Category: Book Radar

Happy Thursday, my little book fiends. I hope your reading in 2021 is off to a great start! I have certainly found a million things I hope to read this year, including a book described as “Golden Girls meets The Expanse with a side of Babylon Five.” Um, yes please. Now I totally want a Golden Girls in space special television event. “Picture it: Jupiter, 2216.”

For today, I have exciting adaptation news, cover reveals, and book talk for you. Plus a picture of a boneless cat! Whatever you are celebrating or doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! Which of these ingredients does not appear in the Witches’s “Double, double toil and trouble” speech from Macbeth: eye of newt, lizard’s leg, tongue of dog, or wing of bat? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Lashana Lynch will play Miss Honey in Netflix’s Matilda remake.

Lil Nas X has a children’s book out now.

Here’s the first look at Bethany Morrow’s retelling of Little Women.

Duchess Camilla is starting her own book club.

Tordotcom Publishing announced a five-book deal with Andrea Hairston.

Bridgerton delivered Netflix a record-breaking December.

Clancy Brown will be the main villain in the Dexter revival.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

What I’m reading this week.

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi 

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart

Yellow Wife: A Novel by Sadeqa Johnson

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe 

Song stuck in my head:

Down with the Sickness by Disturbed. I’ve had it stuck in my head since I watched S6 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Mostly because it’s fun to make the monkey noise. And ready to feel old? This album came out 20 years ago. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

“What’s in the fridge?” “Jin and juice.”

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• The Perry Mason reboot. But WHOA is it violent and gruesome. Not for the faint of heart.
• The Good Place: I rewatched the whole series last week and this hilarious, weird, heartsqueezing show was exactly the balm I needed for my soul.
• Jigsaw puzzles! Still on a HUGE puzzle kick. Several of you have asked how I do puzzles with destructive felines in the house, and the answer is: very carefully. I only do 500-piece puzzles, because I cannot leave them unattended or the cats will destroy them. So once I start a puzzle, I am committed to finishing it.
• Numberzilla.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Sure, that looks comfy.

Trivia answer: Wing of bat.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Happy new year, star bits! It’s the first Monday of 2021 and it’s time for a bit of bookish excitement. The book world was quiet over the holidays, but I still have a few fun things to share with you, including a delightfully nerdy video, a cat collage, and one of my new favorite books coming in 2021! I can’t wait to share another bookish year with you. I think it will be one for the books. (Sorry, not sorry.)

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: How many acts are there in Romeo and Juliet? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Here’s what is entering the public domain in 2021, including The Great Gatsby.

Epic nerdpurr alert: Start your first full week of 2021 off with warm fuzzies by watching this video about a book blogger who chose this year’s Goodread’s Challenge color.

Here are 25 book-to-movie adaptations to watch for in 2021.

Cynthia Erivo will star in and produce a film about the enslaved Yoruba girl who became a gift to the Queen of England, who was the subject of the book At Her Majesty’s Request by Walter Dean Myers.

First Lady Jill Biden will speak at the 2021 ALA Virtual Midwinter meeting.

HBO Max revealed the new characters from the Gossip Girl reboot.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

What I’m reading this week.

Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins 

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters 

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. 

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

Pun of the week: 

I don’t trust stairs. They’re always up to something.

And this is funny:

I love that people have this much time on their hands.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• The Good Place: I rewatched the whole series last week and this hilarious, weird, heartsqueezing show was exactly the balm I needed for my soul.
• Jigsaw puzzles! Still on a HUGE puzzle kick. Several of you have asked how I do puzzles with destructive felines in the house, and the answer is: very carefully. I only do 500-piece puzzles, because I cannot leave them unattended or the cats will destroy them. So once I start a puzzle, I am committed to finishing it.
• Shudder, the streaming service for horror, thriller, and suspense genres. I treated myself to a subscription as my Christmas present and it’s amazing. First movie I watched? The Lost Boys.

• Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Yes, these are pictures of Zevon captured mid-yawn, but I like to think he’s laughing.

Trivia answer: Five.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

WARNING: MUSH AHEAD. Happy Thursday, friends! For this, my last Book Radar of 2020, I just want to say this: We made it. We have had a terrible, heartbreaking year, but this isn’t going to last forever. And there have been some bright spots. I am so lucky to get to “hang out” with such wonderful people like you each week, people who love and appreciate books as much as I do. I love all you meeps and I am wishing wonderful things for you in the new year. OKAY, MUSH OVER.

