Category: Today In Books

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Today In Books

Netflix Releases YOU Season 4 Trailer: Today in Books

Prince Harry’s Memoir Predicted to be One of Year’s Bestsellers

Prince Harry’s memoir Spare is currently at the top of Amazon’s bestseller charts in the U.S. and the UK. Since its publication was first announced, Spare has remained on Amazon’s top charts. Ahead of its release tomorrow, January 10th, the book is performing well at other major book retailers as well. John Cotterill, Waterstones’ non-fiction category manager, said the memoir was “one of the biggest pre-order titles of the last decade for Waterstones.” Cotterill said, “We expect the high customer interest to be sustained on and after publication, with everything pointing to Spare being one of 2023’s bestsellers.”

Netflix Releases You Season 4 Trailer

Netflix has released the first official trailer for You season 4. And in a surprising turn, the trailer introduces a new murderer into the mix. The new season sees Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) posing as a literature professor named Jonathan Moore at a London university. In spite of being surrounded by rich, egocentric socialites, Joe finds that he really enjoys teaching. But when people at the university start turning up dead, Joe discovers he might not be the only murderer on campus. Season 4: Part 1 will be released on February 9 and Part 2 will be out on March 9.

Stage Adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s Room to Open on Broadway This Spring

A stage adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel Room will open on Broadway in April 2023. The production is directed by Cora Bissett, with a script by Emma Donoghue, and songs by Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph. No casting announcements or theater has been announced yet. The theatrical version of Room first debuted in 2017 at Stratford East in the UK. A production in Toronto, also directed by Bissett, was staged in Spring 2022. You can see a trailer for the original UK production here.

Trying to Read More in 2023? These Things Can Help

From audiobook subscriptions to bullet journals to reading lights, here are some things that can help you meet your 2023 reading goals.

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Brooklyn Library’s BOOKS UNBANNED Wins Accolade: Today in Books

Bookstore Named After Octavia Butler Opens in Pasadena

Pasadena is getting a new independent bookstore named after author Octavia Butler. Nikki High, owner of Octavia’s Bookshelf, says she hopes to highlight BIPOC authors. The bookstore name is a tribute to Pasadena native, science-fiction author, and MacArthur fellow Octavia Butler. “She was the first Black sci-fi writer that I read, and it was the first time that I saw Black people in the future,” High said. Octavia’s Bookshelf is scheduled to open by late February. The bookstore will be located at 1361 North Hill Avenue.

Brooklyn Library’s “Books Unbanned” Wins Accolade

Brooklyn Public Library’s “Books Unbanned” team have been recognized by the Library Journal for creating a program “to reach readers in places where new restrictions might force books off library shelves and out of classrooms.” This five-person team that makes up “Books Unbanned” issues library cards that give electronic access to the Brooklyn library’s digital and audio collections. So far, 6,000 teenagers have requested cards since the program began last spring. Library Journal called the program “ambitious” and “broad in scope,” and said that it “held the potential to affect thousands of young readers,” proving to be “successful far beyond their original hopes.”

Edith Pearlman, Writer Who Won Acclaim Late in Life, Dies at 86

Edith Pearlman, the author who became a literary star late in her life with her 2011 collection of short stories Binocular Vision, died on Sunday at her home in Brookline, MA. Pearlman was 86 years old. The author’s son, Charles, confirmed the death, but did not cite a specific cause. In addition to her son, Edith Pearlman is survived by her husband, Chester Pearlman; a daughter, Jessica Ann Pearlman; a grandson; and her sister, Betty Jane Grossman.

6 Readathons and Reading Challenges to Start Prepping for in 2023

Want to take part in a good readathon or reading challenge in 2023? Here are some excellent options, including short and long events.

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Congressman Robert Garcia Will Be Sworn in with an Original SUPERMAN #1 Comic: Today in Books

Disney+ Lines Up Series Adaptation Of CJ Sansom’s Shardlake Tudor Detective Novels

Disney+ is set to greenlight an adaptation of CJ Sansom’s bestselling Shardlake novels, which tell the story of an unlikely detective working under Henry VIII’s reign. Justin Chadwick is set to direct the Shardlake series. The series will be shot in the UK later this year and will be four episodes long.

Congressman Robert Garcia Will Be Sworn in with an Original Superman #1 Comic

Robert Garcia will be sworn in as a representative for California’s 42nd congressional district with a copy of the Constitution, his citizenship certificate, a photo of his parents, and a vintage first-edition of Superman #1 on loan from the Library of Congress. Garcia told People that he identifies with the superhero Superman because he is a fellow immigrant and believes in the same core principles. “Superman is the first comic I read as a kid,” Garcia said. “He was an immigrant from another planet who was raised to believe in truth and justice — and those are things I value. So, definitely, there’s a personal connection there.”

Here’s the Season 3 Trailer of Truth Be Told, Starring Octavia Spencer

Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for the third season of Truth Be Told, a series based on Kathleen Barber’s novel While You Were Sleeping. The series stars Octavia Spencer. Joining the cast in season three is Gabrielle Union. The upcoming season will also feature Mekhi Phifer, David Lyons, Ron Cephas Jones, Merle Dandridge, Tracie Thoms, Haneefah Wood, Mychala Faith Lee and Tami Roman. Truth Be Told season three will make its debut on Apple TV+ on January 20, followed by one new episode weekly Fridays through March 24.

Start Your Year Off Scared: New Horror Coming Out in January

A slate of fresh scares await you this month and they include a haunted house, vampires, social horror, and books like Bad Cree.

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Barnes & Noble to Host Inaugural BookTok Festival: Today in Books

Prince Harry Details Physical Attack by Brother William in New Book

In Prince Harry’s highly anticipated memoir Spare, Harry recounts a physical attack by his brother, William, now Prince of Wales. According to Harry, the confrontation happened in his London home in 2019. Harry says William called the prince’s wife Meghan Markle “difficult,” “rude,” and “abrasive.” Harry says these words were a “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about Meghan. Harry claims the confrontation escalated, and then William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor.” Spare will be published worldwide next week and is anticipated to spark “a serious furore” for the British royal family.

Dungeons & Dragons Looks to Clamp Down on Competition with New Open Game License

A leaked version of Dungeons & Dragons‘ new Open Game License has many worried about the future of tabletop roleplaying games. This new license would allow third-party creators and publishers to use Dungeons & Dragons rules and mechanics in their own work. Under this new OGL, many RPG publishers will be forced to opt in and pay the royalty fees if they make more than $750k off of works that use the OGL. Wizards of the Coast has yet to release the OGL publicly.

Barnes & Noble to Host Inaugural BookTok Festival

Barnes & Noble is hosting the inaugural BookTok Festival at its flagship store in New York City’s Union Square on February 4. The event will begin at 10am and will feature booths run by publishers such as Disney, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Sourcebooks, and Union Square & Co. All publishers will be giving out advanced reading copies and other free merchandise. Panel discussions and signings will begin at 2pm. These events will feature authors who have grown their readership through BookTok, such as Tessa Bailey, Melissa Blair, Ana Huang, T.J. Klune, R.F. Kuang, Ryan La Sala, Kennedy Ryan, Hannah Whitten, and more.

Bookish 2023 Planners and Reading Trackers

We’ve got your 2023 bookish planners and reading trackers right here. Start the year off right with your planning and book journaling!

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BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Streaming in February: Today in Books

Apple Books Quietly Launches AI-Narrated Audiobooks

Apple’s Books service recently introduced audiobooks narrated by a text-to-speech AI. Apple apple says the aim of the new “digital narration” is making “the creation of audiobooks more accessible to all.” Currently, the feature is only available for romance and fiction books, with two digital voices: Madison and Jackson. Two more voices, Helena and Mitchell, will soon be available for nonfiction narration.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Will Be Available to Stream in February

Disney+ has announced that the newest Black Panther film, Wakanda Forever, will be available to stream on the Disney+ streaming platform starting on February 1. In the meantime, if you’re looking to see the film (or rewatch it) in January, the film is still playing in many theaters around the world. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has grossed over $822 million worldwide.

Here’s the Trailer for Renfield

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming comedy adaptation Renfield, based on the classic novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. The film, directed by Chris McKay, focuses on the story of Dracula’s henchman Renfield. Nicholas Hoult stars in the titular role. The movie also co-stars Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, and Adrian Martinez. See Renfield only in theaters starting on April 14th.

8 of the Best Romance Novels Out in January

It’s January, and you know what they say: “new year, new you, new books.” These romance novels out in January are must-reads.

