Jake Tapper Recommends:
CNN anchor and bestselling author Jake Tapper has some suggestions for your TBR. “I’m a crazy reader, which might not surprise you, given how crazy I am in terms of how much content I produce,” Tapper says. “Right now, I’m reading four books.” Tapper reads on his phone, listens to audiobooks — but the book on his actual nightstand? There’s two. White Noise by Don Delillo and one of the Frank Miller Sin City graphic novels. Click here to read Tapper’s interview about his latest book with BookTrib columnist Dawn Ius.
The Witcher and Lord of the Rings have well-known literary origins, but did you know that these epic fantasy series are also derived from books? They’re well worth catching: originals have details TV shows skip. You can thank us later.
Watch this? The Wheel of Time.
Read that! The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan is the first book in the epic high fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. This may be the least known international bestseller outside of fantasy fandom, but it’s a riveting classic of good versus evil through time.
Watch this? Shadow and Bone.
Read that! Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the first in a trilogy that follows soldier Alina Starkov as her magical gifts awaken and she uncovers the secrets of her past. Can she find the power within herself to save her country from the monsters of the Shadow Fold?
Watch this? House of the Dragon.
Read that! The Targaryen Dynasty by George R.R. Martin, Elio M. Garcia Jr. and Linda Antonsson is the prequel to the worldwide phenomenon, Game of Thrones. Lush with illustrations, the book chronicles the rise of Targaryen power in Westeros.
Watch this? His Dark Materials.
Read that! The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman opened up the Dark Materials universe to fans. Who wouldn’t want their own animal familiar and access to parallel universes? Pullman’s classic sizzles with storytelling and suspense.
Jay and the Whale:
What would you do if you were swallowed whole and only had one hour to escape before your oxygen ran out? Scuba diver Jay Gardiner has a whale of a dilemma in the highly anticipated nail-biter, Whalefall by Daniel Kraus. Washes ashore August 8.
Love and Soccer:
The U.S. Women’s Soccer team just moved up to the next round of the Women’s World Cup, and to celebrate we’re looking forward to Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner. This charming romance is Ted Lasso meets A League of Their Own as it follows Grace and Phoebe from rivals to lovers to the World Cup. Rolling out September 19.
Vampires and Vaqueros:
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas has everything we want in a supernatural Western — cowboys and monsters and a woman’s white-hot rage. Can Nena forgive Néstor for abandoning her for dead before something truly lethal strikes? Sink your teeth into this one August 15.
What if You Could Be Anybody?
Begun as an internationally popular webtoon, Always Human by Ari North is a gorgeous graphic novel that explores what happens to an original in a world where you can modify your appearance however you please. Austen’s condition forces her to maintain her “natural” appearance, which Sunati admires. How will society treat their growing connection?
I Know You Are, but What Am I?
Anyone who grew up watching the whirl-a-gig confection that was Pee-wee’s Playhouse on Saturday mornings knew Paul Reubens. News of his death this week was heartbreaking, but fans might feel comforted to know that he completed the first draft of his memoir before he died. No publisher has yet been announced.
Booker Prize Nominees:
The movies might have their Oscars, and theater its Tonys, but give us the Booker Prize for the best in lit. The Booker Prize just announced their longlist of nominees and we are all in. Thirteen books written by authors on four continents are the nominees, including four Irish authors, four debut authors and 10 authors with their first Booker nom. Who will the award go to? Stay tuned!