For today, I have exciting adaptation news, cover reveals, and book talk for you. Plus a cat picture! Whatever you are celebrating or doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. I’ll see you in 2021. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! Which two poets co-wrote the Lyrical Ballads? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Ocean Vuong’s novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is being made into a film.

The Flight Attendant has been renewed for a second season.

Roxane Gay is starting a book club in 2021.

Netflix settled the Enola Holmes lawsuit with the Conan Doyle estate.

Keith Powers will join Gabrielle Union in the romantic comedy The Perfect Find, based on the book of the same name by Tia S. Williams.

PEN America announced the longlists for the 2021 PEN America Literary Awards.

Melissa de la Cruz’s The Thirteenth Fairy is being developed for television.

Here are 25 book-to-movie adaptations to look for in 2021.

Here’s the cover reveal of A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell.

His Dark Materials has been renewed for a third and final season at HBO.

Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso will star in Paul Feig’s The School For Good and Evil adaptation.

Blumhouse Productions is planning an Exorcist sequel.

Netflix’s The Witcher series’ official Twitter account has just revealed the new logo for their upcoming Witcher anime spin-off film Nightmare of the Wolf.

And speaking of Netflix, they just signed Locke & Key up for two more seasons.

Bassem Youssef is developing The Magical Reality Of Nadia as an animated series.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

What I’m reading this week.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. Manansala

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, Sarah Moses (translator)

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. 

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

Song stuck in my head:

Kill of the Night by Gin Wigmore. I first heard this on the Umbrella Academy soundtrack. I have still not seen the show, but if it is half as good as its soundtrack, it must be amazing. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

THE CUTE, IT BURNS.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Shudder, the streaming service for horror, thriller, and suspense genres. I treated myself to a subscription this week as my Christmas present and it’s already amazing.
• Jigsaw puzzles!
• Numberzilla.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

“We wrestled this creature off your desk and broke its spine!” – Zevon and Farrokh

Trivia answer: William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Hello, my little Monday monkeys! I hope that you had a good weekend. We got a foot of snow here in Maine last week (why do I live here?) and I spent the weekend reading books and being glad that I didn’t have to go outside. (I am an indoor cat.) The end of the year is almost upon us, and there have been a lot of great end-of-the-year book lists. I also made a Best of 2020 book list. It was another tremendous year for books!

Now, for today: I have lots of book news, a cat picture, my new favorite pun, and a recommendation for another awesome upcoming 2021 book. Let’s get ready to rummmmmmmmmmmble! Jk, please read this newsletter in a calm and orderly fashion.

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: Author Zora Neale Hurston was part of which literary movement? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Netflix shared its teaser trailer for the adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone.

Samuel L. Jackson will star in Apple’s limited series adaptation of The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley.

The CW is developing an adaptation of M. K. England’s The Disasters.

Colson Whitehead shared the details of his upcoming novel Harlem Shuffle.

Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life is (finally) going to be a series.

A previously unseen Shirley Jackson story has been published.

Tordotcom Publishing announced Nicola Griffith’s upcoming novella Spear, a queer retelling of Arthurian legend.

Jennifer Lopez will star in and produce Netflix’s adaptation of The Cipher by Nina Guerrera.

Barack Obama released his yearly list of favorite reads.

Here’s the gorgeous cover of This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron.

There’s a Little House on the Prairie reboot in the works.

Disney has picked up Megan Whalen Turner’s The Thief.

Florence Pugh will star in the adaptation of the murder mystery The Maid by Nita Prose.

Noomi Rapace will star in the new adaptation of Hamlet.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

What I’m reading this week.

A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam

Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall

The Ugly Cry: A Memoir by Danielle Henderson

Lights out in Lincolnwood by Geoffrey Rodkey

Pun of the week: 

I wanted to get six cans of Sprite from the store, but when I got home, I realized I had picked 7 Up.

And this is funny:

Hanif Abdurraqib is by far one of my favorite people on Twitter.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Yippee kayak, other buckets! Yep, I am on my fifth or sixth rewatch. Nope, I still don’t sleep much.
• Jigsaw puzzles!

• Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

“Ask me about my cats.” Like, for starters, what the heck is Farrokh doing?

Trivia answer: The Harlem Renaissance.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Hello, book friends! The year is winding down, and so is the book news. Although this year during the quarantine, Hollywood snagged the screen rights to more books than ever, which could mean a lot of exciting trailers and adaptation news in the new year! I just want all the book stuff jammed in my head, all the time. SMOOSH IT RIGHT IN MY BRAIN. Pretty much everything surrounding books makes me happy. And that’s why I love writing this newsletter. It’s a whole other side of the book world! For today, I have exciting adaptation news, cover reveals, and book talk for you. Plus a picture of one of my little orange monsters.

