Category: Today In Books

Prince Harry’s Memoir SPARE Will Be Out on January 10th: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 27, 2022

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Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner Colson Whitehead is Back with Crook Manifesto

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead is back with a second novel in a planned trilogy. Whitehead’s novel Crook Manifesto is the sequel to 2021’s Harlem Shuffle. Harlem Shuffle wasn’t initially intended to be the first in a trilogy, but Whitehead says, “I was halfway through Harlem Shuffle, and I kept coming up with all these other capers and schemes for Carney, so I thought, Maybe I should follow his story in the ’70s? And if you do the ’70s, don’t you have to do the ’80s, too?…Since Harlem Shuffle hadn’t been copyedited yet, I was able to go back and set up some things in that first book that would pay off later. I handed in Harlem Shuffle in July of 2020 and started writing Crook Manifesto the next day.” Crook Manifesto will be out on July 18th, 2023, and you can see the cover for the upcoming novel on Oprah Daily.

International Literary Properties Acquires Langston Hughes Literary Estate

International Literary Properties has acquired the literary estate of poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright Langston Hughes. ILP will manage Hughes’s work in collaboration with the Langston Hughes estate. Forensic rights work has already begun to support publishing and audiovisual opportunities. Additionally, ILP is working on creative development to explore new opportunities to adapt Hughes’s works for TV, film, stage, and audio.

Prince Harry’s Memoir Spare Will Be Out on January 10th

Prince Harry’s memoir, which will be entitled Spare, will be out on January 10th. The book is being billed by Penguin Random House as raw and unflinchingly honest, and filled with “insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.” The memoir’s title seems to be a reference to the “heir and the spare” phrase often used to describe royal siblings. Harry’s older brother William is heir to the British throne. “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” Harry said in a statement. Prince Harry’s Spare is now available for preorder.

How to Increase Your Information Literacy

Information literacy is one of the most essential tools to navigating modern society. Here are some ways to build yours.

Today In Books

TikTok Thinks Taylor Swift Wrote a Secret Poetry Book: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 26, 2022

Never Let Me Go Drama Lands FX/Hulu Series Order

FX has greenlit a new drama series based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel Never Let Me Go. The series will star Viola Prettejohn, Tracey Ullman and Kelly Macdonald, and Melissa Iqbal (HBO’s The Nevers) is the writer and showrunner. Alex Garland, who wrote the script for the 2010 film adaptation of Never Let Me Go, is an executive producer. “Never Let Me Go is a modern science fiction classic that Melissa Iqbal and the creative team have brilliantly adapted for FX as a drama exploring timely and unsettling themes on life and the ethics of technology,” said FX Entertainment president Gina Balian in a statement. Never Let Me Go will air on Hulu in the U.S.

Book Prices Set to Rise as Production Costs Soar

UK publishers say the price of books is likely to go up very soon, due to a rise in production costs. Some presses are exploring cutting costs and keeping retail prices down by printing on thinner paper, postponing reprints for older books, and publishing fewer titles to reduce costs. Valerie Brandes, founder and publisher of Jacaranda Books Arts Music, says it’s highly likely that book prices for consumers will have to increase “across all formats” by 10% to 20%.

TikTok Thinks Taylor Swift Wrote a Secret Poetry Book

Swifties on TikTok believe that Taylor Swift may have secretly written and published a poetry collection under the pen name June Bates just days before releasing her latest album Midnights. Bates’ poetry collection The Lavender Haze: Sapphic Poetry on Love was published on October 18th. TikTok creators are analyzing clues that suggests Bates and Swift might actually be the same person. Do you agree? Check out the strange connections for yourself.

Octavia Butler’s Genre-Bending Kindred Coming to Hulu

Kindred by Octavia Butler has been adapted into a series and will be premiering on Hulu. Here are the details.

Today In Books

Elena Ferrante’s THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS Gets Netflix Streaming Date: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 25, 2022

The Roxane Gay Agenda Returns in November

Last week when Roxane Gay spoke at Lesbians Who Tech, the author announced that her podcast, The Roxane Gay Agenda, will be returning in November. Gay wrote on Instagram, “Get ready for another season of candid, insightful conversations.” The Roxane Gay Agenda is one of the 30+ original podcasts on Luminary. You can subscribe to the podcast on Luminary to hear the first new episode as soon as it comes out.

Elena Ferrante’s The Lying Life of Adults Gets Netflix Streaming Date

Netflix has revealed the streaming date for the upcoming adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s The Lying Game. The six-episode show debuts on Netflix globally on January 4, 2023. It’s directed by Edoardo De Angelis and stars Valeria Golino as the Neapolitan aunt of the story’s young protagonist Giovanna, played by newcomer Giordana Marengo. The show is written by Ferrante, Laura Paolucci, Francesco Piccolo, and Edoardo De Angelis. Netflix also revealed the provocative poster art for the show, which you can see here.

Peterborough Libraries Offer Amnesty on Fines to Recover 22,000 Missing Books

Libraries in Peterborough, UK, are holding a fine amnesty to try to recover 22,000 missing books. The libraries will not fine anyone for returning overdue books and will clear accounts of debt. Peterborough Libraries are hoping to both recover the books and encourage people to return to the libraries. Library services manager Firzana Shaheen says that “following the pandemic, the number of library users has reduced significantly…in part due to people being worried about owing the library service money.” Library users who have lost books can also have their fines waived and accounts reset. The amnesty will run until mid-November.

The Top 10 YA Books of the Year, According to Teenagers

The Young Adult Library Services Association has announced their Teens’ Top Ten winners of 2022, voted on by teenagers in 16 book groups.

Today In Books

LIFE OF PI Stage Adaptation Hits Broadway This Spring: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 24, 2022

Khadija Abdalla Bajaber is the Winner of the Inaugural Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction

Khadija Abdalla Bajaber is the winner of the inaugural Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction for The House of Rust. Bajaber’s debut novel, published by Graywolf Press, follows the story of a young girl named Aisha who sets out on a boat made of bones with a talking cat to rescue her fisherman father. The jury praised Bajaber’s writing, saying, “Scene after scene is gleaming, textured, utterly devoid of cliché and arresting in its wisdom. The novel’s structure is audacious and its use of language is to die for.” The inaugural Prize was awarded in a virtual ceremony on October 21, 2022. You can watch the replay of the announcement event on Crowdcast.

Life of Pi Stage Adaptation Hits Broadway This Spring

Life of Pi is heading to Broadway! Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of the best-selling novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel will premiere at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The play’s official opening will be on Thursday, March 30, 2023. “It has been such a privilege to adapt Yann Martel’s modern classic Life of Pi for the stage,” said Chakrabarti. “It was daunting, creatively, exciting, and always collaborative…It is a beautiful, visceral, magical show, a story of survival which all of us can fundamentally relate to after the effects of the pandemic.” Life of Pi is directed by Max Webster, with Set and Costume Design by Tim Hatley, Puppet and Movement Direction by Finn Caldwell, Puppet Design by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Video Design by Andrzej Goulding, Lighting Design by Tim Lutkin, Sound Design by Carolyn Downing, and Original Music by Andrew T. Mackay.

Peloton Instructor Emma Lovewell Reveals New Memoir and Book Cover

Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell’s memoir Live Learn Love Well: Lessons from a Life of Progress Not Perfection, will be out on May 2, 2023, and here is the cover reveal. Lovewell says she has been working on the memoir for nearly two years, and she’s excited to share it with the world very soon. “It’s more than just a prescriptive fitness book. It’s a lot of stories. Some are sad, some are heartwarming, some are funny,” Lovewell told People magazine. Live Learn Love Well will be published by Ballantine Books.

Here Are the Best Books of 2022, According to Barnes & Noble Booksellers

Booksellers chose the 11 books that they have “felt the most pride in recommending to readers of all interests through the year.”

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Justin Simien Adapting GEIGER Comic Series for TV: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 23, 2022

Daredevil Star Charlie Cox Credits Social Media Push for His Character’s Second Life

Daredevil star Charlie Cox credits the “Save Daredevil” social media campaign for the revival of his role as the blind superhero. Netflix canceled the show Daredevil in 2018. Since then, the character has appeared in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home and had a cameo in Disney+’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Now, Daredevil is getting his own show on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again. “Whatever happens to my career going forward from this point on, I owe most of it to the ‘Save Daredevil’ campaign,” Cox said. “That even when I had lost hope years ago, they did not, and they continued to campaign and support. And over the years, I’ve met many of them, and they’re such an enthusiastic, passionate crowd.”

Horror Bookstore Butcher Cabin Books Opens Its Doors Just in Time for Halloween

Louisville, KY’s horror bookstore Butcher Cabin Books has opened its doors just in time for Halloween. The store is owned by Louisville-based horror author Jenny Kiefer, who says she’s been a fan of the horror genre since childhood. “I remember going to the library and getting Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” she said. Butcher Cabin Books will carry used books and new titles, with a focus on widening the distribution for independent titles. In the future, Kiefer hopes Butcher Cabin Books will host book readings and signings and be a place for book clubs to gather.

Justin Simien Adapting Geiger Comic Series for TV

Image Comics‘ bestselling series Geiger, created by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, is being adapted for television by Justin Simien alongside Johns for Paramount Television Studios. Geiger is set in the year 2050 and follows the story of Tariq Geiger who fights to protect the fallout shelter housing his family. Johns will write the pilot, serve as showrunner, and executive produce alongside Jamie Iracleanos for Mad Ghost, and Frank. The project is also executive produced by Kyle Laursen and Simien.

Renaming “Reluctant Readers”

Is it time to reconsider the label “reluctant reader?” And if so, what would a better label for these readers be?

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See Tom Hanks in A MAN CALLED OTTO First Look: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 22, 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Tracking for Massive $175 Million Opening

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is on track to have one of the year’s biggest opening weekends at the box office. Early tracking, released by NRG, predicts the Black Panther sequel will debut to $175 million, but many believe that number will grow based on reviews and word of mouth. If these estimates are accurate, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will become the second biggest debut of 2022, just below Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ $187.4 million.

Geri Halliwell-Horner Writes “Exhilarating” New Children’s Adventure Book

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner is writing an “exhilarating” new children’s adventure book for Scholastic as part of a two-book deal. Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen follows Rosie Frost, an orphaned girl who is sent to a school for extraordinary teens on the mysterious Bloodstone Island, which is also a sanctuary for endangered species. “Rosie Frost has lived in my heart for a long time — and this feels just the right moment to introduce her to the world,” Haliwell said. “I hope her strength in the face of adversity and to believing in herself inspire young readers across the globe to find their own strength and power as they face challenges in their own lives.”

See Tom Hanks in A Man Called Otto First Look

People has an exclusive first look at the upcoming film A Man Called Otto, based on the novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. The movie stars Tom Hanks and is directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Christopher Robin). Hanks plays Otto Anderson, a grumpy widower who strikes up an unlikely friendship with his new next-door neighbors. “A Man Called Otto is a movie about community and a movie about family,” Hanks told People. A Man Called Otto comes to select theaters on December 25th and gets a wide release on January 13th.

Republicans Pose Federal “Don’t Say Gay” Bill: This Week’s Book Censorship News

The “Stop Sexualizing Children” Act, proposed at the federal level, would be a national “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Today In Books

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Co-Creator Discusses the Choice to Make the Velaryons Black: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 21, 2022

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Damian Lewis to Star in Adaptation of Matt Haig’s The Radleys

Damian Lewis is set to star in the supernatural black comedy The Radleys, based on Matt Haig’s novel of the same name. The story follows a family of vampires who are “abstainers,” vampires who choose not to drink blood despite their natural cravings. The film adaptation is being directed by Heartstopper director Euros Lyn and produced by Debbie Gray (Good Luck To You Leo Grande) through Genesius Pictures.

House of the Dragon Co-Creator Discusses the Choice to Make the Velaryons Black

According to House of the Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal, it’s no accident that the Velaryons were Black. Condal told The Wrap‘s podcast The Grill that the choice “wasn’t just done perfunctorily or wasn’t just done to tick a box or…to be seen as progressive.” Condal continued, “It’s 2022. It’s a different era than these shows used to be made in. We have an incredibly diverse audience that’s not only across America, but in multiple countries that speak all sorts of different languages, that represent…all the colors under the sun. And it was really important to see some of that reflected up on screen.”

Thomas Keneally Shares $50,000 Book Prize with Fellow Nominees

Thomas Keneally, one of Australia’s most acclaimed novelists, was announced on Thursday as the winner of the ARA Historical Novel prize for his latest novel Corporal Hitler’s Pistol. The author says he will share the $50,000 literary prize with his fellow nominees. In his acceptance speech, Keneally said he would give $4,000 to the six authors who made the ARA prize longlist: Karen Brooks, Lauren Chater, Steven Carroll, Portland Jones, Kim Kelly and David Whish-Wilson. Geraldine Brooks and Robyn Mundy, who were also shortlisted with Keneally, received $5,000 from the prize for their achievement. Keneally told ABC radio, “I wanted to look after some of the other writers on the longlist because writing — for young and old — is often a matter of combining pittances to make a living.”

Quiet Censorship, Pride Book Display Bans, and Challenged Books: What’s Happening at the Arlington Public Library in Texas?

Far right Christian conservatives have waged war against the Arlington Public Library in Texas. Here’s what’s happening.

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Olivia Wilde Solves Salad Dressing Mystery with a Nora Ephron Recipe: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 20, 2022

Simu Liu to Star in Seven Wonders Adaptation at Prime Video

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu has been cast in the series adaptation of Ben Mezrich’s novel Seven Wonders at Prime Video. The project will be directed and executive produced by Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift). The Legend of Tarzan writer Adam Cozad will pen the script. Seven Wonders is described as a “globe-trotting, action-adventure” that follows Dr. Nate Grady (Liu) as he races to solve an ancient mystery tied to the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.

Oprah Daily Reveals the Cover of The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Oprah Daily has the exclusive book cover reveal of The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, the New York Times bestselling author of Cutting for Stone. This marks Verghese’s first novel since his 2008 bestseller. Verghese’s latest novel is described as “a stunning and magisterial new epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.” The Covenant of Water is expected to release on May 2, 2023.

Olivia Wilde Solves Salad Dressing Mystery with a Nora Ephron Recipe

If you’ve been following the latest Olivia Wilde gossip, you’ll know there was a certain salad dressing that was raising a lot of questions. Wilde took to Instagram earlier this week to share the recipe for the salad dressing, and it came from Nora Ephron’s classic novel about divorce, Heartburn. Wilde’s Instagram post featured a photo from Nora Ephron’s 1983 novel, based on the author’s divorce from Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein. The page Wilde shared has the main character sharing a recipe for salad dressing she made for her husband. Is this a hint, or is this just Olivia Wilde sharing a page from a book she loves?

The Messiness of My Policeman, E.M. Forster, and Harry Styles

What does Harry Styles, policemen, and a 20-time Nobel Prize nominee have in common? One writer breaks it down.

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Celeste Ng Has Been Named the First Indie Bookstore Ambassador: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 19, 2022

Rick Riordan Returns to Popular Percy Jackson Series Next Fall

Nearly a decade after the release of The Blood of Olympus, Rick Riordan is returning to the popular Percy Jackson series next fall. Riordan tweeted that “Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood will star in a brand new adventure,” entitled Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Chalice of the Gods. The book will go on sale on September 26, 2023.

All Her Little Secrets Limited Series Adaptation in Works at Showtime

Showtime is developing All Her Little Secrets, a limited series drama based on Wanda M. Morris’ bestselling novel. The series is starring and executive produced by Emmy winner Uzo Aduba, who will play lawyer Ellice Littlejohn. Just as Ellice is working her way up the corporate ladder, she gets caught up in an affair and a mysterious conspiracy that puts her at risk of being the primary suspect and the next target. The pilot episode was written by Aurin Squire.

Celeste Ng Has Been Named the First Indie Bookstore Ambassador

IndieBound has announced that author Celeste Ng has been named the first Indie Bookstore Ambassador. On Twitter, IndieBound wrote that Ng “will serve as a champion of indie bookstores for both the 10th anniversary of both #IndiesFirst and #IndieBookstoreDay. Thank you, Celeste Ng!” For more about Indies First, check this out.

Amazon Changes Kindle eBook Return Policy, Ends Lending Between Users, and More

What’s going on with Kindle? See what changes are coming to return policies, file formats, and ebook lending at Amazon.

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Harrison Ford Join Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: NEW WORLD ORDER: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date October 18, 2022

Sponsored by Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega; illustrated by Rose Bousamra

Sydney Sweeney and Dakota Johnson Spotted on the Set of Madame Web

The first images from the set of Madame Web have been released, and they show Sydney Sweeney and Dakota Johnson wearing pairs of matching Doc Martens, running around Grand Central Station in New York with co-stars Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor. Madame Web is Sony’s first female-centric superhero film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, based on the psychic-mutant character first introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #210. Further details about the plot of the film are being kept under wraps, but based on the costuming and filming location, fans are already starting to speculate on what roles the actors might play in the upcoming movie.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to Publish a Memoir About Her Years in Jail in Iran

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who spent six years in jail in Iran, is writing a memoir with her husband Richard Ratcliffe. The currently-untitled book is going to tell the full story of Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment in Iran and her husband’s campaign for her release. Zaghari-Ratcliffe says her “story as a hostage is unique, but it is also the story of many other women in Iran in prison who are unknown but have helped me enormously to go through this journey and come out of it stronger.” The memoir will be released in fall 2023 by Penguin Random House.

Harrison Ford Joins Marvel’s Captain America: New World Order

Harrison Ford is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stepping in as Thaddeus ”Thunderbolt” Ross for 2024’s Captain America: New World Order, starring Anthony Mackie. Ford will be replacing the late William Hurt, who first played Ross in Marvel Studios’ second feature film ever, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. This is Ford’s first film within the MCU.

2022 Booker Prize Winner Announced

Honoring the finest works of fiction from around the world, the Booker Prize has announced that its 2022 winner is The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka.