Riot New Media – Page 632

Ice Planetary ‘Discoveries’

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date June 14, 2021

News From the Romance World

Apparently TikTok just recently discovered the Ice Planet Barbarians series and have been raving about it. Which is interesting, considering the first one came out in 2015. There have been discussions before about the effect of TikTiok on the book world, specifically how books can experience a revival when an influencer “discovers” them, and how they then spread like wildfire. And while I’m sure the authors appreciate the boost in sales, longtime fans have a more cynical approach to the event, which I can also understand.

The thing about situations like this is when someone stumbles upon a new-to-them book, they act like it’s brand new. Ice Planet Barbarians has been an established and beloved series in Romancelandia for a long time. These influencers didn’t find the next big thing; they just became aware of something that was already popular in the romance genre.

And this isn’t to say I expect book related influencers to be aware of every single book that has been published. But I do appreciate a little bit more honesty from them in these situations, especially when it comes to genres that are new to them. In my opinion, it’s better to say they have been sleeping on a particular book or genre. That shows that the book just hadn’t entered their personal orbit yet, rather than making it seem like they personally brought it back from the brink of obscurity.

All of this is to say welcome to the family; but, remember, we’ve been here a long time.

Around the Web in Romance

Last Friday was Romantic Reads Day over on Book Riot. It was awesome to open up to the front page and see the many different articles dedicated to the genre. If you missed it, be sure to head on over to the stream and catch up.

Are you ready to rock with some romance novels? If so, Rioter R. Nassor has some recs for you!

Last time I talked a bit about clinch covers, and then I stumbled across this Twitter page. It’s romantic kismet!

Author Bolu Babalola recently sat down with NPR to talk about her recent release Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold. It’s about a 30-minute listen, so, depending on your work commute if you have one, should make for good listening.

If you’ve somehow never managed to read Alyssa Cole, here are a few good books to start with.

The Ripped Bodice will have signed copies of Helen Hoang’s highly anticipated The Heart Principle ready to pre-order up through September 10th.

If you’re looking for a little more erotica in your life (and who isn’t) here are some of the more popular reading sites out there.

New Releases & Deals

If you’re looking to pick up a new read when you next head to your local bookstore, this weeks’ releases include Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey, The Effing List by Cherise Sinclair, The Layover by Lacie Waldon, and Wicked by Elisabeth Naughton.

As for deals, you can pick up An Unexpected Gift by Ajay K. Pandey and Leather and Lace by Rebel Carter for $2.99. Where Souls Collide by Stefanie Worth is currently $1.49 while Dangerous Lady by Amanda Scott and Sweet Tea and Second Chances by Dylann Crush are both $0.99. Not bad at all.

And that is all for this week. I hope that this weekend is the recharge that you need. Follow me on Twitter @PScribe801 if you want snippets of me between the editions. See y’all Monday!

What's Up in YA

A Queer Classic and Two New Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 14, 2021

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

This book is notable because it’s one of the first YA novels in which two girls fall in love, and it doesn’t end in tragedy or heartbreak (although I feel duty-bound to warn you there is a lot of heartbreak and maybe even a bit of tragedy, depending on your definition). Originally published in 1982, it’s set in New York City and it’s about Liza, a teenage girl who meets Annie while at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They become fast friends, and then realize that there’s something more to their friendship, and they fall in love. They know that this secret could be dangerous, but they’re lucky and grateful when they realize that they’re not the only lesbians they know. However, when their secret gets out, they have to decide if their love is worth the risk.

Not only was the subject of this book groundbreaking, but the publication in and of itself became attention-worthy as it was at the center of a literal book banning case and was often challenged. However, it has never gone out of print and has received many awards and commendations throughout its nearly 40 years in print.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Although Annie on My Mind isn’t historical fiction (it was contemporary when it came out), I think what will make Last Night at the Telegraph Club appeal to Annie on My Mind fans living today is that it’s historical and it features two girls living in a big city (this time San Francisco) who become friends and then something more over the course of the book. Like Liza and Annie, Lily and Kath don’t necessarily have the words to explain what they’re feeling, but they’re able to pick up on subtle hints about lesbian and queer culture in the city around them, and they find their way into a wider queer community even as they discover their feelings for each other. In this book, Lily and Kath are prevented from being together by society, but also by larger political concerns, as Lily is Chinese-American and her community is being watched for any signs of Communism and so-called “deviant” behaviours. This book has heartbreak, but like Annie on My Mind, it is ultimately a book with a happy ending.

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

For a wholly contemporary book that captures the excitement of meeting someone who might be more than just a friend, I highly recommend this novel about Joanna, who is an out and proud teen until her dad gets a new job working in a small town and remarries. He asks Joanna to tone down the gay for the sake of sitting in, and even though she’s conflicted, Joanna agrees. But just then she meets Mary Carlson at school and quickly becomes infatuated. She’s supposed to pretend to be straight, though, and besides, Joanna is positive that straight laced Mary Carlson couldn’t possibly be queer…right? I thought this was a fresh and fun lesbian romance and coming of age story, with believable conflict and tension and lots of great discussions about being queer and being a person of faith.

That’s it for me! I hope you’re reading something great this Pride month–feel free to find me on Twitter or Instagram and tell me all about it!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Thanks to Tor Teen for making today’s newsletter possible!

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Patricia Elzie
Post date June 14, 2021

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

The premise is that during the U.S. Civil war after the battle of Gettysburg (so, 1863), all the dead on the battlefield rose up and started walking. The war stopped abruptly so that everyone could focus their attention on dealing with zombies. Why did the dead start walking? It is unknown. The enslaved Black folks were “freed” and then commissioned as zombie-fighters. I keep writing “zombies” but the zombies aren’t called zombies in this story. Instead, they are known as shamblers. Fresh shamblers can move as fast as a living person and it is terrifying.

Our dashing, smartass, amazing protagonist is one Miss Jane McKeene, a Black teen. The story is that her mother was the plantation owner’s wife and her father was a field hand. Against her mother’s wishes, when Jane was 14, she went with the other Black children to go to a combat school, where she would be trained to fight shamblers. Once she graduates, the hope is that she would be hired as an attendant to protect the wealthy white women from shamblers as well as protecting the affluent white women’s virtue.

After the prologue, the story begins just outside of Baltimore at Miss Preston’s School of Combat for Negro Girls where we meet Jane doing drills with the scythe (we learn that it is not Jane’s favorite weapon. She prefers the sickles). We also meet Katherine Deveraux, one of the other girls at Miss Preston’s. Katherine is Jane’s nemesis, and they’ve butted heads since they first met. Katherine is so light skinned she could pass for white. She is also beautiful and great with a rifle.

The girls are all taken to the university to hear a lecture from a scientist who claims to have created a vaccine. There’s a demonstration.

It does not go well and it is all downhill from there.

This book is full of so much action and is an absolute page-turner, not to mention that there are some lines of dialogue that pulled real laughter from my chest. I even bought a copy for my dad and he loved it just as much. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland is clever and fun and a must for your TBR. While you’re there, add Deathless Divide, the sequel to Dread Nation.

That’s it for now, book-lovers!

Patricia

Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, and Twitter.

Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters.

Riot Rundown

061421-NatureofWitches-RR

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date June 14, 2021

The Pulitzer Prize Winners Are Here: Today in Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 13, 2021

Sponsored by Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller with Fierce Reads

Announcing The 2021 Pulitzer Prize Winners

The 2021 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced via a YouTube livestream on Friday. Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman won the prize for fiction, and The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne took the prize for nonfiction. The committee also honored Darnella Frazier, the teen who filmed the murder of George Floyd last summer.

Phillipa Soo Talks Recording Her First Audiobook, Romance Novel The Stand-In

The Hamilton star who brought Eliza Schuyler Hamilton to life is now lending her vocal talents to audiobooks! Phillipa Soo voices The Stand-In, a new romance novel about a Chinese Canadian woman who is mistaken for a famous actress, then hired by that actress to be her stand-in at events…but things get complicated when sparks fly between her and the co-star of her new boss’s latest production. It’ll release as an Audible Original on July 15.

First Look: Noah Hawley’s Next Novel Anthem Is An Epic About Today’s America

Noah Hawley has quite the range as a writer–he’s the creator of the TV series Fargo, and he’s the author of the thriller Before the Fall. Now, he’s got a new book coming out in January called Anthem, which is about a man who breaks out of a facility in order to join a group of misfits that wants to save one of their own, set in an opioid ravaged U.S. Check out the cover and an excerpt.

Today In Books

Jameela Jamil Cast as Supervillain in Upcoming Disney+ SHE-HULK Series: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date June 12, 2021

Jameela Jamil Cast as Supervillain in Upcoming Disney+ She-Hulk Series

Jameela Jamil has joined the cast of the upcoming Disney+ She-Hulk series as Titania, a Marvel supervillain with limitless strength. The series will star Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, a young lawyer who becomes She-Hulk after receiving a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner, a man with gamma-radiation-infected blood. The series will also star Renée Elise Goldsberry, Ginger Gonzaga, and Tim Roth. Mark Ruffalo will be reprising his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk.

Eisner Award Nominees Announced

San Diego Comic Con has announced its nominees for the annual Eisner Awards. Leading with five nominations is Gene Luen Yang for his graphic novel Superman Smashes the Klan, which was nominated in the best publication for kids and the best adaptation from another medium categories, and his graphic nonfiction book Dragon Hoops, which was nominated for best writer/artist, best publication for teens, and best reality-based work. Other nominees include Adrian Tomine, who was nominated in three categories for The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist and Craig Thompson, who was nominated in two categories for Ginseng Roots. You can see the full list of finalists here. Established in 1988, the Eisner Awards are given each year to honor outstanding achievements in comic books. This year’s winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony in July.

Mystery Writers of America Presents Queer Mystery Writers Panel

The NorCal Chapter of Mystery Writers of America is hosting a panel of queer mystery writers who will discuss the genre and its special attraction to queer authors. The virtual panel will take place on Tuesday, June 15th at 7:00pm pacific time and will feature five acclaimed queer mystery writers. Michael Nava (Carved in Bone) will moderate authors Cheryl A. Head (Bury Me When I’m Dead), Greg Herren (Bourbon Street Blues), Dharma Kelleher (Iron Goddess) and P.J. Vernon (When You Find Me).

Beyond Bridgerton: Which Non-Regency Historical Romance Should You Read?

Ready to read some historical romantic fiction outside of the Regency era? If you answered yes, then this historical romance quiz is for you.

Giveaways

061221-WhisperingDoor-Giveaway

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date June 12, 2021

We’re giving away five copies of Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune to five lucky Riot readers!

Enter here for a chance, or click the cover image below!

Here’s what it’s all about:

A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in this delightful new queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

Riot Rundown

061221-HurricaneSummer-RR

Post author By Natalia Heroux
Post date June 12, 2021

Your Weekend Book Deals

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 11, 2021

Children’s Books About the Great Outdoors!

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date June 11, 2021

Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq, illustrated by Stevie Lewis

In this darling picture book, Fatima Khazi is so excited to head to the local state park for their first camping trip. She sets up a tent with her father, builds a fire with her mother, and survives an eight-legged mutant spider (a daddy longlegs with an impressive shadow) with her sister. At the end of an adventurous day, the family snuggles inside one big tent, serenaded by the sounds of the forest.

Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson

In this sweet middle grade book, 12-year-old Madison “Madi” Lewis has been given an ultimatum by her parents: she is not allowed to bring home any more animals. After all, she’s saved hairless mice, two birds, a rabbit, and a stray tom cat that ended up destroying the front porch. Her parents tell her that if she brings home any more animals, she won’t be allowed to meet Jane Goodall at an upcoming gala event. But when Madi and her two best friends, Aaron and Jack, rescue beaver kits whose mother was killed, they find themselves at the center of a local conspiracy that’s putting the beavers and their habitats in danger.

Hike by Pete Oswald

I love this picture book, which begins in the quiet early light of morning when a father and child wake up and get ready to go on a hike. As they head to the mountains, they encounter the magic of the wilderness, overcome challenges, and play a small role in the survival of the forest. By the time they return home, they feel alive — and closer than ever — as they document their hike and take their place in family history.

Camp by Kayla Miller

This graphic novel is so funny and totally relatable, sure to be a fun read to any reader who has gone or wants to go to sleep away summer camp. In the first book in this series, Olive is sure she’ll have the best time at summer camp with her friend Willow. But Olive makes quick friends with the other campers while Willow struggles to form connections and only wants to hang out with Olive – just the two of them. Will the two be able to patch things up before the final lights out?

Redwoods by Jason Chin

Jason Chin is a master of nonfiction, and Redwoods is no exception. An ordinary subway trip is transformed when a young boy happens upon a book about redwood forests and finds himself transported. He travels all the way to California to climb into the Redwood canopy. As with his other titles, Jason crams this book with interesting and accurate information about these great natural wonders.

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

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