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Book Riot Live Letterhead

VIP Update: Schedule Reveal and Books Books Books!

Hello, VIP ticket holders. As promised, you’re getting the first look at the programming for Book Riot Live 2016, and we are SO EXCITED to be sharing it with you. Seriously, all of the muppet arms are happening! Which is making typing kind of hard! I will have to let last year’s cheering squad do it for me!animated GIF of people from Book Riot Live 2016 cheering

Please feast your eyes upon … drumroll please …. the Schedule page! Wherein you shall find details about this year’s podcasts and discussions about humor, writing craft, making change, and more. This is just the tip of the programming iceberg, so stay tuned: same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

But wait, there’s more. Our partner bookstore WORD has been kind enough to set up convention pre-orders, which means you can have books set aside for you to pick up at Book Riot Live. No more agonizing over how you’ll pack them all into your suitcase! They’ve also agreed to give you a special discount, so use code VIPBRL2016 when you’re checking out — and don’t forget to note that these are for pick-up at Book Riot Live 2016.

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The Goods

Quote Totes 25% Off

There are 2 awesome new quote-totes in the Book Riot Store and just 1 day left to get 25% off. Carry your TBR in style!

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Book Riot Live

Book Riot Live Prep: Rabbit-Holes and Nightmares

Rioter Wallace is reading ahead for Book Riot Live 2016, and documenting the experience! One of her first picks is Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina:

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Get more recs for reading ahead right here, and get your VIP tickets for $20 off through August 31.

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New Books

Books About Books, Horror in the Amazon, and More New Books!

FYI: IT’S STILL SUMMER! I know it’s hard to remember, because advertisers are cramming back-to-school and Halloween stuff down our throats already, but there’s still more lovely weather for outdoor reading. I have been enjoying reading outside this super-hot Maine summer (from the safety of the shade, of course.) Whether you like to read inside or out, on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about Behold the Dreamers, The Couple Next Door, and more new releases. BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!

the gentlemanThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Gentleman by Forrest Leo.

A funny, fantastically entertaining debut novel, in the spirit of Wodehouse and Monty Python, about a famous poet who inadvertently sells his wife to the devil–then recruits a band of adventurers to rescue her. Lionel and his friends encounter trapdoors, duels, anarchist-fearing bobbies, the social pressure of not knowing enough about art history, and the poisonous wit of his poetical archenemy. Fresh, action-packed and very, very funny, this debut novel The Gentleman by Forrest Leo is a giddy farce that recalls the masterful confections of P.G. Wodehouse and Hergé’s beautifully detailed Tintin adventures.

the bookThe Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston

This is the most epic of nerdpurrs: an image-filled exploration of the history of books! From the papyrus scrolls and tablets of ancient history to the beautiful bound books we hold in our hands today, this is the perfect gift to give a book lover. And by “book lover,” I mean “yourself.” (You’re not even still reading this description, are you? I know I was totally sold on the title alone.)

Backlist bump: A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books by Nicholas A. Basbanes

blood in the waterBlood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson

I have been fascinated by the story of the prison uprising since I was little and saw Al Pacino chanting “Attica!” in Dog Day Afternoon. Despite being a famous event, it has taken over forty years for some of the documents on Attica to be unsealed. Thompson has collected all that information and written a definitive account of the bloody uprising, from the perspectives of both the prisoners and the law enforcement. It is a horrifying, fascinating read on the historical mistreatment of inmates, and how some victims are still searching for justice.

Backlist bump: Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better by Maya Schenwar

we eat our ownWe Eat Our Own by Kea Wilson

Okay, I will admit that this might not be for everyone, but if you are a lover of 1970s Italian horror (like I am) or horror movies in general (me again), you are the perfect audience! An unnamed actor flies to the Amazon to shoot a film, only to find upon his arrival that the director is mad, the script is missing, the film is over budget, the crew is on the verge of losing their minds, and the town itself is out to get them. Loosely based on events surrounding the filming of Cannibal Holocaust, this is a dazzlingly written, shocking exploration of violence and art.

Backlist bump: Night Film by Marisha Pessl (If you want another feeling of 1970s Italian horror film directors.)

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

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This Week In Books

President Obama’s Summer Reading List: This Week in Books

President Obama’s Summer Reading List

The White House released the five books on President Obama’s summer to-be-read list:

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

There is a lot I am going to miss about President Obama. His overt and enthusiastic bookishness is near the top of the list.

New Film Adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth

Even though The Phantom Tollbooth was adapted in 1971, it’s still looking for its iconic film version. From time to time, rumors of a new production burble up, and we have a new round of interest from TriStar pictures. Hiring a screenwriter is of course no guarantee of a movie, but intellectual property like The Phantom Tollbooth won’t sit on the shelf forever.

Following Coup Attempt, Turkish Government Closing Publishers

In the wake of the recent failed coup attempt, more than 20 book publishers have been forced to close in Turkey. All assets of the publishing houses are to be immediately transferred to the Turkish treasury, and outstanding money owed to authors and translators is likely to go unpaid. These publishers join a host of newspapers, TV stations, and other media outlets that the government has closed under an emergency law for suspicion of being sympathetic to the coup.


This Week in Books is sponsored by Before the Fall by Noah Hawley.

before the fall

On a foggy summer night, a plane carrying eleven passengers inexplicably plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs—a struggling painter—and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of a powerful media mogul’s family. With chapters weaving between the backstories of the passengers, odd coincidences begin to point to a conspiracy, raising questions about the danger of an unchecked media and the randomness of fate.

Find out more about Before the Fall.

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The Goods

T-Shirt Sale & Pint Glass Launch

Skip the department store crowds and click your way to a back-to-school wardrobe that declares your book love.

