Author: Emily Martin

Mayor Eric Adams Calls Off Unpopular Library Budget Cuts in NYC: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 26, 2023

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XO Kitty, the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Spin-Off, Releases First Trailer

Netflix has released the trailer for XO Kitty, a To All the Boys spinoff series. The series sees Lara Jean Covey’s little sister Kitty heading to Korea to attend the Korean Independent School of Seoul in an attempt to meet up with her long-distance boyfriend. But when Kitty arrives in Korea, she discovers he has a new girlfriend. The show was created by Jenny Han, author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty. It stars Anna Cathcart as Kitty and introduces a whole new cast of characters, including Lost’s Yunjin Kim. XO, Kitty premieres on Netflix on May 18.

Mayor Eric Adams Calls Off Unpopular Library Budget Cuts in NYC

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced today that he would back off on budget cuts to New York City’s public libraries. In a statement, Adams said that libraries are “vital centers of learning and enrichment” and that he aims to avoid cutting critical services. Library officials say they are happy about the mayor’s decision, but also caution that there are still $36 million in previously announced budget cuts. The mayor is expected to release an updated version of his budget cut proposal soon.

Dead Ink Books Wins the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses

Dead Ink Books has won the Republic of Consciousness prize for small presses for Missouri Williams’s debut novel The Doloriad. Dead Ink, Williams, and the entire shortlist for the prize will receive £1,000, split 70:30 between publisher and author. The 10 longlisted titles will receive £300. Writer and critic Lamorna Ash — who was on this year’s judging panel with poet Vanessa Onwuemezi and novelist Isabel Waidner — said of the winning novel, “That such stylistic power is in service of a plot so strange, counter, original, its mood flashing between the tragic, comic and sublime in the most surprising sequencing, raises The Doloriad’s achievement to something astonishing.”

Can You Match the Sci-Fi Opening Line To Its Novel?

How well do you know your science fiction? Test your expertise with this sci-fi opening line quiz full of both hard and soft sci-fi novels.

Today In Books

HEARTSTOPPER Announces Release Date for Season 2: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 25, 2023

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U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón Appointed for a Historic Two-Year Second Term

Ada Limón has been appointed to serve a two-year second term as the nation’s 24^th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. This is the first time a laureate will serve a two-year term. Limón’s second term will last from September 2023 to April 2025. “During her first term, Ada Limón has done so much to broaden and promote poetry to reach new audiences. She also laid the groundwork for multiple laureate outreach efforts to come, many with federal agencies,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “A two-year second term gives the laureate and the Library the opportunity to realize these efforts and showcase how poems connect to, and make sense of, the world around us.”

Chinese Publisher Residing in Taiwan Detained in Shanghai

Li Yanhe (李延賀), the editor-in-chief of Gusa Publishing (八旗文化), has been detained in Shanghai. Li is a Chinese national, but is married to a Taiwanese person and has been living in Taiwan since 2009. This story came to light over the weekend when Chinese poet and writer Bei Ling wrote a Facebook post stating that Li had been missing since visiting Shanghai in March. Bei Ling says he wanted to bring attention to Li Yanhe’s case because the more attention the case got, the more likely Li Yanhe would be released. Bei later deleted his Facebook post, in response to requests from Li’s family.

Heartstopper Announces Release Date for Season 2

Netflix has confirmed that Heartstopper will return for a second season on August 3. The series, based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name, has also already been renewed for a second season. But what can we expect from Heartstopper season 2? “Nick and Charlie navigate their new relationship; Tara and Darcy face unforeseen challenges and Tao and Elle work out if they can ever be more than just friends,” reads the season logline. “With exams on the horizon, a school trip to Paris and a prom to plan, the gang has a lot to juggle as they journey through the next stages of life, love and friendship.”

The Most Memorable Libraries in Fiction

These fictional libraries will stay with you long after you turn the final page and make you wish some (but not all!) of them were real.

Today In Books

NYC Libraries to Lose Weekend Service in Mayor’s Latest Budget Cut Proposal: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 24, 2023

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Before I Let Go Adaptation in Development at Peacock from Universal TV & UCP

Kennedy Ryan’s bestselling novel Before I Let Go is in development at Peacock from Universal TV & UCP. Malcolm D. Lee will direct and executive produce via his Blackmaled Productions banner alongside Dominique Telson. John Legend, Mike Jackson, and Ty Stiklorius’ Get Lifted Film Co. will also executive produce alongside Debra Martin Chase via her Martin Chase Productions. Kennedy Ryan will also executive produce. A screenwriter is not yet attached to the project.

NYC Libraries to Lose Weekend Service in Mayor’s Latest Budget Cut Proposal

A letter from Anthony Marx, the head of the New York Public Library, has given details about some of the proposed cutbacks for the New York City library system. The $23 million dollar cuts would result, according to Marx, “in the elimination of Sunday service at all eight current locations, the reduction of hours, and moving to a five-day service schedule at a majority of locations.” The proposed cutbacks have spurned public outcry, but Marx writes in his letter, “we still hope, and will do all we can, to avoid these cuts.”

Authors Over 50 Urged to Write Debut Novel for Prize

At this year’s London Book Fair, literary agency Jenny Brown Associates launched an award for debut novelists in the UK aged 50 and above. “Being a debut is not just about being a shiny, sparkly, young person. The reason we launched the award was to say to people over 50 yes, you too can be a shiny, sparkly, new writer– just older,” says literary agent Lisa Highton of Jenny Brown Associates. The new award invites unpublished writers without an agent to submit the first 5,000 words of their novel by May 31. The winner will receive £1,000 and a week at Scottish writing retreat Moniack Mhor. The winner will also receive mentoring and advice from authors, agents, and editors.

Picture Books to Encourage Divergent Thinking

Use these awesome picture books to teach children that there are lots of ways to think about a situation and lots of possible outcomes, too.

Today In Books

Hilary Mantel Was Working on Mash-Up of Jane Austen Novels Before Her Death: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 23, 2023

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Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow Reject Iron Man 2 Feud Rumors

Scarlett Johansson recently joined Gwyneth Paltrow on “The Goop Podcast” to discuss their time together working on the Marvel movies. Reports at the time suggested that the two actors clashed on the set of Iron Man 2, but Paltrow and Johansson both denied those claims. Johansson said to Paltrow on the podcast, “You were so nice to me on that movie. I was so petrified. You were so nice to me! You could’ve been awful. I was so out of my comfort zone on that movie. I’d never done anything like that before. Plus, you had established such deep friendships.” Paltrow said, “I was just so happy to have another woman around.” You can listen to the full interview on Goop’s website.

Hilary Mantel Was Working on “Mash-Up” of Jane Austen Novels Before Her Death

Hilary Mantel, the author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, was working on a “mash-up” of Jane Austen novels before her death. Mantel’s literary agent Bill Hamilton told a packed memorial service at Southwark cathedral on Thursday that Mantel “was having the greatest fun dissecting a literary icon.” Actor Aurora Dawson-Hunte read a portion of the unfinished novel, Provocation, at the service.

Brandon Sklenar Joins Blake Lively in It Ends with Us Adaptation

Brandon Sklenar has been cast to star alongside Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in the upcoming film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends With Us. Sklenar will play the role of Atlas Corrigan. Christy Hall, the co-creator of Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This, will write the screenplay and produce. Justin Baldoni is also directing and executive producing the project through Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios. Lively, Hoover, Steve Sarowitz, and Andrew Calof will also serve as executive producers.

10 Books That Celebrate the Mundanity and the Everyday

These books celebrate the mundane, the everyday, and the ordinary all around us.

Today In Books

Michelle Obama Surprises Fans at Bookstore: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 22, 2023

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Lessons in Chemistry Trailer Shows Brie Larson as Scientist Turned Cooking Show Host

Apple TV+ has released the first trailer for the new series Lessons in Chemistry, starring Brie Larson. The drama series is also executive produced by Larson and is based on the novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus. Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Kevin Sussman, Patrick Walker, and Thomas Mann also star.

Michelle Obama Surprises Fans at Bookstore

On a clip from The Tonight Show, former First Lady Michelle Obama surprises fans who are browsing her new book display. Customers at McNally Jackson Bookstore in Manhattan thought they were pressing buttons to hear Michelle Obama read quotes from her new book The Light We Carry. In reality, Obama was reading the quotes live. After fans interacted with the display, Obama popped out from behind a curtain to say hello. “Thank you for going through this entire journey with grace,” one fan told Michelle Obama. “To have the opportunity to say that to you, thank you.”

Spider-Man is Heading to Disney Plus

Disney Plus is bringing Spider-Man to its streaming platform. Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, and The Amazing Spider-Man are all available to stream now. Spider-Man: Homecoming will be available on May 12.

20 Dark Academia Books to Swoon and Obsess Over

Moody libraries. Check. Lots of swooning. Absolutely. Get into it with the best dark academia romance books.

Book Radar

TWILIGHT is Being Adapted into a TV Series and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 21, 2023

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Hello Book Friends!

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was great. My dad is in town visiting, so I’ve been doing some of the touristy things in the city that I hadn’t gotten to do yet. But it’s Monday, so it’s time to stop playing and start getting serious. About books.

Interested in fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading? Check out our newest newsletter, The Deep Dive, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox! Choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com

Book Deals and Reveals

Spring is here, but we’re already looking towards Christmas. Here’s the cover reveal of Lisa Unger’s new novella Christmas Presents, out from Mysterious Press on October 24, 2023.

Tim O’Brien has sold the world rights to America Fantastica, the author’s first novel in two decades, to Peter Hubbard at Mariner Books. The book is slated for an October release.

Teju Cole has sold the U.S. rights to his second novel Tremor to Caitlin McKenna at Random House. The publisher described the book as “a powerful, wide-ranging work of fiction that explores what constitutes a meaningful life in a violent world.”

Apple TV+ has canceled the Jason Katims-produced drama Dear Edward, which was based on the novel of the same name by Ann Napolitano.

Lamar Giles’ young adult novel The Getaway is being developed for TV by Sony Pictures Television and Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock of the pop group Little Mix has announced that she has written a memoir. Believe, co-written by Natalie Morris, will be out on October 26, 2023 and is available to preorder now.

Prize-winning author Lydia Davis says her new short story collection will not be available on Amazon. Our Strangers will be published in the U.S. on October 1 and will only be available in physical bookshops, Bookshop.org, and selected online independent retailers.

With all the challenges that the book publishing industry currently faces, what will the future bookstore look like?

The latest PEN report on the state of U.S. book banning: more bans, more book ban laws, more proliferation of misinformation.

A Twilight show is being made! In addition to Stephenie Meyers being involved with the production, here’s what else we know so far.

Book Riot Recommends

Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!

Prepare Your Shelves!

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (Balzer + Bray, May 2)

I’m a huge fan of Becky Albertalli’s novels. I’ve been hooked ever since I read Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in one day. That might not seem like a big deal to some of you super readers out there, but to me, that means something. And I know I’m not alone. A lot of people enjoy these books, and at this point, this author probably needs no introduction. But if you’ve somehow missed out on Becky Albertalli and/or didn’t know this book was coming, here it is! Prepare your shelves.

Imogen Scott is straight, but she considers herself an LGBTQ+ ally. She’s attended every Pride Alliance meeting. Her sister is queer. Her two best friends are queer. Her friend Lili is newly out and off to college hanging out with her cool, queer college friends. Imogen is happy for Lili and is ready to support her friend in any way she can. So when Lili lies to her friends and says she and Imogen used to date, she’s all in to play along. Even if she is totally straight…except maybe she isn’t.

Imogen, Obviously is an exploration of queerness, sexuality, identity in all of their nuances. It’s a story that also seems to be especially near and dear to the author. And it’s a story that will be relatable for anyone who has ever questioned their sexuality. This is such an adorable, fun read that’s also thought-provoking and heart-warming. And it’s coming out in just a few short weeks!

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Black Queen by Jumata Emill

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

Daughters of Victory by Gabriella Saab

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy

Monday Memes

This is how I act literally every time I read a murder mystery.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s something I can never get enough of: cats in windows. Look at how cute they are!

And that’s all I’ve got for you today, friends. I hope you enjoy your week. Find a cat to cuddle!

Emily

Today In Books

Florida Expansion of “Don’t Say Gay” Could Release Flood of Book Bans: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 21, 2023

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Juno Temple in Talks to Join Tom Hardy in Venom 3

Ted Lasso star Juno Temple is in talks to join Tom Hardy in a lead role in the upcoming film Venom 3. Details about Temple’s character are being kept under wraps. Kelly Marcel, who wrote the first two Venom movies, will direct the third movie for Sony Pictures. This marks Marcel’s feature film directorial debut. Marcel and Hardy will produce, and Marcel will also write the script.

Florida Expansion of “Don’t Say Gay” Could Release Flood of Book Bans

Florida is looking to expand its Parental Rights in Education law, known by many as “Don’t Say Gay.” This new expansion would extend the ability to challenge learning materials in Florida schools to all individuals, whether or not those individuals have children in the public school system. Opponents of the expansion worry that the bill might open the doors for people outside of Florida to challenge books in state schools. If the bill passes, there are expectations that there will be a large wave of book bans in response. While Florida Republicans argue that book bans are not taking place, Kirk Bailey, the political director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Florida affiliate, argues that it “effectively creates a process where that’s what happens.”

Athenium Reissuing Special Editions of Song of the Lioness Quartet

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness Quartet, Athenium is reissuing special editions of the books. New hardcover and paperback versions will be out on August 29. And on September 26, a reissue of the paperback boxed set with new art and the first-ever hardcover boxed set will be available.

8 of the Best LGBTQ-Inclusive Books About Parenting and Pregnancy

These LGBTQ parenting and pregnancy books are written for and in many cases by LGBTQ parents, from help guides to memoirs and poetry.

Today In Books

Jessica Chastain Explains Why She Refuses to Sign EVELYN HUGO Books: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 20, 2023

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Dear Edward Canceled at Apple TV+

Apple TV+ has canceled the Jason Katims-produced drama Dear Edward, which was based on the novel of the same name by Ann Napolitano. The series reuinited Katims with actress Connie Britton; the pair had previously worked together on the critically-acclaimed TV series Friday Night Lights. While Britton only had a one-year deal for the show, Katims had expressed hope of continuing her story through more seasons. The season one finale did set up a second season, but it looks like fans will never get answers to the questions left behind at the end of season one.

Jessica Chastain Explains Why She Refuses to Sign The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Books

In a viral TikTok video, Jessica Chastain is explaining why she declined to sign a copy of Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Fans have been campaigning for Chastain to star in the upcoming film adaptation of the novel, but Chastain says, “I’ve been asked multiple times by fans to sign books that I’m not attached to contractually. Because it feels wrong, and like I’m taking credit for someone else’s work, I’ll say I can’t sign because I’m not doing it. That doesn’t mean I’ve read a bad script.”

Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix is Releasing a Memoir

Leigh-Anne Pinnock of the pop group Little Mix has announced that she has written a memoir. “Ever since we won The X Factor back in 2011, I feel like I’ve been in a whirlwind. I’ve had some life-changing moments that up until now, I’ve never really had the chance to process,” Pinnock wrote in an Instagram post. The memoir Believe, co-written by Natalie Morris, will be out on October 26, 2023 and is available to preorder now.

Cozy is Key: Why Escapist Reads are More Popular Than Ever

The past three years have been stressful: is it any wonder we’re reaching for cozy mysteries, cozy fantasies, and light romances more now?

Today In Books

Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act Developing Lamar Giles’ THE GETAWAY for TV: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 19, 2023

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Lydia Davis Refuses to Sell Her Book on Amazon

Prize-winning author Lydia Davis says her new short story collection will not be available on Amazon because she does not “believe corporations should have as much control over our lives as they do.” Davis’ seventh collection of fiction Our Strangers will be published in the U.S. on October 1 and will only be available in physical bookshops, Bookshop.org, and selected online independent retailers. Davis says the goal is to put “my book on the shelves of booksellers who are so much more likely to care about it.”

Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act Developing Lamar Giles’ The Getaway for TV

Lamar Giles’ young adult novel The Getaway is being developed for TV by Sony Pictures Television and Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act. Cheadle will executive produce alongside his production partner Karyn Smith-Forge. Lamar Giles will produce. The Getaway is set in a near future where the world’s richest and most powerful stay as guests at a resort. But unknown to the resort’s employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis, where the guests will have the best of the best and the employees will spend the rest of their days serving them. But one group of teens refuses to resign themselves to this fate.

Marvel Move is a New App That Lets You Walk, Jog, and Run Alongside Marvel Characters

Get fit with Marvel heroes this summer in the new app Marvel Move. From Six to Start, the creators of the award-winning app Zombies, Run!, Marvel Move allows users to walk, jog, and run, alongside Marvel characters like Thor, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, and more. Join now to get a discounted Founders Rate. The app will launch this summer.

What Will the Bookstore of the Future Look Like?

With all the challenges that the book publishing industry currently faces, what will the future bookstore look like?

Book Radar

Mona Awad’s ROUGE to be Adapted for Film and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 19, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Thursday, Book Friends!

Have I got some book things for you today. And I’m super hyped on caffeine so I don’t want to wait a moment longer. Let’s ditch the small talk and get right into the book things. I’ll meet you at the end with the perfect cat picture. Deal? Okay, let’s go.

Book Deals and Reveals

Let’s start with a cute rom-com cover reveal. Here’s the cover of Ann Zhao’s Dear Wendy, featuring art by Betsy Cola and design by Julia Bianchi. It’s out next April!

Nnedi Okorafor has revealed a new cover of the first book in the Desert Magician’s duology, illustrated by Greg Ruth. Shadow Speaker is available for preorder now and will publish from DAW Books on September 26.

And here’s the cover reveal for middle grade fantasy novel The Curse of the Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling. The cover features art by James Firnhaber and design by Kaitlin Yang. This one’s coming from Razorbill/PRH in early 2024! Preorder here.

In the mood for a hurricane thriller? Check out the cover of Nishita Parekh’s The Night of the Storm. In a tweet, the author shouts out Sarah Oberrender for “the stunning design.” The book will be out from Dutton Books on January 16, 2024.

Netflix has announced that Shawn Levy’s Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See will premiere on Thursday, November 2. The first teaser trailer has also been dropped.

ComiXology co-founder and former CEO David Steinberger and former ComiXology head of content Chip Mosher are starting a new comic book publishing company, DSTLRY.

Bestselling author Mona Awad’s upcoming novel Rouge will be adapted for film by Freemantle and Sinestra, the production banner launched by Chernobyl director Johan Renck and producer Michael Parets. Rouge isn’t out yet, but it will be out this September.

Max (the new name for HBO Max) has revealed the first footage of the streaming series The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell. The Penguin is scheduled to premiere in 2024.

10 Things That Never Happened is the first installment Material World, a new spin-off series in Alexis Hall’s London Calling universe, and it’s hitting shelves this fall. But ahead of its October 17 release, Paste Magazine is exclusively revealing the book’s cover and the first chapter. You can also learn how the Material World books tie into London Calling here.

The first trailer for The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster is bringing Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein into the modern world. The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster will be out in theaters, as well as available to stream on-demand, on June 9.

Honoring the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, the International Booker Prize has announced its 2023 shortlist.

How can you take action against book bans and in support of public libraries? Check out new tools from For the People and Every Library.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

The Future by Naomi Alderman (Simon & Schuster, November 7)

With the series adaptation of The Power out now on Amazon Prime Video, I feel like a lot of people have been wondering what author Naomi Alderman would come out with next. And well…here it is! And yes, it’s a dystopian novel entitled The Future, which seems like such an obvious title for a dystopian story that I’m wondering why no one has ever used it before. Either way, fans of The Power are going to want to get this one when it comes out in November. Never read The Power? Well, you’re still going to want this one.

In The Future, the world is run by a handful of billionaires who have a huge percentage of the world’s wealth. And when I say they control everything, I mean they control everything, from weapons to weather. But for a small group of friends, these rich people are not going to hold dominion over everything in the world without a fight. The five friends are “the daughter of a cult leader, a non-binary hacker, an ousted Silicon Valley visionary, the concerned wife of a dangerous CEO, and an internet-famous survivalist.” This might end up being the biggest heist of their lives — if they can get away with it.

The Future is a tense and exciting new dystopian novel that eerily reflects our near future. It’s a book that’s somehow frightening and uplifting at the same time, and it’s a must-read when it comes out later this year.

Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“It was a belated realization to have, but it occurred to me that perhaps this was how grown-up conversations worked—not that your communication didn’t falter, but that you both made good-faith attempts to rectify things after it had.”

— Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

What’s Up in the Book Community?

My iPhone is constantly telling me I spend too much time staring at my screen, which is honestly so rude. But this means I spend a lot of time scrolling around the online book community: BookTube, Bookstagram, BookTok, BookLinkedIn (JK. That’s not a thing…I don’t think). You get the idea. Don’t have the time, energy, or the will to do all of that yourself? No problem. I got you. In this weekly section of Book Radar, we’ll take a look at something cool, interesting, and/or newsy that’s going on in the book community.

If you’re anything like me, you love a book that will make you cry. If you think that’s weird, just move along.

Okay, now that it’s just us weepy people here, hi. How’s it going? A Clockwork Reader, one of my fave BookTubers, just released a new video featuring 7 sad books that will (probably) make you cry. And if this type of vid is your cup of tea, go back and watch “I read 5 of the saddest books to see if they would make me cry.” This is the type of quality YouTube content that really speaks to us sad folks.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Okay, it’s Seattle, but every now and then the sun comes out. And when it does, you’d better believe these cats are basking in those sunbeams. Here’s Murray getting his nap on in the sun.

Oooh…caffeine crash happening now. What I wouldn’t give for a nap.

So on that note, let me let y’all go. I’ll be back with more book stuff for you on Monday. See you then!

Emily