Category: Today In Books

Sponsored by Seal Press, publisher of Faking It: The Lies Women Tell About Sex—and the Truths They Reveal by Lux Alptraum

Vampires Can Sing

Or at least that’s the plan: According to Alan Ball (creator of the True Blood TV series) a musical version by composer Nathan Barr is currently being workshopped. He also revealed that the original HBO series, adapted from Charlaine Harris’ novels, almost starred Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Chastain, and Jennifer Lawrence.

50 States 50 Books

A wonderful mission created by Charnaie Gordon and her two young kids Madison and Barrington which sets out to send 50 diverse children’s books to each of the 50 states. Read on to learn about this awesome family and those helping.

Stan Lee Public Memorial Celebration In The Works

While the family held a private funeral his POW! Entertainment company would like to give fans a chance to celebrate Lee with a big celebration, which they’re currently working on. In the meantime they’ve created a site for fans to share their thoughts and prayers.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan.

Tom Cruise Is Shorter Than Jack Reacher

Are you a Jack Reacher fan for whom Tom Cruise just didn’t measure up in the film adaptations? Good news: author Lee Child agrees. He’s negotiated his way to a Cruise-less television version of the ex-army investigator’s adventures, and invites fans to suggest tall(er) actors for the lead role.

Husband Brings Wife Flowers

Michelle Obama, a writer and lawyer from Chicago, is on tour for her memoir Becoming. While at a stop in Washington, D.C., her husband surprised her onstage with a bouquet. Flowers are nice, but I think we’d all rather he just go get his old job back…

Book Sells After Nearly Three Decades On The Shelf

An indie bookstore in northwest England has had a children’s biography of William the Conqueror in stock since 1991. And yesterday, somebody bought it. The bookshop touchingly tweeted, “We always knew its day would come.”

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Flatiron Books and Legendary by Stephanie Garber.

948 Books Banned

By Kuwaiti authorities at a literature festival. Among the books banned is Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, a novel set in 19th-century Russia that explores morality, free will and the existence of God. Over the past five years the information ministry has blacklisted over 4,000 books including One Hundred Years Of Solitude and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Champagne And Popcorn: Ring In The New Year With Doctor Who

Instead of the traditional Christmas Day special episode this year we’re getting a first-ever “Who Year’s Day!” The current season’s finale will air December 9th on BBC America, starting on December 24th a marathon will begin–including past Doctors–and the New Year’s special will air on January 1st.

Netflix Nabs

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind adaptation, directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor and starring Maxwell Simba and Ejiofor! Like Dumplin’ it will launch on Netflix and also get a limited theater release. 2019 is going to be an awesome year for adaptations!

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Mariner Books.

Indianapolis Will House

“One of the largest collections of LGBTQ+ archives in the United States for a public library.” Indy Pride, Inc. has partnered with Indianapolis Public Library to create the permanent exhibit of important research, books and LGBTQ+ history. You can watch the news story and/or read more about this awesome exhibit here.

In Sad News

William Goldman, a prolific author and screenwriter, has passed away at 87. While he is also known for screenwriting Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, he will always be the man who gifted me one of my all time favorite stories: The Princess Bride. Thank you Mr. Goldman, for a delightful, clever, and fun adventure I’ve revisited often in my life.

In Fun News

Top Chef Junior contestants will be making a meal fit for–you think I’m going to say “King” but I’m not–Harry Potter. Or at least a Great Hall-worthy feast. Harry Potter-themed quarterfinals will air this Saturday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT on Universal Kids. You can check out the junior chefs picking which Harry Potter character they’d be in the link.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Disney Publishing Worldwide.

Oxford Dictionaries’ Word Of 2018 Is…

“Toxic.” *Waves at Britney Spears* In the year of 2018 it is no surprise that there was a 45% increase in people looking up the word because it was being used in so many situations.

Award Season Rolls On

We have a lot of congratulations to shout for this year’s winners of the 2018 National Book Awards! Check out the Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated, and YA winners–and if you haven’t read them yet, you really should!

Official New Trailer For Tim Burton’s Dumbo

No, you’re already crying! I mean look at that sweet little face! As much as I may have not been paying attention to this live-action remake it looks like it was perfectly cast and the trailer really tugged at my heart.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Writer’s Digest.

It’s Here! It’s Here!

The trailer for the adaptation of Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’ has finally dropped, and it’s so good I should have made popcorn just for the trailer! The film will be in select theaters and on Netflix December 7th–and is it December 7th yet?!

Hemingway Letter Sells For $28,000

The Old Man and the Sea is believed to have been partly inspired by Hemingway’s capture of a 500lb blue marlin, which he detailed in a letter he sent in 1935 to the fishing editor of the Miami Herald. For more on the letter and his battle with sharks read here.

