Category: Today In Books

Salman Rushdie Recovering After Stabbing

Author Salman Rushdie is currently recovering after being stabbed onstage ahead of a scheduled lecture at Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York. His son Zafar Rushdie said in a statement shared over the weekend, “We are extremely relieved that yesterday he was taken off the ventilator and additional oxygen and he was able to say a few words.” Rushdie remains in critical condition and continues to receive medical treatment for his injuries, including a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye. Rushdie is likely to lose an eye, according to his agent Andrew Wylie. The attacker was identified as Hadi Matar, 24. Matar rushed the stage and stabbed the author 10 times. The motives behind the attack are still unclear.

Viola Davis Joins Hunger Games Prequel

Viola Davis is joining the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Davis will play villain Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker of the 10th annual Hunger Games. She joins previously announced cast members Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Josh Andrés Rivera, Peter Dinklage, and Hunter Schafer. “The Hunger Games films have always been elevated by their exceptional casting, and we are thrilled to be continuing that tradition with Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul. Her formidable and powerful presence will add layers of complexity and menace to this story,” said Lionsgate motion picture group president Nathan Kahane.

Black and Queer-Owned DC Bookstore Surprised with a $20K Check from Good Morning America

In honor of Black Business Month, Good Morning America paid a visit to a bookstore in Washington DC to surprise them with $20,000 check sponsored by Wells Fargo. DC’s Loyalty Bookstore is a Black and Queer-owned that specializes in diverse storytellers. As part of their “Black Business Boost” segment, GMA caught up with the store owner Hannah Oliver Depp to give her the surprise check. Depp says the mission of her bookstore is to sell diverse books and provide job opportunities to her community. Depp said, “We wanted that whole community to be represented on our shelves.”

George R.R. Martin Would Like You to Stop Speculating About His Death

George R. R. Martin has also said he has “given up on any hope of predicting the end” of the Song of Ice and Fire series.

The Bookish Box is Threatening Legal Action Against BookTok Creator

Kevin is one of the many BookTok creators who have called out The Bookish Box subscription company for the quality of their products/subscription services. Now, The Bookish Book is threatening legal action. In his BookTok videos, Kevin has noted the misprints, the boxes delayed by months, spelling author’s names incorrectly, artwork not centered and/or stretched, spines numbered incorrectly, quotes not being correct, and more. Recently, two ex-employees reached out to Kevin to tell him about their terrible experiences working with the company. The Bookish Box recently sent Kevin a cease and desist letter, but in his TikTok video, Kevin says, “There’s no reason to remove the videos where I show you examples of their product or all the mistakes that are inside their books. The fact that they sent me this cease and desist letter shows me how much power we have on this platform.

Keanu Reeves to Star in Devil in the White City

Keanu Reeves will star in Hulu’s The Devil in the White City, based on the bestselling nonfiction thriller by Erik Larson. Reeves will play the role of Daniel H. Burnham, an architect “trying to make his mark on history” with his designs for the fair. The other central role for the series, that of convicted murderer Dr. H.H. Holmes, has yet to be cast. Reeves, Martin Scorsese, and Leonardo DiCaprio are among the series’ producers. There is no word yet on whether DiCaprio will also play an on-screen role in the project.

The Horse Whisperer Author Nicholas Evans Dies at 72

Nicholas Evans, the bestselling author of The Horse Whisperer, has died at the age of 72. In a statement, United Agents said the author died following a heart attack this past Tuesday. They added, “He lived a full and happy life, in his home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon.” The author’s 1995 novel The Horse Whisperer sold 15 million copies worldwide, becoming the number one bestseller in 20 countries. The novel has been translated into 40 languages and was made into a film, starring, produced, and directed by Robert Redford. Evans is survived by his wife, singer-songwriter Charlotte Gordon Cumming, and his four children, Finlay, Lauren, Max and Harry.

Florida School District Puts Warnings on 100 Books

Over 100 books in a Florida school district have been given a warning label, including the board book Everywhere Babies.

Meet the Teens Fighting Book Bans with Banned Book Clubs

In response to the Leander Independent School District’s Community Curriculum Advisory Committee in in Austin, Texas banning over 15 books, two students at Vandegrift High School, Ella Scott and Alyssa Hoy, have founded the Vandegrift Banned Book Club. Arguing that although the committee claims these books contain material that can be harmful, students actually actually need to be able to read and discuss the themes in these books in order to prepare to address these issues in adulthood, the book club meets in the school library once per month to choose books from the district’s list of currently banned books and discuss how the themes from each book connect to students’ lives, why the book was banned, and how that ban affects students. Book club members then prepare a statement together arguing for the book’s reinstatement.

School Librarians in Missouri Pull Books as New Law Allows Charges for ‘Explicit’ Material

School librarians are now facing the potential of criminal charges for not pulling books from shelves under a new state law going into effect on August 28 which bans “explicit sexual material,” defining explicit sexual material as any visual (not written word) depiction of sex acts or genitalia, with exceptions for artistic or scientific significance. Defying this law is considered a class A misdemeanor, carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of $2,000.

San Antonio’s North East ISD Banned More Books Than Any Other Texas School District

San Antonio’s North East ISD lead the state in reviewing whether or not books are appropriate for students, reviewed 431 books and removing 119 of those. 1,057 of these book reviews took place during the 2021-2022 school year after conservative Texas Rep. Matt Krause demanded that districts review the books on a list of 850 titles he circulated, claiming the reading material “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish.”

Back to School 2022: 10 of the Best Picture Books to Read on the First Day of School

Whether you are a caregiver preparing a child or an educator preparing a learning environment, here are some back-to-school picture books to transition from summer to school and ease some nerves about the school year.

Emily Henry’s Happy Place Cover Revealed on GMA

Earlier this week, GMA revealed the cover of Emily Henry’s highly anticipated upcoming novel Happy Place. The romcom book tells the story of a couple that breaks up, but they don’t tell their friends for months. So when it’s time to go on their annual vacation with their friend group, they have to pretend to still be together. Happy Place comes out in April 2023.

Elizabeth Taylor Gets Her First-Ever Authorized Biography

Entertainment Weekly has debuted the cover of Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon by Kate Andersen Brower. This is the first biography to tell the actress’ story with the full cooperation of the Trustees of her estate: Barbara Berkowitz, Tim Mendelson, and Quinn Tivey. “We are proud to announce the first-ever, authorized written biography about Elizabeth,” said the estate in a statement. “Because she was the most famous woman in the world, everyone thinks they know her. We can assure you that they don’t. Kate Andersen Brower will lean into her journalistic background and curiosity to delight readers and introduce them to an Elizabeth only those closest to her knew.” The biography hits shelves on December 6th.

Michael K. Williams’ Posthumous Memoir Details Fight That Led to His Facial Scar

In Michael K. Williams’ upcoming posthumous memoir, the actor shares details about the fight that led to his facial scar. It all happened one night at a club in Queens when Williams was out celebrating his 25th birthday. In an attack outside the club, Williams was cut across the face with a knife. Eventually, “the cut healed into one big swollen line and I never felt more ugly,” he writes. But in the world of acting, his scar made him stand out. “Strangers would stop me on the street and say they found my scars striking. I began to get gigs in music videos, not even to dance,” Williams writes in his memoir. “I guess the scar gave me an ‘edge.’ It made me look like the tough guy I wasn’t.” Williams’ memoir Scenes from My Life is available everywhere books are sold on August 23rd.

What the Heck is Going on with DC and Warner Bros.?

It has been a bad week for Warner Brothers and DC when it comes to their upcoming releases. Here’s the rundown.

Oprah Daily Reveals the Cover of Mariana Enriquez’s Our Share of Night

Oprah Daily has revealed the cover of Mariana Enriquez’s upcoming novel Our Share of Night. Enriquez is the author of acclaimed short story collections Things We Lost in the Fire and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. Her new novel, which hits shelves on February, is the first novel from the author to be translated in English.

Jennette McCurdy’s Memoir Sells Out One Day After Release

iCarly and Sam and Cat star Jennette McCurdy’s memoir sold out on Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble a day after its release. McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died focuses on the author’s abusive mother and the manipulative, inappropriate treatment of child stars at Nickelodeon. Currently, the book is #4 on Amazon’s best-seller charts and #2 in memoirs.

Le Petit Nicolas Illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé Dies Aged 89

Jean-Jacques Sempé, the French cartoonist who illustrated the children’s book series Le Petit Nicolas and produced more covers for the New Yorker magazine than any other artist, has died aged 89. His wife, Martine Gossieaux Sempé, announced the death to Agence France-Presse. “Jean-Jacques Sempé had the elegance to always remain light and he had an eye for everything,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet.

How to Find and Develop a Local Anti-Censorship Group

How to find and develop a local anti-censorship group. That, plus this week’s censorship news from across the U.S.

Brian Tyree Henry to Star in Apple Drama Based on the Book Dope Thief

Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry will be starring in the Apple TV drama series Sinking Spring, an eight-episode drug ring drama based on Dennis Tafoya’s book Dope Thief. The series is being written by Peter Craig (Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman, The Town). Ridley Scott will executive produce and direct. Sinking Spring will be Henry’s second collaboration with Apple, following the feature film Causeway which is set for a theatrical run and debut on the streaming service later this year.

Novel Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House Expected in 2023

The family of the late Shirley Jackson has authorized a novel inspired by The Haunting of Hill House. This is the first time the estate has approved an original narrative based on Jackson’s work. Elizabeth Hand’s A Haunting on the Hill is scheduled for a fall 2023 release. “In conversations with Liz we have become convinced that she will continue our mother’s work in a style and form compatible with Shirley’s,” Jackson’s son Laurence Jackson Hyman said in a statement released through Mulholland Books, Hand’s publisher. “We believe that this initial collaboration with Liz Hand will further enhance the burgeoning literary legacy of Shirley Jackson, and help to continue her literary presence and influence well into the 21st Century.”

Decatur Book Festival Announces Keynote Speaker, Author Lineup

Pete Souza, former Chief White House photographer during the Obama and Reagan administrations, will be the keynote speaker at the 17th annual Decatur Book Festival. The keynote event will take place on September 30th and will kick off the festival that takes place Saturday, October 1st. Participating authors include Saeed Jones (How We Fight for Our Lives), Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves), Justin A. Reynolds (Miles Morales: Shock Waves), Vanessa Riley (Island Queen), and many others. For more details about the festival, check out their official website.

Abortion Misinformation Within Oklahoma City’s Metro Library

A Reddit post went viral for saying that librarians in an Oklahoma library were told not to say “abortion.” Emails reveal how they got there.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris to be Adapted as a Hulu Series

The adaptation of Zakiya Dalila Harris’s The Other Black Girl has officially set nabbed a series order at Hulu. The series comes from Disney’s Onyx Collective and is executive produced by Rashida Jones, Tara Duncan, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Adam Fishbach, Zakiya Dalila Harris, and Danielle Henderson. Danielle Henderson is the showrunner of The Other Black Girl.

Ayesha Curry Adds Book Publishing To Sweet July Brand 

Ayesha Curry has signed a deal with upstart book publishing company Zando to publish books under the Sweet July Books imprint. Curry said her publishing focus will be on four Fs: faith, family, food and female empowerment, with an emphasis on giving writers of color a platform. In an interview with Forbes, Curry said that the disparity between women of color and their white counterparts as writers “certainly lights a fire within me. I think that was also what was exciting for us going into this partnership with Zando, was the ability to kind of shift those metrics even if it’s a little bit.”

A24 Makes a Movie Crossword Puzzle Book

Out today is A24’s new book of 99 movie-themed crossword puzzles by puzzle markers at The New York Times and The New Yorker. The book, which is now available from the A24 shop, is edited by Anna Shechtman, prolific puzzle maker of The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. The book includes nine puzzles co-created with filmmakers, actors and composers, including David Lowery, Jenny Slate, Lulu Wang, Tim Heidecker, Emile Mosseri, Stephanie Hsu, Elsie Fisher, Megan Amram, and Ashley Clark.

Raymond Briggs, Author of The Snowman, Dies at 88

Raymond Briggs, beloved British author and illustrator of popular Christmas story The Snowman, died Tuesday in Brighton, England at the age of 88.

Morgan Jerkins Starts Her Own Newsletter

Author Morgan Jerkins has announced that she’s starting her own newsletter entitled Lorain, in honor of Toni Morrison’s birthplace. In a post on Twitter, Jerkins details the reasons behind starting the newsletter: “I have been disenchanted with the way the media treats those who look like me and those who have even less structural privileges than I do…The community I hope to have here is one that seeks to understand the broader implications and connectedness of everything from large, societal events down to the minutiae in our everyday lives.”

You can subscribe to Jerkins’ newsletter via Substack for free, and you will receive a new post every Tuesday. For paid subscribers ($6 a month), you will get: weekly posts on Tuesdays; Friday link round-ups or community threads on current events; access to monthly video uploads where Jerkins will talk career and money with industry folx; and a rolling advice column. Founding members ($200 a year) will receive all of the above as well as the opportunity to work 1:1 with Jerkins personally. Jerkins’ first story drops today, so if you’re interested, you can subscribe now!

Zazie Beetz in Talks to Return for Joker: Folie à Deux

Zazie Beetz is in talks to reprise her role as Sophie Dumond Warner Bros/DC sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, directed by Todd Phillips. The film, which is rumored to be a musical, will also star Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as Arthur Fleck. Joker: Folie à Deux is set to start shooting in December and will hit theaters on October 4th, 2024.

Charles Dickens Exhibition in London Explores the Author’s Lifelong Fascination with the Paranormal

Starting in October, Victorian author Charles Dickens’ fascination with the paranormal will be the subject of an exhibition at the Charles Dickens Museum in central London. Among the exhibits is a never-before-displayed letter from the author to William Howitt. Dickens asks whether the spiritualist and fellow writer has suggestions for “any haunted house whatsoever within the limits of the United Kingdom where nobody can live, eat, drink, stand, lie or sleep without sleep-molestation.” The exhibition will also include Dickens’s own, annotated copy of The Haunted Man that the author read from during public performances. To Be Read At Dusk: Dickens, Ghosts and the Supernatural opens on October 5th.

The Bennett House from the 1995 Pride and Prejudice is for Sale!

The property that was used as the Bennet family’s home in the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice series is for sale for £6,000,000.

First Kill Showrunner Blames Show Cancellation on Marketing That Never Went Beyond Teen Vampire Element

Last week, showrunner Felicia D. Henderson went public with her thoughts about why the Netflix show First Kill wasn’t renewed for a new season. Henderson argued that the marketing for the show did not encompass everything that the show had going for it. She said in her statement, “The art for the initial marketing was beautiful. I think I expected that to be the beginning and that the other equally compelling and important elements of the show — monsters vs. monster hunters, the battle between two powerful matriarchs, etc. — would eventually be promoted, and that didn’t happen.” Released June 10, First Kill made it to Netflix’s weekly Top 10 for English-language TV series in its first three days. It peaked at No. 3 in its first full week of release with 48.8M hours viewed, trailing only Stranger Things Season 4 and Peaky Blinders Season 6. But according to Deadline’s reporting, the series did not have the staying power of most Netflix hits and did not meet thresholds for viewing and completion of episodes.

Hogarth Book Reveals Cover of Han Kang’s Greek Lessons

Hogarth Books has revealed the cover for the latest book from Han Kang, author of the International Booker Prize winner The Vegetarian. For Kang’s Greek Lessons, Anna Kochman, the designer of the book jacket, explains that she used the “idea of a kaleidoscope pattern as a jumping off point, because I just feel like those patterns are so beautiful and strange and that fit my experience of the book.” The upcoming novel is translated by Deborah Smith, who shared the International Booker Prize with Han for her translation of The Vegetarian, and Emily Yae Won. Greek Lessons comes out April 18th.

Read an Excerpt from Jennette McCurdy’s Forthcoming Memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died

Former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died hits shelves tomorrow, August 9th. Ahead of the book’s release,Vanity Fair is sharing an excerpt from the memoir that details the inappropriate behavior McCurdy experienced working with a man she refers to only as “The Creator.” She also alleges that she was offered $300,000 to stay silent. Vanity Fair has reached out to Nickelodeon for comment.

PRH WTF: The Weirdest Quotes from the Penguin Random House Trial

“Everything is random in publishing. Success is random. Bestsellers are random. So that is why we are the Random House!”

Judge Backs Dismissal of ‘Implausible’ Amazon, Big Five Price-Fixing Suit

A federal judge has recommended that a potential consumer class action lawsuit accusing Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Random House of co-conspiring with Amazon to fix ebook prices through the use of various forms of a Most Favored Nations clause be dismissed, agreeing with the lawyers for Amazon and the publishers who insisted the alleged conspiracy was irrational and implausible with no direct evidence to suggest collusion.

Federal Judge Keeps Wentzville Book Review Policy in Place

A federal judge in St. Louis, Missouri has declined to temporarily halt the Wentzville School District’s book review policy after the ACLU of Missouri sued the district on behalf of two Wentzville students in February, arguing books had been removed solely because the main characters were people of color and members of the LGBTQ community. A trial on whether to permanently ban the district from enforcing its policy is currently set for October 2023.

Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones Awarded $50,000 Grant from the Academy of American Poets

Alabama poet laureate Ashley Jones has been awarded $50,000 by the Academy of American Poets to support her civic poetry program in the upcoming year. Jones will use the funds to help implement the Alabama Poetry Delegation, her project which seeks to engage and support poetry projects and poets across the state. Jones will identify five regions and five regional delegates to shepherd poetry projects over three years.

A Michigan Public Library May Close Due to Conservative Propaganda

After a year-long battle with the Jamestown Conservatives over refusing to censor its LGBTQ+ content, the Patmos Library did not win its primary ballot measure to renew its millage rate past the spring of 2023.