Author: Emily Martin

Stephen King Helps Kids Publish Pandemic-Inspired Book

Students participating in Farwell Elementary School’s Author Studies Program in Lewiston, Maine, just got a big helping hand from Maine’s most famous author. Stephen King’s foundation is covering the $6,500 cost of publishing the students’ 290-page manuscript. The book is a reworking of the story Fletcher McKenzie and the Passage to Whole, reflecting the students’ experiences during the pandemic

Amanda Gorman Recites Powerful Original Poem at the Super Bowl

Before the Super Bowl LV started on Sunday, February 7, viewers were treated to something truly special: Amanda Gorman, the country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate, recited a moving original poem. The poem was entitled “Chorus of the Captains,” and if you missed the live performance (or simply want to see it again), you can watch it here.

Get a First Look at the New HBO Max TV Show MADE FOR LOVE

HBO Max has a new series premiering this spring based on the Alissa Nutting novel Made for Love. And now you can get an exclusive first look at the show. Made for Love, the TV show, stars Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs) in a story the actress describes as a “sci-fi, dark comedy, family, emotional survivor story.”

Academic Libraries Aren’t Just for Writing Papers

Looking to make the most of the academic library in your life? Academic libraries aren’t just for writing papers. Find out just how useful these libraries can be for everyday delights and curiosities.

After Nearly A Decade, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jhumpa Lahiri Announces New Book

It’s been nearly a decade since her last novel, The Lowland, but Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has finally announced her next book. The new novel is called Whereabouts, and will be published under the Hamish Hamilton imprint of Penguin Random House in April 2021.

The Where the Crawdads Sing Movie Has Cast Its Male Leads

Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine is adapting the bestselling novel Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens into a film. And we now know who will play the two male leads. While Hello Sunshine had already announced that Daisy Edgar-Jones would star as Kya, we now have two more names to add to the list. Taylor John Smith will play Tate Walker, and Harris Dickson will take on the role of Chase Andrews. Where the Crawdads Sing is currently still in pre-production.

Organization Against Gun Violence Launches “Moms Demand Action Book Club”

Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization against gun violence, has launched a new book club. It’s called the Moms Demand Action Book Club, and they will discuss nonfiction books recommended by Everytown’s Authors Council. Each quarter, members can read any or all of the 10 books with a common theme listed on the Everytown website. Towards the end of the quarter, there will be a virtual discussion about that quarter’s theme. The book club’s first virtual discussion will take place on February 28.

Obama Presidential Center and Library Breaking Ground This Year

The wait is finally over. The Barack Obama Presidential Center and Library in Jackson Park, Chicago, will start pre-construction work in April 2021.

Salma Hayek Lets Breasts Do the Talking in Her New Comedy Series

Salma Hayek is producing an upcoming HBO Max Comedy series that asks an important question: “If your breasts could talk, what would they say to you?” The TV show A Boob’s Life is based on author Leslie Lehr’s upcoming memoir A Boob’s Life: How America’s Obsession Shaped Me…and You. The memoir’s expected release date in March 2. No announcement has been made for when the show will air or who will play Leslie in the series.

Michelle Obama Releasing A New Edition of Becoming for Young Readers

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is releasing a young reader version of her bestselling memoir Becoming. This new edition is adapted for children ages 10 and up, and it will include a new introduction from Obama as well as three full-color photo inserts. The paperback edition of Becoming and the new young reader version will both release on March 2.

Finalists for 2021 Evergreen Award Announced

The Ontario Library Association has announced the 10 finalists for the 2021 Evergreen Award. Desmond Cole, Thomas King, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia all have books that have been included on the list of finalists. Cole is nominated for his book The Skin We’re In, King is nominated for Indians on Vacation, and Moreno-Garcia is a finalist for her novel Mexican Gothic. The finalists were chosen by a committee of library professionals, and Canadian readers can vote for the winner in September.

United States Artists Announces the 2021 Class of Fellows

The United States Artists have announced their 2021 class of fellows, and it’s the largest class in the history of the organization.

Hunter Biden’s Memoir BEAUTIFUL THINGS is Out in April

Hunter Biden, the oldest surviving child of President Joe Biden, has announced that his memoir Beautiful Things will be published in April. The book will focus on the younger Biden’s struggle with addiction. Already, the memoir has received advance praise from authors such as Stephen King, Dave Eggers, and Anne Lamott.

LeVar Burton Named Inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion

On May 10, 2021, actor LeVar Burton will be honored as the inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. PEN/Faulkner executive director Gwydion Suilebhan said of the award-winning actor and Reading Rainbow host, “For decades, LeVar Burton has inspired readers all over the world. He has brought stories to life in a magical and meaningful way for generations of book-lovers, and his work has made a lasting, positive impact in literature.”

Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club “Hello Sunshine” Now Has An App

Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine is a book club that’s been primarily Instagram-based. Until now. The new Hello Sunshine mobile app is now available to download for free. The app aims to connect with more readers, make buying and tracking book club books easier, and eventually, offer exclusive merchandise.

STAMPED Facing Removal From Texas School Reading List

A parent at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas is taking action to have Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You removed from the school’s reading list. Read more about this developing case here.

Netflix Releases the Trailer for Amy Poehler’s Adaptation of MOXIE

On March 3, Netflix will release its adaptation of the 2015 novel Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. If you’re a fan of the novel and want a sneak peak right now, you can watch the trailer here! The film is directed by and stars Amy Poehler. Poehler plays a former ‘90s Riot Grrrl whose teen daughter Vivian (played by Hadley Robinson) is fed up with the way girls are treated at her school. So she creates a “Moxie,” an anonymous zine that draws attention to gender politics and the sexual harassment happening at her school.

Former President Barack Obama Makes A Special Book Club Appearance

A local Washington D.C. book club got a special surprise when Former President Barack Obama showed up to their Zoom meeting. The book club, hosted by MahoganyBooks and Very Smart Brothas Book Club, was meeting to discuss Obama’s recent memoir A Promised Land, and they were expecting a member of the Obama administration to speak with them. What they got instead was a huge shock to everyone in attendance.

George RR Martin Finally Gives Us An Update on THE WINDS OF WINTER

It’s been nearly a decade since A Dance with Dragons, the fifth book in the song of Ice and Fire Series, was published. Fans have been clamoring for news about the next book in the series, The Winds of Winter. Well, finally, author George R.R. Martin has an update on his blog. Apparently, he’s gotten a lot of it written over the past year, but he refuses to make any predictions about when the book will be finished. He explained, “I need to keep rolling, though. I still have hundreds of more pages to write to bring the novel to a satisfactory conclusion.”

The Free Black Women’s Library Celebrating Black Women and Nonbinary Writers

The Free Black Women’s Library is a Brooklyn-based social art project, interactive installation and book collection celebrating and amplifying Black women and nonbinary writers. Find out more about it here.

Wakanda Disney+ Series in Development with Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler

Fans of Black Panther have something new to get excited about. The world of Wakanda is coming to the small screen. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has signed a five-year contract with Disney+ to develop a TV show under his Proximity Media banner. The show is being described as “a drama based in the Kingdom of Wakanda for Disney+.” 

Dante Alighieri’s Descendant Seeks to Clear the Poet’s Name

More than 700 years after Divine Comedy poet Dante Alighieri was accused of corruption and condemned to perpetual exile, his descendant is hoping to reverse the sentence. Dante’s descendent Sperello di Serego Alighieri is an astrophysicist working with law professor Alessandro Traversi on the case. The formal process to clear Dante’s name begins in May, and Antoine de Gabrielli, a descendant of the official who convicted Dante, will take part in the proceedings as well.

The Conscious Kid Partners with Pottery Barn to Create BIPOC Book Bundles for Kids

The Conscious Kid has partnered with Pottery Barn to curate book bundles for kids centered around BIPOC authors. The Conscious Kid is an organization dedicated to “equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth.” Right now on the Pottery Barn website, you can purchase a board book bundle, a picture book bundle, or you can make a donation. All donation proceeds go towards getting children’s books from TCK’s list of Antiracist Children’s Books into classrooms.

Readers Fell In Love With These Top Romance Books On Amazon

Check out the top romance books on Amazon, featuring 20 titles and ten of the most highlighted passages.

Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain Kick Off Black History Month with a Talk at the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian African American History and Culture Museum will be hosting an online event on Tuesday, February 2, at 7pm Eastern to kick off Black History Month. The event is a talk with Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, editors of the new anthology Four Hundred Souls, which explores African American History from 1619 – 2019. In this moderated talk, Kendi and Bain will discuss the historic eras of Slavery, Reconstruction, Segregation, and their continued impact on the United States.

New Book Gifting Project Aims to Donate Books by Black Authors

In Lafayatte Parish, LA, a group of community advocates is working to get books by Black authors in the hands of Black students K-8th grade. They are hoping to get 50 books donated to students in the area within the next two weeks. Bridget Ryan, one of the organizers, explained, “I wanted this to be a start but also come back again and continue to get books for them to complete a full library at home.” The New Book Gifting Project invites anyone who wants to donate to e-mail them directly.

Laura Jean McKay Wins Australia’s Victorian Literature Prize for The Animals in That Country

First-time novelist Laura Jean McKay has won Australia’s richest literary prize for her novel The Animals in That Country. The novel’s apocalyptic storyline focuses on an epidemic called the “zooflu,” which enables those infected with it to communicate with animals.

What’s The “Other Side?”: A Clash Over Voting Rights History in Louisiana Library

Lafayette Parish Library board declines grant money for voting rights program, citing the books present only “one side” of that history.