Category: Today In Books

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by All the Books, our weekly podcast about new book releases!

A Visual Medium Goes Aural

This fall, you’ll be able to read two dozen comic books…with your ears! Marvel has enlisted Dreamscape Media to adapt some of their classic comic books into an audiobook format available for purchase and borrowing.

This Review Is a Good Omen(s)

Have you watched the miniseries adaptation of the Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman novel Good Omens? At least one person has and enjoyed it. What did you think of the six-part adaptation?

Book Club Breakup Advice

Advice columnist (and author of Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things) Amy Dickinson surely chooses some of the most universal questions to answer. And if you, too, are wondering how to quit your book club, she’s got some tips.

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

Debbie Harry Memoir Publishing This Year

Face It, the memoir by Blondie’s Debbie Harry, will publish in October by Harper Collins. Blondie’s rise will be told through a combination of interviews and Harry’s essays. Learn more here.

Normal People Adaptation Gets Straight-To-Series Order

The much buzzed novel Normal People by Sally Rooney has gotten a straight-to-series order from Hulu for the 12-episode adaptation. The show will soon start filming and will air in 2020. Learn more about the novel and adaptation’s creators here.

Netflix Keeps Adapting YA Romance Novels

Following the success of Dumplin’ and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Netflix will be adapting three of Sarah Dessen’s novels: Once and For All; This Lullaby; Along For the Ride. You can look forward to upcoming casting and production news for Along for the Ride as it’ll be the first to be adapted to film.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest, and Fierce Reads.

Unseen Anne Frank Letters Translated To English

A series of letters written by Anne Frank, starting before she began writing her diary, have been published and translated to English for the first time. In letters written to her grandmother she talks about her preferred hair length, getting braces, and the rise of Nazis. Read quotes and more about the collection here.

The Wives Are The Gangsters Now

The adaptation of the comic book The Kitchen by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle now has a trailer! Watch Tiffany Haddish, Melissa McCarthy, and Elisabeth Moss become the mob bosses of New York while their husbands are in jail. Have the popcorn ready for August 9th when the film hits theaters.

Tony Robbins’ Upcoming Book No Longer Slated To Release

A Tony Robbins coauthored book with a July release date is no longer set to release after allegations “that Robbins has berated victims of rape and domestic violence, while former staffers and fans have accused him of groping audience members, exposing himself to women assistants, and sexually harassing fans.” Robbins’ lawyer says the book is just delayed but a source at Simon & Schuster said “We are not proceeding with publication of The Path.” You can get all the details here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Plus One from HarperCollins 360.

Four New Harry Potter Ebooks

Next month Pottermore will be releasing four new Harry Potter ebooks that will be nonfiction about “the traditional folklore and magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories.” Each book will center a Hogwarts curriculum so I guess we all get to go to school without ending up with student loan debt.

Shakespeare In The Park Led By Danielle Brooks

Now playing through June 23rd you can see Much Ado About Nothing at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. It has a hell of a cast, all Black, with Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black) headlining as Beatrice. For ticket information click here.

The Goldfinch Trailer

The adaptation of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch has a trailer! Starring Nicole Kidman and Ansel Elgort, the story follows a grieving boy and the painting he stole.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Page Chaser Deals.

Is Your Copy Of Harry Potter Worth A Fortune?

There’s been some news lately of Harry Potter books selling for quite some money so naturally one would wonder: Do I have a rare copy that could have money raining down on me too? Click here to check the details in each book that you’d be looking for to find out if you have a rare, valuable copy.

Scottish Castle Library? No, Thank You!

At least that’s what residents around an exclusive all-boys school in Bellevue Hill, Australia are saying of plans to build a Scottish castle style library. Why? Because it’ll block their view of the harbor. Check out here what the library upgrade would look like and all the plans for the opulent space.

Have You Been Waiting For a Jonas Brothers’ Memoir?

You’re getting one! Blood will release November 12th and detail the rise, fall, and comeback of the brothers’ band. You can check out the cover, and Instagram announcement, here. And yes, it’s already up for pre-orders.

Sponsored by Amazon Publishing

No Current Living Adult Will Get To Read Han Kang’s New Manuscript

Katie Paterson’s Future Library art project continued with Han Kang’s manuscript being locked away for 95 years. At that time 1,000 Norwegian spruces, which were planted in 2014 at the start of this project, will be cut down to print the manuscript–along with the other participating author’s works. Check out the ceremony, and other authors, here.

Public Libraries + Affordable-Housing Projects

Chicago has new affordable-housing for seniors that is co-located with a new library branch: Northtown Branch. The project was designed through a competition in 2016 and the picture is gorgeous. Read on here for more on the architecture firm and the amazing project. Here’s hoping this combination catches on.

Jessica Jones Final Season Is Almost Here

If you’ve been waiting for the third, and final season, of Jessica Jones to premiere on Netflix your wait is almost over: The entire season, 13 episodes, will be streaming on June 14th.

This edition of Today In Books is sponsored by Amazon Publishing.

Get a Clue Comic Book

Board game, cult film, and now comic book miniseries! Clue: Candlestick by Dash Shaw is a surreal psychological thriller. Pick it up for fun sequential art sleuthing.

Little Free Library Is 10 Years Old

The Wisconsin nonprofit that inspired all the take-a-book-leave-a-book boxes peppered in neighborhoods around the world turned 10 this month. Check out the #LFL10 hashtag on social media to see how people have been celebrating.

Taking the “Book” Out of “Bookshelf”

Are your bookshelves teeming with tomes? Here are some design tips for giving those bookcases a makeover with trinkets, plants, and art (but only if you want to).

Sponsored by Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.

University Library Discovers 3 Poisonous Books

While poisonous books make for a great item in a fictional plot, we don’t really want them on the shelves of libraries in real life. Which is what happened at the University of Southern Denmark library which found they had three books, from 16th and 17th centuries, with covers containing large amounts of arsenic. Read here for all the interesting details and tests.

Tilda Swinton Curates Orlando Exhibition And Magazine Issue

Talk about a role that stayed with an actor: 27 years after starring in the adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, Swinton has chosen Orlando as the theme for an exhibit and magazine issue from Aperture. If you’ll be in New York between May 25th and July 11th you can check out the exhibition at Aperture Gallery. For now look at these gorgeous images.

Another Study Proves Books Are Amazing

A study by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has found that toddlers who are regularly read to “are less likely to be hyperactive or disruptive” and those doing the reading “are less likely to engage in harsh parenting.” Another win-win for books and reading! You can read all the details here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Tor Teen, publisher of Dark Shores by USA Today bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen. High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in this thrilling first book in a new YA fantasy series.

Instead Of Dowry, Almost 1,000 Books Gifted

Suryakanta Barik made clear to his prospective in-laws that he would not accept a dowry. They obliged and instead gifted him almost 1,000 books, which were stacked at the wedding. A wedding registry of just books should really be a thing.

Time’s Best Fiction And Nonfiction Of 2019 So Far

Time put out some Best of 2019 So Far lists and I had to share the fiction and nonfiction lists because they are mighty good lists. So if you’re sliding into this U.S. holiday weekend needing some good reads or looking for what to put on your summer reading list Time has some great choices.

The Critical Role Libraries Play As “Second Responders”

Hopefully by now we all realize that libraries play a much larger role than a building full of books–and have done away with the stereotypes of being shushed etc. But did you know many libraries take on the role of “second responder?” Read on here for how the community turns to them “to fill gaps and offer help when normal channels are inaccessible” like during riots, hurricanes, power outages. They are the helpers.

Sponsored by We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal and Fierce Reads.

Significant Carrie Fisher Appearance In Upcoming Star Wars Film

Prepare the tissues and bucket of ice cream to sob into: J.J. Abrams has revealed that Carrie Fisher, who passed away in 2016, will have a significant appearance in the upcoming Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker. To learn more about the how click here.

Penguin Random House Acquired 45% Stake In Sourcebooks

The world’s largest trade book publisher saw the growth in Sourcebooks’ seven imprints and children’s publishing and said we want, apparently. While a new five-person management board has been created with the new acquisition it is being “emphasized that little will change in day-to-day operations at Sourcebooks.”

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Will Say Goodbye

After 58 issues, two volumes, and an original graphic novel The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl team has decided to ride out into the sunset on a high note. Basically, they told the stories they wanted to tell and issue #45, out next month, will be its last chapter. Sad, but a much nicer alternative to being cancelled and never finishing a story. Here’s the exclusive exit interview.