Riot New Media

Did Twitter Break YA?

In a lengthy retro/perspective on the incredible influence Twitter has had on YA publishing and readers, Nicole Brinkley takes stock of the bargain: increased access across the board. Of readers to authors, of publishing professionals to reader reactions, of readers access to each other: a mind-boggling collapse of distance in all areas. It’s worth a read if you are interested in think about how social media has changed publishing–in the area where it has probably had the greatest impact.

Texas Bookstore Shares Letter from Unmasked Patron

Ryan Holiday, owner of The Painted Porch bookstore in Bastrop County, Texas, shared a letter from a disgruntled patron who had been turned away for not wearing a mask. Holiday, who has two children too young to receive a vaccine, has decided to keep his store’s mask requirement in place, while the broader mask mandate for the county has been lifted.

“Sister” Novel to A Visit from the Goon Squad Coming in 2022

Jennifer Egan has sold a “sister” novel to her smash A Visit from The Goon Squad. The Candy House will be published by Scribner on April 5, 2022.

Authors Say Texas State Museum Canceled Book Event Examining Slavery’s Role In Battle Of The Alamo

The authors of the new book Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth found an event to promote their book abruptly canceled mere hours before the event was scheduled. The event was scheduled to be held at Bullock Texas State History Museum, and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick confirmed that he asked the event be called off, claiming that the book, which examines racism in Texas history, is “fact-free.” One of the authors, Chris Tomlinson, responded by tweeting “Lt. Gov, Dan Patrick takes credit for oppressing free speech and policing thought in Texas. @BullockMuseum proves it is a propaganda outlet. As for his fact-free comment, well, a dozen people professional historians disagree.”

‘Bosch’ Author Michael Connelly Reveals The Book The Spin-Off Is Based On

Michael Connelly is the author of the Harry Bosch detective series, a series of books spanning more than two decades about LAPD detective Harry Bosch. The books are the basis of the Amazon Prime TV series Bosch, which wraps up its seventh and final season this year…but there is more in the works. The author revealed which book is the basis of the upcoming Amazon prime spin-off series in an exclusive interview.

Immigration Doesn’t Just Mean Coming To America. These 4 Books Are Good Reminders.

Author and poet Ocean Vuong, who wrote On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, recommended four great books about the immigration experience to NPR listeners. These books explore more than just coming to America, and get deep into various issues that immigrants face.

Zosia Mamet Signs Two-Book Deal with Viking Penguin

Actress Zosia Mamet (Girls/The Flight Attendant) has signed a two-book deal with Viking Penguin. Mamet’s first book My First Popsicle, which is set to publish in fall 2022, is an anthology exploring foods and the memories and emotions we associate with them, including contributions from Jia Tolentino, David Sedaris, Patti Smith, Rosie Perez, and Patti LuPone. Mamet’s second book is set to publish in Fall 2023 and will be a collection of personal essays reflecting on her relationships, bullying, body issues, and that one time she almost got into a fist fight with Axl Rose.

Winner of Waterstone Prize Says She Never Saw Autistic Girls in Books

Scottish author Elle McNicoll’s debut novel A Kind of Spark has won the Waterstones children’s book prize. The novel, which Waterstones’ booksellers praised as “eye-opening, heart-wrenching, sad, and inspiring,” follows the story of an 11-year-old autistic girl named Addie who is campaigning for a memorial to the witch trials that happened in her Scottish village. But McNicoll hasn’t always had the easiest time in the publishing world. When she first tried to get published, she was told that people didn’t want to read about an autistic heroine. “In job interviews, I was saying that I wanted to see more books with disabled characters in them that were not traumatic, boring or educational, but fun and full of life. A lot of the reactions were, ‘Waterstones don’t like books like that’,” she said in an interview with The Guardian. After winning the Waterstone prize—a unique prize in that its voted on solely by booksellers—McNicoll said, “I will never say “I can’t’ again.”

June Sarpong Launching Imprint with HQ to Publish and Develop Diverse Voices

Author, broadcaster, and diversity advocate June Sarpong is launching a new imprint with HQ that will focus on publishing and developing diverse voices. In its first year, the new imprint, named the HQ Creative Inclusion Lab, will publish four titles. From then on, the imprint will aim to publish six titles across adult fiction and nonfiction annually. The focus will remain on publishing authors with a disability, authors from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds, and authors from working class backgrounds. Sarpong told The Bookseller that she wants the HQ Creative Inclusion Lab to be a “home for untold stories, that’s really what we are, the home for untold diverse stories, there are far too many of them unfortunately.”

A Case Against Assigned Summer Reading

Assigned summer reading is meant to keep students reading and learning over the long break from school. But here’s how it does more harm than good.