As always, it is a delight and an honor to spend this time with you. Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. And please be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! Who Is Sir Percy Blakeney’s alter ego? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo is being made into a series. (More like “clap when you land a deal” amirite?)

Here’s the new trailer for the second season of A Discovery of Witches.

Lydia Millet’s award-nominated novel A Children’s Bible has been optioned for a limited series.

Ted Chiang’s short story The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling is being adapted into a series.

And here’s the trailer for Bridgerton, coming from Netflix and Shondaland.

MIRA announced two new titles from Mike Chen. (And don’t forget, his upcoming book We Could Be Heroes is sure to be one of my favorites of 2021.)

Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and Emma D’Arcy have joined the cast of the Game of Thrones prequel.

And Netflix has announced the cast for its upcoming animated adaptation of The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo.

And Tordotcom Publishing is releasing a Christmas ghost story…in 2022: M. Rickert’s Lucky Girl, How I Became A Horror Writer: A Krampus Story.

Here’s the cover reveal for Folklorn by Angela Mi Young Hur.

And here’s the cover reveal of Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating.

Sarah Pinborough’s book Dead to Her is being made into a series called Savannah.

J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot are developing Burn by Patrick Ness.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

What I’m reading this week.

The Roo by Alan Baxter

The Ugly Cry: A Memoir by Danielle Henderson

Such Big Teeth (The Darkwood Series Book 2) by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

Lights out in Lincolnwood by Geoffrey Rodkey

Song stuck in my head:

Your Heart Sucks My Soul by Bear McCreary. This is from the Knights of Badassdom soundtrack, which is one of my favorite movies. I watch it on repeat while I work on jigsaw puzzles and it delights me to no end. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

Great shot!

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Yippee kayak, other buckets! Yep, I am on my fifth or sixth rewatch. Nope, I still don’t sleep much.
• Jigsaw puzzles!
• Numberzilla.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

“Aw, roast beast is a feast I can’t stand in the least!”

Trivia answer: The Scarlet Pimpernel.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Happy Monday, my little monchhichis! I have had a stellar couple of days, because I somehow missed that a new season of Bob’s Burgers had started, so I had 10 whole episodes to watch! It was like Christmas came early for me. It’s the little things that are getting me through this year. I also got a new 1000-piece puzzle and I can’t wait to tear into this monster as soon as I’m done writing today’s newsletter. Oh, and books! I’m still reading books of course, let’s not get ridiculous.

Now, for today: I have lots of book news, my cat’s high school picture, puns, and a recommendation for another awesome upcoming 2021 book. Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What was Hemingway’s last work to be published during his lifetime? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Tara June Winch’s The Yield won the $80,000 Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

Kid Cudi will produce and star in an adaptation of Brandon Taylor’s Real Life.

Julia Roberts will star in and executive produce, alongside Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, the Apple limited series The Last Thing He Told Me, based on Laura Dave’s upcoming novel.

Ashton Sanders has secured the rights for A More Unbending Battle: The Harlem Hellfighter’s Struggle for Freedom in WWI and Equality at Home by Peter Nelson.

True Blood may get a television reboot only six years after it ended.

Here’s the cover reveal for Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon.

Akwaeke Emezi shared more information about their upcoming memoir.

Algonquin Books is releasing a YA horror anthology, co-edited by Amparo Ortiz and Yamile Saied Méndez.

Ben Affleck is in talks to star in the George Clooney-directed film The Tender Bar, based on the memoir by J.R. Moehringer.

Dreamworks is working on an animated Dog Man adaptation, based on the series by Dav Pilkey.

Netflix has landed the new adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front starring Daniel Brühl.

Disney shared a bunch of news the other day, including details of the adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi; an animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid film; and Tony Hale and Kristen Schaal will star in an adaptation of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

And speaking of Disney, Rick Riordan shared the first look at the new logo for the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series coming to Disney+.

Here are more details on the new series in the works based on Lois Duncan’s I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Hulu has renewed The Handmaid’s Tale for a fifth season.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

What I’m reading this week.

Filthy Animals: Stories by Brandon Taylor

Composite Creatures by Caroline Hardaker 

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Pun of the week: 

Which bear is the most condescending? A pan-duh!

And this is funny:

From the people who brought you True Detective comes Bad Detective.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Prep & Landing. Somehow I had never heard of these Christmas specials until this week. They’re adorable! I’m a big fan of the disgruntled Santa’s helper trope.
• Bob’s Burgers. I am rewatching some of my favorite episodes for the fifth time. I love how the show never makes the kids feel bad for being themselves.

• Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

I’m going to use this for Zevon’s senior portrait.

Trivia answer: The Old Man and the Sea.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Hello, Thursday friends! I hope you are having a good week. I have been reading books! I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was watching too much television this year. Sitting on the living room couch to read makes it so tempting for me to just—*click!*—turn on the television. And then all of a sudden, it would be eight hours later and I had watched 20 episodes of Taxi, lol. So I moved some books around and made space for a comfy chair in my office. It has already increased my reading time! And as a bonus, the cats can’t work up enough speed to run across my face in my office, so I don’t have to wear my safety goggles while I’m reading. (Laugh, but it’s true!)

Now, on to shop talk: I have a bunch of fun book-related stuff for you today, plus a photo of the aforementioned offending felines. And as always, it is a delight and an honor to spend this time with you. Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. And please be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! Who wrote The Adventures of Pinnochio? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Ring Shout by P. Djéli Clark is being developed into a series.

Helene Wecker shared the cover of the upcoming sequel to The Golem and the Jinni. It’s called The Hidden Palace.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin shared the cover of his upcoming collection, The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories.

Rebecca F. Kuang’s Poppy War series is being adapted for television.

Zoraida Córdova announced her debut novel for adults.

Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter is now being adapted for Apple TV+.

EW has the cover reveal of The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon.

Here’s the first teaser trailer for CBS’ Silence of the Lambs sequel Clarice.

Disney is rebooting Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

The 2020 Bad Sex in Fiction award has been canceled.

Ava DuVernay is adapting Naomi, a DC comic, for The CW.

Here’s the trailer for the adaptation of Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos.

The first season of the adaptation of Megan Abbott’s Dare Me is coming to Netflix.

The 2020 Goodreads Choice winners have been revealed.

Here’s the first look at The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck.

Edward Kelsey Moore’s novel, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, is being made into a film.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

What I’m reading this week.

Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

To Be Honest by Michael Leviton

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The House Uptown by Melissa Ginsburg

Song stuck in my head:

You’re Welcome by Dwayne Johnson. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

Teenagers are brutal.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Prep & Landing. Somehow I had never heard of these Christmas specials until this week. They’re adorable! I’m a big fan of the disgruntled Santa’s helper trope.
• They Can Talk comics. I’m always down for animal jokes.
• Numberzilla.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

I recently got a convertible chair for my office so I can loaf around (read: nap) in my favorite room after I finish work, but Farrokh and Zevon treat it like their dorm room and hang out when I pull out the bed.

Trivia answer: Carlo Collodi.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Welcome back to another Monday, book lovers! I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. I am currently writing this on Friday, so you’re in the future. But once I am finished, my weekend plans include reading—of course—and I also want to watch Godmothered, which just started streaming on Disney+. It looks like a good distraction. I’ll let you know how it is!

Now, for today: I have book news, a cat picture, some funny stuff, and a recommendation for another awesome upcoming 2021 book (featuring a zillion alien worms.) Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What color was Anna Karenina’s bag in the Tolstoy novel of the same name? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Raven Leilani has won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize for Luster.

Author Alissa Nutting’s cartoon Teenage Euthanasia was picked up by Adult Swim.

Netflix released the trailer for Arsène Lupin: Gentleman Burglar.

Akwaeke Emezi is releasing their debut book of poetry in 2022.

Douglas Stuart’s Booker Prize-winning novel, Shuggie Bain, is being adapted into a series.

Hulu has a new Hardy Boys series.

Here’s the first look at Kristen Arnett’s new novel With Teeth.

Furia author Yamile Saied Méndez announced her second book.

The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit stars are hoping to keep author J.R.R. Tolkien’s house from being sold.

And speaking of Lord of the Rings, the new series adaptation just added a bunch more cast members.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

What I’m reading this week.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The House Uptown by Melissa Ginsburg

The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant by Bertrand Hébert and Pat Laprade

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Pun of the week: 

You should wear glasses while doing math. It improves division.

And this is funny:

Big guffaws and nostalgia feels, all in one tweet!

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Check, Please. If you haven’t read this comic yet, I suggest you drop everything and read it now. It’s available on her website or in two trade paperbacks. I like to reread it every few months and make heart eyes.
• Bob’s Burgers. I am rewatching some of my favorite episodes for the fifth time. I love how the show never makes the kids feel bad for being themselves.

• Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Okay, but…why though?

Trivia answer: Red.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

It’s Thursday and it’s time to talk books! (When isn’t it, amirite??) I am full of excitement this week as we roll into the first week of December. It might be the caffeine, but I’m pretty sure it’s because there are so many amazing books coming out next year that I am buzzing with joy! I counted the titles on my 2021 master list and it’s already over 1600 books long, lolsob. But I won’t let it stop me from adding more!

I have book news, book excitement, cat pictures, trivia, and more. It was a week short on book news, but still full of spirit. And as always, it is a delight and an honor to spend this time with you. Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. And please be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™

Trivia question time! Daniel Peggotty is a character who appears in which Charles Dickens novel? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell has been named Waterstones Book of the Year.

ReedPop is retiring BookExpo and BookCon.

Mariah Carey shared her favorite books of the year.

Natasha Trethewey’s Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir is being adapted into a series.

Here’s the first look at Victoria Aveyard’s Realm Breaker.

Here’s more about the new Lauren Groff novel coming in 2021.

Clive Barker finally got the rights to Hellraiser back.

John Cena is the latest celebrity to announce a book.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Excited to read: 

What I’m reading this week.

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Bloodline by Jess Lourey

Appleseed by Matt Bell

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith III

Song stuck in my head:

Cringe by Matt Maeson. (Also, I’m still really into listening to songs I loved when I was young. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

Awwwwwww, what’s in the box???

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Check, Please. If you haven’t read this comic yet, I suggest you drop everything and read it now. It’s available on her website or in two trade paperbacks. I like to reread it every few months and make heart eyes.
• David Morse. I am a total fangirl and recently had a Morse marathon: Twelve Monkeys, Extreme Measures, The Rock, and The Long Kiss Goodnight. 1996 was a good year to be a Morse fan.
• They Can Talk comics. I’m always down for animal jokes.
• Numberzilla.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

What a poser.

Trivia answer: David Copperfield.

You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L

Happy Monday, my little star slough. I hope you had a good weekend. I had a pretty relaxing time in my secret volcano lair. My reading for All the Books! episodes in 2020 is all done, so I have been trying to squeeze in a few books I missed before we start recording new episodes. We are coming up on our 300th episode in a couple months, which is something to celebrate! I can’t even believe it. I may still get ridiculously nervous and awkward every time I record an episode, but it is worth it for all the wonderful people it has brought into my life. VIRTUAL GROUP HUG.

For today, as usual, I have book news, a cat picture, some funny stuff, and a recommendation for another awesome upcoming 2021 book. Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: The fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut is the setting for which book series? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Warner Bros. Television has inked an overall deal with activist and I’m Not Dying with You Tonight author Kimberly Latrice Jones.

Joy Harjo will serve a rare third term as U.S. poet laureate.

Here’s the first teaser trailer for Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Picador has won a four-way auction for 10 books from Jamaica Kincaid.

Penguin Random House is buying Simon & Schuster.

The Queen’s Gambit adaptation has caused sales of chess books and sets to spike through the roof.

Here’s the first trailer for Cherry, based on the novel by Nico Walker.

Lorde is publishing a photo book about her trip to Antarctica.

This is a great story about how German librarians caught a book thief.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library documentary is set to air in December.

The Expanse has been renewed for a sixth and final season.

Book Riot Recommends 

At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and learn about a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week so you can add them to your TBR! (It will now be books I loved on Mondays and books I’m excited to read on Thursdays. YAY, BOOKS!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

What I’m reading this week.

The Startup Wife: A Novel by Tahmima Anam

Appleseed by Matt Bell

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith III

Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

Pun of the week: 

Shopping centers, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen the mall.

And this is funny:

May we all look so spiffy in our tiny hats.

Happy things:

Here are a few things I enjoy that I thought you might like as well:

• Check, Please. If you haven’t read this comic yet, I suggest you drop everything and read it now. It’s available on her website or in two trade paperbacks. I like to reread it every few months and make heart eyes.
• Happiest Season. I really liked this movie, mostly because I have a crush on everyone in it. (CW for characters being outed and homophobia.)

• Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Well, this looks like a perfectly normal thing to see when you wake up.

Trivia answer: The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you EXTRA love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty