Category: Today In Books

Goats To The Library Rescue

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was surrounded by 13 acres of scrubland, which would have been like catnip to the wildfires in California. What to do? Send in 500 hungry goats!

No Violence Against Women Award

The Staunch Book Prize–a “prize for a thriller in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered”–has released their shortlist. In its short time in existence it’s become controversial with some claiming ignoring very real violence against women doesn’t help and others saying it’s about time. Here are a bunch of voices and opinions on the subject.

Macmillan Vs Libraries

The day has arrived: Macmillan’s new library embargo takes effect, meaning libraries can only purchase one e-book for each new title for the first eight weeks of its release. Many libraries feel this is limiting access to anyone who can’t afford to buy the book and several large library systems are now boycotting Macmillan by suspending purchases.

Eliminated Library Fines = 240% Increase In Book Returns

Three weeks ago, Chicago Public Libraries did away with overdue book fines and erased outstanding debt. The results: “Library Commissioner Andrea Telli said hundreds of long-overdue books have been returned in the three weeks since Chicago became the nation’s largest major city to jump on the no-fine bandwagon.”

Star Trek Tie-In Novels And The Decline In Women Writers

Here is a deep dive look into the Star Trek tie-in novels and the very steady decline in women writing them. And by decline I mean that in the 1980s 60% were written by women and in the 2010s it dropped to 12%. This is a really detailed look at the problem that includes a brief history of Star Trek tie-in novels– and there are spreadsheets and graphs for data loving nerds like me.

Looking For A Halloween Scare?

This isn’t a friendly “boo” scare so be warned: Horror author Grady Hendrix went on Twitter to tell a story he claims happened in his childhood and it is straight up my living nightmare. Read it if you dare, but when you can’t sleep at night remember I warned you.

Game of Thrones Spinoff No More

They giveth and they taketh away: The GOT prequel, which would have taken place thousands of years before, will not move forward after HBO was reportedly not satisfied with the pilot. It was a great team and casting so I’m bummed to see them not get to continue.

Little Free Library Infighting

Todd Bol, the founder of Little Free Library, passed away unexpectedly in 2018. Now Bol’s family and the Little Free Library nonprofit literacy organization are not on the same page over filing trademark applications for “‘wooden boxes with a storage area for books,’ and ‘signs, non-luminous and non-mechanical, of metal,’ and ‘guest books and rubber stamps.’” Bol’s family believes in “…protecting groups that don’t register with LFL but want to still call [their boxes] little free libraries.”

Macmillan Responds

With Macmillan’s new book embargo taking place November 1st many librarians have been vocally against it and even boycotting. The American Library Association, which has been collecting signatures on their petition against it, posted Macmillan CEO John Sargent’s open letter to libraries explaining the publisher’s decision and that they’re sticking to it.

It’s Superman & Lois!

The CW is adding to its superheroes family! Currently in development is a modern day hour-long drama following Superman and Lois as they work and raise their kids. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch will play Superman and Lois Lane, and while they’ve already played the characters on other CW shows, this won’t be a spinoff.

Another Great Book List!

Foyles, the English bookseller once listed in the Guinness Book of Records, has announced their Books Of The Year shortlist! There’s seven books for each category of best 2019 book for fiction, nonfiction, and children’s & YA. It’s a great list of books and the winners will be announced at the end of November.

Aretha Franklin’s Coffee Table Book

Aretha Franklin will certainly live on forever in music. But now also with this coffee table book, The Queen Next Door, a collection of rare and personal photos starting in 1983 when Franklin enlisted journalist Linda Solomon as a personal photographer. And the just released 214-page book is already in its second printing!

Hide Yo Blood

Dracula is back! Or, almost. The creators of the BBC’s Sherlock are bringing us the mini-series Dracula and we have a teaser trailer. It’s dark. And gruesome. Do you dare?

Elena Ferrante’s New Novel

Has an official date: June 9, 2020. And title: The Lying Life Of Adults. If you can’t wait, Europa Editions also tweeted a screenshot from inside the book that you can read. If you missed all the Ferrante fever, you can start with the first in her series My Brilliant Friend. It was also adapted into an HBO series.

Congrats!

The African Speculative Fiction Society announced the 2019 Nommo Award winners at the Ake Arts & Book Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. If you’re looking for a great speculative fiction read check out the shortlist with the winners in novel, novella, graphic novel, and short story.

Charity Helps Incarcerated People Read To Their Kids

Too often, prisons limit access to books. And the children of incarcerated people are collateral damage in a criminal justice system in need of reform. So it’s great to read about the Storybook Project, a non-profit that brings children’s books and recording equipment into prisons so that inmates can still read aloud to the kids in their lives.

Early Thoughts on DOCTOR SLEEP Adaptation

The social media embargo has been lifted for those people lucky enough to score an early screening of the film adaptation of Doctor Sleep, Stephen King’s follow-up to The Shining (a horror classic you may be revisiting this spooky season). Check out a roundup of reactions to this sequel!

The Bookworm Cabin

In a wooded area in Poland sits a minimalist vacation home that is the closest anyone can come to actually living in a library. Photos of this envy-inspiring cabin can be found here.

Carrie Fisher’s Daughter Disavows Unauthorized Biography

Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher’s daughter, and Bryan Lourd, Billie’s father, have issued a statement about the upcoming unauthorized biography Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge by Sheila Weller. Bryan Lourd: “’The only books about Carrie Fisher worth reading are the ones Carrie wrote herself,’ he concludes. ‘She perfectly told us everything we needed to know.’”

New Mulan Novel!

With the new upcoming live-action Mulan film from Disney we’re getting a middle-grade novel that tells the heroine’s story leading up to the film. You can check out the cover, art in progress pics, and read an exclusive excerpt of the novel, Mulan: Before the Sword by Grace Lin, now.

Good News!

Innerpeffray library in Perthshire–Scotland’s first free, public lending library (1680!)–just got a funding boost of £100,000! “The joy of Innerpeffray is its variety. He left such a multi-faceted collection, and he wasn’t didactic about what people should read because he himself read medicine, travel, military history. Nor did he limit who could access the collection. He wanted anyone who can read to benefit from it.”

Tor’s Free Short Story Horror Audiobooks

If you’re a fan of short stories, horror, audiobooks, and use GooglePlay/Assistant: Tor has 35 free downloads available! You may know them as a sci-fi and fantasy publisher but they now have a new horror imprint, Nightfire! There’s great authors on the list so enjoy all that horror in your earholes.

If You Want To Pretend 2019 Is Over

Publishers Weekly laughs in the face of more than two months left in 2019 and has released their Best of 2019 list. You can check out the overall top ten books, the best books by genres, and by age.

And The Winners Are…

Last night at the Austin Public Library, Kirkus Reviews announced the winners for the Kirkus Prize for fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature. All the congratulations to The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir by Saeed Jones (I read this months ago and still think about it), and New Kid by Jerry Craft, Jim Callahan. If you were looking for new reads for the weekend that is a mighty fine list.

Olympic Medalist Siblings Author Series

Ice dancing partners, Olympic bronze medalists, and siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani are writing a middle grade series for Penguin Young Readers. Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist will be out in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and will follow siblings Mika and Andy Kudo’s adventures at the Olympics. Fun!

Better Late Than Never

The sixty-year running comic Asterix–French comic series starring a Gaulish warrior outfoxing Romans–has apparently never had a woman character that wasn’t “the blonde, femme fatales” until now. Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter introduces Adrenaline, a grumpy teen girl who keeps Asterix and his sidekick Obelix on their toes.

It’s So Beautiful!

A third book set in Sandhya Menon’s Dimple And Rishi world is coming in 2020 and not only has the gorgeous cover been revealed but you can also read the first chapter of 10 Things I Hate About Pinky. I happen to be halfway through my galley and hello fake dating! Characters I love! And a possum I can’t stop laughing at!

Relive The Scholastic Book Fair!

Book nerds only need a momentary mention about the Scholastic Book Fair, or any childhood book fair, for immediate nostalgic bubbly feelings. Now thanks to Penguin Random House if you’re in NY on November 23rd, and 21 or older, you can come close to that feeling again as they’re hosting their first-ever grown-up only Book Fair! I don’t know if I’m more excited about the books, awkward school photo booth, or custom MadLibs?!

Get Your Game On!

Green Ronin Publishing is creating a role-playing game based on N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series to release in fall of 2020! “‘I’ve heard from many of my readers that they’re fascinated enough by the world of the Broken Earth that they’d like to visit it (nobody wants to live there tho!) and now they’ll get their chance,’ said N.K. Jemisin.”

Ronan Farrow Book Podcast

Everyone wanting Farrow and his new book Catch and Kill to go away are getting the opposite: Farrow will have a podcast with continuing evidence and details including interviews with people he spoke with regarding the allegations of sexual predators (Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer) and the people in power who protected them. “…Farrow interviewing the man who was hired to spy on Farrow, at Weinstein’s instruction, before becoming the reporter’s ally.”