Riot New Media – Page 1123

Murderous Swedish Octogenarian!

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date November 13, 2018

Hello mystery fans! This week I have for you a great Japanese mystery, an elderly woman with no qualms about murder, and revenge at a boarding school.

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by our $250 All the Books Barnes and Noble gift card giveaway!

Enter to win a $250 gift card to Barnes and Noble in support of our All the Books! podcast. Click here for more info.

Japanese Mystery

Newcomer cover image Newcomer by Keigo Higashino, Giles Murray (Translator): While this is technically the 8th in this detective series I promise you can read this as a standalone. For starters, most of his books haven’t been translated and the ones that have, have come out of order. Which is a shame only because I love Higashino’s mysteries and think they should all be available around the world. In Newcomer we get a really interesting unfolding of the mystery. A woman is murdered in her apartment and Detective Kyoichiro Kaga is on the case. The structure of the book is by sections which each follow a different set of characters that are living and/or working in the business district where the woman was murdered. Everyone has drama, and secrets, and day-to-day life problems making Kaga have to work to unravel what may be connected to his case and what is not. And of course in the end we get an explanation and wrap up. Something I really like about Higashino’s writing is he doesn’t write for shock value, but rather explores people and behaviors, which is always interesting to me and even more so in cultures and ethnicities that are different from my own. Detective Kaga is also super observant and intuitive making him an excellent detective that usually baffles those around him. And for cozy mystery fans, who shy away from Japanese crime novels because they are usually dark, this one doesn’t go into much graphic detail and mostly focuses on following all the potential suspects.

Murderous Swedish Octogenarian! (TW domestic abuse)

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten,Marlaine Delargy (Translator): Two things before I get into this: One, if you like the title just read it without knowing anything, it’ll make it that much more “fun.” (Fun is in quotes because while this 90% lands in cozy crime territory it’s dark humor.) Two: It’s a handful of short stories BUT even if you aren’t a fan of short stories you’ll be fine with this one as they’re all connected and about the same character, so it reads very similar to a novel. Now for the review: let’s start with that I fell off the sofa laughing at the first story in this collection! Maud is an 88-year-old Swedish woman who ended up living rent free in an apartment most of her life thanks to her father’s will. But before you start to feel bad for Maud as a “lonely old lady” she has no qualms about murder. And by that I mean threaten her, treat her like a feeble old woman, or piss her off and you’re probably going to die. So if you’re into crime stories, dark humor, and want it centered around an octogenarian, run to this collection–I just loved it to pieces!

Boarding School Mystery With Revenge (TW suicide/ statutory rape/ revenge porn)

People Like Us cover image People Like Us by Dana Mele: I’m a sucker for private school/boarding school mysteries and this one finally broke my reading slump. It’s twisty, fast-paced, and while obviously dealing with teen drama it never felt melodramatic since the characters were developed well beyond the “mean girls.” Kay Donovan and her friends stumble across a dead body while partying, which is traumatic enough, but then Donovan receives an email from the dead girl–I know! Turns out Donovan is being blackmailed and forced to solve puzzles and carry out the messages or else! Now Donovan is lying to everyone, complying with things she wants no part of, and a suspect in the dead girl’s case… Everyone has secrets, everyone looks guilty, and everyone is capable of revenge! I went with the audiobook and enjoyed Erin Spencer’s narration, it felt like I was watching a good Freeform/CW series–or like the first season of Veronica Mars, minus the actual teen PI.

Recent Releases

seventeen by hideo yokoyama cover image Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama, Louise Heal Kawai (Translator) (I’m really looking forward to sitting down with this one as it’s the author of Six Four, who mostly does 80% deep dive procedural and then shoots you into a thriller at the end.)

The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston (Another one I’m looking forward to as it looks like it’ll hit a bunch of my sweet spots–and sounds perfect as a Freeform/CW show. Owen’s privileged life unravels in a moment when it turns out his dad was embezzling. Now he’s stuck trying to finish his senior year, survive the death threats, and solve his father’s cryptic note and find him.)

Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City by Kate Winkler Dawson (Currently reading: True crime that looks at two killers in London after WWII, a serial killer and lethal smog.)

Naughty on Ice (Discreet Retrieval Agency #4) by Maia Chance (Historical cozy mystery)

City of Secrets (Counterfeit Lady #2) by Victoria Thompson (Historical mystery)

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (Paperback) (Will Satisfy Mystery, Women’s Fic, and Domestic Thriller Fans: Review) (TW rape/ suicide)

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 Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Today In Books

2019 Tournament of Books Long List: Today In Books

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date November 13, 2018

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by The Global Economy as You’ve Never Seen It—99 Ingenious Infographics That Put It All Together by Thomas Ramge and Jan Schwochow.

Want To Scroll A Super Long List Of Great 2018 Books?

2019 Tournament of Books Long List has been announced! This great list will be reduced to a manageable 16 (or so) books to make up the short list. From there, let the games begin! And by games we mean that in March 2019, two books will go head-to-head every weekday and one of the judges will decide which book lives another day. It’s a fun and an awesome way to see all the great books you missed from 2018.

A Witchy Holiday Special

A Midwinter’s Tale, a special holiday episode of Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, will air on Friday, December 14th. Get your popcorn and pointy shoes ready, “On the longest night of the year, families gather around the yule fire to sing pagan carols and tell ghost stories.”

Baby Got Backlist

At least for four big publishers, it was a very profitable quarter thanks to the sale of backlist books. For HarperCollins, backlist sales were led by The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and The Hate U Give. Simon & Schuster had 3 YA backlist get a boost thanks to Netflix’s adaptation of Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. And Houghton Mifflin Harcourt renewed it’s licensing for 1984 and Animal Farm during a time when many are pointing to the messages in the books. Also a big contributor: Digital audiobooks.

What's Up in YA

🔴YA Welcomes Nadya Okamoto’s Menstrual Movement

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date November 13, 2018

Hey YA fans! I’ve got a really great interview to share today with a young author and activist you need to know.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Action Lab.

Based on the Animated Series by Zag Entertainment, Marinette is the sweetest girl in Paris. With a big crush on a boy at school, a big dream of becoming a fashion designer, and a big problem with being totally awkward, she’s just your average teenage girl, right? Did we mention she’s also the crime fighting superhero, Ladybug?

If you haven’t heard of Nadia Okamoto, I’m so excited for you to meet her in this interview. If you have heard of her, I’m equally excited to have you get to know her and her work better.

Okamoto, who is 20, is the author of the recently-released YA nonfiction book Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement. The book is part guidebook to those who menstruate and those who are eager to learn about menstruation, and it’s part guidebook to being a person who advocates for and educates others about menstruation.

Period Power is honest and frank: it’s the kind of book that, as a person who has been menstruating for over two decades, wishes I’d had in my younger years. It’s thoughtful and considers the unbelievably number of challenges those who menstruate may face. It digs into access to menstrual products, particularly for those who are incarcerated or deal with housing instability, while also offering insights into various physical and psychological challenges those who menstruate may experience.

The book also highlights Okamoto’s work with PERIOD., her nonprofit focused on period education and providing products to those in need.

Did I mention she is 20? Okamoto’s story is not only inspiring, but her voice is a reminder of the power and drive today’s young people have in making the world a better and more accepting place for all.

Without further ado, Nadya!

____________________

KJ: What’s your book about and what inspired you to want to put together a book for teen readers?

NO: Period Power aims to explain what menstruation is, discuss the stigmas and resulting biases, and create a strategy to end the silence and prompt conversation about periods. It covers everything from what is happening biologically, to historical information about period products, and the political environment around menstruation. I wanted to write a book to show that this movement was REAL and has a larger vision for social and systemic change — we have an agenda, and real info and thoughts behind why we’re doing this.

Things are changing. Conversations surrounding the tampon tax, period poverty, and menstrual equity are no longer taboo. The next generation can and will change the silence and status quo around menstruation and gender equality. My book is a call to action for today’s youth to become tomorrow’s change makers.

You’re a young woman of color who, by the age of 20, has developed her own non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the word about the social, political, and economic challenges of menstruation. What sparked your interest in doing this work? How did you find the support and the time to do it while balancing the immense responsibilities of being a teenager?

I started PERIOD in 2014 after my family experienced a period of housing instability. During this time, I spoke with homeless women in downtown Portland and learned that they were using things like toilet paper, socks, and even cardboard in their attempts to manage their menstrual hygiene needs. Hearing the stories of these women catalyzed a perhaps unhealthy obsession with access to menstrual hygiene. Through Google searches in my free time, I learned that periods are the number one reason why girls miss school in developing countries, and that period-related pain is the leading cause of absenteeism in the US. I learned about the “tampon tax” that, at the time, still existed in 40 states (now it’s 36). It’s almost 2019, and yet, 36 US states still have a sales tax on period products because they are considered luxury items (unlike Rogaine and Viagra), period- related pain is a leading cause of absenteeism amongst girls in school, and periods are the number one reason why girls miss school in developing countries. It’s almost 2019 — over half of our global population menstruates for an average of 40 years of their life on a monthly basis, and has been doing so since the beginning of humankind. It’s about time we take action.

My mom and family has been a huge support network for me. My mom was a coach with a nonprofit management background, and also a support network for me as I started. I found the time just by being committed to this – worked on PERIOD with every free moment I had.

Menstruation as a hot topic to explore in the world of young adult fiction has seen its ups and downs. We don’t see it too often portrayed as part of a person’s life, nor do we see portrayals of the ways that things like endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome can impact a young person’s day to day life. Why do you think we don’t see either of these things much? Are there any instances of menstruation or menstrual challenges you read or saw on television or in the movies that have struck you as particularly memorable?

We don’t see this because it is still considered taboo. I mentioned some of my favorite examples in my book and also wrote an article about period humor which was published in Medium.

Your book serves as a tool of education, as well as a call for young people to act. Although focused on menstruation, the bigger takeaway of the book is that, whatever it is young people are passionate about, that passion can take on a bigger purpose. In what ways do you see other people your age or younger reacting, resisting, and advocating for the things that matter to them? Are there any young people who are particularly inspiring to you?

I am really inspired by my younger sisters – Ameya and Issa Okamoto. Ameya is an award winning graphic designer and artist and Issa is an opera singer and music composer.

Something that struck me particularly hard in your book was your discussion of the things we don’t think about when it comes to those who menstruate: those who are homeless or incarcerated having little or no access to the products that might help make their periods not only safe and healthy, but easier to live with when in situations that are already challenging. In what ways can librarians, teachers, and other adults who work with teenagers be advocates and allies for those who menstruate? What small steps can they take in order to make the lives of those they might not always see become a little bit better?

Talk about periods as NATURAL things! Have discussions about periods. The best way to help and get involved in the menstrual movement is to TALK ABOUT PERIODS.

Have the book out and in the open – talk about how period products should be a necessity. Tell people period products should be free in all restrooms and made readily available. They should be treated just like toilet paper and paper towels in terms of access.

Let’s talk a bit about your reading life. What have been some of your favorite books on your journey to where you are now? In other words, what books have inspired your activism and your passions?

Two of my very favorite books are Roots by Alex Haley and 100 Years of Solitude by [Gabriel Garcia] Marquez. Roots pushed me to think about privilege, resilience, and oppression. 100 Years of Solitude taught me about working to defy, and sometimes trust, fate.

You talk about experiencing a period of time in your young life of family financial instability. How did this impact your reading and writing life? Have you ever read anything that mirrored your own experiences, either in that time of financial instability or in growing up as a person of color?

This difficult period of time in my life is what lead me to discover the unaddressed natural need that women living in poverty face on a regular basis. Speaking with homeless women is what inspired to learn more about menstrual inequity and period poverty. I collected an anthology of stories of their using toilet paper, socks, brown paper grocery bags, cardboard, and more, to take care of something so natural. Hearing the stories of these women, who were in much worse living situations than I was, pushed me to realize that even in times when my family was considered to be facing adversity, I was still extremely blessed. I had never had to worry about access to period products, I had my family around me, and was still in school. Service is one of the primary ways that I push myself to reconcile the privilege that I have in my life – and to fight for a cause I truly believe in: equitable access to menstrual hygiene – a fight I think is necessary in the overall push towards gender equality and global development.

If you could go back in time and give your 12-year-old self any book, what would it be and why?

I would give my 12 year old self this book. I was just about to get ready to get my period, and I wish I knew that I could start my period activism earlier. There are so many things we don’t talk about when it comes to periods. We are prepared for the actual event, but we aren’t educated on our how our bodies will respond. How it looks, smells, and feels.

Another book I would give myself is The Help by Kathryn Stockett – it is a book that I read much later, but I wish I read it sooner because it sparked my love for writing and showed me the power of sharing stories to spark empathy.

Thank you so much, Nadya. I know after reading Period Power, I began thinking about menstruation in a new light. When a book does that, I know it’s done what it’s meant to.

____________________

Thanks, y’all, for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Monday for a big ole YA book news roundup!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

Riot Rundown TestRiotRundown

111318-StoriesOfBoys-Riot-Rundown

Post author By Devin Service
Post date November 13, 2018

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different and Running Press Kids.

This timely book joins the gender-role conversation and gives middle-grade boys a welcome alternative message: that masculinity can mean many things.Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different is an accessible compilation of 75 famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, one that celebrates introverts and innovators, sensitivity and resilience, individuality and expression. Entries include rule-breakers and stereotype-smashers like Frank Ocean, Salvador Dali, Beethoven, Barack Obama, Ai Weiwei, Jesse Owens, and so many more-heroes from all walks of life and from all over the world.

The Stack

111318-Troma-The-Stack

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date November 13, 2018

Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Dynamite Entertainment

For over FORTY YEARS, Troma Studios has blazed its own bloody, slime-covered trail, making movies their own damn way! From The Toxic Avenger to The Class Of Nuke ‘Em High to Poultrygeist to Tromeo And Juliet, Lloyd Kaufman never compromised, waving his independent freak-flag freely, and helped jumpstart the careers of luminaries such as James Gunn, Eli Roth, and countless others! How, you might ask, did a couple of rebels with almost no cash manage to make a library of a THOUSAND films? You’ll have to pick up this incredible collection to find out!

Audiobooks

Michelle Obama, Welcome To Our Ears, and More in Audiobooks

Post author By Vanessa Diaz
Post date November 12, 2018

Well hello there, audiophiles! Welcome back to Audiophilia, land of audiobooks, joy, and healthy amounts of snark. In addition to audiobook news and such, I’ll be reviewing some old faves with you today in the spirit of thankfulness. Let’s get right to it then, shall we?

Sponsored by Libby, the one-tap reading app from your library and OverDrive.

Meet Libby. The award-winning reading app that makes sure you always have something to read. It’s like having your entire library right in your pocket. Download the app today and get instant access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks for free thanks to your public library and OverDrive.

Latest Listen

It’s finally here, friends: the inimitable Michelle Obama’s Becoming has finally hit shelves & eardrums! I haven’t decided whether this one will be my lullaby before bed or a morning listen to get the day started. All I know is that I have to catch this on audio; perhaps Michelle’s sweet words of hope and encouragement will help distract me from… well, you know. All the things.

Listens I’m Thankful For

Thanksgiving is… weird. Native Americans were minding their business when a bunch of pale people with big hats on a boat were like, “Hey girl, so this is our sh*t now thanks.” The pilgrims took the Natives’ things and killed their people but still were offered maize and hospitality, and now we celebrate with dead turkeys! Slight simplification here, pero… you get the idea.

These concerns aside, I am all for taking the time to express gratitude for one’s blessings and will throw down on some stuffing & aaaall the pumpkin things. Since it’s that time of year, I thought I’d mix it up and tell you about some past listens that I’ve been grateful for.

The Clancys of Queens by Tara Clancy – Tara Clancy’s childhood was not like yours or mine, that it unless you too were raised in a trifecta comprised of a boat shed in Queens, a mansion in the Hamptons, and a lively block in Brooklyn downstairs from your saucy Italian grandmother whose favorite way to end a sentence is “Fangul!”. Clancy has the ease of a natural storyteller, taking readers and listeners on an insightful, poignant, and raucously funny ride through her unconventional upbringing. This is perfect for audio; I can’t imagine reading these stories without Clancy’s Queens accent to charm my ears off.

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah – I didn’t know a heck of a lot about Trevor Noah when I listened to his book but was hooked by its very literal title: as the product of a union between a black woman and a white man during South African apartheid, Noah’s very existence was an actual crime. I knew his tales of the peril that such an entry into the world might bring would be riveting; I was wholly unprepared for how I’m-going-to-wet-myself-in-public hilarious many of them would be (see poop story and Hitler DJ anecdote for reference). Remember his Daily Show bit about the infamous “covfefe” incident? Think of the voice he does when he’s clutching that teddy bear and imagine an audiobook with lots more where that came from.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae – Issa has blown up with the success of HBO’s Insecure and the hype is well deserved; the writing, the acting, the straight FIYAH soundtrack are all insane. Whether you’ve been rocking with Issa since the days of her Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl web series like me or are new to the Issa tribe, her book of the same name is to be enjoyed on audio post haste. Her musings on growing up the daughter of Senegalese immigrants, dating, body image, trying to make it in these streets and more kept me in stitches and affirmative head nods. There’s chapter on AOL chat rooms that opens with “At eleven years of age, I was a cyber ho.” I cannot!

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain – Anthony Bourdain was the inspiration behind so many of my foodie adventures and travels and his loss is one I felt profoundly. I’ve long loved Kitchen Confidential in print and decided to revisit this memoir/deep dive into the belly of the restaurant industry on audio. It was every bit as good the second time around, albeit infinitely more emotional with Uncle Tony narrating his own words into my ear holes. I hope he’s savoring a big ol’ hunk of bone marrow and a bold glass of red as he bashes ol’ Trumpy Pants from the big kitchen in the sky.

From the Internets

Canada Rising – A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned my lack of familiarity with Canada’s historically low audiobook availability. There’s good news on this front – according to a recent article in Forbes, Canadian audiobook production is up to 61%. While that figure is still pretty disappointing, it’s a huge step in the right direction considering it was a whopping 16% just two years ago. Let’s hope there’s more to come!

Over at the Riot

Appsolutely Awesome – You probably have an audio app of choice – I’m a big fan of Libby and Libro.fm myself. It’s always nice to get a refresher on what else is out there though, like these 13 apps for reading on the go. Several of these include audiobooks for your eager ears.

Most Shameless of Plugs – I recently joined Book Riot’s booktube family and posted my very first video on Friday! Learn a little about me, observe some gratuitous wand use, and hear my musings on audiobooks in the context of bookish imposter syndrome.

Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter for tips and latest listens and watch me booktube every Friday too!

Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa

New Books

Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date November 12, 2018

Happy Tuesday, book lovers! It’s an amazing day if you love books (which I’m assuming you do, since you’re reading this.) Michele Obama’s memoir is out today, as is the fancy edition of Bingo Love, a new George Saunders story, Jeff Tweedy’s memoir, and much, much more. There’s even a new Jonathan Franzen, if he’s your jam. I’m going to share a few of my favorites below, and you can hear about more exciting new reads on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked talked about Crave, A Ladder to the Sky, Insurrecto, and more great books.

Double Michelle Obama News: Today In Books

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date November 12, 2018

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by AQUICORN COVE, a beautiful, LGBTQ-friendly conservation fable from the Eisner Award-winning author of The Tea Dragon Society.

It’s Nice To See So Much Of Michelle Obama Again

First, you can now hear two exclusive excerpts from the audiobook of her memoir, Becoming, which Michelle Obama narrates. Second, Oprah Winfrey announced it’s her latest book club pick. My ears and heart are ready.

In Sad News

Stan Lee, legendary writer, editor, and publisher of Marvel Comics, has passed away at the age of 95. Since his career began in 1939 he has created/co-created iconic characters such as Black Panther, Spider-Man, X-Men, The Mighty Thor, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and Ant-Man. He will be missed, but we’re grateful his characters and work will keep on.

A Call For Libraries Funding To Be Ringfenced In The UK

Sadly, even with support from authors like J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman, campaigners for the petition say the government’s response has been “hugely disappointing.” The petition is aimed at getting enough signatures to stop libraries being closed, cut back, or outsourced due to government cutting local budgets for libraries. Once a petition reachers 10,000 signatures the government must respond. At 100,000 signatures parliament considers a debate.

Book Radar

Erin Morgenstern’s NIGHT CIRCUS Follow-up Set for 2019 and More Book Radar!

Post author By Liberty Hardy
Post date November 12, 2018

Welcome back to Monday, readers! Book news slows down for November and December, but I am still plumbing the depths of the interwebs to find you choice bits! I have a few great things to share with you today, including my newest pick. (I still can’t believe I got to read it!) Enjoy your upcoming week, be kind to yourself as well as others, and remember that I love you and I like you. – xoxo, Liberty

Sponsored by The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

She possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both? Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich’s plans while at her husband’s side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis…if anyone would listen to her.

Here’s this week’s trivia question: “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.” This is the first line of what classic novel? (Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

File under ‘EEEEEEEEE!’: Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus, has announced her next novel!

Malala Yousafzai is working on a book about refugees.

There’s a film adaptation of the Color Purple musical in development.

Lifetime is adapting Pride and Prejudice with contemporary spin set in Atlanta.

Gabrielle Union to produce and star in an adaptation of The Perfect Find.

John Boyega, Letitia Wright to star in Hold Back the Stars adaptation.

The book about the Malaysian finance scandal, Billion Dollar Whale, is being turned into a film.

HBO and David Simon are adapting Philip Roth’s novel, The Plot Against America.

Jeremy Irons to play Ozymandias in HBO’s Watchmen series.

Cover Reveals

Here’s the first look at Alex Segura’s upcoming Pete Fernandez mystery, Miami Midnight. (Polis Books, July 16, 2019)

And the cover reveal of The Wise and the Wicked by Rebecca Podos. (Balzer + Bray, May 28, 2019)

And the spooky cover of Last Things by Jacqueline West. (Greenwillow Books, May 7, 2019)

And last but not least, the reveal of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.

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!

Loved, loved, loved:

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (Balzer + Bray, February 5, 2019)

Yes, you read that right! Galleys are out and I dropped everything and read it and…IT’S GREAT. It’s about the talented daughter of a hip hop legend. Bri wants to be a famous rapper, but her first attempt is taken and distorted by the media and society, and she must push back against the world to prove herself. Thomas has written a wonderful novel about race, class, and stereotypes.

Excited to read:

on earth we're briefly gorgeous On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press, June 4, 2019)

I loved Vuong’s poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, so I cannot wait to see how he uses his beautiful words in a novel.

What I’m reading this week.

The Plotters: A Novel by Un-su Kim

Sea Sirens (A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure) by Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

The Lonesome Bodybuilder: Stories by Yukiko Motoya, Asa Yoneda (translator)

And this is funny.

And now YMCA is stuck in your head too.

Trivia answer: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

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

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships Nov 13

Post author By Jenn Northington
Post date November 12, 2018

Happy Tuesday, boggarts and Betelgeusians! Today there is some very exciting and some very sad book news, the usual spate of adaptations, a terrible store about an author assistant, and a review of Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria.

This newsletter is sponsored by Mariner Books.

This “charming, confident follow-up to Creatures of Will and Temper” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) picks up in 1927 Long Island, where Ellie West fishes by day and sells moonshine by night to the citizens of her home town. But after Ellie’s father joins a mysterious church whose parishioners possess supernatural powers and a violent hatred for immigrants, Ellie finds she doesn’t know her beloved island, or her father, as well as she thought.

In book and author news:

Marvel legend Stan Lee has passed away at 95.

Erin Morgenstern’s second book is coming next year! If, like many here at BR, The Night Circus was your jam, you’ll want to start counting down for The Starless Sea (November 2019).

This is just heartwarming — a bunch of the Fantastic Beasts cast surprised students at a school in Alabama during their Wizarding World Day.

J.K. Rowling had a terrible, lying, thieving assistant who spent company money on … cats???

The adaptation corner overflows, as ever:

Speaking of Fantastic Beasts, the movie sequel is receiving VERY MIXED reviews, and Syfy Wire has rounded them up.

John Boyega and Letitia Wright might be cast in an adaptation of Hold Back the Stars and while I haven’t read the book, I am here for this team-up.

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth is the latest alt-history about fascism to get an adaptation, joining The Handmaid’s Tale and The Man in the High Castle as shows that are just too real at the moment. David Simon of The Wire is in charge, which I guess bodes well? *Goes back to rewatching The Great British Bake-Off for the umpteen-millionth time.*

A shoe adaptation! Seriously! Adidas is making sneakers supposedly inspired by various Houses from A Game of Thrones (but y’all, these just look like regular shoes to me).

And there’s some hopeful news for representation coming out of the Watchmen TV series writers’ room.

New releases to be acquired:

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri (which is high on my TBR)

In/Half by Jasmin Frelih, translated by Jason Blake (which looks fascinating)

Giveaways relevant to your interests:

You can enter this giveaway for Archenemies by Marissa Myeyer until tonight (Nov. 13).

We’ve also got a giveaway going for the recently released Girls of Paper and Fire, through Nov. 15!

And now, for the book that kept me happily occupied this weekend.

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

Can a group of teenagers bring down a corrupt government? Is fate real, or do our choices matter? What is the difference between revenge and rebellion? What does it mean to be a hero? And what does it mean to fight for the right side, when no single side is in the right? Destiny Soria tackles all of these questions in her new standalone fantasy, and the exploration yields quite a page-turner.

Told in the alternating POVs of Cassa (spunky leader), Evander (sly, jocular thief), Newt (quiet acrobat), Alys (anxious and pragmatic healer), and Vesper (conflicted undercover agent), the story jets along as the first four smuggle themselves into the citadel, hoping to uncover the truth behind a string of mysterious disappearances and deaths. The plot itself is a solid one: a ruling council desperate to hold onto power, wielding prophecies and force to keep themselves there, and a rebellion that has been crushed but for the spark these teens keep alive. There’s a monster deep in a cave, secrets and betrayals, crosses and double-crosses, and the tension ratchets up beautifully as the book goes on.

Soria deftly ends each chapter at the worst-best possible moment, which combined with the action itself kept me turning the pages. The playful (and sometimes infuriating) tossing of the plot from character to character is well-handled and gives each character a chance to shine, and Soria lovingly crafts each and every one. Their adventures both showcase and build their depth, with each subsequent chapter showing us more and more of their backstory and layers. None of this crew are what they seem at first glance, and I loved watching them discover not only truths about the citadel, but about themselves and each other.

If you love magical-and-medieval fantasy from authors like Tamora Pierce, are looking for LGBTQIA characters to root for, prefer a single-book story, and can handle some tragedy along with your triumph, then add this one to your TBR post-haste.

And that’s a wrap! You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda, or on Twitter as jennIRL.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn