Category: Book Radar

Hello readers and happy Monday! (It is Monday, I checked.) I hope you had a pleasant weekend and were able to get some reading done. I myself read books. (*Heather Chandler voice* “Quelle surprise.”)

I also watched several episodes of Murder, She Wrote, for work reasons. (No, really.) I originally saw the first few seasons as a child when they aired, but I haven’t seen it since then, aside from a couple of episodes that I watched last year. It has actually aged pretty well! (Of all the old shows I have rewatched in the last few years, surprisingly, Wings is the most horrifyingly problematic. And I say that having rewatched Soap!)

My favorite part of watching Murder, She Wrote – and old shows in general – is seeing beloved character actors or recognizing famous actors in early roles. I like to try and name them by other roles they’ve played. “It’s the rooster from Robin Hood! It’s Meleager the Mighty from Xena! It’s Julia Capwell from Santa Barbara!” It’s a fun game, and I highly recommend it.

Moving on, I have a bunch of fun bookish stuff to share with you to kick off your week, including another amazing book coming in 2021 that I have been dying to tell you about! Also, if you are looking for something funny to read during these dark days, I HIGHLY recommend picking up Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West when it comes out tomorrow. I laughed until I howled, and then read it a second time out loud to my boyfriend, and laughed even harder!

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

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: ““The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” is the parenthetical title of what nonfiction book? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Ava DuVernay will direct Netflix’s adaptation of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson.

Fried Green Tomatoes is being adapted into a series starring Reba McEntire and produced by Norman Lear.

WOOHOO! Hulu is adapting Interior Chinatown, the National Book Award-nominated novel by Charles Yu. (I LOVE THIS BOOK.)

And speaking of small screen revamps: I Know What You Did Last Summer is also going to be a new series.

Stacey Abrams is releasing a political thriller.

Emma Roberts will produce a YA vampire series, based on a story by V.E. Schwab.

Lena Waithe will produce a Sammy Davis Jr. biopic, based on a book by his daughter.

George Clooney will direct and Bob Dylan will produce an adaptation of John Grisham’s Calico Joe.

Devoted by Dean Koontz is being adapted for television.

Gabrielle Union has optioned The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray for a series adaptation.

Dexter is coming back to Showtime for a limited series.

And speaking of crime, the rights to Alice Diamond And The Forty Elephants, Brian McDonald’s true crime story about Diamond’s all-female crime syndicate, have been snatched up.

Yasha Jackson has joined the cast of The Flight Attendant.

Here’s the trailer for season two of His Dark Materials, which now feature Hot Priest/Moriarty.

Bill Nighy will star in Kazuo Ishiguro’s adaptation of Kurosawa’s Ikiru.

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.

My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee

The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette

We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker 

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean 

Summerwater by Sarah Moss 

Pun of the week: 

Need an ark? I Noah guy.

And this is funny:

It’s funny because it’s true.

Happy things:

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

• Star vs. the Forces of Evil. (This is perfect for fans of Gravity Falls and Steven Universe.)
• FOLD IT IN: All six seasons of Schitt’s Creek are available now on Netflix!
• The Great Pottery Throw Down. I love Keith the Crying Judge.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
• Here are livestreams of animals. I particularly enjoy the bat one.
• And more cute animal pictures.
• Disney Emoji Blitz!

And here’s a cat picture!

Midnight moth hunters!

Trivia answer: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

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

Happy Thursday, star bits! I know that Monday I left you on a cliffhanger, and I’m sure none of you have been able to sleep because you’ve been so worried since I told you I hadn’t been able to find my Grease fotonovel. Well, great news: it has been located! It’s yellowed and falling apart and looks like Chewbacca passed it, but beggars can’t be choosers. (Chewsers?)

To celebrate, I rewatched Grease for the first time in at least two decades and immediately wished I hadn’t because, wow, what hot garbage. (“🎵 Sexism is fine, if it’s set to a catchy tune. 🎵” Yikes. Moving it to the “problematic faves” column.)

Moving on: I have a bunch of great stuff for you today, including a book I can’t wait to read, trivia, and more fun stuff! And remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and remember to wear a mask and wash your hands. 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 Absent in the Spring in 1944 under the name Mary Westmacott? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Bryan Washington’s upcoming novel, Memorial, will be a television series.

Here’s the first trailer for Come Away, which features Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

The Disney Channel has optioned Carlos Hernandez’s Sal & Gabi series.

And speaking of Rick Riordan Presents books, RR just announced Lori M. Lee’s new upcoming Hmong mythology series, Pahua and the Soul Stealer.

Here’s the first look at the cover of Leesa Cross-Smith’s upcoming novel, This Close to Okay.

Ernest Cline talked about the upcoming Ready Player One sequel.

HBO is developing a drama based on Pride by Ibi Zoboi.

And in more former Book Rioter news: Justina Ireland announced her first middle grade novel.

Here’s the first look at the cover of Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology by Jess Zimmerman.

And here’s another beautiful cover reveal: A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown.

Taye Diggs released his new children’s book for free.

Take a peek at Tahereh Mafi’s new YA novel, An Emotion of Great Delight.

The new Magic School Bus: Rides Again special, The Frizz Connection, is dropping on Netflix next week.

Angelina Jolie is in talks to star alongside Christoph Waltz in an adaptation of Every Note Played by Lisa Genova.

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: 

Razorblade Tears: A Novel by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books, July 6, 2021)

If you haven’t read Blacktop Wasteland yet, you should drop everything and pick it up right now. It’s one of the best books of 2020, an exciting thrill ride that will leave you gasping. You’ll thank me, I promise.

That’s why I am so excited to learn that Cosby already has a new book coming next year! It’s about two fathers who team together to get revenge after their sons are murdered. If it’s even half as good as Blacktop Wasteland, it will be amazing. Now excuse me while I sit here and wait for it to come out.

What I’m reading this week.

The Turnout by Megan Abbott

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

Whereabouts: A Novel by Jhumpa Lahiri 

The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette

Song stuck in my head:

Right Down the Line by Gerry Rafferty. (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:

This is a genius quick fix.

Happy things:

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

• Star vs. the Forces of Evil
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
• Here are livestreams of animals. I particularly enjoy the bat one.
• And more cute animal pictures.
• The Great Pottery Throw Down
• Disney Emoji Blitz!

And here’s a cat picture!

Hostess cat cake. (It looks cute when Farrokh does this, but it almost always ends up with him rolling backwards and shutting my laptop on my work.)

Trivia answer: Agatha Christie.

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

Happy Monday, readers! I hope you had a great weekend. I spent a good portion of it looking for my copy of the Grease fotonovel. Unsuccessfully, I might add. But I know it’s in this house somewhere! I’m sure I put it somewhere to keep it safe, but I hid it a little too well because now I don’t remember where it is, lol. (More like GRRRR is the word, the word that you heard, amirite?)

Have you ever seen a fotonovel before? I wonder if they even make books like this anymore. It’s the whole 1978 movie adaptation told through hundreds of still photos. I loved it to pieces when I was a kid, so much that the cover fell off. I WILL FIND YOU, FOTONOVEL.

Moving on, I have a bunch of fun bookish stuff to share with you to kick off your week, including the first of many amazing 2021 books that I have been dying to tell you about! Say it with me now: YAY, BOOKS!

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

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: “The Fastest Kid in the Fifth Grade” is the title of the third chapter in what children’s classic? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa is being adapted into a film, with Reed Morano directing and Charlie Kaufman attached as the screenwriter.

American poet Louise Glück has won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Here’s a fun cover reveal for Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa.

The trailer for News of the World, based on the novel by Paulette Jiles and featuring Tom Hanks, has been released.

And here’s the trailer for the fifth season of The Expanse.

