Category: Today In Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Reluctant Fortune-Teller by Keziah Frost, new from Park Row Books.

The Women’s Prize For Fiction Longlist

The UK Prize celebrating excellence, originality, and accessibility in writing by women throughout the world announced the 2018 longlist on International Women’s Day. The 16 longlisted fiction titles include The Idiot by Elif Batuman, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, and, not missing a beat, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Look for the shortlist on April 23.

New York Times Launches Overlooked With Overdue Obituaries For 15 Women

The section will feature new obituaries for those “who left indelible marks but were nonetheless overlooked.” Writers like Ida B. Wells who reported on lynchings in the Deep South, feminist poet Qiu Jin, Sylvia Plath, and Nella Larsen were included in the list of 15 “overlooked” women highlighted in the kickoff piece. White men have historically claimed the majority of the Times’ obituary space, and just over one in five of its subjects were female in the last two years.

Watch The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Teaser

Hulu released the teaser trailer for the second season of The Handmaid’s Tale. Count on being disturbed. Elisabeth Moss returns as one of the handmaids in the dystopian society of Gilead for the television series adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel. The first season won two Golden Globes. Season 2 premieres April 25 on Hulu.

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Sponsored by In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira

Florida’s “Marshall” Program May Arm School Librarians

Florida lawmakers have been grappling with how to respond to the horrific Parkland school massacre. Arming teachers is a “solution” presented with some frequency, but Florida lawmakers have decided against it–in favor of instead arming school librarians, counselors, coaches, and other school employees. The $67 million program would “allow school superintendents to work with local sheriffs to train and arm designated personnel on campus.”

Nick Offerman Joins Amazon’s “Good Omens” Cast

A casting announcement that has me suddenly interested in watching Good Omens! Parks and Rec’s Nick Offerman “will play the U.S. Ambassador and father of the child Warlock in the six-part series, which is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.” Michael Sheen, David Tennant, and Jon Hamm are also starring.

Other Previews and Things!

Why yes there is a preview for Season Two of Luke Cage. And for the adaptation of Sweetbitter. Aaannnddd the Christopher Robin movie. And Marry Poppins Returns! Go forth and multimedia. Which is now a verb, apparently.

Today’s edition is sponsored by The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Sherman Alexie’s Accusers Go on the Record

Sherman Alexie has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct in the past few weeks, but none had come forward on the record until now. The accusations have been swirling around the bookish internet but hadn’t been set fourth by any kind of paper or site of record; however, they’ve generated enough attention that Alexie released this head-scratcher of a statement last week. The NPR article isn’t easy reading.

Barnes and Noble Starts a Nationwide Book Club

Want to join a book club, but don’t want to start one on your own? Your local bookish big box store is here to help! Barnes and Noble is launching their own nationwide book club starting in May–Meg Wolitzer’s newest novel The Female Persuasion is the first pick. The store will be selling a special in-house edition of the book, complete with a reader’s guide.

Philip Pullman Calls for Higher Pay for Authors

The His Dark Materials author (and President of the Society for Authors) has a bone to pick with publishers: their profit margins are increasing while pay to authors is decreasing. Specifically, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster report profits of 16% while authors make only 3% of those profits. It’s well known that writing isn’t generally a source of a living wage for most authors, and perhaps publishers could do something about that.

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This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Vale by Brian D. Anderson.

James Ivory Wins Oscar for Call Me By Your Name Screenplay

Tonight, James Ivory won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his script for Call Me By Your Name. The movie was based on the novel by the same name by Andre Aciman which was published in 2007. James Ivory, a legendary master especially of literary adaptations, became the oldest Oscar winner ever at 80 years of age.

First Trailer for Mary Poppins Returns

We got our first trailer yesterday for this Fall’s Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The allusive trailer shows the patched-up kite and iconic 17 Cherry Tree Lane from the original film, though precious little else, save from a couple of shots of Miranda and a young boy trying to fly the kite in a storm. Marry Poppins Returns arrives in theaters Christmas day.

Idaho School District Removes Looking for Alaska from All Middle School Libraries

Following a complaint from one parent, the West Ada School District in Idaho pulled all copies of John Green’s Looking for Alaska from its middle school library shelves. West Ada District Chief Communication Officer Eric Exline said that the complaint centered on “description of pornography, there’s smoking, and the book ends with a kind of question about a possible suicide.”

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Everything is Horrible and Wonderful by Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

Little Fires Everywhere TV Series

Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel Little Fires Everywhere is getting a television series adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. Witherspoon’s company, Hello Sunshine, secured the rights to the book shortly after its publication, and the series is currently undergoing a bidding war among multiple premium cable and streaming networks. Ng will produce the adaptation of her story about the events surrounding the adoption of a Chinese baby, and that divide a wealthy suburb.

Barnes & Noble Will Open 5 Prototype Stores

After a disappointing third quarter in sales, B&N announced the opening of five smaller, book-focused prototype stores. With music and DVD offerings scaled back, the prototypes will be around 12,000 square feet smaller than their typical stores. The chain also plans to tie the physical stores closer to BN.com. Customers will be able to purchase books online, and pick up the title at their local store within an hour.

Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Telling Will Get Big-Screen Adaptation

Le Guin was working on the adaptation with producers before she passed away in January. The Telling is a science fiction novel following Sutty Dass who learns more about herself and the old religion of an alien civilization after leaving war-torn earth. The film will be written and directed by Leena Pendharkar (20 Weeks, Raspberry Magic), and a theatrical release is planned for 2019.

And don’t forget to head over to our Instagram account to enter to win $500 of Penguin Clothbound classics!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by I Stop Somewhere by TE Carter.

Neil Gaiman Announces New Sandman Comics

DC Comics is launching a Sandman Universe line of four new comic series. Gaiman will oversee the books and plot out The Sandman Universe #1, but it will be written by new creative teams. The writers attached to the project include Nalo Hopkinson, Kat Howard, Si Spurrier, and Dan Watters. The Sandman Universe launches this August with a one-shot special. Click here for more on what’s to come, and an interview with Neil Gaiman.

Sherman Alexie Acknowledges Sexual Misconduct Allegations

An update on the Sherman Alexie story where multiple people made allegations of sexual harassment against the author: Alexie issued a statement. In it, he said, “There are women telling the truth about my behavior and I have no recollection of physically or verbally threatening anybody or their careers.” Of author Litsa Dremousis’ involvement in the reports of his abuse–she wrote that she’d known about the allegations against him for months–Alexie said she was spreading rumors, and that they had had an affair that ended in 2015. Dremousis says she and NPR have been interviewing women, on the record, about Alexie’s abuses.

BBC Developing Discworld Miniseries

BBC Studios is developing a six-part series based on Terry Pratchett’s epic Discworld series. Deadline reported rumors of Simon Allen, who has written series including Strike Back and The Musketeers, writing the series. The working title of the Discworld adaptation is The Watch, and it’s being co-produced with Narrativia, founded by Pratchett, and now run by his daughter Rhianna and his former business manager Rob Wilkins.

And don’t forget to head over to our Instagram account to enter to win $500 of Penguin Clothbound classics!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Blackstone Publishing, publisher of The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard.

Sherman Alexie Facing Harassment Allegations

Organizations and individuals who have supported Sherman Alexie are rethinking their involvement with the author and his work in light of allegations of harassment made against him in the comments section of the School Library Journal piece where other prominent figures in publishing were called out for abuse. Alexie won ALA’s Carnegie Medal for nonfiction, and was highlighted for his work with the Institute of American Indian Arts in a BuzzFeed article around the time the allegations surfaced.

Black Panther Actors Reunite For Americanah Adaptation

Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira, who played Nakia and Okoye in Black Panther, will reunite for a miniseries adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. Nyong’o will star as protagonist Ifemelu, and Gurira, who is a playwright in addition to being an actor, will write the screenplay. Both women will also serve as executive producers.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide Returns As Radio Series Reboot

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the radio series adaptation of Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the BBC is rebooting the series, and reuniting its original cast. The new series will combine unpublished material from Adams’ notebooks and newer plotlines from And Another Thing, Eoin Colfer’s book continuing the saga. The 40th-anniversary series starts on BBC Radio 4 on March 8.

