Welcome back to The Bubbly Bulletin—a space dedicated to all the good book news of the month. For July, we’re discussing lots of Elin Hilderbrand (she reigns as the Queen of the Beach Read even when she’s not writing them!), the World Cup through the eyes of romance writers and readers, authors reaching rock-star status, a new erotic thriller we just discovered was inspired by ACOTAR, Emmy-nominated adaptations, a Big Little Lies sequel after more than a decade, a few beautiful book edition finds, and a fun bubbly giveaway!
Good morning, readers! I hope you’ve had a lovely July. We’re smack-dab in the middle of summer, and I’m trying to relish all the endless days of sticky popsicles, ice-cold dips in the lake, and sunset cocktails. Speaking of cocktails, as a thank you for being a Club Bubbly subscriber, we have a bubbly little giveaway for you this month! Leave a comment on this post, and I’ll pick two winners to receive one of the hand-painted mini bottles of Veuve below. Thank you for being such enthusiastic readers and supporters! Now, let’s talk books!
On authors we love…
Ann Patchett is being awarded the prestigious Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction next month. One author gets the honor each year, and in the year of Whistler (review here), it’s Ann. I think it’s also worth noting how cool it is that People is reporting on this. Reading is cool, people!
Elin Hilderbrand: Boston Magazine published the most in-depth Elin profile I’ve ever read. Whether you’re a “Hilderbabe” or an Elin novice, it’s a fun feature to get you better acquainted with the Queen of the Beach Read. (You can check out Elin’s Cake with Katie here, too!)
More Elin: She also let The New York Times into her “money pit,” aka her gorgeous home on Nantucket. Come for the interview, stay for the photos!
Jessica Knoll: Earlier this month, Jessica released an erotic thriller, Helpless, and she revealed to Bustle that it was inspired by the kidnapping-turned-romance scenes in A Court of Thorns and Roses (series review here)! This has now officially shot to the top of my TBR—although be warned, the subject matter is dark.
Gillian McAllister: The author of a longtime personal favorite thriller Wrong Place, Wrong Time (review here) shared her vacation thrillers recs (pictured below!) with The New York Times to celebrate summer and recently publishing her own trip-gone-wrong story, Caller Unknown (more from Elizabeth here).
On the golden age of book adaptations we’re living in…
Los Angeles Times reported that authors are reaching rock-star status with the recent surge in book-to-screen projects—especially this TV season, which “has been an apparent bonanza for the book adaptation business.”
“I think books have never been more important, more respected,” says Sylvie Rabineau, senior partner & co-head of literary media, WME. “I think authors have never been more respected.”
The Hollywood Reporter says reality dating shows are on the decline and book adaptations are so in. According to a new study by Ampere Analysis, romance novel adaptations have increased by 73 percent on streaming services in just three years, and their success has global streamers gravitating toward “higher-budget scripted shows with established fan bases.” All I heard was high budget, baby! Let’s use some of that cash to properly adapt ACOTAR!
Emmy nominations dropped July 8, and Kirkus compiled a list of every book adaptation that got one. Emily Henry received her first for her work as an executive producer on People We Meet on Vacation!
Jennifer Garner and her The Five-Star Weekend co-star Gemma Chan chatted with ELLE UK about the new Elin Hilderbrand adaptation, female friendships, and women’s identities as we age. PureWow also curated some five-star wardrobe picks to channel your own Nantucket style—from wherever you might be spending your summer!
On the World Cup (but make it romantic)…
Anna McCallie, author of Abby Offsides (review here), offers a very entertaining “Beginner’s Guide to the World Cup” on Jenna Bush Hager’s Substack.
Here is how bookstores all over the world celebrated the World Cup!
Love was in the air across World Cup host cities—from increased dating app activity to in-person meet-cutes at watch parties.
If you prefer a fictional love story where you’re dating the star footballer, Woman’s World and Bustle both rounded up soccer romance novel recs to cure your post-tournament blues.
On that *stupid Atlantic article…
This NYT opinion piece offers thoughtful commentary on The Atlantic article heard around the book world, plus some evidence to combat its bold headline claim. The main takeaway: things are changing, but there’s more to the story of reading declines, and it’s not so black and white (is anything, ever?). Literacy isn’t dead, and the book industry and reading habits are actually proving very resilient!
Atria Gallery Publishing Group is relaunching Pocket Books. Let beach readers—and Jacob Elordi—rejoice! This is a happy follow-up to our March report on the extinction of mass market paperbacks. The revival’s primary focus will be on romance titles, along with romantic thrillers, dark romance, and horror.
The Everygirl reported on this summer’s literary tourism travel trend, and kicked off the article with this ringing endorsement for reading’s livelihood:
“A hobby that once resulted in an embarrassing collection of Edward Cullen posters hanging on your wall or a cringe-worthy era where you were a little too into Harry Potter is now the it-girl activity taking over the world.”
We’re particularly interested in EF Ultimate Break’s 12-day trip to Croatia based on People We Meet on Vacation, which The NYT covered in their own article about this travel trend.
*I am mostly kidding! The author made some good points, and the article was clearly incredibly well researched. I applaud her for getting us talking about the importance of reading, but it was such a depressing headline and frustrating to see the end of reading pitched as a foregone conclusion.
On Bookstore Romance Day…
Bookstore Romance Day is coming up on August 15! Find participating bookstores here.
Learn more about the history of the event here!
Whether the journey takes 2 hours or 10 minutes, let this People headline be your shopping inspiration for BRD: “Woman Living 2 Hours from Closest Bookstore Buys 146 Books in One Day.”
On podcasts…
On Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club, Elin Hilderbrand talks The Five-Star Weekend adaptation, the literary empire she built around the magic of Nantucket, and some of her favorite books. I loved that the interviewer asked what authors Elin would invite to her own five-star weekend! She chose Judy Blume for her childhood, Danielle Steel for high school days, Laurie Colwin for early adulthood, and Margaret Atwood for present day. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
On Open Book with Jenna, Anna McCallie talks her own move to the UK, her unique resume, and how a bedtime story she told herself became Abby Offsides. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
On Bad on Paper, Robinne Lee talks her latest release, The Idea of You adaptation, writer’s block, and sexuality. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
On Books, Beach, & Beyond (and live at this summer’s 15th annual Nantucket Book Festival!), Belle Burden talks her best-selling memoir, Strangers, in a conversation Elin Hilderbrand organized to cover before the book, about the book, and after the book came out. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
On Friends & Fiction, Lisa Jewell talks her new psychological thriller, her own irrational fears, and what’s next. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
What’s below the paywall:
Coming Soon
Side Bar
Print to Picture
Bookish Buys
Next Month’s Releases
From the Archives
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