Category: Today In Books

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Despite Book Bans, LGBTQ+ Fiction Sales Soar: Today in Books

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Includes Scene Created by 14-Year-Old

After Preston Mutanga recreated the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer with Legos, the 14-year-old was invited to work on the actual film! According to a new story in the New York Times, the film’s team reached out to Mutanga and invited him to help them work on a Lego scene for the movie, something writer-producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller had already planned for the movie. Mutanga’s parents agreed he could work on the project, but only after finishing his homework on school nights.

Despite Book Bans, LGBTQ+ Fiction Sales Soar

Book bans in the United States are at an all-time high, but so are LGBTQ+ book sales, according to a new study. Earlier this week, a report from Circana, a market research company that analyzes consumer behavior, reported that 6.1 million LGBTQ+ fiction books had been sold between May 2022 and May 2023. This is an 11% from the previous 12-month period and a 173% increase since 2019. “It is important to note that the growth in LGBTQ fiction has outpaced the overall market for fiction sales, including adult, kids’, and young adult fiction combined, which remained relatively flat,” Kristen McLean, books industry analyst at Circana, announced in a press release. “This growth comes at a critical time when reports of book bans have surged, predominantly targeting books written by or about the LGBTQ community and people of color.”

Used Bookstore in St. Petersburg, FL Sparks New Movement for More Access to Banned Books Nationwide

The Book Rescuer, a used bookstore based out of St. Petersburg, FL, is making it their mission to provide access to banned books. The Book Rescuer co-owner George Brooks explained, “We actually take the approach of any book that’s ever been challenged or banned, tried to remove from people’s access, and we want to highlight those books and get them into more people’s hands.” After he and he wife, Sarah, posted their bookshelf for banned books on Facebook, the co-owners received a large amount of support from readers nationwide. The couple told ABC News they actually sold out of several of their books after posting them online.

8 of Libro.fm’s Most Pre-ordered Books of Summer 2023

These are Libro.fm’s most pre-ordered books of summer 2023. What are you eager to listen to?

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California Kicks Off A Statewide Expansion of Dolly’s Library: Today in Books

Michael Caine Announces Debut Thriller to be Published in November

Oscar-winning actor Michael Caine has announced his debut novel, Deadly Game, will be published in November. The 90 year-old actor has wanted to write a thriller for years, and a news item is what finally inspired him to write a story about “the discovery of uranium by workers on a dump in London’s East End.” Caine told Xan Books, “I only read thrillers. I’m an adventure man, I’m not a literature person, so I’m not trying to replace Shakespeare here. But it’s based on something I once read about two dustmen, two rubbish collectors in the East End. And they find uranium in the rubbish.”

California Kicks Off A Statewide Expansion of Dolly’s Library

Imagination Library has announced a statewide expansion of Dolly’s Library in California. “We’re expanding over the next several years so all children under 5 in CA will be eligible for a free book each month, including a fully bilingual EN/SP book language option,” Imagination Library said in a Tweet. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gifts books to children from birth until the age of 5 at no cost to the parents. To learn more about the program, head to https://dollyslibrary.com/ca.

Pope Lonergan’s Memoir I’ll Die After Bingo to be Adapted for TV

Clarkson’s Farm producer Expectation will be adapting comedian Pope Lonergan’s memoir I’ll Die After Bingo for TV. The book is the award-winning author’s account of his time spent caring for the elderly over a decade. Lonergan says the TV version of the book will be “both light and dark; uncompromising, poetic and very funny.” A writer for the adaptation has yet to be announced.

Be Gay, Do Crime: 20 Must-Read LGBTQ+ Crime Novels

Check out these 20 LGBTQ crime novels in a range of genres that are full of elaborate plans, queer characters, and a whole lot of revenge!

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Meet the Painter Behind the Iconic Covers for THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB: Today in Books

Amanda Gorman Addresses Book Bans in First Interview Since Poem was Restricted at Florida School

On Wednesday, poet Amanda Gorman appeared on CBS Mornings in her first interview since her poem was challenged at a Florida school. Gorman said that now students have to prove that they have the appropriate “reading level” before accessing her poem “The Hill We Climb.” When she found out her poem was being restricted, Gorman said she felt “a mix of shock and sadness.” The poet said, “There’s a huge loophole that exists where we expect if a book isn’t burned behind the school and thrown away, that’s not a ban…I think we have to broaden our understanding of the restriction and removal that’s going on…Just because a book is still technically in circulation doesn’t mean that the access to that book has been preserved. If anything, we’re seeing a lot of rolling back of that access.”

Meet the Painter Behind the Iconic Covers for The Baby-Sitters Club

Love the original, iconic covers from Ann M. Martin’s Baby-Sitters Club series? Washington Post recently sat down with the now almost-80-year-old painter behind them. Hodges Soileau, who currently lives in Venice, FL, is the artist responsible for all of those covers you know and love, from Mary Anne Saves the Day to the VHS cover of The Baby-Sitters and the Boy Sitters. Soileau is now selling the original oil paintings and says there’s been a huge uptick in requests for the artwork lately. “Somebody did a blog or something. When they mentioned my name, I got a barrage of emails,” Soileau told the Washington Post. “I was in the middle of switching my website, so my website just blew up. There are more inquiries than I have paintings left. I have 85 remaining. I kept seven for myself. I’m trying to be fair.” You can read the full interview here.

Ibram X. Kendi has Remade Stamped from the Beginning as a Graphic Novel

Bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi has remade his groundbreaking book on racism Stamped from the Beginning as a graphic novel. The author collaborated with award-winning historian and comic artist Joel Christian Gill for the new book, which hit shelves yesterday. Kendi told CBS Mornings, “I believe in the power of graphic novels, the ability of comics to tell complex stories, even in a humorous fashion, and just I’m constantly thinking about ways to reach everyday people—young people and older people—with this history of racist ideas.” Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America is now available in bookstores everywhere.

What A Drag Story Hour Actually Looks Like

As drag story hour is contested across the nation, one writer details what the reading event is actually like.

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Cormac McCarthy to Write Film Adaptation of His Novel BLOOD MERIDIAN: Today in Books

Paste Reveals the Cover of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, author of 2021’s Ace of Spades, is back with a new novel, and Paste has the exclusive cover reveal. Àbíké-Íyímídé’s sophomore novel, Where Sleeping Girls Lie, is a contemporary YA mystery about a Nigerian-British student named Sade Hussein. Sade is just getting used to her new life at her elite British boarding school when her roommate mysteriously disappears. “Where Sleeping Girls Lie is, essentially, if the unfriendly Black hotties from Mean Girls were the main characters in a murder mystery,” the author says. The novel hits shelves March 19, 2024.

The Guardian Searching for New Writers of Color for the 4thWrite Short Story Prize

The Guardian is running a short story competition with publisher 4th Estate, and they’re looking for unpublished writers of color living in the UK. The winner of the 4thWrite prize will receive £1,000 and a one-day publishing workshop with 4th Estate. Additionally, the winner’s short story will be published on the Guardian website. Judges for the competition are author and previous winner Bolu Babalola (Love in Color, Honey & Spice); Cecile Pin, author of the Women’s prize-longlisted novel Wandering Souls; Kishani Widyaratna, editorial director at 4th Estate; Helena Lee, features director at Harper’s Bazaar; Justine Jordan, fiction editor at the Guardian; and Angelique Tran Van Sang, literary agent at Felicity Bryan Associates. Entries for this year’s competition are open until July 2.

Cormac McCarthy to Write Film Adaptation of His Novel Blood Meridian

Author Cormac McCarthy is currently working on a script for the film adaptation of his 1985 novel Blood Meridian. In April, it was announced that the film adaptation would be directed by John Hillcoat, who previously adapted McCarthy’s novel The Road. Hillcoat told Playlist‘s podcast that Cormac McCarthy “has become a dear, dear close friend, and over the years, we discussed how he had lost control of Blood Meridian, and it was a mutual task to get it back because he knew how to crack it. A lot of people have tried without his input.”

Describe Your Perfect Summer Day & We’ll Give You A Matching Queer SFF Read

Summer is on the horizon! Take our quiz and we’ll give you a queer sci-fi or fantasy book to dig into this summer.

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Alice Oseman Says HEARTSTOPPER Season 2 Will Be A Bit Darker: Today in Books

Utah School District Flags the Bible and the Book of Mormon for “Sensitive Materials Review”

On Friday, in the Davis School District in Utah, a complaint was filed asking that the Book of Mormon, a religious text for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be removed from the district’s libraries. The complaint is reminiscent of one filed in December against the Bible. Both complaints cited the passage of state legislation prohibiting “pornographic or indecent” materials in public school settings. Utah is not the first state where the Bible has been challenged. Similar complaints were filed in Texas, Florida, and Missouri.

Noah Baumbach to Publish First Book with Knopf

Filmmaker Noah Baumbach is set to publish his first book with Knopf. The writer-director’s currently untitled memoir was acquired in a highly competitive auction by Jordan Pavlin, Knopf SVP and Editor-in-Chief. Details about the book are still under wraps, but Baumbach is expected to examine key moments in his life and his relationship with the art of cinema. Noah Baumbach’s work can next be seen on screen this summer. He co-wrote the highly-anticipated new Barbie film with his partner Greta Gerwig.

Alice Oseman Says Heartstopper Season 2 Will Be “A Bit Darker”

At the 2023 Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman gave fans an idea of what they can expect from the Netflix series adaptation’s second season. “Season two’s aim was to capture the joy and the magic of season one while also feeling that the characters have grown up and matured a little bit, so we’re exploring some things that are maybe a little bit darker than season one,” they said. Oseman also said fans can expect “more asexual and aromantic representation” in the character of Isaac Henderson (played by Tobie Donovan). Heartstopper season two premieres on August 3.

Professional Book Nerd vs. ChatGPT: Who Recommended Better?

Armed with some sample surveys and a ChatGPT login, our human bibliologist goes head-to-head with ChatGPT’s algorithms to recommend books.

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Seven Seas Launches Siren Audiobook Imprint: Today in Books

Jeffrey Boakye’s I Heard What You Said Getting Series Adaptation

The UK’s Stigma Films snagged the TV rights for Jeffrey Boakye’s I Heard What You Said. The book, which was an Amazon Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2022, reflect on a Black male English teacher’s experiences working in a white education system. Boakye says his book is “an invitation for anyone and everyone to see deeper into modern education and understand the experiences of teachers and students in a world where racial inequality continues to feature. This announcement marks an opportunity for audiences to be immersed in a story that I know we can all learn from.” He added, “It’s an absolute honor to have Stigma Films at the helm of this exciting new adaptation.”

Tor.com Reveals Cover of The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

Tor.com has revealed the cover of The Butcher of the Forest by Nebula and Aurora Award-winning author Premee Mohamed. The publisher describes the book as follows: “At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless, foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic. Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the missing children of the Tyrant. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of a painful past. One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything.” The Butcher of the Forest is out from Tordotcom Publishing on February 27, 2024.

Seven Seas Launches Siren Audiobook Imprint

Seven Seas Entertainment has announced that it will launch a new audiobook imprint named Siren in June. The imprint will launch with three titles, all available in June: Classroom of the Elite (narrated by Eddie Lee), Reborn as a Space Mercenary (narrated by Fred Berman), and The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent (narrated by Veronica Taylor). Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed and is releasing the print novels for all three series.

A Ranking of Fictional Cats

What’s better than a book? A cat and a book. Let’s take stock of some of our favorite felines in fiction.

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Caster Semenya to Publish Memoir with Stormzy’s #Merky Books: Today in Books

Joe Abercombie’s Best Served Cold to be Adapted, with Rebecca Ferguson Set to Star

Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold is being adapted into a film, with Abercrombie signing on to write the script. Dune star Rebecca Ferguson is in talks to star in the movie, and Deadpool director and Love, Death & Robots creator Tim Miller will be helming the production for Skydance. There’s no news yet on when the project will go into production.

Caster Semenya to Publish Memoir with Stormzy’s #Merky Books

Stormzy’s #Merky Books will publish double Olympic champion Caster Semenya’s memoir this year. Semenya was born with a condition known as hyperandrogenism, which means she has higher than usual levels of testosterone, increasing her muscle mass, strength and ability to use oxygen. The Olympian is currently barred from competing in international events unless she takes medication to reduce her testosterone levels. Semenya hopes her memoir With The Race to Be Myself will “educate, enlighten and inform about how the world can welcome those born different.” The book is set to be published on October 31.

Author Ama Ata Aidoo Dies at Age 81

Ghanaian writer and academic Ama Ata Aidoo has died at age 81. Aidoo’s first novel was the semi-autobiographical Our Sister Killjoy, published in 1977. The author won the Commonwealth writers’ prize for best African book for her novel Changes: A Love Story in 1992. Since the news of her death, many authors have spoken out about their appreciation for Aidoo’s work. Zimbabwean author and activist Tsitsi Dangarembga said on Twitter, “We have lost a granary of wisdom & knowledge.” Writer Mona Eltahawy wrote, “So sad to hear that author Ama Ata Aidoo has passed. An inspiration to feminists everywhere, especially us African feminists.”

Drag Story Hour is Controversial, but Important

Drag Story Hours are being protested across the country. Here’s why it’s important, and why we should fight to keep it.

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RINGS OF POWER Star Sophia Nomvete Discusses Fighting Against Racist Backlash: Today in Books

Salman Rushie to Write A Book About Being Stabbed Onstage

Salman Rushdie told the Hay Literary Festival that he will be writing a book about being stabbed on stage in New York last year, an attack which left him without sight in one eye. During his pre-recorded Zoom appearance at the festival, the author said, “It will be a relatively short book, a couple of hundred pages. It’s not the easiest book in the world to write but it’s something I need to get past in order to do anything else. I can’t really start writing a novel that’s got nothing to do with this… So I just have to deal with it.” Rushdie was awarded this year’s Hay festival medal for prose for his novel Victory City. Rushie assured the Hay festival audience that he was doing okay, and he appreciated the positive response to his novel, which was written before the attack but published after.

Rings of Power Star Sophia Nomvete Discusses Fighting Against Racist Backlash

Sophia Nomvete, who plays Disa in Rings of Power, is opening up about the racist backlash she received upon joining the Tolkien universe. At The Hollywood Reporter’s second annual Raising Our Voices luncheon, Nomvete shared that being cast in the series “was a huge moment, both personally and professionally. And I think I kind of skipped in naively thinking that it’s gonna be great. I’m a dwarf, it’s gonna be such fun.” But the reality of being part of the widely-watched series was much different. “When the announcement came out and pictures went up about just our faces of who we were playing, I was statistically the most attacked castmember of the entire show,” she said. She confessed that even her family members were threatened. But Nomvete said she “realized that my place in this show is not just a celebration, it is an act of defiance against a reality that is simply not true, which is that we have no place on screens or in fantasy spaces.”

Vermont Bookstore Fights Book Bans with Pride Readathon for June

Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont, is fighting against book bans by hosting a Pride Readathon the entire month of June. Participants in the readathon will raise money for every LGBTQ+ book they read. The bookstore is hoping to raise $40,000 to support Outright Vermont’s Camp Outright, a summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids. A private donor has offered to match the funds raised up to $20,000 in the Pride Readathon. If you don’t wish to participate in the readathon, you are still welcome to donate. You can read more about the Pride Readathon here.

The 25 Best Horror Books of 2023

Get ready to get spooked. Find the best horror books 2023 has to offer that have defined the year in horror.

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GOOD OMENS Season 2 Opening Title Video Revealed Ahead of Prime Video Return: Today in Books

Vaseem Khan Becomes First Person of Color to Chair Crime Writers’ Association

Vaseem Khan has just been elected as the new chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, becoming the first person of color to chair the association in its 70-year history. Khan is the author of two crime series set in India. His best-selling novels include The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra and Midnight at Malabar House. Khan will hold the post for two years, and he wants to use his time to make the organization “a home for all crime writers, whether you’ve sold 10m copies or 10…Ultimately, the CWA should be about inspiring the next generation of crime writers.”

Good Omens Season 2 Opening Title Video Revealed Ahead of Prime Video Return

Amazon Studios has shared a video of the opening title for season 2 of Good Omens, ahead of of the season’s release. Based on Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 novel of the same name, Good Omens season 2 will, according to the synopsis, “explore storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale and Crowley. Having been on Earth since The Beginning, and with the Apocalypse thwarted, Aziraphale and Crowley are getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery.” The new season will be six episodes long, and it will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on July 28.

Two Connecticut School Board Members Resign Amid Book Ban Controversy

Two Republican members of the Newtown Board of Education in Connecticut resigned on Wednesday amid a book-banning controversy. Janet Kuzma and Jennifer Larkin left in the midst of a debate over the proposed banning of two coming-of-age novels in the high school library. Kuzma and Larkin both voted no on a motion to provide unrestricted student access to Flamer by Mike Curato and Blankets by Craig Thompson. The vote ended up in a 3-3 deadlock and was rescheduled to a special meeting this evening.

How Queer-Owned Bookstores are Celebrating Pride Month

From drag queen story hours to bookish dance parties, find out how queer-owned bookstores across the U.S. are celebrating Pride.

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Netflix Scraps THE SELECTION Movie Adaptation: Today in Books

Mara Wilson Voices Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus

For Chuck Tingle’s first full-length, traditionally published novel, Camp Damascus, actress Mara Wilson will be narrating the audiobook. “It’s a joy to bring Chuck Tingle’s work to life,” said Wilson in a statement about the upcoming horror novel. “His writing is frightening, funny, fearless, but ultimately, always sincere.” Audiobook and hardcover editions of the book will be published on July 18, 2023.

Netflix Scraps The Selection Movie Adaptation

After three years in development, Netflix has decided to scrap their adaptation of Keira Cass’ bestselling novel The Selection. The project was set to be directed by Saudi Arabian filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour. Katie Lovejoy was going to write the script, and Denise Di Novi and Pouya Shahbazian would serve as producers. However, in a recent blog post, Cass wrote, “Well, friends, it’s time to make it official: Netflix will not be making The Selection Movie…You all have waited so long, and I wish I could give you better news. I do want to thank you though. Your support and enthusiasm have been amazing.”

TIME Names the Best Books of 2023 So Far

With the half-way point of 2023 on the horizon, TIME has named its best books of the year so far. Included on the list are: A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung, King: A Life by Jonathan Eig, Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, Dyscalculia by Camonghne Felix, and Lone Women by Victor LaValle. To see the full list with descriptions, check out the article on TIME‘s website.

Daisy Jones and the Six Merch for Superfans

Pair these Daisy Jones and the Six items with the show soundtrack and convince people they really were the hottest band of the 1970s!