing me!

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Often the case with people who don’t read fiction. Hollow inside, monochrome, so they can switch gears no problem. They swallow something and forget about it as soon as it goes down their throat. Constitutionally incapable of empathy. These are the people who most need to read, but in most cases it’s already too late.”

— Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka

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.

With all the book banning going on across the country, I love seeing ways that communities are fighting back. So readers from the Austin, Texas area, listen up. This one’s for you.

Austin Public Library is standing against book bans with Banned Camp. Banned Camp is a series of free events hosted by the Austin Public Library in partnership with BookPeople. All summer, these events will focus on the books dealing with race, LGBTQ+ issues, and sexuality that are being taken off shelves across the country. Texas currently leads the country in book bans, so it’s especially great to see communities in Texas fighting back! If you want to participate, here’s a full list of upcoming events.

And if you’re not in Austin, Texas, some of the events are virtual, so check that out as well!

And Here’s A Cat Picture

It’s been a while since we checked in on my shy calico girl Cersei Anne Boleyn (C for short). I know I told you all she hasn’t been feeling well, but I think she’s starting to get better? She seems happy and healthy anyway, don’t you think? Too bad this poor little girl doesn’t know she’s about to take a plane ride across the country this Sunday.

And that’s all for today, friends! How wild that the next time you hear from me, I’ll be in my new home! I’m so excited for new adventures, and excited to share them with you. Have a wonderful weekend.

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Michelle Obama Announces New Book and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 22, 2022

Sponsored by

Hi Book Family!

Are we family now? Have we moved beyond friends? Let me know what you think. I’m feeling a family vibe today, so that’s what I’m going with. Anyway, how was your weekend? Mine was pretty eventful, actually. I had a nice reading retreat weekend, read some books, did some more packing, and yeah, I did go see Nope, but no spoilers here. Now I’ve got tons of exciting book news to share with you.

Book Deals and Reveals

I’m so excited to share that one of my most anticipated novels of 2023 has finally gotten a cover reveal! Here it is: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut novel, Chain-Gang All-Stars. It’s out from Penguin Random House on April 4, 2023, and I cannot wait!

Michelle Obama has announced her new book, The Light We Carry, which will be out from Penguin Random House on November 15th!

Here’s another exciting cover reveal: V. Castro’s The Haunting of Alejandra, out from Del Ray books on April 18, 2023.

Do you love a good fake dating romcom? You’ll love Ann Liang’s YA novel This Time It’s Real. Check out the cover reveal here.

Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R will be playing Belle in ABC’s upcoming animated and live-action blended special, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.

Spotify has announced their latest audio series produced in partnership with Warner Bros. and DC, Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind, which will star Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn.

HBO has released the full-length trailer for its upcoming series House of the Dragon. The series premiere was also announced: the first episode drops on August 21st.

Netflix has greenlit the Japanese mystery thriller series Burn the House Down, based on the manga by Moyashi Fujisawa.

A job listing for a Pokémon archivist has been posted. The archivist will be tasked with cataloging Pokémon’s vast lore.

The finalists for the 2022 World Fantasy Awards have been announced. Here they are, along with the lifetime achievement recipients.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club book cover

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim (Berkley, August 16th)

Love a little bit of romance? Love a little sprinkling of magic? Love a huge helping of desserts? Me too. Especially the dessert part. Which is why I think Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club is such a fun book. And honestly, I’m getting hungry just thinking about this because the food descriptions are out of this world.

After spending three years in Shanghai, Sophie Go has returned to her home town of Toronto, ready to set up her business as a professional matchmaker. But there’s one pretty big problem with that. She never actually graduated from matchmaking school. Toronto turns out to be quite the competitive market, and no one’s interested in hiring a matchmaker with zero credentials.

Desperate for clients, Sophie hits the jackpot when she stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, a group of seven Chinese septuagenarians who never found love. Sophie convinces the group to hire her to find them each the perfect matches. But when she uncovers their stories of loss and heartbreak, will Sophie realize she’s in over her head?

What I’m Reading This Week

the cover of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

The Hacienda by by Isabel Cañas

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Monday Memes

Well, a lot has happened since last Monday in the world of memes. Out of nowhere, the Little Miss memes have just blown up all over Instagram. The meme itself comes from a book series by Roger Hargreaves, but also, there are a bunch out there that are directly related to books. Check ’em out.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Remy looks tired, and I can’t blame him. This week is going to be quite a week for us. It’s our last week before we leave the south and head up to the PNW for good. It’s going to be quite a long flight for this cutie. But he’s ready for it. Just look at him,

Okay, y’all, time for me to run! I hope you have a good week. Read good books, drink good coffee, and pet good dogs and cats. Talk soon!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Bolu Babalola is Writing A Sequel to HONEY & SPICE and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 20, 2022

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

How’s your week been? We’re almost through July, which means this packing and moving nightmare for me is nearly over, which means I can get back to focusing on the things that matter. Like cats. And books. And, okay, Love Island (JK I’ve been watching Love Island every day anyway). I hope your summer has been okay, if summer is your kind of thing (it is not mine). Let’s talk book things.

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal for Sylvain Neuvel’s upcoming novel For the First Time, Again. This is the final novel in the Take Them to the Stars trilogy!

Speaking of sequels, Bolu Babalola is writing a sequel to her bestselling romance novel Honey & Spice. The sequel, Sun Under Skin, hits shelves in 2024.

Sarah Penner, the author of The Lost Apothecary, has announced her next book! It’s called The London Séance Society, and it’s coming out in April 2023. The cover reveal will be coming summer 2022… wait, that’s now!

What happens when an autistic necromancer accidentally revives his crush? You’ll have to read The Reanimator’s Heart to find out, and here’s the cover reveal!

The Nerd Daily has the exclusive cover reveal of Edited by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Barry Lyga. This meta-love story is out on November 15th from Blackstone Publishing.

Bestselling author Tessa Bailey has sold three more romantic comedy novels to Nicole Fischer at Avon. The books, which are currently untitled, include a duology and one standalone, and the first book is set for a fall 2023 release.

Netflix’s hit series Sex Education is getting a manga adaptation. The manga comes from Kadokawa’s Global Comic label and will be drawn by John Tarrachine.

M. Night Shyamalan just wrapped filming the first film adaptation of one of Paul Tremblay’s horror novels, The Cabin at the End of the World. The movie will be titled Knock at the Cabin and stars Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, and Jonathan Groff.

Slumdog Millionaire and Mr. Malcolm’s List actress Freida Pinto is adapting Huma Abedin’s best-selling memoir Both/And into a TV series.

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive first look at Rupi Kaur’s writing book Healing Through Words. You can preorder it now, and the book will be out in September!

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (Henry Holt and Co., January 31, 2023)

We’re going all red with the books covers in this edition of Book Radar! I didn’t do this on purpose, but I’m also not mad at it. Anyway, you want to hear about the book. Let’s talk about the book.

This book is being marketed as the perfect new YA novel for fans of Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, and Karen McManus. J.B., Ramón, and Trey are three teen boys of color who attend The Urban Promise Prep School. The school follows the Principal Moore Method, and all of the students are forced to follow the prestigious “program’s” strict rules. After all, the boys are told that extreme discipline is the key to escaping the fate of the other boys in their neighborhood and make it to college.

But then Principal Moore ends up murdered, and J.B., Ramón, and Trey become the prime suspects in the murder investigation. All three boys maintain their innocence, but is the killer hiding amongst them? And if he isn’t, will they be able to track down the murderer before they are arrested for someone else’s crimes?

Words of Literary Wisdom

I know I shared a quote from T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead last week, but I have a few more I saved and wanted to share with you!

“People get hung up on happiness and joy, but fun will take you at least as far and it’s generally cheaper to obtain.”

“I am never sure what to think of Americans. Their brashness can be charming, but just when I decide that I rather like them, I meet one that I wish would got back to America, and then perhaps keep going off the far edge, into the sea.”

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Y’all. NOPE is coming out this weekend! I refuse to link to the trailer for this movie because I feel like it probably gives too much away. But I mean… everyone knows about this movie, right? It’s probably my most anticipated movie of the year. Have y’all heard of this guy Jordan Peele? I think he’s going places.

Come Work for Book Riot

Ever wanted to be cool and work for Book Riot? Now’s your chance! Book Riot is currently hiring an Editorial Operations Associate. If you love getting into the nitty gritty of behind-the-scenes work, this might be the job for you! We’re looking for someone to help us keep our (metaphorical) Content Trains running smoothly! Work with the Ed Ops team to support Editorial and the Book Riot writers! We are committed to building an inclusive workforce and strongly encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. Apply by August 8th, and get all the details here.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

With all the moving and such that’s been going on around the house, my shy girl Cersei has a new favorite spot. She loves the top of the fridge! Here we see her perched on the fridge, looking down at Murray, who is simply not bothered by anything.

Okay, friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’m going to go listen to the audiobook version of I’m Glad My Mom Died and pack up some more boxes. Until next time!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

All Books Should Have Cats on the Cover and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 18, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book People,

We might be on our fourth cold brew coffee today, but who’s counting? It’s all Monday vibes up in here. I hope your week is off to a good start, and I hope you found time for reading over the weekend. I really hit the audiobooks this weekend, because audiobooks are the perfect companion to packing and cleaning. And now, it’s time for all the book things.

Book Deals and Reveals

You know I had to share this cover because it’s got an adorable cat on it, and in my humble opinion, all books should have cats on the cover. Anyway, here’s the cover for the upcoming middle grade fantasy The Scroll of Chaos. This one is out from Scholastic on March 7, 2023.

Paste has the exclusive cover reveal of Wings Cursed and Bound, an urban fantasy inspired by Thai mythology. This book will be released on April 11, 2023.

Emma Straub is writing kid’s books now! Here’s the cover reveal of Very Good Hats, Straub’s debut picture book.

And here’s the cover reveal of Some Desperate Glory, a queer space opera from award-winning author Emily Tesh. It’s available on April 4th, 2023 from Tordotcom Publishing.

Because of scheduling conflicts with Jordan Peele’s Nope, Daniel Kaluuya will not be returning for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival returns to live audiences this Labor Day weekend for the first time in three years, and the festival lineup has been revealed! If you can’t make it to the festival in person in Washington D.C., many of the events will be livestreamed.

These audiobook recordings allow listeners to hear exactly how Roe v. Wade was overturned, with added context.

Does your book club think it has what it takes to be Booker Prize judges? Would you like a chance to attend this year’s Booker Prize ceremony? Then the Booker Prize wants to hear from you!

Book Riot has selected the best books of 2022 so far! From nonfiction to romance, horror to historical fantasy, and more. (And yes, my fave is on this list, if you’re curious)

No big deal, but Amazon has released the second teaser trailer for Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

The Witchery by S. Isabelle (Scholastic, July 26th)

All my life, I’ve been chasing that high I felt watching The Craft when I was thirteen and thinking to myself, “Wow, maybe I can do magic and have cool friends who can also do magic and we can form a cool group and seek revenge on everyone who has wronged us.” Yeah, I know everything goes bad for the witch gals at the end of the movie, but I was a kid and I wasn’t paying attention to that part. Anyway, my point is… I crave bad witch girl books. So, like, I am all in on The Witchery by S. Isabelle. And yeah, this book is giving me serious Craft vibes, and I’m not mad about it one bit.

Here’s the deal. This book is set in Haelsford, Florida, where the Haunting Season is approaching. Logan is a new witch who has just arrived at Mesmortes Coven Academy and is immediately taken under the wing of the infamous Red Three: Iris, Talia, and Jailah. With the Haunting Season upon them, the witches must prepare for the arrival of the Wolves, who will rise from the swamp to kill. Every year, witches and humans must work together to fight against the onslaught. But this year, the stakes are higher as students at the school start turning up dead. And Iris, Thalia, Jailah, and Logan realize it’s up to them and them alone to stop the Wolves.

But old dangers await them. And the cost for breaking the curse might be much greater than anything the four girls could anticipate.

Are you in on this paranormal, witchy, queer, dark academia, dark fantasy YA novel? I sure am. And it’s coming out before the end of the month, so prepare those shelves now.

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

What I’m Reading This Week

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

Monday Memes

I am in love with this meme that combines one of my favorite songs with my favorite book fair. Wait… did I make this meme? (update: I did not)

Come Work for Book Riot

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I leave you with this: a picture of Remy, a beautiful tuxedo cat angel, looking proud on his cat tree and showing off his white bib and paw tips. Yes, we see you, Remy. You look dapper AF. Keep it up.

And with that, I will let you get on with your week! We’ll have another check in on Thursdays, as always, so hopefully you’ll be back for more Book Radar then! Talk soon!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Frederick Joseph Has Conversations to Help Save the World and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 13, 2022

Sponsored by

Hi Book Friends!

It’s a hectic month here in Book Radar land as we get closer to my moving date. I’ve got stacks of books to pack and stacks to give away, and I wish I could share all of them with you because there are so many of them that I love but I just can’t justify taking all these books with me across the country. It’s such a tragedy that I just wrote a huge run-on sentence about it. Anyway, trying to take deep breaths over here. I hope y’all are doing ok! Let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Tordotcom Publishing has got the cover reveal of Lee Mandelo’s upcoming novel Feed Them Silence.

And here’s the cover reveal of Mia Tsai’s Bitter Medicine, releasing on March 14th, 2023.

Another stunning cover reveal: Check out Michelle Barry’s Moongarden, out from Pixel + Ink on November 1st.

Where the Crawdads Sing author Delia Owens is wanted for questioning in murder case.

Frederick Joseph and Porsche Joseph are releasing a book called Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World, featuring interviews with Mehcad Brooks, Nic Stone, Julián Castro, Chelsea Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, Anna Paquin, Keah Brown, and many others. Here is the cover reveal.

Random House has acquired North American rights to Ana Marie Cox’s memoir Just Like Your Mother. In the book, Cox, a columnist for The Cut’s “Sober Questioning,” delves into her struggles with alcoholism and her relationship with her mother.

George R.R. Martin says the next Song of Ice and Fire book should be “quite different” from the series.

HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit a 2D animated adaptation of Iyanu: Child of Wonder, a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Author Kwame Alexander is hosting the new reality TV show America’s Next Great Author, which will feature six finalists who will each attempt to write their book in a month.

Goodreads has announced its list of the top 36 most popular historical fiction books of 2022 (so far), according to users’ interest.

After rising 18.9% in the first half of 2021 over the comparable period in 2020, unit sales of print books have dropped in the first half of 2022, going down 6.6% compared to 2021 levels. Does this mean the book sales boom is finally over?

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao (Berkley, January 17, 2023)

It’s hot outside and as I’ve said, all I’m doing all day is packing and cleaning, getting ready for this big cross-country move. So you know what I’m really craving? Fun, fast-paced reads that will make me smile. Books like Kyla Zhao’s The Fraud Squad. And yeah, okay, this book isn’t actually coming out until January next year, but that will be here sooner than we know it (for better and for worse). Also when is it not a good time to read something fun and fast-paced that will make you smile?

The Fraud Squad is the story of Samantha Song, who for as long as she can remember has dreamed of working for a high-society magazine. She’d do pretty much anything to get there. But instead, Sam finds herself working at a drab PR firm, struggling to help her mom try to make ends meet. It seems like the closest Sam will ever get to living her high-society dreams is vicariously through her socialite friend and coworker Anya Chen.

But then Sam meets Timothy Kingston, the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families, and Tim and Anya agree to help Sam make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. And while her friends can help her fraud her way into the most elite social circles, it will be up to Sam to impress the editor-in-chief of Singapore’s most fabulous magazine. Will Sam be able to succeed? And how long can she keep up the act?

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

“The dead don’t walk. Except, sometimes, when they do.”

— What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

What I’m Watching this Weekend

It’s adaptations weekend over here in my house, friends. I’m so excited to watch the new Netflix adaptation of Persuasion this weekend. And yes, I’m finally going to start the adaptation of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. Can’t wait.

Come Work for Book Riot

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

So my husband is already in Seattle, and he’s been asking for tons of cat pictures because he misses them dearly. Meanwhile, I’m over here drowning in cats. Here’s a picture of Cersei I sent Ben earlier today. And yes, she absolutely is getting cat hair all over my office chair. Living her best life. I know no one will possibly enjoy these cat pics as much as Ben does, but I hope you love them all the same! I know I do!

Alright, everyone. Wish me luck. I’m going back to packing now. We will talk again soon! Farewell!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Royal Family Scandal, Murder, and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 8, 2022

Sponsored by

Hello Book Friends!

I’m taking a break from packing and feeling overwhelmed about the general disarray of my apartment to bring you this Book Radar newsletter! I hope your Monday is a little more organized than mine, and I hope you’re also finding time to breathe. And hopefully you haven’t had as much caffeine as I’ve had today. Unless you really, really want to have a lot of caffeine today. And if that’s the case, who am I to stop you? Let’s grab another coffee and talk books!

Book Deals and Reveals

Let’s start with another exciting cover reveal. Here’s the reveal of Kristen R. Lee’s latest, Sun Keep Rising. It’s out from Penguin Random House on January 24, 2023.

An illegitimate American princess, a scandalous British royal family, and murder? It’s Royal Blood by Aimée Carter, and here’s the cover reveal. The book will be out in March.

And here’s the cover reveal of Midnight Strikes, a YA time loop fantasy from Zeba Shahnaz, out on March 14th!

Another YA cover reveal! Here’s the cover for Free Radicals by Lila Riesen, “in which Afghan-American Mafi’s sophomore year gets a whole lot more complicated when she accidentally exposes family secrets, putting her family back in Afghanistan in danger.” This one also has a March release.

Avon Books is publishing a new Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rimes.

After being shut down for more than a week because of a security incident, Macmillan’s warehouse has resumed operations.

Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life and Filthy Animals, has been named acquiring editor for L.A.–based indie publisher Unnamed Press.

ABC is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Beauty and The Beast with a hybrid live-action/animated broadcast special.

After years of development, Peacock has canceled its adaptation of an award-winning fantasy book Jade City by Fonda Lee.

Marvel is debuting a gay Spider-Man, known as Web-Weaver.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean (William Morrow, August 9th)

Add Emiko Jean to the list of exciting YA authors who are taking the jump into adult fiction. You might recognize Emiko Jean as the author of last year’s YA hit Tokyo Ever After, which was also a Reese’s Book Club pick. And you might have known that Tokyo Ever After was getting a sequel in October, entitled Tokyo Dreaming. Yes, I do intend to read Tokyo Dreaming, and I’m looking forward to it. But I’m even more excited to see what Emiko Jean is up to in her adult debut, Mika in Real Life.

Mika Suzuki is 35 and her life is a complete disaster. Her last relationship was a total mess that ended up going up in flames. She might just be living with a hoarder. She’s a constant disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. Oh, and she’s just been fired from her job. But when Mika finds herself at her lowest point, the only place she can go from here is up, right?

That’s when she gets the call. Literally. She gets a phone call from Penny, the daughter Mika put up for adoption sixteen years ago. Penny is looking to forge a relationship with her birth mother, and Mika is desperate to be the kind of woman her daughter can look up to. And so Mika tells a little lie. And then another lie on top of that lie to cover up the first lie. And before Mika knows it, she’s invented an entire made-up life for herself, one in which she’s mature, put-together, is lucky in love, and has a successful career. Mika is desperate to have the life she’s imagined for herself, and she wants Penny in her life. But with all the lies she’s telling and secrets kept hidden, is Mika setting herself up for disaster? (Obviously, yes)

What I’m Reading This Week

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay

Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

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

Monday Memes

Confession: I sometimes love books, and yet I don’t remember anything about them.

Come Work for Book Riot

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

It’s hard to believe we’ve only had Remy for a little over a month. This little guy is making himself right at home. Which is funny because we’re about to move and he’s going to have to get use to a whole new home. Here he is, blissfully ignorant of the 6 hour flight in his near future.

And that’s all that’s on the Book Radar agenda for today, friends. I hope you have a wonderful week. Talk soon!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

A Beautiful Rainbow Book Cover Reveal and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 6, 2022

Sponsored by

Happy Thursday, Book Friends!

I hope you’ve been doing well and that you’re having a good week. And thanks for the messages in response to my 4th of July comments. It’s nice to know I’m not alone! Anyway, I guess for now we just carry on and keep reading. Here’s what’s new in the world of books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Let’s start by talking about a cover reveal I’m absolutely obsessed with! Here’s the cover reveal for Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett. Can’t wait to see this one in the flesh when it goes on sale on January 10, 2023!

More January books to get excited about! Here’s the cover reveal for Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni, which will be out on the 31st.

I’m also super pumped for this upcoming YA thriller, The Black Queen by Jumata Emill. Check out the cover reveal here. This one’s out from Penguin Random House on January 31st.

And here’s the cover reveal for Harlan Coben’s I Will Find You, which will be out in March 2023.

HBO has canceled the drama series The Time Traveler’s Wife, based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger.

Two-time National Book Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward has just become the youngest-ever winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction.

The season finale of Stranger Things season 4 is here, and Insight Editions is releasing a special pop-up book to celebrate.

The HarperCollins union, which represents over 250 employees in various divisions of the company, has voted to strike.

Publisher’s Weekly has released a list of writers to watch in fall 2022.

It’s Disability Pride Month! Here are the best ways you can celebrate Disability Pride Month in your reading life, from book recommendations to readathons.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling book cover

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant (Balzer + Bray, January 31, 2023)

We just got a cover reveal for this upcoming YA rom com recently, and I’m so excited for it. I’ve already filed it away to read as soon as I snag a copy of it because it just looks so adorable. And if you’re like me and you also love YA romance and Dungeons and Dragons, I think this is going to be a must-read for you as well!

This is a dual POV rom-com about Reggie and Delilah. Delilah is a go-with-the-flow introvert who has trouble sharing her feelings, which is why she’d feel much more comfortable working a merch table rather than being the lead singer. And yet, here she is, a lead singer in her friend’s punk band, because she just can’t say no when her friend needs a favor.

Delilah wishes she could be more like Reggie, who is super open about who he is and what he likes, even if other people wouldn’t think it’s cool. You see, Reggie is a D&D dungeon master, who spends his free time running D&D quests and writing essays about the game. A D&D nerd and a punk rock singer might seem to have nothing in common, but then they run into each other on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. Then on St. Patrick’s Day. And it starts to feel like some outside forces are pulling them together.

Author Elise Bryant is the NAACP Image Award–nominated author of Happily Ever Afters and One True Loves. In other words, this author already has a great track record and I’m sure her latest book will be one of my new favorites as well.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Murder isn’t a job description… It tends to be something you do on the side.”

— The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

What I’m Watching This Weekend

I’ve been catching up on a lot of movies while I pack, so I’ve been watching all the Marvel movies on Disney+ that I missed in theaters. I’m not the biggest Marvel fan, I have to say, so I’m feeling kind of indifferent about most of these movies. Sorry to all my Marvel lovers out there. But I also get major FOMO so I feel like I have to see all the Marvel movies to be a part of the conversation. As a Taika Waititi Stan, I’m super excited about the new Thor movie coming out this weekend, however.

Come Work for Book Riot

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s a moment of realness for you. I am writing this first thing in the morning, and Murray jumped up on my lap and splayed himself over my arms, which made typing a challenge, but we got it done, people!

Anyway, just wanted you to see how clingy this little dude has been lately. I think he knows we’re moving and he’s looking for some reassurance from me. He’s always been a lap cat but even more so lately. Also, I hope you enjoy this shot of my pajamas, my messy hair, and my iced coffee that, yes, I do drink from a wine glass because I’m classy like that.

And on that note, have a wonderful rest of your Thursday, and I’ll talk to you next week.

💙 Emily