Author: Emily Martin

Mariko Tamaki Debuts Surely Books, A New LGBTQ+ Graphic Novel Imprint

Comics writer Mariko Tamaki is launching a new LGBTQ+ graphic novel imprint Surely Books, starting with the graphic novel Lifetime Passes by writer Terry Blas and artist Claudia Aguirre, later this month. The imprint has also revealed a new list of titles that will be released in 2022 and 2023. The first is scheduled for spring 2022: Talia Dutton’s M Is for Monster is a sci-fi retelling of Frankenstein mixed with a heartwarming sibling story. Homecoming by Kaitlin Chan and Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni are slated to release in fall 2022. And in spring 2023, Surely Books will release Kacen Callender and Seth Smith’s The Page’s Guide to Being a Guy and Washington’s Gay General by Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings.

Paul Newman Memoir to be Published in 2022

Publisher Alfred A Knopf announced on Wednesday that Paul Newman’s memoir, which was left unpublished during the actor’s lifetime, will come out in fall 2022. According to the publisher, the yet-to-be-titled memoir will include Newman’s thoughts on “acting, directing, boyhood, family, fame, Hollywood, Broadway, love, his first marriage, his 50-year marriage to Joanne Woodward, drinking, politics, racing, his ultimate ride to stardom, and aging gracefully.” Newman began writing the book in the 1980s with screenwriter Stewart Stern. Stern also spoke to Newman’s friends and associates for the book. The manuscript was recently found in Newman’s Connecticut home where Joanne Woodward still lives.

NBCC Launches New Prize for Translated Literature

The National Book Critics Circle has announced a new prize for translated literature that will start with the 2022 publishing year. The Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize will honor the best book translated into English and published in the United States. All genres will be considered, as will new translations of previously translated books. The winner of the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize will be announced in March along with other NBCC prize winners. Both the author and translator will be awarded the prize. The prize is named in honor of Latino poet, playwright, and book critic Gregg Barrios, who joined the board of the National Book Critics Circle in 2010. Barrios passed away in August at age 80.

2021 Booker Prize Winner Announced

The Booker Prize has announced that its 2021 winner is The Promise by Damon Galgut. The Promise is South African author and playwright Damon Galgut’s ninth novel and first in seven years.

Amazon’s Good Omens Has Started Filming Season 2

The second season of Amazon’s Good Omens has officially started filming in Scotland. The series, starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant, is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens. The show was first imagined as a miniseries when it was originally released in 2019, but Amazon announced a renewal in June, saying that Neil Gaiman would be expanding on the original material of the novel. Many of the cast members from the first season will be returning, and cast additions have been announced for the new season: Paul Adeyefa, Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), Gloria Obianyo (Dune), Miranda Richardson, Maggie Service, Reece Shearsmith, and Nina Sosanya. “We were lucky in the first season to have so many outstanding actors taking part, so I took pleasure in inviting people back, wherever we could, some in the roles they played originally, some in new parts written just for them,” Gaiman says. The release date for Good Omens has yet to be announced.

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr Wins France’s Prestigious Prize, the Prix Goncourt

Senegalese novelist Mohamed Mbougar Sarr has become the first writer from sub-Saharan Africa to win the Prix Goncourt, France’s oldest and most prestigious literary prize. Mbougar Sarr’s winning novel La plus secrète mémoire des hommes (The Most Secret Memory of Men) is the story of a young Senegalese writer living in Paris who stumbles upon a novel by a fictional African author named TC Elimane. While the Prix Goncourt is worth only €10, being award the prize guarantees massive book sales. Previous winners include Marcel Proust, André Malraux, Simone de Beauvoir and Marguerite Duras. “I feel, quite simply, enormous joy,” said Mbougar Sarr of his win, which was announced earlier today.

HBO Max Has Released the Trailer for Station Eleven

HBO Max has finally released a trailer for the highly anticipated series adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel’s apocalyptic novel Station Eleven. The 10-episode limited series was directed by Hiro Murai (Atlanta), and stars Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Gael García Bernal, and David Wilmot. Station Eleven will premiere on HBO Max on December 16th.

New YA Retellings to Fall Into

2021 has been a great year for Young Adult retellings of fairy tales, mythology, classic novels, and even some more modern favorites. Here are 20 new YA retellings to fall into in 2021.

Design Studio Dorothy Reinterprets 84 Great Novels as Postage Stamps

Ali Johnson and Jim Quail of Liverpool-based design studio Dorothy have reinterpreted 84 different well-loved books as stamps. The studio reimagined 42 classic books and 42 books that they call modern classics. Modern classics include books like Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Stamp prints are available for purchase on Dorothy’s website.

Disney to Adapt Kingston and the Magician’s Lost & Found

Disney Branded Television has optioned the rights to Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi’s highly acclaimed middle-grade novel Kingston and the Magician’s Lost & Found and its sequel Kingston and the Echoes of Magic. The book series was published earlier this year by Penguin Random House. Now, Disney is planning to adapt the series for television. An original movie based on the first novel is in the works, with Jane Startz signed on to executive produce. “We are thrilled to partner with Craig, Harold and Theo and bring their heartfelt story of wonder and mystery to our audience,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Set against the backdrop of true magical history, this is an inspiring adventure of extraordinary moments happening in everyday situations.”

Iowa School Board Candidate Wants to Share The Name of Every Kid Who Checks out Pro-LGBTQ Books

Iowa school board candidate Vin Thaker announced on Facebook last week that he wants to know the name of every kid who checked out one of the pro-LGBTQ books the Waukee Community School District recently banned. The books in question—All Boys Aren’t Blue, Lawn Boy and Gender Queer— were taken out of the Northwest High School Library after a community member complained they contained explicit material. Thaker explained that what he really wants to do is get the students’ names, notify their parents, and then ask “the person who ordered these titles” to defend their choices.

Justice Department Sues to Block Penguin Random House Acquisition of Simon & Schuster

The Department of Justice has sued to block the acquisition of Simon and Schuster from Penguin Random House.

Here’s A First Look at Lisa Taddeo’s First Short Story Collection

Lisa Taddeo has hit the literary scene with her nonfiction (2019’s Three Women), her novel (2021’s Animal), and now she’s completing the trifecta with her first book of short stories. Lisa Taddeo’s Ghost Lover comes out on June 14, 2022, and you can get an exclusive look at the cover here. The cover art, designed by Alison Forner, is inspired by a short story in the collection in which a young woman becomes obsessed with hard-to-find lacrime d’amore candies. Taddeo explains, “She tells a friend she’s going to eat one every time she does something bad, until she gets to ‘the end.’ And that’s what you see on the cover, these perfect little handmade drops — the notion of something beautiful that in a certain context can deeply hurt you.”

Image Comics Staffers Unionize

Earlier today, Image Comics staffers officially declared themselves a union under the name Comic Book Workers United. In a statement released on Twitter, Comic Book Workers United said, “For years, comics publishing workers have watched our professional efforts support creators and delight readers. Sadly, we have also watched that same labor be taken for granted at best and exploited at worst. Keeping our heads above water was the new normal before the pandemic and since its onset we have been expected to take on even larger workloads with fewer resources.” The statement is signed by Ryan Brewer, Leanna Caunter, Marla Eizik, Drew Fitzgerald, Melissa Gifford, Chloe Ramos,Tricia Ramos, Jon Schlaffman, and Erika Schnatz. The union has also announced their list of goals and have requested companies and individuals sign a letter of support.

Simon & Schuster Announces Multi-Book Publishing Program with Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar

Publishing company Simon & Schuster has announced that they will be launching a multi-book publishing program for adults and children with Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Dunbar is a professor of history at Rutgers University, a National Book Award finalist, and winner of the 2018 Frederick Douglass Book Award for her novel Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge. In February 2024, Simon & Schuster will publish Dunbar’s upcoming nonfiction book for adults, A Spy in Richmond. And Aladdin Books will publish seven books with Erica Armstrong Dunbar, including a picture book adaptation of her award-winning Never Caught. In a statement, Dunbar said, “I am thrilled to work with the incredible team at Simon & Schuster to present new American narratives that center Black women, for readers of every age. Stories of triumph and tragedy resonate with adults and children alike, and I can think of no better time than the present to place this powerful history in its rightful place at the front of our nation’s memory.”

November 2021 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

It’s the 1st of November, and you know what that means. It’s time for your November 2021 horoscope, and a fresh book recommendation that’s perfect for your sign.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Signal to Noise Gets A Reissue

Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia announced on Twitter on Friday that her 2015 novel Signal to Noise is getting a reissue with corrections and a new cover by Jim Tierney. Tierney has also designed covers for authors like Stephen King, Veronica Roth, Octavia E. Butler, and more. If you haven’t read the book yet, Moreno-Garcia describes the story as “1980s teens casting spells with vinyl records and their reunion years after.”

Emma Straub Has Written A New Novel About Time Travel

Surprise! Emma Straub has been secretly writing, and she’s coming out with a new novel about time travel. Straub’s new novel This Time Tomorrow will publish on May 17, 2022. Her publishers are describing it as “a mix of 13 Going on 30, Big, and Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings, with plenty of Stranger Things-esque pop culture references thrown in for good measure.” The story follows Alice who is just turning 40 and is content with her life overall, and yet something is missing. Then, after the night of her 40th birthday, Alice wakes up back in her 16 year-old body. Now she must ask herself if there’s anything she’ll do differently, now that she’s been given a second chance.

The New York Times Will Announce the 10 Best Books of 2021 in a Virtual Event

On November 30th, the New York Times will announce its list of the 10 best books of 2021. But it will only be available to subscribers at first. Before the list of books is published for the general public, the Book Review will go live on the morning of the 30th to announce this year’s 10 Best Books. Editors Gal Beckerman, Lauren Christensen, Greg Cowles, Emily Eakin, Elisabeth Egan, MJ Franklin, Tina Jordan, Dave Kim and John Williams will announce and discuss this year’s selections, and they’ll also share their personal favorites that didn’t make the list. Subscribers will also be invited to join Book Review editors for a Zoom after party to share their own favorite books of the year. This event is part of the New York Times’ virtual event series.

The Free Book Bus, A Death Positive Library, and Other Good Bookish Things That Happened This Week

Not all book news is bad news. Here’s a roundup of all of the good bookish things that have happened over the last week.

Friends Star Matthew Perry Writing a Memoir

Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan, has won the rights to Friends star Matthew Perry’s yet-to-be-titled memoir, which will be published in fall 2022. The book will take readers behind the scenes of Perry’s time on the hit sitcom Friends, and the actor will open up about his struggles with addiction. Megan Lynch, the publisher of Flatiron Books who will edit the project, said, “We need humor, we need catharsis, and we need to agree on something–and Matthew’s extraordinary story, told in his inimitable voice, is that thing. Matthew’s book has unrivaled potential to bring people together, which feels especially galvanizing right now, a time of isolation and division.”

Alex Gino Gets New Title and Cover for Groundbreaking Trans Novel

Alex Gino’s acclaimed trans middle grade novel, which originally came out in 2015, is receiving an update in the form of a new name and a brand-new cover. While the novel was originally entitled George, this was not a name Gino themself would have chosen for the book. And as the years passed, Gino realized, “That’s not the name I want everyone calling her [the titular character] if she were real.” The character in the novel chooses the name Melissa by the end of her journey, and so the new title for the novel will be Melissa.

MTV Books Relaunches with My Life: Growing Up Asian in America

MTV Books is relaunching, and it has announced that its first title will be My Life: Growing Up Asian in America, featuring an introduction by former MTV correspondent SuChin Pak. The book is a collection of essays, poetry, and illustrations edited by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in America (CAPE). It will be published on May 10, 2022, during AAPI Heritage Month. Nina L. Diaz, the CCO/president of content at MTV Entertainment Group said, “We are thrilled to have SuChin, who is an integral part of MTV’s brand history, bravely share her own story alongside so many talented essayists to help us shine a light on these powerful and important coming of age stories.”

2021 Kirkus Prize Winners Announced

The eighth annual Kirkus Prize winners were announced last night in a virtual ceremony. Here are the three winners.

Stacey Abrams’ Never Tell Being Redeveloped at CBS with Barbara Hall

CBS has put an adaptation of Stacey Abrams’ novel Never Tell back in development with new writer Barbara Hall (Madam Secretary). The project is based on a thriller by Stacey Abrams (written under the name Selena Montgomery) in which a linguist takes on a new identity as a professor in New Orleans to escape the secrets of her past. There, she teams up with a journalist and a local detective to solve crimes in the city. Never Tell is being produced by Nina Tassler and Denise Di Novi’s PatMa Productions and CBS Studios.

Marvel’s Eternals Gets Review Bombed Due to LGBTQIA+ Representation

Marvel’s Eternals is heading to theaters across the US in early November, and the Chloe Zhao-directed film has thus far received largely positive reviews. However, the upcoming Marvel movie has already been hit by review-bombers on IMDB because of the LGBTQIA+ representation in the film. Bryan Tyree Henry’s Phastos is the first openly gay MCU character, and the film will include a gay kiss. Some reviewers on IMDB have accused the film of being “woke and mediocre” and say the movie “tick[s] all the Hollywood Woke boxes.” IMDB has since removed the negative reviews and the review section for the movie has been closed until Eternals is released on November 5th.

Authors Respond to Investigation of Their Books in Texas Schools

On Tuesday, Texas state representative Matt Krause released a list of 850 books under investigation in public schools. Krause did not explain why the books were chosen, but the majority of the books on the list were included because of their discussion of race and/or sexuality. Now, authors are responding to their books being included on the list.

Mikki Kendall, author of Hood Feminism, tweeted, “A couple of folks have reached out about my book being banned. And y’all I am in great company, but also? This is a fight…I’ll write more books. We will write more books. I’ll tweet & make TikToks & do book events & write articles. I’m not exactly a delicate flower. I write like a knife for a reason. Baby I will cut through one way or another. It doesn’t have to be a butcher knife, it can be an ice pick or a scalpel.”

Can’t Take That Away author Steven Salvator tweeted, “We did it, Joe! Can’t Take That Away has finally made a list! Life imitating art imitating art, much?”

Texas school officials have until November 12th to respond to Krause’s list of books that he claims might violate state laws.

Barnes & Noble Names Third-Annual Book of the Year Finalists

Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year Finalists, chosen by booksellers working across B&N company stores, have been announced. The books chosen include fiction and nonfiction across a wide range of genres.

Universal’s Wicked Adaptation Delayed

If you’ve been looking forward to Universal Studio’s upcoming adaptation of the musical Wicked, which is an adaptation of the novel by Gregory Maguire, you’re going to have to wait a little bit longer. Wicked was set to begin filming in Atlanta in March 2022, but now production has been pushed to June, and the project is moving to Universal’s studios in the United Kingdom. Universal has been working towards developing a live-action version of Wicked since 2004, a year after the musical debuted on Broadway. While Wicked still doesn’t have an official green light, producers Marc Platt and David Stone, along with director Jon M. Chu have been told to move forward with the project. Wicked will be the first production filmed at Universal’s recently built Sky Studios in Elstree.

Riverhead to Release Three Abdulrazak Gurnah Titles

Riverhead Books has acquired the U.S. rights to three books by novelist and winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah. Gurnah’s most recent novel Afterlives, which the publisher describes as “a sweeping, multi-generational saga of displacement, loss, and love,” will be published on August 23rd of next year. Riverhead will also newly publish two backlist titles by Gurnah: By the Sea (2001) and Desertion (2005). No publication dates have been announced for these titles yet.

Dune: Part 2 is Coming in 2023

That didn’t take long! Dune is officially getting a sequel. In a Tweet on Tuesday, Legendary Entertainment announced the news: “This is only the beginning… Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We’re excited to continue the journey!” Dune: Part 2 will hit theaters on October 20th, 2023.

“Critical Race Theory” is the New Satanic Panic in Right Wing Politics

Yesterday, we reported on the Virginia republican candidate who was using a mother’s outcry against Beloved to further his campaign. Here’s a breakdown of how right wing politicians are using “critical race theory” to create a sense of moral panic.