Category: Today In Books

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Today In Books

WIRED Names Best Books of 2022: Today in Books

Otsego Library Transformed into Wonka Factory for Fundraiser

The Otsego Library in Michigan has transformed into the Wonka Factory from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for a fundraiser. Visitors can check out the Wonka Factory display during the library’s normal business hours. Donations will raise funds for children’s materials and the Rise & Shine Early Literacy Center. The event runs until Saturday, January 21st.

Brent C. Lambert Announces New Queer Sci-Fi Novella

Speculative fiction author Brent C. Lambert announced a new queer sci-fi novella, A Necessary Chaos. The author tweeted, “I’m particularly proud of having two queer Black people in a relationship with each other because we know how the industry do!” The novella is available for preorder now, and it will be out from Neon Hemlock in February 2023.

WIRED Names Best Books of 2022

WIRED named their picks for the 12 best books of 2022. The list includes fiction and nonfiction, speculative fiction, realistic fiction, books in translation, and more. Titles include The Employees: A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century by Olga Ravn, Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, and Tremors in the Blood by Amit Katwala. You can see the full list on their website.

The Best 2023 Bookish Wall Calendars

Make your 2023 calendar year bookish. Here are the best bookish wall calendars to hang in your home in 2023.

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Barack Obama Shares His Favorite Books of 2022: Today in Books

Outlander Season 7 Gets Premiere Date & First Look

Starz has released the first teaser for the 7th season of Outlander, and the premium cable outlet has announced the series will return in summer 2023. This season will cover the sixth and seventh books in author Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series — A Breath of Snow and Ashes and An Echo in the Bone. Leads Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan are returning for the seventh season, along with Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, John Bell, David Berry, Caitlin O’Ryan and Paul Gorman. Joining the cast are Charles Vandervaart (playing William Ransom) Izzy Meikle-Small (as Rachel Hunter) and Joey Phillips (playing Denzell Hunter).

Hugh Jackman Teases Details About Deadpool 3

Hugh Jackman is teasing some details about the upcoming Deadpool 3 film, specifically information about the relationship between his character Wolverine and the character Deadpool. “Ten being really close, zero being the reality, we’re zero, we’re opposites, hate each other,” Jackman said on The Empire Film Podcast. “I’m just talking from my perspective, [Logan’s] frustrated by him, wants to be a million miles away from him or wants to punch him in the head. Unfortunately, he can’t be a million miles away from him in this movie, so I’m probably going to punch him in the head a lot.” Deadpool 3 is scheduled to be released on November 8, 2024.

Barack Obama Shares His Favorite Books of 2022

Last week, Barack Obama shared his favorite movies, music, and (most importantly) books from 2022. Although Obama admitted that he might be a little biased, the former president included his wife Michelle Obama’s 2022 book The Light We Carry at the top of his list. Also included: Trust by Hernan Diaz, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacey Schiff, The Furrows by Namwali Serpell, South to America by Imani Perry, The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton, An Immense World by Ed Yong, Liberation Day by George Saunders, The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, and Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah.

Introducing the 2023 Reading Log!

The 2023 reading log is here! It can help you track your reading stats and generate infographics to help you achieve your reading goals.

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Aubrey Plaza and Dan Murphy Return to Delaware to Promote New Book: Today in Books

Rolling Stone Announces Their Picks for Best Music Books of 2022

Rolling Stone has named their picks for the best music books of 2022. Included in the list is Joe Coscarelli’s Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story, Hua Hsu’s Stay True: A Memoir, and Danyel Smith’s Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. You can see the full list — which was chosen by Rolling Stone reporters Jonathan Bernstein, David Browne, Andy Greene, Jeff Ihaza, Angie Martoccio, Michelangelo Matos, Mosi Reeves, Rob Sheffield, and Lisa Tozzie — at Rolling Stone.

Aubrey Plaza and Dan Murphy Return to Delaware to Promote New Book

Aubrey Plaza and her creative partner Dan Murphy, both Delaware natives, returned to their home state this week to promote their new children’s book The Return of the Christmas Witch. This picture book is a sequel to last year’s The Legend of the Christmas Witch. Despite the dreary weather, over 300 people showed up for the duo’s book reading and signing. As for the future of the series, Plaza and Murphy said at the event that they’d like to write a third book, and they would love to see the film get a live-action adaptation someday. “I just think it’s fun…and maybe I could get a part,” said Plaza.

Joely Richardson Joins Cast of Netflix’s One Day Adaptation

Joely Richardson has joined the cast of Netflix’s drama adaptation of David Nicholls’s bestselling novel One Day. Previously announced cast members in the series include Ambika Mod, Leo Woodall, and Eleanor Tomlinson. Mod and Woodall play leads Emma and Dexter. The story follows Emma and Dexter’s on-again/off-again relationship throughout their lifetime. Tomlinson plays Sylvie, one of Dexter’s exes. Richardson’s role in the series has yet to be announced.

What I Learned from Reading an Awards Longlist for the First Time

What happened when a reader who likes a good challenge set out to read the entire National Book Awards Longlist for Fiction?

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HUNTER x HUNTER Manga on Hiatus Again: Today in Books

Perverted Book Club Hosts Readings in Surprising Locations

People are reading erotica in surprising places in New York City as part of a new series called the Perverted Book Club. The concept comes from creators Matt Starr and Zack Roif. Artists and writers read aloud selected works of erotica, including everything from Amazon sex toy reviews to Beatles fan fiction, to raunchy vintage love letters. Starr and Roif aim for each reading to take place in a “nontraditional reading space,” such as the Sbarro in Pennsylvania Station, or Blue Door Video, an old porn shop in the East Village of Manhattan. “To be clear, this is not at all ironic,” said Starr. “We wanted to take something that people typically do or read in private and bring it into a public, shared setting.”

Hunter x Hunter Manga on Hiatus Again

While the Hunter x Hunter manga briefly resumed serialization in October 2022, creator Yoshihiro Togashi will need to take a hiatus once again due to health complications. According to a note in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, this will be a temporary hiatus, but there is no word on when we can expect the manga to return. When Hunter x Hunter does return, it will no longer be a weekly serialization. The Weekly Shonen Jump editorial department will announce the publication dates and methods in the future. This will go into effect for Chapter 401 and beyond.

Barnes & Noble Taking Over Former Amazon Books Spots

For years chain bookseller Barnes & Noble has struggle to compete with online retailers like Amazon. But now B&N is actually growing its physical stores footprint, including two stores in places that used to be Amazon Books locations. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the company’s store expansion is leading a “big-box real-estate revival” in 2023. Barnes & Noble peaked at 726 locations nationwide in 2008, but the chain is now down to 600 stores. The Wall Street Journal reports that B&N looks to grow that number by 30 in the next year.

The Best YA Books of 2022

What are some of the best YA books of 2022 and ones you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss? Here’s our roundup of the best YA books of 2022!

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WANDAVISION’s Spinoff Series Adds Patti LuPone in Mystery Role: Today in Books

Booksellers, Friends Raise Money for Ukraine

Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books bookstore chain in Miami, has launched HUBB (Helping Ukrainian Books and Booksellers) to support the Ukrainian literary community. Many of Kaplan’s literary friends are also joining in to help the effort, including translator and novelist Askold Melnyczuk from the University of Massachusetts, Boston; novelist Jane Unrue of Harvard’s Scholars and Artists at Risk Program; poet and memoirist Christopher Merrill, director of the University of Iowa International Writing Program; and poet and memoirist Carolyn Forche. HUBB has also received support from bookstores and booksellers, such as Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA; Bookends and Beginnings in Evanston, IL; and the Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Cambridge, MA. “When I heard just how devastating this war has been to its very rich literary community…I felt like supporting them was an undeniable undertaking that needed to happen,” Kaplan said. “We’re just beginning, but I feel a groundswell beginning and I know we can make a difference in so many brave souls‘ lives as they try to keep books and literature alive until the ravages of war are reversed.”

WandaVision‘s Spinoff Series Adds Patti LuPone in Mystery Role

Patti LuPone has joined the cast of Disney+’s WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos in a mystery role. LuPone is a Tony Award-winning musical theater legend, and she joins the cast alongside Kathryn Hahn, who is reprising her WandaVision role as Agatha Harkness. Also starring in the new series are Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, and Emma Caulfield Ford. Coven of Chaos has yet to announce a premiere date, but it’s expected to debut in the winter of 2023-24 as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 5 rollout.

Black Adam 2 Not Moving Forward as Part of New DC’s “First Chapter”

Actor Dwayne Johnson announced earlier this week that Black Adam 2 would not be moving forward. This news comes as new DC Studios runners James Gunn and Peter Safran work to reshape the entire DC slate. “James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling,” Johnson wrote in a statement Tuesday. “However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.” Gunn has also shared that he can’t wait to collaborate with Johnson soon.

Book Riot’s Most Popular Posts of 2022

Book Riot published thousands of posts in 2022. Here are the top ten you were most interested in, from space operas to bedtime stories.

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Ukrainian Publishers Fight On: Today in Books

US Education Department Investigating After Texas Superintendent Orders Removal of LGBTQ Books

The U.S. Education Department’s civil rights enforcement arm has launched an investigation into a North Texas school district whose superintendent ordered librarians to remove LGBTQ+ books from the library. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights notified the Granbury Independent School District officials on December 6 that it had opened the investigation following a July complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union. Texas superintendent Jeremy Glenn was recorded telling librarians, “I acknowledge that there are men that think they’re women and there are women that think they’re men.I don’t have any issues with what people want to believe, but there’s no place for it in our libraries.” The ACLU wrote in their complain that the district’s decision to remove these books fostered a “pervasively hostile” environment for LGBTQ students. “In this case it was made very clear, because the superintendent kind of said the quiet part out loud,” ACLU attorney Chloe Kempf said in an interview. “It’s pretty clear that that kind of motivation is animating a lot of these policies nationwide.”

Ukrainian Publishers Fight On

Ukraine’s publishing industry has experienced many disruptions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24. Warehouses have been destroyed, logistics are breaking down, and employees are being displaced, all while Russia continues its attempts to undermine Ukrainian culture. Additionally, at least 31 Ukrainian writers and artists and have been killed since the war started, and at least 49 libraries and archives have been damaged or destroyed. Russian soldiers have also seized and destroyed Ukrainian literature in many cities. Still, Ukrainian publishers fight on. According to Chytomo, the online trade magazine of the Ukrainian publishing industry, 85.9% of Ukraine’s publishers were operational in late September, and the remaining 14.1% were at least partially at work. Compare this to April, when only 39% were operational. Furthermore, some Ukrainian publishers have reported an increase in sales, partially because of Ukrainians’ refusal to read Russian books. “The emphasis has noticeably shifted to the publications of Ukrainian authors,” representatives of publish company Old Lion told Chytomo. “The absence of Russian books has created a gap in the market we are happy to fill.”

Nick Cutter’s The Deep Getting Series Adaptation at Amazon

Nick Cutter’s underwater thriller The Deep is getting a series adaptation at Amazon. The series comes from C. Henry Chaisson, writer of Antlers and Apple series Servant. Chaisson will write and executive produce. Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate will also serve as executive producers for Fabel Entertainment.

We Are More Than Our History: On Also Reading Books About Joy

Books about Jewish history and tragedy are important…but as important, and often missing, are books on Jewish joy.

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Donald Glover to Produce and Star in Spider-Man Movie: Today in Books

Cassandra Clare Announces New Novel Coming in October 2023

Cassandra Clare, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, is coming out with an adult fantasy novel in October 2023. The novel is the first in a new epic fantasy series that follows two outcasts who “find themselves at the center of world-altering change.” Sword Catcher will be out on October 10, 2023 from Penguin Random House. It’s available for preorder now.

Donald Glover to Produce and Star in Spider-Man Movie Based on Villain Hypno-Hustler

Fans have been campaigning Donald Glover to play Spider-Man for years. Now, the actor is finally getting a Spider-Man movie, but it’s not quite what you think. Glover is attached to star in and produce a feature film set in Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man universe of Marvel Comics characters. The movie will focus on Spider-Man villain Hypno-Hustler. The villain’s real name is Antoine Delsoin, and he’s the leader of a band called the Mercy Killers. Hypo-Hustler uses hypnosis technology in his instruments on his audience in order to rob them. The character was originally created by writer Bill Mantlo, the creator of Rocket Racoon, and artist Frank Springer.

Africa’s Biggest Photography Library Opens in Ghana

The largest photography library in Africa has opened in Ghana’s capital, Accra. The Dikan Center library is the first of its kind in Ghana. Founded by Ghanaian photographer and film-maker Paul Ninson, the library includes over 30,000 books from Ninson’s collection. “I started buying African photo books, with the idea of sharing them with young photographers back home, but as my collection grew, it dawned on me that I could create a library dedicated to photography and visual education, so I started reaching out to booksellers for donations. I also received donations from private galleries and collectors,” Ninson told the Guardian. The library also houses a photo studio and classrooms to provide space for workshops. There is also an exhibition space that will host regular shows. The first show is Ahennie, a series by the late Ghanaian documentary photographer Emmanuel Bobbie (also known as Bob Pixel), who died in 2021.

The 10 Best Horror Books of 2022

Here are the ten best horror books of 2022, including haunted house stories, horror retellings, vampires, body horror, mushrooms, and so much more.

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Emily St. John Mandel Wants Wikipedia to Know She is Divorced: Today in Books

The Black Book Awards Winners Announced

On December 17, the winners of this year’s Black Book Awards were announced on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok Live. All winners have been posted on the Black Book Awards Twitter account. So if you missed the awards live, you can check out all of the winners across several categories and watch all of the presenters announce the awards on Twitter now.

Alexis Hall Reveals Cover of Mortal Follies

Alexis Hall has revealed the cover of his latest book Mortal Follies, which will be out on June 6, 2023 from Del Rey Books. The cover was designed by artist Radiante Mozzarelle. Hall explained that the sapphic regency fantasy romance “is based on events I witnessed while walking invisible among mortal kind in the year 1814.” Mortal Follies is available for preorder now.

Emily St. John Mandel Wants Wikipedia to Know She is Divorced

Emily St. John Mandel was recently interviewed by Dan Kois from Slate for one specific purpose: to let Wikipedia know once and for all that she is divorced. “A long time ago, I want to say 2012, I gave an interview to Publishers Weekly where I talked about my marriage,” the author explained. “So there was this fairly major publication wherein I’d talked about being married, and it turned out that worked against me when trying to get Wikipedia to recognize my divorce. According to a Wikipedia editor, I needed a comparable citation to get the change made on the page.” Looking for a solution, Emily St. John Mandel took to Twitter in the hopes that some journalist would rescue her. Mandel tweeted, “All I want for Christmas is for a journalist writing a story for publication (online-only is fine!) to ask me if I’m still married.” Thankfully, Dan Kois answered the call! Kois wrote, “Well, this is what journalism is all about: righting wrongs.”

Books Hitting the Public Domain in 2023

Every year, a new batch of books comes into the public domain as their copyright term expires. Here are some of the books entering the public domain in 2023.

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Disney+ Announces Marvel Studios Surprise Final Release of 2022: Today in Books

Publishers Weekly Recognizes the Allies Standing Up Against Book Bans

Publishers Weekly announced that their 2022 People of the Year are “The Defenders,” or “the librarians, booksellers, authors, publishers, and allies standing tall in the face of an unprecedented attack on the freedom to read.” In the face of the ongoing, unprecedented surge in book bans and censorship efforts across the United States, these people continue to speak out. Publishers Weekly named quite a few allies by name, including Pulitzer Prize–winning author and creator of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah Jones, and Book Riot‘s very own Kelly Jensen.

Disney+ Announces Marvel Studios Surprise Final Release for 2022

Before wrapping up what was a very big year for Marvel Studios, Disney+ has announced one final surprise release for 2022. A brand new episode of Marvel Studios Assembled is set to release on the streaming service on Wednesday, December 28. There is no word yet about what the upcoming installment of Assembled will be about, but speculation is that it will center around Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Vanity Fair Names Its 39 Best Books of 2022

Vanity Fair has named its top 39 books of 2022: “a highly subjective list of some personal favorites — bestsellers worth the hype, titles that flew more under the radar than merited, and everything in between — from the staff of Vanity Fair.” Included in the list? The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras, You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi, and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. See the full list, including a wide variety genres, at Vanity Fair‘s website.

The Pantone Color of the Year, Book Cover Edition

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2023 is Viva Magenta, and we’ve got a roundup of books fit for celebrating the new color.

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Authors Co-Host Rally at Harper Headquarters in Support of HarperCollins Union: Today in Books

Peacock Orders Horror Thriller Series from James Wan

Peacock has ordered a horror thriller series from James Wan, inspired by Robert McCammon’s 1988 novel Stinger. The series, written by Yellowstone writer Ian McCulloch, follows a disparate group of people on a ranch who have to work together when faced with a mysterious threat. E.L. Katz (The Haunting of Bly Manor) is set to direct the first episode and will be an executive producer alongside Wan. UCP president Beatrice Springborn said in a statement, “When you bring together James Wan, Ian McCulloch, E.L. Katz and a bestselling novel by Robert McCammon, you’ve got all the ingredients for an incredible series. We’re ecstatic to partner with Peacock to bring this thrill ride of a show to their audience.”

Authors Co-Host Rally at Harper Headquarters in Support of HarperCollins Union

Unionized HarperCollins employees rallied outside of the company’s headquarters at 195 Broadway in Manhattan’s Financial District on Friday. Authors including Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, R.F. Kuang, and Molly McGhee “co-hosted” the rally in support of the union. The rally comes after HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray issued an open letter arguing that the contract demands made by the union failed to “account for the market dynamics of the publishing industry, and our responsibility to meet the financial demands of all our business stakeholders — including all employees, authors, and booksellers. Murray also accused the union of mischaracterizing its negotiations with the company. In a survey conducted by the Association of American Literary Agents, 79.1% support the strike. Most respondents also say they have changed their dealings with HarperCollins in some way as a result of the strike.

From Behind Bars, Inmates Award France’s Latest Book Prize

Over a dozen men and women held at the Orléans-Saran Penitentiary Center in France served as judges in France’s newest literary prize. The inmates were part of the very first edition of a new, government-sponsored prize called the Goncourt des détenus, or Inmates’ Goncourt. To choose a winner, inmates met over the course of three months in the fall to discuss the 15 finalists. The prize was awarded this past Thursday in Paris to Sarah Jollien-Fardel for Sa Préférée.

Cookbook Showdown: The Best Gingerbread Recipes, Tested

Looking for the best recipe for gingerbread? We put several to the test to find the ultimate gingerbread recipes.