Author: Jamie Canaves

Prime Minister’s Literary Award Winner

Tara June Winch, an Aboriginal Australian writer based in France, has won the fiction prize at the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for her novel, The Yield. The story about a young woman who returns home after her grandfather’s death where she learns he was writing a dictionary of Wiradjuri language is no stranger to awards this year, having taken home three large previous prizes.

Real Life To Be Adapted Starring Kid Cudi

Brandon Taylor’s Real Life, a partly autobiographical novel about a gay Black man in a predominantly white PhD program, is being adapted. Kid Cudi is set to produce and star in the feature adaptation.

A True Blood Reboot

Vampire lovers unite: it is being reported that HBO is developing a reboot of True Blood, the 2008 series starring Anna Paquin based on Charlaine Harris‘ books. Currently attached to the project is Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale creator), Jami O’Brien (AMC’s NOS4A2 creator), and Alan Ball (2008 True Blood creator).

Saddle Up and Read Improves Kids’ Literacy One Farm Trip at a Time

A conversation with Caitlin Gooch of Saddle Up and Read, a non-profit organization using equine activities to promote children’s literacy.

Writers Against Trump Virtual Panel For Georgia Senate Runoff

If you’re looking for something bookish to do on Saturday the 12th at 12 p.m. EST, Avid Bookshop and Books & Books are co-sponsoring a virtual panel: Writers Against Trump: The Georgia Senate Runoff. It will be moderated by Carolyn Forché, and you’ll get to hear from Jericho Brown, Anjali Enjeti, Tayari Jones, and Laurel Snyder as they help support Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff’s run-off elections on January 5th in Georgia.

Hillary Clinton’s Podcast Goes Full Bookish

Hillary Clinton has a podcast, You and Me Both With Hillary Clinton, and the latest episode went full bookish. She sat down to chat books with author Louise Penny who writes the very popular mystery series Chief Inspector Armand Gamache; founder of Fair Fight and Fair Count Stacey Abrams who, along with her nonfiction titles, also wrote romantic suspense novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery; and Marley Dias who founded #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, produced and hosts Netflix’s Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, and wrote Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!

Fantasy Historical Novella Ring Shout Will Be A TV Series

The award winning novella Ring Shout by P. Djéli Clark, a dark fantasy historical, has been acquired by Skydance Television (in a competitive situation!) to be adapted into a TV series. And we already have a lead attached: KiKi Layne (from the If Beale Street Could Talk adaptation). And the writer, director, and showrunner will be Kasi Lemmons (Harriet).

The Most Popular Under-The-Radar Books in U.S. Libraries: July–September 2020

Take a peek at the most popular under-the-radar books in public libraries across the United States for the 2020 third quarter.

2020’s Bad Sex In Fiction Award Cancelled

The Literary Review’s 2020 Bad Sex In Fiction award has been cancelled because the judges say 2020 has put us through enough bad things. The award, which brings focus to poorly written sex scenes in otherwise well written novels, would more than likely have brought a well needed laugh. You can check out past winners and cringe at the quotes.

Ava DuVernay Adapting DC Comic Into CW Series

DC’s Naomi, starring the teen daughter of a superhero from a parallel world, is being adapted by Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship (Arrow writer and co-producer) into a CW series. Naomi, which debuted last year, is by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walked, and Jamal Campbell.

Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets Adaptation Trailer

The YA novel Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos has been adapted into a film, releasing on VOD at the beginning of 2021, and we now have a trailer. Starring Taylor Russell, Jason Isaacs, Tom Wilkinson, and David Arquette the film follows a high school boy with anxiety and depression whose sister has been kicked out of the house. He sets out with his crush to find his sister, taking his Walt Whitman love and belief in the good in humans with him.

Introducing the 2021 Reading Log

Get ready to make 2021 your most literary year yet with the official 2021 Book Riot reading log!

Roald Dahl’s Family Apologizes Decades Later For His Anti-Semitism

Roald Dahl–who wrote beloved children’s books Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and more–was also an anti-Semite with a history of public comments. Now, decades since his death in 1990, his family and the Roald Dahl Story Company have published a brief apology on the Roald Dahl website.

Arsène Lupin Inspired Netflix Series’ Trailer

Master of disguise and thief Arsène Lupin was created by French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905. Now, Netflix has created an original series, inspired by the character, that is a contemporary retelling starring Omar Sy. And while we wait for the January 8th release, we can watch the trailer.

2020 Published Authors Share Best Books Of 2020

The Guardian asked a bunch of authors that published in 2020 to share their favorite books of 2020, so here’s a Best Of list and a peek at what authors have been reading. I may have scrolled straight to Tayari Jones and Tana French.

Book Riot’s 2021 Read Harder Challenge

Take on Book Riot’s 2021 Read Harder Challenge, an annual reading challenge to help you read outside your comfort zone and discover new authors.

Dolly Parton On By The Book

The national treasure that is Dolly Parton continues promoting her recent releases–a holiday album, Netflix film, and book: Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. So she answered all the bookish questions on The New York Times’ By The Book column, and, of course, was as delightful, hilarious, and bookish as always.

Government Of Canada Provides Net Zero Carbon Funding For Joint Library Facility

The Government of Canada will invest an additional $34.5 million into the joint facility for the Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa Public Library project, with the goal of sustainability enhancements a net zero carbon joint facility. “Both Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa Public Library are proud that the joint facility project will be a showcase of sustainable design for Canadian infrastructure.”

Akwaeke Emezi Will Publish Book Of Poetry

The nonprofit, independent press Copper Canyon Press announced that they’ll be publishing Akwaeke Emezi’s first book of poems in 2022. Emezi is already known for their three novels, which include New York Times best sellers and award winners: Freshwater, Pet, and The Death of Vivek Oji.

Allegheny County Jail Reverses Physical Book Ban

We recently shared a story about the Allegheny County Jail banning inmates from purchasing books directly from Barnes and Noble and christianbooks.com’s websites in order to force inmates to purchase select ebooks on tablets they were profiting from. And we have a good news update: After public outcry, Warden Orlando Harper has reversed the decision and inmates can once again purchase physical books directly from the two websites.

Hulu’s Hardy Boys Adaptation

You can now watch another children’s classic adaptation: The Hardy Boys has been adapted into a Hulu series, now available to stream. Eighties setting, puzzles, and character nostalgia may just be what we need to end this year.

2021 Warner Bros Films Will Stream At Same Time As Theater Release

Warner Bros.’ 17 films slated to release in 2021 will now also be releasing simultaneously on HBO Max when they hit theaters. That means, if you have an HBO Max subscription you’ll be able to watch Blockbuster films like Dune and The Suicide Squad from sofa city.

How to Get a Refresher Without Rereading the Previous Book in a Series

When a new book in a series comes out, we can forget what happened in the previous installment. Here’s what to do to get a quick refresher.

Crowdfunding Campaign To Turn JRR Tolkien’s Home Into Museum

In 1930, JRR Tolkien moved into 20 Northmoor Road in Oxford, which is where he ended up writing The Hobbit, a story that began as a children’s bedtime story. Project Northmoor, created by author Julia Golding, is crowdsourcing to raise £4.5m ($6m) with the goal of purchasing the home to convert it into a literary center. And some big name actors have joined in to help.

Memorial Drive Optioned To Sony Pictures TV

Natasha Trethewey, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, will have her memoir turned into a drama series by Sony Pictures TV: Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir. The book follows Trethewey as she deals with her mother’s murder by her former stepfather.

Julianna Margulies Joins The Morning Show’s 2nd Season

The Morning Show, inspired by Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV by Brian Stelter, on Apple TV+ will have a new cast member for season 2: Julianna Margulies. She’ll play an anchor and join the already star-studded cast that includes Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

The Best Epigraphs of 2020

Savor some beautiful words from some of this year’s most wonderful books. These are the best epigraphs from books published in 2020.