George R.R. Martin Adaptation Coming To Hulu

HBO has Game of Thrones and now Hulu will have Wild Cards. The series, about a deadly virus in the ’40s where those who survived mutated or got superpowers, has 27 books so far so that’s a lot of material to work with! We’re looking forward to hearing more.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by The Global Economy as You’ve Never Seen It—99 Ingenious Infographics That Put It All Together by Thomas Ramge and Jan Schwochow.

Want To Scroll A Super Long List Of Great 2018 Books?

2019 Tournament of Books Long List has been announced! This great list will be reduced to a manageable 16 (or so) books to make up the short list. From there, let the games begin! And by games we mean that in March 2019, two books will go head-to-head every weekday and one of the judges will decide which book lives another day. It’s a fun and an awesome way to see all the great books you missed from 2018.

A Witchy Holiday Special

A Midwinter’s Tale, a special holiday episode of Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, will air on Friday, December 14th. Get your popcorn and pointy shoes ready, “On the longest night of the year, families gather around the yule fire to sing pagan carols and tell ghost stories.”

Baby Got Backlist

At least for four big publishers, it was a very profitable quarter thanks to the sale of backlist books. For HarperCollins, backlist sales were led by The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and The Hate U Give. Simon & Schuster had 3 YA backlist get a boost thanks to Netflix’s adaptation of Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. And Houghton Mifflin Harcourt renewed it’s licensing for 1984 and Animal Farm during a time when many are pointing to the messages in the books. Also a big contributor: Digital audiobooks.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by AQUICORN COVE, a beautiful, LGBTQ-friendly conservation fable from the Eisner Award-winning author of The Tea Dragon Society.

It’s Nice To See So Much Of Michelle Obama Again

First, you can now hear two exclusive excerpts from the audiobook of her memoir, Becoming, which Michelle Obama narrates. Second, Oprah Winfrey announced it’s her latest book club pick. My ears and heart are ready.

In Sad News

Stan Lee, legendary writer, editor, and publisher of Marvel Comics, has passed away at the age of 95. Since his career began in 1939 he has created/co-created iconic characters such as Black Panther, Spider-Man, X-Men, The Mighty Thor, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and Ant-Man. He will be missed, but we’re grateful his characters and work will keep on.

A Call For Libraries Funding To Be Ringfenced In The UK

Sadly, even with support from authors like J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman, campaigners for the petition say the government’s response has been “hugely disappointing.” The petition is aimed at getting enough signatures to stop libraries being closed, cut back, or outsourced due to government cutting local budgets for libraries. Once a petition reachers 10,000 signatures the government must respond. At 100,000 signatures parliament considers a debate.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Tor Teen, publisher of The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Translators Are Getting Their Due

The Atlantic takes the occasion of the National Book Foundation’s upcoming announcement of the first Translated Literature Prize to highlight the growing appreciation for the work that literary translators do.

Women Authors Are Over Half Of This Indie Bookstore

If you’re ever in Singapore, stop by The Moon bookstore and peep their shelves. What makes their stock so noteworthy? Founders Sarah Naeem and Lee Jiaqian have made a deliberate attempt to diversify their shelves, and have wound up with a healthy representation of female authors.

Tom Hanks Held A Baby At The Portland Book Festival

The Portland Book Festival took place this weekend, and beloved actor Tom Hanks was a special guest. He was appearing as an author and his friends and family must be very proud of him, but what really matters is that he’s proud of himself he brought a fussy baby onstage and you can see the adorable photo here. It’s the one captioned, “Tom Hanks with a baby.”

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by The Magnetic Collection at Lion Forge.

70-Year-Old Diary Finally Publishes In English

Polish teenager Renia Spiegel’s diary ends July 30, 1942 when she was executed by German soldiers, during the Nazi occupation of Poland, just days after turning 18. The diary ends with Spiegel’s boyfriend, Zygmunt Schwarzer, writing her death along with his parents. While comparable to Anne Frank’s diary, Spiegel was not living in hiding at the time of her journal entries. Learn more about Spiegel, her family, and her diary’s journey–which has an English extract in the Smithsonian magazine and will be published by St Martin’s Press in 2019: The Diary of Renia Spiegel.

Giving And It Feels So Good

Books-A-Million’s Book & Toy Drive is back and you can donate books/toys at any Books-A-Million store. The donations will go to Children’s of Alabama, Toys for Tots, Ronald McDonald House and more local charities across the U.S.

Amazon Is Here With Its Editors Best Of 2018 Picks

Amazon editor’s picked their top 20 and their picks by genres and there are a lot of excellent and great 2018 reads on here! That mystery list, YA list, and romance list are mostly getting quite a few emoji heart eyes from me.