Category: Today In Books

The Books Unbanned Club is Distributing Banned Books in Florida Through Little Free Libraries

Little Free Libraries has teamed up with Venables Bell + Partners to create the Unbanned Book Club. Five hundred banned or challenged books have been donated by Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, and they will be appearing in Little Free Libraries starting in Jacksonville. One hundred fifty books have been banned or challenged in Jacksonville’s Duval County during the past two years.

Sarah Silverman Is Suing OpenAI and Meta for Copyright Infringement of Her Book

Alongside fellow authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, comedian Sarah Silverman is suing Meta and OpenAI over allegations that ChatGPT and Meta’s LLaMA were trained on illegally acquired copies of their books, as evidenced by ChatGPT being able to summarize the entire book. They claim that their books were accessed through “shadow libraries” like Z-Library, which host pirated ebooks. The authors have stated they “did not consent to the use of their copyrighted books as training material.”

Hundreds March in Solidarity With Cork Library Staff After Harassment for Carrying LGBTQ+ Books

Staff in Cork Library in Ireland have been facing harassment over carrying LGBTQ books, including being accused of being pedophiles as well as being recorded without consent. They also had one person record themselves destroying a copy of This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson in the library. On Friday, roughly 400 people marched on city hall to demand more protection and support for library workers.

Anatomy of a Book Cover: The Process of Book Cover Design

How does book cover design work? Find here an introduction to the process, both in self- and traditional publishing.

Nimona Books Sell Out Following Release of Adaptation

Nimona creator ND Stevenson announced on Twitter that copies of his graphic novel were sold out on Amazon. Nimona was published in 2015 but its Netflix adaptation released on the streaming platform late last month. Stevenson helped out fans new and old with a link to Barnes & Noble where the book was, at the time of posting, available to purchase.

There’s a New Translation Book Prize in Town

Booksellers have launched the Cercador Prize for Translation. Ten finalists for the prize of $1,000, awarded to a translator or translators, will be announced in October with a winner selected in November. The nomination committee consists of five independent booksellers based in the U.S. The prize is “about drawing an explicit connection between the work of independent booksellers and literary translators whose contributions to our reading culture are often similarly obscured,” Justin Walls, the coeditor of Du Mois Monthly, said in a press release.

Boutique Receives Community Support for Drag Story Time

A boutique in Chaka, Minnesota expects an overflow crowd at their drag story time event after “top favorite haters” videos posted by owner Marissa Heid-Nordling garnered attention and support from the city and beyond. The videos featured critics of their decision to host a local drag queen for story time. “There are a lot of people in the LGBTQ community in Carver County, in Chaska, in the surrounding cities…sometimes, the negative people can be really loud, but the positive do come out in the end,” said Heid-Nordling.

Discover the Foundation of Manga Art Styles

Curious about manga art styles and the different types of art you’ll encounter in the format? Get to know some of the most common styles.

The Onion Lampoons Credibility of Goodreads Reviews

“Any review showing evidence of in-depth knowledge of a book’s characters, plot, or thematic elements would be immediately deleted from the site,” a fictionalized version of Goodreads’ CEO explains in the satirical piece. In “Goodreads Now Only Permitting Reviews From People Who Haven’t Read The Book,”The Onion played off of a trending topic about the popular book database and community and, specifically, reviews written by users who have not read the books they’re commenting on.

The Newest Viral BookTok Sensation is the Outdated Dating Book

Books like Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and He’s Just Not That Into You are seeing a comeback on TikTok. A piece from i-D attempts to explain the return to dating advice from books now commonly critiqued for promoting toxic and misogynistic ideals. Among other things, the piece points to parallels between this trend and that of the tradwife figure and “high-value” dating. “All might be seen as part of a wider rise in online misogyny, which has been fuelled by figures like Andrew Tate.”

Milwaukee Celebrates the Typewriter’s Local History

The Milwaukee-born typewriter was celebrated in the city by way of a weekend-long 150th birthday celebration. The inaugural QWERTYFEST was held in June, following National Typewriter Day, and included the typewriter as a musical instrument, typewriter workshops, and a scripted “Clackathon” performance featuring a ChatGPT villain.

Hoopla, Overdrive/Libby Banned for Those Under 18 in Mississippi

Public libraries in Mississippi have cut off access to digital platforms like Overdrive and Hoopla to those under 18.

Hello Readers,

We’re writing to let you know about some exciting changes you’ll see in this space soon. Today in Books will continue to deliver big headlines from the world of books and publishing directly to your inbox with some additional benefits, including more interactive and immersive features. In order to expand what we offer, including the ability to like and comment on our posts, participate in discussion threads, and opt into bonus content, we’re moving this publication to Substack!

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We’re excited to bring you even more great stories, and have conversations with you about what’s happening in the world of books right now! Look out for announcements about new features and opportunities to join the discussion.

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Oldest Living Tulsa Race Massacre Survivor Publishes Memoir

At the age of 109, Viola Ford Fletcher has published a memoir about growing up during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Don’t Let Them Bury My Story is being published by a small press and will be available widely beginning August 15. Fletcher has been an activist for accountability over the incident, wherein a white mob destroyed the thriving Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and left between dozens and thousands dead. Fletcher’s age does not deter her — she remained quiet until she was much older, for fear of retribution. “Now that I’m an old lady, there’s nothing else to talk about,” Fletcher said. “We decided to do a book about it and maybe that would help.”

The Death of Sports Books

It’s been over 20 years since the mega-bestselling book Moneyball and close to 20 years since The Blind Side. But in that time, there’s hardly been as big a book focused on sports. Did sports books lose their power thanks to shifting sports media? “In the past, a popular sports book could cement an athlete’s legacy for the next generation of fans. Today, a documentary is more likely to hold that power, which complicates matters for sportswriters.”

The Highest-Rated Book in Each Country, Mapped

Okay, geography nerds: here’s one for you. It’s a map of the highest-rated books in each of the 130 countries. The researchers behind this one looked at the top-rated authors in each country, then drilled down to identify via Goodreads their highest-rated titles. The U.S.? Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Among the rest of the world, Los Fantasmas De Fernando by Jaime Alfonso Sandoval is the top spot in Mexico, and Frizzy by Claribel Ortega hits the top in the Dominican Republic.

Who Was Tessa Kelso? A Feminist History of the Librarian Pioneer

Tessa Kelso would only be Los Angeles city librarian for six years, but the changes she made were gigantic. Even eight months into her tenure, the board of governors of the library were sending praise to Kelso and her co-worker and right-hand-woman Adelaide Hasse. Under their tenure, the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) collection grew seven times bigger and circulation went from 12,000 to 330,000. The changes LAPL made under Kelso would attract national attention and were at the forefront of what libraries would move towards in the future.

Red, White, & Royal Blue Trailer Drops

Prime Video has just released the official trailer for the film adaptation of the bestselling book Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The movie stars Taylor Zakhar Perez as the son of the U.S. President, played by Uma Thurman, with Nicholas Galitzine as Britain’s Prince Henry. The royal romance will start streaming on Prime Video on August 11, 2023.

Florida School District Restricts Works by Shakespeare, Removes Books by Toni Morrison and John Milton

Florida’s Orange County Public Schools, located near Orlando, have removed more than 150 books from their shelves and restricted others as part of a review for sexual content. Among the removed are books by authors such as Toni Morrison, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Ellison, and others. Even certain works by the Bard — like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and others — are being restricted to 10th-12th grades.

NASCAR Event Inadvertently Drives Book Sales for Local Indie Bookstore

The NASCAR race in Chicago that took place July 1-2 initially cost indie bookstore Exile in Bookville around $15,000 because of street closures, construction, and other disturbances to business. After co-owners Kristin Enola Gilbert and Javier Ramirez announced on social media why they’d be closed for four days during the event, supporters — including everyone from local authors Rebecca Makkai and Daniel Kraus, to other booksellers around the country — rallied, resulting in the bookstore receiving more online orders during the four days they were closed than they have in the last two years.

2023 Hugo Award Finalists Announced

The 2023 Hugo Award finalists have been announced. This year’s selection is the most globally diverse so far.

Philly Protests Moms for Liberty With Dance Party

Hate group Moms for Liberty held their annual “Joyful Warriors” summit at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia this week, despite many having asked the museum to cancel the event. In response, hundreds of people gathered around the museum to join in a dance party that protested the blatantly racist and homophobic group.

Authors File Lawsuit Against OpenAI, ChatGPT Company

Authors Mona Awad and Paul Tremblay filed a lawsuit against Open AI, ChatGPT’s parent company. The lawsuit claims that the company used their books to teach its AI tool about novels, citing the fact that ChatGPT was able to come up with “very accurate summaries” of their books. Samples of the summaries were provided in the lawsuit as exhibits.

ByteDance, Owner of TikTok, Starts Publishing Company

After drastically changing the publishing world through #BookTok — which has had more than 91 billion views — ByteDance has set its sights on publishing. This past April, ByteDance filed a trademark for 8th Note Press, which it described as a publisher of books, ebooks, and audiobooks.

What is Regency Romance?

It’s the most popular historical romance sub-genres. Top romance authors talk about what it is and why we love Regency Romance so much.

Greta Gerwig Attached to Direct New Narnia Movie

Barbie and Little Women director Greta Gerwing is attached to direct a feature film version of The Chronicles of Narnia books for Netflix. Netflix acquired the film and TV rights to the Narnia book series in 2018. Since the acquisition, however, the streamer has yet to announce any projects based on the beloved book series. While no official announcement has been made, the New Yorker reported that Gerwig has a deal to direct two films in the C.S. Lewis franchise.

Netflix Releases Teaser Trailer for Heartstopper Season 2

Netflix has officially released the teaser trailer for the second season of Heartstopper. The series stars out actors Joe Locke as Charlie and Kit Connor as Nick and is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alise Oseman, Oseman also created and scripted the series. Heartstopper season 2 premieres on Netflix on August 3.

Award-Winning Ukrainian Novelist Victoria Amelina Dies After Being Wounded in Kramatorsk Strike

The award-winning Ukrainian novelist, essayist, and war crimes researcher Victoria Amelina has died from injuries sustained in a Russian missile strike on a restaurant. The author was 37. Amelina set writing aside after the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022. Since then, she has focused on documenting war crimes and working with children on or near the frontline. Since her death, there has been an outpouring of tributes to Amelina’s life and activism. “Victoria Amelina was one of the kindest and most charitable Ukrainian writers who did much more for others than for herself,” novelist Andrey Kurkov said on Twitter. “She founded two literary festivals, in New York (Donbas) and in Kramatorsk, where her life was stopped by a Russian missile.”

July 2023 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

Check out new titles from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Sara Desai, and more in Book Riot’s July 2023 horoscopes.

Amina Akhtar Reveals Cover of New Novel to Be Published by Mindy’s Book Studio

Amina Akhtar revealed the cover of her new novel coming from Mindy Kaling’s imprint Mindy’s Book Studio. Akhtar’s Almost Surely Dead follows a Pakistani American woman who disappears after a string of bizarre incidents. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Ahktar tweeted about the cover. “I’m beyond excited to have the @Mindykaling stamp of approval on this one!” Almost Surely Dead will be out on February 6, 2024.

Dune: Part Two Releases Second Official Trailer

The second official trailer for Dune: Part Two has been released. The trailer, which runs for a full three minutes, reveals Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) warring against the evil Harkonnens. The footage also shows Paul wrestling with being worshiped as a prophet, and it reveals a first look at Christopher Walken’s scheming Emperor. Dune: Part Two releases in theaters on November 3.

Study Shows Childhood Reading Habits Boost Brain and Mental Health in Teens

A recent study reveals that childhood reading for pleasure can enhance cognitive and mental health during adolescence. The research involved over 10,000 young adolescents from the U.S., and results showed that an optimal reading duration of 12 hours per week contributes to improved brain structure and mental health. Reading over 12 hours per week appeared to have no additional benefits. Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the University of Warwick, UK, said, “We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age. Done right, this will not only give them pleasure and enjoyment, but will also help their development and encourage long-term reading habits, which may also prove beneficial into adult life.”

Bookish Pride Mugs for Celebrating All Year Long

Pour your equalitea into these excellent bookish pride mugs all year long.

Tokyopop Launches LoveLove Romance Manga Label with 4 New Titles

On Wednesday, Tokyopop launched a new romance manga imprint named LoveLove. The new imprint has launched with four new titles: Nikke Taino’s The Black Cat & the Vampire, Fumi Tsuyuhisa’s Undead: Finding Love in the Zombie Apocalypse, Troy Arukuno’s Sating the Wolf, and Ichika Yuno’s Lullaby of the Dawn. LoveLove will release the first volume of The Black Cat & the Vampire on October 10; the first volumes of Undead and Sating the Wolf will follow on October 24; the first volume of Lullaby of the Dawn comes out on November 14.

Author Michael Rosen Wins 2023 PEN Pinter Prize

Michael Rosen, author of more than 200 books for children and adults, has won the 2023 PEN Pinter prize. Judges called Rosen’s body of work “fearless” and said his books provide a “lesson in humanity.” The author will share the award with a Writer of Courage, who he will select from a shortlist of international writers that have actively defended freedom of expression. “I feel greatly honoured to have been offered the PEN Pinter prize,” said Rosen. “It immediately brings to mind the many people all over the world incarcerated, tortured or executed for being brave enough to write about what they perceive to be injustice.” Rosen will receive the prize during a ceremony at the British Library in October. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty Releases Season 2 Trailer

Prime Video has released the season 2 trailer for The Summer I Turned Pretty, a series based on the novels by Jenny Han. The trailer also gave fans a first listen of Taylor Swift’s “Back to December” from her upcoming Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) album. The first three episodes of season 2 of The Summer I Turn Pretty will be out on Prime Video on July 14. New episodes will follow weekly until the season finale on Friday, August 18.

Australian Noir and the Best Australian Crime Fiction

Australia is a land of storytellers. From Outback noir to historical Australian crime fiction, these are the best in Australian mysteries.

New Podcast Explores Marvel Movies

The Wall Street Journal and editor Ben Fritz are releasing a new, four-part podcast series called With Great Power: The Rise of Superhero Cinema. The podcast will explore the 21^st century’s fascination (and fatigue) with superhero movies. Fritz will talk to a wide range of people on the podcast, from Avi Arad, former Marvel general counsel John Turitzin, and former Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel to former Sony Pictures movie chief Amy Pascal, former DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner. With Great Power will be part of The Journal, the flagship daily podcast of The Wall Street Journal. Episodes will be released on July 5, 6, 7, and 9 on all podcast platforms.

Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals Title of Upcoming Memoir

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed the title and the cover of her highly-anticipated upcoming memoir. “I had so many people encourage me to write a book,” she told PEOPLE. “But I was believing that my journey was not a worthy journey. But when I saw it on paper — I couldn’t help but look at myself and say, wow. What a life.” The book is titled Worthy, because Pinkett Smith says “the journey itself is worthy. Every journey. And we’re all worthy while we’re in it, you know? And I think a lot of times so many of us lose the idea of our own self-worth. I wanted to write about my journey to self-worth in a real way. And it’s been a real struggle, and I think that that will be the part that will be most surprising to the reader.” Worthy is out October 17, and Pinkett Smith will follow the release with a book tour.

Leslye Headland to Direct Netflix Adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for Netflix

Leslye Headland will be directing Netflix’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Headland is the showrunner of the Netflix series Russian Doll, and she’s also directed feature films like Bachelorette and About Last Night. Liz Tigelaar wrote the script for the Evelyn Hugo adaptation. Liza Chasin is producing for 3Dot Productions, and Brad Mendelsohn will produce for Circle of Confusion. Jenkins Reid and Margaret Chernin will executive produce the project.

Never Too Young: Why Kids Deserve Queer-Friendly Libraries

The kids are more prepared than most adults to understand and expect acceptance for all in school libraries (and beyond!).