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Today In Books

Amazon’s 20 Most Reviewed Books Ever: Today In Books

Sponsored by Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendation service!


Amazon’s 20 Most Reviewed Books Ever

If you’ve been wondering what 20 books have the most reviews on Amazon have I got a list for you! Spoiler–and shocker!–Harry Potter isn’t on the list.

Ava DuVernay Reveals More On New Gods Adaptation

Ava DuVernay took to Twitter this week to reveal some tidbits on the upcoming film adaptation of DC’s New Gods: the main villains will be Female Furies and Darkseid. She also hints on someone from When They See Us joining the cast and answers why she chose Tom King as co-writer. For all those details read on here.

80% Of Books Published Between 1924-63 Are Now In Public Domain

Here’s an interesting look at the New York Public Library data-mining, 1976 Copyright Act, and how 80% of books published between 1924 and 1963 are now in the public domain. Spoiler: people didn’t renew their copyright registration. If you want to nerd purr read all about it here.

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Giveaways

080219-BookshopOnTheShore-Giveaway

We have 5 copies of The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan to give away to 5 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Bookshop on the Corner comes this witty and warmhearted novel. A single mom makes a fresh start in a small Scottish seaside town with the help of the quirky but kind local bookseller.

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below!

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The Kids Are All Right

Children’s Books Featuring the Tooth Fairy!

Hi Kid Lit Friends!

Happy August! It’s me, Liberty. I’m stepping in so Karina can have a little break, but don’t worry, she’ll be back soon. For my theme today, I am doing books about the Tooth Fairy! It was actually María Cristina’s idea, because we were talking about how much we love Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO, which you’ll see below, along with a bunch of other fun books! I had no idea there were so many books about the Tooth Fairy. Have fun brushing up on them! (Sorry not sorry.) (Please note that all descriptions come from the publisher.)


Sponsored by Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendation service!

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what does the tooth fairy doWhat Does the Tooth Fairy Do With Our Teeth? by Denise Barry (Author), Andy Boerger (Illustrator)

What does the Tooth Fairy do with our teeth? Lots of things! From the sparkles in the snow to the stars in the sky–see all the amazing, magical, unique things the Tooth Fairy does with our teeth in this award winning book.

the tooth fairy meets el raton perezThe Tooth Fairy Meets El Raton Perez by Rene Colato Lainez (Author), Tom Lintern (Illustrator)

The Tooth Fairy has some competition.

Meet El Ratón Pérez, the charming and adventurous mouse who collects children’s teeth in Spain and Latin America.

When both the Tooth Fairy and El Ratón Pérez arrive to claim Miguelito’s tooth, sparks fly under the Mexican-American boy’s pillow. Who will rightfully claim his tooth?

This magical tale introduces a legendary Latino character to a new audience and provides a fresh take on the familiar
childhood experience of losing one’s tooth.

pete the catPete the Cat and the Lost Tooth (My First I Can Read) by James Dean (Author, Illustrator)

In Pete the Cat and the Lost Tooth, the tooth fairy asks Pete for some help. But it’s not easy being the tooth fairy for Pete when a tooth goes missing—will he be able to find the lost tooth before it’s too late?

Beginning readers will love Pete’s adventure as the tooth fairy in this My First I Can Read story, complete with original illustrations from the creator of Pete the Cat, James Dean. My First I Can Read books are perfect for shared reading with a child.

Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO by Tamara Pizzoli, illustrated by Federico FabianiTallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli (Author), Federico Fabiani (Illustrator)

Hilarious and smart, Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO is a modern take on the classic tooth fairy story by Tamara Pizzoli with illustrations by Federico Fabianiis that is perfect for powerful little leaders ready to take on the world―one tooth at a time.

Meet Tallulah. She’s the Tooth Fairy CEO. Tallulah knows practically everything about being a tooth fairy. How to collect teeth. Dispense money. Train other fairies. And it’s all in the Teeth Titans Incorporated Employee Manual.

But when something happens that’s not covered in the manual, what’s a fairy to do?

the night before the tooth fairyThe Night Before the Tooth Fairy by Natasha Wing (Author), Barbara Johansen Newman (Illustrator)

It wiggles, and waggles, and wiggles some more, but this little boy’s stubborn tooth just won’t come out! He hopes it will fall out soon, because he can’t wait to meet the Tooth Fairy! This humorous tale based on Clement C. Moore’s classic poem is a perfect addition to the best-selling series.

the berenstain bears and the tooth fairyThe Berenstain Bears and the Tooth Fairy by Jan Berenstain (Author, Illustrator), Mike Berenstain (Author, Illustrator)

When Sister Bear notices that she has a loose tooth, she can’t wait for it to fall out so that the Tooth Fairy will come and leave a quarter under her pillow. But then Sister finds out that her best friend, Lizzy Bruin, got even more for the last tooth she lost! What is the Tooth Fairy thinking? Mama and Papa give her good advice while Sister waits for the Tooth Fairy’s next visit.

how to trick the tooth fairyHow to Trick the Tooth Fairy by Erin Danielle Russell (Author), Jennifer Hansen Rolli (Illustrator)

From the coauthor of Dork Diaries comes a witty and engaging picture book about a prankster who wants to pull off the best prank of all—pranking the Tooth Fairy!

Kaylee loves pulling pranks: from dropping water balloons on passers by to even tricking Santa Claus, she’s a prize-winning prankster!

But is she the Princess of Pranks? No! That title is held by none other than the Tooth Fairy. But when Kaylee loses a tooth and the Tooth Fairy goes about her usual tooth-taking business, Kaylee pranks her with a fake frog. As Kaylee and the Tooth Fairy try to out-prank one another, things get way out of hand, until the two finally see eye and eye and decide to share the crown!

You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth FairyYou Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt (Author), David Slonim (Illustrator)

All over America, kids are losing their teeth. And who is there to gather them up, leaving coins in their places? The Tooth Fairy, of course! A self-described “action kind of gal” with plenty of attitude, she reveals her secrets at last. Learn about her amazing Tooth-o-Finder. Marvel at her ingenious flying machine. Watch her in action, dodging dogs and cats and gerbils. You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? is the essential guide for every kid about to lose a tooth. And don’t forget, February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.

anna and the tooth fairyAnna and the Tooth Fairy by Maureen Wright (Author), Anna Chernyshova (Illustrator)

Anna has a loose tooth—and the Tooth Fairy will be coming to visit soon! As Anna’s excitement grows, she realizes that Sophie, her baby sister, must be a Tooth Fairy in training. Sophie is always up at night, her rattle looks just like a magic wand, and she’s even learning to fly! So Anna begins to teach her little sister all the skills she’ll need to be the best Tooth Fairy ever. But what will happen when Sophie is no longer in training? Will she go away? It’s up to the big sister to make sure that never happens!

how to catch the tooth fairyHow to Catch the Tooth Fairy by Adam Wallace (Author), Andy Elkerton (Illustrator)

Losing a tooth is an exciting and notable event in the life of a child – what will the tooth fairy bring? Following up on the New York Times best-seller How to Catch a Leprechaun, this book presents a wonderfully creative opportunity for children and parents to have fun and celebrate together.

How to catch the Tooth Fairy?
It’s not an easy task.
You can try to catch her,
but she is just too fast!

Even though she’s out this week, Karina would love to know what you are reading this week! Find her on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email her at karina@bookriot.com.

Have a great week!

Liberty

zevon *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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Today In Books

Clowns-Only Screenings Of IT: CHAPTER TWO: Today In Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, publisher of Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake.

Girl Made of Stars cover image


Clowns-Only Screenings Of IT: Chapter Two

17 Alamo Drafthouse theaters have planned a clowns-only screening for IT: Chapter Two on September 5th. So clown and horror fans read on here for details and coulrophobics stay home on September 5th.

Woke Baby Book Fair

If you’ll be in Fort Greene (Brooklyn, NY) on Saturday August 3rd you’re going to want to check out the Woke Baby Book Fair which was “named as both a joke about babies’ rocky sleep schedules and a comment on young people’s capacity for social change.” For more awesome details–Jason Reynolds and Dhonielle Clayton will be there!–read on here.

Get Your Votes In!

Not The Booker has announced its longlist–174 books!–for you to vote on two of the books you think should make it to the shortlist round. You can check out the easy how-to voter instructions, and see all the awesome books in the running, here.

Categories
True Story

Rapinoe Scores a Book Deal, EVICTED the Exhibition, and More

Hello and happy Friday, fellow readers! I feel like I might be emerging from the reading slump that’s gripped me through all of July, which is welcome news going into a beautiful weekend. This week’s nonfiction news is a bit of a scattershot, but it all bodes well for future reading. Let’s get going!

Megan Rapinoe is writing a book, and my soul is deeply happy! Scheduled for fall 2020, Rapinoe said “I hope this book will inspire people to find what they can do, and in turn inspire other people around them to do the same.” She’ll also be talking about the political issues she’s been vocal about since the Women’s World Cup – LGBTQ rights and pay equity for women. So psyched!

A new exhibition based on Matthew Desmond’s Evicted will be on display in Milwaukee. To explore issues related to housing insecurity, “the exhibition incorporates audio slideshows, photos, and infographics. And there are powerful displays – such as a vacuum sealed stack of personal belonging.” The display was previously housed at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.

This is not exactly nonfiction, but it delighted me anyway. The Library of Congress is looking for help transcribing nearly 16,000 pages of diaries, letters, speeches and other documents from suffragists. The original documents are available on By the People, “a crowdsourcing platform launched by the library in 2018.” This sounds so cool!

I really enjoyed this NPR interview with Michal Kranish, author of The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America’s First Black Sports Hero. I love books that dive deep into sports I’m not super familiar with, so this seems up my alley. I’m bummed I missed out on this book when it came out back in May, but luckily my library had an ebook copy I could check out!

Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women, one of the nonfiction best-sellers of the summer, is going to Showtime. Taddeo “is attached to write and executive produce the drama.” The book centers around the stories of three women. The series “will reportedly revolve around women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.” One other Three Women-related note – although it’s been getting generally positive reviews, there have also been some criticisms. I appreciated this one from author Emily Nagoski, which offered a perspective I hadn’t thought about.

And that’ll close out another week. You can find me on Twitter @kimthedork, on email at kim@riotnewmedia.com, and co-hosting the For Real podcast here at Book Riot. Happy reading! – Kim

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Unusual Suspects

Unconventional Missing Person Stories

Hello mystery fans!

From Book Riot And Around The Internet

The Best Lies cover image10 YA Thrillers You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

7 Unconventional Missing Person Stories

(SPOILERS) VERONICA MARS Reminded Us It’s Noir And That’s Okay!

The millennial scammer is alive and well in these fascinating new books

The Dark History Behind the Year’s Bestselling Debut Novel

Rincey highlights a few new crime releases in this week’s New Release Tuesday.

Adaptations And News

Real Murders cover imageCandace Cameron Bure Returns This Summer with Three New AURORA TEAGARDEN MYSTERIES

‘Orange Is The New Black’ Launches Foundation To Support Incarcerated Women

Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes 3 to Receive Near-Record $20.8 Million in California Tax Credits

True Crime

50 States of True Crime

20 Best True Crime Books That’ll Make You Want to Sleep With the Lights On

‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ Tarantino and When Violence Against Women Is a Punchline

Kindle Deals

Yesterday cover imageYesterday by Felicia Yap is $3.99 if you’re looking for a unique thriller with bite! (Review) (I don’t remember if it has TW, sorry.)

The Widow by Fiona Barton is $1.99 if you’re looking for a twisty mystery! (Review) (I don’t remember if it has TW, sorry.)

The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman is $1.99 if you’re a literature fan and true crime fan. (Review) (TW suicide/ pedophile/ rape)

A Bit Of My Week In Reading

The Whisper Man cover imageAudiobooks: Just started City of Windows by Robert Pobi so I’m about to find out if I can do a political thriller in our current climate. And The Whisper Man by Alex North which is a dark British serial killer novel because who likes to sleep without nightmares? I finished Daniel Nieh’s Beijing Payback, which had a great narrator, and traveled from the U.S. to Beijing (duh) and back as a college student learns of his father’s criminal involvement after his death. And I inhaled my mystery break Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny by Rebekah Weatherspoon which was everything I wanted it to be.

Iced in Paradise cover imageI am super excited to have acquired these egalleys: Iced in Paradise (A Leilani Santiago Hawai’i Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara; Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel; Francesca Momplaisir’s My Mother’s House!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Today In Books

Edward Snowden Memoir Drops In September: Today In Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by William Morrow books.

Never Have I Ever cover image


Edward Snowden Memoir Drops In September

If you’ve been waiting/hoping for Edward Snowden to write and publish a memoir your wait is almost over: Metropolitan Books will publish Permanent Record on September 17th in 20+ countries. For more on Snowden and the memoir read on here.

Fleabag Special Edition Script Book

The ridiculously talented, and hilarious, Phoebe Waller-Bridge had a hit with the Killing Eve adaptation, was brought on to rewrite the current Bond script, and has a hit with Amazon’s Fleabag, an adaptation of her one-woman show. All of that is to say of course it would be very wise to release a special edition script book of her original Fleabag script.

Florence Wants Dante Back

Er, his body that is. The Divine Comedy author fled into exile in 1302 after being sentenced with burning at the stake, eventually dying in Ravenna where his tomb is to this day. But with Dante’s upcoming 700th death anniversary Florence is thinking of bringing his body back “for a limited period.” I guess we just willy-nilly move bodies now! Anyhoo, more on all of this here.

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What's Up in YA

Reissues: Bringing Back Beloved YA To New Readers

Hey YA Readers! Let’s talk about the books that are being reissued this year.

Reissues take a couple of different forms. There are the books that have either gone out of print and are being brought back to print or have remained in print but are getting a facelift. Then there are the reissues that are anniversary editions honoring a milestone for the book. Reissues typically — though as you’ll see, not always — have a new cover for a new generation.

All of these books have had reissues this year or will be seeing them in the very near future. What makes reissues so great is that they can hit the radars of readers who missed them the first time around, they can spark interest with young readers, and for libraries/schools especially, they’re nice replacements for those well-loved editions. Publishers are able to really bring titles back that fit into contemporary trends and interests, as well as reintroduce classic authors to readers who simply want more depth to their reading lives.

Note: links might not take you to the exact editions because not all are available for preorder yet.

145th Street: Short Stories by Walter Dean Myers (January 14, 2020)

The legendary YA author’s short story collection which takes place on a single block will be rereleased with a fantastic cover in honor of the book’s 20th anniversary.  This is going to be a book to hand to fans of Jason Reynolds, as it’ll be such a great pairing with his upcoming Look Both Ways.

 

Ash by Malinda Lo

In honor of the book’s 10th anniversary — which is hard for me to believe because I remember first reading this book when it hit shelves in 2009 — Ash was rereleased with some fun extras. The cover is nearly the same, as is the story within. If you haven’t yet read this lesbian Cinderella story, here’s your reminder.

 

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (November 12)

There have been a few iterations of this book over the course of its life, but this is a unique take. It’s a mini hardcover edition, coming in November. It’s 6.5 inches by 4.3 inches, which makes it about the size of a mass market paperback, but it’ll be hardcover. This is the retelling of the German folktale Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) set during World War II.

 

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers (February 4, 2020)

If you’ve only read Sadie, then you’re in for a treat when the reissue of Summers’s debut novel hits shelves in February. This is a twisty, gritty book about secrets, friendship, and the ways a person can fall apart when she’s buried under the weight of belief she’s at fault for something terrible that happened. The reissued cover is a nice connection to the original while also being a bit more true to the story inside.

 

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

The reissued cover for LaCour’s debut novel — and Morris Award Winner — is so, so good, and it pairs perfectly with the paperback edition of We Are OkayThis is a story about a girl grieving the loss of her best friend, who struggled with mental illness and died by suicide. It’s beautiful, it’s tough, and it’s utterly moving. LaCour packs so much in every line.

 

I Don’t Want To Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz

Schutz wrote about her memoir in verse being rereleased for the newsletter earlier this year, but it’s worth including here because it’s such a fantastic example of a book hitting shelves at a time when the topic of mental health — and memoirs for teens — weren’t as much a part of the conversation as they are now. The new author’s note in this book is a big bonus.

 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This mega bestselling novel by Forman, made into a film, got an anniversary edition earlier this year. In addition to the cover being an homage to the original, there’s a bonus prequel to the story in this one. Readers who haven’t read the book should — it’s the story of a girl hanging between life and death after a car accident. Part real, part fantasy, completely full of Feelings.

 

Like Sisters On The Homefront by Rita Garcia Williams (December 30)

How fantastic is this cover? This book, which is a Coretta Scott King honor, originally came out in 1995 but it’s being reissued for today’s readers. It’s the story of 14-year-old Gayle and her son who are being sent to live with her uncle and his family after getting into some trouble. Gayle gets to know her family while there and it plays a huge role in how she sees her future.

 

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg (January 7)

I’m so stoked to see this getting reissued with such a fresh cover treatment and bound into one giant edition. Castellucci and Rugg’s comic is about a team of activist artists who work to rouse their sleepy suburban town with guerrilla works of art. This was (maybe still is?) a cult classic for years and years when after it came out in 2007, so it’s nice seeing such a modern refresh since thematically, it absolutely still resonates. It’ll find a whole new batch of young readers, for sure.


Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.

Categories
Giveaways

080119-OneGoodDeed-Giveaway

We have 5 copies of One Good Deed by David Baldacci to give away to 5 Riot readers!

Here’s what it’s all about:

It’s 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he’s sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do’s and a much longer list of don’ts. But the small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer’s years serving in the war or his time in jail.

When a murder takes place right under Archer’s nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison . . . if he doesn’t use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer.

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below!

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Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships August 2

Happy Friday, shipmates! We all made it, and your reward from Captain Alex is an odd grab bag of news and some free association of novels. Oh, and if you need an end-of-the-week pick-me-up, I heartily recommend the #TerribleMCUCasting hashtag on Twitter.

News and Views

Harry Potter turned 39 on Wednesday.

Author Sherrilyn Keynon dropped her lawsuit against her husband.

Black Nerd Problems has a really great, deep look at David Mogo, Godhunter.

Ada Hoffman (author of The Outside) wrote a great essay about portrayals of disability in Star Wars.

And this is one heck of a question: Too many Star Wars books, or not enough?

There’s a documentary about Ursula K. Le Guin coming to PBS on August 2.

Jaimie Alexander is volunteering for Sif to be Valkyrie’s queen and all I can say is YES. (How about a love triangle where no one loses?)

Madeline Miller’s Circe is coming to HBO.

The creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski’s autobiography, Becoming Superman, just came out, and he talked to SyFy Wire about it.

Fast Color is going to go from being a movie to a series on Amazon!

And there’s a new Dungeons and Dragons movie coming? (Insert uncertainface here.)

An interesting examination of Stranger Things as uniquely suburban horror.

From Tor.com, a great roundup of short fiction from July.

I am excited about seeing Lupita Nyongo’o in the zomcom Little Monsters.

This ancient Roman stylus shows that gifts from tourists really haven’t changed in 2000 years.

It’s been a big week for fossils. A triceratops skull was found in the North Dakota Badlands by a university student. And an 1,100 lb sauropod bone got dug up in southwestern France. And a little Chinese boy found fossilized dinosaur eggs.

Free Association Friday

So today in history, Emperor Majorian got arrested in 461 and deposed… but when I first read that name, I read it as “Majoran” which became “Majora” in my head, and instantly I was thinking about Majora’s Mask and it’s brain-bending countdown and world-salvaging time loop.

The first thing I leapt to was trying to figure out books that use the sort of screaming-tension countdown that has made Majora’s Mask a popular meme. And… my finite knowledge and google skills kind of failed me, I admit. It’s a device I used in one of my own books (Blood Binds the Pack if you’ll forgive the shameless plug) but it’s not really so explicit as an on-the-page countdown in much of anything else. There are definitely some books with tight timelines! Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen has a pretty ramped-up timeline that involves time travel at the end of the book. Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire has a pretty implicit, tight timeline that kicks in partway through the book, which I will not spoil here. And so on.

But time loops? There’s a lot of fun books with time loops… though most of those are triggered by the death of the protagonist rather than a deliberate choice to use an Ocarina of Time-esque MacGuffin. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver reminds me a lot of Happy Death Day, except without the serial killer. The timeloop in Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds is driven by love. All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka has humans and aliens battling it out over who will figure out how to win the timeloop first. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North is perhaps the most Majora’s Mask-esque, with a timeloop that is one step closer to the apocalypse every time it triggers.

In a slightly different vein, Mur Lafferty’s Six Wakes has not so much a timeloop as a… clone loop. And the characters have to figure out what is going on before they run out of clones. And Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde is a fun riff on the infinite lives of video games, which become their own kind of weird timeloop for players.

See you, space pirates. You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.