Category: Today In Books

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Today In Books

New PRINCESS DIARIES Movie in the Works at Disney: Today in Books

Emily Henry Gives A Sneak Peek of New Novel Happy Place

Emily Henry, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, is giving fans a sneak peek of her upcoming novel Happy Place. The book follows the story of a couple who broke up months ago, but have to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. You can read an excerpt of the novel and see the cover over at Entertainment Weekly. Happy Place will be published by Berkley on April 25, 2023.

New Princess Diaries Movie in the Works at Disney

Disney is returning to the world of Princess Diaries with a new film written by Aadrita Mukerji. Sources say the new movie will be a continuation of the Anne Hathaway-led series of films rather than a reboot. While Hathaway does not have a deal to return, the Academy Award-winning actress has expressed her support of the project. 2001’s The Princess Diaries was based on the novel by Meg Cabot and starred Hathaway and Julie Andrews. In 2004, Hathaway returned for Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Debra Martin Chase, who produced the first two Princess Diaries films, is returning to produce this new project.

Publishing Fundraiser Supports Raphael Warnock for Georgia’s Senate Race

Publishing Folks for Raphael Warnock is holding a fundraiser in support of Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock’s senatorial campaign. Warnock is going into a run-off race, facing off against Herschel Walker in Georgia on December 6, 2022. From today until November 18th, the fundraiser will be auctioning off portfolio reviews, editorial critiques, handmade items, original illustrations, signed books, and more. All proceeds will go directly to Warnock’s campaign. 

Helena Bonham Carter Named London Library’s First Female President

The 180 year old private library, the first lending library in London, will welcome Helena Bonham Carter as its first female president.

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It’s Time to Vote in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2022: Today in Books

Something from Tiffany’s Releases Official Trailer

Amazon Prime Video has released the official trailer for their upcoming holiday film Something from Tiffany’s, based on Melissa Hill’s novel of the same name. The movie is produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and stars Zoey Deutch, Ray Nicholson, Kendrick Smith Sampson, and Shay Mitchell. Prime Video describes the film as a story of “a simple mix-up of gifts” that causes two couples’ paths to cross. This leads to “a series of twists and unexpected discoveries that lead [the couples] where they’re truly meant to be.” Something from Tiffany’s arrives on Prime Video on December 9th.

“Moon Girl Magic” Music Video Features Never Before Seen Clips from Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

As excitement builds around Marvel’s new animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, a brand new music video has been released, featuring the extended version of the main title song, “Moon Girl Magic.” The song is written and produced by three-time Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq, who also serves as the series executive music producer. The video for “Moon Girl Magic” features lots of never before seen clips from the upcoming show. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is coming to the Disney Channel on February 10th. It will be available later on Disney+.

It’s Time to Vote in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2022

The first round of the Goodreads Choice Awards is open for all Goodreads users. Right now, head to Goodreads to vote for your favorite books of 2022 in multiple categories, including Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, and many others. You can vote in the opening round from November 15th to November 27th. The final round will run from November 29th to December 4th. Winners will be announced on December 8th.

Keller Schools Ban Books About Trans and Nonbinary People

Keller Independent School District in Texas has banned all books about transgender and nonbinary people from schools.

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Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen Join HBO’s THE SYMPATHIZER: Today in Books

Michelle Obama Discusses New Book The Light We Carry on NPR

Ahead of the release of Michelle Obama’s new book The Light We Carry, which comes out on Tuesday, the former first lady gave NPR listeners an exclusive first listen to the audiobook, read by Obama herself. Obama also guested on NPR’s All Things Considered to talk about her book, what it was like supporting her husband as president, and her feelings about the 2016 election. “It still hurts,” she says. “It shook me profoundly to hear the man who’d replace my husband as president openly and unapologetically using ethnic slurs, making selfishness and hate somehow acceptable.” You can hear her interview on Tuesday, and it will be available for download from NPR’s podcast Book of the Day Wednesday.

Aaron Carter’s Book Publisher Delays Memoir Release Date Following Backlash

Ballast Books, Aaron Carter’s book publisher, has delayed the release of the late pop star’s memoir following backlash from his management and ex-girlfriend Hilary Duff. Scott Atherton, the attorney who represents Ballast Books, said in a statement, “Out of respect for the Carter family, my client has decided to defer the further release of the book at this time. Mr. Carter was not just a celebrity but also a father, a brother, a son, and a friend to many still grieving for him.”

Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen Join HBO’s The Sympathizer

Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen are joining HBO’s The Sympathizer, a series based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The drama series is starring and executive produced by Robert Downey, Jr. Oh, Chinh, and Nguyen will all have recurring roles. Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and Don McKellar (Last Night) will serve as co-showrunners on the project. McKellar will also be directing.

Libraries vs. the Cost of Living Crisis

Llibraries are well-placed to help people deal with some aspects of financial pressure. One Rioter shares how libraries are helping in the cost of living crisis.

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Judy Blume’s FOREVER is Coming to Netflix from Mara Brock Akil: Today in Books

Read with Jenna Reveals Cover of New Megan Abbott Novel Beware the Women

Read with Jenna, The Today Show‘s Jenna Bush Hager’s book club, has revealed the cover of Megan Abbott’s new novel Beware the Women. On Instagram, Hager wrote, “If you loved The Turnout, this is one you won’t want to miss.” Abbott’s new novel is set to release on May 30, 2023, and it’s available to preorder now.

Universal Nabs Rights to Bangles Singer Susanna Hoffs’s Debut Novel

Universal Pictures has acquired the movie adaptation rights to The Bangle co-founder Susanna Hoffs’s debut novel. Hoffs’s romantic debut is entitled This Bird Has Flown, and it follows the story of a washed-up pop singer who falls in love with a British literature professor. Liza Chasin and Bruna Papandrea are set to produce the project under their 3Dot Productions and Made Up Stories banners.

Judy Blume’s Forever is Coming to Netflix from Mara Brock Akil

Judy Blume’s iconic 1975 young adult novel Forever is set to become a Netflix series. The streaming platform has given a series order to the project, which comes from writer and showrunner Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane). “Judy Blume’s ability to capture the real emotions we experience during the various rites of passage of our youth influenced my life choices and writing voice,” Akil said in a statement. “I’m honored to reimagine one of my favorite books, Forever. I am thrilled to have the opportunity of a lifetime to partner with a childhood icon and bring this story to my Netflix home.” The series will tell the epic love story of two Black teenagers who learn about romance and themselves through being one another’s firsts. Akil will serve as showrunner on the series. She will also executive produce alongside Blume, Story27’s Susie Fitzgerald, and Erika Harrison.

The Best Bookish Discord Communities

Curious about the world of bookish Discord communities? We’ve got a roundup of great places to hop in and find your literary kin.

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Today In Books

HarperCollins Union Workers Go On Strike Over Pay “For As Long As It Takes”: Today in Books

Riley Sager’s The Only One Left Cover Revealed

Dutton Books has revealed the cover of Riley Sager’s upcoming Gothic horror novel The Only One Left, which will be out in June 2023. The novel follows Kit, a young caregiver who is haunted by her own dark past. Kit has been assigned to work for the infamous Lenora Hope, a woman accused of massacring her family decades earlier. Now Lenora is in a wheelchair and can only communicate through writing. One night, she writes to Kit, “I want to tell you everything. Things I’ve never told anyone else.” But is Lenora telling Kit the whole truth? And what will her story reveal? You can preorder this book now.

Here’s the New Trailer for Netflix Animated Feature A Christmas Carol

Netflix’s animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has a new trailer and a release date. The animated feature is set to debut on Netflix on December 2nd. A Christmas Carol stars Luke Evans as Scrooge. The film also stars Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Jonathan Pryce. According to the synopsis, the animated film is a “supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story.” The songs for the movie are produced, arranged, and scored by Jeremy Holland-Smith with music and lyrics from Leslie Bricusse. The film is directed by Stephen Donnelly.

HarperCollins Union Workers Go On Strike Over Pay “For As Long As It Takes”

HarperCollins union workers have gone on indefinite strike over low wages and diversity. The publishing industry is infamous for its low pay and overwhelmingly white staff. Now workers at HarperCollins, the only member of the “big four” publishing houses to have a union, have authorized an indefinite strike. Work stopped at the downtown Manhattan offices on the morning of November 10th. “We’re willing to stay out as long as it takes,” said Stephanie Guerdan, who has worked in the children’s book department of HarperCollins Publishers for six years. “After about a week, the company is really going to feel the loss of all our essential labor. I’ve talked to friends who are not in the union, and their assessment of it has been, ‘I don’t think the company knows what’s going to hit them.'”

This is the Best Book of the Year, According to Barnes & Noble Booksellers

In addition to their top book of the year, Barnes & Noble booksellers also selected a winner for a new award for speculative fiction.

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Kevin Conroy, the Voice of Batman, Has Died: Today in Books

Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw to Launch Horror Audio Series on Spotify

Filmmaker Jordan Peele is launching an audio-only horror series with Monkeypaw Productions. The series, entitled Quiet Part Loud, will be exclusively available on Spotify on Tuesday, November 15th. The 12 short-form episodes will all be available at once. The series is written by Mac Rogers and Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters and Whisper Down the Lane. It stars Tracy Letts, Arian Moayed, Christina Hendricks, and Taran Killam.

Hilary Duff Slams Book Publisher for Releasing Aaron Carter’s Unfinished Memoir

Following the death of pop star Aaron Carter, fellow Disney alum and former girlfriend Hilary Duff slammed Carter’s book publisher Ballast Books for announcing its plans to release his unfinished memoir. Duff said in a statement, “It’s really sad that within a week of Aaron’s death, there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy…To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting. In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.” The book in question was written by Andy Symonds based on his three years interviewing Aaron Carter, who died at age 34 on November 5th. The book is set to be released on November 15th.

Kevin Conry, the Voice of Batman, Has Died

Warner Bros. has issued an official statement on the death of Kevin Conroy, “the most beloved voice of Batman in the animated history of the character.” Co-star Mark Hamill said of Conroy, “Kevin was a brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman…I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.” Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. Memorial services have yet to be announced.

There Are Not Two Sides to the Holocaust: This Week’s Book Censorship News

What it means to represent and meet community needs in school and public libraries. That, plus this week’s book censorship news.

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Guillermo Del Toro’s PINOCCHIO Trailer Released: Today in Books

Whiteout Authors Partner with Epic Reads and Loyalty Bookstores to Support One Warm Coat

Loyalty Bookstores, Epic Reads, and the authors of Whiteout — Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Nic Stone — have teamed up to support One Warm Coat in their mission to provide free coats to teens, children, and adults in need. During the authors’ Whiteout tour, Loyalty Bookstores will be hosting an in-person coat drive. All attendees are invited to bring their new and gently worn coats for donation. You can drop off coats at the tour stop tonight (Thursday, November 10th, at 6 p.m. ET) and through the weekend until Sunday, November 13th.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio Trailer Released

The official trailer for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio has been released ahead of the film’s December 9th premiere on Netflix. Del Toro’s stop motion animation film, which he co-directed with Mark Gustafson, takes the classic Carlo Collodi fairy tale and sets it in Mussolini’s Italy. David Bradley voices Geppetto, Gregory Mann is Pinocchio, and Ewan McGregor is the voice of Jiminy Cricket. The voice cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, and Burn Gorman.

Wake County Library Under Scrutiny After Adding Transphobic Book to Collection

The Wake County Public Libraries are under scrutiny for adding the picture book Johnny the Walrus to their collection. The transphobic book compares being transphobic to pretending to be a walrus. “On the one hand, it is horrifying,” says Rowan Dalzell, a part-time library assistant who is also transgender. “On the other hand, I don’t want to make it out to be more than it is, which is the broadest, stupidest, most bad-faith parody imaginable…The book itself is pretty meaningless: what’s upsetting is what it represents.” The Wake County Library system purchased 20 copies of the picture book after receiving two requests from library patrons, according to county spokeswoman Alice Avery. This follows a scandal last year in which Wake County Library staff tried to remove LGBTQ-themed books from library shelves.

The Best Biographies of 2022

From celebrity bios to experimental memoirs, find the best biographies 2022 had to offer to add to your reading list!

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Meet the 2022 National Book Award Finalists: Today in Books

His Dark Materials Season 3 Images Reveal First Look at the Mulefa

New images from the upcoming third season of His Dark Materials reveal a first-look at the mulefa, seed-riding creatures with elephant-like trunks and short horns. One of the images shows a mulefa, or zalif, as they’re singularly known, interacting with the character Mary Malone (played by Simone Kirby). Season 3, which is based on the third novel in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series The Amber Spyglass, premieres on December 5th.

Meet the 2022 National Book Award Finalists

The 73rd National Book Awards will announce its winners in Young People’s Literature, Translation, Poetry, Nonfiction, and Fiction in a ceremony hosted by Padma Lakshmi at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City (and streamable online). Ahead of the upcoming ceremony next week, Literary Hub interviewed most of the finalists to ask them a bit about their books, their reading habits, and their writing lives. Finalists include: Alejandro Varela, author of The Town of Babylon; Gayl Jones, author of The Birdcatcher; Imani Perry, author of South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation; and Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir. You can watch the ceremony broadcasted live online on November 16th at 8 p.m. ET.

Paramount+ Unveils Cast for The Doll Factory

Paramount+ has unveiled the cast for the series The Doll Factory, based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal. The six-episode drama series will star Esmé Creed-Miles as Iris, an aspiring artist who paints dolls at a doll shop; Éanna Hardwicke as Silas, a taxidermist; Mirren Mack as Rose, Iris’ twin sister who works alongside her in the doll shop; and George Webster as Louis, a painter and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Also joining the ensemble cast are Pippa Haywood, Sharlene Whyte, Reece Kenwyne-Mpudzi, Freddy Carter, Saoirse Monica Jackson, Laurie Kynaston, Jim Caesar, Akshay Khanna, Aysha Kala, and Nell Hudson.

Jamestown Library Defunded (Again) Over LGBTQ Books, Will Likely Close

Jamestown, Michigan seems to have voted that they’d rather have no library at all than one that carries LGBTQ books.

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British Comic Artist Kevin O’Neill Dies at 69: Today in Books

FX Drops First Trailer for Kindred

Kindred, FX/Hulu’s upcoming series based on Octavia Butler’s novel of the same name, has dropped its first trailer. The eight-episode series stars Mallori Johnson as a woman who is forced to travel back and forth through time from the present to America’s past of slavery. The series also stars Micah Stock, Ryan Kwanten, Gayle Rankin, Austin Smith, David Alexander Kaplan, Sophina Brown and Sheria Irving. Kindred will air on Hulu starting December 13th.

Sasheer Zamata Joins WandaVision Spin-Off Agatha: Coven of Chaos

Saturday Night Live alumna Sasheer Zamata has joined the cast of Agatha: Coven of Chaos, the WandaVision spin-off series for Disney+. Zamata, whose character is being kept under wraps for the time being, joins Kathryn Hahn, who is reprising her WandaVision role as Agatha Harkness. Also starring in the project are Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Ali Ahn, and Maria Dizzia. Emma Caulfield Ford also is expected to reprise the role of Dottie from WandaVision.

British Comic Artist Kevin O’Neill Dies at 69

Kevin O’Neill, British comic artist and co-creator of League of Extraordinary Gentleman, has died at the age of 69. O’Neill started working in the comic industry when he was 16 years old, first as an office assistant for children’s humor comic Buster. O’Neill then worked in artistic and editorial roles for the sci-fi anthology 2000 AD. In 1986, O’Neill had his first collaboration with Alan Moore, who would go on to co-create League of Extraordinary Gentleman with him in 1999. The epic saga concluded last year with its final volume, The Tempest.

Amazon is Adding Goodreads Ratings to Book Listings

Goodreads ratings, which are easily manipulated by “review bombing,” are now being shown on some Amazon listings of books.

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Sam Miller to Direct A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW: Today in Books

All Quiet on the Western Front Tops Netflix Charts for November 6th

All Quiet on the Western Front, the new film based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, made it to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts for November 6th. This top 100 chart is compiled by the Netflix top 10 tracking site FlixPatrol, who compiles this list exclusively for What’s on Netflix. All Quiet on the Western Front beat out Jessica Chastain’s and Eddie Redmayne’s The Good Nurse for the top spot this week, with The School for Good and Evil dropping to the third position. Meanwhile, From Scratch, based on the memoir by Tembi Locke, remains number one for Netflix streaming series.

Black-Owned Bookstore Black Garnet Books Opens Its Doors

Saint Paul, Minnesota has a new Black and woman-owned bookstore in Black Garnet Books. Store owner Dionne Sims says she first got the idea for Black Garnet Books after the murder of George Floyd. Sims said she was looking to support a Black-owned bookstore but couldn’t find one in Minnesota. And so she posted a tweet, asking why there wasn’t one. “I thought the tweet would just get like 10 likes and my friends would be like that[‘s] a cool dream and maybe you can do that one day after you’re retired. So, for everyone to be like ‘no, actually we need this, it’s a void we all seriously feel,’ I was like ‘oh, ok. I’m not the only one feeling this way,’” Sims said. After two years of raising funds to make her dream a reality, Sims finally opened the brick-and-mortar shop in Midway in October. Sims says she hopes to see the store become a community space supporting poetry readings, book signings, and community conversations. 

Sam Miller to Direct A Gentleman in Moscow

BAFTA Award-winning director Sam Miller is set to direct and executive produce the upcoming drama series A Gentleman in Moscow for Paramount+ and Showtime. The limited series adaptation of Amor Towles’ best-selling novel is set to commence production early next year. Ewan McGregor will star as Count Alexander Rostov, “who, in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, finds that his gilded past places him on the wrong side of history.” The series is set to debut in 2023 on Paramount+ internationally and on Showtime in the United States.

A Call to Vote

A call from from Book Riot’s editorial staff to cast your vote in the midterm elections. Public education is under attack and democracy is at stake.