Category: Today In Books

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Today In Books

Elliot Page Releases First Chapter of PAGEBOY: Today in Books

Elizabeth Olsen Advises Actors to Initially Only Take on One Marvel Project

During a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen shared some advice for actors looking to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor advised only signing up for one Marvel Project at first, rather than signing up for multiple at the start. “That way you have more control,” Olsen explained. “Let’s say you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this was the most fun I’ve ever had and I love this character so much. I want to do it again.’ You now have more creative controls for the next one.” Olsen has starred as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in several MCU projects, including two Captain America films, three Avengers movies, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the Disney+ series WandaVision, for which she earned an Emmy nomination.

Elliot Page Releases First Chapter of Pageboy

Elliot Page’s highly-anticipated memoir Pageboy will be released on June 6. But ahead of its release, the actor is sharing the first chapter of the book exclusively with PEOPLE. “I didn’t think I could write a book,” Page told PEOPLE. “Books, particularly memoirs, have really shifted my life, offered me inspiration, comfort, been humbling, all of those things. And I think this period of not just hate, of course, but misinformation or just blatant lies about LGTBQ+ lives, about our healthcare, it felt like the right time. Trans and queer stories are so often picked apart, or worse, universalized. So the first chapter of Pageboy…I just sat down, and it came out and I just didn’t stop. I just kept writing.” Page will also be touring to promote the book, starting on June 6 in New York.

There Are More Bookstores in the U.S. This Year Than Last Year

Good news for book lovers in the U.S.: the American Booksellers Association announced that membership is at its highest level in 20 years. According to Hillel Italie at the Associated Press: “The ABA added 173 members last year, and now has 2,185 bookstore businesses and 2,599 locations. Three years after the pandemic shut down most of the physical bookstores in the U.S. and the independent community feared hundreds might close permanently, the ABA has nearly 300 more members (under stricter rules for membership) than it did in 2019, the last full year before the spread of COVID-19.” In interviews with new bookstore owners, Italie found that stores are opening not for the profits, but just for the general love of books and a desire to do something good for the community.

14 Grumpy/Sunshine Books to Make Your Day

Find some of the most delightful Grumpy/Sunshine romance books to fill your heart with swoons.

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Haruki Murakami Wins Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award: Today in Books

Travis Alabanza and Danielle Jawando Win 2023 Jhalak Prizes for Writers of Color

Travis Alabanza and Danielle Jawando have taken home this year’s Jhalak Prizes for Writers of Color. Alabanza’s None of the Above, a “vulnerable and urgent” memoir exploring genderqueer identities, has won the 2023 Jhalak prize. Meanwhile, Jawando’s coming-of-age novel When Our Worlds Collided has taken the Jhalak children’s and young adult award. The authors were both awarded £1,000 and a specially created work of art as part of the ongoing Jhalak art residency.

Darcy Coates Reveals Cover of Upcoming YA Horror Where He Can’t Find You

On Twitter, author Darcy Coates has shared the cover of her upcoming YA horror novel Where He Can’t Find You. Coates describes the plot of the novel: “A small town hides a horrifying secret. You’ll need to be fast and careful if you want to escape the Stitcher.” Where He Can’t Find You will publish on November 7 from Sourcebooks Fire. You can find links for where to preorder (and more info about the book) on Darcy Coates’ website.

Haruki Murakami Wins Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Literature

Bestselling Japanese author Haruki Murakami has won the Princess of Asturias Award for literature, an award given by the Spanish royal foundation to significant works from anywhere in the world. The panel commended Murakami’s works for thoughtfully exploring modern themes, including “loneliness, existential uncertainty, dehumanization in big cities, and terrorism.” There will be a ceremony to celebrate the prize winners in Ovieda in October.

Sweet Talk: 8 Delightfully Fluffy Romances

Cue the feels, the awws, and the swoons. These are the best fluffy romances for your next happily cozy read.

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Florida Mother Behind Amanda Gorman Ban Has Links to Proud Boys: Today in Books

Hasan Minhaj Joins Cast of It Ends With Us

Hasan Minhaj has joined the cast of It Ends With Us. The actor/comedian will play Marshall opposite Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in Wayfarer Studios and Sony Pictures’ film adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel. Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar have also joined the cast. Baldoni is also directing the project.

Florida Mother Behind Amanda Gorman Ban Has Proud Boy Links

Daily Salinas, the parent behind the banning of Amanda Gorman’s poem at a Florida school, appears to have attended Proud Boys rallies and has previously posted antisemitic memes online. Salinas can be seen at several Proud Boys events in screenshots tweeted by the group Miami Against Fascism. In one photo, Salinas can be seen standing next to Enrique Tarrio, the group’s neo-fascist leader who was found guilty of seditious conspiracy last month. Miami Against Fascism also posted pictures of Salinas’ involvement with the controversial Christian nationalist organization County Citizens Defending Freedom USA. Salinas claims that she is not a member of these organizations but was in attendance at protests when they were present. Salinas also admitted she had not read the works she requested the school district to ban: “I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person. I’m a mom involved in my children’s education.”

Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith Reveal Book Cover for The Invisible Ache

Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith are sharing the cover of their new book The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power. In the book, Vance, the Tony and Emmy-Award winning actor, and Dr. Smith, bestselling author and former “Therapist-in-Residence” on The Oprah Winfrey Show, seek to advocate for their community’s mental health and well-being. Namely, they want to “change the discourse around mental health for Black men.” Vance and Dr. Smith first connected after Vance lost his son to suicide in 2020. Together, the two are now sharing his story in a book that is part memoir, part psychology, and part self-help book. The Invisible Ache will publish on November 7.

The Best Road Trip Nonfiction to Get You in the Mood for Summer

It’s road trip season! These thought-provoking road trip nonfiction books are about hitting the road to search for something larger.

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Winnie-the-Pooh is Teaching Texas Kids to Run, Hide, Fight in a Shooting: Today in Books

Marvel Delays Thunderbolts Season Amid Writers Strike

The ongoing writers strike will mean delays for Marvel’s production of Thunderbolts, which is set to star Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh. The film was aiming to start shooting next month in Atlanta. Now the hope is to begin production after the strike. Beef creator Lee Sung Jin was the most recent writer on the film. Jake Schreier will direct the project. Also joining the cast are David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ayo Edebiri, and Steven Yeun.

Winnie-the-Pooh is Teaching Texas Kids to “Run, Hide, Fight” in a Shooting

Texas schoolchildren are being given Winnie-the-Pooh cartoon books that teaches them to “run, hide, fight” if a shooting happens at their school. The Stay Safe book, produced by a law enforcement consulting firm in Houston, has been sent home with children as young as 4 years old. Parents and teachers were not consulted before the book was distributed, and now they’re raising concern. “I found it extremely disturbing, and was very uncomfortable with the whole contents of the book,” one Dallas teacher, who requested to remain anonymous, said. Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, tweeted, “Winnie the Pooh is now teaching Texas kids about active shooters because the elected officials do not have the courage to keep our kids safe and pass common sense gun safety laws.”

Midtown Scholar Named Publishers Weekly‘s Bookstore of the Year

Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg, PA, has been named Publishers Weekly‘s Bookstore of the Year. The winner was announced at the U.S. Book Show on May 22. In addition to Midtown Scholar, the 2023 nominees included Edmonds Bookshop (Edmonds, WA), Harvey’s Tales (Geneva, IL), Interabang Books (Dallas, TX), and Main Street Books (Lafayette, IN). Midtown Scholar co-owners Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse accepted the award from PW editorial director Jim Milliot. “We are so honored,” said Lawrence. “We’d like especially to thank our customers for being supportive of us through the difficult times of Covid and into the future. We are looking forward to what comes next.”

The Bestselling Horror Books of All Time

Love all things scary? You’ll want to make sure you’ve read the bestselling horror of all time.

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Amanda Gorman Gutted After Florida School Bans Biden Inauguration Poem: Today in Books

Daniel Dae Kim’s Spy Drama Butterfly Lands Series Order at Amazon

Amazon has given a series order to the scripted drama series Butterfly, based on the Boom Studios graphic novel of the same name. Daniel Dae Kim is set to star and executive produce the project. The six-episode series tells the story of David Jung, a former U.S. intelligence operative who lives in South Korea. After decisions from his past come back to haunt him, his quiet life is completely upended and he finds himself pursued by a deadly, sociopathic young agent named Rebecca, who has been assigned to kill him. Right now, it’s unclear when work on Butterfly will continue was the Writer’s Guild of America is currently on strike.

Amanda Gorman “Gutted” After Florida School Bans Biden Inauguration Poem

Poet Amanda Gorman has vowed to defeat book bans in Florida after her poem “The Hill We Climb” was banned in an educational institution in Miami-Dade county. Gorman read the poem at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. The poet says she was “gutted” to learn that a complaint from a single parent led to the poem being banned. The parent, who mistakenly listed Oprah Winfrey as the author of the poem, argued that the poem was “not educational and have indirectly hate messages.” In a post on Twitter, Gorman responded, “So they ban my book from young readers, confuse me with Oprah, fail to specify what parts of my poetry they object to, refuse to read any reviews, and offer no alternatives … Unnecessary book bans like these are on the rise, and we must fight back.”

Here’s the Cover for Marie-Helene Bertino’s New Novel Beautyland

Literary Hub has revealed the cover of Marie-Helene Bertino’s upcoming novel Beautyland, which will be published by Farrar Straus & Giroux in January 2024. The cover was designed by Thomas Colligan. Bertino writes of the cover, “Thomas Colligan made this unified burst of color that manages to hold the single life and the epic. The everythingness evoked by a solo star. If I saw this book on someone’s coffee table I’d say, WHAT is that? If it was someone else’s cover, I’d covet it.” The book is available for preorder now and will be available on January 16.

15 Excellent 2023 Short Story Collections by Asian Authors

These new short story collections from Asian and Asian diaspora voices are insightful, deeply strange, intense, and profound.

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TikTok is Launching its Own Book Awards: Today in Books

Japanese Breakfast Announces Open Casting Call for the Lead in Crying in H Mart Adaptation

Japanese Breakfast posted on Twitter the details for an open casting call for Crying in H Mart. The casting call for the film’s lead asks for an “18-25 year old Korean American to play the role of Michelle [Zauner] in the film adaptation of the #1 NYTimes Bestseller Crying in H Mart.” To respond to the casting call, send a creative video introduction to hmartopencallcasting@gmail.com.

Meet the Rebellious Queer Witches of Brooms in the Graphic Novel Preview

The upcoming graphic novel Brooms — written by Jasmine Walls and illustrated by Teo DuVall, with colors by Bex Glendining and letters by Ariana Maher — won’t be out until October. But io9 is sharing a special preview. The graphic novel tells the story of queer, broom-racing witches in 1930s Mississippi. “Brooms is our way of exploring what a world with magic might be like in the context of history, especially in the American South,” writer Walls said in a statement. “These six young witches aren’t about to let anyone tell them what they can or can’t do, if that means learning magic in secret and sneaking out in the night to participate in illegal broom racing, then so be it. They can’t dodge trouble forever though, and sooner or later spells, curses, or the law are bound to catch up.” Brooms will be out on October 10.

TikTok is Launching its Own Book Awards

TikTok, the app that’s home to the very influential BookTok community, is officially launching the TikTok Book Awards: a first-of-its-kind celebration of the BookTok community, specifically in the UK and Ireland. The 2023 awards will celebrate authors, books, and creators across nine categories, including “Creator of the Year,” and “Best BookTok Revival,” and “Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time.” The BookTok community can participate by using the hashtag #TikTokBookAwards to submit their nominations. The long-list will then go to the judge panel of experts, including author Candice Brathwaite, creators Coco (@cultofbooks) and Ben (@bcemercer), and Trâm-Anh Doan, the head of social media at Bloomsbury Publishing. In July, the TikTok community in the UK and Ireland will be able to vote on the finalists.

An Honor to be Nominated: A Guide to Major Book Awards

In this guide to major book awards, historical background is given, as well as categories, processes, and timelines.

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Halle Bailey and Fantasia Barrino Star in First Trailer for THE COLOR PURPLE: Today in Books

Caffè Nero Launches Major Book Awards

A year after rival coffee company Costa scrapped its popular book awards, Caffè Nero has announced its new suite of writing awards. The Nero Awards will choose winners in children’s books, debut fiction, fiction, and nonfiction. There will be no poetry award in Nero’s inaugural year. The awards are open to authors based in the UK and Ireland, and each award will carry a prize of £5,000. The four category winners will then compete for an overall award, titled the Nero Gold prize, which is worth £30,000.

Halle Bailey and Fantasia Barrino Star in First Trailer for The Color Purple

The first trailer for the musical film The Color Purple has finally dropped! The movie, based on the novel of the same name by Alice Walker, stars American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino in her major motion picture debut. Also starring in the film are Halle Bailey, Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R, Colman Domingo, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Corey Hawkins, and Danielle Brooks. The Color Purple is out in theaters on Christmas Day.

Overdue Book Returned Almost 100 Years Late to California Library

Better late than never? An overdue book was just returned to a Northern California library almost 100 years late. “It’s falling apart so it doesn’t have a spine anymore,” said Chris Kreiden, the director of the Saint Helena library…All of us are just, you know, wondering where the book could have been for so long, you know, from being checked out in 1927.” Published in 1892, this late library book was actually one of the first books available back when the library was a subscription service. A mystery man returned the book, A History of the United States by Benson Lossing, to the library last week.

Go Under the Sea with the Best Mermaids in Literature

If you love mermaids of all kinds — the beautiful and the tragic and the grotesque — here are some of the best mermaids from books.

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Author and YouTuber Hank Green Reveals Cancer Diagnosis: Today in Books

Jane Lynch, Roxane Gay, Carrie Brownstein to Star in Dykes to Watch Out For Audiobook

Jane Lynch, Robert Colindrez, Carrie Brownstein, Roxane Gay, and Jenn Collela will offer their voice work in Audible’s Dykes to Watch Out For, an adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s comic series. Of Audible’s production of her work, Bechdel says, “I am blown away…It’s such a great gift to hear the characters and their world come to life on audio, talking and kvetching and playing softball and going to marches.” Audible’s Dykes to Watch Out For was directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman and adapted by Pulitzer-Prize finalist and Only Murders in the Building writer Madeleine George. George described Bechdel’s story as “Charles Dickens meets Audre Lorde.” Dykes to Watch Out For will be available to stream exclusively on Audible beginning June 1, just in time for Pride Month.

Megan Abbott’s Beware the Woman Soon to be a Motion Picture

Best-selling author Megan Abbott’s latest novel is being adapted for the big screen. The story is pitched as Rebecca meets Rosemary’s Baby and is set in the remote woods of the Upper Peninsula. In a tweet, Megan Abbott wrote, “I’m so excited about this. Plus: when (& only when) the WGA strike ends and we get our fair contract, I’ll be writing the script.” Abbott’s novel Beware the Woman is coming out on May 30.

Author and YouTuber Hank Green Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Popular YouTuber and author Hank Green announced Friday that he has been diagnosed with cancer. In a video posted on YouTube, Green said he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will soon be starting chemotherapy treatment. Green assured fans that this is one of the “most treatable” types of cancers and that his treatment should last about four months. “The goal is cure. The procedure to get there is fairly well known if unpleasant,” he said in the video. VidCon also announced that with his cancer diagnosis, Hank Green will miss this year’s convention. VidCon tweeted, “To our Co-Founder, go-to science guy, and only person on the internet who seems to understand where all the candle wax goes: we’re sending all the love from the VidCon community & beyond.”

8 New Magical Realism and Fabulism Books

You’ve read the classics. Now it’s time to dig into new magical realism books that have hit the shelf in recent years.

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Author Protests Banning of Her Book on Surviving Sexual Assault: Today in Books

Daredevil #1 Announced with Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder to Create It

Marvel’s weekly podcast has announced that Daredevil will relaunch with Daredevil #1 on September 13. Taking over for writer Chip Zdarsky is Saladin Ahmed, the beloved Miles Morales and Ms. Marvel writer. The relaunch will include covers by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz. On writing the new book, Ahmed says, “I wanted to only take this job on if I felt like I had a new, unique take on Matt and on Hell’s Kitchen…What I’ve really enjoyed in talking with other editors, other offices, is finding ways through these first couple of arcs we have planned to keep this centered on Matt, keep this centered on his people, in his world, but to bring (in a very organic and surprising fun way) some familiar Marvel figures that I think are going to blow people’s mind when they pop up on the page!” Check out the full press release and some of the new Daredevil covers at the Workprint.

Author Protests Banning of Her Book on Surviving Sexual Assault

Acclaimed author Laure Halse Anderson is speaking out against the recent banning of her novel Speak from schools. Anderson recently spoke at a Florida school board meeting, arguing that literature is an essential tool for victims of sexual assault. Anderson cited a recent study that reported 14% of high school aged girls and 4% of high school aged boys have been forced to have sex. Anderson noted that not reading the book and not talking about sexual violence “puts it underneath a lid.”

Join the Kickstarter to Support Queer Haven Books

Want to see South Carolina’s first and only independent queer bookstore open its doors? Then support Queen Haven Books on Kickstarter! The bookstore aims to sell books of all genres and for all ages that are written by or for queer people, including books with queer main characters. Queer Haven Books’s mission is to provide “a place of safety and refuge” for the queer community: a place where you can sit down, relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, read a queer book, and be a part of the community. The store hopes to open by the end of 2023. Their Kickstarter campaign ends on June 8, 2023. 

10 of the Best Cozy Manga that Feel Like Warm Hugs

For quiet days under the sun, check out 10 of the best cozy manga that will provide warmth and tenderness in your life.

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Chiwetel Ejiofor to Star Opposite Tom Hardy in VENOM 3: Today in Books

Thora Birch to Direct Adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 2004 Crime Novel Mr. Paradise

Actress Thora Birch will be making her feature directorial debut on an adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 2004 crime novel Mr. Paradise. The story centers around Kelly, an aspiring model who witnesses a murder. “I grew up loving so many blockbuster adaptations of Leonard’s work such as Get Shorty and Jackie Brown,” said Birch. “Mr. Paradise provides an ideal new lens to view Leonard through the eyes of our intriguing female protagonist as she navigates between the Detroit underworld and a persistent police investigator. The true heart of the film is the search for an escape from the quiet desperation and decay of Rust Belt Detroit, and the hope that new love can provide that escape.”

Chiwetel Ejiofor to Star Opposite Tom Hardy in Venom 3

Chiwetel Ejiofor will be joining the cast of Venom 3, starring Tom Hardy. Details about Ejiofor’s character are still being kept under wraps, but Hardy will return as the titular character and serve as producer. Kelly Marcel is attached to direct, and Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, and Hutch Parker are also producing.

Expert Argues Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit Originated in African Folktales

In a new essay for The Conversation, Dr. Emily Zobel Marshall argues that the quintessentially British Peter Rabbit series by Beatrix Potter might not be as British as we thought. Dr. Zobel Marshall calls for a wider acknowledgement of the debt Potter owes to the Brer Rabbit stories told by enslaved Africans working on American plantations. She says, “I was amazed to realise how little comment there has been over the years about the many similarities between Potter’s tales and the Africa-originated Brer Rabbit folktales.” Dr. Zobel Marshall is also the author of the book American Trickster: Trauma, Tradition and Brer Rabbit.

Why Are More and More Brands Creating Virtual Book Clubs?

These brands pivoting toward bookish territory definitely sparks some intrigue, and so it raises the question: why is this happening?