John Grisham To Release "Sooley", A Novel Set On A Different Kind Of Court

By now, if you are one of his avid readers, you already would have known that John Grisham does not only write stories about the legal court and the key roles and characters that revolve around it. He has also written stories about a different kind of court. He has written a story about football when Bleachers came out first in 2003 and Playing for Pizza in 2007, and about baseball with Calico Joe in 2012.

The author is back in this type of court and arena, but in an entirely different ball game: basketball! The new story John Grisham will be sharing with us is titled Sooley. Its official cover has been revealed to give way for its release in the second quarter of this year!

Check out the official cover of Sooley by John Grisham.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author John Grisham takes you to a different kind of court in his first basketball novel. Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams…and even bigger challenges off the court.

In the summer of his seventeenth year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true.

Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quickness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game, though, needs work, and the American coaches are less than impressed.

During the tournament, Samuel receives devastating news from home: A civil war is raging across South Sudan, and rebel troops have ran­sacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp.

Samuel desperately wants to go home, but it’s just not possible. Partly out of sympathy, the coach of North Carolina Central offers him a scholar­ship. Samuel moves to Durham, enrolls in classes, joins the team, and prepares to sit out his freshman season. There is plenty of more mature talent and he isn’t immediately needed.

But Samuel has something no other player has: a fierce determination to succeed so he can bring his family to America. He works tirelessly on his game, shooting baskets every morning at dawn by himself in the gym, and soon he’s dominating everyone in practice. With the Central team los­ing and suffering injury after injury, Sooley, as he is nicknamed, is called off the bench. And the legend begins.

But how far can Sooley take his team? And will success allow him to save his family?

Gripping and moving, Sooley showcases John Grisham’s unparalleled storytelling powers in a whole new light. This is Grisham at the top of his game.

Sooley by John Grisham will be released on April 27, 2021.

'Empire Of The Vampire' By Jay Kristoff Gets Official Cover

After so long a wait, author Jay Kristoff will be releasing the opener to his new bloody series. Writing solo again this time (although I liked his collaborative works as well), the first book on said series (with the same name) is titled Empire of the Vampire. It will be released in fall of this year, just in time for my birthday! What a nice early birthday present to have.

But what is even earlier than this present is the unveiling of the book's official cover, which you can see below. With such gorgeous cover, aren't you even hyped to pre-order your copy now? By the way if your are interested for a signed special edition, I am sorry to say that they were all sold out a few minutes after being listed in participating store(s)...

Check out the official cover of Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff.

US Editon

UK Editon

Synopsis

“From holy cup comes holy light.
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the seven martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.”

Twenty-seven years have passed since the last sunrise, and for almost three decades, the creatures of the night have walked the day without fear. Once, humanity fought bravely against the coldblood legions, but now, we exist only in a few scattered settlements—tiny sparks of light in a growing sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, a holy order dedicated to defending realm and church, now utterly destroyed. Imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king, Gabriel is charged with telling the story of his life.

His tale spans years, from his youth in the monastery of San Michon, to the forbidden love that spelled his undoing, and the betrayal that saw his order annihilated. Most importantly, Gabriel will tell the story of the Grail—the legendary cup prophesied to bring an end to the eternal night, whose location is known to a single person: A smart-mouthed teenage urchin named Dior.

Their journey with a band of unlikely allies would see Dior and Gabriel forge an unbreakable bond, and set the broken paragon on a road to redemption.

But now, the Grail is shattered. And with the cup of the Redeemer destroyed and the last Silversaint awaiting execution, what can bring an end to this undying empire?

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the first illustrated volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff will be released on September 7, 2021 in the UK and on September 14, 2021 in the US.

New And Upcoming Book Releases, Including By Nnedi Okorafor, Paula Hawkins, Ryan Graudin, Amie Kaufman, Kristin Cashore, And Melissa Albert

Here are some of the recent amd upcoming releases, including a thrilling sci-fi from award-winning Nnedi Okorafor, a new collaborative story from Ryan Graudin and Amie Kaufman, a new thriller from Paula Hawkins, a new Graceling Realm novel by Kristin Cashore, and a collection of stories from the world of The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert.

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Synopsis

An alien artifact turns a young girl into Death's adopted daughter in Remote Control, a thrilling sci-fi tale of community and female empowerment from Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Nnedi Okorafor

“She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own.”

The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa­­―a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.

Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks―alone, except for her fox companion―searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.

But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor will be released on January 19, 2021.

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

Synopsis

Look what you started.

When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women in particular. Laura is the troubled one-night stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is the grief-stricken aunt, already mourning another family member who died only weeks earlier. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor who found the bloodied body but is keeping secrets from the police. Three women, mostly unknown to one another, with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are—for different reasons—simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins will be released on August 31, 2021.

The World Between Blinks by Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin

Synopsis

Bestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin invite readers into a wondrous world where lost things are found, and where two cousins must come face-to-face with the impossible…

Whenever Jake and Marisol get together, adventure follows. They have their late Nana to thank for that. Her epic trips and treasure hunts were legendary.

With the whole family reuniting for one last summer vacation at Nana’s home, the cousins are prepared for an extraordinary trip of their own. Following a map Nana left behind, Jake and Marisol sneak out to a nearby lighthouse—then accidentally slip into another world!

The World Between Blinks is a magical place, where all sorts of lost things and people wind up. Everywhere they turn, the cousins find real mysteries from history and a few they thought were just myths, from pilot Amelia Earhart to the fabled city of Atlantis.

But the man who holds the key to Jake and Marisol’s journey home doesn’t want to be found . . . and if the cousins don’t catch him fast, they could end up lost in this world forever.

This first book in an exciting, fast-paced fantasy adventure series—featuring fun, interesting facts about history––is perfect for fans of Chris Colfer’s Land of Stories and Margaret Peterson Haddix’s The Missing series!

The World Between Blinks by Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin will be released on January 5, 2021.

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

Synopsis

The highly anticipated next book in the New York Times bestselling, award-winning Graceling Realm series, which has sold 1.3 million copies.

For the past five years, Bitterblue has reigned as Queen of Monsea, heroically rebuilding her nation after her father's horrific rule. After learning about the land of Torla in the east, she sends envoys to the closest nation there: Winterkeep--a place where telepathic foxes bond with humans, and people fly across the sky in wondrous airships. But when the envoys never return, having drowned under suspicious circumstances, Bitterblue sets off for Winterkeep herself, along with her spy Hava and her trusted colleague Giddon. On the way, tragedy strikes again--a tragedy with devastating political and personal ramifications.

Meanwhile, in Winterkeep, Lovisa Cavenda waits and watches, a fire inside her that is always hungry. The teenage daughter of two powerful politicians, she is the key to unlocking everything--but only if she's willing to transcend the person she's been all her life.

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore will be released will be released on January 19, 2021.

Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

Synopsis

A gorgeously illustrated collection of twelve “lush and deliciously sinister fairy tales” (Kelly Link) by the New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood and The Night Country!

Before The Hazel Wood, there was Althea Proserpine’s Tales from the Hinterland...

Journey into the Hinterland, a brutal and beautiful world where a young woman spends a night with Death, brides are wed to a mysterious house in the trees, and an enchantress is killed twice―and still lives.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans alike, Melissa Albert's Tales from the Hinterland features full-page illustrations by Jim Tierney, foil stamping, two-color interior printing, and printed endpapers.

Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert will be released on January 12, 2021.

#FanMade Cover Of 'Ready Player Zero' By Ernest Cline (A Prequel To 'Ready Player One' And 'Ready Player Two')

I just finished reading Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline. Whilst it was totally fun, some plot points and writing devices used in the story were illogical to the progress of the plot. This is the very reason why I gave it a low score in Goodreads. You're asking me to give a solid example? Here it is: Just imagine that failure to accomplish a set of tasks in a very limited time means death and destruction of the known world, would you keep the details of some tasks to your self and not share it with the persons helping you out to solve a riddle for the sake of suspense and thrill of the readers? I bet you would say no, but this is the very device the author used to keep the readers on the edge of their sits. It might make the story thrilling but it is a totally imprudent decision for the character(s) to do. Yeah, it is a first person perspective story so I forgave it for the unreliability of the narrator.

Jaded as I may I still scoured for some information if there will be a new book after the one I just recently finished. And I found out that instead of the sequel (presumably titled Ready Player Three), we will be getting a prequel called Ready Player Zero instead. It will be for some time though. At least I will still have enough time to vent off my frustrations and totally forget about those foolish things, so I could read the prequel then in a fresh mind.

Here is what exactly author Ernest Cline has to say about the matter on one of his interviews: "It's a coming of age story. It won't be called Ready Player Three it'll be more like Ready Player Zero. I do plan to take a break, but someday I'll write that book too, which is more based on my own childhood – growing up, playing Dungeons and Dragons and video games as a kid. It's like Stand By Me. It's a huge part of my childhood being immersed in all the escapism so that I could write Ready Player One."

Check out the fan-made cover I created for Ready Player Zero by Ernest Cline. 

What do you think? Are we ready for a Ready Player One prequel or do we even need it at this point?