Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Dynamite Entertainment
Nancy Drew is seventeen and good at everything, but life hits a snag when a mysterious message drags her back to the hometown she left behind. There she’ll have to find out which of her friends are still her friends, which are enemies, and who exactly is trying to kill her…and (hopefully) stop them before they succeed.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).
“Check Your Shelf” is sponsored by Libby – The app for library ebooks and audiobooks.
Reach new patrons with Instant Digital Card – connect eager readers to your digital collection in just 30 seconds. Learn more today!
Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? We’ve made it easy for you to find eligible diverse titles to nominate. Kelly Jensen created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
Thanks for hanging out and I’ll see you again next week!
–Katie McLain, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix.
Welcome back to another bookish Thursday, book dragons! The air is crisp and lovely, the skies are blue, and there is a bunch of great stuff to tell you about! I have some fun stuff to share with you today. And I’ll be back on Monday with more exciting news. And after that: vacaaaaaation! For me, anyway. (Maybe I could write you a note?) I hope whatever you’re doing, you have a great rest of your week, and remember to be kind to yourself and others. – xoxo, Liberty
Sponsored by HMH
The Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without a sovereign. Two young princes are in line to rule, but birthright does not guarantee inheritance: For any successor must sit upon the Burning Throne and pass The Test of Fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible—one that incinerates the unworthy. The princes pass The Test . . . but there is another who also survives: a girl from an outlying kingdom. When she is denied her claim, her father, a powerful demonlord, declares war—leaving the princes to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion.
Trivia question time! What famous writer claimed to name her characters from the telephone book and the obituary columns? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)
Deals, Reals, and Squeals!
Julianne Moore will star in Apple’s adaptation of Lisey’s Story by Stephen King.
Patrick Rothfuss provides teeny Kingkiller Chronicle book 3 update.
A new Kate Bishop Hawkeye series is in the works.
Killing Eve has been renewed for a third season.
Roxane Gay is starting a podcast with Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom.
There’s a movie in the works based on the Sabrina graphic novel.
N.K. Jemisin revealed her new comic: Far Sector.
Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis is being made into a film as well.
Layne Fargo has a new novel coming. (After the new novel that’s coming, I mean.)
Alex Gino’s book Rick, a companion book to George, will be out in 2020.
And Jonathan Maberry’s zombie YA series Rot & Ruin is going to be a film.
The High Fidelity reboot with Zoë Kravitz is moving from Disney to Hulu.
I’m going to need this picture book: No Fuzzball! by Isabella Kung.
Cover Reveals
Here’s the first look at the gorgeous cover of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance. (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), December 3)
And Paste has the first look at the cover of Reverie by Ryan La Sala. (Sourcebooks Fire, January 1)
And Catapult revealed the cover for The Crying Book by Heather Christie. (Catapult, November 5)
Sneak Peeks
You will hear me talk about Gideon the Ninth pretty much nonstop until it comes out. I am a wee bit obsessed. And now you can read the first two chapters.
Disney released the first full-length trailer for Lion Hamlet The Lion King.
There’s tiny glimpses of Megan Abbott’s Dare Me in this USA commercial.
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:
Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson (Atlantic Monthly Press, October 1)
A new Jeannette Winterson is a reason for a national holiday! Seriously, she is amazing, and I cannot wait to read her Frankenstein-inspired “exploration of transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and queer love.” Everything she writes about is amazing in her hands. If you’ve never read her, I’d suggest starting with Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit or The Passion.
What I’m reading this week.
How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper
The Rage of Dragons (The Burning) by Evan Winter
The Grammarians: A Novel by Cathleen Schine
And this is funny.
Trivia answer: Dorothy Parker.
You made it to the bottom! High five. Thanks for reading! – xo, L
Have we got some delightful stuff to talk about! And I’m not even being facetious!
Sponsored by Unscripted by Claire Handscombe
Nobody is a bigger fan of actor Thomas Cassidy than Libby is. Nobody. That’s why she’s totally going to marry him. She’s going to write a novel, name the main character after Thom, and find a way to get it to him. Intrigued and flattered, he will read it, and ask to turn it into a movie. Their eyes will meet over the script… and fade to black. But with four interwoven lives in play, can anything be that simple? Thoughtful, quirky, and moving, Unscripted is a story of friendship and second chances, and asks the question: how far can you take your dream?
Over on Book Riot
I had to take a break last week, so the fabulous Andie J. Christopher subbed in for me for the most recent episode of When in Romance.
Do you know what the top 25 romances are on Goodreads? Well, at least according to Annika.
I did have time, however, to pull together a list of romance novellas I’ve loved. If you’ve subscribed to Kissing Books long enough, you’ve seen quite a few of these. But it’s still nice to have them all in one place, right?
Deals
Looking for a laugh? Check out KM Jackson’s Unconventional Brides trilogy, which are all 99 cents right now. The first one, Insert Groom Here, left me laughing out loud as I read the story of the woman whose fiancé dumped her on television and the man sent to film and produce the story of her finding a replacement for said fiancé…because they were supposed to get married on the same morning show. Whoops.
And if you want more laughter…but of a very different kind…KJ Charles’ Any Old Diamonds is 1.29. Her signature acerbic wit matched with jewel thieves, intrigue, and secrets will stress you out and bliss you out altogether.
If you haven’t read Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder, take the time and that 99 cents and do it. It’s a one-sitting read, and you will have all kinds of feelings. Also, pun titles are my favorite.
New Books
It’s taking me a while to get through longer books recently, but I’ve actually managed to finish a couple! These are super easy reads—less in content but more in the way they’re written. I read the second half of the first one in a single sitting.
Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
I came into Meet Cute expecting endless laughter, because Shacking Up was hilarious. But the moments of fun are more loosely interspersed in this story that centers getting through grief after one of the protagonists loses both their parents in a car accident. The pair met in law school, when she tripped over him while playing frisbee. Dax had been a huge tv star as a kid, and Kailyn was his biggest fangirl. Five years later, he’s in her office in need of help with his younger sister’s trust. He’s also got to deal with being a single parent, while experiencing his own grief. So there is some surprise anxiety feels.
It’s also very white and very straight, but that’s another chat for another day.
Otherwise, it’s a hell of a book and you can devour it in maybe two sittings. Or one, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious.
A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian
This is Cat Sebastian’s first m/f romance, featuring a bisexual protagonist and what equates to her BFF. They basically grew up together and always come back to each other, but each refuses to do anything to damage their friendship. So even though they’re attracted to each other, they each create their own ways to enforce boundaries—upon themselves, not each other. When Verity’s bookshop falls into (more) danger because of her brother’s seditious tracts, Ash is there to help. His own work drawing flowers for an aristocrat leads to some discoveries of his own, and things just roll from there. It’s a similarly fast read, and you can read it even if you haven’t read Unmasked by the Marquess, which is first in the series but second chronologically. (But honestly if you haven’t read that yet, you totally need to. More grumpy bisexuals, a gender nonconforming protagonist, wooing with books. Do it.)
Cat is a master in queer historicals, and I am very much looking forward to where she goes next.
I do need to leave a note on Hook Shot because I wasn’t done when I discussed it. It does require a trigger warning for childhood sexual abuse. It is briefly mentioned early on, but there is a flashback scene later in the book. I was able to continue reading after that, but I actually stopped when Lotus asks Kenan not to act on a desire to do something violent and he does it anyway. Kidnapping and unnecessary violence are pretty hard limits for me, and even if the violent person believes they are justified, I am just…not about that. But the writing was still spectacular and feelings enacted and if you are okay reading books with graphic scenes of child rape, you might still find it worth trying.
What are you excited to read soon?
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, book recs, or just want to say hi!
This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Amazon Publishing.
Got Inked For The Library
One of the events for National Library Week, to support the Lawrence Public Library, was Get Inked For The Library. Forty people signed up for a $100 tattoo from Standard Electric Tattooing where all proceeds were donated to the library.You can check out the 8 designs they chose from here and maybe get inspired for your own bookish ink.
Killer Women Mentoring Program
It’s 2019 and the crime genre has been so reluctant on being inclusive that programs like this have to be created: The author collective Killer Women began a mentoring program “for unpublished women from under-represented backgrounds who want to write crime or thriller novels.”
The Man Booker International Prize Shortlist!
The Man Booker International Prize–which aims to celebrate the top translated fiction from around the world–has announced its shortlist! Congrats to the six authors, translators, publishers, and books–yes, books have feelings.
Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Amazon Publishing.
Lured back for one last mission, an ex-CIA agent plays a deadly game of Russian roulette. But when he finds the mastermind behind a string of assassinations, he begins to question everything that he was led to believe.
Duplicity is the name of the game in the new pulse-pounding thriller of espionage, spy games, and treachery. Get New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s latest read, The Eighth Sister. Prime members read for free.
Hello mystery fans! I didn’t plan it but it happened and I’m happy it did: there’s a lot of history here. I’ve got for you my favorite Sherlock, an amazing real life WWII spy, and a recent historical mystery series that is so good!
Sponsored by the audiobook edition of Saving Meghan by D. J. Palmer
Fifteen-year-old Meghan has been in and out of hospitals with a plague of unexplained illnesses. But when the ailments take a sharp turn, clashing medical opinions begin to raise questions about the puzzling nature of Meghan’s illness. Doctors suspect Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare behavioral disorder where the primary caretaker seeks medical help for made-up symptoms of a child. Is this what’s going on? Or is there something even more sinister at hand?
My Favorite Sherlock!
The Hollow of Fear (Lady Sherlock, #3) by Sherry Thomas: If you’ve yet to read this amazing historical mystery series–one of my all-time favorites–here is a review for the 1st two books in the series. Read that instead of this review–not to be bossy but don’t spoil it for yourself. And now back to the third in the series: it’s SO good. This series keeps getting better for me and I started at already-in-love-with-it from the first book. Charlotte is still pretending to be Sherlock Holmes in order to solve cases and this time she takes her cover one step further (!!) when Lord Ingram is accused of having murdered Lady Ingram. If you enjoy this series for the witty banter, the inhaling of desserts, the mystery solving, the sexual tension, the twists, and Charlotte’s ability to see what others don’t–especially in relation to society’s treatment of women–you are going to be very pleased. And do I have good news for you: the next book in the series, The Art of Theft, comes out in October! I can’t wait that long! Also, someone needs to adapt this into a TV or film series NOW.
Fantastic Nonfiction! (TW suicide/ torture/ concentration camps)
Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis: I inhaled this fantastic audiobook! It’s nonfiction that is written like a novel about Odette Sansom, who basically ended up a spy in WWII because she decided to take the test to prove she wouldn’t pass when the SOE was trying to recruit her. Spoiler: she passed! She left her young children and went off to be a courier during the war and was immediately nicknamed the Angry Gazelle–she was delightfully stubborn. This takes you into her training, her mission, and her capture… If you like spy novels/biographies don’t miss this one. And if you’re an audiobook listener go with the audiobook!
Another Great Historical Mystery! (TW suicide)
Death of a New American (Jane Prescott #2) by Mariah Fredericks: And here’s another historical mystery series that I love. This series is set in early 1900’s New York and has a great balance between focusing on historical moments and solving the mystery, while dissecting the social classes. In the second book the Titanic has just sunk and it’s all everyone can talk about–along with all the phobia and hate against Italian immigrants. Ladies’ maid Jane Prescott is traveling with the family she works for as plans for the youngest’s wedding are underway. And then the nanny at the family estate, where they’re staying, is murdered in what appears to be a kidnapping gone wrong. I really love Prescott’s character and her sometimes sardonic personality. She was raised in a place that took in sex workers and trained them for other jobs and so she’s always been treated as an outcast, has a lifelong friendship with an Italian girl who was an anarchist, and believes in asking many questions and searching for answers rather than believing the first thing someone says. This is an excellent series for fans of historical mysteries.
Recent Releases
They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall (This great modern Agatha Christie retelling is now out! Review) (TW suicide/ eating disorder/ anxiety attacks)
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold (Currently reading: Finally a focus on the women who were murdered.)
Murder by Milkshake: An Astonishing True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and a Charismatic Killer by Eve Lazarus (True Crime)
Cat Chase the Moon (Joe Grey #21) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Feline private investigator)
Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline (Domestic thriller)
Our House by Louise Candlish (Paperback) (Good psychological suspense) (TW suicide, suicidal thoughts)
Love and Death in the Sunshine State: The Story of a Murder by Cutter Wood (Paperback) (True Crime)
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.
Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.
Hello hello, fellow nonfiction lovers. At the time I’m writing this newsletter, it’s sunny and in the 50s outside (joy!), but Minnesota (and a chunk of the Upper Midwest) is expected to get another dump of snow at midweek… so I’m feeling a little bit salty about that. If it were the weekend I’d just snuggle up at home with a book, but I’ll probably have to trek to work in a blizzard. In April. This is my face.
Anyway! Since April is still full of many new books, I’m taking the same approach as last week – I’ve picked five titles to highlight in a little more depth, then listed a few more to get on your radar at the end. Let’s dive in!
Sponsored by our $100 Amazon gift card giveaway! Enter here.
We’re giving away a $100 Amazon gift card in support of Swords and Spaceships, our sci-fi/fantasy newsletter! Just click here to sign up and enter.
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell – I am 100 percent in for all of the books about the untold contributions of women to major historical events. This book is about Virginia Hall, a socialite from Baltimore who became the first woman deployed behind enemy lines for the Allies, contributing to the French Resistance. She also had a fake leg, which doesn’t really matter but is an interesting detail and maybe would be good for spying? She sounds awesome.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell – In addition to minimalism, I am very into books about doing fewer things because doing too much can be bad for us. In this, artist and critic Jenny Odell argues attention is our most important (and stretched) resource, taking away our chance to think big thoughts and make big changes. The book is also “an action plan for thinking outside of capitalist narratives of efficiency and techo-determinism,” which sounds pretty interesting.
Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir by Kwame Onwuachi – Top Chef contestant Kwame Onwuachi grew up in the Bronx, but spent much of his childhood in Nigeria (where he was sent to “learn respect”). When he returned, he got his start in food, starting as a chef on board a Deepwater Horizon cleanup ship. His coming-of-age memoir tell those stories, and also looks at “the intersections of race, fame, and food.” I’m in the middle of this one right now and it is great!
Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wambach – Based on a 2018 commencement address at Barnard College, this book by World Cup-winning soccer star Abby Wambach is about how women need to let go of old rules of leadership and work together “to change the landscape of their lives and world.” I’m inspired already.
Murder by Milkshake: An Astonishing True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and a Charismatic Killer by Eve Lazarus – I’ll be honest, the reason this book initially got on my list is because of the tile. How great is that? But it also looks good. This book is the story of a 40-year-old woman murdered by her husband, a radio personality, via arsenic-laced milkshakes in the 1960s. Creepy!
And finally, five more books that should be on your radar:
And there we go. I am 100 percent certain I missed a few books from the week, but I hope there’s something on the list to topple your TBR just a bit. You can find me on Twitter @kimthedork, on email at kim@riotnewmedia.com, and co-hosting the For Real podcast here at Book Riot. Happy reading! – Kim
This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Center of the Universe by Ria Voros from KCP Loft.
Librarians Are Google To Prison Inmates
What’s a person to do if they have no access to Google? Ask a librarian of course. The San Francisco Public Library receives about 60 letters a week with questions from prison inmates ranging from helpful resources for when they’re released to questions about technology. And of course for song lyrics. But the process isn’t as quick or easy as just Googling it–read more here.
App Summarizes Business Books Into 12 Minutes
Apparently business leaders are too busy to read the business books on their shelves, so Steve Cunningham created Readitfor.me. The app summarizes the most important business books into 12 minutes–including animated video summaries.
*Muppet Arms* Even More Killing Eve
The second season of Killing Eve just started and already we have news from BBC America that there will in fact be a murderous third season. And looks like the show will continue to change its showrunner/lead writer/producer every season as Suzanne Heathcote will get a crack at running this cat-and-mouse thriller next season.
Hola Audiophiles!
The time has finally come! My Cuba trip is but days away and your girl really, really needs to pack. Books are of course one of my favorite parts about traveling, so today I’ll be sharing some of my vacation listens. I also go on for a little while about my latest listen, hope you’ll indulge me and my bookish feelings!
Let’s audio.
Sponsored by Dreamscape Media, LLC and Laura Pohl’s The Last 8
Where’s the best place to go when aliens invade Earth? Area 51, of course. Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the only reason she isn’t among the dead when aliens invade and destroy her planet. After discovering a group of ragtag survivors with tons of secrets, she needs to figure out who she can actually trust. This #ownvoices story features LGBT representation and some intense plot twists perfect for fans of Stranger Things and The 5th Wave. Don’t miss your chance to listen to one of the biggest releases of 2019.
Before we get to audio love, I have to rave about our new podcast Kidlit These Days! Hosted by kidlit connoisseurs Karina Yan Glaser and Matthew Winner, the show pairs the best of children’s literature with what’s going on in the world today.
I recently finished Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and I have lots of feelings! Queenie is a Jamaican British twenty-something Londoner who like so many of us at that age is a whole, entire, girl-please-get-it-together mess. She’s going through a breakup, she’s super broke, and she’s so distraught that she’s messing up at the job that she really can’t afford to lose. Reeling from the breakup and some unprocessed trauma, Queenie goes into self destruct mode until forced to confront what she’s doing and who she’s doing it for.
I almost DNFed the book in my rage over Queenie’s terrible choices and abysmal sense of self-worth, but putting the book down before Queenie could examine her pain would have been a mistake. The book touches on a lot of important topics: identity politics, the silent toxicity of untreated trauma, how mental illness and therapy are viewed in communities of color, racism as a series of tiny, maddening micro-aggressions, the fetishization of black women… I could go on. Not enough women of color get to unpack these issues in books and more space should be made for them to do so.
There are a couple of plot elements that didn’t sit super well with me. Queenie’s employer basically tells her to tone it down with all the BLM talk and in the end it’s sort of just… fine? The ex-boyfriend Tom and his family’s casual racism are mentioned and obviously terrible but not as aggressively condemned as I’d hoped (can we say gaslighting??). Still I’m glad I pushed through and allowed Queenie the same flawed coming-of-age journey most often afforded to white characters. And y’all… the book is so funny!
I board a plane on Saturday night and spend one day in Miami before heading to Cuba. I intend to eat and drink all the things, soak up the sights, and try really hard not to burn off a layer of skin. Shout out to my genetics for really screwing me on the melanin. ‘Preciate that, thanks.
As for reading, there are two cross-country flights in my future and some pool/beachside lounge time; while that makes for some solid reading time, I’m doing a thing I always do where I get real delusional about how many books to pack/download. Come on, Diaz: it’s a one week trip, not a month long reading marathon. That being said, here’s a quick and dirty sampling of my super ambitious listening plan! I won’t even list the print books I’m packing. Sssssh, it’s all fine.
George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks are now available in Spanish! I’ve been calling the series Juego de Tronos for awhile now, looks like I’m ahead of the curve. Listen to a sample here.
Here’s some food for thought: can audiobooks be the great equalizer for students with learning differences?
Thanks to the increasing popularity of audiobooks (wut wut!), the Indies Choice Awards added an Audiobook of the Year category last year. A spotlight on the finalists is up now at the Libro.fm blog.
Rioter Rachel recently brought us this sweet list of YA books to add to your spring TBR. Seeing my BFF-in-my-head Elizabeth Acevedo’s book With the Fire on High on this list made me curious to see if she’d be narrating the audiobooks like she usually does. She does indeed (listeners rejoice!) and also shares some behind-the-scenes footage of the process here. P.S. who knew about those green apples??
That’s all I got today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with audiobook feedback & questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the In The Club newsletter, peep the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Friday too!
Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa