Author: Sharifah Williams

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Macmillan Publishing.

Lindy West’s Shrill To Be Adapted For Hulu Series

The Hulu series adaptation of Lindy West’s Shrill will be developed by Saturday Night Live‘s Lorne Michaels and Aidy Bryant. The adaptation is described as the story of a fat young woman who wants to change her life, but not her body. Shrill, the book, is West’s humorous feminist memoir.

Gender Inequities In Publishing

Books by women authors are priced 45% less than those of their male counterparts, according to a study of more than two million books published in North America between 2002 and 2012. And publishers paid authors with identifiably female names 9% less than authors with male names. No surprises, but disappointing as ever.

Successful Adult Literacy Program Shuts Down Due To Lack Of Funding

Quick Reads has distributed almost five million books to prisons, hospitals, and workplaces since its 2005 launch, and has been credited with helping thousands of adults learn to read. But the program is shutting down after losing funding from supporters, including Arts Council England. Authors have responded to the news by offering donations to keep it going, but the program needs long-term sponsorship.

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Bruno Johnson Series by David Putnam.

Potter Premieres On Broadway

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the most expensive production in Broadway history. The play, which opened Sunday night, cost $33.5 million. In related news, J.K. Rowling and Jessica Williams (2 Dope Queens) appeared at the premiere to announce Williams’ role in the Fantastic Beasts universe. Williams will play Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks, a professor at the American equivalent of Hogwarts.

Two Anticipated Trailers Drop

We got two highly-anticipated trailers–one for a film adaptation, and one for a series adaptation. The teaser for Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians dropped at the end of last week, and, now, the full movie trailer for the comedy has arrived. We also got a trailer for the limited series adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s thriller, Sharp Objects, which premieres on HBO in July.

The Women’s Prize For Fiction Shortlist

The shortlist for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction, celebrating “excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women throughout the world,” was announced. The list includes Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward and Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie.

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Bruno Johnson Series by David Putnam.

The Great American Read 100 List

The Great American Read’s list of “America’s 100 most-loved books” was announced. The Great American Read is an eight-part series that celebrates the power of reading through a list of 100 chosen books. A nationwide vote will decide which one of these titles gets crowned America’s most beloved book by the PBS program.

B&N Might Add Kids’ Graphic Novels Section

According to The Beat, Barnes & Noble is finally getting a graphic novels section for kids. While children’s graphic novels have been available in stores, these titles have been mixed in with the rest of the children’s books. Hopefully, this move will make it easier for readers to explore and discover graphic novels in this rapidly expanding genre.

The Girdle Book Was A Thing

Atlas Obscura explored the girdle book. These books were small, light, and could be read without having to detach them from the girdle or belt thanks to their design. Could this be the next thing in hipster accessories? Maybe not, but it’s interesting all the same.

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by A Clarion Books debut picture book, Moon by Alison Oliver.

How Many Books Did The Average American Read In The Last Year?

A new study by Pew Research shows that reading habits aren’t declining in America, but they are changing with more Americans picking up audiobooks (18 percent in 2018 compared to 14 percent in 2016). This is to say that doom and gloom prognostications about America’s interest in books and reading are, as usual, unfounded.

Teaser Trailer For Crazy Rich Asians

We got a teaser trailer for the film adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s debut novel, Crazy Rich Asians! The book tells the humorous tale of three super rich Chinese families living in Singapore. Based on the teaser, all the glitz and glamour fans might expect will be represented onscreen. The full trailer drops Monday.

Queer Bookstore Gets A Boost From A Viral Post

The Mary Sue told the heartwarming story of a feminist LGBTQ bookstore that got a boost thanks to Tumblr users. One person noticed a sad Facebook post from Common Language Bookstore that announced they hadn’t made any sales that day. Tumblr user dadrielle sent out a call for people to buy their next queer read from the store, and the Tumblr post went viral. The amount of orders the shop received was transformative. You really should read the full piece. :sniffle:

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Flatiron Books and M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains.

Saudi Arabia Breaks Cinema Ban With Black Panther Screening

The record-breaking Black Panther has become the first commercial film publicly screened in Saudi Arabia in 35 years. Black Panther premiered in the first movie theater opened in the kingdom since the ban on cinemas lifted in December. The screening was unsegregated, with men and women co-mingling.

Kanye Writes A Book On Twitter

Kanye West announced that he’s writing (and editing) a philosophy book in real-time on Twitter. West has been tweeting bits of Break the Simulation, which he said is about photography and history, garnering mixed reactions. “This is my book that I’m writing in real time. No publisher or publicist will tell me what to put where or how many pages to write,” said West.

Finnish School Conducts Reading Week Experiment

With international test scores reflection a steady decline in reading comprehension among Finland’s students, a teacher has made literacy a priority by devoting an entire week to reading in her school. Sissi Yli-Hukkala’s goal is to focus on reading as a process to help students internalize that they can read in their free time, as well as in school. The experiment is part of Finland’s new curriculum addition called phenomenon-based teaching.

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Nicole Kidman Will Star In The Female Persuasion Adaptation

Nicole Kidman is now attached to star in a planned feature adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s novel, The Female Persuasion. Kidman is also producing the movie (her company, Blossom Films, produced the series adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies). The actress previously hinted on Instagram that she was adapting Wolitzer’s novel about a shy college freshman whose life is changed by a central pillar of the women’s movement.

TKAM Broadway Production Performed In Court?

In the ongoing saga of the To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway adaptation, the play’s producers have offered to stage the production–with a full cast–in court as evidence that it’s faithful to the book. The production company behind the play has filed a countersuit against Harper Lee’s estate. This is in response to the estate’s lawsuit claiming that the play deviated too much from Lee’s story, which allegedly broke a contract agreed upon by the two parties prior to Lee’s death.

Radical And Indie Bookshops Participate In Feminist Book Fortnight

Radical and independent bookstores in the UK will participate in a two-week long event highlighting books by diverse women writers. Feminist Book Fortnight, spearheaded by Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham, was created in response to the dearth of diversity in publishing. Five Leaves’ Jane Anger pointed to the 2016 VIDA statistics, which showed an ongoing bias against women writers, and the lack of diversity in children’s books. The event will be held June 16-30, and you can find more information on the FBF website.

And don’t forget to enter to win 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Squared Away by Annabeth Albert.

The 2018 Pulitzer Prize-Winning Books

The 2018 winners of the Pulitzer Prize were announced, including six books in the categories of Fiction, Drama, History, Biography, Poetry, and General Nonfiction. Andrew Sean Greer won the Fiction Pulitzer for his novel Less, and James Forman Jr. took the General Nonfiction prize for Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.

“Talk To Books” Answers Any Question By Reading Thousands Of Books

Google announced a new search tool that answers any question by reading thousands of books. Talk to Books scans 100,000 books in Google Books to come up with likely answers to the questions asked in the search field. Ask it the meaning of life, or why your cat is a jerk, and your answers will arrive bolded in book excerpts.

Somali-British Poet Named Young People’s Laureate For London

Momtaza Mehri has been chosen as the new young people’s laureate for London. Mehri, who has a background in biochemical science, wrote the poetry chapbook sugah. lump. prayer. She will be amplifying the voices of Londoners aged 13 through 25, “to let them lead conversations, to be as inspired by them as hopefully they can be inspired by me.”

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Bruno Johnson Series by David Putnam.

1923 Will Enter Public Domain

In 2019, a full year of copyrighted works will enter public domain for the first time in 20 years. These works include Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, and more. Not to mention movies and music. Get those eReaders ready and prepare to see classic characters and stories reimagined.

Talking About Comey’s Memoir

Entertainment Weekly rounded up a few of the numerous and varied discussions around the upcoming memoir, A Higher Loyalty, by former Director of the FBI James Comey. From the pee tape controversy to loyalty oaths, the book provides yet another (disturbing) behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on in Trump’s White House. The New York Times‘ former chief book critic Michiko Kakutani even returned to the publication to review the memoir.

Head Of Nobel In Literature Resigns

More news from the Swedish Academy and the Nobel Prize in Literature: Sara Danius, the first woman to serve as head of the Academy, stepped aside on Thursday night. A temporary head was appointed in her place. Of the Academy’s stance on the sexual harassment allegations against an individual attached to the group, Danius said, “Caring for a legacy must not mean an arrogance and distance to society at large.” Click here for the full story.

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Pegasus Books’ A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Remains Rediscovered

The Kubla Khan author’s remains had been moved, and their location forgotten in the church where visitors can find plaques memorializing Coleridge. But a recent excavation revealed his coffin, and the coffins of his family members, in a wine cellar located right under an inscription that reads, “Beneath this stone lies the body of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.” The church hopes to renovate the space to allow visits into the cellar.

Lumberjanes’ First Original Graphic Novel

BOOM! Studios announced an original graphic novel from the world of Lumberjanes. Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass will explore the relationship between Lumberjane Scouts Molly and Mal. This is the first original graphic novel from the comic series; it will be written by Eisner Award nominee Lilah Sturges and illustrated by polterink. An official release date has not been announced.

2018 Man Booker International Prize Shortlist

The Man Booker International Prize shortlist of six books was released. The prize “celebrates the finest works of translated fiction from around the world,” and awards £50,000 to be divided equally between the author and translator. Shortlisted works include Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi (Iraq), translated by Jonathan Wright; and, The White Book by Han Kang (South Korea), translated by Deborah Smith. Click here for the full list.

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by School for Psychics by K.C. Archer.

Scholastic Unveils 20th Anniversary Harry Potter Covers

Scholastic has unveiled new covers for the seven titles in the Harry Potter series. For now, it seems the covers are only available to the U.S. market. You can find them on June 26, ahead of the September 1 publication anniversary.

King of Sweden Steps In On Nobel Prize in Literature Deadlock

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf has announced a plan to make it easier for the members of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature, to resign. Three of the Academy’s members recently vacated their seats in protest against the decision not to expel the poet Katarina Frostenson. Frostenson’s husband has been accused of sexual harassment, among other things. As the successor of the Academy’s founder, the king has claimed authority over its statutes.

Free Digital Archive Of Vintage Children’s Books

As it turns out, the University of Florida Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature has a digital archive of 6,000 children’s books from the 19th and early 20th century. The collection is free to read online. Titles include Aesop’s Fables, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, and the Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

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