Category: Today In Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins and Fierce Reads.

The Political Scandal Surrounding A Children’s Book

Let’s catch-up shall we: Catherine Pugh is the Mayor of Baltimore and has a self-published children’s books, Healthy Holly. Recent reports have taken a look at the Mayor’s lucrative deals surrounding Healthy Holly and accused her of “self-dealing.” Maryland’s governor asked the state prosecutor to investigate the allegations. Mayor Pugh announced yesterday an indefinite leave of absence due to pneumonia. You can keep up with the developments here.

Children’s Books Without A Scandal News

Lupita Nyong’o revealed her upcoming children’s book cover and please ready all the heart eyes emojis! Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, is the story about a little girl in Kenya who has the darkest skin in her family and out of anyone she knows, and “a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.” It’ll be on bookshelves October 1st. Why so far away?!

Another Trailer!

Avengers: Endgame (April 26th) dropped another special look trailer today. It’s angsty and the wrong Chris has a beard but I’m still gonna watch it! Oh, yeah, and tickets are officially on sale now!

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

100 Years Of Literary Hoaxes

Regardless of where you land on loving/loathing April Fools’ Day you’ll probably find this roundup of literary hoaxes The New York Times put together entertaining. While you’ll probably remember James Frey’s (fabricated) story, this takes a deep dive into history and has many literary fraudsters you probably didn’t know about.

The Search for America’s First Published Poet’s Burial Site

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Woman’s legacy and work forgotten throughout history. The first North American continent’s poet was Anne Bradstreet (The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America) and now Merrimack College students and professors are on a quest to find her burial site. Learn more about Bradstreet and the Finding Anne Bradstreet project here.

Spanish Audiobook Publishers Changing With Market

A recent study, Profile of the Spanish Audiobook Market, found that there’s been a shift from the U.S. being the largest market for Spanish audiobooks published by Spain and Latin America to Spain and Mexico being the largest market for these books. The reason? Basically better quality and access. Also, less narrators with Castilian accents for Latin American consumers. Read more on this growing market here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by MIRA Books and Park Row Books and their Books about Books campaign.

To Kill A Mockingbird Will Tour The U.S.

If you’ve been wanting to see Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird but haven’t been able to make it to Broadway you may get lucky and have it come to your city. The coast-to-coast tour will start in August 2020 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Libraries And The Homeless Community Centered In New Film

Emilio Estevez’s new film, The Public, looks at the complicated relationship between the homeless community and libraries by centering the Cincinnati Public Library during freezing weather conditions. Estevez, who wrote and directed, stars in the film as a librarian when a group of homeless men decide to stage a protest and not leave the library.

Shopaholics Unite

We’re getting a new Becky Bloomwood novel! Sophie Kinsella announced that there will be a new book in October: Christmas Shopaholic. Now if we can just find a new term for chic lit I am totally here for a comeback of this genre.

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

Denzel Washington + Frances McDormand = MACBETH Adaptation

Joel Coen is writing, and will direct, a film adaptation of Macbeth and Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand are in talks to join the production. They have my full attention and I request to please be a fly on the wall during this production.

Calling Non-Scaredy Cats

The teaser trailer for the adaptation of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is here–if you’re brave enough. “You don’t read the book. The book reads you.” EEP!

Librarian Of Congress Named Karyn Temple United States Register of Copyrights

Congrats to Karyn Temple who is the 13th United States Register of Copyrights, and the first person of color to have the job. You can learn more about Temple and the drama surrounding the position and copyright reform here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle.

Novelist Says He’s Being Sued By Egypt For Insulting The State

Alaa Al Aswany said in an interview that he’s been “referred to a military court, accused of having insulted the head of state and incited hatred against the regime, as a result of my most recent novel and what I write for DW.” His recent novelThe Republic, As If, which is banned in Egypt, is set during the 2011 uprising and “criticizes Egypt’s state institutions, parliament, constitution and courts.”

Big Library Read Has Chosen Its Next Book

Three times a year BLR brings the same ebook to readers all over the world–with access to OverDrive/Libby/Sora–without any hold times or wait lists. It’s awesome. And they’ve selected the book that will be available for download April 1st -15th: Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr Al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung. Read more about the selection and how you can get it here.

2019 Writers For Hope Auction Items

In a time where everything is on fire, look for the helpers and be a helper. Starting April 1st you can bid on a bunch of donated services perfect for writers and a slew of books/bookish items, with all proceeds going to RAINN. You can see all the items and get all the info here and you can follow Writers For Hope on Twitter here.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, publishers of The Handmaid’s Tale Graphic Novel.

The Princess Bride Musical Is Coming

Disney Theatrical  has confirmed that William Goldman’s The Princess Bride novel will be getting a musical stage adaptation and I’m already singing “As you wiiiiiiiiiish” at everyone. Click here for more on the talent creating the play and to see the adapted film’s trailer.

Petition Urges Waterstones To Pay Booksellers Living Wage

1,300+ writers are backing Waterstone’s staff after their petition called on managing director James Daunt to pay the book chain’s booksellers a starting living wage (£9 an hour/ £10.55 in the Greater London area). “Daunt said the writers were ‘preach[ing] to the converted”, but that the book chain could not yet afford a pay increase, two years after returning to profit: ‘A progressing pay structure based on a floor of the real living wage is highly desirable. If we can continue to grow profitability, this will be possible.'”

Dream Team Adapting Octavia Butler’s Novel

This is already gold in my book, based on the team behind it: Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s production company, and written by Nnedi Okorafor and Wanuri Kahiu. They’ll be adapting Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed, the first in her sci-fi Patternmaster series, for Amazon.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Designs on Murder by Gayle Leeson.

Oprah Is Building The Biggest Book Club On The Planet

Do we expect anything less? Oprah announced that, along with two documentaries, she’s working with Apple TV Plus “building the biggest, most vibrant, most stimulating book club on the planet… I want to literally convene a meeting of the minds connecting us through books.” There aren’t many details yet because Apple–*shakes fists*–but I look forward to Oprah screaming “And you get a book!”

Anthony Bourdain Book Tribute

CNN compiled photographs and tributes of Bourdain for his daughter as a keepsake gift, and his estate decided to also publish it as a book for his fans. Anthony Bourdain Remembered will publish on May 28th–have tissues handy.

Newest Development: 2019 RITA Finalists

The 2019 RITA Finalists were announced last week and, again, RITA was really white. The racial bias/racism in Romance publishing and the RITAs (the highest industry award for romance authors) has been pointed out so many times that it’s happening again had many rightfully angry and frustrated. RWA President HelenKay Dimon has released a statement with the steps RWA intends to take.

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by TheNOVL.

$1.57 Million In Library Fines To Go Bye-Bye

Having already recommended eliminating library fines, the San Francisco Public Library Commission has now voted to forgive the 248,569 patrons who owe $1.57 million. Here’s to more libraries realizing these fines and loss of lending privileges “disproportionately impacts residents of lower socioeconomic status.”

Calling All J.R.R. Tolkien Fans

The Tolkien Fandom Oral History Project is looking for fans to tell them why Tolkien is the best author ever. They hope to collect 6,000 oral histories for the project. On this day, March 25th, that the ring was destroyed, go forth and read more about how to participate in this project.

The Robots Are Coming!

Or are they? The Guardian takes a look at recent announcements of what AI is capable of–writing news stories and fiction ON ITS OWN. How it could be used for bad like generating “deepfakes for text.” And if it’s anywhere close to replacing authors. More on *whispers* they’re coming here.

Sponsored by our What’s Up in YA Giveaway of a $100 gift card to Amazon! Enter here.

Fake It Till You Make It, I Guess

Remember that bananapants story about Dan Mallory, a.k.a. A.J. Finn, the guy who faked a bout with cancer, pretended to be British, and left cups of urine in his office? Turns out all of that behavior got him… nominated for a British Book Award. Oh, ok.

Here So White, There So White, Everywhere So White White

It’s no shocker to anyone that BIPOC representation is lacking in publishing, but some new data on the RITAS is next-level disappointing.  Hashtags #ritassowhite , #ritadata , and this thread on 20 years of RITA data show that the RITAs average only 4% representation of BIPOC. *shakes fists at the sky*

The Emperor of All Science Writers

First: I really wanted to call this section “The Emperor of All Mukherjees.” Second: Siddhartha Mukherjee deserves all of the prizes for his contributions to oncological research, patient care, and his accessible, informative, and demystifying writing on cancer. Good thing the folks who award the Lewis Thomas prize agree.