July Fourth is almost here and we’re firing up the grill and brewing the tea. Whether you take your tea iced or with a side of book insider gossip, we’ve got the reads for you while you chill during the holiday weekend.
John Adams Tells All:
If you’re looking to mark the holiday by reading about how the United Colonies of Great Britain became the United States of America, look no further than the Pulitzer Prize-winning John Adams by David McCullough, or binge the Emmy Award-winning TV series of the same name. McCullough paints an unsparing portrait of America’s leading advocate for independence.
Wild News:
Did you love Where the Wild Things Are by the legendary Maurice Sendak as a kid? The good folks at HarperCollins Children’s Books have found an unpublished book by Sendak. Ten Little Rabbits will be hopping your way February 6, 2024.
Queen of the Beach Read:
Maybe it’s the island setting, but Elin Hilderbrand’s novels set on Nantucket make the perfect beach read. Her latest is The Five-Star Weekend, about a group of women who gather to support one of their own who was recently widowed. It’s full of twists and turns as the friends reconnect and find unexpected personal challenges. Are you a Hilderbrand fan?
GMA & Today Book Clubs:
Two morning shows have have announced their July reads. Jenna Bush Hager’s Today show book club pick is Thao Thai’s debut novel, Banyan Moon. Hager calls it “an epic love story between mothers and daughters.” Good Morning America chose Elizabeth Castellano’s Save What’s Left. What happens when you take the woman out of Kansas and put her on the shores of Long Island to recover from a failed marriage? You just know it’s going to be hilarious.
Palm Beach Scribe Does It Again:
In her third novel set against a lavish Palm Beach backdrop, Maribelle’s Shadow, Susannah Marren exposes the intricate secrets of the Barrows family. This gripping tale follows three sisters and their mother as their picture-perfect lives unravel after the mysterious death of Maribelle’s husband, Samuel. Amidst family drama, financial scandal and unexpected revelations, Marren skillfully captures the essence of Palm Beach’s opulence and its darker undercurrents.
Felicia Day and Neil Gaiman Collab:
Buffy actress Felicia Day’s Audible original, Third Eye, is set to release this fall, with none other than Neil Gaiman as the narrator. After a disaster facing Tybus the Terrible, outcast wizard Laurel Pettigrew has a lot to prove. Set on the streets of San Francisco, the cast includes the author, as well as the voice talent of Wil Wheaton, Sean Astin and Alan Tudyk. Comedian Jonah Ray directs.
Steve Berry Partners Up:
International and New York Times bestselling thriller writer Steve Berry, like his sleuth Cotton Malone, usually works alone, but he teams up with Grant Blackwood for their new thriller, The 9th Man. Following Berry’s blend of action with a shocking twist to history, The 9th Man takes an eye-opening look at the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and sends Malone’s protégé Luke Daniels on his first solo mission.
Pete Davidson and Paul Dano Chase Dumb Money:
The trailer is here for Dumb Money, the upcoming film adaptation of Ben Mezrich’s book, The Antisocial Network. It’s the true story of the GameStop short squeeze orchestrated by Reddit users in 2021 sending the stock’s value soaring. The movie features Paul Dano as the mastermind behind the squeeze, with Pete Davidson as his brother. Vincent D’Onofrio, Seth Rogen and Nick Offerman join the cast. Dumb Money should hit theaters on Sept. 22.
Orwell Would Be Proud:
Tom Crewe and Peter Apps have been named the winners of this year’s Orwell Prizes. Crewe was honored for his debut novel, The New Life, a Victorian-era tale advocating for the destigmatization and decriminalization of homosexuality. Peter Apps received the award for his nonfiction work, Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen, shedding light on the tragic 2017 London high-rise fire that claimed 72 lives.
Drake’s Poetry Collection:
Canadian rapper Drake surprised his fans with the announcement of a poetry collection titled Titles Ruin Everything: A Stream of Consciousness. Co-authored by his song collaborator Kenza Samir, the book offers a glimpse into the artist’s inner world through never-before-published poems. The release date remains unclear, with conflicting information on preorder availability. Drake also unveiled a webpage, titlesruineverything.com, hinting at an accompanying album.