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BRIDGERTON Prequel QUEEN CHARLOTTE Reveals First Look at Young Lady Danbury: Today in Books

Netflix Shares Deleted Scene from First Season of Heartstopper

Here’s a little treat for Heartstopper fans: Eearlier today, Netflix uploaded a deleted scene from the show’s first season to YouTube. The scene shows a tender moment between Elle and Tao awake during a sleepover with Charlie and Isaac. Just last month, series creator Alice Oseman and stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke announced that filming has wrapped on the show’s second season. While we wait for that to drop, you can watch the deleted scene from Season 1 here.

Rare Robert Burns Book Found in a Barber Shop Goes on Display

A rare first edition of Robert Burns’ debut poetry collection, which was found in a barber shop, is now on display at the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries in Fife, Scotland. The first edition of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect is far from mint condition. The first fifty pages are missing, as the owner of the barber shop in Shrewsbury used them to clean his razors. Only 612 copies of Burn’s poetry collection were printed in 1786, and it is thought that only 84 of those copies survive.

Bridgerton Prequel Queen Charlotte Reveals First Look at Young Lady Danbury

Netflix has released the first look at young Lady Agatha Danbury in its upcoming Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The young Lady Danbury is played by Arsema Thomas. Netflix’s description of the character reads, “With keen knowledge of the once divided social scene and the intricacies of marriage, Agatha becomes a guiding light for the new Queen, all while finding her own voice and power.”

New Year Brings 13 New Mysteries & Thrillers to Read in January

From dark academia to cozy mysteries, January’s new mystery & thriller releases have something for everyone.

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Anderson Cooper to Interview Prince Harry About Upcoming Memoir SPARE: Today in Books

Leslie Grace Reveals Peek at Batgirl Costume from the Canceled HBO Max Movie

In a look-back end-of-year video posted on Instagram, Leslie Grace gave fans a look at the Batgirl costume that could have been in the canceled HBO Max movie. “thank u for teachin’ me, 2022. you were singular in many ways that will stay with me,” Grace, who would have starred in the titular role in the Batgirl film, wrote on Instagram. “my gratitude and love for life is much deeper thanks to the experiences you brought me. i take your lessons with me as we part.” The film, which was also to star Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton, was supposed to premiere in 2023. The film was in final stages of post-production when it was canceled.

Jenna Bush Hager Introduces Streaking with Jenna 2023 Challenge

In 2023, Jenna Bush Hager is inviting you to develop a reading habit with Streaking with Jenna. The goal is simple: read every day, no matter how little or how much. The program has shared trackers that you can print or post on social media to keep up with your reading goals. Throughout the year, Streaking with Jenna will also invite participants to join in activities. Readers who keep up with their reading streak will also be eligible to win giveaways. To keep readers motivated, TODAY.com will also be regularly sharing advice on how to read more.

Anderson Cooper to Interview Prince Harry About Upcoming Memoir Spare

On Sunday, January 8, Anderson Cooper will be interviewing Prince Harry on 60 Minutes on CBS. This will be Harry’s first television interview discussing his upcoming memoir Spare, which will be out on January 10 of this year. You can catch the interview on Sunday or watch it anytime streaming on Paramount Plus.

January 2023 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

New year, new you, new books! Check out your January 2023 horoscope for a look at the month ahead and a new book perfect for your sign.

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George R.R. Martin Gives Update on Future of GAME OF THRONES Franchise: Today in Books

Twin Peaks Meets My Best Friend’s Exorcism in E.M. Roy’s Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies

E. M. Roy’s debut novel Let The Woods Keep Our Bodies is being pitched as My Best Friend’s Exorcism meets Twin Peaks. Fangoria has shared the cover of the upcoming horror novel, featuring art by Ryan Caskey. The novel, which will be out from independent published Ghoulish Books on October 10, is available for preorder now.

George R.R. Martin Gives Update on Future of Game of Thrones Franchise

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has offered another update on the future of the franchise on HBO Max. While House of the Dragon has been renewed for a second season, Martin says some spinoff projects has been shelved. Meanwhile, other spinoffs “are moving faster than others, as is always the case with development. None have been greenlit yet, though we are hoping…maybe soon.” As for the projects that have been shelved for now, Martin remains optimistic. The author wrote, “You can take something off the shelf as easily as you can put it on the shelf. [Though] all the changes at HBO Max have impacted us, certainly.”

Protestors and Supporters Clash Outside of Drag Story Hour in Queens, NY

On Thursday, supporters and protesters of Drag Story Hour at a library faced off from opposite sides of the street in front of the Queens Public Library in Jackson Heights. “In recent months, anti-LGBTQIA+ protesters have descended on these family events, attempting to get into our libraries to disrupt them while shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs at performers and attendees,” said City Council members Erik Bottcher, Adrienne Adams, Shekar Krishnan, Crystal Hudson said in a joint statement. “They have also vandalized the homes of three members of this City Council who support Drag Story Hour. It is particularly disturbing that these anti-LGBTQIA+ protesters have focused their harassment in Jackson Heights and Chelsea, two neighborhoods with historical importance as safe communities and centers of organizing for the LGBTQIA+ movement in New York City.” One arrest was made on Thursday, but the NYPD have not announced what the charges were or if the individual was a protestor or a supporter.

Black Romance Has Always Been Here

While there are more Black authors helping bring Black romance into the mainstream, Black romance has a long history.

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AGATHA: COVEN OF CHAOS and ECHO Still Coming from Marvel Studios in 2023: Today in Books

Here Are the Best Books of 2022, According to Cultural Tastemakers

Yes, there are always plenty of best-of-the-year book lists at the end of every year, but CNN has compiled a list of the best books of the year, according to cultural tastemakers. These are the books that notable authors, artists, image-makers, and other significant cultural figures were reading this year. So if you’re wondering what people like Jennette McCurdy, Ottessa Moshfegh, Emily Ratajkowski, and Hank Willis Thomas read in 2022, check this list out.

Philadelphia’s Oldest Black-Owned Bookstore Honored with a Blue Historical Marker

After 64 years of books and culture, Philadelphia’s oldest black-owned bookstore, Hakim’s Bookstore, is being commemorated with an official state historical marker. “[Hakim’s] is the first and the oldest African American bookstore opened in Philadelphia and on the East Coast,” said current owner Yvonne Blake, daughter of the bookstore’s original owner, Dawud Hakim. “We were a source of information and encouragement during the civil rights movement.” Blake says that the date for installing the blue and gold marker, part of the statewide program administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, has yet to be announced.

Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Echo Still Coming from Marvel Studios in 2023

Despite recent rumors that new Marvel Studios projects Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Echo might be delayed, a new promo from Marvel confirms both are still slated for 2023 releases. The promo features Marvel Studios’ projects from 2022 and shares a list of their slated projects for 2023. Agatha: Coven of Chaos has not started filming yet, but the streaming series is anticipated to premiere in late 2023.

The Worst-Rated Book-to-Movie Adaptations, According to Rotten Tomatoes

Here are the ten worst book-to-movie adaptations ever made, according to Rotten Tomatoes ratings, from a 44% approval rating to a measly 13%.

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Guillermo del Toro PINOCCHIO Exhibit Opens at MOMA: Today in Books

Used Bookstore Helps Support Saratoga Springs Public Library

The Friends Books Shop in the Saratoga Springs Public Library offers residents a chance to find a new home for their used books, but the shop also benefits the library. All books sold in the shop go for about $1 to $6, and they’re all donations from community members. The bookshop’s mission is to help the library fund ongoing projects that go beyond their normal budget.

Guillermo del Toro Pinocchio Exhibit Opens at MOMA

While Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is currently streaming on Netflix and receiving rave reviews from critics, the Museum of Modern Art currently has a limited-time exhibit of the feature film. The exhibit includes clay puppets that brought the film’s story to life. Along with puppets in various stages of completion, museum goers can also check out handcrafted props and sets from the movie. Anyone visiting MOMA with a general admission ticket is welcome to see the exhibit, which runs now through April 15. Pinocchio will also be playing in the museum’s theater through January 4.

Dawn of the Jaguar: A Shadow Bruja Novel Gets A Cover Reveal

Read Riordan has an exclusive cover reveal of the upcoming second novel in J. C. Cervantes’ Aztec-inspired Shadow Bruja duology. This second novel, Dawn of the Jaguar, will finally give readers answers to what happened to Ren Santiago and her friends after Lords of the Night. Dawn of the Jaguar will be released on October 10.

Quiz: What Should Your 2023 Bookish New Year’s Resolution Be?

Trying to find the perfect bookish new year’s resolution to spice up your reading life? This quiz can help you find it!