Author: Sharifah Williams

The Real-Life Harry Potter Study Abroad

The dream of every Potterhead has seemingly come true. A real-life Harry Potter themed study program exists. Twenty students at DePaul University are participating in a two-week Potter themed study abroad. The program will be held in England and Scotland and will focus in some part on literature. It’ll also include trips to visit Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station, the “Harry Potter Experience” at Warner Bros. Studio, Edinburgh Castle, and Greyfriar’s Cemetery. Read on for an interview with one of the program’s creators. (Next, let’s build a real Hogwarts.)

2017 World Fantasy Award Winners

The 2017 World Fantasy Award winners have been announced! And the award for Best Novel went to The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North. Best Long Fiction went to The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson, and “Das Steingeschöpf” by G.V. Anderson won Best Short Fiction. I’m pretty surprised Victor LaValle and N.K. Jemisin didn’t get a win, but there you go. Check out the full list of winners.

Tom Hanks Being So Very Tom Hanks

One unplanned event that took place at last week’s Texas Book Festival was Tom Hanks’ assist with a marriage proposal. Hanks was in attendance to promote his new book Uncommon Type: Some Stories. As the story goes, “Hanks … took out a piece of paper and announced that there was a man in the crowd, Ryan McFarling, who had a question for a woman in the crowd, Nikki Young.” McFarling popped the question and got a yes. Adorable story is adorable.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Thank you to The Big Lie by Julie Mayhew for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

Nazi England, 2014. Jessika Keller is a good girl — a champion ice skater, model student of the Bund Deutscher Mädel, and dutiful daughter of the Greater German Reich. Her best friend, Clementine, is not so submissive. Passionately different, Clem is outspoken, dangerous, and radical. And the regime has noticed. Jess cannot keep both her perfect life and her dearest friend, her first love. But which can she live without? Haunting, intricate, and unforgettable, The Big Lie unflinchingly interrogates perceptions of revolution, feminism, sexuality, and protest. Back matter includes historical notes from the author discussing her reasons for writing an “alt-history” story and the power of speculative fiction.

News From Roxane Land

This morning, Roxane Gay posted an image of the cover for her next book! And the Table of Contents, which reveals a stellar list of contributors, including Gabrielle Union and Ally Sheedy. Not That Bad is an anthology of first-person essays tackling rape, assault, and harassment, edited by Gay (she also contributes an essay). The anthology is out May 2018 so keep an eye out, and be ready to put it on hold because it’s going to fly.

Haruki Murakami “Barn Burning” Adaptation Picked Up By Finecut

Finecut picked up international sales right to Burning, Lee Chang-dong’s adaptation of Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning.” The story about a Japanese writer who has a strange encounter with a mime/model, her boyfriend, and arson was originally published in The New Yorker. Yoo Ah-in stars as Jong-soo, a temporary parcel man, alongside Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead, and newcomer Jong-seo.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor Working On 3 Books For Young People

Sotomayor will adapt her best-selling memoir My Beloved World for middle-graders. She’ll also collaborate with illustrators Lulu Delacre and Rafael Lopez on a picture-book autobiography about important books she came across in her life and a picture book about “childhood differences,” respectively. You can pick up the first two books next fall, and her collaboration with Lopez will be out in 2019.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Sponsored by DoorBeeDesigns – $15 off with coupon code BOOKRIOT!

This is the perfect gift for any book lover! You choose the bookshelf color, the authors/titles, and the size. Text is machine embroidered, it will not fade or peel like other materials will. Available in a variety of sizes from wall hangings to king size quilts. My products are made to order with high quality fabric. No two quilts will be the same. Visit www.DoorBeeDesigns.etsy.com to see reviews from others who have bought this or any one of my other items. I have a solid 5 star review and pride myself in high quality work with excellent customer service.

Audible’s Most Popular Titles From The Past 20

Audible just released its most popular titles from the past 20 years (how has it been around that long?). It’s an interesting, though not altogether surprising list. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson at the number two spot what? Guess what spot The Girl on the Train holds. You probably guessed correctly. You’ll also find old standards Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and George R.R. Martin there. It’s worth a look and maybe even a listen.

Condé Nast Will Shutter Teen Vogue In Print And Lower Magazine Frequencies

Teen Vogue has been killing it lately, but anyone following their political coverage, think pieces, and activism by way of print will have to transition over to digital. Condé Nast is ending print runs of the teen magazine and lowering the frequencies of many of their other magazines. The publisher is cutting 80 jobs and slashing the budgets of low performing mags. No comment on these recent cuts and the end of Teen Vogue’s print run from Condé, but this is the latest in what has been a turbulent phase of reorganization for the publisher.

Marvel Cut A Thor: Ragnarok Scene Confirming Valkyrie’s Bisexuality

Tessa Thompson who plays Valkyrie in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok movie said a scene showing a glimpse of a woman walking out of Valkyrie’s bedroom was cut from the film because it distracted from vital exposition. Thompson, who has been vocal about how important it is that her portrayal of Valkyrie stay true to the character’s bisexuality, had pitched the scene to Marvel Studios and director Taika Waititi. The thing is, representation is important. And in my experience as a Marvel moviegoer, those films could do with a little less exposition. I’m sorry, that was some shade.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Thank you to Chicago Review Press, publisher of Pinball Wizards by Adam Ruben, for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball by Adam Ruben tells the dynamic story about America’s quintessential arcade game. By visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball machine designers and even pinball factories, Adam attempts to discover what makes the world’s best players so good. The book also explores the history of the game, as well as its invention, defeat and recent resurgence in American culture today.

Elizabeth Banks To Direct The Paper Bag Princess

Fans of The Paper Bag Princess, you’re getting a movie. Elizabeth Banks will helm a film adaptation of the classic children’s story about a princess who rescues her Prince Charming. The book has sold more than 10 million copies. Suicide Squad‘s Margot Robbie is also attached to the project as a producer. Robbie may even star in the film, but that’s so far unconfirmed. Added to the list of women steering the adaptation is Katie Silberman who will write the screenplay. Lots of anticipation for this one.

Audible Is Letting Romance Readers Skip To The Good Parts

The company is launching their new Audible Romance service, which will include special features such as being able to skip ahead to “the good parts.” But the good parts aren’t just the sex scenes. Recognizing that Romance readers have nuanced and varying interests, the “Take Me To The Good Part” feature lets them jump to pre-selected scenes, including First Meeting, Flirty Banter, Sexual Tension, and First Kiss. Another feature is a “Steaminess” score that lets subscribers filter books by their graphic content. Audible Romance is an all-you-can-read service, so some filtering will probably be necessary.

“To The Lady Who Mistook Me For The Help At The National Book Awards”

Not exactly news, but oh boy. Filipino author Patrick Rosal attended the National Book Awards and was mistaken for a waiter, as the title implies. So, he wrote about it and beautifully. No, it isn’t news and that’s the saddest thing about this piece. Give it a read.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Thank you to Renegades by Marissa Meyer for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone . . . except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.

Book World Will Close All 45 Locations

Wisconsin-based Book World is closing all 45 of its bookstores across seven states. Book World stores are located in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, and Missouri, with 320 employees across all stores. Beginning Thursday, possibly through January, each store will hold a liquidation sale until all inventory is sold. The Milwaukee news site reporting on the closures noted that Book World is the fourth largest bookstore chain in the United States.

Seattle Designated A UNESCO City Of Literature

Seattle joins 20 cities as a UNESCO City of Literature. Iowa City is the only other U.S. City of Literature. The Seattle Review of Books initially thought the city’s bid, which began in 2013, would be stalled by the U.S.’s withdrawal from UNESCO. Seattle City of Literature Board President Bob Redmond stated that the designation is “just extremely timely.” In order to qualify for the designation, cities have to meet a number of criteria, including “quality, quantity and diversity of publishing in the city.” Seattle joins cities including Edinburgh, Prague, Barcelona, and Baghdad.

Jacqueline Woodson Signs Two-Book Deal With Riverhead

The National Book Award winner says she’ll write a novel and a nonfiction book. Woodson became the 2014 National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature with Brown Girl Dreaming, and published Another Brooklyn in 2016. Entertainment Weekly interviewed the author about publishing her first adult novel in 20 years (Another Brooklyn), her move to Riverhead, and, of course, what she’s reading now. She didn’t offer details about the novel or nonfiction book, but somehow they’re already on my TBR.

Sponsored by THE BRIDE WHO GOT LUCKY, Janna MacGregor’s captivating new Regency romance that’s available October 31.

On October 31, Janna MacGregor’s Cavensham Heiresses series continues with The Bride Who Got Lucky.

Nicholas St. Mauer prefers solitude to society. But driven by honor, the reclusive Earl feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham. She possesses a penchant for passions that finds Nick in constant peril of losing his well-structured solitude.

Emma has little use for a man—especially with the more pressing mission of proving her late friend’s death was no accident. But when a compromising moment upends all her plans, Nick may be the only man brave enough to join in Emma’s cause. . .and fight for her heart.

A New Bot Named Shelley Might Write Your Next Horror Read

MIT researchers have been hard at work, creating a machine to fuel our nightmares. Named after Mary Shelley, the writing bot read 140,000 stories published by amateur writers who participate in Reddit’s “r/nosleep” forum. Shelley is now capable of generating its own stories. It sounds like the bot’s work might fit into the New Weird genre, based on some of the excerpts published with the piece. It also sounds like writers don’t have much to worry about as far as competition goes…

A National Rail Provider Comes Under Fire For Use Of Anne Frank’s Name

National rail provider Deutsche Bahn is under fire for plans to name a train after Anne Frank. In a statement, the Anne Frank Foundation said, “A combination of Anne Frank and a train conjures up the image of persecution of Jews and deportations during World War II.” A jury selected Frank’s name from a shortlist. The Berlin-based company responded to criticism about the insensitivity of their plans, saying they hadn’t intended to cause hurt, and that they’ll hold internal discussions about the public’s concerns. Another piece on the story mentioned that DB is a state-owned successor of the rail provider that deported millions of Jews.

A Halloween Special Featuring Neil Gaiman

As the day is creeping up on us, I’ll leave you with a special Halloween show featuring Neil Gaiman. If you’re struggling to get in the spirit, you can listen to Gaiman guest host Funny/Scary from Selected Shorts. Gaiman presents four ghoulish tales, two by the author and two Chuck Palahniuk favorites. He also narrates one of his stories, “Click-Clack, The Rattlebag.” But other familiar names, including John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and Becky Ann Baker (Freaks and Geeks), join in to narrate. Grab a bag of candy corn (:shudder:), and have a listen.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Sponsored by the University of Iowa Press, publisher of Outside Is the Ocean, 2017 Iowa Short Fiction Award-winning collection by Matthew Lansburgh.

Three days after her twentieth birthday, a woman who grew up in WWII Germany travels to America for a new beginning. Outside Is the Ocean traces Heike’s struggle to find love and happiness. After two marriages and a troubled relationship with her son, Heike adopts Galina, a disabled child from Russia, hoping for the affection and companionship she craves. As Galina grows, Heike’s grasp on reality frays. She writes a series of letters to the son she thinks has abandoned her. It isn’t until Heike’s death that her son finds these letters and realizes how skewed her perceptions actually were.

Hulu To Adapt Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison’s classic story about an African American man whose skin color renders him invisible is getting the adaptation treatment, courtesy of Hulu. The Invisible Man series is still in early development so details aren’t available, but we do know Hulu has had success adapting another classic, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Invisible Man is widely read, beloved, and important. Expect much nail-biting leading up to the series premier.

Zadie Smith Will Be Awarded The 2017 Langston Hughes Medal

Zadie Smith will be presented with the medal in New York at the Langston Hughes Festival, November 16. The White Teeth author joins James Baldwin, Edwidge Danticat, Chinua Achebe, Octavia Butler, and more legendary black authors on the list of honorees awarded for distinguished contributions to the arts and letters. If you’re interested in watching Smith receive the award, the free event will be held at The City College of New York in Harlem.

Outlander Star and Series Writers Clash

This gossip is two days old, but it’s still spicy. (No spoilers here, but don’t read the Vanity Fair piece if you haven’t watched Outlander Season 3, Episode 6, and intend to.) Outlander star Sam Heughan and the show’s writers have taken their disagreement about a change to a beloved scene to the streets. Or, rather, to Twitter. Heughan decided to go off script and fans and writers both were displeased. I mean, this was a war waged with little more than passive aggression, but it’s still a good reminder to think twice before you mess with our beloved book moments.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Thank you to Renegades by Marissa Meyer for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone . . . except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.

Read Elena Ferrante’s 2019 Novel…For $200

Elena Ferrante’s 2019 novel isn’t available on galley sites like Edelweiss, but it is available to readers willing to shell out $200. Bookselling Without Borders has listed the advanced readers copy as a pledge reward for their Kickstarter. Ferrante is the author of the widely beloved Neapolitan Novels, and her publisher is a sponsor of Bookselling Without Borders. The project strives “to help American booksellers be better advocates for international writing, and to help them enrich their communities of readers with a diverse array of voices from beyond our borders.” If you’re interested in checking out the Kickstarter (the rewards are super legit), and maybe even pledging for that Ferrante ARC, it’s open until October 29.

Showtime To Develop Kingkiller Chronicle Series

Not only is Showtime developing the adaptation of Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle series, the show will be executive produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Hamilton creator will also compose the music, so prepare for earworms.The television series adaption will be an origin story set a generation before the first novel, The Name of the Wind, an autobiography of the notorious wizard and adventurer Kvothe.

Hulu Drops Full-Length Trailer For Marvel’s Runaways

Hulu has been developing a series adaption of Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona’s Runaways comic, and they just dropped the first full-length trailer. The series follows the adventures of a group of kids who discover their parents are basically villains. The kids have to become a superhero team to defeat “the Pride.” What a buncha cool kids; also, parents, beware next Halloween.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Thank you to Penguin, publisher of Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan where Mulan meets Throne of Glass.

Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. Mariko is promised to the son of the emperor’s favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family’s standing. But en route to the imperial city, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Clutches Its Pearls

After The Daily Telegraph wrote a story villainizing a student who called for Cambridge’s English Literature curriculum to include post-colonial or BME authors, the university issued a statement that they will not be dropping any one author in favor of another. This was specifically in response to the Telegraph‘s claim that Lola Olufemi, the student who created the petition, was forcing the school to “replace white authors with black writers.” Cambridge also condemned social media harassment of the student after word of the petition spread. The fact that the Telegraph splashed a giant photo of Olufemi with that headline across their front page tells me plenty about their intentions.

The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Shortlists

The Carnegie Committee announced the Fiction and Nonfiction shortlists for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence. The Fiction finalists are: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan, and Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. In Nonfiction, the finalists are: The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, and You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie. The winners will be announced in Denver, Colorado on February 11th.

John McCain Will Publish A Memoir

Senator John McCain will publish a memoir titled, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations. Mark Salter, a speechwriter and McCain’s co-writer on this book, said the memoir will be “expansive and reflective about his career and life, the direction of our politics and our leadership in the world, and the causes and values that matter most to him.” The Restless Wave will be out in April. It seems like there are a ton of political memoirs out and upcoming as of late. I wonder why…

We’re giving away $500 to spend at the bookstore of your choice! Click here, or on the image below to enter:

Sections Of Anne Frank’s Diary To Be Read To Italian League Fans

Passages from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl will be read aloud to fans of the professional Italian sports club, Lazio. The Italian football federation announced plans for the pre-match readings in response to antisemitic acts performed by the fans. These blindingly insensitive and racist acts include defacing Stadio Olimpico with antisemitic graffiti and stickers showing images of Frank wearing a rival jersey. Lazio’s president has also announced an annual trip to Auschwitz with young fans who have a history of antisemitic behavior.

Harper Lee’s Letters Are Up For Auction

A lot of 38 handwritten letters by Harper Lee are being auctioned for a minimum bid of $10,000. Lee wrote the letters between 2005-2010 to her friend Felice Itzkoff who died in 2011. The letters include Lee’s thoughts on Barack Obama’s inauguration day, the memorial service for the screenwriter of To Kill a Mockingbird‘s film adaptation, and aging. The auction ends October 26.

Episodes of Fear and Loathing

Hunter S. Thompson’s antics are getting a television series. Davey Holmes, showrunner for the Get Shorty series, is reportedly helming MGM Television’s new series on the gonzo journalist. The show is currently titled Fear and Loathing, but it’s still in early development–too soon to know anything about casting. You know there are some actors out there who can’t wait to pull a Johnny Depp.

Thank you to The Infinite Now by Mindy Tarquini for sponsoring today’s newsletter.

In flu-ravaged 1918 Philadelphia, Fiora Vicente, the freshly orphaned and forward-thinking daughter of the local fortune teller, has goals. She has ambitions. But when faced with a future she hasn’t planned, she has second thoughts–and casts her community into a stagnant bubble of time.

Inside the bubble, life among Fiora’s superstitious neighbors continues, but nothing progresses, swamped by a steady stream of unspent seconds. As the pressure builds Fiora realizes she must find the courage to collapse the bubble–or risk trapping her dreams in an unbearable, unyielding, and infinite Now.

Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, The Infinite Now is a quirky and unique fantasy read.