Author: Emily Martin

Join the Booker Prize Book Club Challenge: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 13, 2022

Walmart Live Book Club to Make Debut on TalkShopLive

Walmart Live Book club is making its debut on TalkShopLive. The first title featured will be Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler, with the author appearing on the TalkShopLive platform tonight. “Accessibility is so important for teen readers who don’t have a local bookstore or library that spotlights—or even carries—queer stories. I was one of those kids myself, but I devoured any book I could find on supermarket shelves. I know many kids still do. Imagining young people all over the country discovering a book like Shara through Walmart means the world to me,” McQuiston said of her participation in the launch. Viewers can watch, interact, and buy an autographed copy of the novel here.

The Story Behind the Road-Sign Poems Popping Up Along America’s Highways

In the summer of 2020, an anonymous artist who goes by the name of Roadside Senryu started installing road signs inscribed with poems. What’s the story behind these whimsical and inspiring roadside signs? Danny Freedman is giving you the scoop over at The Outside.

Join the Booker Prize Book Club Challenge

Does your book club think it has what it takes to be Booker Prize judges? Would you a chance to attend this year’s Booker Prize ceremony? Then the Booker Prize wants to hear from you! This year for the first time ever, the Booker Prize is extending the opportunity for six UK book clubs to help rate and review the 2022 Booker Prize shortlist. Members of the winning book club will be invited to attend this year’s Booker Prize winner ceremony in London. Want to apply? Let them know all about your book club by filling in the form on The Reading Agency’s website and submit before August 12, 2022. Good luck!

Book Riot’s Best Books of 2022 (So Far)

We’ve selected the best books of 2022 so far! From nonfiction to romance, horror to historical fantasy, and more.

Book Radar

Frederick Joseph Has Conversations to Help Save the World and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 13, 2022

Book Deals and Reveals

Tordotcom Publishing has got the cover reveal of Lee Mandelo’s upcoming novel Feed Them Silence.

And here’s the cover reveal of Mia Tsai’s Bitter Medicine, releasing on March 14th, 2023.

Another stunning cover reveal: Check out Michelle Barry’s Moongarden, out from Pixel + Ink on November 1st.

Where the Crawdads Sing author Delia Owens is wanted for questioning in murder case.

Frederick Joseph and Porsche Joseph are releasing a book called Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World, featuring interviews with Mehcad Brooks, Nic Stone, Julián Castro, Chelsea Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, Anna Paquin, Keah Brown, and many others. Here is the cover reveal.

Random House has acquired North American rights to Ana Marie Cox’s memoir Just Like Your Mother. In the book, Cox, a columnist for The Cut’s “Sober Questioning,” delves into her struggles with alcoholism and her relationship with her mother.

George R.R. Martin says the next Song of Ice and Fire book should be “quite different” from the series.

HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit a 2D animated adaptation of Iyanu: Child of Wonder, a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Author Kwame Alexander is hosting the new reality TV show America’s Next Great Author, which will feature six finalists who will each attempt to write their book in a month.

Goodreads has announced its list of the top 36 most popular historical fiction books of 2022 (so far), according to users’ interest.

After rising 18.9% in the first half of 2021 over the comparable period in 2020, unit sales of print books have dropped in the first half of 2022, going down 6.6% compared to 2021 levels. Does this mean the book sales boom is finally over?

Book Riot Recommends

I’m a Contributing Editor at Book Riot, I write the Today in Books newsletter, and I’m a Bibliologist for Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendations subscription service. I also have a PhD in English, so I’m basically a doctor of books. Books are my life, in other words, so in this section of the newsletter, let me share with you some upcoming books I’m super excited about. And I think you will be too!

Can’t Wait for This One!

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao (Berkley, January 17, 2023)

It’s hot outside and as I’ve said, all I’m doing all day is packing and cleaning, getting ready for this big cross-country move. So you know what I’m really craving? Fun, fast-paced reads that will make me smile. Books like Kyla Zhao’s The Fraud Squad. And yeah, okay, this book isn’t actually coming out until January next year, but that will be here sooner than we know it (for better and for worse). Also when is it not a good time to read something fun and fast-paced that will make you smile?

The Fraud Squad is the story of Samantha Song, who for as long as she can remember has dreamed of working for a high-society magazine. She’d do pretty much anything to get there. But instead, Sam finds herself working at a drab PR firm, struggling to help her mom try to make ends meet. It seems like the closest Sam will ever get to living her high-society dreams is vicariously through her socialite friend and coworker Anya Chen.

But then Sam meets Timothy Kingston, the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families, and Tim and Anya agree to help Sam make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. And while her friends can help her fraud her way into the most elite social circles, it will be up to Sam to impress the editor-in-chief of Singapore’s most fabulous magazine. Will Sam be able to succeed? And how long can she keep up the act?

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“The dead don’t walk. Except, sometimes, when they do.”

— What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

What I’m Watching this Weekend

It’s adaptations weekend over here in my house, friends. I’m so excited to watch the new Netflix adaptation of Persuasion this weekend. And yes, I’m finally going to start the adaptation of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. Can’t wait.

Come Work for Book Riot

Ever wanted to be cool and work for Book Riot? Now’s your chance! Book Riot is currently hiring an Editorial Operations Associate. If you love getting into the nitty gritty of behind-the-scenes work, this might be the job for you! We’re looking for someone to help us keep our (metaphorical) Content Trains running smoothly! Work with the Ed Ops team to support Editorial and the Book Riot writers! We are committed to building an inclusive workforce and strongly encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. Apply by August 8th, and get all the details here.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

So my husband is already in Seattle, and he’s been asking for tons of cat pictures because he misses them dearly. Meanwhile, I’m over here drowning in cats. Here’s a picture of Cersei I sent Ben earlier today. And yes, she absolutely is getting cat hair all over my office chair. Living her best life. I know no one will possibly enjoy these cat pics as much as Ben does, but I hope you love them all the same! I know I do!

Alright, everyone. Wish me luck. I’m going back to packing now. We will talk again soon! Farewell!

💙 Emily

Today In Books

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 12, 2022

Sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books

Librarian of Congress Names Ada Limón the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate

Earlier today, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced Ada Limón as the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2022-2023. Limón will start the position in the fall, opening the library’s annual literary season on September 29th with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium. “Ada Limón is a poet who connects,” Hayden said during her announcement. “Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.”

Where the Crawdads Sing Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder

Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing, is wanted by Zambian authorities for questioning in the death of a man whose execution-style killing was caught by an ABC News documentary crew in 1996. You can read the full story written by Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, which published in The Atlantic yesterday.

Captain America 4 to be Directed by Julius Onah

Captain America 4, starring Anthony Mackie, has found its director in Nigerian American filmmaker Julius Onah, best known for the 2018 thriller The Cloverfield Paradox. Details about the story of the fourth Captain American film are still unknown, but Malcolm Spellman, the creator and head writer of Winter Soldier, is writing the script with Dalan Musson, a staff writer on the show. No start date for filming has been announced yet.

Kwame Alexander Hosting New Reality TV Show America’s Next Great Author

America’s Next Great Author, hosted by Kwame Alexander, will feature six finalists who will each attempt to write their book in a month.

Today In Books

BRIDGERTON Star Jonathan Bailey Joins FELLOW TRAVELERS Adaptation: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 11, 2022

Sponsored by ThriftBooks and the Top 120 Books of 2022 (so far)

George R. R. Martin Says Next Song of Ice and Fire Book will be “Quite Different” from Game of Thrones

If you’re one of the many Game of Thrones fans who was dissatisfied with the ending of the HBO series, you may be in luck. George R.R. Martin says the next Song of Ice and Fire book should be pretty different from the series. “Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in Game of Thrones you will also see in The Winds of Winter (though maybe not in quite the same ways),” Martin wrote on his website on Friday. “But much of the rest will be quite different.” Although the author didn’t reveal any spoilers, Martin did write that some of the characters who survived the show won’t be so lucky in the novel. Meanwhile, some of the characters who died on screen will live on in the series. Want to know more? You’ll just have to wait to read the book to find out. But we’re still not sure when. “I am working on it, I have been working on it, I will continue to work on it,” Martin wrote. “I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again. I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels. But it’s how I write. Always has been. Always will be. For good or ill.”

Bridgerton Star Jonathan Bailey Joins Fellow Travelers Adaptation

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has joined the cast of Fellow Travelers, a limited series for Showtime in which he will star opposite Matt Bomer and Allison Williams. The series is based on the novel by Thomas Mallon. Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia, Homeland) adapted the novel and executive produces alongside Bomer and Robbie Rogers. Daniel Minahan will executive produce and direct the first two episodes. Fellow Travelers is set to begin production later this month in Toronto.

Iyanu: Child of Wonder Series Greenlit at HBO Max and Cartoon Network

HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit a 2D animated adaptation of Iyanu: Child of Wonder, a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The project is to be financed and overseen by Black-owned animation studio Lion Forge Animation. The series is created by Roye Okupe, who will also write and direct multiple episodes. “When I set out to create Iyanu for a global audience, I wanted to develop a world that combined everything I love about the fantasy genre with the majesty and awe that is ancient West Africa,” said Okupe.

Goodreads Announces the Most Popular Historical Fiction of 2022 (So Far)

Goodreads has announced its list of the top 36 most popular historical fiction books of 2022 (so far), according to users’ interest.

Today In Books

STRANGER THINGS’ Duffer Brothers Creating Live Action Adaptation of DEATH NOTE: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 9, 2022

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Returning for Marvel Series Echo

Actors Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are joining the Marvel series Echo, which is currently filming in Atlanta. Cox and D’Onofrio have played Daredevil and The Kingpin, respectively. They will be reprising their roles in Echo, which stars Hawkeye breakout Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. The series will air on the Disney+ streaming platform, but no release date as been announced yet.

Kindle Version of Paul Tremblay’s Pallbearers Club Pulled from Amazon

Paul Tremblay’s latest novel, The Pallbearers Club, released earlier this week. The novel written as a memoir with annotations from a second character. Unfortunately, Amazon’s Kindle was having trouble formatting this for e-readers, so this version has been pulled from Amazon. Tremblay posted the news on Twitter, writing, “Kindle readers: we’ve pulled the current Pallbearers Club version off Amazon. A new version is being cooked up but might not be available until 7/19. Long boring story as to how/why but on behalf of my publisher we are super sorry and are working hard to fix it.”

Stranger Things‘ Duffer Brothers Making Live Action Adaptation of Death Note

Stranger Things’ creators the Duffer bothers are making a new adaptation of Death Note for Netflix. Details about the upcoming adaptation are sparse, but Netflix announced on Twitter that the new project will be a live action adaptation of the popular anime and manga Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba.

Takahashi Kazuki, Creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dies at 60

Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi has been found dead off the coast of Nago in Okinawa after an apparent snorkeling trip.

Book Radar

Royal Family Scandal, Murder, and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 8, 2022

Book Deals and Reveals

Let’s start with another exciting cover reveal. Here’s the reveal of Kristen R. Lee’s latest, Sun Keep Rising. It’s out from Penguin Random House on January 24, 2023.

An illegitimate American princess, a scandalous British royal family, and murder? It’s Royal Blood by Aimée Carter, and here’s the cover reveal. The book will be out in March.

And here’s the cover reveal of Midnight Strikes, a YA time loop fantasy from Zeba Shahnaz, out on March 14th!

Another YA cover reveal! Here’s the cover for Free Radicals by Lila Riesen, “in which Afghan-American Mafi’s sophomore year gets a whole lot more complicated when she accidentally exposes family secrets, putting her family back in Afghanistan in danger.” This one also has a March release.

Avon Books is publishing a new Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rimes.

After being shut down for more than a week because of a security incident, Macmillan’s warehouse has resumed operations.

Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life and Filthy Animals, has been named acquiring editor for L.A.–based indie publisher Unnamed Press.

ABC is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Beauty and The Beast with a hybrid live-action/animated broadcast special.

After years of development, Peacock has canceled its adaptation of an award-winning fantasy book Jade City by Fonda Lee.

Marvel is debuting a gay Spider-Man, known as Web-Weaver.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean (William Morrow, August 9th)

Add Emiko Jean to the list of exciting YA authors who are taking the jump into adult fiction. You might recognize Emiko Jean as the author of last year’s YA hit Tokyo Ever After, which was also a Reese’s Book Club pick. And you might have known that Tokyo Ever After was getting a sequel in October, entitled Tokyo Dreaming. Yes, I do intend to read Tokyo Dreaming, and I’m looking forward to it. But I’m even more excited to see what Emiko Jean is up to in her adult debut, Mika in Real Life.

Mika Suzuki is 35 and her life is a complete disaster. Her last relationship was a total mess that ended up going up in flames. She might just be living with a hoarder. She’s a constant disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. Oh, and she’s just been fired from her job. But when Mika finds herself at her lowest point, the only place she can go from here is up, right?

That’s when she gets the call. Literally. She gets a phone call from Penny, the daughter Mika put up for adoption sixteen years ago. Penny is looking to forge a relationship with her birth mother, and Mika is desperate to be the kind of woman her daughter can look up to. And so Mika tells a little lie. And then another lie on top of that lie to cover up the first lie. And before Mika knows it, she’s invented an entire made-up life for herself, one in which she’s mature, put-together, is lucky in love, and has a successful career. Mika is desperate to have the life she’s imagined for herself, and she wants Penny in her life. But with all the lies she’s telling and secrets kept hidden, is Mika setting herself up for disaster? (Obviously, yes)

What I’m Reading This Week

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay

Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Monday Memes

Confession: I sometimes love books, and yet I don’t remember anything about them.

Come Work for Book Riot

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

It’s hard to believe we’ve only had Remy for a little over a month. This little guy is making himself right at home. Which is funny because we’re about to move and he’s going to have to get use to a whole new home. Here he is, blissfully ignorant of the 6 hour flight in his near future.

And that’s all that’s on the Book Radar agenda for today, friends. I hope you have a wonderful week. Talk soon!

💙 Emily

Today In Books

Random House Picks Up Rights to Salman Rushdie’s VICTORY CITY: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 8, 2022

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of ORDINARY MONSTERS by J.M. Miro

George Clooney’s Infamous Batman Nipple Suit Goes Up for Auction With $40,000 Opening Bid

George Clooney’s Batman costume from the 1997 Batman & Robin (directed by Joel Schumacher) was ridiculed for its plastic nipples, and now the infamous nipple suit is up for auction with Heritage Auctions. The opening bid is set at $40,000 as part of Heritage’s Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction, taking place July 22-23. “This is easily the most famous – and infamous – Batman costume ever designed,” Heritage Auction’s executive vice president Joe Maddalena said in a statement. “But to his credit, Joel Schumacher never apologized for the ‘Bat-nipples.’ In fact, he once told Vice, ‘I’m still glad we did it.’ And I am just as glad we have the chance now to offer this piece of cinema history to someone who can appreciate the costume as much as Schumacher clearly did.”

Random House Picks Up Rights to Salman Rushdie’s Victory City

Random House publisher Andy Ward has taken the U.S. rights to Salman Rushdie’s latest novel Victory City. The novel will be published in February 2023. According to the publisher, the story is set in 14th-century southern India and follows a magical nine-year-old girl who, in the wake of an unimportant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, is tasked with creating a new empire where women are given just as much power as men.

Crime Novelist Susie Steiner Dies at 51

Acclaimed English detective fiction author Susie Steiner has died at the age of 51. According to a post to her Twitter account on Sunday, the cause of death was a brain tumor diagnosed three years ago. Steiner was best known for her detective novels featuring Manon Bradshaw, including Missing, Presumed and Persons Unknown. Her most recent novel is 2020’s Remain Silent. Steiner’s U.K. publisher, Suzie Dooré, paid tribute to the author in a statement: “Susie was an extraordinary person and a wonderful writer. Personally, I am proud to have also counted her as a friend, and will always remember and cherish her quick wit and brutal honesty, both attributes she was able to pass on to her series character Manon Bradshaw.”

Protect Yourself Now: Book Censorship News July 8, 2022

If you’re in public education or librarianship, here’s why you need to lock down your social media. That and more book censorship news.

Today In Books

BRIDGERTON Prequel to be Published by Avon Books: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 7, 2022

Sponsored by Grove Atlantic, publisher of Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Ashley Thomas to Star Opposite Adrienne Warren in Hulu’s Black Cake

Ashley Thomas has been cast to star opposite Adrienne Warren in the upcoming Hulu series Black Cake. The series is based on the book of the same name by Charmaine Wilkerson. Thomas will play Byron Bennett, “a brilliant ocean scientist, whose formidable work ethic has made him a leader in his field and a popular social media influencer. His professional success comes second only to his relationship with his mother, Eleanor. In the wake of her death, Byron is tasked with carrying out her final wish – a task that forces a reunion with his estranged sister, Benny, and brings to light harrowing secrets, confronting everything Byron thought he knew about himself and his family.” The project comes from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Zetna Fuentes will direct the pilot. Cerar wrote the adaptation and is also the showrunner.

Avon Books to Publish Bridgerton Prequel

Avon Books is publishing a new Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rimes. “MAKE WAY FOR THE QUEEN!” Julia Queen wrote in her Instagram announcement. “[Shonda Rimes] and I are teaming up to write a novel. It’s based on the upcoming Queen Charlotte Bridgerton spin-off and is set to release with the series.”

Podcast Mini-Series Book Exploder Coming in August

A new podcast mini-series called Book Exploder is coming out next month. Musician Hrishikesh Hirway has teamed up with Susan Orlean, journalist and author of The Library Book and On Animals, to create this new podcast mini-series where authors break down their work. The podcast will run on the Song Exploder feed, and the first episode debuts on August 3rd.

How to Contact Your Legislators About Book Bans (and Why It Matters)

We’ve got all the tools you need to research and contact your local lawmakers about book bans and censorship.

Book Radar

A Beautiful Rainbow Book Cover Reveal and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 6, 2022

Book Deals and Reveals

Let’s start by talking about a cover reveal I’m absolutely obsessed with! Here’s the cover reveal for Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett. Can’t wait to see this one in the flesh when it goes on sale on January 10, 2023!

More January books to get excited about! Here’s the cover reveal for Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni, which will be out on the 31st.

I’m also super pumped for this upcoming YA thriller, The Black Queen by Jumata Emill. Check out the cover reveal here. This one’s out from Penguin Random House on January 31st.

And here’s the cover reveal for Harlan Coben’s I Will Find You, which will be out in March 2023.

HBO has canceled the drama series The Time Traveler’s Wife, based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger.

Two-time National Book Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward has just become the youngest-ever winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction.

The season finale of Stranger Things season 4 is here, and Insight Editions is releasing a special pop-up book to celebrate.

The HarperCollins union, which represents over 250 employees in various divisions of the company, has voted to strike.

Publisher’s Weekly has released a list of writers to watch in fall 2022.

It’s Disability Pride Month! Here are the best ways you can celebrate Disability Pride Month in your reading life, from book recommendations to readathons.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant (Balzer + Bray, January 31, 2023)

We just got a cover reveal for this upcoming YA rom com recently, and I’m so excited for it. I’ve already filed it away to read as soon as I snag a copy of it because it just looks so adorable. And if you’re like me and you also love YA romance and Dungeons and Dragons, I think this is going to be a must-read for you as well!

This is a dual POV rom-com about Reggie and Delilah. Delilah is a go-with-the-flow introvert who has trouble sharing her feelings, which is why she’d feel much more comfortable working a merch table rather than being the lead singer. And yet, here she is, a lead singer in her friend’s punk band, because she just can’t say no when her friend needs a favor.

Delilah wishes she could be more like Reggie, who is super open about who he is and what he likes, even if other people wouldn’t think it’s cool. You see, Reggie is a D&D dungeon master, who spends his free time running D&D quests and writing essays about the game. A D&D nerd and a punk rock singer might seem to have nothing in common, but then they run into each other on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. Then on St. Patrick’s Day. And it starts to feel like some outside forces are pulling them together.

Author Elise Bryant is the NAACP Image Award–nominated author of Happily Ever Afters and One True Loves. In other words, this author already has a great track record and I’m sure her latest book will be one of my new favorites as well.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Murder isn’t a job description… It tends to be something you do on the side.”

— The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

What I’m Watching This Weekend

I’ve been catching up on a lot of movies while I pack, so I’ve been watching all the Marvel movies on Disney+ that I missed in theaters. I’m not the biggest Marvel fan, I have to say, so I’m feeling kind of indifferent about most of these movies. Sorry to all my Marvel lovers out there. But I also get major FOMO so I feel like I have to see all the Marvel movies to be a part of the conversation. As a Taika Waititi Stan, I’m super excited about the new Thor movie coming out this weekend, however.

Come Work for Book Riot

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Here’s a moment of realness for you. I am writing this first thing in the morning, and Murray jumped up on my lap and splayed himself over my arms, which made typing a challenge, but we got it done, people!

Anyway, just wanted you to see how clingy this little dude has been lately. I think he knows we’re moving and he’s looking for some reassurance from me. He’s always been a lap cat but even more so lately. Also, I hope you enjoy this shot of my pajamas, my messy hair, and my iced coffee that, yes, I do drink from a wine glass because I’m classy like that.

And on that note, have a wonderful rest of your Thursday, and I’ll talk to you next week.

💙 Emily

Today In Books

Celebrating 30th Anniversary of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST with Broadcast Special: Today in Books

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date July 6, 2022

Sponsored by Harper Perennial, publisher of The Heart of Summer by Felicity Hayes-McCoy.

Brandon Taylor Joins Unnamed Press as Acquiring Editor

Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life and Filthy Animals, has been named acquiring editor for L.A.–based indie publisher Unnamed Press. The new position was created following cofounder Olivia Taylor Smith’s move to Simon & Schuster and is effective starting August 1st. Taylor will be working alongside publisher Chris Heiser and staff to curate approximately eight fiction titles per year.

Five Stand Trial for Sedition in Hong Kong Over Children’s Book About Sheep

Five Hong Kong unionists have pleaded not guilty to publishing “seditious” material in a trial over illustrated children’s books. The case revolves around a series of books published by the now-defunct General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists. Prosecutors claim that the books, featuring cartoon sheep and wolves, include analogies for Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese that are intended to “incite hatred” toward the latter. The five defendants jointly face the charge of “conspiracy to print, publish, distribute, display and/or reproduce seditious publications” under the colonial-era crimes ordinance, with a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

ABC Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Beauty and the Beast with Hybrid Live-Action, Animated Special

ABC is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Beauty and The Beast with a hybrid live-action/animated broadcast special. The two-hour special will feature new, live never-before-seen musical performances and brand-new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. The special will air on ABC on December 15th at 8 p.m. ET and will be available to stream the following day on Disney+.

HarperCollins Union Has Voted to Strike

The HarperCollins employee union is bargaining for salaries that keep pace with inflation and match the cost of living.