Category: Today In Books

BRIDGERTON Prequel to be Published by Avon Books: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 7, 2022

Sponsored by Grove Atlantic, publisher of Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Ashley Thomas to Star Opposite Adrienne Warren in Hulu’s Black Cake

Ashley Thomas has been cast to star opposite Adrienne Warren in the upcoming Hulu series Black Cake. The series is based on the book of the same name by Charmaine Wilkerson. Thomas will play Byron Bennett, “a brilliant ocean scientist, whose formidable work ethic has made him a leader in his field and a popular social media influencer. His professional success comes second only to his relationship with his mother, Eleanor. In the wake of her death, Byron is tasked with carrying out her final wish – a task that forces a reunion with his estranged sister, Benny, and brings to light harrowing secrets, confronting everything Byron thought he knew about himself and his family.” The project comes from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Zetna Fuentes will direct the pilot. Cerar wrote the adaptation and is also the showrunner.

Avon Books to Publish Bridgerton Prequel

Avon Books is publishing a new Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rimes. “MAKE WAY FOR THE QUEEN!” Julia Queen wrote in her Instagram announcement. “[Shonda Rimes] and I are teaming up to write a novel. It’s based on the upcoming Queen Charlotte Bridgerton spin-off and is set to release with the series.”

Podcast Mini-Series Book Exploder Coming in August

A new podcast mini-series called Book Exploder is coming out next month. Musician Hrishikesh Hirway has teamed up with Susan Orlean, journalist and author of The Library Book and On Animals, to create this new podcast mini-series where authors break down their work. The podcast will run on the Song Exploder feed, and the first episode debuts on August 3rd.

How to Contact Your Legislators About Book Bans (and Why It Matters)

We’ve got all the tools you need to research and contact your local lawmakers about book bans and censorship.

Today In Books

Celebrating 30th Anniversary of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST with Broadcast Special: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 6, 2022

Sponsored by Harper Perennial, publisher of The Heart of Summer by Felicity Hayes-McCoy.

Brandon Taylor Joins Unnamed Press as Acquiring Editor

Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life and Filthy Animals, has been named acquiring editor for L.A.–based indie publisher Unnamed Press. The new position was created following cofounder Olivia Taylor Smith’s move to Simon & Schuster and is effective starting August 1st. Taylor will be working alongside publisher Chris Heiser and staff to curate approximately eight fiction titles per year.

Five Stand Trial for Sedition in Hong Kong Over Children’s Book About Sheep

Five Hong Kong unionists have pleaded not guilty to publishing “seditious” material in a trial over illustrated children’s books. The case revolves around a series of books published by the now-defunct General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists. Prosecutors claim that the books, featuring cartoon sheep and wolves, include analogies for Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese that are intended to “incite hatred” toward the latter. The five defendants jointly face the charge of “conspiracy to print, publish, distribute, display and/or reproduce seditious publications” under the colonial-era crimes ordinance, with a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

ABC Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Beauty and the Beast with Hybrid Live-Action, Animated Special

ABC is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Beauty and The Beast with a hybrid live-action/animated broadcast special. The two-hour special will feature new, live never-before-seen musical performances and brand-new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. The special will air on ABC on December 15th at 8 p.m. ET and will be available to stream the following day on Disney+.

HarperCollins Union Has Voted to Strike

The HarperCollins employee union is bargaining for salaries that keep pace with inflation and match the cost of living.

Today In Books

Peacock Cancels Adaptation of Award-Winning Fantasy Series THE JADE CITY: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 5, 2022

Marcus Rashford Book Club to Give Away 50,000 Books This Summer

This summer, British footballer Marcus Rashford is giving away 50,000 copies of his debut children’s book to children in the most economically deprived areas of the UK. This is part of an initiative by The Marcus Rashford Book Club, which is run in partnership with Macmillan Children’s Books, KPMG, and The National Literacy Trust. Rashford’s book The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Beast Beyond the Fence, is co-authored by Alex Falase-Koya and illustrated by Marta Kissi. The book is inspired by Rashford’s own adventures growing up, and is aimed at eight to 12-year-olds. Rashford said that books are “a great source of inspiration and motivation, and much needed for children who struggle to see beyond what is on their doorstep.” Rashford’s book club will give away another yet-to-be-announced book in the fall.

Peacock Cancels Adaptation of Award-Winning Fantasy Series Jade City

After years of development, Peacock has canceled its adaptation of an award-winning fantasy book Jade City by Fonda Lee. Lee announced the news on Twitter, writing, “Sad to share that after years in development, Peacock has decided not to move forward with the TV show of Jade City. It’s a big disappointment. But we’re looking for a new home for the project, and I have faith someone else will share the vision of the Kaul family onscreen.” Peacock has not yet commented on the reason behind the cancelation.

14 Books that the NPR Staff and Critics are Loving So Far This Year

As part of their Books We Love project, NPR staff and contributors are sharing their favorite books of the first half of the year. For the first time this year, NPR is sharing their favorite books in two installments, one mid-year and one at the end of 2022. 167 books made the first cut and then were narrowed down to the 14 most-recommended books so far this year.

A Book Lover’s Guide to Disability Pride Month

Here are the best ways you can celebrate Disability Pride Month in your reading life, from book recommendations to readathons.

Today In Books

Jesmyn Ward Wins the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 4, 2022

Sponsored by “The Island” by Adrian McKinty

The Time Traveler’s Wife Canceled at HBO

HBO has canceled the drama series The Time Traveler’s Wife, based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger. The series starred Rose Leslie and Theo James and was adapted by Steven Moffatt. “Though HBO will not be moving forward with a second season of The Time Traveler’s Wife, it was our privilege to partner with master storytellers Steven Moffat and [director] David Nutter,” HBO said in a statement. “We are so grateful for their passion, hard work and care for adapting this beloved book. We also thank Theo and Rose, and the rest of our brilliant cast for their heartfelt performances, which completely captivated audiences.”

Jesmyn Ward Wins the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction

Two-time National Book Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward has just become the youngest-ever winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. Ward, author of Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing, is 45. The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction was established in 2008 as a lifetime achievement award and aims to honor “an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination.” The Award is presented annually by the Librarian of Congress at the National Book Festival. “Jesmyn Ward’s literary vision continues to become more expansive and piercing, addressing urgent questions about racism and social injustice being voiced by Americans,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “Jesmyn’s writing is precise yet magical, and I am pleased to recognize her contributions to literature with this prize.”

Joseph Coelho Chosen as Britain’s New Children’s Laureate

Poet and children’s author Joseph Coelho has been chosen as Britain’s new Children’s Laureate. Coelho was announced as the new laureate at an event today at the Unicorn theatre in London. The author was given his bespoke laureate medal by Cowell. At the ceremony, Coelho performed a new poem titled “The Power of a Poem,” which he wrote to mark the occasion. Coelho will take over the role, a two-year tenure, following How to Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell.

July 2022 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

It’s July! Here’s what book you should read this month, according to your horoscope.

Today In Books

Community Members Rally Against Proposed Utah School Library Book Review Policy: Today in Books

Post author By Caitlin Brehm
Post date July 3, 2022

Community Members Rally Against Proposed Utah School Library Book Review Policy

Community members gathered on Thursday outside of the Utah State Board of Education Building to urge the board not to adopt a policy that would restrict the availability of books deemed explicit from school libraries. In February, the House Education Committee had voted 11-2 to pass HB374, which was approved and signed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox. This new policy would take an even more extreme approach and limit the diversity of library materials for students.

Cardinal Rule Press Acquires Bucket Fillers

Cardinal Rule Press, a Detroit-area children’s book, puzzle, and educational materials publisher acquired all book sales, presentations, and permissions of Bucket Fillers, a children’s publisher in Venice, Florida. Bucket Fillers will become an imprint of Cardinal Rule, effectively doubling its size.

Tasmanian ‘Book Detective’ Reunites Customers with Long-Lost Books and Beloved Childhood Titles

Using his investigative skills from his career as a librarian and his studies in Egyptology, Toby Wools-Cobb has begun to make a name for himself by finding long-lost books from his shop, Quixotic Books, in Launceston, Tasmania. Thinking of his work like detective work, Wools-Cobb helps customers find obscure works, books that the customer cannot remember the title of, special editions, and weird books that face extinction.

Unsettling Reading: Why Are Darker Women’s Stories Growing in Popularity?

“Darker women’s stories” — particularly in thrillers and dark historical fiction — is a book trend we’re seeing after the London Book Fair, which is a stark contrast from the popular upbeat romance or cozier fiction of previous years. The social and political background against which these books are written give us insights as to why we’re seeing readers drawn toward stories that explore murder, abuse, postpartum depression, sexual violence, and other difficult topics

Today In Books

STRANGER THINGS Pop-Up Book Brings Fans into the Upside Down: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 2, 2022

Nancy Drew Spinoff Tom Swift Canceled After One Season

The CW has canceled its Nancy Drew spinoff Tom Swift after a single season. The CBS Studios series, which premiered on May 31st, will finish out the remainder of this season but it will not be returning for a second one. Tom Swift is part of a surge of cancellations at The CW. The network has canceled 11 total series in the 2021-2022 season.

Austin Public Library Teams with BookPeople to Start Banned Book Camp

The Austin Public Library is partnering with local bookseller BookPeople to organize a summer-long event series called Banned Camp, encouraging engagement with books that have been banned or challenged. The library’s banned camp hosts events for readers of all ages to engage with banned books, including Graphic Novel Bookclub for Adults, Banned Camp for Teens, and Storytime at Pease Park for kids ages 3 to 5. “This is a very multifaceted community, lots of people coming to Austin or who’ve lived in Austin, with lots of different backgrounds and experiences and identities,” Baylor Johnson, a spokesperson for the Austin Public Library, said. “It’s important that we celebrate all stories and that’s why it’s sort of so dangerous and alarming to see that so many of the books that are being challenged and are being removed from library shelves are specifically those about and by marginalized groups or people of color, or immigrants or LGBTQ people.”

Stranger Things Pop-Up Book Brings Fans into the Upside Down

The season finale of Stranger Things season 4 is here, and Insight Editions is releasing a special pop-up book to celebrate. Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book captures iconic moments from all four seasons of the popular Netflix series with intricate, pop-up recreations designed by award-winning paper engineers Matthew Reinhart and Simon Arizpe and featuring illustrations by artist Kyle Lambert. Finished copies of the book will be on display at Comic-Con in San Diego. The book will be released from Insight Editions’ new imprint, Reinhart Pop-Up Studio, on August 30th.

Dubai Opens New Book-Shaped Library

The largest cultural project in Dubai’s history is a book-shaped library.

Today In Books

Adam Silvera Shares Details About THE FIRST TO DIE AT THE END: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 1, 2022

The Invisible Girl YA Series Coming to Disney+ Spain

Beta Films in partnership with Disney+ Spain has secured international distribution rights for the YA series The Invisible Girl. The upcoming drama is an adaptation of the YA fantasy series by the same name by Blue Jeans. The Morena Films series will star Daniel Grao and Zoe Stein. The Invisible Girl is directed by Tito López Amado and Aritz Moreno and written by Carmen López-Areal, Marina Efron, Antonio Hernández Centeno, Ramón Tarrés, and Ian de la Rosa. As of now, no premiere date has been set for the show.

Adam Silvera Shares Details About The First to Die at the End Advanced Reader Editions

YA author Adam Silvera took to Instagram this week to post pictures of the newly-arrived advanced reader editions of his highly anticipated novel The First to Die at the End. The novel is a prequel to his bestselling novel They Both Die at the End. Silvera wrote, “Only 100 of these exist in the US (with another 100 arriving soon in the UK), and I’m so happy to be holding this 550-page MONSTER.” Silvera went on to know that while They Both Die at the End was his shortest novel ever at 68,000 words, The First to Die at the End is his longest novel to date, at 105,000 words. And according to the author, “More pages = more dying, more crying.”

The Tale of Outcasts Fantasy Manga Gets Anime Adaptation

Makoto Hoshino’s manga The Tale of the Outcasts—known in Japan as Nokemono-tachi no Yoru—is being adapted into an anime. A twitter account has been created for the upcoming anime series, featuring a teaser image of the show. However, no further details have been announced just yet. Stay tuned!

How to Directly Impact Democracy: Book Censorship News

This week’s book censorship news includes draconian new library collection policies in TX and VA and more.

Today In Books

SG5 is the New Japanese Girl Group Inspired by SAILOR MOON: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date June 30, 2022

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of Our Crooked Hearts.

RuPaul Children’s Book Pulled from Colchester, CT Library Shelves

Who is RuPaul?, a children’s biography about RuPaul has been temporarily pulled from the shelves of the Cragin Memorial Library in Colchester, Connecticut after a single parent complaint. Colchester First Selectman Andreas Bisbikos posted on his Facebook page that the book “contains sexually provocative drawings in which the parent found offensive. The book in question was immediately removed from circulation.” The decision has been met with backlash from much of the community. The library’s director Kate Byroade called the move “the exact definition of censorship,” and Colchester resident Lauren Kelly Talanian urged Bisbikos to “leave it to the professional librarians.”

SG5 is the New Japanese Girl Group Inspired by Sailor Moon

SG5 is a new Japanese girl group created in collaboration with the Sailor Moon franchise, and they’re set to make their U.S. debut in an upcoming Los Angeles appearance. Short for “Sailor Guardians 5,” SG5 is described as an “intergalactic pop supergroup that protects the universe from evil, injustice and negativity.” The group is comprised of five members, SAYAKA, RURI, RUI, MIYUU, and KAEDE, who are all J-Pop veterans. RUI made her initial debut with the group iScream in 2021, and the other four members debuted in the girl group Happiness in 2011. The group will make their first U.S. appearance at the Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 1.

Neil Gaiman Defends Color-Blind Casting for Netflix Adaptation of The Sandman

Speaking with Total Film, Neil Gaiman has once again spoken out in support of the casting decisions made for the upcoming Netflix adaptation of his graphic novel The Sandman. Gaiman said, “We did color-blind casting, because why wouldn’t you? The comics establish that the characters look like whatever we want them to look like.” The Sandman is scheduled to debut on Netflix on August 5.

Virginia Politicians Sue Oni Press and Maya Kobabe Over Gender Queer

Attorney Tim Anderson has filed a lawsuit against Oni Press, publisher of Gender Queer, as well as author Maia Kobabe.

Today In Books

Kate Winslet to Produce & Star in TRUST for HBO: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date June 29, 2022

Reese’s Book Club Reveals Cover for New Lauren Blackwood Novel

Earlier today, Reese’s Book Club tweeted the cover of Lauren Blackwood’s new novel Wildblood, coming out in February 2023. Blackwood’s bestselling novel Within These Wicked Walls was a previous Reese’s Book Club pick. Blackwood follows eighteen-year-old Victoria, who was kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company to work as a tour guide. Along with a team of tour guides called the Wildbloods, Victoria wields magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle filled with monsters.You can preorder a copy of Wildblood now.

Kate Winslet to Produce & Star in Trust for HBO

Kate Winslet will be starring in and executive producing Trust, a limited series based on Hernan Diaz’s best-selling novel, which was published in May from Riverhead Books. Diaz will also serve as executive producer on the HBO project. Should the project go to series, Trust will be the third collaboration between Winslet and HBO.

Uzumaki Anime Adaptation Gets Another Delay

The highly anticipated anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s manga Uzumaki is struggling with more delays, the creators have announced. In a tweet, director Hiroshi Nagahama confirmed that the series, which was set to premiere in October 2022, will be pushed back again. Nagahama says the delays are necessary “in order to replicate the quality of the intricate designs and detailed line work” of Ito’s manga. Nagahama apologized for the delay and said they would return with a firm release date soon.

A “That Girl” Reading List for Your Hot Girl Summer

That Girl knows what her goals are and is working to achieve them. Here are nine books that can help guide us to becoming our best selves.

Today In Books

THE HUNGER GAMES Prequel Adds Jason Schwartzman to its Cast: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date June 28, 2022

Sponsored by Sponsored by Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta.

NYC’s Iconic Strand Bookstore Adds In-Shop Coffeehouse

Strand, the legendary New York City bookstore located near Union Square, has teamed up with Brooklyn Roasting Co. to add an in-shop coffeehouse. “Bringing coffee to our customers has been a long-time dream for The Strand,” said Laura Ravo, the COO of Strand Books. “When we made the decision to add it to our store, we sought to bring customers the most authentic coffee experience and Brooklyn Roasting Company fit that vision perfectly.” The new coffee counter located within the bookstore offers a menu including hot coffee, espresso drinks, chai, and matcha. For summer, seasonal iced blueberry or iced lemon espresso spritzers are also available.

Here Are Harper Teen’s Winter 2023 Cover Reveals

It might be summer now, but winter is coming, and Harper Teen is getting readers ready with their official list of Winter 2023 Cover Reveals. Books to look forward to in early 2023 include These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi, A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis, While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai, and many more.

The Hunger Games Prequel Adds Jason Schwartzman to its Cast

Jason Schwartzman is the latest addition to the cast of Lionsgate’s Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Schwartzman is set to play Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, the host of the 10th Hunger Games and ancestor to Caesar Flickerman. The actor joins a previously-announced ensemble cast led by Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler. Also included in the cast are Josh Andrés Rivera, Hunter Schafer, Jerome Lance, Ashley Liao, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples, and Hiroki Berrecloth.

22 More Great Books to Read in 2022

Get your TBRs ready, because it’s time for more upcoming books! Here are 22 great books to read in 2022 (plus more because we love you).