Stock up on $20 adult tees and $15 kids’ tees while you can. Sale ends Monday!

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And stock your cabinets with our new pint glasses. Buy 3, get 1 free. Cheers to books!

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Book Riot Live

Book Riot Live: The Podcast Edition

A few of our podcasts will be returning to Book Riot Live 2016; while you wait to find out which, why not revisit the delightful antics of last year’s live recordings? Listen along below, and register here with code BOOKNERD for $20 off!

Book Riot Live - You Want It, We've Got It

 

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New Books

Let There Be Light, The Greatest of Marlys, and More New Books!

New boooooooooooks! There are GREAT new books out today. The Amy Schumer memoir, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, is out, and I am so excited to get my hands on Riverine, which has thus far escaped my clutches. And on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I… well… let’s just say the heat got to us this weekend (SO HOT) so we talked about whatever we wanted, including One-in-a-Million Boy, Geek Love, and Golden Years.

beauty of darknessThis week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson.

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda, and the path before them is winding and dangerous–what will happen now? This third and final book in the Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed. New York Times-bestselling author Mary E. Pearson’s combination of intrigue, suspense, romance, and action makes  this a riveting page-turner that you won’t be able to put down!

the last days of nightThe Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

From the author of The Sherlockian comes another delightful 19th-century tale involving real-life historical figures! This time it’s Thomas Edison. On the brink of getting electric lights into every household, Edison sues his remaining rival, George Westinghouse, to hopefully bankrupt him. But Westinghouse’s young lawyer will prove to be a match for the electric tyrant. Based on real events, Moore once again wonderfully brings history to light. Er, life.

Backlist bump: The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

greatest of marlysThe Greatest of Marlys by Lynda Barry

A legendary comic figure, Marlys is Barry’s stand-out star, an eight-year-old freckled, bossy, bucktoothed young girl in glasses that Barry debuted to great acclaim in 1986. This is a brilliant retrospective on Marlys over the last thirty years, and a fantastic trip down memory lane. If you love Roz Chast, be sure to check it out.

Backlist bump: What It Is by Lynda Barry

house without windowsA House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi

Zeba has always been the perfect wife and mother, but when her husband is found brutally murdered, she is jailed for the crime, much to the astonishment of her children. As Zeba awaits trial, she gets to know the other women in her cell, who have also suffered great misfortunes and violence at the hands of men. To these women, jail is more of a haven than a punishment, a safe place away from a world where women are treated so cruelly. A necessary, moving look at the lives of Afghan women and the power of sisterhood, The House Without Windows will lift your spirits and shatter your heart.

Backlist bump: When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi

the gentlemanThe Gentleman by Forrest Leo

Due to an enormous book-buying habit, poet Lionel Savage is broke. (Sound familiar?) To help his finances, he marries for money – only to find after the wedding that he is no longer able to write. Many miserable months later, after chatting with the Devil at a party (like you do), Lionel’s wife goes missing. It is then Lionel realizes not only does he actually love his wife, but that he may have inadvertently given her to Satan, and he must get her back immediately. Plenty of charming slapstick ensues. A lighthearted comedy of errors that never takes itself too seriously, The Gentleman is a delight.

Backlist bump: The Most Of P.G. Wodehouse by P.G. Wodehouse

uprootUproot: Travels in 21st-Century Music and Digital Culture by Jace Clayton

I’m so glad I picked this one up! Clayton (aka DJ Rupture), a musical sensation, explores the connections in music that have been forged from the relatively-new use of the internet. He offers a fascinating look at the different ways people are making music in the digital age, and spins the future of music in a positive light, explaining why there’s no need to fear – music isn’t going anywhere.

Backlist bump: How Music Got Free: A Story of Obsession and Invention by Stephen Witt

YAY, BOOKS! That’s it for me. If you want to learn more about books (and see lots of pictures of my cats), or tell me about books you’re reading, you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

Stay rad!

Liberty

Categories
Giveaways

The Girl Who Drank the Moon Giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.

girl who drank the moonMoonlight is magic—ask anyone you like.

A girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon must unlock the dangerous magic buried deep inside her in order to save her life, her family, and even the community that once left her to die. Kelly Barnhill, acclaimed author of The Witch’s Boy, delivers another coming-of-age fairy tale destined to become a classic. Shelf Awareness calls The Girl Who Drank the Moon “utterly spellbinding,” and the Minneapolis Star Tribune says Barnhill   is “a fantasist on the order of Neil Gaiman.”


We have 10 copies of The Girl Who Drank the Moon for 10 lucky Riot Readers! Just complete the form below to enter. Entries are limited to the United States and will be accepted until 11:59pm, Tuesday, August 16th. Winners will be randomly selected.

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Letterhead

Join Us for Read Harder Book Groups in Your City!

This month’s Read Harder Book Groups are sponsored by A Change of Heart by Sonali Dev.

Do you like books? Do you like talking about books? Have we got a group for you. Join your fellow readers-at-large at Read Harder Book Group, meeting in your city this month! It’s an “any book” book club, which means anything you’re reading counts. You’ll get occasional goodies from our month’s sponsor and recs for your Read Harder Challenge (or just recs in general, Challenge not required).

Hope to see you soon!

Toronto, ON – 8/13
Vancouver, BC
– 8/18
Chicago, IL – 8/18
New York City, NY – 8/20
Los Angeles, CA – 8/20
Glasgow, GB – 8/20
Boston, MA – 8/20
Portland, OR – 8/21
Philadelphia, PA – 8/21
Washington, DC – 8/21
Houston, TX – 8/21

Read Harder Book Group: Join Us!