Category: Book Radar

THE SELECTION Heads to Netflix and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 13, 2020

Sponsored by spring/summer debuts in the Class of 2K20 Books: 20 Middle-Grade and YA novels debuting in 2020.

By the Book: A Novel of Prose and Cons: “A smart, engaging romance.” – Booklist. The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez: “A marvelous, magical mystery.” – David Bowles, author. The Boy in the Red Dress: “A twisty Jazz Age mystery with a diverse cast of characters.” – Kerri Maniscalco, author. What Happens Next: “A stellar debut!” – Laurie Morrison, author. Keep My Heart in San Francisco: “Romantic and chock-full of vintage quirk.” – Jenn Bennett, author. Shielded: “Beautiful, wondrous, and enchanting.” – Dana Swift, author

Happy Monday, friends. I hope you had a good weekend and got some time to relax, in spite of everything going on. I managed to read a lot of books and do more jigsaw puzzles. Doing jigsaw puzzles in my house is harder than it sounds, because my orange tomcats would like to eat the pieces. So I am on defense while trying to solve the puzzles.

If you haven’t already heard, Parasite and Onward are available to stream now. I loved Parasite, totally worth the hype, and I enjoyed Onward, even though it’s really just a shameless grab for your feels and made me wish I still played World of Warcraft!

You know how this goes by now: There’s not much more going on in the book world right now than delays and cancelations, but I do have a few exciting things to tell you. And here’s where you can learn more about COVID-19 Updates from the Bookish World. We continue to update it regularly.

Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you virtual hugs. Please try and enjoy the rest of your week as best you can, and remember to stay inside and wash your hands. We’re going to be okay, eventually. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: Who were the two British women crime writers in the House of Lords in 1998? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reels, and Squeals!

The Selection by Kiera Kass is headed to Netflix.

Here’s the cover reveal for Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky) by Rebecca Roanhorse.

And here’s the first look at the cover for Jack, Marilynne Robinson’s upcoming novel.

Gary Dauberman will direct the adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot.

The L.A. Times Book Prizes ceremony will be virtual this year.

And here’s the second episode of Goodnight with Dolly.

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!

Excited to read:

Post-Apocalypto by Tenacious D, Jack Black, Kyle Gass (Fantagraphics, September 15)

I only just learned of this book’s existence about ten minutes ago, but I’m immediately excited. It’s a graphic novel from rock band Tenacious D, and it comes with accompanying audio. I am so here for it. And, yes, that is Jack Black the actor, and yes, his band is honestly awesome. (I saw them live many, many years ago and it ruled.)

What I’m reading this week:

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance) by Naomi Novik

A Good Marriage: A Novel by Kimberly McCreight

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir by Val Kilmer

Memorial by Bryan Washington

Pun of the week:

How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? Ten-tickles.

Here’s a cat picture:

Zevon is so chill.

And this is funny.

A+ Hulu trolling.

Trivia answer: P.D. James and Ruth Rendell.

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

Book Radar

Oprah Picks HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 8, 2020

GET OUT Meets REAR WINDOW and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 6, 2020

Let Dolly Parton and LeVar Burton Read To You and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date April 1, 2020

Sponsored by Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett, published by Celadon Books May 5th.

Hollywood Park is a remarkable memoir of a tumultuous life. Mikel Jollett was born into one of the country’s most infamous cults, the Church of Synanon. After spending years in what was essentially an orphanage, Mikel escaped the cult one morning with his mother and older brother. But in many ways, life outside Synanon was even harder and more erratic. Yet, ultimately, his is a story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer.

Happy Thursday, readers. How is everyone doing out there in Week 3 of self-quarantine? I was knocked down by a migraine the last few days, but I am feeling much better today, and can’t wait to get back to reading!

The quarantine has certainly slowed my book mail to almost a halt, but luckily I am able to access electronic copies of the books I need to read for work, and for that I am grateful. I feel like the world is an amazing but scary place right now.

Trivia question time! Dr. Henry Van Dyke Carter provided 363 drawings for what work first published in 1858?? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Here’s the teaser trailer for The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes, the new Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins.

Angie Thomas announced her new novel, Concrete Rose, which is coming in January of 2021.

The Wizarding World is launching Harry Potter at Home, for kids and teachers stuck at home right now.

Dolly Parton and LeVar Burton are live-streaming themselves reading stories.

Lauren Blackwood announced her YA Ethiopian-inspired Jane Eyre retelling.

Fitzcarraldo Editions won the Republic of Consciousness prize for Jean-Baptiste Del Amo’s Animalia, but the prize money will be split.

Here’s the Best Translated Book Awards longlist.

Dhonielle Clayton is launching Black Girls with Magic.

Book Riot Recommends

Excited to read:

Honestly? Everything right now. Books are getting me through this, as I am sure they are helping so many of you. I’m sorry, my brain is still fried from the migraine, and the quarantine has made me a little sentimental. And I have a big, warm fuzzy feeling in my heart, full of appreciation for all books right now. I promise I’ll be back to myself next week, but right now, I want to just say an epic YAY, BOOKS!

What I’m reading this week.

weird Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World by Olga Khazan

Braised Pork: A Novel by An Yu

Luster: A Novel by Raven Leilani

Earthlings: A Novel by Sayaka Murata

The Eighth Life: for Brilka by Nino Haratischvili

And this is funny.

Amazing home mask-making.

Song stuck in my head:

California by Phantom Planet

Happy things:

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

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.
Music Catch, one of my favorite desktop games. I also still play Lemonade Stand occasionally.

Trivia answer: Gray’s Anatomy.

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

Book Radar

THE DARK DESCENT OF FRANKENSTEIN is Coming to Television and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date March 27, 2020

A New Tana French Novel and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date March 25, 2020

Sponsored by our $50 Barnes and Noble giveaway! Enter here!

We’re giving away a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble to one lucky reader. Enter here (and don’t forget to send us pics of your book stack if you win!).

Happy Thursday, readers. How is everyone doing out there in Week 2 of self-quarantine? I found it hard to concentrate on books the first week, but this week, I am reading them faster than ever. Which makes a nice break from reality. Books have gotten me through hard times before, and they’ll save me again this time, that’s for sure.

Trivia question time! Who was the first American author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Valeria Luiselli has won the Rathbones Folio Prize.

Cheryl Strayed will be doing a special Dear Sugar appearance on Friday.

There’s a new Tana French coming in October!

Watch as our very own Jenn Northington interviews N.K. Jemisin on Saturday.

Here’s the first trailer for Defending Jacob with Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery.

Book Riot Recommends

Excited to read:

Earthlings: A Novel by Sayaka Murata, Ginny Tapley Takemori (translator) (Grove Press, November 10)

I was a big fan of Murata’s last novel, Convenience Store Woman. And it had a delightful cover. But this cover tops it – look at that cute little hedgehog! I just want to squish its face. Here’s the beginning of the description: “As a child, Natsuki doesn’t fit into her family. Her parents favor her sister, and her best friend is a plush toy hedgehog named Piyyut who has explained to her that he has come from the planet Popinpobopia on a special quest to help her save the Earth.” I’M SOLD. All your awkward, lonely childhood books are belong to me.

What I’m reading this week.

Sex and Vanity: A Novel by Kevin Kwan

Malorie: A Bird Box Novel by Josh Malerman

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab

The Shadows by Alex North

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

And this is funny.

My cats would murder me in my sleep if I tried this.

Song stuck in my head:

Waking Up the Giants by Grizfolk

Happy things:

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

Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.
Here are livestreams of animals.
And more cute animal pictures.
Music Catch, one of my favorite desktop games. I also still play Lemonade Stand occasionally.

Trivia answer: Sinclair Lewis.

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

Book Radar

The First Look at V.E. Schwab’s Next Book and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date March 23, 2020

Sponsored by The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, new from Algonquin Books.

Deeply personal and stunningly moving, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s #ownvoices novel, The Mountains Sing, has become one of this year’s most anticipated books with Book Riot, the New York Times, Washington Post, Amazon, and many more picking it as a must-read. Set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War, this multigenerational story is vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam. The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope.

Happy Monday, readers. It’s Week 2 of self-quarantine. It’s a scary time, and it isn’t easy, but I have seen so many wonderful posts on social media that let me know we’re going to be okay. You’re all so creative, and it seems like a lot of you are getting more reading done. I was having trouble concentrating at first, but now I am sopping up books with my brain-bread like whoa.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot going on in the book world as far as news right now, but here’s where you can learn more about COVID-19 Updates from the Bookish World. We’ll continue to update it regularly.

Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you virtual hugs. Please try and enjoy the rest of your week as best you can, and remember to stay inside and wash your hands. We’re going to be okay. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What juvenile edition of this 1961 best seller was called The Great Adventure of Michelangelo? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reels, and Squeals!

Gabby Rivera’s debut novel Juliet Takes a Breath is being adapted into a graphic novel.

The Warmth of Other Suns author Isabel Wilkerson’s new book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, will be out in August.

A library in Pennsylvania created a digital Hogwarts escape room.

Frankie Shaw will direct the adaptation of T Kira Madden’s Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls.

Here’s the cover reveal of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab.

And here’s the cover reveal for Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed.

Book Riot Recommends

Excited to read:

The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper (Seven Stories Press, June 2)

Written prior to the devastating fires of 2019, this true crime recounts fires in Australia in 2009. This is the story of the hunt for the man who started the fires. It has been out in Australia for a couple years, and I know a few people who have read it and say it’s remarkable and riveting. I am so ready to read it when it comes out in the US later this year!

What I’m reading this week:

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

The Shadows by Alex North

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope by Shayla Lawson

Bones: Inside and Out by Roy A. Meals

Pun of the week:

I just found out I’m colorblind. The diagnosis came completely out of the purple. (It’s more like a bad joke this week.)

Here’s a cat picture:

Millay is in self-quarantine.

And this is funny.

Give this woman a Pulitzer.

Trivia answer: The Agony and the Ecstasy.

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

Book Radar

A New Book from Tochi Oneybuchi and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date March 19, 2020

The Cast of the GOSSIP GIRL Reboot and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date March 16, 2020

Sponsored by Carina Press and No Questions Asked by Julie Moffett.

Julie Moffett’s beloved Lexi Carmichael mystery series returns! One last fling (with danger) before the ring? Before they can say I do, Lexi and Slash are flying off to the Brazilian rain forest. Their mission: stop hackers from stealing a vaccine that could save millions of lives. She thought it’d be easy, but from the moment they step off the plane, Lexi’s up to her neck in trouble. Lexi will have to use all her geek skills to stop the bad guys if she’s going to make it home in time to tie the knot.

Hello, readers. It is a stressful time, I know, but I hope everything is going as well as it can for you out there. It’s okay to be a little freaked out about it, because we’re all a little freaked out, so remember that you’re not alone.

Whether you’re reading a book or watching a movie or learning a new language, I hope you’re well. Please enjoy the rest of your week as best you can, and remember to stay inside and wash your hands. We’re going to be okay. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What author believed he could improve his writing if he slept facing north? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reels, and Squeals!

Everything Inside: Stories by Edwidge Danticat won the National Book Critics Circle award for fiction.

Here’s the cast of the HBO Max reboot of Gossip Girl.

And here’s the new cast of The Baby-Sitter’s Club.

Here’s the shortlist for The Kitschies.

Here’s the cover reveal for The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson.

Leslie Marmon Silko won a $100,000 arts academy prize.

The Library of America will publish the works of Octavia Butler.

Here’s the trailer for True History of the Kelley Gang, based on the novel by Peter Carey.

Book Riot Recommends

Excited to read:

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur Avon, November 10)

This is an #ownvoices queer rom-com about a social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with an actuary until New Year’s Eve. I love a fake romance! To stop her well-meaning brother from setting her up on another blind date, Darcy asks her brother’s business partner, Elle, to pretend that they have hit it off. Elle says she agrees, if Darcy agrees to come with her to her family’s house for the holidays. You can guess what happens next..

What I’m reading this week:

This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope by Shayla Lawson

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Bones: Inside and Out by Roy A. Meals

American Animals: A True Crime Memoir by Eric Borsuk

Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Pun of the week:

I couldn’t work out how to fasten my seatbelt. Then it clicked.

Here’s a cat picture:

What to choose, what to choose.

And this is funny.

Bad reviews of national parks.

Trivia answer: Charles Dickens.

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

Book Radar

Riz Ahmed Will Star in EXIT WEST and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date March 11, 2020

Sponsored by Amazon Publishing and Dean Koontz’s upcoming title Devoted.

From Dean Koontz, the bestselling author and master of suspense, comes a new thriller about a terrifying threat to humanity and the singular compassion it will take to defeat it. Woody Bookman hasn’t spoken a word in his eleven years of life. He believes a monstrous evil was behind his father’s death and now threatens him and his mother. He’s not alone in his thoughts, Kipp is a uniquely gifted dog who communicates like Woody does, without speaking. A special boy, an amazing dog, a desperate mother, and a man who is becoming an inhuman terror, pre-order Devoted today.

Welcome to another Thursday, readers! I am excited to share some book-related news with you, as usual. There are so many movie and television adaptations happening, it’s amazing. I am one of those people who likes to read the book first, so I can compare it to its adaptation. My most recent adaptation watch was The Witcher. Looking forward to seeing Tormund in the second season!

Whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, please remember to be kind to yourself and others. Thanks for subscribing, and I’ll see you again on Monday! – xoxo, Liberty

Trivia question time! What Spanish author wrote more than 5000 novels? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Here are the 2020 Lambda Literary Awards Finalists!

Tiffany D. Jackson announced a horror novel.

Riz Ahmed will star in and produce Netflix’s adaptation of Exit West by Mohsin Hamid.

AMC is making Pantheon, an animated series based on Ken Liu’s short fiction.

There’s a new tabletop game based on Dune coming soon.

Lucy Alibar will pen the film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Book Riot Recommends

Excited to read:

Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park by Andy Mulvihill and Jake Rossen

Despite the fact that I literally grew up across the street from an amusement park (and we heard lions roaring every morning at 5am, which is weird when you’re in Maine), I detest going to parks and am terrified of rides. But I will read the hell out of a book about other people doing it! This is about a park in New Jersey in the 1980s that had the nicknames “Accident Park,” “Class Action Park,” and “Traction Park.” I can feel my heart rate elevating just thinking about reading this book. BRING IT.

What I’m reading this week.

American Animals: A True Crime Memoir by Eric Borsuk