Category: Today In Books

Queen Elizabeth Has Tea with Paddington Bear

This past Saturday, Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear had tea together in Buckingham Palace for Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration. Unsurprisingly, the queen and the famous literary bear shared marmalade sandwiches. When it was time for the celebrations to begin, Paddington said to the queen, “Happy Jubilee, ma’am. And thank you, for everything.”

Mike Flanagan’s Latest Project Midnight Club Releases Teaser Trailer

Netflix released the teaser trailer for Mike Flanagan’s latest project Midnight Club, based on the Christopher Pike novel of the same name. The 10-episode show follows a group of seven teenagers at the Rotterdam Home, a hospice for terminally ill young adults. The group shares scary stories at midnight, and so they call themselves the “Midnight Club.” The Midnight Club makes a pact that the first one of them to die will communicate with the rest of the group from beyond the grave. So when one of them does die, strange things start happening in the Rotterdam Home. The series stars Adia, Igby Rigney, Ruth Codd, Aya Furukawa, Annarah Shephard, William Chris Sumpter, and Sauriyan Sapkota. It’s set to release this fall.

Oprah Winfrey Picks Leila Mottley’s Nightcrawling for Book Club

Oprah Winfrey has chosen 19-year-old Leila Mottley’s debut novel Nightcrawling for her next book club pick. The novel follows the story of a young Black woman from East Oakland as she struggles against poverty, racism, and the police. Mottley is the youngest author to ever be selected for Oprah’s Book Club, which was founded in 1996. “It brings me great joy to introduce readers to new authors, and this young poet Leila Mottley wrote a soul-searching portrait of survival and hope,” Winfrey said in a statement.

Barnes & Noble Announces Their Best Books of 2022 So Far

At the halfway point of the year, Barnes & Noble has announced their picks for the best books of 2022 so far.

Read a Delicious Excerpt from Nora Ephron: A Biography

Nora Ephron was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker best known for romantic comedy films like Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally…, and Sleepless in Seattle. Kristin Marguerite Doidge’s new biography about Ephron, Nora Ephron: A Biography, will be available in bookstores everywhere tomorrow, Tuesday, June 7th. But before you read the book, here’s an excerpt, reflection on the making of Ephron’s last film project Julie & Julia, which Ephron saw to its finish even as she struggled with MDS, the rare blood cancer that would take her life in 2012.

Tom Holland and Zendaya Thank Fans for Big Spider-Man Win

At last night’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, the latest Spider-man film, Spider-Man: No Way Home won big. The film’s stars Tom Holland and Zendaya said they owe it all to the fans. After Spider-Man: No Way Home beat out Dune, Scream, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Adam Project, and The Batman for the Best Movie award, the actors sent a video message expressing their thanks. In his video message, Holland said, “To be part of that film, to share that film with you, to be a part of the solidarity that was built up around the world is honestly a dream come true.” In her own video message, Zendaya said, “I know [the movie] meant so much to all of you. I know it’s been such an incredible journey for all of us, so thank you for allowing us to bring these characters to life and for all the love that you bring to them, and, yeah, this is very special.”

Why Aren’t City Dwellers Buying Books?

Physical bookstores are seeing a resurgence of sales since the early days of the pandemic, but according to data from BookScan, stores in urban areas are having the toughest time recovering. BookScan analyzed print unit sales from two vantage points: actual changes in sales in 2022 vs. 2019, and how sales in different DMAs (designated market areas) in 2022 vs. 2019 compare to the 15% increase posted by the overall market. For instance, in the New York metropolitan region, the country’s largest book market, sales only rose about 1% this year in comparison to 2019. This growth rate was behind the overall 15% increase. Comparatively, Portland, Maine, saw sales increase 37% this year compared to 2019, 22 percentage points above the market average.

So why aren’t city dwellers buying books? Kristen McLean, executive director of business development and industry analyst for NPD Books & Entertainment, speculates that it’s due to the migration away from big cities that started before Covid and was accelerated by the pandemic. For more of a breakdown on where books are performing better and why this might be, check out Publisher’s Weekly.

10 of Libro.fm’s Most Preordered Audiobooks for Summer 2022

Looking for great listens for your summer adventures? Look no further! Here are 10 of the most popular preordered books over at Libro.fm.

Amazon Employees Protest the Sale of Books They Say Are Anti-Trans

Approximately 30 Amazon employees disrupted the company’s annual raising of the pride flag event at the Amazon headquarters in Seattle in protest of the company’s continued sale of anti-trans books. The protesters, who are members of the group No Hate at Amazon, laid on the ground wrapped in trans flags and demanded that the company stop producing and selling books that are harmful to trans youth.

Michigan Prisons Ban Spanish and Swahili Dictionaries to Prevent Inmate Disruptions

The Michigan Department of Corrections has banned dictionaries in Spanish and Swahili, claiming these books’ contents are a threat to the state’s penitentiaries. Chris Gautz, the spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections, explained that allowing imprisoned people access to learning languages prison staff cannot understand would allow them to potentially organize without the knowledge of staff. Additionally, seven books in both Spanish and Swahili have been banned from Michigans’s prisons in the last year, according to a list obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Award-Winning TOMB OF SAND to be Published in U.S. in 2023

Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand, which won this year’s International Booker Prize be released in the U.S. this winter by HarperVia, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The book was first published in 2018 and released with an English translation in 2021.

A Group of Louisiana Libraries Block Cultural Displays

Just in time for Pride Month, a group of Lafayette County libraries in Louisiana has announced they will block cultural displays that highlight specific groups — including displays celebrating Pride Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Cajun heritage, and Native American History Month.

Red, White, and Royal Blue Movie Casts Its Alex and Prince Henry

Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Red, White, and Royal Blue has officially cast its Alex and Prince Henry. In a tweet posted on June 1, author Casey McQuiston announced that Prince Henry will be played by Nicholas Galitzine, and Taylor Zakhar Perez will play Alex. Deadline also announced that Uma Thurman will be joining the cast Alex’s mom, President Ellen Claremont. Also joining the cast, according to Amazon Studios’ Instagram, will be Clifton Collins Jr., Stephen Fry, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, Ellie Bamber, Aneesh Sheth, Polo Morín, Ahmed Elhaj, and Akshay Khanna. The movie will be directed by playwright Matthew López in his feature debut. Filming is set to begin in Britain this month.

Freedom to Read Advocates Sound Alarm as Obscenity Lawsuit Advances in Virginia

A lawsuit in Virginia is ordering two popular authors and their publishers to defend their works against obscenity charges, and Freedom to Read advocates are sounding the alarm. The lawsuit alleges that two books for sale in a Virginia Beach Barnes & Noble—Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir Gender Queer and A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas—are “obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors.” The court’s order raises the possibility of a restraining order that would forbid the books to be public displayed and restrain booksellers and libraries from selling or loaning the books to minors without parental consent.

In a statement issued this week, Freedom to Read advocates—including NCAC, ALA, the Virginia Library Association and other organizations—argue that the obscenity action aims “to prevent readers from making a personal choice to read these books,” and to “criminally prosecute librarians, booksellers, and publishers” for making materials they disapprove of available to the public. “If persons like the petitioners obtain similar orders every time they have objections to a book, it will chill the freedom to read and stifle the voices of authors and publishers,” the statement reads. “The undersigned organizations strongly urge Virginians–and all Americans–to stand against any attempt to use government action to dictate what we can read and how to think about what we read. Prohibiting the sale and distribution of books is an affront to our democratic values and threatens each person’s and each family’s individual liberties. It is contrary to our principles of democracy to allow anyone, regardless of their beliefs or political position, to determine what other Americans can read.”

The Boys Season 3 Welcomes Hollywood A-List Star for Cameo

The first three episodes of The Boys Season 3 have been released on Amazon Prime video, and the first episode includes a surprise cameo from an A-list star. Oscar winner Charlize Theron has joined the season as Stormfront. Or rather, a version of Stormfront. To find out how Theron factors into the story, you watch The Boys season 3 now.

The Best Bridgerton Fan Fiction

Fill the void between seasons and books with the best Bridgerton fan fiction for each sibling (and then some).

Erin Young’s The Fields Adaptation in the Works

A small screen adaptation of Erin Young’s recently published crime thriller The Fields is currently in the works. Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories (Big Little Lies), Jennifer Todd Pictures, and Endeavor Content have acquired the rights to the book to adapt into a television series. Kate Brooke (A Discovery of Witches, Bancroft) is attached to the project as writer/showrunner. Made Up Stories and Jennifer Todd Pictures are producing in partnership with Endeavor Content.

Sisters in Crime Currently Taking Submissions for Annual Pride Award

Emerging LGBTQIA+ writers, Sisters in Crime is currently taking submissions for their annual Pride Award. The award includes a $2000 grant for one up-and-coming writer who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Submissions will be accepted through July 31st, and this year’s winner will be announced in the fall.

Time Announces the Best Books of 2022 So Far

We’re nearly halfway through 2022, and Time has announced their picks for the best books of 2022. The magazine’s picks include a wide range of genres, including dystopian novel The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, short story collection Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho, and memoir Constructing A Nervous System by Margo Jefferson. Check out the full list here!

The Misinformation Age: This Week’s Book Censorship News

This week’s book censorship news and the truth behind the State Farm-GenderCool project.

First Editions Annotated by Le Carré, Mantel, and Others to be Auctioned

Several first editions annotated by authors are up for auction to raise funds for English PEN, a human rights organization that champions freedom of expression and defends writers at risk of persecution. Among more than 80 writers who have reread and annotated their works are Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, Salman Rushdie, Monica Ali, John le Carré, Sebastian Faulks, Ben Okri, Ian McEwan, JM Coetzee, Peter Carey, and Bernardine Evaristo. The annotations were a “big undertaking” for the authors, according to Mark Wiltshire, a books and manuscripts specialist at Christie’s. Of the annotated manuscripts, Wiltshire said, “It involves attentive rereading of a book, genuine reflections and thousands of words of text. It shows that the issues English PEN campaigns on are ones [the authors] really care about.”

Disney+ Introduces Kamala Khan and Her Friends in New Ms. Marvel Character Posters

Disney+ and Marvel’s newest series Ms. Marvel is coming out on June 8th, and the streamer is celebrating the upcoming series premiere by sharing a brand-new set of character posters on Instagram. The new posters offer a new look at Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel herself Kamala Khan. They also give a closer look at Kamala’s best friends, Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), her parents, Yusuf (Mohan Kapoor) and Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), and her potential love interest, Kamran (Rish Shah).

Libro.fm Introduces “Summer Fridays” Giveaway Series

Libro.fm is giving away free audiobooks each Friday, from June 1st through August 31st as part of their “Summer Fridays” giveaway series. To enter to win, all you have to do is follow Libro.fm on social media. Look out for a post each Friday at 9am PT (12pm ET) with a special link to redeem. Each offer is limited in quantity, so set a reminder so you won’t miss out! Libro.fm is also running a 99 cent children’s audiobook sale all the way through August 31st as part of their Summer Fridays program.

A History of the Lambda Literary Awards

The Lambda Literary Awards are the most prominent award in LGBTQ literature, but they have a long history of controversies.

Lisa Taddeo Shares a First Look at the Adaptation of Three Women

Author Lisa Taddeo has shared a first look at Showtime’s television adaptation of Three Women, based on her bestselling nonfiction book. Shailene Woodley stars as the character representing author Lisa Taddeo at the center of the story, with DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It) as Sloane, Betty Gilpin (GLOW) as Lina, and Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin) as Maggie. You can also watch a teaser trailer for the upcoming series here.

Leslie Mann & Tim Robbins Exit The Power Amazon Drama Series

Leslie Mann and Tim Robbins have left Amazon Studios’ global thriller drama series The Power, based on the feminist sci-fi novel by Naomi Alderman. Due to Covid delays and rescheduling issues, Robbins and Mann have had to drop the project, and their scenes will be reshot. Both roles will be recast.

Akwaeke Emezi is Taking a Break from Writing

Yesterday, Akwaeke Emezi, author of The Death of Vivek Oji and most recently You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty, announced on Twitter that they will be taking a break from writing. “I’m taking a break to execute other worlds outside of books, and although I’ll return to books, I’ll be a different beast when I do,” they tweeted. “Thank you all so, so much for reading my work. All these books have always in (sic) service to you and I’m vv proud to give you a literal buffet of worlds to pick from.”

June 2022 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

How is it June already? Here are your horoscopes and book recommendations for June 2022.

Ontario School Board Removes Agatha Christie Book from Curriculum Due to Anti-Semitic References

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) has requested that teachers longer assign Agatha Christie’s mystery novel And Then There Were None due to anti-Semitic references in the text. “The text was first published around 1939 and is no longer relevant or engaging to students,” said a spokesperson for the UCDSB. “The Upper Canada District School Board regularly reviews its curriculum offerings and course materials to ensure we are offering fresh, engaging, timely and relatable materials to students.”

Rachel Zegler to Star in The Hunger Games Prequel Film

Lionsgate’s adaptation of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has some more casting news: Rachel Zegler of West Side Story has been cast as the female lead Lucy Gray Baird. Zegler joins actor Tom Blyth who was recently announced as the young Coriolanus Snow, that role played by Donald Sutherland in the original trilogy. “Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in West Side Story, and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation,” said the film’s director Francis Lawrence. “Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent, and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional, and loving. Rachel will make this character unforgettable.”

Kevin McKidd and Vinette Robinson Cast in ITV Adaptation of Six Four

U.K. broadcaster ITV is adapting Hideo Yokoyama’s Six Four into a four-part crime thriller, and Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd is set to star alongside Boiling Point’s Vinette Robinson. This adaptation moves the story from Japan to Glasgow and follows the O’Neills—police detective Chris and his wife, former undercover officer Michelle—whose teenage daughter goes missing. The cast also includes also includes Richard Coyle, James Cosmo, Alex Ferns, Iona Anderson, Andrew O’Neill, and Nilani Chetty. Author Yokoyama said, “I’m surprised and delighted in equal measure when people have found something universal in my work. That little boy who was so obsessed with the stories of Sherlock Holmes would be excited to hear about this. I offer my heart-felt gratitude to everyone connected with the production who decided to make this series and I can’t wait to see it.” Filming has commenced on location in Scotland.

R.L. Stine is Releasing New Horror for Kids This Summer

R.L. Stine is famous writing horror stories that have been scaring kids and teens for decades. This summer, he is releasing more.

Tulsa Library Book Returned After 46 Years

A library in Owasso, Oklahoma of the Tulsa City-County Library system had a book returned this week — 46 years late. The book, Annie, Annie by Molly Cone was due on September 8th, 1976, and is so old that the book is no longer in print, nor is it in the library’s modern computer system.

In Turkey, Book Publishers Face Agonizing Choices to Survive

Turkey is currently experiencing an economic crisis and rampant inflation, which is causing publishing houses to struggle to release new books as books become costlier to produce and Turkish purchasing power is weakening among readers. According to data from the Statistics Institute of Turkey in February 2022, the annual increase in paper prices was a record 168%. Turkey placed sixth in the global publishing rankings in 2021 and publishers worry that this growing crisis could have severe implications for Turkey’s cultural vibrancy and freedom of speech.

2022 Hugo Awards Voting Open

The 2022 World Science Fiction Convention, Chicon 8, has announced that voting is open for the 2022 Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award for best Young Adult Book, and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Ballots are due August 11, 2022 at 11:59pm PDT.

High School Activist Given PEN Award for Organizing Protests Against “Don’t Say Gay” Bill

A Florida high school activist, Jack Petocz, was presented with the PEN/Berenson award at the annual PEN America Literary Gala for organizing protests — including a statewide student walkout — against the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill.

Quentin Tarantino’s Book Cinema Speculation Out October 25th

Harper announced today that it will be publishing a nonfiction book by Quentin Tarantino on October 25th. The book, entitled Cinema Speculation, will center on The Getaway and other films from the 1970s that influenced Tarantino during his childhood. Harper is calling the book a combination of “film criticism, film theory, a feat of reporting, and wonderful personal history.”

Trailer for Mr. Malcolm’s List Released

If you’re missing Bridgerton, there’s a new regency-era rom-com movie coming out that you’re going to love. Mr. Malcolm’s List, based on the book by Suzanne Allain, is coming out this July—and the trailer has just been released! The story follows Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton). After being jilted by Mr. Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), London’s most eligible bachelor, Julia has her mind on revenge. Julia failed to meet every item on Mr. Malcolm’s incredibly rigorous list of requirements for a bride. Now Julia’s friend Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto) will pretend to be his ideal match. The film is directed by Emma Holly Jones in her feature debut, and Suzanne Allain wrote the script.

Register Today for AAPI Communities in Conversation #6

Register here to join the livestream of the sixth installment in the AAPI Communities in Conversation series, featuring Malaka Gharib, author of I Was Their American Dream. The even will take place on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at 1:00 pm ET. You can find more details about the event and about Malaka Gharib’s work here.

2022 International Booker Prize Winner Announced

Honoring the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, the International Booker Prize has announced its 2022 winner, Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell.