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Today In Books

Ursula K. LeGuin USPS Stamps Are Coming!: Today in Books

Ursula K. LeGuin Latest Author To Grace USPS Stamps

Prominent sci-fi author Ursula K. LeGuin will grace the 33rd stamp in the USPS’s Literary Arts series, which is set to release sometime in 2021. The stamp is good for up to 3 oz., and it depicts a portrait of LeGuin against a backdrop of a scene from her most famous novel, The Left Hand of Darkness. We’re going to send so much mail!

Amazon Studios Poised To Make Jane Austen An Onscreen Heroine

Calling all Janeites! Amazon Studios has acquired the rights to the novel Jane in Love by Rachel Givney. Givney, who is a TV writer in Australia, will adapt the novel. The story stars a young Jane Austen who wishes for love, and time travels to the future where she finds herself on the set of an adaptation of her own work–and falling in love with a modern day man.

James Baldwin’s Record Collection Is Now A 478-Track Spotify Playlist

James Baldwin, one of the most influential writers and thinkers of the 20th century, made no secret of the influence that music had on this work. Now, you can listen to a mammoth Spotify playlist of all the records he owned while living in Paris, including the songs that helped him remember Harlem when he wrote Go Tell It on the Mountain while living abroad. Start listening now.

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Riot Rundown

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Today In Books

Incredible Collection of Food History Has Been Saved: Today In Books

Incredible Collection of Food History Has Been Saved

The Food Timeline is a lo-fi website free from advertising maintained until 2013 by Lynne Olver, a reference librarian, that is a super comprehensive resource on the history of food. After Olver passed away in 2015 the site remained with no one to run it. Until an article about it ran last summer that had almost 100 organizations and individuals showing interest, with the Special Collections and University Archives department at Virginia Tech University being handed the site.

Tintin Comic Auction Sale Breaks Record

Belgian artist Herge’s Tintin drawing sold for 2.6 million euros ($3.1 million), recently in Paris, breaking the previous record for most expensive comic book art. Created with Chinese ink, gouache, and watercolor, it was designed for the cover of the fifth volume of the adventures of Tintin, The Blue Lotus, in 1936.

Austin Public Library’s Most Checked Out e-Books In 2020

It only feels like 2020 was 84 years ago, I swear it’s only been two weeks so this is still relevant. And really we just love any and all book data. Austin library patrons checked out almost 1 million books through Libby, up from 2019’s 600,000. And here’s their most popular titles in 2020 through Libby–love seeing that the Hulu adaptation got many more readers to pick up Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, and Michelle Obama’s Becoming is still on everyone’s list.

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Giveaways

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Book Riot is teaming up with Reading Group Gold for a chance to win a stack of books worth talking about! Enter here or by clicking the picture below. One winner will receive each of the following titles to add to their TBR pile: Here We Are: To Migrate To America… It’s the Boldest Act of One’s Life by Aarti Namdev Shahani, Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson, Jack: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson, The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War, Delphine Minoui, Lara Vergnaud (Translated by), and What You Wish For by Katherine Center.

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Book Radar

Tessa Thompson Tackles Book Adaptations and More Book Radar!

Hello, friends! I hope this is going to be a wonderful week and that you are able to find some calm and read amazing books, despite everything going on. I have a little book news for you today, including a look at a great upcoming thriller and tons of book news, plus a terrible pun, a cat picture, and trivia! Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s Monday’s trivia question: What was Eric Arthur Blair’s pen name? (Scroll to the bottom for the answer.)

Deals, Reals, and Squeals!

Tessa Thompson’s new production company will produce adaptations of Who Fears Death and The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies.

Here are Book Rioter’s most anticipated books of 2021!

The Tradition by Jericho Brown has been selected for One Book One Philadelphia.

Here’s the cover reveal for Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond.

The Queen’s Gambit creator Scott Frank’s next project is a limited series adaptation of Mary Doria Russell’s novel The Sparrow.

Barbie announced that the latest historical icon to be honored in its inspiring women series will be Dr. Maya Angelou.

Emma Thompson and Alisha Weir have joined the Matilda musical.

Solaris announced a second New Suns anthology from editor Nisi Shawl.

Here’s the first look at We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman.

Here is Tom Holland in the trailer for Cherry.

Bad Robot is getting into animation. John Agbaje will lead the department and the company will will adapt Oh, The Places You’ll Go! and The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.

And here is the trailer for the adaptation of Kristen Hannah’s Firefly Lane.

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!)

Loved, loved, loved: 

Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 20)

It has been a while since I recommended a thriller, but this gritty debut knocked my socks off! It’s about the host of a popular true crime podcast who uses her air time to help with cold cases.

Elle Castillo used to work for Child Social Services, but after an incident at work, she quit her job. Now she spends her time trying to help find missing children, using her keen detections skills and the popularity of her podcast to amplify her voice.

But there’s one huge cold case that has haunted her—The Countdown Killer, who kidnapped and murdered young women two decades earlier. So she decides to make him the subject of her next show, in the hopes that something will jog someone’s memory after all this time. But then a girl is kidnapped and it has all the hallmarks of the Countdown Killer. Is he back in the game or is there a copycat out there? And can Elle and her listeners figure it out before it’s too late?

This book is INTENSE. I thought the story was fantastically plotted, and pretty believable, while being quite terrifying. It also did a great job portraying trauma and PTSD. Elle wants to solve all the cases so badly, she doesn’t quite know how to let herself rest, which is a very real problem, and the guilt she feels over taking any time for herself, even to sleep, is heartbreaking.

(Just a note that this is about child abduction and murder cases. Content warning for child endangerment, abuse, abduction, and murder; mentions of sexual assault, violence, chemical use, poisoning, fire deaths, and physical abuse.)

What I’m reading this week.

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell 

Patience & Esther: An Edwardian Romance by SW Searle

The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy by Paul Myers 

Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu 

Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Cheryl Diamond

Pun of the week: 

I’ve got a great joke about construction, but I’m still working on it.

And this is funny:

You want a piece of me?!

Happy things:

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

  • Psych: I am now on season five and I must say, I am less invested in the characters and more chuffed by all the references and actors from classic 1980s movies. Ally Sheedy, Jonathan Silverman, Thomas F. Wilson, Cybill Shepherd, Corbin Bernsen—the list goes on and on. I also love the weird pineapple appearance in every episode. 🍍
  • Jigsaw puzzles! I got a puzzle caddy! It means I can now do puzzles and stop without finishing them and not have to worry about the cats eating pieces, because I can fold the caddy up and tuck it safely away.
  • Numberzilla. Still not tired of this game.
  • Purrli: This website makes the relaxing sounds of a cat purring.

And here’s a cat picture!

Zevon is doing the back float on land.

Trivia answer: George Orwell.

Remember that whatever you are doing or watching or reading this week, I am sending you love and hugs. Please be safe, and be mindful of others. It takes no effort to be kind. I’ll see you again on Thursday. – xoxo, Liberty

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Today In Books

Barbie’s New Historical Icon Doll Is Dr. Maya Angelou: Today In Books

Barbie’s New Historical Icon Doll Is Dr. Maya Angelou

Mattel’s Barbie has an inspiring women series and their latest is Maya Angelou. The activist and author (and many other amazing things) has been designed into a gorgeous Barbie doll holding her book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. You can purchase the doll, which will look awesome on bookshelves, now at Target and Amazon for $29.99.

Amazon’s E-Book Business Under Connecticut Investigation

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said that how Amazon.com Inc. sells and distributes digital books is under investigation. “Tong’s office issued a subpoena to Amazon in 2019 for documents related to its deals with five major publishers, according to a copy of the subpoena obtained by the Tech Transparency Project through an open records request and shared with The Hill.”

Paris-Based Social Book Reading App Acquired By Medium

Glose is a Paris-based iOS, Android, and web app that lets you purchase and read books on your device while also having the social experience of a platform like Goodreads, and elements of rewards to motivate you to read. Medium, an online publishing platform, is acquiring the app for an undisclosed amount.

Books By and About Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris for Readers of All Ages

These Kamala Harris books give readers of all ages the opportunity to learn more about our new Madame Vice President.

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The Kids Are All Right

5 Middle Grade Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2021

Hi Kid Lit Friends,

Well, 2021 had already been quite a whirlwind. While so much seems uncertain about the future, what we can all be sure of is that writers are continuing to pour their hearts into their books. Here are five middle grade books I’m looking forward to in the first few months of 2021. There are some lovely titles to put on your TBR list!

Merci Suárez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina (Candlewick, April 6, 2021)

I loved Merci Suárez Changes Gears (the winner of the Newbery Award!) and I loved Merci Suárez Can’t Dance. In this companion novel, Merci faces seventh grade, dealing with new teachers, new responsibilities, and battling with classmate Edna Santos who is in charge of the annual Heart Ball. More than anything, Merci wants to talk to her grandfather Lolo about what’s happening, but his Alzheimer’s is getting worse every day. This is a heartwarming book about a beautiful family and a young girl trying to make sense of middle grade. (Check out Meg Medina in her Author Fan Face-Off challenge!)

Bump by Matt Wallace (Katherine Tegen Books, January 26, 2021)

I was completely charmed by this middle grade book by Matt Wallace, a former professional wrestler and self-defense instructor. This book is the story of a young girl, MJ, who is abandoned by her father and turns to the world of professional wrestling for comfort. When MJ learns that her neighbor runs a wrestling school, she has a new focus. She wants to join the school, train hard, and become a wrestler. But her dreams are threatened when her coach’s rival wants to close the wrestling school.

Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11 by Alan Gratz (Scholastic, February 2, 2021)

In characteristic Alan Gratz fashion, this high-paced historical novel has two points of view and is set in vastly different parts of the world. In New York City, Brandon is visiting his father at work on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, two years earlier, Reshmina is growing up in Afghanistan in the shadow of war. This compelling and page turning novel is another incredible book from a master of historical fiction.

Strong as Fire, Fierce As Flame by Supriya Kelkar (Lee and Low Books, February 24, 2021)

First of all, this cover! 😍 This book follows 12-year-old Meera in 1857 India where her future has been planned since she was a young child when her parents married her to a boy from a neighboring village. Right before she turns 13, she prepares to leave her family to live with her husband in accordance with her religion. But when Indian soldiers mutiny against their British commanders, her husband is killed in the ensuing riots. The dictates of her religion require Meera to end her life by throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. She runs away and finds refuge as a servant in the house of a high-ranking British East India Company captain, giving her an opportunity to serve her country in an unimaginable way.

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes (Bloomsbury, January 5, 2021)

I loved One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance, a companion book that came out a few years ago. Legacy follows the same format with original works by poets followed by Nikki Grimes’ use of “The Golden Shovel” poetic method to create wholly original poems based on the works of these groundbreaking women-and to introduce readers to their work. The artwork is truly stunning in this book, created by dozens of incredibly talented illustrators such as Vashti Harrison, Ekua Holmes, and Cozbi A. Cabrera.

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

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*

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The Fright Stuff

Just Take My Money Nightfire.

Hey there Horror Fans, I’m Jessica Avery and I’ll be delivering your weekly brief of all that’s ghastly and grim in the world of Horror. Whether you’re looking for a backlist book that will give you the willies, a terrifying new release, or the latest in horror community news, you’ll find it here in The Fright Stuff.

If you are anything like me, you’ve been carefully monitoring Tor’s new horror imprint Nightfire for news about their upcoming titles. They’ve been dropping some really exciting announcements in recent months, both about new titles they’ve acquired and previously published titles that they have picked up for re-release. But just recently they announced their entire Fall 2021 line-up, and I couldn’t be more delighted to talk about some of these forthcoming TBR must haves.

Along with three new paperback editions of previously released titles (including the highly anticipated re-release of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s much beloved Certain Dark Things), Nightfire will be releasing five hardcover titles that are either new to print or, in the case of Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s novel, making their English-language debuts. The line-up of new releases also includes an anthology collecting works form some of horror’s most exciting authors. Nightfire is clearly determined to hit the ground running and prove that they are everything their audience has been looking for in a mainstream horror imprint.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

Oops. Here I am talking about The Last House On Needless Street again. But this Nightfire release is definitely one of the most anticipated titles of 2021.The available synopsis is limited, but full of promise: a serial killer, a stolen child, death, revenge, a (suspiciously) ordinary house, and a dark forest hiding dark secrets. Add to that the tantalizing suggestion that whatever we’re expecting is not to be trusted, and honestly sign me right the heck up.

Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Along with releasing a new paperback edition of Heuvelt’s lauded witchcraft horror novel, Hex, Nightfire is also releasing a hardcover translation of his 2019 novel, Echo. Following a climbing trip in the Swiss Alps gone wrong, Nick Grevers wakes up to find that his climbing partner Augustin is dead and Nick’s face has been maimed and swathed in bandages. They had been scaling the ominously named Maudit, a little documented mountain, when in its valley they found something waiting for them in the mountain’s shadow. And though Nick has survived, he is haunted by what has transpired. More than even he knows. I’m not sure if this is going to end up being monsters? Ghosts? I’m always down for a little demonic possession? I mean the peak is called Maudit, which basically means damned (feel free to shout at me on Twitter if I’ve got that wrong). But whatever it is that’s haunting Nick is bound to be capital-T terrifying.

Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

That cover though. Definitely one of those books I’ll have to flip upside down when not reading it because talk about creepy! Dark tourism meets horror wedding culture when a group of friends choose an abandoned Heian-era mansion as a wedding venue. But this house has literal skeletons, not in its closets but in its walls and under its floor. Beneath the foundation lies the body of a bride, and the girls who were sacrificed to keep her company rest uneasily between the walls. What should have been a fun night of thrills in a creepy old house turns into a nightmare as the friends find themselves pursued by the lonely, hungry bride. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like total nightmare fuel. I embrace my imminent insomnia

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

So this sounds AMAZING. Maybe I’m biased by my love of historical horror, or my general dislike of Puritans whom I shall be glad to see get beat down by some gnarly black magic (fingers crossed), but I definitely need to add Slewfoot to my reading list. Abitha is already betrothed to a stranger when she arrives at the Puritan colony that is to become her home, only to find herself widowed almost as quickly as she became a bride. Now she stands alone, grasping at her sudden freedom in the midst of a pious and patriarchal society that would rather see her tucked neatly under the thumb of another man. Slewfoot is a newly woken spirit who like Abitha is searching for his place in the world. Suspicious deaths in the colony give rise to rumors of witchcraft, and Abitha and Slewfoot must decide who they will be and how to survive in a world determined to see them hang.

Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror edited by John. F.D. Taff

This anthology, a tribute to the classic 1980 Dark Forces anthology edited by Kirby McCauley, features 12 all-new stories from some of the modern horror genre’s most prominent voices, including Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, Priya Sharma, Caroline Kepnes, and more. With an introduction and a new short story by Josh Malerman of Bird Box fame, and an afterward and story by horror legend Ramsey Campbell. You all know how much I love anthologies as it is, and I’m super excited for a new piece by Priya Sharma! I devoured her collection All the Fabulous Beasts last year and it was so gorgeous.

Fresh from the Skeleton’s Mouth

Hailey Piper has a new short story collection coming out May 7, 2021! Pre-orders for Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy are open now at your preferred retailer.

Audiobook fans this one’s for you: The Women of Weird Tales, recently released by Valancourt Books as part of their Monster, She Wrote series, is now available in audio version narrated by Tanya Eby. The Women of Weird tales is an anthology of stories by women that were published in Weird Tales magazine between the 1920s and 1950s.

S.T. Gibson is holding a giveaway for an annotated copy of her forthcoming (and highly anticipated by this newsletter author) A Dowry of Blood. The giveaway ends on 1/31, so be sure to go enter before it’s too late!

As always, you can catch me on twitter at @JtheBookworm, where I try to keep up on all that’s new and frightening.

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Kissing Books

Just Keep Swimming…

Greetings and Salutations, fellow citizens of Romancelandia! I hope you had a wonderful and restful weekend, mostly full of doing whatever the heck you wanted to do. And I say mostly because I know that for some of us, weekends aren’t days off like they are for others.

Hopefully, I spent a majority of mine reading, which is always a win in my book. And I say this since I’m writing this newsletter shortly before mine is set to begin. But, if present me is going to be honest with soon-to-be-future me, there will be domestic duties sprinkled in as well.

Things were still relatively quiet in the world of Romance which I’m not complaining about. Lest we forget, we were knee-deep in the unfolding and banana pants drama of the RWA trying to take down Courtney Milan this time last year. And, with the not-so-ambient-noise that is current events still playing in the background, a little bit of quiet is good. Personally, I’m taking Dory’s advice to just keep swimming.

That said, there were still be some interesting updates that you may have missed while you were living out the second full week of 2021.

As I’m sure everyone is aware of, Stacy Abrams, on top of being a bad-ass in general, is also a published author. She recently talked to Entertainment Weekly about her new thriller novel. The novel doesn’t come out until May, but you can read a bit about it in this article.

While you wait, be sure to check out some of her backlist that she wrote under the pen name Selena Montgomery. My book club and I plan on reading at least one of hers this year and, while we haven’t made an official choice, Hidden Sins is the front runner for the moment.

Speaking of bad-ass romance authors, check out Vanessa Riley’s article from the Washington Post on her feelings about the Bridgertons. There’s a lot of good food for thought here, but of course there always is with her. If you haven’t read her yet, A Bittersweet Moment is currently free. This is the prequel to The Bittersweet Bride, the first in her Advertisements for Love series. So, if you want to continue Ewan and Theodosia’s story, you can pick that up as well.

Sarah Ferguson, still fondly referred to as the Duchess of York despite her divorce from Prince Andrew, wrote a historical romance. While already a relatively well known children’s author, Her Heart for a Compass will be her first adult novel. This is her fictional take on the life of one of her ancestors and namesakes, the Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott. Since there is not a lot known about her life, Fergie has already stated that a lot of liberties will be taken. This will be released from Mills & Boon this August.

And the cover reveal for Thien-Kim Lam’s debut Happy Endings was announced this week! I’m excited from this alone and can’t wait.

Over on Book Riot, Jess released this very thoughtful piece on the Black casting choices in Bridgerton, while Namera put this delightful list of diverse romantic comedies together.

Here are some of the new releases you can look forward to this coming week. I know that I’m probably adding quite a bit to your already insurmountable TBR. In the spirit of being honest, that’s likely not going to change anytime soon. If it is any consolation, I am also doing the same to myself there are a few of these I will pick up myself at some point in the future. On that note, be sure to enter our giveaways for a Kindle Paperwhite and a year subscription to Kindle Unlimited!

The Invitation by Vi Keeland

How to Get Lucky by Lauren Blakely

Not My Match by Isla Madden-Mills

How to Save a Life by P. Dangelico

The Stud Next Door by Kendall Ryan

Stealing Home by Carrie Aarons

And in case you’re like me and occasionally book on a budget, here are a few deals that may be easier on your bank account

Historical anthology Royal Bridesmaids is available for $0.99. I have a love/like relationship with romance anthologies since the stories are too short for me or too long. Either way though, this price for that gamble ain’t bad!

Forged of Steele Collection by Brenda Jackson is going for $2.99. You get two wonderful books for the price of less than one.

Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen is also $0.99. Jase and Carey are two former battle buddies who reunite for one fateful weekend that forever changes the landscape of their relationship.

That’s all I have for y’all today. As always, you can follow me over on Twitter under @PScribe801. I haven’t been tweeting a whole lot, since I’m still trying to get my bearings for the new year. That should change soon though! Until next time.

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Giveaways

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We’re giving away 10 Little Brown Young Readers Poetry Collections to 10 lucky Riot readers!

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

Here’s what it’s all about:

Poetry is an excellent vehicle through which to examine tough emotions, situations, and subjects. This LBYR Poetry Collection offers books that center poetry as a tool that does just that—in these books, poetry names the unspeakable, gives voice to the unheard, and acts as a record of history. The topics are real and tough, but the stories are ultimately empowering, triumphant, and healing.