Category: Today In Books

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Today In Books

New Book Club in Hamilton to Help Inspire Black Authors to Write Romance Novels Set in Canada: Today in Books

Hollywood Finally Comes Calling for Horror Writer Paul Tremblay

M. Night Shyamalan just wrapped filming the first film adaptation of one of Paul Tremblay’s horror novels, The Cabin at the End of the World. The movie will be titled Knock at the Cabin and stars Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, and Jonathan Groff. After the disappointment of auctioning the film rights to A Head Full of Ghosts a month before it was published, only for the production to fizzle out, Tremblay is excited for his adaptation debut to be released in February 2023.

New Book Club in Hamilton to Help Inspire Black Authors to Write Romance Novels Set in Canada

Born from a frustration of a lack of romance novels written by Black Canadian authors, certified life skills coach Tanya Lee has launched the Black Romance Book Club in Hamilton, Ontario. The club will be based in the Art Gallery of Hamilton and will host author readings and writing workshops, featuring at least three books each year to promoting reading and writing about Black Canadian romance.

New Female-Owned Bookstore in Riverside Focuses on Sharing Diverse Stories

After returning from Naval deployment, Vanessa Nicolle is opening a bookstore in Jacksonville, Florida that celebrates diversity and encourages reading for all. Nicolle had started an online version of her bookstore, Femme Fire Books, two years ago and now that she is out of the Navy, she’s transitioning to a brick-and-mortar shop that will stock books written by women and people of color who have been historically marginalized in the publishing industry.

Key Takeaways from the 2022 Urban Library Trauma Study

The 2022 Urban Library Trauma Study Report was released in late June at the 2022 American Library Association Annual Conference. It is the result of a two year long study capturing some sense of the difficult working conditions urban library workers experienced pre-pandemic but also the extensive trauma, stress, and burnout for urban library workers experienced because of the pandemic.

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Phoebe Robinson Wants EVERYTHING’S TRASH to be a Salve for These Times: Today in Books

Freida Pinto to Star as Huma Abedin in TV Adaptation of Her Best-Selling Memoir

Slumdog Millionaire and Mr. Malcolm’s List actress Freida Pinto is adapting Huma Abedin’s best-selling memoir Both/And into a TV series. Pinto will also star as Abedin, the longtime advisor and aide to Hillary Clinton. “It was clear to me from our very first conversation that Freida and [producing partner] Emily [Verellen] not only believe in but get the story, that they have a vision and a passion about bringing a life filled with unexpected adventures to the world in a way that is true to who I hope to remain always — defiantly optimistic,” Abedin told Deadline, which first reported the news. No other casting details or release date have been announced yet.

Alleged Book Thief Filippo Bernardini May Avoid Trial in the US

Filippo Bernardini, the Simon & Schuster employee accused of masterminding a phishing scam to obtain manuscripts from top authors, may not face trial in the US, under an agreement between prosecutors and his lawyers. Bernardini was arrested in January, with the FBI alleging he had “impersonated, defrauded, and attempted to defraud, hundreds of individuals” to obtain unpublished and draft works.

Phoebe Robinson Wants Everything’s Trash to be a “Salve for These Times”

2 Dope Queens star Phoebe Robinson told Huffpost that she hopes her new series Everything’s Trash, which premiered this week on FreeForm, will be a “salve for these times.” Robinson said, “With this show, I want to be like, ‘Yes, life is hard. Life is tricky. There are things that we can’t control, but I still want us to feel good and laugh and enjoy our lives a little bit. The COVID of it all has made us be more introspective, which I think is fantastic, but I don’t want us to lose the joy.” Everything’s Trash, which is inspired by Robinson’s book Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay, stars Robinson as Phoebe, a 30-something podcast star living in Brooklyn. It also stars Jordan Carlos, Toccarra Cash, Nneka Okafor and Moses Storm. Jonathan Groff is the executive producer and also serves as showrunner. The first two episodes premiered on FreeForm on Wednesday, July 13th, and new episodes will be released weekly. The episodes will also be available for streaming on Hulu.

How to Address Misinformation and Book Challenges

Multiple instances of individuals demanding books be burned, a public library closed because of community bigotry, and more censorship news.

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LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Releases Second Teaser Trailer: Today in Books

Adjoa Andoh, Russell T. Davies, and Michaela Coel Elected to Royal Society of Literature

Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh, I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel, and Doctor Who writer Russell T. Davies are among the new fellows elected to the Royal Society of Literature (RSL). The RSL, the UK’s charity for the advancement of literature, aims to elect 60 fellows over two years from communities, backgrounds and experiences currently under-represented in UK literary culture. At an event held at Battersea Arts Centre in London, 44 new fellows were named, along with 16 honorary fellows.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Releases Second Teaser Trailer

Prime Video has released a new two-and-a-half-minute teaser trailer for its highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power. The new series will tell the story of the forging of the original rings of power during the Second Age. It’s set thousands of years before the events in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Rings of Power will premiere Friday, September 2nd on Prime Video. New episodes will come out on a weekly basis.

Introducing Libro.fm for Apple Watch: Version 6.0

The Libro.fm Apple Watch app, version 6.0 is here! Libro.fm allows you to purchase audiobooks and support your local bookstore. And with the Apple Watch app, you can bring the Libro.fm listening experience with you everywhere without using your phone.

We Need An American Girl Doll Who… (Bookish Edition)

We’ve rounded up the best “We need an American Girl doll who…” memes for book lovers. Get ready to feel personally attacked.

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Daniel Kaluuya Will Not Return for BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER: Today in Books

The 2022 National Book Festival Lineup Reveal

The 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival returns to live audiences this Labor Day weekend for the first time in three years, and the festival lineup was revealed today! The one-day, all-day festival is happening on Saturday, September 3rd from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Featuring more than 120 authors, poets, and writers, the festival’s theme this year is “Books Bring Us Together.” The festival boasts a wide range of authors and celebrities writing across many genres. Some highlights include Janelle Monáe, Geraldine Brooks, Angie Thomas, Nick Offerman, and many others. The festival is free and open to everyone and will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. If you can’t make it in person, many of the events will be livestreamed.

After Small Bookstore Scammed, Local Community Comes to the Rescue

After thousands of fraudulent purchases were made at 27th Letter Books, the small Detroit bookstore thought it might have to close its doors. But their local community came to the rescue. The store co-owners—Drew and Erin Pineda, Jazmine Cooper, and Jake Spease—started a GoFundMe campaign. Within 10 days, they surpassed their goal of $35,000. “We’re just blown away by how the community responded and lifted us up in a really difficult situation,” Erin Pineda said. “It was incredible.” Cooper said, “I felt that the community really wanted us as part of their community. It was just affirming to me that what we’re doing is worth it.” With the help of their community, 27th Letter Books was able to recoup its losses and remain open. The owners are implementing new procedures to prevent fraudulent activity in the future.

Daniel Kaluuya Will Not Return for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Due to scheduling conflicts with Jordan Peele’s horror film Nope, Daniel Kaluuya will not be reprising his role as W’Kabi in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Jacqueline Coley of Rotten Tomatoes was first to break the news of Kaluuya’s departure via Twitter. Production on the new Black Panther film wrapped in March, and the movie is slated for release on November 11th. Jordan Peele’s film Nope will be released on July 22nd.

Audiobook Recordings of Three Key Supreme Court Abortion Rulings Released

These audiobook recordings allow listeners to hear exactly how Roe v. Wade was overturned, with added context.

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Join the Booker Prize Book Club Challenge: Today in Books

Walmart Live Book Club to Make Debut on TalkShopLive

Walmart Live Book club is making its debut on TalkShopLive. The first title featured will be Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler, with the author appearing on the TalkShopLive platform tonight. “Accessibility is so important for teen readers who don’t have a local bookstore or library that spotlights—or even carries—queer stories. I was one of those kids myself, but I devoured any book I could find on supermarket shelves. I know many kids still do. Imagining young people all over the country discovering a book like Shara through Walmart means the world to me,” McQuiston said of her participation in the launch. Viewers can watch, interact, and buy an autographed copy of the novel here.

The Story Behind the Road-Sign Poems Popping Up Along America’s Highways

In the summer of 2020, an anonymous artist who goes by the name of Roadside Senryu started installing road signs inscribed with poems. What’s the story behind these whimsical and inspiring roadside signs? Danny Freedman is giving you the scoop over at The Outside.

Join the Booker Prize Book Club Challenge

Does your book club think it has what it takes to be Booker Prize judges? Would you a chance to attend this year’s Booker Prize ceremony? Then the Booker Prize wants to hear from you! This year for the first time ever, the Booker Prize is extending the opportunity for six UK book clubs to help rate and review the 2022 Booker Prize shortlist. Members of the winning book club will be invited to attend this year’s Booker Prize winner ceremony in London. Want to apply? Let them know all about your book club by filling in the form on The Reading Agency’s website and submit before August 12, 2022. Good luck!

Book Riot’s Best Books of 2022 (So Far)

We’ve selected the best books of 2022 so far! From nonfiction to romance, horror to historical fantasy, and more.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder: Today in Books

Librarian of Congress Names Ada Limón the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate

Earlier today, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced Ada Limón as the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2022-2023. Limón will start the position in the fall, opening the library’s annual literary season on September 29th with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium. “Ada Limón is a poet who connects,” Hayden said during her announcement. “Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.”

Where the Crawdads Sing Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder

Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing, is wanted by Zambian authorities for questioning in the death of a man whose execution-style killing was caught by an ABC News documentary crew in 1996. You can read the full story written by Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, which published in The Atlantic yesterday.

Captain America 4 to be Directed by Julius Onah

Captain America 4, starring Anthony Mackie, has found its director in Nigerian American filmmaker Julius Onah, best known for the 2018 thriller The Cloverfield Paradox. Details about the story of the fourth Captain American film are still unknown, but Malcolm Spellman, the creator and head writer of Winter Soldier, is writing the script with Dalan Musson, a staff writer on the show. No start date for filming has been announced yet.

Kwame Alexander Hosting New Reality TV Show America’s Next Great Author

America’s Next Great Author, hosted by Kwame Alexander, will feature six finalists who will each attempt to write their book in a month.

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BRIDGERTON Star Jonathan Bailey Joins FELLOW TRAVELERS Adaptation: Today in Books

George R. R. Martin Says Next Song of Ice and Fire Book will be “Quite Different” from Game of Thrones

If you’re one of the many Game of Thrones fans who was dissatisfied with the ending of the HBO series, you may be in luck. George R.R. Martin says the next Song of Ice and Fire book should be pretty different from the series. “Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in Game of Thrones you will also see in The Winds of Winter (though maybe not in quite the same ways),” Martin wrote on his website on Friday. “But much of the rest will be quite different.” Although the author didn’t reveal any spoilers, Martin did write that some of the characters who survived the show won’t be so lucky in the novel. Meanwhile, some of the characters who died on screen will live on in the series. Want to know more? You’ll just have to wait to read the book to find out. But we’re still not sure when. “I am working on it, I have been working on it, I will continue to work on it,” Martin wrote. “I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again. I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels. But it’s how I write. Always has been. Always will be. For good or ill.”

Bridgerton Star Jonathan Bailey Joins Fellow Travelers Adaptation

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has joined the cast of Fellow Travelers, a limited series for Showtime in which he will star opposite Matt Bomer and Allison Williams. The series is based on the novel by Thomas Mallon. Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia, Homeland) adapted the novel and executive produces alongside Bomer and Robbie Rogers. Daniel Minahan will executive produce and direct the first two episodes. Fellow Travelers is set to begin production later this month in Toronto. 

Iyanu: Child of Wonder Series Greenlit at HBO Max and Cartoon Network

HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit a 2D animated adaptation of Iyanu: Child of Wonder, a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The project is to be financed and overseen by Black-owned animation studio Lion Forge Animation. The series is created by Roye Okupe, who will also write and direct multiple episodes. “When I set out to create Iyanu for a global audience, I wanted to develop a world that combined everything I love about the fantasy genre with the majesty and awe that is ancient West Africa,” said Okupe.

Goodreads Announces the Most Popular Historical Fiction of 2022 (So Far)

Goodreads has announced its list of the top 36 most popular historical fiction books of 2022 (so far), according to users’ interest.

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Publishers, Internet Archive File Dueling Summary Judgment Motions in Scan Suit: Today in Books

San Joaquin County Libraries Eschew Late Charges on Children, Teen Books, Print Materials

City officials announced that books and print materials checked out from the children and teen sections at Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Libraries will no longer incur overdue fees. This policy took effect last week and will also apply to the Bookmobile, a traveling library that carries books for all ages. The county hopes that eliminating these fines will increase library card signups and library use as well as reduce library inaccessibility due to social inequality.

Publishers, Internet Archive File Dueling Summary Judgment Motions in Scan Suit

Lawyers for Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House argued that the Internet Archive’s scanning program, which allows them to scan and lend books under a legal theory known as “controlled digital lending,” is clearly illegal and is a massive piracy operation in a motion filed this week as part of an ongoing lawsuit concerning IA’s copyright infringement. The publishers argue that IA helped manufacture the legal theory of controlled digital lending to justify its infringement, allowing IA to create its own unauthorized ebook editions, which then compete directly with authorized ebooks.

Love And Thunder Brings in Thor‘s Biggest Opening Weekend Ever

Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love And Thunder is set to have the best opening weekend out of any Thor movie ever, likely with at least $135 million this weekend, which far surpasses Kenneth Branagh’s Thor ($64 million opening weekend), The Dark World ($85 million), and Waititi’s own Ragnarok ($122 million).

SFF Books Coming Out in July to Keep On Your Radar

July has plenty of science fiction and fantasy releases to look forward to reading — from a novel about siblings working together to protect their friends from a sinister laser tag simulation, to a daughter of revolutionaries infiltrating the prince’s castle to rescue her father, to an Earth-born healer searching for her Mars-born spouse who has disappeared, you’re sure to find an upcoming read to enjoy.

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STRANGER THINGS’ Duffer Brothers Creating Live Action Adaptation of DEATH NOTE: Today in Books

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Returning for Marvel Series Echo

Actors Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are joining the Marvel series Echo, which is currently filming in Atlanta. Cox and D’Onofrio have played Daredevil and The Kingpin, respectively. They will be reprising their roles in Echo, which stars Hawkeye breakout Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. The series will air on the Disney+ streaming platform, but no release date as been announced yet.

Kindle Version of Paul Tremblay’s Pallbearers Club Pulled from Amazon

Paul Tremblay’s latest novel, The Pallbearers Club, released earlier this week. The novel written as a memoir with annotations from a second character. Unfortunately, Amazon’s Kindle was having trouble formatting this for e-readers, so this version has been pulled from Amazon. Tremblay posted the news on Twitter, writing, “Kindle readers: we’ve pulled the current Pallbearers Club version off Amazon. A new version is being cooked up but might not be available until 7/19. Long boring story as to how/why but on behalf of my publisher we are super sorry and are working hard to fix it.”

Stranger Things‘ Duffer Brothers Making Live Action Adaptation of Death Note

Stranger Things’ creators the Duffer bothers are making a new adaptation of Death Note for Netflix. Details about the upcoming adaptation are sparse, but Netflix announced on Twitter that the new project will be a live action adaptation of the popular anime and manga Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba.

Takahashi Kazuki, Creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dies at 60

Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi has been found dead off the coast of Nago in Okinawa after an apparent snorkeling trip.

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Random House Picks Up Rights to Salman Rushdie’s VICTORY CITY: Today in Books

George Clooney’s Infamous Batman Nipple Suit Goes Up for Auction With $40,000 Opening Bid

George Clooney’s Batman costume from the 1997 Batman & Robin (directed by Joel Schumacher) was ridiculed for its plastic nipples, and now the infamous nipple suit is up for auction with Heritage Auctions. The opening bid is set at $40,000 as part of Heritage’s Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction, taking place July 22-23. “This is easily the most famous – and infamous – Batman costume ever designed,” Heritage Auction’s executive vice president Joe Maddalena said in a statement. “But to his credit, Joel Schumacher never apologized for the ‘Bat-nipples.’ In fact, he once told Vice, ‘I’m still glad we did it.’ And I am just as glad we have the chance now to offer this piece of cinema history to someone who can appreciate the costume as much as Schumacher clearly did.”

Random House Picks Up Rights to Salman Rushdie’s Victory City

Random House publisher Andy Ward has taken the U.S. rights to Salman Rushdie’s latest novel Victory City. The novel will be published in February 2023. According to the publisher, the story is set in 14th-century southern India and follows a magical nine-year-old girl who, in the wake of an unimportant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, is tasked with creating a new empire where women are given just as much power as men.

Crime Novelist Susie Steiner Dies at 51

Acclaimed English detective fiction author Susie Steiner has died at the age of 51. According to a post to her Twitter account on Sunday, the cause of death was a brain tumor diagnosed three years ago. Steiner was best known for her detective novels featuring Manon Bradshaw, including Missing, Presumed and Persons Unknown. Her most recent novel is 2020’s Remain Silent. Steiner’s U.K. publisher, Suzie Dooré, paid tribute to the author in a statement: “Susie was an extraordinary person and a wonderful writer. Personally, I am proud to have also counted her as a friend, and will always remember and cherish her quick wit and brutal honesty, both attributes she was able to pass on to her series character Manon Bradshaw.”

Protect Yourself Now: Book Censorship News July 8, 2022

If you’re in public education or librarianship, here’s why you need to lock down your social media. That and more book censorship news.