Rick Riordan Presents released the covers for Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia and The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim

Dickinson has received an early season 3 renewal at Apple TV+.

Here’s the first look at the cover of Fences: Disarmed by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Christopher Paolini’s first novel for adults, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, will be made into a film.

A date has been set for the second season of Snowpiercer.

And here’s the cover reveal for XOXO by Axie Oh.

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.

Whereabouts: A Novel by Jhumpa Lahiri 

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura 

Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

Pun of the week: 

“I’ve started sleeping in our fireplace. Now I sleep like a log.”

And this is funny:

To be fair, I look like this every time I eat salt and vinegar chips.

Happy things:

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

• Star vs. the Forces of Evil. (This is perfect for fans of Gravity Falls and Steven Universe.)
• FOLD IT IN: All six seasons of Schitt’s Creek are available now on Netflix!
• The Great Pottery Throw Down. I love Keith the Crying Judge.
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
• Here are livestreams of animals. I particularly enjoy the bat one.
• And more cute animal pictures.
• Disney Emoji Blitz!

And here’s a cat picture!

“Der-dee-der. Look at me, I’m a hooman.” – Zevon

Trivia answer: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. (Does anyone want to cry just hearing the title? No? Just me?)

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

OMG I’m back again! Happy Thursday, kittens! It is I, Your Friendly Neighborhood Velocireader™, back to share things with you from the wonderful world of books. I have missed you all so much! I had a relaxing break, and I read books like whoa, but I am ready to get back in the book saddle and start slinging book recommendations again.

Which means I have some fun stuff for you today, including a recommendation of one of the best books I read while on my vacation, plus more! (Like gifs. I got a little carried away with gifs today.) I have been excited to tell you all about books again pretty much since my vacation started, lol. IT IS MY CALLING.

Before I start, a little housekeeping: First, thank you to Tirzah for stepping in while I was out. (Did you know she has an amazing Jane Austen mystery trilogy on the way, starting with Pride and Premeditation??? Well, now you do.) And second, know that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and remember to wear a mask and wash your hands. And please be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Monday. – xoxo, Liberty

Trivia question time! The amazing Walter Mosley was born in what city? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Holy bell hooks! Lumberjanes may become an animated series on HBO Max.

The Cleaners by Ken Liu is being developed into a series with Orlando Bloom.

Here’s the cover reveal for Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua.

Here are the finalists for the 2020 National Book Awards!

Rumor has it that the new Lord of the Rings series might have adult content.

Elizabeth Acevedo, Charlie Jane Anders, Kacen Callender, and Alexis Daria will be writing pep talks for NaNoWriMo 2020.

Disney is launching a new publishing line with If the Shoe Fits, a Cinderella retelling by Julie Murphy.

Iain Reid, author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things, is working on a new novel.

Tordotcom announced In the Watchful City, a debut novella from S. Qiouyi Lu.

Hodor is supposedly going to have a different fate in the end of the Game of Thrones books than he had in the show.

Here’s the cover reveal for Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass.

Watch the trailer for The Show, featuring Alan Moore in shiny face paint.

The release of the new Dune adaptation has been moved to the end of 2021.

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: 

Gory Details: Adventures From the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt (National Geographic, March 2, 2021)

I was literally approved to read this book about ten minutes before I sat down to write this newsletter and I couldn’t be more excited if I swallowed a cat and broke out in kittens! It was supposed to come out earlier this year, but got pushed to 2021 because of *waves at world*. It’s claiming to be a Mary Roach-esque look at really gross stuff relating to science and I AM HERE FOR IT. (Lol, are you surprised?) Not only does Engelhaupt write about science for a living, but she also does stand-up comedy. I’m hoping the two jobs mix in the best way and don’t end in an explosion.

What I’m reading this week.

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura 

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

Halsey Street by Naima Coster

Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown

Song stuck in my head:

A Life of Illusion by Joe Walsh. (I was really into songs from my childhood while I was on break. You can listen to a lot of them in this playlist I made!)

And this is funny:

I don’t know about you, but my cats wouldn’t have even sat still long enough for a picture. They’d be hoovering food off the floor in 0.00001 seconds.

Happy things:

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

• Star vs. the Forces of Evil
• Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
• Here are livestreams of animals. I particularly enjoy the bat one.
• And more cute animal pictures.
• The Great Pottery Throw Down
• Disney Emoji Blitz!

And here’s a cat picture!

I never get tired of seeing a bowl of cat.

Trivia answer: Los Angeles.

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

Hi there, bookish friends! I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to dive right in with some great bookish news because we’ve been showered with all kinds of excitement! So grab a cup of something hot and get ready to dive in!

Trivia question: Which classic Gothic novel is referenced in works by both Jane Austen and Henry James?

Deals and Squeals:

The Obamas’ production company is bringing Ada Twist, Scientist to Netflix!

This is so cool: Married couple and YA authors Nicola Yoon and David Yoon are launching their own YA imprint called Joy Revolution that will focus on publishing YA books starring teens of color!

I know I shared this before, but it’s worth saying again as Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam will be out tomorrow: It’s being adapted for TV, with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington to star!

Can you believe that Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is 50 years old?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is headed to the big screen!

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie is the newest Reese Witherspoon book club pick!

The remake of The Witches starring Anne Hathaway is going straight to streaming! It’s based off of The Witches by Roald Dahl–and there’s a new graphic novel adaptation!

Get your first look at the TV adaptation of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead!

The middle grade novel Savvy by Ingrid Law is coming to TV!

Zac Efron has been cast in the remake of Stephen King’s Firestarter!

The shortlist for the 2020 First Novel Prize has been announced!

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Recommended reading: The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

I just started this book, and honestly what sold me on it was that it’s a horror book with a lovable dog character that multiple people assured me survived without undergoing serious peril. It’s about a young woman named Mouse whose grandmother dies, and leaves behind a house full of things that need sorting. Mouse’s father asks her to take care of it, and she agrees–but gets more than she bargained for when she discovers that the her grandmother was a hoarder and there’s something scary and unexplainable lurking in the woods…and whatever it is, it’s out to get her and her dog. So far, this is satisfying my desire for a creepy October read!

What (else) I’m reading this week:

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston

Shit Actually by Lindy West

Trivia answer: Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

All right, that’s it for me! Liberty is back this week, and I’m sure that she’ll have tons of new book news she’s excited to share with you. Thanks for hanging out, and here’s one last photo of my kitten and dog, who are slowly growing used to each other!

Tirzah

Hi friends! Happy first day of October! In the immortal words of Anne Shirley, I’m so happy I live in a world where there are Octobers. I plan on toasting the new month with mugs of cider and cuddling in my sweaters. I might get wild and make a pot of soup!

I’ve got lots of excitement for you today, so let’s dive in!

Trivia question: What town in Connecticut is the setting of Ann M. Martin’s The Babysitters Club?

Deals and Squeals

The Uglies adaptation now has a star and an executive producer in Joey King!

The Booker Prize winners will now be announced on November 20, to make room for a busy week in the book world: Barack Obama’s memoir will be out November 17, and the National Book Award winners will be announced the following day!

Phoebe Robinson announced the first two books to be published under her new Tiny Reparations imprint! You can read an excerpt of one of the books at Kweli Journal.

It’s Banned Books Week! Check out the most challenged books of the last ten years.

Netflix has won the rights to adapt A Note of Explanation, a recently discovered novel by Vita Sackville-West.

Twitter is all abuzz about the new romance novel Kissing the Coronavirus by M.J. Edwards. I have no words.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Want to read: Karolina and the Torn Curtain by Marlya Szymiczkowa

I loved Mrs. Mohr Goes Missing earlier this year, and I’m so excited to see that the sequel will be hitting shelves next spring! This series follows Zofia, a professor’s wife in 1890s Krakow who can’t ever help herself when a mystery emerges. This time, one of her maids goes missing and is found dead, so Zofia works with the police to figure out what’s going on!

What I’m reading this week:

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

The Return by Rachel Harrison

Trivia answer: Stoneybrook

And since it’s October, here are a few of my favorite bookish October things:

Anne Shirley October Bookmark

Fall Fangirl Candle

Rainbow Rowell’s Ode to Autumn Printable

Stay cozy, bookish friends!
Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope your weekend was great and full of books. I spent all Saturday afternoon reading, and then I watched Enola Holmes on Netflix, which was an absolute delight! I highly recommend checking it out–it’ll make you laugh, and the mystery is great!

I’ve got lots of fun pieces of book news for you this week, so let’s dive in!

Trivia question: Which fictional character has appeared in the most adaptations in pop culture?

Deals and Squeals

Get excited, Becky Chambers fans! She’s got a new series coming, and the first book is called A Psalm for the Wild-Built. It’ll hit shelves next summer.

Get this book on your TBR! Dial A for Aunties is the murderous rom-com we all need and deserve!

The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

Natalie Portman has announced Natalie Portman’s Fables, a collection of the classic tales told with a feminist slant.

Five U.S. Senators have asked Netflix to reconsider their plans to adapt Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem in light of Liu’s comments regarding China’s internment of Uighur Muslims.

Mia Sosa has announced a new romance novella deal with Audible Originals!

Michael W. Twitty announced a new book!

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Current read: The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty

I was excited to see Twitty announce a new book on Instagram because I’m currently listening to this book and it’s fascinating. Twitty is a culinary historian and cook, and in this book he traces his family’s history and genealogy through the South, exploring the influence of slavery on cooking, culture, and the family trees of so many Black Americans. This book covers a lot of ground, from how people cooked centuries ago to how they cultivated the food they ate, how we use DNA to trace history, and the realities of slavery on every facet of American life. This is an excellent read on audio, too–Twitty narrates himself.

Trivia answer: Sherlock Holmes! Closely followed by Dracula.

I’ll leave you with this picture of my adorable little reading buddy! He spent most of the afternoon curled up on my lap purring away while I read. My heart!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Thursday, friends! I hope you’re enjoying the first official days of fall. I am loving the changing leaves and crisper weather here in northern Michigan and I plan on getting my fill of all things pumpkin spice while imbibing all the spooky reads!

Here’s your dose of bookish news (some really exciting 2021 releases to look forward to) and book radar! Remember to keep wearing those masks!

Trivia question: How many lines are there in a Shakespearean sonnet?

Deals and Squeals:

Rejoice, Taylor Jenkins Reid has a new novel coming out next spring called Malibu Rising, and it’s set in the 1980s!

Ashley C. Ford’s new memoir has a cover and is available for preorder–get your hands on Somebody’s Daughter in June!

There’s going to be an adaptation of Jennifer E. Smith’s Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between starring Jordan Fisher!

The National Book Foundation has announced its 5 Under 35, an award that honors five debut writers under the age of thirty-five.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is available on audio for the first time via Audible, narrated by Laurence Fishburne.

Rhianna Pratchett, daughter of the late great Terry Pratchett, talks about what it’s like to author a book in the Fighting Fantasy series.

The cover of the third book in the You series by Caroline Kepnes, You Love Me, is here!

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Excited to read: Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

There’s a new Kristin Cashore book coming in 2021, and it’s set in the Graceling world! I just downloaded a review copy and I’m torn between wanting to dive in headfirst, or take a moment to revisit the first three incredible books. It’s about Bitterblue, queen of Monsea, who sends envoys to the nation of Winterkeep. But when they never return, she decides to travel there herself. Meanwhile, a new character in Winterkeep is waiting, and what she does next will have big consequences for everyone in her realm and Bitterblue’s.

