Category: Book Radar

Hellooooo book nerds! Happy Thursday! I am excited to share more fun bookish news and excitement of the week, but first, how’re you? Are you reading something great? I’ve been immersed in a book I love, The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson, and it’s one of those “I wanna ignore my day job and read all day!” books! I love those, but also, they make the work week hard. #booknerdproblems

Let’s dive into the excitement, shall we?

Trivia: What year was the book 1984 published?

Deals and Squeals:

We’re getting a Mexican Gothic limited run series! The series will run at Hulu and is being adapted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, and I am so excited to be terrified by this adaptation!

The Roommate by Rosie Danon isn’t even out in the U.S. yet but it’s already been optioned for film! The book stars two unlikely roommates whose feminist start up could disrupt the adult film industry, and it looks steamy!

Preview Weird Al’s new book, and some of the photos included!

If you grew up with Love You Forever by Robert Munsch but thought that some parts were a little creepy, then rest easy knowing that a writer has revised the book to model appropriate boundaries.

John Legend and Nic Long are adapting Paper Gods by Goldie Taylor into a TV show for ABC!

EW reveals the cover of John Densmore’s new book, The Seekers: Meetings with Remarkable Musicians.

Well, this link has quite a headline, but…if you liked Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld, particularly if you were intrigued by the sex scenes, then check out Sittenfeld’s new short story.

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: The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg

This book has been on my radar for a while, and I promise I’m finally going to get to it! It’s about a double murder of two young women hitchhiking to a music festival in West Virginia in 1980, and how the author moved to the area and began investigating the case–and observed the impact of the case on the small town she lived in. I’ve heard nothing by amazing things about this book, especially in how sensitively the writer talks about Appalachia and the women who were murdered, so I can’t wait to finally read it.

Books I Acquired This Week:

Mad & Bad: The Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant (this one is out early next year and I am so excited!)

Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney (just downloaded an advance audio copy–I loved Cooney’s books when I was in middle school!)

Trivia answer: 1949

I hope you’re well stocked for weekend reading ahead! I leave you with this photo of my cat Oliver, whose favorite perch is in this window, so he can watch over my container garden–and the squirrels that run across the neighbor’s privacy fence.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope you had a splendid weekend full of bookish goodness. My partner and I wrapped up watching the HBO documentary I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which is based off of the book by the same name by Michelle McNamara. It was fantastic, and I loved that it brought out new dimensions to the book and put a face to some of the victims of the Golden State Killer, allowing them to tell their stories in their own words. If true crime doesn’t scare you too much, I highly recommend it!

Here’s your latest batch of new book news and excitement! Remember to hydrate and wear a mask this week, friends!

Trivia time: Which famous American writer kept pet peacocks?

Deals and Squeals:

Hey Ken Liu fans, get excited! Liu’s short stories are being adapted into an animated series at AMC, and two whole seasons have already been ordered!

We’ve got a new Oprah pick! Caste by Isabel Wilkerson explores the origins of racial injustice. Wilkerson is also the author of The Warmth of Other Suns, about the Great Migration.

Universal and LeBron James are adapting the graphic novel New Kid by Jerry Craft, which won the Newbery Award earlier this year!

In sad news, Hulu has canceled High Fidelity, which is adapted from High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.

But in majorly exciting news, Megan Abbott has a new book, and TV rights have already sold! The Turnout will be out in summer 2021, and it dives into the ballet world.

The Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards shortlist was announced on Twitter last week.

Former president George W. Bush has a new book of portraits, this time focusing on immigrants.

Thanks to COVID-19, it’s been difficult for debut authors to launch careers, but Library Journal has rounded up 35 debut books coming out between summer and January 2021 for your reading pleasure.

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: Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisely

I love diving into a good graphic novel, and believe it or not, this was my first Lucy Knisely pick (but certainly won’t be my last!). It is a not-so-veiled fictional account of Lucy’s own childhood, and it follows Jen, who’s grumpy about being forced to move from the city to a farm with her mom and her mom’s new boyfriend. Not only are the chores completely unfamiliar and messy, she also has to contend with two new step-sisters who only visit the farm part-time, and seem to be perfect in ways Jen is not. I love the rural setting, and the farming misadventures and farmer’s market scenes. This is a book for kids, but I read it in a single sitting and loved it!

What I’m reading this week:

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong (my copy finally arrived and OH MY WORD THE COLORS ARE GORGEOUS!)

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (my copy finally came, YAY!)

Trivia answer: Flanney O’Connor!

Here’s a photo of my orange monster, looking deceptively peaceful and demure next to my copy of The Space Between Worlds. Now that it’s getting cooler, he’ll come looking for snuggles while I’m reading, and it’s kinda cute.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Hey there, book nerds! Happy Thursday! I hope you’re having a great week, full of wonderful reading. I’ve been hopping around between a few different books, watching more Perry Mason on HBO, and plotting out the month’s new book acquisitions. You know, just living my best bookish life.

Here’s more great new deals and excitement! I hope you’re staying safe out there, and wearing your bookish mask when you need to leave your house!

Trivia time: What was Stephen King’s debut novel?

Deals and Squeals:

Jasmine Guillory revealed on Today with Hoda and Jenna that Reese Witherspoon has optioned her first three romance novels—The Wedding Date, The Proposal, and The Wedding Party. About time these amazing books got some film traction!

Are you excited for Elena Ferrante’s new novel, The Lying Life of Adults? Are you an audiobook reader? You’ll want to pick up the audio edition, which will be narrated by Marisa Tomei! It’ll be Tomei’s audiobook debut but she’s a big Ferrante fan and we’re certain she’ll do a fantastic job.

Publication of John Bolton’s The Room Where It Happened couldn’t be stopped in the courts, but now the Department of Justice is looking to sue for Bolton’s earnings–which are in the millions.

Stephenie Meyer is celebrating the long-awaited release of Midnight Sun by going on tour–but she’ll only be physically present at one stop, and it’ll be held at a drive-in theater, with social distancing measures in effect.

John Boyne has come under fire for his research (or lack thereof) in his books, but this latest incident is a cross between hilarious and cringe-worthy: his new historical novel, A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom, lists fictional ingredients for red dye, apparently taken from a simple Google search that presented results from a Legend of Zelda game.

Do you love Stephen King’s ventures into the hardboiled crime genre? Then you’ll be happy to hear he has a new crime novel out in March 2021 called Later.

Accidentally Wes Anderson began as an Instagram account that shared photos that looked like they were plucked from a set of one of his movies, but now it’s a book, authorized by Anderson himself. You can catch a sneak preview ahead of the October release date.

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: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

It’s been a while since I read a great science fiction novel, and this new release (out just this week!) leapt to my attention thanks to someone I follow on Twitter saying that it stars an LGBTQ+ character! This is the story of Cara, who lives in a highly stratified society where multiverse travel is possible–but only if your counterpart there is dead. Cara’s other selves are great at dying, which makes her the perfect candidate to become a traveler, but when one of her counterparts dies unexpectedly, she’s drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. I just got a copy and I can’t wait to dive in!

My (other) book acquisitions this week:

Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief by Doris Payne

Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Never Look Back by Lillian Rivera

Trivia answer: Carrie

That’s it for me, book nerds! I leave you with this photo of my fledgling romance shelf, which I turned into a rainbow while I was shuffling a few things around. I am now accepting recommendations for romance novels with orange, purple, and blue spines, please and thank you!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Hey there, book nerds! Happy Monday! I hope your weekends were restorative and full of great books. I got in tons of great audiobook and print reading, and I even started watching Perry Mason on HBO, which is a new adaptation of the 1930s-set mystery series by Erle Stanley Gardner, starring Matthew Rhys. I’m super intrigued, so it’s nice to know there’s a second season to look forward to!

Whatever you’ve got going on this week, I hope you remember to take time for yourself and enjoy a good book!

Trivia time: What was the initial print run of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen?

Deals and Squeals:

One nice thing to come out of pandemic life is Together, Apart, which is a YA anthology of romantic short stories that take place during COVID lockdown. Contributors include Rachael Lippincott, Brittney Morris, Erin A. Craig, and Bill Konigsberg. The anthology will be out in October.

They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman, a YA book that comes out this week, has been optioned by Sydney Sweeney’s new production company! Sweeney plans on starring in the TV adaptation.

It’s looking like Michael Cohen can write his tell-all after all.

If you’re a fan of Tess Sharpe’s thrillers, then good news–her 2021 release The Girls I’ve Been has been optioned by Jason Bateman and Millie Bobby Brown!

Tor reports that Jason Peele is teaming up with Issa Rae to adapt the short story “Sinkhole” by Leyna Krow for film! Rae plans on starring in the film. You can read the short story here.

Disney+ is releasing a contemporary, American adaptation live action of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and Black Beauty will be voiced by Kate Winslet.

Matthew McConaughey is releasing a book in October called Greenlights, but he promises you it’s not the typical celebrity memoir.

#BlackLivesMatter and so does Black art! Check out this incredible coloring book highlighting and celebrating Black artists, called #BlackArtMatters.

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!

Recommendation: No Judgments by Meg Cabot

I went to the beach this past week, and naturally I needed a beach read. I grabbed this romance from Meg Cabot because she has been a reliable author for me for over 15 years, and I was not disappointed. This is the first in her new adult romance series set on the fictional Little Bridge Island, the tiniest in the Florida Keys. It follows Bree, who is living low-key as a waitress and painter with her rescue cat after running from her problems in New York City. When the hurricane of the century swerves for her island, she decides not to evacuate–and it’s a good thing, because the storm wipes out the bridge to the island, separating evacuees from their pets. She goes on a mission to rescue and look after as many animals as possible, aided by her boss’s sexy nephew–and maybe finds her calling along the way. This was such a fun read (that made me glad that my beach is far, far away from tropical storms) and an immersive and welcoming setting. I can’t wait for the second in the series, No Offense, out next week!

What I plan on reading this week:

Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg

Trivia answer: 1,500 copies!

Looking for a fun sewing project with all your fabric scraps that isn’t making face masks? Check out these easy fabric square bookmarks! I’m going to whip up a few the first chance I get!

This Kickstarter for a Reader’s Advisory card deck has already been fully funded, but look at how cool it is! You can still contribute and score a deck for yourself.

I’ll leave you with this photo I took of one of my fave summer reads of this year, and maybe all time, Beach Read by Emily Henry, at its setting–Lake Michigan! As you can see, Lake Michigan beaches are legit, plus there are no tropical storms, no sharks, and no saltwater! (Although they do come with some wicked lake effect snow in winter, so I guess no beach is perfect!)

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Hey, book nerds! Happy Thursday! I hope you’re all having a lovely week, and if you’re having a not so great week–well, it’s almost the weekend, so hold on. I hope you’ve got a giant stack of books awaiting you!

I’ve got more book news and excitement for you, but remember to be kind to yourself if you’re feeling stressed–we’re in the middle of a global pandemic after all–and wash your hands and wear a mask!

Trivia time: What’s Starr’s dad’s name in The Hate U Give?

Deals and Squeals:

Expect more of The Witcher content in your life! Netflix is moving forward with a six-part limited prequel series.

Tor has announced the 2020 World Fantasy Award Finalists!

Speaking of finalists, the Book Prize Longlist has been announced, and we’re thrilled to see Real Life by Brandon Taylor, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, and How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang on the list!

The limited series TV adaptations of Little Fires Everywhere and Watchmen have been nominated for an Emmy!

In the yikes category, Newsweek reported that Patrick Rothfuss’s editor reacted to an article published on Book Riot, Authors Don’t Owe You Books, by claiming she hasn’t seen book three of Rothfuss’s series, and that she doubts that Rothfuss has even been working on it in recent years. She expressed lots of frustration felt by fans, but it definitely seems like something that should have been addressed with the author and his agent, not on Facebook!

Ethan Herisse, who starred in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, will narrate the audiobook of Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam. Herissa portrayed Salaam in DuVernay’s film.

Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran is being adapted into a six-part TV series. The novel covers three generations in a Sri Lankan family following the country’s independence in 1948 to the present.

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: A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

I’m always, always on the lookout for gorgeous new graphic novels, and just look at this cover! This book is about two girls who forge a friendship on the basketball court, only for one girl to move away and fall out of touch. When she shows up again years later, the former friends find themselves both on a newly formed women’s basketball team at their school, trying to rebuild their relationship and trust each other again. I absolutely cannot wait for my copy to arrive. It’ll be out next week, August 4th!

My book acquisitions this week:

Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan

Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

Trivia answer: Maverick! And fun fact–Angie Thomas’s new novel Concrete Rose stars Maverick as a teen!

Read on Book Riot: Screen Time is Money: How Authors Make Money on Ebooks

I hope you have a fantastic weekend full of socially-distanced summer fun! I’ll leave you with a picture I snapped of my hammock reading session with Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner, which was probably the most fun I’d had…in a while. There’s something great about enjoying a book while hanging suspended in the air, and this one was extra great!

Happy reading,

Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope your weekends were grand and full of lots of reading. I spent all Sunday afternoon parked in front of the AC because it was one of those days in Michigan. But I got loads of reading in, both in print and on audio, so no complaints from me!

I’ve got some really exciting bookish news for you this week, so let’s dive in, shall we?

Trivia time: What was the original title of Fahrenheit 451?

Deals and Squeals:

Calling all Paper Girls fans! Amazon just greenlit a TV adaptation of the series, which is about a bunch of 1980s middle school girls with a paper route who find themselves caught up in a weird time traveling battle. The comic series is excellent, and I think this TV adaptation will appeal to Stranger Things fans while also being totally different!

Jason Reynolds has an adult novel in the works! Scribner will publish The Mouthless God and Jesus Number Two in 2022!

Magpie Murders is coming to PBS Masterpiece! Based off the novel by Anthony Horowitz, it’s set to be a six-part series, but no word on when it’ll air. Horowitz adapted it for TV.

HBO’s reboot of Perry Mason has been so successful (it was the most popular premiere in two years!) that a second season has already been ordered. The series is based off of the books by Erle Stanley Gardner.

If you love SFF, and you’re a parent, then you might be keen to know about Don’t Touch That!, a sci-fi/fantasy anthology project that just launched on Kickstarter! If successfully funded, we’ll get humorous short SFF stories about the perils of parenting from Aliette de Bodard, Mark Oshiro, Valerie Valdes, and more.

Elisabeth Moss will star in the AppleTV adaptation of The Shining Girls, which is about a woman who survives a brutal attack only to discover her attacker is a time traveling serial killer.

HBO is bringing the stage adaptation of Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates to screens! The special will include readings from Coates and documentary footage, as well as animation.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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!

Book Recommendation: Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby

I was really excited to hear about this new release a few weeks back, and even more eager when Jamie, who writes our Unusual Suspects newsletter, gave it two thumbs up. I inhaled the audiobook over the weekend! This is the story of Beauregard, aka Bug, who lives in the rural south and has been proudly working as a mechanic, with his own garage to his name. He’s a family man with a past, and when he finds himself short on money with bills to pay in every direction, he gets sucked into driving the getaway car for one last job–except, for people like him, it’s never just one last job. And when the heist is successful, but with unexpected fallout, Bug will have to use all his wits to come out unscathed, and protect his family. This is a suspenseful and deeply compelling novel about people pushed to their limits, and a fantastic new addition to the Southern Noir genre.

What I’m reading this week:

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

The Less Dead by Denise Mina

Trivia Answer: The original working title was The Fireman!

I’ll leave you with a photo of my dog, Scout, who is often very concerned when she’s left out of anything, whether it’s a walk out to the mailbox or shutting the door on her so I can record a Book Riot podcast. Here she is outside the office door, feeling so left out she brought two toys up from downstairs to keep her company!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Thursday, book nerds! I hope you’re all making it through the week with the help of some great books. I finally watched Palm Springs, which Liberty and I chatted about on Tuesday’s All the Books!, and I loved it! I already can’t wait to watch it again!

But back to books–we’ve got a lot of interesting news and fun announcements this week, plus I’m excited to tell you more about what’s on my radar. Remember to wear a mask, and be safe out there!

Trivia time: What year did the (first) Shakespeare and Company bookstore open in Paris?

Deals and Squeals

If Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam isn’t on your radar, then here’s a reason to put it on your TBR: The movie rights have just sold to Netflix, with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington attached to star. It’s about a NYC family renting a house out in the country, away from cell service, who are disturbed when the home’s owners arrive unexpectedly and claim that city is in the middle of a blackout. The book will be out this October.

Publishers Weekly has an analysis of the bestselling books of 2020 so far, and the numbers are interesting! Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens tops the adult chart and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is a teen bestseller.

Speaking of bestsellers, Mary L. Trump’s book Too Much and Never Enough broke records for Simon & Schuster by selling 950,000 copies on its first day alone. So many books never sell that many copies in a lifetime!

A movie adaptation of The Prisoner of Paradise by Romesh Gunesekera will start filming in September, despite COVID concerns.

A lead actress has been cast for the movie adaptation of The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson! The film is still in development, but this is a cool next step.

Brittney Morris has a new YA coming next year, and the cover was revealed in EW! The Cost of Knowing is about a Black teen who can see into the future, and gets a vision of his younger brother’s death.

Chelsea Clinton is persisting with new Nevertheless, She Persisted chapter books, and this time she’s expanding the line up of amazing authors. There will be books about Helen Keller, Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, and more, all authored by a different bestselling children’s author. The books will release throughout 2021.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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: The Survivors by Jane Harper

I squealed so hard when I got a digital review copy of Jane Harper’s newest mystery, The Survivors! It’s set in Tasmania, and it’s about Kieran Elliott, who left home after a big mistake and giant storm changed his life for good, but just as he returns home, a body is discovered on the beach, bringing it all rushing back. I’ve loved everything Jane Harper has written (but I especially loved The Lost Man), and I am so ready for another one of her immersive Australian mysteries. This one won’t hit shelves in the U.S. until February but if you think I’m waiting that long, you’re bananas.

Check out: Liberty and I talk new books on All the Books this week! Some of our titles include He Started It by Samantha Downing, The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson, and The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue.

My new book acquisitions this week:

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Mirage and Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Trivia answer: That would be 1919! It closed in 1941 due to the Nazi occupation of France, and that original location never reopened, but a second Shakespeare and Company opened in the 1950’s, and officially changed their name to Shakespeare and Company in 1964.

I’ll leave you with this photo of Lobizona (isn’t that cover GORGEOUS?) and a tiny baby aloe plant, which I grew from seed! Fun fact: I planted this guy on March 10, the last day I walked around in the world before self-quarantining. It’s so small, yet I’m so proud of its progress!

Happy reading!

Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope you all had most excellent weekends. I packed my book and a little picnic and spent a good four hour chunk on Saturday in my hammock in the park, reading Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner, which is a delightful queer romance set in Hollywood! If that’s not self care, then I don’t know what is!

I’ve got a bunch of bookish excitement, news, and deals for you, but remember to practice safe social distancing and wear a mask!

Trivia time! Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize–but which book snagged her the prize?

Deals and Squeals!

Calling all Brat Pack fans! Andrew McCarthy has announced a deal with Grand Central Publishing to release his memoir, Brat: An ’80’s Story, set to release in spring of 2021. This isn’t the first time McCarthy has published–he’s the author of The Longest Way Home, a memoir about his adult years, and Just Fly Away, a YA novel.

