Author: Emily Martin

2 Men Targeted A School Librarian and They’re Not Facing Any Consequences

After middle school librarian Amanda Jones spoke out against book censorship at a school board meeting in Livingston Parish, Louisiana this past July, she received death threats and harassing messages. At the meeting, Jones said, “While book challenges are often done with the best intentions, and in the name of age appropriateness, they often target marginalized communities such as BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and people of color] and the LBGTQ community. They also target books on sexual health and reproduction.” By the next day, conservatives started claiming that Jones was trying to provide sexually explicit materials to children. Michael Lunsford, the executive director of right-wing nonprofit Citizens for a New Louisiana, and Ryan Thames, who runs a politically conservative Facebook page called Bayou State of Mind, both spoke out against Jones on Facebook. Their statements claimed that Jones was advocating pornography in libraries and teaching children sexual acts.

In August, Jones filed a lawsuit against Lunsford and Thames, seeking damages and asking a judge to bar them from posting about her on Facebook. But last week, Judge Erika Sledge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Lunsford and Thames were merely stating their opinion. In response to the ruling, Jones said, “I’ve lost all faith in the judicial system. The judge’s ruling has opened the door. People are definitely going to feel more empowered to harass educators online.”

Black Stars Reimagine Iconic Hollywood Movie Moments in New Photo Book

In the new book Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments by Carell Augustus, over 65 black actors are reimagining iconic Hollywood movie moments. With this book, Augustus aims to reinvigorate readers’ appreciation of the past while also asking questions about representation in media. Augustus told Entertainment Weekly, “[Black people] understand the power of seeing someone who looks like you doing something incredible, and being recognized for it. Black Hollywood is not just a book for Black people, it’s a book for all people about Black people. About the dreams we were never told we could achieve. About the places we were never told we could go. And now, finally, about how we can get there.” Black Hollywood hits shelves on October 4th.

Wakanda Forever Trailer Reveals the New Black Panther

Today, Marvel released the full trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the new trailer reveals the new Black Panther who will replace King T’Challa, following the untimely death of Chadwick Boseman. The trailer gives fans their first look at the new Black Panther in their full costume, and it seems to confirm that a woman will be taking up the mantle of the iconic superhero. While the identity of the new Black Panther has not been revealed, many fans speculate that it will be Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister. We’ll know for sure on November 11th, when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finally hits theaters.

October 2022 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

New month, new October horoscopes and book recommendations! Check out titles from Celeste Ng, Veronica Roth, and more.

Hulu Nabs True Crime Drama Under the Bridge

Hulu has given a series order to Under the Bridge, based on Rebecca Godfrey’s 2005 true crime book. The eight-episode drama series will follow the story of the 1997 murder of Canadian teenager Reena Virk. Quinn Shephard, the writer and director of Hulu’s feature film Not Okay, will adapt the book and executive produce. Liz Tigelaar (Little Fires Everywhere) and Samir Mehta (Tell Me Lies) will serve as showrunners, and Geeta Vasant Patel (House of the Dragon, Dead to Me) is set to direct. 

Carmen Maria Machado in New Shudder Documentary Queer for Fear

Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House, announced on Instagram that she is a part of of Shudder’s new documentary series, Queer for Fear. Machado wrote, “I am in the new @shudder documentary QUEER FOR FEAR being a hot fat femme d*ke goth queen wearing my @bethditto blood-drop dress and being a spooky bitch. After I gave this interview I lost my voice for a week.” The four-part documentary series looks at the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the horror and thriller genres. The first episode was released on September 30, 2022.

Alice Braga and Jimmi Simpson Join Joel Edgerton In Apple TV+ Series Dark Matter

Alice Braga (Queen of the South) and Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko) will be joining as leads opposite Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly in Dark Matter, an adaptation of Blake Crouch’s acclaimed sci-fi novel. The nine-episode series will air on Apple TV+, written and showrun by Crouch, and executive produced by Edgerton, Matt Tolmach, and David Manpearl for Matt Tolmach Productions.

10 Book Festivals Announced for 2023

It’s never too early to see what book festivals have been announced for 2023! Here are 10 confirmed general, YA, and children’s book festivals.

Zimbabwean Author Tsitsi Dangarembga Found Guilty of Inciting Violence

Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga was given a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of inciting violence by staging a peaceful protest calling for political reform. The author, along with co-accused Julie Barnes, was convicted of participating in a public gathering with intent to incite public violence. Both of the accused were also each fined 70,000 Zimbabwe dollars. Their six-month jail term was suspended for the next five years under the condition that the two do not commit a similar offense. Dangarembga told reporters outside the court, “We are in a situation where media freedom is not encouraged and those like myself and Julie, my co-accused, who wish to promote freedom of the media, are found to have committed a crime… We do intend to appeal the conviction.”

San Francisco’s Longest Running Literary Book Festival, Litquake, Hopes to Take It to Next Level

Litquake 2022, San Francisco’s longest running literary book festival, is happening from Thursday, October 6th through Saturday, October 22nd. The programming will feature 150 authors participating in 55 events at unique venues across the Bay Area. This year, Litquake is looking to elevate the experience by staging events in grand or unusual places. For instance, check out Exalted Verse, a poetry reading taking place at San Francisco’s “gothic and gorgeous” Grace Cathedral. Tickets for all events are available at litquake.org.

Here’s the Cover Reveal of Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro’s The Sun and the Star

The cover and release date has been revealed for the upcoming Nico di Angelo adventure from Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. The book will tell the story of Will and Nico on a mission to help save Bob the Titan, who sacrificed himself to save Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase in the Heroes of Olympus series. The Sun and the Star will be out in the US and the UK on May 2, 2023.

Who “Parental Rights Groups” Leave Out

Groups like Moms for Liberty claim that they are fighting for parental rights by banning books. But whose rights are they really protecting?

She Is A Haunting is the Atmospheric Horror Debut from Trang Thanh Tran

Tor has shared the cover and an excerpt from Trang Thanh Tran’s atmospheric horror debut She Is a Haunting. In the YA horror novel, a “house with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.” The novel is coming out on February 28th, 2023 in both the US and UK from Bloomsbury YA.

Malala Teams With Don’t Look Up Director Adam McKay for Disorientation Adaptation

Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai is producing a film adaptation of Elaine Hsieh Chou’s acclaimed book Disorientation. Disorientation is a part Malala’s overall programming deal with Apple TV+ through her production banner Extracurricular. Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries is attached to produce. A director is not yet attached to the project.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Focuses on Expansion

After two years of pandemic closures, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is back and looking to expand. Founded in 1935, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is one of the oldest and largest non-profit theaters in the country, and now it’s entering its “recovery season,” according to new artistic director Nataki Garrett. Garrett is looking to the theater’s future, focusing on putting on stage both new works and new approaches to older works. But not everyone is on board with the changes. “My concern is that they have decided to essentially remake the OSF into something it wasn’t,” said Herbert Rothschild, a longtime OSF subscriber and local columnist, told NPR. “If so, I think they’re going to drive it into the ground.”

Great New Queer Horror to Read This Fall

If you’re ready for some scares then these new queer horror novels are for you. Haunted houses, dark secrets, and monstrous creatures abound!

Here’s A First Look At His Dark Materials: Season 3

In its upcoming third season, His Dark Materials, HBO’s TV series adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy series, is about to dig into the third novel in the trilogy The Amber Spyglass. Ahead of the premiere, HBO has released first-look images of the His Dark Materials final season. Images include James McAvoy’s return as Lord Asriel, the series’ take on angels in their physical forms, and more. “Season 3 is wild. It’s 100 percent the weirdest thing I’ve ever shot in my entire life,” said Dafne Keen, who stars as Lyra Belacqua. “We’ve done so many weird locations and just surreal scenes where you’re talking about angels and God and the most random things ever. It was wild to film it and all the set dressing and everything was insane. If the other two [seasons] were already very fantastic, this one was a whole other level of that.” His Dark Materials returns to HBO this December.

Rachel Howzell Hall Announces New Fantasy Novel

Rachel Howzell Hall, the New York Times bestselling author of And Now She’s Gone and These Toxic Things, is trying out a new genre for her upcoming novel: fantasy. In a tweet, the author announced her novel The Last One and shared the book’s cover. “So pretty, don’t you agree?” Howzell Hall wrote. “Feels good to stretch my muscles. Okay, more like build, tear, gird, break… Fantasy is NO JOKE but I’m having fun, learning things, leaning into my experience as a gamer and doing the thing. Can’t wait to share it with you!” The Last One comes out in fall 2023.

Marvel’s Blade Loses Director Bassam Tariq Two Months Ahead of Production

Bassam Tariq has exited his role as director of Marvel Studios’ Blade, just two months ahead of production. The film, which was set to start production in November, will star Mahershala Ali as the iconic vampire slayer Blade. The cast also includes Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre. Sources say that Tariq will remain attached to the project as an executive producer. “It’s been an honor working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film,” Tariq said in a statement. It’s unclear how Tariq’s exit from the project will affect the production timeline. Blade is scheduled for a November 2023 release.

This New App Wants to Help You Find Your Next Read

In July, an app called Tertulia was launched, promising streamlined book discovery. How does it stack up against existing bookish apps?

Tom Hanks Announces “Wildly Ambitious” First Novel

Oscar winner Tom Hanks has announced his first novel, which is set to come out on May 9th, 2023 from Penguin Random House. The novel, entitled The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece, spans 80 years and follows the making of a “colossal, star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film” inspired by a comic book. Quoting from Hamlet, Hanks said of his novel, “I hope the book captures as much of ‘the accidental judgements and casual slaughter’ that go into a motion picture’s dictum to hold ‘a mirror up to nature’ that I have witnessed (and caused) since I joined the Screen Actors Guild.” This is Hank’s second foray into fiction, following his 2017 short story collection Uncommon Type.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige Opens Up About Not Recasting T’Challa for Black Panther 2

In a recent interview, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige opened up about the studio’s decision not to recast T’Challa for the Black Panther sequel, following the death of Chadwick Boseman. In an interview with Empire, Feige explained, “It just felt like it was much too soon to recast. Stan Lee always said that Marvel represents the world outside your window. And we had talked about how, as extraordinary and fantastical as our characters and stories are, there’s a relatable and human element to everything we do. The world is still processing the loss of Chad. And Ryan poured that into the story.” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on November 11th.

Ali Hazelwood Announces First YA Novel

New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood took to Instagram to announce her first young adult novel Check & Mate, a rom com about a young woman who finds herself in a public rivalry with “the reigning bad boy of chess” after she accidentally defeats him. Hazelwood wrote in her Instagram post, “Check & Mate is the book of my heart. This story has been churning in my head since 2018… This book is an upper YA (characters are 18-20) and my very personal love letter to getting rid of the noise, finding what we love, and allowing ourselves to pursue it.” Check & Mate is currently scheduled to be published in November 2023 by Putnam Young Readers.

The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to NYT, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon

The New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon all have their own bestseller lists. Here are the combined results.

Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro’s Upcoming Solangelo Novel Title Revealed

Back in 2021, Rick Riordan announced that he would be co-writing a Solangelo novel with Mark Oshiro. Now we finally have a little bit more information about the upcoming book: a title. “I know many of you have been waiting patiently for news, so I am happy to confirm a small piece of it for you,” Oshiro wrote on Twitter. Oshiro goes on to confirm that the novel will be titled The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure. Oshiro went on to say, “I will tell you more about the title when the time is right. And the best part is that time… well, it is coming up soon.” Fans should expect more news about the upcoming book later this week.

Girls Who Code Founder Speaks Out After School District Bans Her Books

Over the weekend, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani found out that her company’s book series had been placed on a list of banned books in schools. “I was just shocked,” Saujani said. “This is about controlling women and it starts with controlling our girls and what info they have access to.” The Girls Who Code series follows the story of a group of young girls who are part of a coding club at their school. The books were just added to PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans, a comprehensive, nationwide list of restricted literature. Saujani told Insider that the ban “felt very much like a direct attack on the movement we’ve been building to get girls coding…You cannot be what you cannot see. They don’t want girls to learn how to code because that’s a way to be economically secure.” 

Here’s the First Trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin

The first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film Knock at the Cabin has been released. The movie, based on the novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, stars Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as two parents who are taken hostage by four strangers while vacationing at a cabin in the woods with their adopted daughter. Those strangers are played by Dave Bautista, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, and Abby Quinn. Knock at the Cabin will be released only in theaters on February 3, 2023.

12 Short Horror Novels Under 300 Pages

Fall is the time for as reading as many horror novels as possible! Here are 12 short horror novels under 300 pages each, so you can pack as many scary stories as you can onto your October reading list.

Kaitlyn Dever Tries to Steal Romeo Back from Juliet in Hulu’s Rosaline

Hulu has released its trailer for the upcoming rom-com Rosaline, starring Booksmart’s Kaitlyn Dever as Rosaline, Romeo’s “ex.” The movie is based on Rebecca Serle’s 2012 novel When You Were Mine and adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the screenwriters of (500) Days of Summer. Rosaline premieres on Hulu on October 14th.

Disney+ is Casting for Queenie

Candice Carty-Williams’ acclaimed novel Queenie is being adapted into a TV series, and Disney+ currently has an open casting call for the lead role. In the casting call, Alisha Bywaters Casting says they are looking for “NEW talent only to apply, previous experience is unnecessary.” Deadline for applications is October 20th, 2022.

Heartstopper Season 2 is Officially Filming

On Thursday, Netflix confirmed that the filming of Heartstopper season 2 is officially underway. The hit queer teen rom-com series is based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name. Although Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed the storyline for season 2, if the series follows the graphic novels, the cast should be heading on a class trip to Paris. For the second season, Heartstopper has added Nima Taleghani as Mr. Farouk, a science teacher; Jack Barton will play Nick’s brother David; Leila Khan will play Higgs Girls School student Sahar Zahid; and Bradley Riches will play James McEwan, a new character created specifically for the show.

How Will the Overturning of Roe v. Wade Influence Book Trends?

What will the world of books look like now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned?