Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at emily.ecm@gmail.com.
I’m back with more bookish news for you to check out, book recommendations for you to read, cats for you to love, and much more. Now, let’s talk about those books. They’re certainly not going to talk about themselves.
Book Deals and Reveals
I’m in love with this cover of Awakened by A.E. Osworth. It was designed by Caitlin Sacks, with an illustration by Andreea Dumuta. What can we expect from this book? “A coven of trans witches battles an evil AI in the magical coming-of-middle-age romp about love, loss, drag shows, and late capitalism.” Can’t wait! It’s out on April 29, 2025.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have been cast in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of the classic novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. This casting choice is… a choice. What are your thoughts? Wuthering Heights is in pre-production and will film in 2025 in the U.K.
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Jessica Biel has dropped out of the Peacock series adaptation of The Good Daughter. The project is based on the novel of the same name by Karin Slaughter.
Check out the cover of the YA historical fantasy Vesuvius, written by Cass Biehn. This one’s out from Peachtree Teen on June 3, 2025.
In a new interview with The New York Times, author Sally Rooney revealed that she has no plans to adapt her novel Beautiful World, Where Are You for the small screen. “So far, I have decided not to accept any offers to option the rights for that book,” she said. “I felt like it was just time to take a break from that and let the book be its own thing for a while.”
So You Think You Can Dance star Alison Holker is releasing a new memoir. This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light details her upbringing, her relationship with husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss, and the process of healing her family and her own heart following his untimely death. The book is out from Harper Select on February 4, 2025.
Actress Gillian Anderson recently spoke with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly about Anderson’s new book Want, “an edited collection of anonymous submissions exploring women’s intimate desires and the spectrum of female sexuality.” Want is now available from Abrams Press wherever you buy your books!
Book Riot Recommends
Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!
Prepare Your Shelves!
This Cursed House by Del Sandeen (Berkley, October 8)
I love a horror debut more than anything else in this world. It’s such a gift to read a new voice in horror, especially when they’re this creative and thoughtful. Del Sandeen is going to be one to watch, and I’m so excited that we’ll be getting this book very, very soon. So prepare your shelves!
This Cursed House is a historical gothic horror debut set in New Orleans in 1962. Twenty-seven-year-old Jemma Barker is seeking to escape her life in Chicago and the ghosts she sees lurking in every corner. She accepts a job with the Duchon family and moves to New Orleans. She’s hopeful this will be her chance to start over.
Unfortunately, if you’re hoping to escape ghosts, New Orleans isn’t really the place to run to. And the Duchon family is not at all what she expected. As a light-skinned family, they immediately look down on Jemma’s darker complexion. The whole family is very strange and incredibly difficult to manage. Before long, the Duchons reveal the real reason they’ve asked Jemma to come here. The whole family is afflicted by a dark curse, and they believe Jemma is the one to save them.
Word of Literary Wisdom
“The truth does not change whether it is seen or unseen… A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not. And yes, maybe it is easier not to look. Maybe it is easier to say because you do not see it, it is not happening. Maybe you can pull the stone out of the pool and put the moon back together.”
— Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
As September winds down and the winds are changing, you might see some changes to the Book Radar newsletter. But don’t worry! I think you’re going to love it, and just know it’s still me, your friendly book-loving cat lady.
And Here’s A Cat Picture!
What’s more classic cat than curling up in a box? I actually saw him in the box, then went to see a play, then came back, and Murray was still in this box. I wish cardboard boxes filled me with this much joy.
And on that note, we’ve reached the end of Book Radar, which means it’s time for you to prepare for your weekend, enjoy the rest of your September, and I’ll see you on the other side!
English (US) · 