Author: Emily Martin

The Massillon Museum Kicks Off This Year’s Big Read by Handing Out Copies of Circe

The Massillon Museum will kick off The National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read for 2021 by handing out copies of Circe by Madeline Miller. You can get a free copy of Miller’s popular novel from 1 to 3PM on March 27 at the museum. The NEA’s Big Read program aims to “[expose] people to new genres and ideas and challenges their current tastes in literature.” This is the Massillon Museum’s 14th year participating in the event. Many of the other Big Read events will be held virtually. Check out the NEA’s website for more information.

Amazon and Big Five Publishers Face Another Lawsuit

Amazon and the Big Five Publishers have just had a second lawsuit filed against them. The first lawsuit alleges price-fixing in the digital market. This second one—filed on behalf of booksellers—accuses Amazon along with Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Random House of a conspiracy to restrain price competition in the retail and online print trade book market.

2020 Nation Book Critics Circle Award Winners Announced

The winners of the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Awards have been announced! Among the winners are Cathy Park Hong’s autobiography Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning and the novel Hamnet by Maggie O’Ferrell. See the full list of winners here.

Lonesome Dove Author Larry McMurtry Has Died

Larry McMurtry, the novelist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove, has died at the age of 84.

New Book Explores Truman Capote’s Relationships with Wealthy Socialites

A forthcoming book from author Laurence Leamer will explore Truman Capote’s relationships with wealthy socialite women he called his “swans.” Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal and a Swan Song for an Era focuses on Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood author Truman Capote in the later part of his life. The book is due to release on October 12, according to Penguin Random House.

No Time to Die Director Cary Fukunaga to Direct Adaptation of Tokyo Ghost Comics

No Time to Die director Cary Fukunaga has been tapped to direct a new film adaptation of the Image Comic series Tokyo Ghost. The series is a 10-issue cyberpunk comic set in 2089 where humanity uses technology to fully disconnect from reality. Rick Remender, the comic book’s creator, will write the script for the film.

Virtual Book Club Platform to Launch This Spring

BookClub, a virtual book club platform that will be driven by author-led book discussions, is set to launch later this spring. The platform with be a subscription service with a monthly fee and will feature many different types of authors from different backgrounds. No specific author names have been announced yet, and there is no release date yet either; however, interested readers can add their email address to a waitlist on the BookClub website.

Recent Funding Cuts to Accessible Books for Canadians With Print Disabilities Will be Devastating

A recent funding cut to accessible book has been announced in Canada. These funding cuts will be devastating to Canadians with print disabilities.

Carmen Maria Machado Wins Rathbones Folio Prize

Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir In the Dream House, which examines Machado’s time in an abusive relationship with another woman, has won the 2021 Rathbones Folio Prize, worth £30,000. Judges Roger Robinson, Sinéad Gleeson, and Jon McGregor unanimously chose Machado’s book, published by Graywolf Press, as the winner.

New Edition of The Lord of the Rings to Include Tolkien’s Own Art

The latest edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings will include illustrations by the author himself. In 2019, Tolkien’s illustrations were displayed in an exhibit hosted by the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City called “Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth.” Now, that artwork will be in a new edition of the novel to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt later this year. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publisher Deb Brody said in a statement, “It seemed fitting to finally reunite this art with the words it enhances, and we are delighted that in so doing it will allow people to enjoy this masterpiece anew.”

David Duchovny Will Star in Showtime’s Adaptation of His Latest Novel

David Duchovny’s fourth novel Truly Like Lightning was published in February of this year, and already the writer/actor is working on an adaptation of the novel for Showtime. Duchovny is writing a script for the series with the help of Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. If the series is picked up to pilot, Nilson and Schwartz will also direct.

10 of the Best Gay Comic Books

Looking for some of the best gay comic books? We gotcha covered!

7-Year-Old Dresses as Amanda Gorman for His School’s Spirit Day

Seven-year-old Jeremy Rowan was asked to dress as his idol for his school’s spirit day, and he chose to dress as the nation’s first-ever youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman. In a Tweet, Amanda Gorman expressed her appreciation for Jeremy’s costume, writing, “When I dress up as my idol I have to dress up as him!” Jeremy’s mother Kimberly Rowan said Gorman reached out to her to make sure it was okay to share the photo of Jeremy’s costume. Then Gorman sent a video to Jeremy expressing how great she thought the costume was. Rowan said, “It is really such a special moment for him and I know it will shape who he becomes.”

Richard Wright’s Never-Before-Seen Novel to be Published in April

On April 20, the Library of America will be releasing a never-before-published novel from Native Son author Richard Wright. Wright’s The Man Who Lived Underground is a novel about race and police violence written nearly 80 years ago. The novel is being published for the first time ever after Julia Wright—Wright’s daughter and literary executor—reached out to the Library of America about the significance of the novel’s perspective on police brutality. The novel is also available in eBook from Harper Perennial and as an audiobook from Caedmon, an imprint of HarperAudio.

The Academy of American Poets to Present This Year’s Leadership Award to Jonathan Galassi

On the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Month, the Academy of American Poets will present its Leadership Award to Jonathan Galassi. As former Academy Board Chairman and current President of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Galassi has published many influential American and international poets, including Louise Glück, winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature. Galassi is also responsible for helping to launch National Poetry Month, which is now the largest literary celebration in the world. Galassi will be honored at the first-ever virtual Poetry & the Creative Mind gala on April 29.

Quiz: Is It Censorship?

It seems like every week, there’s a news story in the book world about censorship. But what really counts as censorship? Take this quiz to find out.

Barack Obama Discusses A PROMISED LAND with Isabel Wilkerson in a Virtual Event

On Monday, March 29, Barnes & Noble is welcoming Barack Obama to a virtual discussion about his book A Promised Land. The #1 New York Times bestselling book A Promised Land is the first volume in former President Obama’s presidential memoirs. Obama will be in conversation with Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. The event will be free to attend, but registration is required.

Hulu to Adapt Margaret Atwood’s Maddaddam Trilogy

Hulu has already adapted Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale into a four-season series, and they’re working on adapting Atwood’s sequel The Testaments. Now, the streaming platform is returning to Atwood to adapt the author’s Maddaddam Trilogy. The first book in the trilogy Oryx and Crake introduces readers to a dystopian world where much of humanity has been killed off in a bioengineered pandemic. Michael Lesslie will write the pilot script and also executive produce the series.

AAPI Authors & Bookstagrammers Organize #StandUpforAAPI Support Campaign

Asian American and Pacific Islander authors, bookstagrammers, and other members of the book community have organized a social media campaign #StandUpforAAPI. The campaign, started by bookstagrammer Michelle Jocson, author Suzanne Park, and bookseller Jhoanna Belfer, is intended to raise awareness of the ongoing violence and hate targeting AAPI communities. Throughout the week, the book community is organizing calls to action, including posting on social media, volunteering, and more.

Winners of the 2021 Audies Awards Announced

Recognizing the best in audiobooks, the 2021 Audie Award winners were announced in a ceremony hosted by John Leguizamo.

Feminist Egyptian Author Nawal El Saadawi Dies at Age 89

Nawal El Saadawi, a famous Egyptian feminist author, physician and psychiatrist, died on Sunday in Cairo at age 89. El Saadawi is the author of many books, including Women at Point Zero and Memoirs from the Women’s Prison. She was also the founder and president of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights. She founded the feminist magazine Al-Moawgaha in 1981.

Crowdfunded Book of Author Douglas Adam’s Notes to be Published Posthumously

A crowdfunded book will soon be published for fans of the late author Douglas Adams, who died in 2001 at the age of 49. Adams was most well-known for his novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The new book will include many unseen letters, scripts, jokes, poems, ideas, ID cards and to-do notes. A number of the documents shed light on just how difficult the writing process was for the beloved author. The book, entitled 42, will be edited by Kevin Jon Davies, who first met Adams in 1978. You can still back the project here.

Prince Harry Offers Advice to Grieving Children in New Book

Prince Harry has written the foreword for a new book aimed at children with parents who died in the COVID-19 pandemic. The book is Hospital by the Hill, written by Chris Connaughton. In his foreword, Harry writes that the losing his mother Diana, who died in a car accident when he was only 12, left “a huge hole inside me.” Harry also writes to the children readers, “I know how you feel, and I want to assure you that over time that hole will be filled with so much love and support.”

YA Thrillers Starring Marginalized Teens

If you want a book that will lead you through numerous plot twists and switchbacks, but also explore big concepts like identity, marginalization, and injustice, then YA thrillers starring marginalized teens are your jam. Dive in with these ten excellent YA thriller books!

THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB Adds Kyndra Sanchez to the Cast for Season 2

Production for the second season of Netflix’s Baby-Sitters Club series is underway, and they’ve added a new sitter to the mix: Kyndra Sanchez has been cast as Dawn Schafer. Xochitl Gomez played the role of Dawn in season one, but Dawn had to be recast due to production scheduling conflicts. Gomez is currently filming the upcoming Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as America Chavez AKA Miss America. Netflix released a video announcing the new casting decision, noting that Gomez will always be an important part of the Baby-Sitters Club family.

New Immersive GOODNIGHT MOON Exhibit Opens in New York

New York collective Fort Makers has just opened a new, immersive exhibit for a limited time. Goodnight House is a collection of furniture and objects inspired by the popular children’s book Goodnight Moon written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. In a statement about the exhibit, Fort Makers Co-Founder and Creative Director Nana Spears said, “Goodnight Moon allows us to see through the eyes of a child, and instills in us essential tools for innovation. That’s something worth celebrating.”

Phoebe Robinson’s New Book PLEASE DON’T SIT ON MY BED IN YOUR OUTSIDE CLOTHES Comes Out This Fall

Actress, comedian, producer, and best-selling author Phoebe Robinson is publishing her third book Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes. The book of essays expands on the work of her previous two books, telling thought-provoking and humorous stories about her own life. Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes hits shelves on September 28.

Rating the Books Sawyer Reads on LOST

Book Riot’s Courtney Rodgers revisited the TV series Lost, this time paying special attention to the many books and literary references throughout the show. Lost spoilers to follow, but the show came out in 2004, so you’ve had time.

Celeste Ng, Margaret Atwood, and John Grisham Among Contributors for New Pandemic Novel

One of the first novels written about the pandemic is going to be a collaborative effort, featuring Celeste Ng, Margaret Atwood, and John Grisham as contributors. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media will publish Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering, a story set in Manhattan in 2020 as the virus spreads worldwide and the rich begin to flee the city. Other contributors include Dave Eggers, Ishmael Reed, Monique Truong, Hampton Sides, Mary Pope Osborne and Emma Donoghue.

Dolly Parton to Star in Her Own Comic Book

Iconic singer-songwriter Dolly Parton will be headlining her own Female Force comic book edition. The comic book series highlights women who have made a strong impact in the world. In becoming a part of the Female Force comics, Dolly Parton is joining other icons who have starred in the franchise: Mother Teresa, Kamala Harris, Tina Fey, Betty White, Michelle Obama, Gloria Steinem, Barbara Streisand, and Cher. Dolly’s 22-page comic will be available both digitally and in print on March 31.

THE HATE U GIVE Director George Tillman Jr. Directing THE CROSSOVER for Disney+

George Tillman, Jr., director of 2018’s The Hate You Give, is directing a new series The Crossover for Disney+. The series, which is a coming-of-age story about two basketball prodigy twins, will begin filming this June. The Crossover is based on the young adult novel of the same name by Kwame Alexander. Alexander will write and produce along with Damani Johnson and Dee Johnson. Bob Teitel and Jay Marcus are also producers on this project. No release date has been announced yet.

Best Books on Grief

In times of loss, turn to literature. Here are some of the best books on grief.

Tiffany Haddish Teams Up with McG for Adaptation of MYSTERY GIRL

Tiffany Haddish is set to produce and star in the upcoming adaptation of Paul Tobin and Alberto Alburquerque’s Dark Horse comic book series Mystery Girl. The Netflix feature film adaptation will be directed by McG, who also directed The Babysitter.

Marvel Introduces First Gay Captain America

Marvel Comics is introducing the very first LGBTQ-identifying person to be Captain America in the upcoming The United States of Captain America. The comic, written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Dale Eaglesham, will follow Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and John Walker as they search for Steve’s missing shield. Along the way, they’ll meet Aaron Fischer, the “Captain America of the Railways” who protects runaways and homeless youth. Aaron is openly gay. Issue #1 will go on sale June 2, just in time for Pride Month.

Candice Carty-Williams, Author of QUEENIE, is Writing a YA Book

Candice Carty-Williams’ debut novel Queenie was an instant best-seller. Now for her sophomore effort, the author is releasing a YA novel, Empress and Aniya. The coming-of-age story will follow two characters with drastically different upbringings (Empress and Aniya) who cast a body-swap spell on the day of their shared 16th birthday. Indie Publisher Knights Of will release the book as a small-format novella on October 7th.

20 Must-Read Stories You Can Read Online for Free

Want to read some truly spectacular stories… for free? Here’s a collection of 20 free stories from FictionPress, a website for reading stories online.

Book About the Making of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights Coming in June

Fans of In the Heights: June is going to be a great month for you! The film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical coming to theaters and HBO Max on June 18. But that’s not all. Lin-Manuel Miranda announced on Twitter yesterday that In the Heights: Finding Home, a book about the making of the musical, is coming out on June 22. The book is written by Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, who also helped write Hamilton: The Revolution. In the Heights: Finding Home will include lyrical annotations and essays from Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the musical’s book and the screenplay for the film.

Wiip Developing a TV Series Based on Author Agatha Christie’s Teenage Years

Wiip, an independent studio run by former ABC chief Paul Lee, is developing a television series based on British mystery author Agatha Christie’s teenage years. UK writers Rebecca Pollock and Kas Graham have been tapped to write the series, entitled Young Agatha, which will tell a coming-of-age story about how Christie became one of the most beloved mystery authors of all time.

Tom Hiddleston to Star Opposite Claire Danes in The Essex Serpent TV Series

Tom Hiddleston has been cast as the male lead opposite Claire Danes in the upcoming Apple TV+ adaptation of Sarah Perry’s novel The Essex Serpent. The series, written by Anna Symon and directed by Clio Barnard, tells the story of newly-widowed Cora (Danes) who moves to the small village of Aldwinter in Essex and becomes intrigued by a local superstition about a creature called The Essex Serpent. Hiddleston plays Will Ransome, the local vicar.

Gamify Your Reading with this Readathon Board Game!

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is coming up in April. For now, you can gear up for the readathon with this board game.