And don’t forget to head over to our Instagram account to enter to win $500 of Penguin Clothbound classics!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Vale by Brian D. Anderson.

Bookstore Boycotts FedEx Over NRA Ties

Changing Hands Bookstore has made the decision to boycott FedEx because of the shipping company’s ties to the National Rifle Association. The bookstore is one of a number of companies joining the boycott against NRA-tied businesses. Largely driven by the teenage survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting, the boycott has compelled most of these businesses to drop their NRA discount programs.

Amazon Publishing To Launch Imprint Highlighting Marginalized Writers

Amazon Publishing’s Topple Books imprint will be helmed by Jill Soloway, and will aim to highlight the works of women of color, gender non-conforming, and queer writers. A social activist and creator of the Amazon award-winning series Transparent, Soloway will serve as the imprint’s editor-in-chief. Topple will focus on narrative nonfiction and fiction from emerging and established authors, and the imprint’s first books are due out in 2019.

Explore Google’s Interactive Harry Potter Exhibit

Tomorrow, the British Library will close its doors on Harry Potter: A History of Magic–their hugely successful exhibit featuring artifacts and more from Rowling’s Wizarding World–but through a partnership, Google has made the exhibit accessible online. Visitors to the interactive Google Arts & Culture event can explore ten original exhibits in six languages. This includes interviews, artwork, and historical artifacts related to witchcraft. Click here to visit the online exhibit.

And don’t forget to head over to our Instagram account to enter to win $500 of Penguin Clothbound classics!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by The Birthday Girl by Sue Fortin.

Watch The Fahrenheit 451 Trailer

HBO released the first full trailer for the adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, arriving on small screens in May. Every reader’s nightmare, this is the classic dystopian story about a society where books are outlawed and burned. The film stars Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther) as the story’s protagonist, Guy Montag. HBO has not released a specific date for Fahrenheit 451.

We’re Getting A Michelle Obama Memoir This Fall

The former First Lady’s memoir, Becoming, will be out November 13. Becoming will chronicle the experiences that shaped Michelle Obama, following her life from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her time at the White House. According to her publisher, Penguin Random House, the book will describe “her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it.” Obama announced her book on Twitter over the weekend.

Terry Goodkind Calls His Book Cover “Laughably Bad” On Facebook

The fantasy author publicly aired his grievances with the book cover art for Shroud of Eternity, his most recent work, by writing a Facebook post calling it “laughably bad,” and inviting readers to share their thoughts in a poll. Those polled were entered to win a signed copy of the book. After the cover artist Bastien Lecouffe Deharme responded to the post, calling out Goodkind for being disrespectful (and receiving support from established authors), Goodkind issued an apology.

And don’t forget to head over to our Instagram account to enter to win $500 of Penguin Clothbound classics!

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio.

Amazon Taking The Dark Tower to Series

Look, the recent film adaption/series launch of The Dark Tower could have been good, but it wasn’t. Reallllllly wasn’t. And considering the length of the book series, a film franchise wasn’t the best fit for it: TV was, especially this new era of high-budget, high concept TV. And Amazon is reportedly ponying up for a big-time Dark Tower series. Here’s hoping this version of The Gunslinger reaches its potential.

Title and Publication Date for Michelle Obama’s Memoir

We knew that Michelle Obama’s memoir was coming, but we didn’t know what it would be called or when. Now we do. Becoming will be released in the U.S. this November 13th (with a retail price of $32.95 I might add). It might be noted that this will be right after the 2018 midterm elections.

Getting Underprivileged Kids Tickets for A Wrinkle in Time

AMC Theaters is partnering with Colors of Change to get tickets to A Wrinkle in Time into the hands of underprivileged kids. Funneling private donations from various sources to one clearing-house that can distribute the tickets to schools, libraries, and other community groups will bring some scale and structure to a groundswell of desire to help kids see A Wrinkle in Time that might not otherwise be able to.