Category: Book Radar

Betty Gilpin’s ALL THE WOMEN IN MY BRAIN Gets A Cover Reveal and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 20, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Greetings from Northampton, MA! That’s right. I’m on the move once again. I hear there are some really great bookstores here, so I might be getting back on the flight with a new stack of books shoved in my carry-on. I’ll keep you posted. For now, here’s what I know about books.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Marvel has finally released the first poster and teaser trailer for the highly-anticipated Thor Love and Thunder.

GLOW, Nurse Jackie, and The Hunt star Betty Gilpin’s debut book All the Women in My Brain: And Other Concerns is coming out in November. Entertainment Weekly has a cover reveal of the upcoming title, out from Flatiron Books.

Oprah Daily has revealed the cover for Severance author Ling Ma’s highly anticipated collection of short fiction Bliss Montage. The book will be out in September.

Roshani Chokshi, author of the YA book series The Gilded Wolves, has sold her adult debut at auction to William Morrow’s Jessica Williams in a six-figure, two-book deal.

Freida Pinto, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, and Zawe Ashton are starring in Mr. Malcolm’s List, a new Regency-era romance film is based on the book of the same name by Suzanne Allain, and Vanity Fair has a first look.

AGC Television, the TV wing of Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios, is optioning Jayne Allen’s Black Girls trilogy into a series. The trilogy includes the novels Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and Black Girls Must Be Magic. These two books are set to be followed by an as-yet unnamed third book.

Kevin Bacon and Farrah Mackenziehave signed on for roles in Sam Esmail’s Netflix adaptation of the novel Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam.

Blumhouse and Miramax’s Dracula film adaptation Mina Harker has been scrapped.

Board books are finally getting an award of their own.

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

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!

Can’t Wait for This One

My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron (Feiwel & Friends, February 8, 2023)

I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that retellings of gothic classics are 100% a must-read for me. But even if you’ve never read Jekyll & Hyde, Kalynn Bayron’s remix of this classic story stands on its own. It’s dark and atmospheric, with a compelling mystery at its center.

Set in London in 1885, My Dear Henry is the story of Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk who has returned to London for the first time since he and his friend Henry Jekyll were expelled from the London Medical School. There have been rumors and whispers about the scandal that lead to their expulsion and about the true nature of the young men’s relationship with one another. And Henry has become incredibly distant following the disastrous events of last spring, but Gabriel isn’t ready to move on. Not without Henry. Event though Henry acts as if there’s nothing between them. Desperate to discover what has happened to his friend, Gabriel takes to watching his house and looking into his strange and mysterious friend Hyde.

You’re going to have to wait to read this queer YA retelling, because this doesn’t come out until February, 2023. But 2023 will be here before we know it (somehow), and this book will be well worth the wait!

Word of Literary Wisdom

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile.”

— A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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.

Friends, I’ve just started following another BookTuber who I believe deserves a lot more views. It’s Pages of Hayley! Some of my favorite recent videos of hers:

I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

What I’m Watching This Weekend

I know I’m late to the game, but I’m finally watching The Dropout. I’m enjoying it and Amanda Seyfried is great. But don’t @ me. Her greatest role of all time is still Needy in Jennifer’s Body. Where are my fellow Jennifer’s Body Stans? Be my friend.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s an all-too-common picture of Murray patiently waiting for me to play with him while I work on other stuff. You see, cats don’t have jobs. They don’t understand the concept of work. So when I’m sitting at my desk working and not playing with him, he thinks I’m just being neglectful. I’ve tried to explain the concept of jobs and responsibilities to him but I don’t think it’s registered yet.

Also, I feel like I’ve acknowledged this before, but, yes, this cat tunnel is Christmas-themed, and no, Murray doesn’t care that it’s April. Cats don’t understand holidays or months either, it turns out.

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely weekend! Talk to you soon!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

A Cyborg Princess Meets Galactic Pirates in this YA Debut and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 15, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Welcome to Monday’s Book Radar. Today, we’ve got a little bit of everything. Good news, book gossip, book recommendations, memes, cat photos, and more. You know, the usual. But the usual is still exciting, right? Especially when it comes to cat pictures. So let’s get this Monday started.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal for Taylor Jenkins Reid’s upcoming novel Carrie Soto is Back, which will be out August 30th.

LGBTQ Reads has the exclusive cover reveal for Born Andromeda by K.M. Watts. This debut romance, featuring a cyborg princess and space pirates, is releasing from Interlude Press on November 15th.

Next February, Tor Nightfire is releasing cosmic horror novel Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder, and here is the cover reveal!

Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Gucci, has sold a currently untitled book of “fashion philosophy” to Harper Collins imprint Dey Street.

Marvel’s Disney+ series Ironheart has hired Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes as directors. Bailey will direct episodes one through three, while Barnes will helm the back half, episodes four to six.

Here are all of the book club picks for April 2022.

The winner of this year’s Story Prize is Brandon Taylor’s Filthy Animals.

A picture book about unicorns was banned in an Ohio school district.

The UnBanned Books initiative is giving anyone in the U.S. between 13-21 a free eCard that will grant them access to frequently challenged ebooks.

There may be an increase in the federal budget for libraries and a way for you to help.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

This is Not the Real World by Anna Carey (Quirk Books, May 24th)

Anna Carey’s This is Not the Jess Show was one of my favorite books of 2021. It was one of those rare books where the comps were actually accurate. Is it Black Mirror meets My So-Called Life? Absolutely. And wouldn’t you know, I love those shows, and I pretty much eat up everything 90s-related (hello, see me gush about Sailor Moon below), so I was completely, 100% the target audience for this series, and I loved every minute of the first book. If you’re a nerdy, nostalgic millennial like me, you will, too.

And yes, that’s right. I said series. This is Not the Real World, as you might have guessed, is the second book in the series, and yes, it totally lives up to the first one. If you haven’t read the first book yet, I don’t want to give away too much of the synopsis of the second, because there are definitely some surprising turns, and it helps to go in knowing as little as possible. But what I can say is that our main character Jess is on a revenge mission. And to get her revenge, Jess has teamed up with a reporter who’s investigating a series of suspicious disappearances. Now she has to play along like everything’s fine in order to get to the bottom of what’s really going on in her hometown.

I know that sounds so cryptic, but I would never dream of spoiling the wild ride that is this series. These books are just so much fun. And while many books and films try to cash in on the whole nostalgia thing, these books just feel differently. Don’t believe me? Read and find out for yourselves.

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

What I’m Reading This Week

The Fervor by Alma Katsu

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Monday Memes

So I missed the 97th anniversary of The Great Gatsby by about a week, but these Great Gatsby memes really sent me.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

Y’all! My husband just got me this Sailor Moon board game, and I’m so happy about it. I love Sailor Moon. Okay, I’m obsessed with Sailor Moon. And I also love board games, so this was of course a must-have for me. I’m very happy about this.

And Here’s A Cat Picture

I’ve got another picture of Murray on a yoga mat. He’s really enjoying being my workout buddy, so who am I to deny him? Especially when he’s posing for me like this?

Anyway, hooray! We’ve made it through another Monday Book Radar. I’m proud of us. I hope you have a wonderful week, and we’ll chat same time, same place on Thursday?

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Secret Identities, Kissing in Towers and Caves, Creepy Stuff, and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 13, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

It’s that near-the-end-of-the-week check-in time. How are we doing? Despite the fact that I’ve been absolutely swamped with work this week, I have finished a bunch of books and am feeling good about my reading life. In other words. Y’all. The slump is over.

Phew. Anyway, I hope you’re doing well, and I can’t wait to share all this book stuff for you. Truly, so much is going on. So let’s dive in!

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Manda Collins’ Ladies Most Scandalous series continues with A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes, and here is the cover reveal! What can we expect from this novel? Collins promises “secret identities, kissing in towers AND CAVES, creepy stuff, & lots of fun.” A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes comes out on November 8th.

Here’s another exciting cover reveal: Orbit Books has shared the cover of N.K. Jemisin’s The World We Make, the second book in The Great Cities duology. Jemisin’s new book will be out on November 1st.

It’s official. We’re getting into 2023 cover reveals now. Here’s the cover reveal for Christopher Golden’s upcoming novel All Hallows, which hits shelves on January 24th, 2023.

Sandhya Menon has announced more details about her second adult rom com novel The Sizzle Paradox, which will be published under her adult romance pen name Lily Menon. This one’s out on June 14th.

And yes, even more romance news! Here’s the cover reveal for Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. Enemies with benefits? Check. Unsanctioned aquarium fun? Yep, you got it. You can preorder this book now, and it’s out from Penguin Random House on September 6th.

Walker Scobell has landed the title role in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Disney+’s series adaptation of author Rick Riordan’s best-selling novels.

AMC has released the first teaser trailer of the upcoming series adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire.

Apple has given a straight-to-series order for The White Darkness, which is based on the nonfiction book by David Grann and will star Tom Hiddleston.

DC and WEBTOON have announced a new trio of titles that will be joining the platform later this year: Vixen: NYC, Red Hood: Outlaws, and Zatanna & The Ripper.

Penguin Classics is launching a Little Clothbound Classics series, which will start publishing this August.

Netflix is adapting Nimona by ND Stevenson into a movie.

The banning of Persepolis has now inspired its own graphic nonfiction book.

Check out the exclusive cover reveal of Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age and read an excerpt from this action-packed thriller!

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

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman

I know I just shared the cover reveal of this one last week, but what can I say? I’m really excited about this one, and I couldn’t wait to tell you all more about it. Also, yes, the cover is terrifying and I love getting to stare at it again. I hope you’re loving that too.

First, a little personal reflection. Horror has always been one of my favorite genres. When I was 10 years old, Stephen King was my introduction into real adult novels, and I felt so cool. As I got older, I became fascinated by horror and the way it examines our relationship to death unlike any other genre. Yes, of course, death is a big topic in a lot of literature, but in my humble opinion, no one looks death straight in its terrifying face the way horror does. This is what draws me to horror now in my old age (lol jk… but also not lol jk), as I start to reflect on my mortality, and even scarier, the mortality of those I love and care about.

And yes, I do have a point, and I’m getting to it, because Chapman’s Ghost Eaters is a brilliant reflection not just on death, but specifically on the horrors of grief. Because honestly, grief is scarier than death in a lot of ways. And grief can be a lot harder to accept. This book gets that.

Erin and Silas have been in a tumultuous, on-again, off-again relationship for years. Erin knows that Silas is reckless and that her relationship with him is toxic, so she decides to end things with once and for all. But then she learns that Silas has died of an overdose, and what’s more, apparently Silas had discovered a drug that would allow him to see the dead. Erin doesn’t believe in ghosts, but in her grief and guilt for abandoning Silas, she agrees to a pill-popping “séance” to ease her pain. Unfortunately for Erin, it appears as if the drug is real, and once she attempts to step into the real world, her visions of the dead refuse to let her go. Are the bloody and brutal images she sees all around her the effects of some powerful drug? Or is something more sinister at play?

Words of Literary Wisdom

“I loved that the complexities of my emotions were understood by authors writing hundreds of years ago, I loved looking at their texts and trying to understand what they were aiming to do, to pull my own meaning from them, to point out what others didn’t see or notice—the repetition of blue imagery, the recapitulation of motifs of separation. I was good at that.”

— Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

Q1 Reading Wrap Up, Anyone?

So I know this section of the newsletter is normally dedicated to everything that’s going on in the book community, and yeah, we’re going to get back to that. But I’ve been watching and listening and reading a lot of people’s Q1 reading wrap-ups, now that we’re deep into April.

So yeah, that means that somehow the first quarter of the year is over. And again, I find myself asking… How? Literally how? But all that aside, I thought since I enjoy looking at other people’s quarterly wrap-ups, you might be interested in hearing a bit about mine.

In Q1 (January, February, March) of 2022, I read 26 books, which puts me on track to finish 100 books this year (my personal goal). I would have read more, but as I’ve said, I was in the middle of a major reading slump throughout most of March.

I don’t want to spend too much time harping on my least favorite books of the quarter. Even though I know some people want the tea, I figure we should keep this newsletter positive! My favorite books from my Q1 reading were: Wahala by Nikki May, My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, and Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby. Although I read a lot of 2022 releases, oddly enough only one of those three faves is a 2022 release. Also, despite the fact that I read across several genres, all three of those books are giving thriller vibes. Why am I like this?

What are my goals for Q2? Obviously, to read more books. And maybe read more good books in a wider variety of genres, now that I’m examining my favorites. Do you have any specific goals for Q2? Let me know! And if you have a Q2 wrap up video or blog post or something, please share!

What I’m Watching This Weekend

This is cheating, because I’ve already watched this, but if you haven’t seen Everything, Everywhere, All At Once yet, GO NOW! And then please hit me up so we can talk about it because i have so many feelings. I laughed. I cried. I have a new favorite movie of 2022 (so far).

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s Cersei rolling around on a rug. She loves showing off all her beautiful calico spots. Isn’t she beautiful, even when she’s making her weird, shocked face?

Cersei is wishing you a good weekend with lots of reading and downtime and rest and relaxation, because isn’t that what we all deserve? (if you think you don’t, trust me… you do!)

Talk soon!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Here’s the Cover of Celeste Ng’s OUR MISSING HEARTS and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 8, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

How was your weekend? Nothing new to report here, except… I don’t want to jinx it, but maybe my reading slump is over? I’m starting to feel optimistic about my reading goals for the month, and I feel like I might actually get a good deal of reading done. I’m back in the game! Maybe. I don’t want to announce it and ruin it. But I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of April goes. How is April going for you? Feel free to let me know! And now, let’s talk about books some more.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

We’ve finally got a cover for Celeste Ng’s highly anticipated new novel Our Missing Hearts! This one’s coming out in October.

Another exciting cover reveal: Penguin Teen has revealed the cover of Malinda Lo’s A Scatter of Light, a coming-of-queer-age story and companion novel to Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

Can’t get enough cover reveals? Have another. Tin House has revealed the cover of the gothic historical suspense novel The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks.

Entertainment Weekly has the exclusive cover reveal of Working Girls by Rupaul’s Drag Race stars Trixie Mattel and Katya.

Locke & Key, the Netflix series based on Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s comics, will end with its forthcoming third season.

Netflix has added nine actors to its cast for XO, Kitty, the upcoming To All the Boys spinoff series.

HBO Max is in early development of not one but two scripted series based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Robert Downey Jr., who played the Holmes in the popular Guy Ritchie feature films, will executive produce both shows with Lionel Wigram.

Knopf will be publishing three new books in its Millennium series, which launched with Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The next three books in the series will be written by Swedish author Karin Smirnoff. The first one will be released on September 5, 2023.

Also, guess what? Despite the rise of “book bans” in the US, queer romance novels have never been more popular.

The International Booker Prize has announced its 2022 shortlist. The winner will be announced May 26th at a ceremony in London.

And here are the 2022 Hugo Award finalists!

Book Riot Recommends

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

Prepare Your Shelves!

The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe (Harper Voyager, April 19th)

I know that The Memory Librarian probably doesn’t need any help from me to hype it up at this point. After all, it’s a collection of queer sci-fi short stories written by the wonderful Janelle Monáe. But you know, if there’s even one reader who didn’t know about this book. If there’s that one person reading this who says to themselves, “Janelle Monáe has a book coming out this month?!” Or even, “Who the heck is Janelle Monáe?!” Well then, I am here for those people to help guide the way.

The Memory Librarian is not only one of my most anticipated books of the year, but it is plenty of other peoples’ as well. And why is that? Because Janelle Monáe has proven herself as an innovative voice with many talents. She’s a critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter. She’s an actor. She’s a fashion icon. And she’s an activist. Just to name a few of the many things that make her a really cool human.

The Memory Librarian is like a literary tie-in for Monáe’s high-concept album Dirty Computer, set in a world in which thoughts can be erased or controlled. This collection expands on the totalitarian existence imagined in Dirty Computer. And to fully flesh out this sci-fi world, Monáe is also collaborating with several talented contributors, including Yohanca Delgado, Eve L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renée Thomas—just to name a few.

This one is coming out in one week, so prepare your shelves, and strap in for a wild ride.

What I’m Reading This Week

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

The Peregrine by J.A. Baker

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Monday Memes

This meme format is an oldie but a goodie. Make it about books, and it’s just so, so relatable.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

I don’t know if I’ve really talked much about it here, but I’m a huge sucker for all things astrology. I’m a Libra Sun, Capricorn Moon, Gemini Rising. How about you? Anyway, I feel like a good 1/4 of my Instagram feed is all astrology stuff and astrology memes. So as you can imagine, I was really excited to see these Bridgerton astrology memes on Buzzfeed Books. I figure there are a lot of astrology/Bridgerton fans in this world, so hopefully this will make other people happy as well!

And Here’s A Cat Picture

‘Round here, there are a lot of cats on yoga mats. Any time the yoga mat hits the floor, the cat hits the yoga mat. I have some pretty cool videos from this session in which Murray found ways to interact with me and challenge me while I got my workout on. The bonus of at-home workouts, am I right?

Anyway, this mat is fine, but I’m in the market for a new yoga mat, so if you have a fave, let me know about it.

Alright, that’s all, y’all. Let’s go kick Monday’s butt! Talk soon!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

iCarly Alum Jennette McCurdy to Release Memoir in August and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 6, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

The weather continues to be horrible here. Lots of rain, heavy winds, flash floods, and potential tornados. We hate that for me. But luckily for you, come rain or shine, I’m still able to deliver you all of the book-related info you’re craving. The only thing that would keep me away would be if a tornado comes for my house and spirals me up. Which, scarily enough, is not totally out of the question. But hey! Until that happens, book buddies, I’m here for you. So let’s talk books.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

If you loved All Her Little Secrets, Wanda M. Morris has another exciting thriller coming out later this year, and here’s the cover reveal! Anywhere You Run will be out from William Morrow on October 25th.

iCarly alum Jennette McCurdy has written a memoir about her time as a child star. The Nickelodeon star’s book, entitled I’m Glad My Mom Died, will be out from Simon & Schuster this August.

Gin Phillips’ Family Law will be out in paperback in May, and here’s a look at the paperback cover.

Here’s the cover reveal for Avery Flynn’s witchy romance novel Witcha Gonna Do. This one’s out in December.

Loan Le at Atria Books, along with Sarah St. Pierre at S&S Canada, preempted world rights to National Magazine Award–nominated journalist Mai Nguyen’s debut novel Sunshine Nails.

The hit thriller series You has begun filming its fourth season in London.

Colin Kaepernick has shared a first look at his children’s book I Color Myself Different.

Weeks after reports that Britney Spears had signed a multimillion-dollar deal to write a tell-all memoir, the pop star confirmed Monday that she is currently writing a book.

The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical made history on Sunday night when the show creators Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear won the Grammy for best musical theater album.

Join Stella Parton and a slate of authors whose books have been challenged for a National Read-In event today, Thursday, April 7th.

These are the 10 books the American Library Association reports as being the most banned or challenged titles of 2021.

Book Riot Recommends

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

Can’t Wait for This One

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson (Penguin Random House, October 4th)

Alexis Henderson’s House of Hunger is another book that I’ve been waiting patiently to tell you about just as soon as an official cover reveal dropped. Well, the cover was revealed earlier this week, and now I’m all fired up to tell you about this one. If you’ve read Henderson’s The Year of the Witching, you’re probably already excited about this one too!

Marion Shaw was raised in poverty and longs to escape the difficulties of city life. But she sees no way out. That is, until she comes across a strange newspaper ad: “WANTED – Bloodmaid of exceptional taste. Must have a keen proclivity for life’s finer pleasures. Girls of weak will need not apply.“

Although she knows little about the position or the far north where she will have to travel, the applies, hoping this could be the opportunity for change she’s been hoping for. Soon, Marion becomes the newest bloodmaid at the notorious House of Hunger, where Countess Lisavet who presides over a court of hedonism. Marion is eager to please her mistress, who is both charismatic and terrifying. But when her fellow bloodmaids begin to go missing, Marion realizes she must learn the rules of House of Hunger or her own life will soon be at risk.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“I watch and work up my rage at men, who can be villainous to all, but virtuous to some. Watching them be kind to children should make me think of them as better men, but it make them worse, for no other wicked is more wicked than choosing with who you dole out kindness.”

— Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

What’s Up in the Book Community?

So I don’t know that I’ve ever thought about this before, but it was brought to my attention that April 30th marks the point in the year where we are halfway to Halloween. With that in mind, seems like a good time for a horror/thriller-themed Read-A-Thon, yes? Over on YouTube, gabbyreads and oliviareadsalatte are hosting Spring Fling-O-Ween. What does that mean? It means reading a bunch of books and getting into the half-Halloween spirit from April 27th-30th. Check out gabbyreads’ video for all of the details.

This Read-A-Thon falls between my trip to New York and my trip to DC, so I feel like this is the perfect time for me to settle in and get some reading done. Will you play along with me?

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Remember how I was watching Bridgerton last weekend? Yeah, well, obviously I finished that already. If you’re like me and everyone else in the world who already watched every episode of Bridgerton Season 2, you might be looking for more Regency-era content. And if you’re complete trash for reality tv like I am, then you’ll want to check out The Courtship. Is it good? Well, it’s Bridgerton meets The Bachelorette, so… you’ll just have to decide for yourself.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I keep coming across more Phantom pictures I want to share with you all, so here’s another one.

I’m still missing this tiny little black bean so much. He was such a good cuddle buddy and he would be the perfect reading companion on a rainy day like today.

Also my face is in this one, so apologies if you were not prepared. I promise to keep this to cat content only from here on out.

Anyway, if it’s raining where you are, stay dry. Read a book. And until next time, have a safe, fun, and restful weekend.

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Get Haunted by Clay McLeod Chapman’s GHOST EATERS and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 1, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Somehow it’s April? How did anyone let that happen? Somehow we’re all the way through 1/4 of 2022, and my brain is still in 2019. Oh well, I guess on the positive side, with each passing day, we get more and more exciting book news. And I am here to share that with you!

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Night Worms has reviewed and revealed the cover for Clay McLeod Chapman’s upcoming horror novel Ghost Eaters! The novel is described as “a terrifying supernatural page-turner that explores ghosts, grief, and god complexes.” This one will be out in September.

And here’s the cover reveal of A Merry Little Meet Cute, the first book in the Christmas Notch series from Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah has announced his debut novel Chain-Gang All-Stars, which will be out in spring 2023.

Here’s a first look at Hell Bent, the sequel to Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House. This highly anticipated book is coming in January, 2023.

Today also as a first look at Jasmine Guillory’s new novel Drunk on Love, which will be out on September 20, 2022.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before author Jenny Han’s first YA romance book trilogy The Summer I Turned Pretty is being adapted for TV, and Entertainment Weekly has a first look at the upcoming Amazon Prime series.

Supermodel Gisele Bündchen has sold a currently untitled cookbook to Clarkson Potter. The title is set for a spring 2024 release.

HBO’s long-awaited Game of Thrones prequel finally has a release date. The network has announced that House of the Dragon will premiere on August 21st.

Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones will be starring in Hulu’s true crime series Under the Banner of Heaven, based on the 2003 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. And Hulu has now released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming series.

The spinoff Bridgerton prequel about a young Queen Charlotte was originally announced in May 2021, and now Netflix has released the cast list.

The Authors for Ukraine Auction is raising money for CARE’s Ukraine Crisis Fund, which will provide emergency supplies of food, water, and other supplies and assistance to Ukrainians. The auction runs March 29 to April 12 and includes signed books from more than 170 authors.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann (May 31st, Little, Brown, and Company)

Okay, look. I know How to be Eaten isn’t the first fairy tale-adjacent book I’ve recommended here. Clearly I’m a big fan of fairy tale reimaginings and retellings. But I’m certainly not the only one. There’s something fascinating about reexamining stories we have known for our whole lives. And even so, I promise you How to Be Eaten is a fairy tell reimagining unlike any other you’ve ever experienced.

Set in present-day New York City, How to Be Eaten follows a support group of five women who meet in a basement to discuss their past traumas. You’ll probably note the fairy tale similarities right away, but here they are: there’s Bernice, who is recovering from her time dating a crazed blue-bearded billionaire. Then there’s Ruby, who is traumatized by that one time she was eaten by a wolf, even though now she wears his coat. Next is Gretel who was held captive in a house made of candy. Meanwhile, Ashlee is the winner of a dating show who’s not quite sure she really got her fairy tale ending. Then there’s Raina, and as for her story, you’ll just have to wait and see!

How to Be Eaten is an intriguing take on what it means to exist in the world as a woman in the 21st century and trauma in the digital age. It’s also just a really entertaining read. This one comes out at the end of May, but you know we’ve talked a lot about how fast these months are going by. May will be here before you know it, so prepare your shelves!

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

What I’m Reading This Week

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

Cold by Mariko Tamaki

The Peregrine by J.A. Baker

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

Monday Memes

Okay so this isn’t really a book meme this week, but this felt appropriate for a Monday. Especially for my cat people.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

I know I talk a lot about KittenLady’s Instagram account, but I actually follow a lot of foster kitten accounts on Instagram. And I try to donate to them as much as possible! What can I say? I love cats. If you love cats too, here are two more of my favorites: fostersxyz and fosterkittenlove. I get so invested in these kitten’s story, and they warm my heart and bring me joy!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

It’s officially tornado season down here. And last week, we were hit with a tornado warning. Because Cersei and Murray aren’t the best of friends, my husband Ben hid in one bathroom with Cersei. And I was in the other bathroom with Murray.

Thankfully, Ben had the smart idea of putting Murray’s favorite blanket in the tub to keep him relaxed. It worked like a charm. So here’s Murray snuggling up with his blanket in the tub while the storm rages outside.

And of course, we made it out alive, and I am thankfully here to tell the story.

Let’s hope for no more tornados any time soon though, right?

Until next time!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Stephen King’s IT Prequel Series in the Works and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 30, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

I know it’s officially spring and that’s supposed to be exciting and all, but does anyone else just have really bad allergies? I feel like I’m writing you this message through a weird allergy haze, but if you’re there with me, welcome. Let’s take this journey together as I count down the days to fall. Sorry to all my spring/summer fans out there.

Let’s just talk about one thing we can all agree on. Books. Books are good. Here is the hot book gossip.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

There’s no such thing as too many Pride and Prejudice retellings! Here is the cover reveal for Nikki Payne’s multicultural retelling Pride and Protest. This one’s out from Berkeley in November.

HBO Max is developing a prequel series to the It film franchise. The working title is Welcome To Derry.

Doubleday has obtained the U.S. rights to Kate Atkinson’s Shrines of Gaiety. The novel is slated for a September 27th release date.

Roxane Gay has announced the first three titles for her imprint Roxane Gay Books.

Lit Hub has the exclusive cover reveal for Talia Lakshmi Kolluri’s What We Fed to the Manticore, which will be published by Tin House this September.

And here’s the cover reveal for Bridget Farr’s new YA novel, The Truth About Everything. This book follows the story of “homeschooled” teenager Lark who is secretly attending high school, against the wishes of her conspiracy-theorist-Doomsday-prepping parents. This one is out on October 11th.

Nicole Kidman has shared the first look trailer of her Apple TV+ anthology series Roar, based on the short story collection by bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

Tor Nightfire is publishing Johnny Compton’s Black Southern Gothic novel The Spite House. The book, which is being called The Others meets A Head Full of Ghosts, is scheduled to release in February 2023.

Tupac Shakur wrote a booklet of haikus when he was 11, and it’s now being auctioned, starting at $140,000.

Lualhati Bautista, a Manila-based Filipina writer, may become the first Filipina to be published by Penguin Classics.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore (Ace Books, September 6)

This debut novel has been on my personal TBR for what feels like ages, but since Paste revealed the cover last week and provided us with an excerpt of the upcoming novel, I figured it was probably time I shared The Witch and the Tsar with all of you. If you love the idea of a good retelling mixed with real-life history, I think you’ll be just as excited about this one as I am.

The Witch and the Tsar is a historical fantasy novel that retells the story of one of Slavic folklore’s most famous figures, the Baba Yaga. But of course, the woman of this story is more complicated than any witch you might have heard about in those old tales. Yaga is a half-goddess who is feared and shunned by mankind because of her powers. But when her old friend Tsarista Anastasia comes to her hut asking for help, Yaga must finally step out of the shadows of legend to protect the land she loves.

We follow Yaga’s journey to Moscow as she witnesses a country being torn apart as Tsar Ivan (Ivan the Terrible) grows more and more unstable. Meanwhile, the tsaritsa has been struck with a mysterious illness that no one can cure. Yaga longs to protect her country, but what she doesn’t know is that an angry goddess wishes to ruin Russia, and she is the one that is behind all of this destruction.

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Fear releases power. Man might be more tolerable, less fractious and smug, if he had more to fear. I do not mean fear of the intangible, the suffocation of the introvert, but physical fear, cold sweating fear for one’s life, fear of the unseen menacing beast, imminent, bristly, tusked and terrible, ravening for one’s own hot saline blood.”

— The Peregrine by J.A. Baker

What’s Up in the Book Community?

As you’re probably aware, a whole movie was produced that was fully based on a Twitter thread. So if we can base movies off of tweets, why shouldn’t we also base our reading choices off of the tweets we enjoy? Since you’re reading this section of Book Radar because you love books and you’re curious about social media (probably), then I think you’ll love this post from Tracy Shapley Towley: Did You Like That Tweet? Then Read This Book.

What I’m Watching This Weekend

I feel like this needs no explanation. I guess we’re all watching Bridgerton this weekend, right? Unless you finished it already. If you’re watching, how do you feel about this season compared to season 1? Are you missing Regé-Jean Page as much as I am? Feel free to reach out and let me know!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

a white calico cat siting on top of a black couch

It’s been a while since my shy calico girl Cersei was featured, so here she is! This is her favorite place to sit when she isn’t hiding. She loves the top of the couch.

Anyway, that is all for today, friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week, same time, same email inbox.

💙 Emily

Book Radar

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING Trailer Has Dropped and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 25, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

How was your weekend? I got a whole lot of reading done and I got to hang out with cats, so all in all, it wasn’t too bad. Now that we’re hopefully feeling refreshed and ready to take on our week, let’s talk books.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Oprah Daily has revealed the cover for Zambian American author Namwali Serpell’s new novel The Furrows, out from Hogarth in September.

V. Castro will reveal the backstory of Aliens character Private Vasquez in a new book titled Aliens: Vasquez, set to be published by Titan Books on October 25th.

The Nerd Daily has revealed the cover for The Girl In The Castle by James Patterson and Emily Raymond. This book releases on September 19th!

CJ Connor has announced a new queer mystery series, “full of board games, silly puns, family in all its forms, and queer joy (y’know, as joyful as a murder mystery can be).” The first novel in the series is titled Board to Death.

Liz Tigelaar, the creator of Little Fires Everywhere, is set to adapt Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for Netflix.

A new Ivo van Hove stage adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining is in the works for a 2023 West End debut, and Ben Stiller in talks to play the role of Jack Torrance.

Kacen Callender has an adult romance novel Stars in Your Eyes, out from Forever in fall 2023.

The official trailer for Where the Crawdads Sing, adapted from Delia Owen’s bestselling 2018 novel, has just dropped.

During confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Senator Ted Cruz accidentally boosted sales of two anti-racist books.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda (Harpervia, April 12th)

Just when you think every angle of vampire fiction has been explored already. Just when you think vampires are soooo over. Just when you think you couldn’t possibly find a book that would deliver a new and exciting vampire story, a book like Woman, Eating comes along to totally revive the genre. I’m trying to think of good vampire puns about coming back to life, but I’m missing the obvious here. So I’ll just say [insert your favorite vampire puns here], and let’s move on.

Woman, Eating is the story of Lydia, a bi-racial half-vampire, half-human who is on her own for the first time after growing up under the watchful eye of her overbearing mother. Now Lydia is hungry, and she yearns to try the foods her Japanese father liked to eat. But delicious foods like sashimi and ramen are off limits for Lydia. After all, what she really thirsts for is blood.

This is Lydia’s coming of age story. It’s a story of a young woman coming to terms with what it means to be an adult, what it means to be an artist, and what it means to be human. And of course, the fact that Lydia is a vampire complicates these moments of self-exploration.

What I’m Reading This Week

Cold by Mariko Tamaki

Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

The Peregrine by J.A. Baker

Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 7 by Naoko Takeuchi

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Monday Memes

This one’s for all my people who grew up identifying with Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Hello to my people.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Last night, I curled up on my couch, wrapped myself in my Sailor Moon blanket, and watched Love Island Australia. Then this little cutie curled up with me, and I couldn’t get over the sweet look on his face. So of course I had to share!

We love you, Murray! You are the sweetest kitty!

Anyway, thanks for joining me today. I hope you have a great week!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Here’s the Cover Reveal of Katherine Dunn’s TOAD and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 23, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Today has been a rainy day and there was a tornado warning in effect from 9am to 7pm. So what did that mean for me? Lots of reading on the couch with the kitties as I listened to the rain. So now I feel really inspired to talk to you about books. Let’s do this.

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

Here’s the cover reveal of Katherine Dunn’s previously unpublished novel TOAD.

The Literary Hub has the exclusive cover reveal for Pulitzer-winning author Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel Lucy by the Sea, which will be published by Random House this September.

Here’s the cover reveal for Your Body is Not Your Body, an anthology of New Weird Horror to benefit trans youth in crisis.

Jason Katims has rounded out the ensemble cast for Dear Edward, an Apple TV+ drama series based on the novel of the same name by Ann Napolitano.

Here’s the cover reveal for Rose Egal’s genre-bending debut novel The Sevenfold Hunters, out in October from Page Street.

Constance Wu, star of Hustlers, Crazy Rich Asians, and Fresh Off the Boat, has written a memoir that will be published this fall, and Entertainment Weekly has the exclusive cover reveal.

Here’s an excerpt from Ashley Poston’s upcoming YA novel The Dead Romantics. This one hits shelves on June 28th.

Booker-prize-winning Nigerian author Been Okri has rewritten his 2008 novel Starbook. The new version, complete with a new title and cover, will be published this summer as The Last Gift of the Master Artists.

Dolly Parton is returning to the big screen for an upcoming feature film adaption of Run, Rose, Run.

Adina Porter (Underground) and Clark Backo (Letterkenny) have been cast to star opposite LaKeith Stanfield in Apple TV+’s upcoming drama series based on Victor LaValle’s bestselling novel The Changeling.

Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda—the brains behind Monstress—have announced their next comic collaboration. The Night Eaters is “a contemporary Asian American horror story and urban fantasy.”

Here are ten of the audiobooks coming out in the next few months that Libro.fm users are most excited about!

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One

Trust by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books, May 3rd)

The first thing that’s exciting about this book is this stunning cover. The second thing is that author Hernan Diaz’s previous novel In the Distance was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award. The third and most exciting thing about Trust? It’s being described as four books in one. It’s a novel-within-a-novel, a partial manuscript, a memoir, and a diary. This ambitious project adds up to one unforgettable story about economic disparity, capitalism, history, secrets, the power of storytelling, and more.

Everyone in New York has heard of Wall Street trader Benjamin Rask and his wife Helen. The two become incredibly wealthy in the 1920s, and with the Great Depression the couple becomes even wealthier. But the secrets around this couple and their affluence have sparked endless rumors. People wonder: How did the Rasks become so wealthy? And at what cost?

In the 1938 novel Bonds, the author tries to unpack the mystery of the Rasks, but this isn’t the only version of the story to be told. Even though this is the version that has become the most widely accepted. Somewhere between all of these stories and rumors lies the truth about the Rasks. But how does one separate facts from lies and illusions?

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

Words of Literary Wisdom

“The human being is complex and I find the vile acts, contradictions, and sublimities characteristic of our condition astonishing. Our existence would be an exasperating shade of gray if we were all flawless.”

— Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

What I’m Watching This Weekend

Not book-related, but I do also watch TV and movies, so I thought it could be fun to share what I’m watching.

All week, I’ve been marathoning Atlanta to prepare for season 3, which is coming out TOMORROW, Friday, March 25th. I am so excited. This is my favorite show that’s currently on tv. Do you watch Atlanta? If so, let’s chat about the season premiere this weekend!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

an orange cat curled up on a brown leather couch next to pillows

Look, it’s my rainy day reading buddy, everyone! Murray and I got a good few hundred pages read today. I’d say that’s a good day. For me, anyway. Murray reads 400 pages a day on average.

Just kidding. Murray is a cat. He can’t read. But he is cute.

Okay, that’s all for today. Have a wonderful weekend!

💙 Emily

Book Radar

Judy Blume Documentary in the Works and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 18, 2022

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

It’s Monday. We’re not quite at “happy” yet in this household, so I’m not going to say “Happy Monday” this week. And that’s okay. Why? Because toxic positivity is bad, and all feelings are valid. Anyway, I do want to thank those of you who reached out to offer condolences after we lost our sweet Phantom last week. It meant more to me than I can say, and even though I’m sad now, I feel fortunate that I get to be here talking with you about books.

So should we talk books?

💙 Emily

Book Deals and Reveals

drizzle dreams and lovestruck things book cover

Here’s the cover reveal of Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad. It’s coming at you from Disney-Hyperion on October 18th!

A Judy Blume documentary is in the works from Amazon Prime Video.

The final chapter of the First Sister trilogy is coming this November. Here’s the cover reveal for The Last Hero by Linden A. Lewis!

Kevin Wilson has announced his next book, Now is Not the Time to Panic, which will be out on November 8, 2022, from Ecco Books.

Netflix is expanding its relationship with Dr. Seuss Enterprises with a deal for five new animated preschool series and specials.

Seoul Street will be adapting Suzanne Park’s bestselling novel Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous for the big screen.

Alexandra Daddario has been announced as the star of AMC’s Mayfair Witches, a series adaptation of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches series.

Del Rey has obtained the world English rights to Evelyn Skye’s adult debut novel, The Hundred Loves of Juliet, in a two-book deal.

Netflix released a trailer this week for the upcoming series Heartstopper, based on the graphic novel series by Alice Oseman.

The National Book Critics Circle has named its 2021 Award Winners.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough (William Morrow & Company, April 12th)

Alright, y’all. We’ve got less than a month before this one comes at us, so kick some books off your shelves to make some space for the latest thriller from Sarah Pinborough. I’m just kidding about the book kicking. I do not condone violence against books. Even if you’re really excited about a new book, treat your old books with care. So gently but excitedly shuffle your books around to make some space on your shelves cause here it comes…

Why am I making such a big deal about this one? If you’re a big time thriller fan, you probably already know. Sarah Pinborough’s thrillers always deliver with dark and unsettling storylines, twists and surprises, and sometimes even a bit of the supernatural. What sort of shocking reveals will her latest novel Insomnia bring? Well, I’m not going to tell you that. You’re going to have to read and find out.

Here’s the basic set up: Emma Averell is killing it at life. She’s a successful, high-powered lawyer. She also has two wonderful children and a stay-at-home husband whom she loves. But her life wasn’t always this perfect. When Emma’s mother turned forty, she suffered from debilitating insomnia that lead to a horrific incident. As a result, Emma and her sister were put into the foster care system. Now, as her fortieth birthday approaches, Emma is experiencing symptoms similar to her mother’s, and she worries she is doomed to play out a similar fate.

What I’m Reading This Week

Well, I’m keeping honest. I said last week that reading has been slow this month, and that hasn’t changed this week that much. But I’ve got a few books on the TBR for this week:

The Peregrine by J.A. Baker

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

Sailor Moon: Eternal Edition 7 by Naoko Takeuchi

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Monday Memes

Do you have any friends who dog ear books? I do, and yes, it did make me question our friendship.

Other Things That Make Me Happy

If you love cat pictures, and you’re not following KittenLady on Instagram, what are you doing? Right now, you’re missing out on Chou Chou, a little cotton ball of a kitten. I’m completely obsessed with this floof.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I’ve got a throw back picture of baby Phantom and Murray I wanted to share just so you can see just how much they loved each other from day one! What perfect angels.

Aaaand… that’s all I’ve got, friends. I hope your week goes well. I hope you read good books. Pet all the cats. And I’ll see you next time.

💙 Emily