This week’s book acquisitions:

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

Parachutes by Kelly Yang

The French Girl by Lexie Elliott

Trivia answer: Fourteen

That’s it for me, book nerds! I leave you with this photo of all the animals in my household under temporary truce whilst perched on the dog bed. The dog clearly did not sign up for this.

Happy reading!

Tirzah

Hey there, friends! I hope you all had a good weekend. I know it’s been a rough one, what with the sad news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. The NYPL rounded up a list of great books about her life and legacy, and I highly recommend checking it out.

I hope you’re all wearing your masks, staying hydrated, and are well stocked with books for the week ahead!

Trivia question: What’s the name of the literary club that J.R.R. Tolkien founded while at Oxford?

Deals and Squeals

The National Book Awards longlists are here!

We’re one step closer to a Ms. Marvel TV show on Disney+!

Stanley Tucci is releasing a memoir called Taste: My Life Through Food.

Sad news: Fantasy author of The Sword of Truth series Terry Goodkind has died.

Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell have new covers to celebrate Animal Farm‘s 75th anniversary!

Tatiana Maslany has been cast in the adaptation of She-Hulk!

All the Old Knives is being adapted with Chris Pine and Thandie Newton!

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Recommended Reading: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

If you’re in the mood for something dark and full of suspense, then definitely pick up this book, which I finished on audio over the weekend! It follows four Blackfeet men who participated in an elk hunt a decade earlier that did not go as planned. Now, one of them is dead, one of them has left the reservation, and the two men who stayed have tried to forget. But when it becomes clear that the elk have not forgotten, revenge will be exacted. This was a fast-paced book that kept me literally on edge–it’s beautifully written and it closely examines tradition and how we can be bound to people and places.

What I’m reading this week:

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA by Nova Ren Sum and Emily X.R. Pan

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Trivia answer: Inklings

That’s it for me, book nerds! I leave you with this photo of my kitten hanging out in his shark bed. It only seems appropriate, given that he loves to bite and we sing “Baby Shark” at tom approximately three times per day.

Happy reading!

Tirzah

Hey there, book nerds! I can’t believe we’re halfway through September already. I hope you’re enjoying cooler temps and all the trappings of fall, including the explosion of new releases and all the exciting book news! I’m already having trouble keeping up with all the books I want to read this month! Let’s dive in, shall we?

Trivia question: In honor of her birthday on Tuesday, what was Agatha Christie’s debut novel?

Deals and Squeals

Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez, which just came out this week, has been chosen as Reese Witherspoon’s next YA book club pick!

Two bits of exciting news: We are getting a new Persuasion adaptation, and Anne Elliot has been cast!

Plan accordingly: Barack Obama’s memoir will be dropping sometime in November!

The Booker Prize shortlist is here and it’s the most diverse shortlist ever! We love to see it.

Ibram X. Kendi revealed the cover of his next book, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019.

Ken Liu’s The Dandelion Dynasty has just grown from a trilogy to a quartet!

The hashtag #RIPJKRowling was trending on Twitter–not because the author died, but because a review of her new detective novel (written under the name Robert Galbraith) has been revealed to have a highly transphobic subplot.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I’m a cohost with Liberty on All the Books!, plus I write a handful of newsletters including the weekly Read This Book newsletter, cohost the Insiders Read Harder podcast, and write content for the site. I’m always drowning in books, so here’s what’s on my radar this week!

Excited to read: Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez

I am so darn excited for this book, especially since it’s been named a YA book club pick by Reese Witherspoon! It follows Camila, an Argentinian teen who plays soccer and keeps it from her parents, and dreams of one day qualifying for a scholarship to a North American college. When her team advances to an important tournament and someone from her past returns, Camila will have to figure out how to balance her dreams with her obligations.

Books I Acquired:

The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

Trivia answer: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

That’s it for me, book nerds! I leave you with a photo of the kitten, who has grown even more curious and now climbs everything. Here he is, having discovered the TV. (As an aside, anyone else watching The Vow on HBO? It’s absolutely BONKERS and a bit scary.)

Happy reading!
Tirzah