Category: Today In Books

Get Ready for BookyCon 2022: A Mega Meta Book Festival

Are you up for the world’s largest virtual book festival? Booky Call is hosting BookyCon 2022, a virtual book festival featuring 100 authors across several genres. It’s all going down on Saturday, November 12, 2022, from 12pm to 8pm, Eastern time. All you’ll need to participate is access to the internet. No downloads required. And you will need to reserve your free ticket in advance, because spots will be limited.

Hoda Kotb to Voice New Goodnight Moon Audioboook

TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb has announced that she will be narrating a new audiobook version of the classic children’s book Goodnight Moon. The book, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, was originally published in 1947. Both the new audiobook and a special-anniversary edition of the book are being released to celebrate Goodnight Moon‘s 75th anniversary. The audiobook releases on September 13th and is available for pre-order here.

Meg Cabot’s Next Princess Diaries Book Will Discuss the Pandemic

On Thursday, Meg Cabot announced that The Quarantine Princess Diaries, the 12th novel in the Princess Diaries series, will be released in March 2023. This is the first Princess Diaries title to be released in over six years. It will include diary entries Cabot has previously released on her blog (which have been “edited and updated with completely new content”) as well as “entirely original, never-before-seen entries.” In her announcement, Cabot said the new book will detail “Princess Mia’s personal (and political) battles while imposing health restrictions on her small European nation.” A portion of the profits from The Quarantine Princess Diaries will go to VOW for Girls, a global charity that aims to end child marriage.

3rd Annual Stephen King View-A-Thon Offering $1,300 to Watch 13 Movies

For the third year in a row, USDish.com is looking for a fan to watch 13 movies based on Stephen King novels. If selected, the fan will receive $1,300, a swag bag with a $350 value — which includes a FitBit — and tickets for the 2023 premier of Salem’s Lot. 

My Best Friend’s Exorcism Drops Trailer Ahead of September Release

My Best Friend’s Exorcism, a film based on the horror comedy novel by Grady Hendrix, will be available to stream on Prime Video starting on September 30. And ahead of its release, Entertainment Weekly has dropped the trailer. The 1988-set movie stars Elsie Fisher and Amiah Miller as high school best friends Abby and Gretchen. “Elsie Fisher was in a great film titled Eighth Grade and she was very much in our minds right at the beginning,” says director Damon Thomas. “She’s a very naturalistic actor; she feels very real, and she’s the anchor point of the movie in terms of, she’s the audience’s POV. I saw many, many, many auditions for Gretchen because you need to have someone who is the natural leader of the pack but also can ‘go there’ during the possession and really play those genre beats. I thought Amiah was brilliant. And she was scary on a Zoom!” My Best Friend’s Exorcism was written by Jenna Lamia and also stars Cathy Ang and Rachel Ogechi Kanu.

Taylor Swift Sued Over Lover Book Design

Poet and author Teresa La Dart is suing Taylor Swift. La Dart claims that Swift stole the design of her 2010 book Lover for the book accompanying Swift’s 2019 album of the same name. In addition to the cover design, La Dart also alleges that Swift copied the book’s “format” of “a recollection of past years memorialized in a combination of written and pictorial components.”

La Dart’s lawyer shared the following statement with Pitchfork: “It has been a bizarre day as this was filed less than 24 hours ago. Glad to provide some insight as many commentators seem to think this was poorly undertaken. Initially, it is important to note Miss La Dart feels strongly that her full work needs to be compared with that of Miss Swift’s before a conclusion is made here. Secondly, this decision was not made nor taken lightly considering the other side is quite formidable. Lastly, this was a recent consideration and this filing was made ostensibly to reserve Miss La Dart’s rights (primarily at this point) since yesterday was the date the statute of limitations closed. Hope the masses can understand these issues from her perspective, in other words.”

Stephen Graham Jones’ Graphic Novel Earthdivers Set To Be A TV Series

Stephen Graham Jones has announced that his upcoming comic Earthdivers is set to become a TV series through 20th Television, part of Disney. This news comes a month before the release of the first issue of the comic, which is slated to hit shelves on October 5, 2022. For the comic series, Jones collaborated with artist Davide Gianfelice. Jones said that he told Gianfelice to “draw the second goriest panel you’ve ever drawn in your life. Then in the next ten pages draw the goriest panel you’ve ever drawn in your life.” Further details about the TV series have yet to be announced.

Dozens of Books Sitting in Storage Indefinitely in Duval County

Duval County Public Schools ordered several sets of books for their K-5 classrooms. The books are sitting in storage, not approved for use.

Missing Pages is the New Podcast Targeting Literary Scandals

Missing Pages is a new podcast series that aims to reopen “literary cold cases” and look back at “some of the most iconic, jaw-dropping and just truly bizarre book scandals to shape the publishing world.” The podcast is hosted by Bethanne Patrick, book critic for the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and NPR. All eight episodes of season 1 are now available, featuring episodes about Kaavya Viswanathan, Dan Mallory, J.T. LeRoy, and more.

Netflix Greenlights Parasyte: The Grey Series from Yeon Sang-ho

Netflix has greenlit Parasyte: The Grey, a new Korean original horror series from Yeon Sang-ho, the director of Train to Busan and creator of Hellbound. The upcoming series is a reimagining of Kodansha’s manga series Parasyte, written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki. The series tells the story of unidentified parasitic life-forms that live off of human hosts and strive to grow their power. Jeon So-nee (When My Love Blooms, Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage), Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula, D.P., Escape from Mogadishu), and Lee Jung-hyun (Peninsula, Decision to Leave) will star. The series is produced by Climax Studio and Wow Point.

Queer YA Books Selling in Record Numbers Despite Bans Targeting Them

Book bans and restrictions have been going into effect across the country, and yet sales of queer YA books continue to increase. Sales for LGBTQ+ fiction are already up 39 percent in year-over-year sales, with YA novels leading the charge. LGBTQ+ YA books saw an increase in sales of 1.3 million units compared to previous years. “We’re still telling our stories and our experiences — stories of joy and pain — and you are seeing those different experiences on the shelf,” says Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us and As Far As You’ll Take Me. “As much as you can try to ban books, it doesn’t stop those books from existing, which is pretty incredible.”

Eastern Kentucky Schools Ask for Book Donations for Flooded Libraries

Eastern Kentucky schools are still reeling from the effects of flash flooding that started on July 26. Here’s how you can help.

Cathy Yan To Produce & Direct A Live-Action Series Adaptation of Paprika

Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan is set to executive produce and direct a live-action adaptation of Paprika, based on the 1993 sci-fi novel of the same name by author Yasutaka Tsutsui. The novel was also famously adapted into an anime in 2006 by director Satoshi Kon. Paprika is set in a world where therapists use “dream therapy” to hack into their patients’ dreams to help treat mental illness. The new Paprika adaptation is produced by Hivemind and Amazon Studios. A timeline for the series release has yet to be announced.

Brit Bennett Announces New American Girl Doll Claudie

Earlier today on Instagram, best-selling author Brit Bennett announced with excitement that she “finally got to live out my millennial dream and create a new historical character for American Girl.” The new American Girl doll is named Claudie, and she’s growing up in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City in the 1920s, “surrounded by writers and poets, painters and sculptors, actors and dancers, singers and musicians.” You can learn more about Claudie Wells at the American Girl website. With the release of this doll, American Girl is also partnering with and supporting Harlem School of the Arts with a $50,000 donation. You can also support Harlem School of the Arts with a $10 donation.

Gabrielle Union Says Her New Children’s Book Was Inspired by Her Daughter’s Tantrums

Gabrielle Union-Wade and her husband Dwyane Wade are teaming up again for their second children’s picture book Shady Baby Feels, out today. The title comes from the Wades’ own “Shady Baby,” 3-year-old Kaavia James, who was given the nickname when the Wades noticed her making quirky faces and throwing toddler shade at others. Gabrielle Union-Wade says Kaavia James’ tantrums are what ultimately inspired the book. “The fact that we just kept saying, use your words, use your words, use your words. And it was just screaming, biting, kicking,” Union-Wade told Entertainment Weekly. “Turns out she’s got a great left hook. But [it’s about] her understanding how to identify what she’s feeling so she can communicate to us what she’s feeling versus just these displays of her frustration and rage.” Shady Baby Feels is available as of today, wherever books are sold. And the Wades say we should expect another Shady Baby adventure in the near future.

Texas School Board Bans the Word “Transgender” From District

This “Don’t Say Trans” policy forbids promotion of “Gender Fluidity” or pronouns that don’t match a person’s sex, among other restrictions.

Kalynn Bayron Announces New YA Slasher Novel

Kalynn Bayron, author of Cinderella is Dead and This Poison Heart, has announced her next project: a young adult slasher novel entitled You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight. Bayron tweeted the the book “is a slasher story, inspired by my love of campy horror flicks. It’s my ode to the why-are-you-making-terrible-choices-in-the-woods characters. It’s gruesome and fun and I hope the ending keeps you up at night.” While you wait for a release date on this one, Bayron also has a new middle grade novel coming out later this month: The Vanquishers.

House of the Dragon Premiere Crashes HBO Max

Sunday’s series premiere of House of the Dragon crashed HBO Max, and thousands of subscribers were unable to stream the episode yesterday. “House of the Dragon is being successfully viewed by millions of HBO Max subscribers this evening,” HBO said in a statement yesterday. “We’re aware of a small portion of users attempting to connect via Fire TV devices that are having issues and are in the process of resolving for those impacted users.” If you are attempting to watch the new series via Fire TV, some users have reported success after creating a new profile.

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, One of Somalia’s Greatest Poets, Dies at 79

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, the beloved Somalian poet known as “Hadraawi,” died in Hargeisa, in Somaliland, on Thursday at the age of 79. “I’m heartbroken to inform you our giant Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadraawi has passed away. Might Allah bless him and grant him Jannah,” Ayan Mahamoud, founder of Kayd Somali Arts and Culture, said on Twitter. Beyond his contributions to Somali literature, Hadraawi, which means the “master, or father, of speech,” was a strong advocate of peace and democracy. “Poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadraawi) was a symbol of unity and peace,” said the Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a statement. “He was one of key pillars of Somalia’s art and literature who took a leading role in preserving the Somali culture and promoting the Somali language. His death is felt in every Somali household.”

The 15 Most Instagrammed Bookstores in the World

The results are in: these are the 15 bookstores most featured on Instagram. Let’s talk about why they’re so popular on IG.

Schools Block Donated Dictionaries Amid Ron DeSantis’s Book Crackdown

All book donations and purchases in the Sarasota County School District are at a standstill until at least January due to the new law, HB 1467, which requires books to be approved by state-certified media specialists. However, this state-certified media specialist job has not been created yet for the district, so no books can be approved. As the new school year approaches, this means that regular new donations to Sarasota elementary schools of even dictionaries from a local rotary club are currently barred. Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker says the act violates the First Amendment and is impermissibly vague.

New Fantastic Four Comic Writer Previews His Plans for Marvel’s First Family

Marvel’s current Fantastic Four comic, as written by Dan Slott since 2018, is coming to an end with issue #46 later this month as writer Ryan North and artist Iban Coello take over the comic. The duo plan to focus on smaller, more intimate, self-contained stories rather than big epics. Alex Ross is also joining the team to create the photorealistic cover art.

An Online Petition Fighting North East ISD’s Book Ban is Just Shy of Its Goal

A Change.org petition started eight months ago urging North East Independent School District to reinstate banned books from State Rep. Matt Krause’s list of 850 titles that could cause students “psychological distress” is about 500 signatures short of reaching its 15,000 signature goal. The petition emphasizes that the district is under no obligation to comply with the Krause List and argues that because the books on the list explore topics on race, sexuality, LGBTQ+ issues, and more, the removals are an attack marginalized students.

Salman Rushdie and the Power of Stories

Novelist Salman Rushdie was attacked onstage on Friday, August 12, 2022, in Chautauqua, New York, suffering at least 10 stab wounds to his neck and abdomen. The attack has been linked to the fatwā — a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law, calling for Rushdie’s death as well as the death of his publishers — that has been following Rushdie for much of his career due to the religiously controversial nature of his writing. It’s a demonstration of the power of defending the freedom of speech to challenge and examine the ways we look at ourselves and each other.

Peacock Releases Vampire Academy Trailer

Peacock has unveiled their first trailer for Vampire Academy, the upcoming young adult fantasy series based on the novels by Richelle Mead. The series comes from Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre, who both serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. It stars Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves, Kieron Moore, Andre Dae Kim, J. August Richards, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Mia Mckenna-Bruce, Rhian Blundell, Jonetta Kaiser, and Andrew Liner. The season will be composed of ten episodes, and Peacock is premiering the first episode of the series on September 15.

Writers Gather in New York to Read Salman Rushdie’s Work in Solidarity

This Friday, crowds gathered near the steps of the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan as writers read works by the novelist Salman Rushdie. In response to the attempted assassination of Rushdie, PEN America, the library, and Rushdie’s publisher Penguin Random House organized the event “Stand With Salman; Defend the Freedom to Write” to stand in solidarity with the author. Rushdie was preparing to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution last Friday when he was attacked on stage and stabbed multiple times.

In her opening remarks at the event, PEN America chief executive Suzanne Nossel said, “When a would-be murderer plunged a knife into Salman Rushdie’s neck, he pierced more than just the flesh of a renowned writer… He shattered our comfort, forcing us to contemplate the frailty of our own freedom. Today, we gather to stand with Salman, our stalwart leader and comrade who is enduring agony wrought by a 33-year-old vendetta, a death warrant that refuses to die, a declaration of a never-ending war on words. We stand with Salman in an effort to boost his spirits but also in a determination to stiffen our spines.”

A Tweet of Gratitude Gave Harriett’s Bookshop a Boost in Support and Sales

Harriett’s Bookshop tweeted their gratitude to their loyal customers and were rewarded with a boost in sales and supporters. After enduring several weeks of slow business Harriett’s Bookshop owner Jeannine E. Cook tweeted, “We’ve only had a few customers the last few weeks. Thankful to those who are helping keep us afloat.” The tweet was met with hundreds of retweets and thousands of dollars in orders. “This one tweet has made such an impact,” Cook said. “I’m still placing orders. I’m still getting phone calls, and people are still retweeting. And our message was also shared by people on Instagram… This is a great example of what we can do outside the normal confines of what people consider activism. It’s not a march, but that doesn’t make it any less important.” If you want to support Harriet’s Bookshop, you can visit their store in Philadelphia, visit their sister store Ida’s Bookshop in Collingswood, NJ, or shop online.

Defending the Right to Read: This Week’s Censorship News

This week’s book censorship news from across the U.S., as well as a new toolkit for fighting back against book bans.

Leah Johnson’s Debut Middle Grade Novel Gets a Cover Reveal

Leah Johnson, author of the Stonewall Honor Book You Should See Me in a Crown, is shifting from YA to middle grade for her next novel Ellie Engle Saves Herself, and Publisher’s Weekly revealed the cover, designed by artist Mirelle Ortega, earlier this week. This book is the first in a planned series and introduces Ellie Engle, a young Black girl coming to terms with her queer crush on her best friend. Then, she discovers she has the power to raise the dead. Ellie Engle Saves Herself is due out from Disney Hyperion in spring 2023. 

Neve Campbell to Headline ABC Series Avalon

Neve Campbell is set to star in the upcoming ABC series Avalon, based on a short story by Michael Connelly. The series is created by David E. Kelley and Michael Connelly and was ordered straight-to-series at ABC in February. Campbell will play L.A. Sheriff Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy, who heads up a small office in the main city of Avalon on Catalina Island. Avalon is slated to debut during the 2022-2023 season.

Rick Riordan Gives Update on Disney+’s Percy Jackson Trailer

Disney+’s Percy Jackson, based on the Rick Riordan series, is in its third month of production, and fans are already clamoring for a trailer for the highly anticipated adaptation. In a blog post, Riordan responded to fan inquiries. The author wrote, “Sorry, it is still way, way, way too early for that. We are just in the stage of dailies and ‘rough assemblages’ of the early episodes, which are very much like the first drafts of my novels — I would never share them with anyone because they are not ready for prime time! Maybe for [Percy Jackson’s] birthday next year, it will be a different story, but that’s not a promise.” Percy’s birthday is on August 18th, which means it could be another year before fans see a trailer or clips from the series. Riordan says fans should expect the series to premiere in early 2024.

What’s Going on with Barnes & Noble?

Writers sounded the alarm after learning Barnes & Noble stores would only be stocking hardcovers with proven sales records. Here’s more on what this means.

Society of Authors Respond to Calls for Joanne Harris to Step Down as Committee Chair

The Society of Authors, the UK’s largest trade union for writers, illustrators and translators, is defending its position on free speech, in light of calls for Joanne Harris to step down as the chair of its management committee. In the wake of the attack on Salman Rushdie, the Chocolat author launched a controversial poll on Twitter. In the tweet, Harris, who said she was “shaken” by the attack, asked authors if they had ever received a death threat. The available responses were “Yes,” “Hell, yes,” “No, never,” and “Show me, dammit.” Harris later deleted the poll and re-posted it with different options. Now in response to the tweet, two open letters – one calling for Harris’ resignation and one in support of her – are currently being circulated.

The Society of Authors said in a statement that it is “absolutely committed” to condemning any personal attacks made on authors for exercising their rights to freely express themselves: “What we have seen time and again over the past few years is that polarised viewpoints have become the norm, and that so many exchanges on complex issues are happening in online forums where nuance and meaning are lost.” Harris says she has no plans to resign. In another tweet, the author said, “My term of office as Chair ends in 2024. I won’t be leaving before that.”

Lord of the Rings Team Talks Going Up Against House of the Dragon

Two new, big fantasy series are launching this fall: Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and HBO’s House of the Dragon. Already, the two shows are being pitted against each other. But the team behind Lord of the Rings says there’s plenty of room for both shows in the fall lineup. “The more, the merrier!” said Sophia Nomvete, who plays Princess Disa in The Rings of Power. “People are going to have so much to watch. Get ready, the popcorn industry is gonna go ‘ching!’ There is a place for absolutely all of us, of course. I’m so excited to watch those guys.” Speaking on the camaraderie between the Rings of Power team and the House of the Dragon team, Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, added, “There’s definitely a lot of support from all the actors. There’s a lot demanded of you when you’re in something this big.” Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Amazon on September 2, and House of the Dragon drops just a few weeks earlier on HBO on August 21.

The Butler Author Wil Haygood Wins Prestigious Book Award

On Wednesday, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize announced that author Wil Haygood will receive the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. Haygood is the author of multiple nonfiction books chronicling the lives of 20th-century Black Americans, including The Butler, based on the life of Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents at the White House. “For three decades, Haygood has captured the sweep of American culture, focusing on the rarely or never-told stories of the Black experience with the analysis that this nation so desperately needs,” said Sharon Rab, founder and chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation. Inspired by the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in Bosnia, the literary prize celebrates the power of literature to foster peace, social justice and understanding. Haygood will receive the award on November 13th from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Clarence Page.

The Bible is Now Gone, Along with Dozens of Other Books in Keller ISD

Keller ISD’s new extreme right-wing board ushered in a new book policy, demanding approved books be pulled immediately.

New Book Subscription Service Aardvark Book Club Coming in September

A new monthly subscription box is coming to the US and Canada starting in September. It’s called Aardvark Book Club, and it’s a monthly book club that features a social media app where you can discuss the books with a community of readers. If you want updates on when the book club will launch, you can join their newsletter or follow them on Instagram and TikTok.

Battle Brewing in Rural Iowa Over LGBTQ Books

There’s a battle brewing in a rural Iowa town’s public library over LGBTQ-inclusive books that some people have flagged as inappropriate. In Logan, Iowa, local author Kailee Coleman is under fire for her children’s book And That’s Their Family. “I was surprised because the book is a book of facts, it’s just family structures that exist in our world,” said Coleman, who wrote her book to teach tolerance. Her book and a children’s biography about gay rights activist Harvey Milk have been banned from the Logan public library. A letter addressed to the library’s board asks not to put, “Books that portray homosexuality and LGBTQ in a positive manner in the children’s section,” nor put them on display.

But Logan Library Director Kate Simmons is fighting back. “The reality is that libraries are in the forefront of the battle to protect the first amendment,” she said. “I am a member of the LGBTQIA community, and I did not come to this public library for a period of about 10 years because I did not feel represented. Representation is so important.”

Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge Adds Tamera Mowry-Housley as Host

Amazon has greenlit the show Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge and announced that Tamera Mowry-Housley will be the host. Pastry chef Clarice Lam and cake designer/pastry chef Joshua John Russell will also join the series as judges. Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge will challenge some of America’s bakers to create confectionaries tied to beloved Seuss characters like The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, and more. Their creations will be judged based on taste, creativity, and storytelling.

Nonfiction YouTube Accounts to Follow

For those of you who love to dig into a good nonfiction book, here are 8 nonfiction BookTubers making content just for you!