Author: Emily Martin

Shailene Woodley to Star in Upcoming Showtime Series Based on the Book Three Women

Shailene Woodley will star in Showtime’s upcoming series, based on the book Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. Woodley will play a character based on Taddeo herself, who spent several years reporting on three women who were scrutinized for their sexual desires. The drama series has been given a straight-to-series order, and it is set to begin production in the fall.

Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama are Publishing a Book

Bruce Springsteen and former president Barack Obama recently started a podcast together, and now they’re turning that podcast into a book. The book is entitled Renegades: Born in the USA, and it’ll be out on October 26 globally from Penguin Random House in partnership with Higher Ground. The 320-page oversized, illustrated book will include hand-written Bruce Springsteen lyrics and Obama speeches, among other archival materials. Obama writes in the book’s opening pages: “Over the years, what we’ve found is that we’ve got a shared sensibility. About work, about family, and about America. In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that’s given us both so much. Trying to chronicle the stories of its people. Looking for a way to connect our own individual searches for meaning and truth and community with the larger story of America.”

Marvel Launches New Origin Series with Black Panther Legends

Black Panther is getting a new origin story this fall when Marvel Comics launches Black Panther Legends. The four-issue series will tell the story of T’Challa of Wakanda and how he became the Black Panther. Black Panther Legends is written by Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby, and drawn by Setor Fiadzigbey (Bunheads). The first issue will be out in October. This is just the beginning for Marvel and their origin story Legends line. More details forthcoming, but Marvel Senior Editor Lauren Bisom teased, “Let’s just say we are very excited to (re)introduce readers to Marvel’s strongest Avenger.”

8 Notable Queer Contemporary Books by Asian Writers

You’re going to want to add all of these eight notable queer contemporary novels by Asian writers to your TBR, ASAP!

Leslie Grace Lands Role in New Batgirl Film

It looks like DC Films has found their new Batgirl! Leslie Grace (In the Heights) has been cast to play Barbara Gordon in the upcoming Warner Bros/DC Batgirl film. The film will be one of the first major DC properties to debut exclusively on HBO Max. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing the movie, and the script was written by Christina Hodson. Kristin Burr is producing. Details about the film’s plot are still under wraps, but the story will follow Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, behind the Batgirl costume.

Five Members of Hong Kong Union Arrested for Sedition Over Children’s Book About Sheep

Five members of a Hong Kong union behind a children’s book series have been arrest for sedition. The books follow the story of a group of sheep holding back wolves from invading their village. The story is an attempt to explain Hong Kong’s democracy movement to children. Police said on Thursday that the two men and three women who were arrested “conspired to publish, distribute, exhibit or copy seditious publications.”

Regé-Jean Page of Bridgerton Joins Cast of The Sandman on Audible

Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page is joining the cast of Audible’s The Sandman, along with Emma Corrin (The Crown) and David Tennant. The audio drama series is based on the best-selling graphic novel series The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, published by DC. The first series is Audible’s best-selling original title in its entire history. This second series will be an adaptation of volumes four and five of the graphic novel. Page shared the big news on Instagram, writing, “A literal dream come true. And in my wildest, I never dared imagine being in THE SANDMAN, playing one of my favourite characters, amongst as ridiculously powerful a cast as we have here… and yet! Here it is, and here we are. To sleep, perchance to Fiddler’s Green… I genuinely cannot wait to listen along with everyone.”

What Are the Fastest Selling Books in U.S. Publishing History?

You might be able to guess some of the best-selling books. But can you name any of the fastest-selling books of all time in the U.S.? Let’s dig into what books make the cut, and the numbers behind them.

Announcing the 2021 World Fantasy Awards Finalists

The finalists for the 2021 World Fantasy Awards have been announced. All nominees had to have been published in 2020. Nominees were chosen from two sources: votes from current and previous members of the convention and this year’s panel of judges—Tobias Buckell, Siobhan Carroll, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Brian Evenson, and Patrick Swenson. The finalists for best novel are: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk. You can see the full list of nominees at the World Fantasy website. Winners will be announced at the 2021 World Fantasy Convention, which takes place November 4 – 7.

Black Panther Sequel Casts Michaela Coel

Michaela Coel has joined the cast of the Black Panther sequel. No details have been announced about Coel’s character, but insiders say Coel joined director Ryan Coogler at Atlanta’s Pinewood Studios, where production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began last month. Coel is best-known for her critically-acclaimed HBO series I May Destroy You, for which she’s received four Emmy nominations. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set for wide release on July 8, 2022.

Woke Baby Book Fair Coming to the Lincoln Center at the End of July

On the last Saturday of this month, Poet-in-Residence Mahogany L. Browne presents the Woke Baby Book Fair at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. The Woke Baby Book Fair is described as “a family-friendly celebration of justice-oriented children’s books curated by Mahogany L. Browne.” The day’s events include readings and signings by guest poets and authors, games and crafts, baby movement classes led by Paris Alexandrea of BK Yoga Club, live kids’ music, and a fresh produce giveaway sponsored by Seeds in the Middle. Everything kicks off on Saturday, July 31 at 1pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

8 Books About Japanese Culture to Read Before the Tokyo Olympics

Getting excited about the Tokyo Olympics? Before they get started, check out these fiction and nonfiction books about Japanese culture, recommended by a Japanese American who lived in Tokyo for 15+ years.

See the First Look of Ocean Vuong’s Upcoming Poetry Collection

Fans of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, you’ll be pleased to know Ocean Vuong has a new poetry collection coming out next year! Penguin Press is publishing Vuong’s next poetry collection Time is a Mother on April 5, 2022. The U.K. edition will be out from Jonathan Cape on April 7. According to the publisher, Vuong’s upcoming collection will explore “personal loss, the meaning of family, and the cost of being the product of an American war in America.” Entertainment Weekly has revealed the first look at the book’s cover, designed by Darren Haggar, VP, Director of Art for Penguin Press.

Peacock Releases One of Us is Lying Teaser Trailer

Peacock has released the teaser trailer for their upcoming series adaptation of Karen M. McManus’ best-selling teen mystery One of Us is Lying. Described as a cross between Pretty Little Liars and The Breakfast Club, One of Us is Lying is the story of five high schoolers who go into detention, but only four make it out alive. The series will star Marianly Tejada (The Purge), Cooper van Grootel (Mystery Road), Annalisa Cochrane (Cobra Kai), Chibuikem Uche (The Tomorrow War), Jessica McLeod, Barrett Carnahan, Melissa Collazo and Mark McKenna. Darío Madrona (Elite) will serve as showrunner and executive producer, Erica Saleh (Evil) wrote the pilot and will executive produce. No release date has been announced yet.

Charlize Theron & the Muschettis Adapting Grady Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group

Charlize Theron and Andy & Barbara Muschietti are developing The Final Girl for HBO Max. The project is a series adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s horror novel The Final Girl Support Group. The novel plays tribute to slasher films such as Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and more. Charlize Theron is producing The Final Girl through her Denver & Delilah Films banner. Barbara and Andy Muschietti are producing through Double Dream, and Andy Muschietti will also direct the pilot.

5 Author Pseudonyms That Have Never Been Revealed

Who are these authors really, and will we ever find out? Here’s a look at five author pseudonyms whose true identities have never been revealed.

Stacey Abrams Picture Book to be Published in December

Politician and author Stacey Abrams’ debut picture book, Stacey’s Extraordinary Words, will be published December 28th. The book is based on Abrams’ own childhood competing in spelling bees against the elementary school bully Jake. Abrams said in a statement, “Words have always been important to me. I loved competing in spelling bees as a young girl. With this book, I want to inspire children to speak up for themselves and for others—and to keep trying if they don’t succeed the first time around.” The book is illustrated by Lucian American artist Kitt Thomas, also making their picture book debut.

Byung-hun Lee to Produce and Star in I Believe In A Thing Called Love

South Korean actor and singer Byung-hun Lee is set to star and produce in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Maureen Goos’ young adult romance I Believe In A Thing Called Love. Lee will play the father of the protagonist Desi, an overachieving high school student who turns to K-pop romances to get guidance for finding her own romance. Yulin Kuang (The Healing Powers of Dude) will write the adaptation. Netflix has also acquired the rights to Goo’s Somewhere Only We Know, which will be adapted into a feature film.

Prince Harry is Publishing a Memoir

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is publishing a memoir in late 2022. The memoir’s publisher Penguin Random House announced on Monday that Prince Harry will be sharing “the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him” for the first time. “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” Prince Harry wrote in a statement Monday. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) Under Fire by Christian Right Group in Irving, TX

A Christian Right group has challenged L.C. Rosen’s Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) in a series of complaints against LGBTQ content in the Irving Public Library.

Author Atul Gawande Nominated by Joe Biden for Health Post

President Joe Biden has nominated author Atul Gawande for the position of assistant administrator of the Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Gawande, doctor, journalist, and author known for his books Complications, Better, and Being Mortal, was previously a senior advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services under the Bill Clinton administration, He was also a member of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board. Gawande posted about the nomination on Twitter, writing, “I’m honored to be nominated to lead global health development at @USAID, including for COVID. With more COVID deaths worldwide in the first half of 2021 than in all of 2020, I’m grateful for the chance to help end this crisis and to re-strengthen public health systems worldwide.”

Emily St. John Mandel Wrote A New Novel Over Quarantine & Here’s A First Look!

Some of us baked a lot of banana bread over quarantine, while others made their way through the entire Netflix catalogue. Meanwhile, Emily St. John Mandel—author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel—was busy writing a new novel. “I spent the entirety of 2020 in New York City,” Mandel said in a statement. “This is the kind of book that happens when you’re working in a soundscape of constant ambulance sirens.” Mandel’s new novel The Sea of Tranquility will hit shelves on April 19, 2022. In the meantime, you can get a first look at the novel and its beautiful cover over at Entertainment Weekly.

Fear Street Films Get Vinyl Release with Cover Art Inspired by the Books

If you loved the music in Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy, then get excited. Fear Street‘s soundtrack is getting a vinyl release from Waxwork Records. Even better? The album art will feature artwork inspired by R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books. Waxwork Records tweeted, “When we got to work on FEAR STREET, we wanted to pay homage to the classic R.L. Stine teen-horror book covers. Enter the mighty @samgilbey. Like a man possessed, Sam created album art that nailed the vibe of the original novels!” You can preorder all three albums now on the Waxwork Records website.

2021 Must-Read Beach Reads

With summer days heating up, it’s time to get into the hottest books of the season. Here are the 2021 beach reads you won’t want to miss.

Colin Kaepernick’s New Children’s Book Celebrates the Beauty of Being Different

On Thursday, Colin Kaepernick announced that he is releasing a children’s book next year. The book, entitled I Color Myself Different, is based on a moment from Kaepernick’s own childhood in which he drew his adopted white family in yellow crayon and himself in brown. He realized that it was the first time he’d acknowledged the difference between himself and the rest of his family, and he understood then that differences were something to celebrate. I Color Myself Different will be released in April in partnership with Scholastic as part of a multi-book deal.

Robert Downey Jr. to Co-Star in Drama Series Adaptation of The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Former Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. is co-starring in the upcoming A24 drama series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer. The title character who will co-star opposite Downey has not yet been cast. Oldboy director Park Chan-wook will serve as showrunner and director of the project. Don McKellar will co-showrun alongside Chan-wook, and both McKellar and Chan-wook will produce with Downey, Susan Downey, and Amanda Burrell for Team Downey. Robert Downey Jr. said, “Adapting Mr. Nguyen’s important and masterful work requires a visionary team… It’s exactly the type of challenge I’ve been craving, and I believe we will deliver an exceptional viewing experience to our audience.”

Vote for The Tonight Show‘s Summer Reads Book Club Book

Summer is well underway, which means it’s time once again for The Tonight Show‘s Summer Reads Book Club Book. Cast your vote right now for the book you’d like to read along with Jimmy Fallon this summer, and watch the show on Monday, July 19th to see what book won out! Your book club options are: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton, and The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

12 New Releases with Asian Representation on the Cover in 2021

From picture books to adult titles, here are 12 new releases featuring Asians front and center in their beautiful book cover designs.

DC’s Hill House Comics Horror Line is Back with Refrigerator Full of Heads

DC Comics isn’t finished with horror. The Hill House Comics Horror Line—which previously published Basketful of Heads, The Low Low Woods, The Dollhouse Family, Daphne Byrne, and Plunge—is back with a follow-up series to Joe Hill’s Basketful of Heads. Joe Hill’s new series has an even more horrifying title: Refrigerator Full of Heads. Hill said in a statement, “I was goofing on possible sequel ideas with the novelist Rio Youers and he pitched me a gonzo-action-horror story that would make Sam Raimi weep happy tears of blood. I can’t wait to see Rio and wunderkind artist Thomas Fowler stacking some cold ones in the fridge. This one is going to be a ride.” The first issue (of six) will be out on October 19th.

Amber Tamblyn’s New Essay Collection Acquired by Park Row Books

Amber Tamblyn’s new essay collection has been acquired by Park Row Books. The essay anthology—entitled Listening in the Dark—features essays from leading feminist voices, such as Amy Poehler, America Ferrera, Jia Tolentino, Samantha Irby, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and of course Amber Tamblyn herself. Listening in the Dark will be published in 2022.

Bridgerton’s Julie Anne Robinson & Adjoa Andoh Working on Adaptation of Vanessa Riley’s Island Queen

Two big names from Bridgerton are teaming up yet again! Emmy-nominated director Julie Anne Robinson is developing Vanessa Riley’s recently released novel Island Queen for television via her UK-based Longboat Pictures production company. Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh is also attached to executive produce the project. The novel Island Queen is based on the true story of Dorothy “Doll” Kirwan Thomas, a woman who was born into slavery and later bought her freedom. She then became one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the Caribbean in the early 1800s. Julie Anne Robinson said in a statement, “We are so excited to be bringing [Island Queen] to the screen, and I could not be happier to have this opportunity to continue the collaboration with Adjoa that began on Bridgerton.”

How We Sell Stories: A Brief History of Paratext

What is paratext and how does it influence your reading experience? Here is a brief overview of paratext, its history and what it tells us about a book.

Disney+ Renews Loki for Second Season

On Wednesday’s season finale, Loki used its mid-credits scene to announce that the series would be back for another season. No additional details have been announced. The series just showed a title card with the news. Loki is the first of Disney+’s Marvel scripted series to be formally renewed for a new season. Marvel’s next Disney+ series will be What If…, an animated show that premieres on August 11th.

Henry Cavill Starring in Adaptation of The Rosie Project

Henry Cavill has signed on to star in the upcoming adaptation of the romantic comedy The Rosie Project, written by Graeme Simsion. Cavill will play a professor who’s having trouble finding love, and so he creates an elaborate questionnaire to find a wife. But when he meets a woman who doesn’t happen to fit any of the “requirements” on his questionnaire, he’s surprised to find she might just be the perfect woman for him anyway. Stephen Falk has signed on to direct the film from a script by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, and Matt Tolmach. Michael Costigan will produce. The Rosie Project is slated to start production early next year.

Hong Kong Book Fair Subject to Self-Censorship Due to National Security Law

At the annual Hong Kong book fair, attendees will notice a smaller selection of books on the shelves. Booksellers are generally avoiding titles that have been deemed politically sensitive, in an attempt to avoid violating a national security law imposed on the city in June 2020. “Every vendor will read through the books that they are bringing to the book fair to see if there is any content that might cause trouble,” said Jimmy Pang, president of local publishing company Subculture. Other publishers, however, are still displaying books about the 2014 protests and other politically sensitive topics. Raymond Yeung, a spokesman for publisher Hillway Culture Company, explained, “When we publish a book, we put a lot of effort into ensuring the content is legal. That‘s why we don’t think there’s a big problem and would still bring them. We hope this will be an encouragement to our fellow publishers, to show that there’s still some people publishing books like this.”

Demolishing Public Libraries from the Inside: Niles Public Library is a Warning

The people who sit on the Board of your local library can make all the difference. In suburban Chicago, the Niles-Maine Public Library is being destroyed from the inside by politically-conservative Board officials.

Hear LeVar Burton Read His Novel Aftermath for the First Time

In 1997, actor, director, writer, and book lover LeVar Burton wrote a speculative novel called Aftermath. Now, over twenty years later, Burton is doing something new with an older project: he’s turning it into an audiobook. And you can listen to a preview of the audiobook right now at Entertainment Weekly. When Burton originally released his novel, the book was set in the future, the year 2019. Now, with the year 2019 behind us, Burton looks back on his novel and says he was “astonished by similarities between” his “timeline and unfolding events.” How close does LeVar Burton’s cautionary tale about the future come to our current reality? You’ll have to listen to the book to find out!

Library Book Returned to Sheffield Cathedal 300 Years Overdue

We’ve all been late in returning our library books from time to time, but then there’s late late. Just ask the woman who returned a copy of William Stanley’s The Faith and Practice of a Church of England-Man to Sheffield Cathedral’s lending library—300 years overdue. The cathedral, which was built in 1430, once hosted members of King Henry VIII’s inner circle and survived not only a deadly flood that killed 200 people but several major wars. The book was returned via mail with a note from a woman in Wales who said that her recently deceased godmother asked that the book be returned on her behalf. Hey, better late than never.

Amazon Workers Protest Against Anti-LGBTQ Book Sales

TW: transphobia

Amazon workers are petitioning, protesting, and even quitting over the company’s decision to sell a book that frames transgender persons as mentally ill. There is an Amazon employee-led petition calling for the removal of the book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters in which the author refers to a “trans epidemic” among young people identifying as transgender. At least two employees have quit over Amazon’s sales of this book. Selene Xenia, a software engineer who identifies as trans and had worked at Amazon for seven years, left the company in June after learning that Amazon was planning to continue carrying the title. Xenia said, “The book literally has [craze] in the title and considers being transgender a mental illness in many senses throughout the book.”

The conversations about what books should and should not be sold has sparked a heated censorship debate. For instance, Target discontinued the sale of Irreversible Damage after backlash from activists. However, they later started selling the book again after others cried out that they were denying the author’s right to free speech. Allegedly, Target has once again stopped carrying this book.

Your Guide to Instagram Poetry

Yes, Instagram poetry is “real” poetry. Here’s your guide to Insapoetry, from what makes it so appealing to what Instapoetry writers you should be reading.