Chapter #45: Summer Preview

Three books and three adaptations I'm excited about ☀️

Feeling My Shelf is a bi-weekly newsletter about books, life, and well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy. First up, some recent reads.

When I Think of You by Myah Ariel

This second-chance romance follows Kaliya, an overworked receptionist whose dreams of making movies are reignited when her former college flame and nepo baby, Danny, offers her a job on his latest production based on his own parents' love story (swoon!) The story's tension is heightened by the usual Hollywood politics and the presence of Danny's ex-girlfriend—a producer on the film, who adds (often unnecessary) drama and conflict. (The love triangle parts dragged on longer than I would've liked.) Nonetheless, it's a swoon-worthy romance filled with heartfelt moments and references to classic Black cinema.

Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett

"The hair. The hands. The jeans. The blood covering it all." Talk about the getaway from hell. What's supposed to be a romantic weekend quickly turns into a nightmare when Breanna (Bree) wakes up to a dead woman sprawled out in the middle of the living room floor and her boyfriend missing. The novel shines a light on the media's obsession with missing white women while often ignoring cases involving women of color. This theme is explored through Bree's experience and the frenzy around the victim, Janelle Beckett, whose disappearance captivates social media. The book also critiques the role of podcasters and TikTokers, who sensationalize true crime for entertainment. The pace was a little slow at times, could’ve benefited from a second POV, and I guessed most of the twists (as usual), BUT I appreciated the social commentary.

Summer is not my favorite season. But it’s a close second.

After unusually gloomy weather here in Southern California, the sun finally(!) seems to be emerging. As the days prepare to grow longer, my excitement is fueled not just by the promise of sunny adventures but also by the incredible lineup of books and book-inspired movies and shows set to be released.

Here are some of the ones I’m most excited about.

A supernatural horror that promises some good twists

The Watchers. So this movie is precisely why I don’t look out of windows at night. Seriously. An artist named Mina (Dakota Fanning) gets stranded in a massive forest in Ireland, eventually finds shelter, and then becomes trapped alongside three other strangers. They’re all being stalked and watched in some creepy-looking glass house. Based on the novel of the same name by A. M. Shine. In theaters on June 7

A thriller set in an eerily-idyllic gated community

One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon. This psychological thriller (and Yoon’s first adult novel!) follows Jasmyn and King, who move their family to the all-Black gated community of Liberty, California. Jasmyn “expected to find liberals and social justice activists striving for racial equality, but Liberty residents seem more focused on booking spa treatments and ignoring the world’s troubles.” Soon, Jasmyn uncovers a secret about Liberty and its Stepford Wives’ way of life. Out June 11

A miniseries that explores the intersection of journalism, racism, and crime:

Lady in the Lake. Based on the novel by Laura Lippman, this seven-part series takes place in the ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder inspires housewife Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist. This sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram), “a mother navigating the political underbelly of Black Baltimore while struggling to provide for her family.” Premieres July 19 on Apple TV+

A messy romance that features a love triangle

Between Friends & Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi. A “swoon-worthy story of love and friendship in the age of social media” follows Josephine, a doctor and content creator known as Dr. JoJo, who’s been harboring a longtime crush on her best friend. But when he shows up to a party with her childhood bully on his arm, Josephine turns her attention elsewhere. Out July 30

A dark comedy about reinvention

Colored Television by Danzy Senna. Jane, a down-on-her-luck novelist, sets her sights on Tinseltown. She scores a meeting with a hotshot Hollywood producer, and together, “they begin to develop ‘the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies’ Things finally seem to be going right for Jane—until they go terribly wrong.”  Out July 30

A romance that everyone won’t shut up about

It Ends with Us. Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, the film follows a woman forced to confront her past when her high school love interest comes back into her life. Everything I’ve heard about this has been against my will! All the drama about the casting of Blake Lively. The “outrage” over the character’s outfits. I absolutely have no desire to read the book, but I will be watching (and scrolling through the inevitable hot takes on Threads). In theaters on August 9

What’s on your summer reading or watch list?

To satisfy the Bridgerton-shaped hole in my heart as we await the arrival of Part 2, I’m reading Queen Bee by Amalie Howard, a historical which follows “a girl seeking retribution against her backstabbing former best friend [who] finds her plans slightly derailed once she catches the eye of a familiar, handsome marquess.”

Inside Reese Witherspoon’s literary empire. Bridgerton’s third season is its best yet — but not because of romance. Meet the author honoring women in hip-hop. A book exec said Sunny Hostin’s beach novels about Black women would fail. 15 swoon-worthy romance novels featuring plus-size main characters. What’s better for the climate: A paper book or an e-reader? “Unfilmable” book adaptations are having a moment – which story will be next?

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