Category: Today In Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Ventriloquists by E.R. Ramzipoor, published by Park Row Books.

Hello, Silent Book Clubs

Introverts and quiet-seekers rejoice: Silent book clubs is a thing! It was created after two friends were over their demanding book club and there’s only one rule: silent reading between the ring of bells. You can meet up anywhere you’d like and aside from reading quietly for a portion of the time, you can discuss what you’d like and read what you’d like.

Patience and Fortitude Get 9 Week Makeover

Patience and Fortitude are the iconic lions that guard–chill outside–the New York Public Library and they’re set to get all spruced up starting in September. The $250,000 project will repair, clean, and restore the gentle giants, who you can learn more about here.

Libraries Continue To Be Awesome

Starting October 10th the Queens Public Library and the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the American Association of University Women will host free salary negotiation workshops for women. Read more about the “Ask for More” training sessions here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Postcards for a Songbird by Rebekah Crane.

J. D. Salinger Goes Digital

I’ve got to admit: I hadn’t noticed that J. D. Salinger’s books were unavailable in ebook format. I checked them off my reading list in high school way before ebooks were a thing. But it turns out that the first ebook editions of his work come out this week, just in time for this year’s crop of American Lit students to download.

Children’s Literature Takes On Climate Change

Some of the most impressive climate activists out there are the children who stand to lose the most by adults’ inaction. Those kids are inspiring their peers to read more about literally saving the world.

Nicely Done, Dave’s Drive-In Liquor Store

Jeff Rise was helping his local library move donated books to storage in between annual fundraising sales when he wondered if it might be better to get a local business to host the library sale year-round. His establishment, Dave’s Drive-In Liquor Store, became that business, and they’ve raised thousands of dollars.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendation service!

Get Ready For Bookstore Romance Day

The first Bookstore Romance Day is almost here: Saturday, August 17! What is BRD you ask? It’s a celebration, of course, for independent bookstores, readers, and writers to share their love of the romance genre. There’s going to be all kinds of exciting events happening around the country at independent bookstores so check it out here.

The Books Behind These ’80s Movies

Okay, so while I’m not sure Flowers In The Attic is a must-read for adults whose youth didn’t involve reading it way too early there are great reads on this list if you’ve yet to read them: Nora Ephron’s Heartburn and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, to name a couple.

Lucasfilm to Adapt Children of Blood and Bone!

It’ll be the first non-Star Wars/Indiana Jones project since the Disney acquisition. Since its move from Fox 2000 Rick Famiyuma (The Chi) is still poised to direct Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling fantasy novel and it looks like now Kay Oyegun (This Is Us) will write a new screenplay. For more details on this awesome project click here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by JIMMY Patterson Books.

These Authors Were Booksellers First

What authors are reading and what jobs they’ve had/have are things I’m always here for so thank you Electric Literature for this roundup of 14 authors who were booksellers. Some still work at bookstores and/or own bookstores!

Where Are Michigan’s School Librarians?

Here’s a look at the decline of schools in Michigan staffing librarians–“92% of schools statewide don’t employ a full-time, certified librarian.”–and the even more harmful impact it may have now that a new policy is poised to hold back 3rd graders who are behind in reading. You can read more here.

Concrete Cowboys In Production!

We get a lot of adaptation news that seems to either take forever to get to the stage of being in production or never gets there. Not the case with Concrete Cowboys, based on the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri, starring Idris Elba (Luther) and Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things), which is now in production. The novel is based on the real-life black urban horsemanship community in Philadelphia. This sounds awesome!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and Fierce Reads.

Urban Planner Brings Children’s Books Scenes To Life

Today in people-are-amazing-and-creative: Kauser Razvi, an urban planner, created Literary Lots, which makes temporary installations of children’s book scenes! “It’s a way of reusing space, re-imagining it, giving people feeling for curiosity and joy.”

Elizabeth Acevedo Film Adaptation!

After her success with her debut novel, The Poet X, Acevedo is showing she’s only just gotten started with her best-selling sophomore novel, With the Fire On High, now set for a film adaptation. Picturestart acquired the film rights and Acevedo is set to adapt the novel about a high school single mom with a passion for cooking who’s trying to figure out what comes next. Tip: always go with the audiobook if you can, Acevedo is an amazing narrator.

Baby-Sitters Club’s Casting!

We have our first two actors cast in the upcoming Netflix 10-episode series based on Ann M. Martin’s best-selling series: Alicia Silverstone and Mark Feuerstein. The Clueless and Royal Pains actors will play Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer and Watson Brewer. Read more about it here.

Editor’s Note: Apologies to those of you who received an older version of the newsletter yesterday. This was caused by a technical issue.

2019’s 24 Most Popular Sci-Fi & Fantasy Novels

Goodreads has got the data on the 24 most popular sci-fi and fantasy novels so far this year! Whether you’re a big fan of the genres already or looking to dip your toe in this is an excellent TBR list. It even includes some genre mixes, perfect for easing in, like Magic For Liars which gives you fantasy and a P.I. mystery. Check out all the books here.

Elizabeth Acevedo Film Adaptation!

After her success with her debut novel, The Poet X, Acevedo is showing she’s only just gotten started with her best-selling sophomore novel, With the Fire On High, now set for a film adaptation. Picturestart acquired the film rights and Acevedo is set to adapt the novel about a high school single mom with a passion for cooking who’s trying to figure out what comes next. Tip: always go with the audiobook if you can, Acevedo is an amazing narrator.

Baby-Sitters Club’s Casting!

We have our first two actors cast in the upcoming Netflix 10-episode series based on Ann M. Martin’s best-selling series: Alicia Silverstone and Mark Feuerstein. The Clueless and Royal Pains actors will play Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer and Watson Brewer. Read more about it here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendation service!

A Great American Author Has Passed Away

In incredibly sad news: Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison passed away in NY at the age of eighty-eight. The essayist, editor, and novelist of countless works–including Beloved and the most recent The Source of Self-Regard–can’t possibly be properly eulogized in a paragraph so I’ll just say we were incredibly blessed to live when she did and to know her words.

Hair Love To Premiere With Angry Birds 2

You can watch Matthew A. Cherry’s short film Hair Love in theaters August 14th as it’ll be playing before the film Angry Birds 2. The animation is based on the illustrations created by Vashti Harrison in the Hair Love book. For more, including a gorgeous screencap, read on here.

Hillary And Chelsea Clinton Team Up For Book

Both Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have respectively found great success as authors so it makes sense that they would team up to write a book: The Book of Gutsy Women will hit stores October 1st and will honor more than 100 great women. You can get all the details, including a look at the cover, here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Orca Book Publishers.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Writing Children’s Book

Let’s start Monday with the most delightful news: Meghan Markle is writing a children’s book. Like the majority of news surrounding the Duchess of Sussex this is of course leaked and has yet to be formally announced, or confirmed, but let us have this one! Especially since the book will likely be about her rescue dogs.

Self-Published Italian Author Signs Netflix Series Deal

Antonio Dikele Distefano, a formerly self-published Italian author, will have the hero from his novel Non ho mai avuto la mia eta (I was never my age) star in an upcoming Netflix series: Zero. Distefano, Italian screenwriters, and comic book artist Roberto Marchionni will write the script which will be an “original and unique exploration of the Milanese suburbs, a rich and diverse world of underrepresented cultures mixed with rap elements.”

The CW Changes How You’ll Stream Its Upcoming Shows

If you’re excited for The CW’s upcoming adaptations–Batwoman, Nancy Drew, Katy Keene–and don’t have cable, your streaming options will be The CW’s platform exclusively until a month before the next season is set to air, at which time it’ll move to HBO Max or CBS All Access (depending on the show). For more details on the in-season streaming rights click here.

Sponsored by Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendation service!

Melissa & Doug, Publishers

Anyone who has browsed children’s toys knows the Melissa & Doug brand. Now, browsers of children’s books will be coming across the name on a newly launched line of children’s books to be published in-house.

In More Kid Lit News

We just put out a Literary Tourism guide to Kansas City, and it will be out of date already by next year, for a most delightful reason. Former booksellers there are set to open a twentieth century children’s literature museum with immersive, inclusive exhibits.

Technically, Most Star Trek Properties Are Prequels to the Picard Show, but You Know What We Mean

If you’re a SFF Yeah! listener, you heard me and Jenn get excited about the announcement of a new Star Trek series featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Now there’s more to be pumped about: we’re going to get a prequel to the new show in the form of a novel and a comic miniseries!

Sponsored by Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendation service!

Amazon’s 20 Most Reviewed Books Ever

If you’ve been wondering what 20 books have the most reviews on Amazon have I got a list for you! Spoiler–and shocker!–Harry Potter isn’t on the list.

Ava DuVernay Reveals More On New Gods Adaptation

Ava DuVernay took to Twitter this week to reveal some tidbits on the upcoming film adaptation of DC’s New Gods: the main villains will be Female Furies and Darkseid. She also hints on someone from When They See Us joining the cast and answers why she chose Tom King as co-writer. For all those details read on here.

80% Of Books Published Between 1924-63 Are Now In Public Domain

Here’s an interesting look at the New York Public Library data-mining, 1976 Copyright Act, and how 80% of books published between 1924 and 1963 are now in the public domain. Spoiler: people didn’t renew their copyright registration. If you want to nerd purr read all about it here.