Author: Emily Martin

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Florence Pugh to Star in Adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s THE WONDER: Today in Books

Amazon Wins Screen Rights for Akwaeke Emezi’s Novel You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

In one of the most highly competitive book deals of 2021 so far, Amazon Studios has won a bidding war for the screen rights to Akwaeke Emezi’s forthcoming novel, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, which will be published by Atria in 2022. Michael B. Jordan’s production company Outlier Society will develop the adaptation. The story follows a Nigerian aspiring artist in Brooklyn who loses her husband in a tragic accident. She uses her art to grieve the loss of her husband, but as she begins to move forward in her art career and meets a handsome new love interest, she struggles to balance her grief with her desire to move forward in her life.

Florence Pugh to Star in Adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s The Wonder

Academy Award-nominated Florence Pugh is set to star in the big-screen adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s psychological thriller The Wonder. The story is set in the late 1850s and follows an English nurse who journeys to a village in Ireland to observe what people are calling a miracle: a young girl has gone months without food and survived. Sebastián Lelio is directing the project, and Alice Birch is writing the screenplay with Lelio and Donoghue.

Children Read Longer, More Challenging Books During Lockdown, Data Reveals

According to new research, children read longer and more challenging books during the lockdowns over the past year, and many reported that reading made them feel better during long periods of isolation. The report’s author, University of Dundee professor Keith Topping, said, “Having more time to read gave children the chance to immerse themselves in literature. Schools should encourage more reading time now that they are open again.”

8 of the Best Cats in Science Fiction and Fantasy

It’s been a long week, so why don’t we just talk about science fiction with some really good cats in them? Because cats are always good, even when they’re bad.

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The 2021 Edgar Award Winners Have Been Announced: Today in Books

Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty is Going to Be a TV Show, and Here’s the Cast

Amazon is adapting Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty into a television show, and now they’ve announced the cast. Newcomer Lola Tung has been cast as the lead, and Rachel Blanchard, Jackie Chung, and Christopher Briney will also be series regulars. The coming-of-age story centers around a love triangle between a girl and two brothers, and the enduring power of strong female friendship.

Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay Writing a Book of Personal Essays

On Thursday, former Bachelorette lead Rachel Lindsay announced that she will be releasing a book of personal essays in January. Lindsay shared the official cover of her upcoming book Miss Me with That on Instagram, and she wrote, “Ya’ll know I won’t hold back… I’m telling MY story, sharing my experiences, and opening my heart đź–¤.” The book will be available on January 25, 2022, but you can preorder it now.

The Mystery Writers of America Announce the 2021 Edgar Awards Winners

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the winners of the 2021 Edgar Awards. Among the winners are Alyssa Cole’s When No One is Watching for Best Paperback Original and Katie Alender’s The Companion for Best Young Adult. You can see the full list of nominees and winners here. This year is the 75th annual presentation of the awards.

The Best Way to Teach Reading

The best way to teach reading is a topic that has been hotly debated for many decades. Here is a look at where we are in the conversation around how to teach reading, and a look back at where we’ve been. 

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Gal Gadot to Star in MEET ME IN ANOTHER LIFE: Today in Books

Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist Announced

The Women’s Prize for fiction’s shortlist has been announced. The prestigious UK prize was founded in 1996 and aims to celebrate and honor book written by women. The books that made the shortlist are all novels written by women and published in the UK between 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. The books are: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke, Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps by Cherie Jones, and No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood. The authors on this list come from diverse backgrounds and are from all over the world. None of the authors in this year’s lineup have ever made the shortlist before.

Watch the First Trailer for Netflix’s Sweet Tooth

Netflix has just released its first teaser trailer for its upcoming series Sweet Tooth. The show is based on Jeff Lamire’s DC Comic Series Sweet Tooth, and is set in a post-apocalyptic world where human/animal hybrids are a normal part of the world. The story focuses on a deerboy named named Gus and his companion Jepperd as they set out in a journey across what’s left of America to find answers about Gus’s origins. Christian Convery, Stefania LaVie Owen, Adeel Akhtar, Nonso Anozie, Aliza Vellani, Dania Ramirez, Neil Sandilands, and Will Forte star in the series. James Brolin narrates. Sweet Tooth is out on Netflix on June 4.

Gal Gadot to Star in Meet Me in Another Life

Catriona Silvey’s debut novel Meet Me in Another Life was just published earlier this week, and already an adaptation is in the works. Atlas Entertainment and Gal Gadot, with Jaron Varsano’s production label Pilot Wave, have purchased the rights to the novel, and Gal Gadot is set to star in the film adaptation. The story centers around a man and a woman who keep meeting one another in different versions of reality. In a statement, Gadot and Varsano said, “Catriona’s characters are beautifully explored and deeply complex – their reincarnations sometimes bordering on taboo – that the payoff of their self-discovery feels genuine and earned.” They went on to say they are “thrilled to bring this story with many layers on the big screen.”

Authors Form a Task Force After Disney Refuses to Pay Them

Authors across genres—including Alan Dean Foster, Neil Gaiman, Tess Gerritsen, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Chuck Wendig—have come together to create a task force to fight for the royalties Disney has refused to pay for Star Wars and other tie-in novels.

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GREAT GATSBY Musical Scored by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett Heading to Broadway: Today in Books

Game of Thrones Spinoff Television Series House of the Dragon is Officially in Production

HBO has announced that production has officially begun on its new HBO Max television series House of the Dragon, which is a prequel to Game of Thrones. This new series is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and focuses on the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen, specifically King Viserys, who was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed Jaehaerys Targaryen at the Great Council at Harrenhal. Season one of the series will be 10 episodes long and will premiere on HBO Max in 2022.

The Great Gatsby Musical Scored by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett Heading to Broadway

A new musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved classic The Great Gatsby is heading to broadway. The score of the new Gatsby musical was written by Florence + the Machine’s Florence Welch and pianist, producer, and singer Thomas Bartlett. Florence Welch said, “This book has haunted me for a large part of my life. It contains some of my favorite lines in literature. Musicals were my first love, and I feel a deep connection to Fitzgerald’s broken romanticism. It is an honor to have been offered the chance to recreate this book in song.” Other people working on the project include Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok, who wrote the musical’s book, and Olivier Award nominee Rebecca Frecknall, who will direct. The timeline for a pre-Broadway engagement should be announced soon.

Amazon Announces the Cast for its Paper Girls Series

Earlier this week, Amazon announced that the four main characters have been cast for the new Paper Girls series. The series is an adaptation of Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s acclaimed comic Paper Girls, which tells the story of four newspaper-delivery girls in 1988 who have a run-in with travelers from the future and find themselves also traveling through time. So who are the four actresses playing the titular paper girls? Sofia Rosinsky, Camryn Jones, Riley Lai Nelet, and Fina Strazza. Paper Girls will start filming in Chicago this year.

Post-Pandemic Entertaining: 13 Books to Inspire You

As we start transitioning into meeting up in small groups post-pandemic, entertaining might feel like a lost art. Here are 13 books about entertaining to inspire you.

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Danielle Evans Wins Joyce Carol Oates Prize: Today in Books

Jim Morrison Book of Poetry, Lyrics & Other Writings to Release This Summer

An anthology of American singer-songwriter and poet Jim Morrison’s written works is set to release on June 8th of this year. The 600-page book, entitled The Collected Works of Jim Morrison: Poetry, Journals, Transcripts, and Lyrics, was created in collaboration with Morrison’s estate and was inspired by the discovery of a plan for a book written by the late Doors singer. The book will include poetry, lyrics, and audio transcripts of Morrison reading his work, and will be accompanied by 160 visual components. Novelist Tom Robbins has written a forward for the anthology, editor Frank Lisciandro has provided an introduction, and there will also be a prologue written by the musician’s sister Anne Morrison Chewning. The Collected Works of Jim Morrison is available for preorder now.

Danielle Evans Wins Joyce Carol Oates Prize

Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections and Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, has won the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. The New Literary Project awards the $50,000 prize annually, seeking to honor “a mid-career author of fiction who has earned a distinguished reputation and the widespread approbation and gratitude of readers.” Evans said in a statement, “I am thrilled and honored to receive this year’s prize, and to find myself in the wonderful company of this year’s finalists and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize’s previous winners.” The Joyce Carol Oates Prize has been awarded since 2017, with previous award winners including T. Geronimo Johnson (Welcome to Braggsville) and Laila Lalami (The Other Americans).

Dissident Artist Ai Weiwei Writes a Memoir About His Father’s Exile From China and His Own Detainment

Dissident artist Ai Weiwei has written a memoir with a cover designed by the artist himself. In Weiwei’s memoir 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows, which will be translated into 13 languages, the author explores his experiences being detained in China for 81 days in 2011. He also looks at his father’s exile from China. Wei said in a statement, “During those long weeks [of detention], I thought often of my father, a poet who had been exiled during Mao Zedong’s Anti-Rightist Campaign… I realized how incomplete my understanding of him was and how much I regretted the unbridgeable gap between us.” 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows is due out November 2nd.

5 of the Best Audiobooks for Your Next Sick Day

The next time you find yourself ill for an extended period and looking for an audiobook to bring you comfort and entertainment, try these five titles that are sure to capture your attention.

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Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s Tell-All Biography Gets an Update: Today in Books

First Teaser Trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers, Starring Nicole Kidman, Released

On Sunday, Hulu released the first teaser trailer for its new series Nine Perfect Strangers, starring Nicole Kidman. The new limited series is based on the 2018 Liane Moriarty novel Nine Perfect Strangers. Nicole Kidman is also producing the series alongside show creators John Henry Butterworth and David E. Kelley—who also adapted Moriarty’s Big Little Lies for television. Kidman plays Masha, a wellness resort director who leads 9 stressed-out city dwellers through a 10-day retreat that is meant to help them become more centered and feel more in control of their lives. But Masha’s methods turn out to be quite unconventional. The show will also star Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, Luke Evans, Michael Shannon, and Regina Hall. The release date has yet to be announced.

Ashland County Bookcase Project Gives Out 80 Bookcases Filled with Books

The Ashland County Bookcase Project for Every Child—run through the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center—has constructed and filled 80 bookcases this year. The goal is to give out the shelves to preschool children getting ready to go into kindergarten to help them “discover the joy of reading and the basic reading skills needed to enter school.” In previous years, the program has given out 60 shelves, but this year, they have constructed an extra 20 to make up for missing last year due to the pandemic. Dr. Julia Wright, who started the program 10 years ago, explained, “We give all brand new books to the children. They get more than 50 brand new books in their bookcase…They also get a reading buddy, a stuffed animal for them to snuggle with while their parent or older brother or sister reads to them. This year’s reading buddy will be Winnie the Pooh.” 

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s Tell-All Biography Gets an Update

Last year, royal experts Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand published a tell-all biography about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry called Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. Now, less than a year later, the authors have announced that they’re releasing an updated version of the biography with brand-new chapters. These new chapters will cover Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, allegations that Meghan bullied royal staff, and Prince Philip’s death. It should be noted that Meghan and Harry are not officially connected to the biography. In July before the first edition of the book was released, a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry released a statement on their behalf, which read: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.” The updated version of the book should be out this summer.

A Closer Look at Kindle Unlimited Manga

Did you know that Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service includes manga? Here’s a closer look at the Kindle Unlimited manga selection.

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James Gunn Teases GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Christmas Special: Today in Books

To All The Boys Screenwriter Sofia Alvarez to Write and Direct Feature Film Adaptation of Along for the Ride

Sofia Alvarez, the screenwriter who penned the Neflix hit film adaptations of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, is teaming up with Netflix again to write and direct another feature film adaptation of a YA novel. This time, she’s writing/directing an adaptation of Along for the Ride, a novel by award-winning author Sarah Dessen. The film is Alvarez’s directorial debut and will star Emma Pasarow (Am I OK?) and Belmont Cameli (Saved by the Bell). Also joining the cast of the film are Kate Bosworth (Wild Indian), Laura Kariuki (Black Lightning), Andie MacDowell (Ready or Not), and Dermot Mulroney (Deadly Illusions).

Delacorte Press to Publish The Grimoire of Grave Fates in Partnership with We Need Diverse Books

On Thursday, April 22, Delacorte Press announced that they will publish The Grimoire of Grave Fates, a YA fantasy novel told by 18 acclaimed YA authors through interconnected points of view. In the novel, a professor at an esteemed wizarding school is murdered, and the students are trying to track down the killer. Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective. The novel was created by Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky) and Margaret Owen (The Merciful Crow), and the following authors all contriubuted individual chapters: Cam Montgomery, Darcie Little Badger, Hafsah Faizal, Jessica Lewis, Julian Winters, Karuna Riazi, Kat Cho, Kayla Whaley, Kwame Mbalia, L. L. McKinney, Marieke Nijkamp, Mason Deaver, Natasha DĂ­az, Preeti Chhibber, Randy Ribay, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Victoria Lee, and Yamile Saied MĂ©ndez. This book is being published in Partnership with We Need Diverse Books, and Alkaf and Owen plan to use proceeds from the sales to establish two initiatives for marginalized authors. Alkaf wishes to mentor and support Muslim writers seeking to publish children’s literature, and Owen plans to do the same for transgender writers.

James Gunn Teases Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special

Earlier this week, James Gunn took to Twitter to tease the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special. Gunn shared an image of the script, adding, “This is the wrapping. The present is inside.” Gunn went on to explain that the story would be set after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder but before the third Guardians of the Galaxy film. The upcoming holiday special is set to debut on Disney+ in 2022.

9 of the Most Controversial Books Published in English

Books can be “controversial” for many reasons and cover many different kinds of material that can cause readers concern, from sexual content to blasphemy. Here are 9 of the most controversial books that have been published in the English language.

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Actress Emilia Clarke Has Written A Comic Book: Today in Books

Spider-Man Will Be Streaming on Disney+ for the First Time

Disney and Sony have reached a multi-year deal that would make Spider-Man and other major franchises available to stream on Disney+ for the first time. This deal “gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films,” according to the official announcement. Disney+ and Hulu will get a “significant number” of library titles on their streaming platforms, starting as early as June.

Actress Emilia Clarke Has Written A Comic Book

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has written a comic book! The actress said the idea started off as a joke, but the more she thought about it, the more she thought to herself, “That would be f—ing cool. Why not?” And so M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, a three-issue comic mini-series, was born. The series stars a single mom named Maya who has super powers, and she uses these powers to take on a secret cabal of human traffickers. Clarke told Entertainment Weekly, “We’re always calling mothers superheroes, and I’m like, what if they were? What if they legitimately were superheroes?” M.O.M.‘s first issue is out July 21.

The Aspen Words Literary Prize Goes to Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman

Louise Erdrich’s novel The Night Watchman has been named the winner of the $35,000 Aspen Words Literary Prize. The Aspen Institute established the prize to honor a work of fiction that “illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.” In a virtual ceremony presented in collaboration with NPR Books, Louise Erdrich accepted the prize on behalf of her grandfather, who was “one of the dwindling number of first speakers of the Ojibwe language, in addition to all his activism.” You can watch the full ceremony here.

The Future of the Ripped Bodice Diversity Report

The Ripped Bodice Diversity Report was started to highlight how many romances by BIPOC authors are being traditionally published and by which publishing houses. But the report has faced criticism for lack of transparency in its methods. Where does the Ripped Bodice Diversity Report go from here?

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LeVar Burton is Your New Jeopardy Guest Host: Today in Books

Ava DuVernay is Making a Netflix Series Based on the Wings of Fire Series

Ava DuVernay, director of Wrinkle in Time and When They See Us, is now executive producing a 10-episode Netflix series based on the Wings of Fire fantasy kids books. “Within this epic book series from the mind of Tui Sutherland is an elegant saga filled with wisdom and wonder, exploring ideas of belonging and bias, camaraderie and community,” DuVernay said in a statement. Dan Milano and Christa Starr are adapting the books for Netflix and will serve as showrunners alongside Justin Ridge.

Thomasin McKenzie and Sian Clifford to Star in Adaptation of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

The BBC has announced its cast for the four-part adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s best-selling and award-winning Life After Life. Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) and Sian Clifford (Fleabag) will star. Additionally, the cast will include James McArdle (Man in an Orange Shirt), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Jessica Hynes (Years and Years), Patsy Ferran (Black Narcissus), Harry Michell (Yesterday), Laurie Kynaston (The Trouble with Maggie Cole) Joshua Hill (Small Axe), and Maria Laird (Derry Girls). McKenzie, who will play Ursula Todd, a character who dies several times throughout her life only to be born over and over again, said in a statement, “I’m drawn to Life After Life because it makes me laugh, cry, clench my fists in anger or whoop with empowerment. Bash has done a stunning job at adapting Kate Atkinson’s masterpiece, and working with John has already taught me a great deal – reinforcing my love for collaborating and creating.”

LeVar Burton is Your New Jeopardy Guest Host

Actor LeVar Burton has been a long-time fan favorite in the literary community for hosting the iconic children’s show Reading Rainbow and the podcast LeVar Burton Reads. In fact, fans love Burton so much that in November, Change.org petition was started to advocate for the actor as the next host of Jeopardy. And now, LeVar Burton was just named as one of the new guests hosts of the popular game show. Ask and you shall receive!

Authors Respond to Texas District Book Ban

Authors including Carmen Maria Machado and Margaret Atwood respond to the banning of their books by the Leander Independent School District in Texas.

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Dakota Johnson Starring in Adaptation of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION: Today in Books

Authors Guild Foundation’s 2021 Virtual Gala Honors Louise Erdrich and Ibram X. Kendi

The Authors Guild Foundation will be hosting its 29th Annual Gala & Benefit on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 7pm EST. The event will be virtually streamed and open to the public free of charge. The theme of the 2021 benefit, hosted by Samantha Bee of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, is “Books That Inspire Change.” To that end, the foundation will honor Ibram X. Kendi with the Literature That Inspires Change Author Award and Louise Erdrich with the Distinguished Service to the Literary Community Award. One World publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Jackson will also be honored with the Literature That Inspires Change Publisher Award. You can register for the event and donate at the Authors Guild Foundation website.

Dakota Johnson Starring in Netflix Adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Dakota Johnson will star in the Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion. This new adaptation, described as a “modern, witty approach” to Jane Austen’s beloved final novel, will be directed by Carrie Cracknell. Cracknell is best known for directing Sea Wall/ A Life on Broadway. This will be her feature directorial debut. The screenplay is written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow. Production is expected to begin in May.

Jordan Fisher and Dove Cameron to Star in HBO Max Movie Field Notes on Love

Hamilton‘s Jordan Fisher and Dove Cameron, star of CW’s upcoming live-action Powerpuff series, have been announced as the stars of a new Warner Bros/HBO Max movie, based on the YA romance novel Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith. Smith is co-adapting her story for the screen with the help of Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham. Appian Way’s president of production Jennifer Davisson and Phillip Watson are producing, and Jordan Fisher is executive producing.

9 Books to Read After Watching Meghan and Harry on Oprah

Still reeling after the Oprah interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Her are some books to give you insight and answer any questions you might have about the former royals.