Major squeal time–Sandhya Menon announced on Instagram that her debut novel When Dimple Met Rishi has been adapted into a TV series by Netflix India! The show is set in India, not the U.S., so expect some major changes, but the show should be available on Netflix worldwide later this year. Can’t wait? Here are 7 Bollywood Movies to Watch If You Loved When Dimple Met Rishi to marathon in the meantime.

Tor has announced that there will be a sequel to Seanan McGuire’s Middlegame! The book will be called Seasonal Fears and you can expect it in spring 2022.

Speaking of new books, Colson Whitehead also revealed on Twitter that the title of his next book is Harlem Shuffle, and it will hit shelves fall 2021!

The production company Sister has acquired TV rights to Jennifer Weiner’s Mrs. Everything, her novel about two sisters whose lives and relationships change as they come of age in the 20th century.

Lucifer Season 5 now has a trailer! Watch the season on Netflix starting August 21.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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: The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan

Last week’s news that McTiernan has signed a deal for three new mysteries set in the U.S. made me really wish that I had a copy of her latest, which is sadly not published here in the U.S. yet (Penguin, c’mon!). I loved The Ruin and The Scholar (which are available in the U.S. in paperback), so I decided to heck with it, and I bought an international copy of The Good Turn because I can’t wait for American publishing to catch up! I also listened to two Audible exclusive shorts she wrote over the weekend (The Roommate and The Sisters), so I cannot wait. Fingers crossed that the book doesn’t get lost in international shipping!

What I’m Reading This Week:

The Pretty One by Keah Brown (gotta get those Read Harder challenge books in!)

No Judgements by Meg Cabot (the sequel to this romance is coming out next month, and I can’t wait!)

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura (this has been sitting on my shelf for a while and it’s suddenly calling to me!)

Trivia Answer: The Age of Innocence

I’ll leave you with this must-read on Book Riot–Contemporary Native Literature: Looking Beyond the “Indian Du Jour”

Please enjoy this photo of my orange monster in a box that was meant for a bunch of books before he decided, nope, it was his box now. Cats. There is no reasoning with them.

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Happy Thursday, readers! We’re almost to the weekend, and thank goodness because it’s been a week of rushing about to meet deadlines and braving the outside world to shop in actual stores for the first time in weeks–but I managed to buy yeast, so that’s a win! After all that, I just want to find a cool and breezy place to hang my hammock this weekend, and read all the books!

No matter what you’ve got going on this weekend, I hope you’re keeping safe and that you’ve got a nice hoard of books! Remember to drink lots of water and wear a mask!

Literary trivia: In Normal People by Sally Rooney, where in Ireland do Marianne and Connell grow up?

Deals and Squeals

Dervla McTiernan has signed with HarperCollins for three more crime books! The Irish author currently lives in Australia, but her new books will be set in the U.S. I can’t wait–I love her Cormac Reilly series, which begins with The Ruin.

The Shirley Jackson Award winners have been unveiled! The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter won best novel, and Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma won best novella! See the full winner list.

A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee, a fun foodie rom-com out this week, is in development for film! Daniel Dae Kim will produce and star in the adaptation.

Get ready for more Eva Innocente! Valerie Valdes has announced the sale of two more books, one of which is confirmed to be a sequel to Chilling Effect and Prime Deceptions.

Early reviews of Mary L. Trump’s Too Much and Never Enough indicate that the book is so much more than just an exploration of her uncle’s character.

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series is now available on audio, with some star-studded narrators.

Children’s author Chris Grabenstein has signed an exclusive deal with a talent agency to see more of his work on the screen. He’s the author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, in addition to many other books and being a frequent collaborator with James Patterson.

Riot Recommendations

At Book Riot, I am 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 a book recommendation for you!

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

I’m a big fan of Emma Donoghue, even if I’m still working my way through her backlist! This new release was actually pushed up to next week because of its relevance to the world right now–it’s about the 1918 flu epidemic. The novel is set over the course of three days in a hospital in Dublin, where nurse Julia Powell is working on the tiny maternity fever ward for expectant mothers with the flu. Overwhelmed and understaffed, the hospital gives her an untrained volunteer named Bridie to help her care for her patients, and Julia and Bridie’s paths cross with a nonfictional character–the female Dr. Lynn who is wanted because she opposed English rule.

I listened to the audiobook in nearly one sitting–it’s such a mesmerizing tale about perseverance in the face of unrelenting work and fear, and finding hope in the small spaces. I’m glad this book will be out Tuesday so I can shout about it from the rooftops!

What’s on my radar this week:

White Fox by Sara Faring (the second novel from the author of The Tenth Girl)

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (this was an impulse listen that I started the other night, and it’s so good!)

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby (out now, and it looks amazing!)

Trivia answer: County Sligo!

I’ll leave you with a photo of my own orange monster, aka Oliver! He can be cute, when he’s not looking to bite someone or something.

Have a fantastic weekend, and happy reading!

Tirzah

Happy Monday, book nerds! I hope you had a restorative weekend full of lots of books! I spent time reading with my eyes and ears, and wrapped up watching Safe on Netflix, which is created by crime writer Harlan Coben. I also really enjoyed The Stranger (also on Netflix, based off of his book The Stranger), and I have a couple more Netflix shows based off of his work on my watchlist. I love finding a solid mystery writer whose work I can marathon read or watch!

I’ve got a whole slew of great bookish news and excitement for you this week, but remember to stay hydrated, wash your hands, and keep practicing healthy social distancing habits!

Trivia time! Which critically acclaimed mystery writer debuted his long-running series about an eleven-year-old girl solving mysteries in her small English village when he was 71 years old?

Reveals, Deals, and Movie Squeals

The long-awaited sequel to Ready Player One will be out in November! Ready Player Two has a release date and cover, but you’re going to have to wait a littttttle bit longer for plot details.

HBO Max is developing a film of When Katie Met Cassidy, a lesbian rom-com by Camille Perri. Perri will write the screenplay, and all I can say is YAY, because we need more queer rom-coms in the world!

Philip Pullman is releasing a new novella about teenage Lyra! Serpentine will release this October, and bridge the gap between the end of His Dark Materials trilogy and The Book of Dust.

Phoebe Robinson is on fire! The comedian will launch her own imprint called Tiny Reparations, aimed to address the lack of diversity in publishing. She’ll also release a new book in early 2021 called Six Feet Apart about–surprise surprise–pandemic life.

Sad news: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been canceled at Netflix. But if my perusal of 2021 book catalogs is any indication, we’ll have plenty of dark witchy books hitting shelves to fill that Sabrina void.

But speaking of Netflix–a trailer for season two of The Umbrella Academy just dropped!

Looking ahead, Saara El-Arifi has sold her debut fantasy novel The Final Strife at auction in the UK and in a pre-empt here in the U.S.! The book, which is the first in a trilogy, is pitched as “N.K. Jemisin meets Patrick Rothfuss” and it’ll be out in 2022!

Riot Recommendations

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

Girl Serpent Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust looks incredible, and I so enjoyed her first novel, Girls Made of Snow and Glass (a queer Snow White retelling told from the POVs of Snow White and her stepmother). And I’ve been wanting to read more books by Native/Indigenous authors, so I’m really looking forward to Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford, about a Cherokee woman and her daughter in the 1970’s-1980’s.

From Book Riot: Normalize Black history with five books about some extraordinary Black people you should know about.

What I’m planning on reading this week:

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon (give me alllll the fun rom-coms!)

The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones (I’ve really been into horror lately, 2020 has been a trip)

Roll with It by Jamie Sumner (ticking off the Read Harder challenges!)

Trivia answer: Alan Bradley! Read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie if you haven’t already!

That’s it for me, bookish peeps! I leave you with a photo of this precious little fawn, who came bounding out of the underbrush the other day while my partner and I were on a walk. He stopped and stared at us, then bounced back the way he came. Later down the trail, we saw mama deer, so no worries!

Happy reading!
Tirzah