Welcome to this week's Book Briefing where we round up the news for the week!
This week we're grieving the loss of a national treasure, reveling in all the new book covers we are feasting our eyes on, preparing for the Booker Prize season, and more! Oh and losing our minds over Rebecca Yarros and her cryptic posts.
Outpouring of grief and love for Sam Neil after news of his passing
Beloved actor and author of a fantastic and candid memoir, ‘Did I Ever Tell You This?’, Sam Neil has died at the age of 78. Straight away the internet was full of people share their favourite memories and roles of Sam’s, and sending love to his whānau (family).
Rebecca Yarros teases a big reveal and we’re LOSING OUR MINDS!
Rebecca Yarros has sent the 'Fourth Wing' fandom (ahem us included) into full detective mode after sharing another cryptic black-and-white Instagram post, with readers convinced a major announcement is just around the corner. Some fans think she's teasing the long-awaited cast for the Prime Video adaptation, while others are convinced it's connected to Book 4, pointing to the black-and-white aesthetic and hidden clues in her recent posts. With Conscription Day on 15 July (tomorrow!!) fast approaching, many believe we could finally get a casting reveal, a title reveal or another major Empyrean update very soon.
Han Kang’s independent bookstore in Korea closes
‘Onul Books’, Korean author Han Kang’s independent bookstore in Seoul, has officially closed it’s doors after 8 years of drawing readers both locally and from abroad. On social media the bookstore account shared that “eight years later, we are pausing the bookstore's journey for now. We have not yet decided when or where we will reopen." Han Kang is well known across the world for her books, like the International Booker Prize Winner ‘The Vegetarian’.
Cover revealed for Will Wight’s new book, Overworld.
Fans of the LitRPG genre will be happy to hear that Will Wight has a new book coming out with Tor in March, 2027, with a gorgeous cover as well. Will Wight is the author of the best-selling space-fantasy series, ‘Cradle’, and fans are excited for Overworld which looks like a distinctive new LITRPG adventure novel perfect for fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl or readers wanting something fresh!
Taylor Jenkins Reid is teasing her next novel!
On Instagram Taylor Jenkins Reid posted a mysterious photo of an old ute with the number plate ‘TJR27’ and gave us what must be the exact date for her next novel in the caption , 2nd March 2027! We cannot wait to find out more.
Title and cover revealed for Michael Douglas’ upcoming memoir
We are even more excited now, with a brand new cover and title reveal for Michael Douglas’ memoir ‘One Helluva Ride’. Michael says about the memoir: “This book is about where I came from, what I fought against, and what I chose formyself. Fame can blur the truth; this is my attempt to bring it back into focus." Bring on October 6th!
Get ready for the Booker Longlist!
The Longlist for the Booker Prize 2026 is coming very soon, on Tuesday 28th July, and we can’t wait to add every single title listed to our TBR. The shortlist is announced a couple of months later on Tuesday 22nd September, with the winner announced on Monday 9th November.
'Dungeon Crawler Carl' Vol. 2 arrives in October
If you flew through the first 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' graphic novel, the wait for more is almost over. 'Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 2' lands on 6 October, continuing Carl and Princess Donut's chaotic quest as they battle their way to the second floor, facing goblins, rival crawlers, a sadistic AI and plenty more absurd, action-packed mayhem. The new volume collects episodes 14 to 30 of the hit WEBTOON adaptation, with vibrant artwork by Laurel Pursuit and Matt Dinniman closely involved throughout the project.
Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate for 2026-2028 announced
Award-winning author Patrice Lawrence has been named the new Waterstones Children’s Laureate for 2026 to 2028, taking over from Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Best known for books including 'Orangeboy', Lawrence says she wants to use the role to champion the power of reading, help children feel seen through stories and shine a light on the importance of books in bringing communities together.
We're already obsessed with Ashley Poston's new cover
We were already signed up and excited for Ashley Poston’s upcoming adult fantasy novel, 'Elodie and the Dark Lord', and now we have a BEAUTIFUL cover to go with it. About a magicless librarian and a Dark Lord who becomes her unlikely ally, we are so ready to enter this world of labyrinthine underground mazes and man-eating hydrangeas!
Maggie O’Farrell dominating the Irish book sales with ‘Land’
Her latest novel, 'Land', has become a runaway success in Ireland, claiming the #1 spot on the NielsenIQ BookScan Irish Consumer Market chart for four consecutive weeks. The novel sold thousands of copies within its first weeks of release, including more than 3,100 print copies in a single week, before finishing last month as the bestselling print book in Ireland. We couldn't be happier for Maggie. She was an absolute delight to listen to at this year's Auckland Writers Festival, and it's so wonderful to see 'Land' receiving the incredible success it deserves!
New book from Samantha Sotto Yambao on the way!
Samantha Sotto Yambao has shared an exciting update, revealing that the edits for her upcoming novel, 'The Night Movers Disappearing Service', have officially been accepted, with copy edits up next. We can't wait to step into this new world when it arrives next year! In the meantime, we'll happily keep ourselves occupied with the rerelease of 'Love and Gravity', which is out later this year.
Meg Cabot is finally returning to YA romance
Meg Cabot is returning to YA romance for the first time in ten years with 'Kissing Cowboys', releasing in January 2027. The story follows New York City teen Winn Riley, whose life is turned upside down when her family moves to a working ranch school for troubled genius boys in Montana, where she's the only girl. Expect plenty of swoon-worthy romance, cowboy drama and Meg Cabot's signature humour as she returns to the genre that made so many of us fall in love with her books.
Cover revealed for Hannah Grace’s upcoming sports romance
This stunning cover has us SO excited to get our hands on the newest sports romance from all-star Hannah Grace. 'Champagne Problems' brings all our favourite things together - swoon-worthy romance, a cast of fabulous characters, and some fast paced Formula 1!
Tīhema Baker announces deeply personal, powerful new novel
Moa Press announced an exciting new novel by best selling author Tīhema Baker. ‘One Day a Taniwha’ is a novel coming in August this year which Tīhema says is drawn from his own experiences as a new Pāpā, and work he’s done in Māori mental health. It’s a story about Māori fatherhood and masculinity, and how the harms we experience, inherit, and inflict on others can come alive and haunt us.
That's all for this book briefing! For more bookish news, new releases, staff picks and plenty more from all the team at Book Hero, follow us on Instagram at @bookheronz and check back here on our blog as we post regularly!
