Books

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic circa 2020, there came the rise of virtual book clubs. With the strict adherence to social distancing rules, many started virtual book clubs in schools, libraries, or even just among friends. These virtual book clubs work in a similar way as those from Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. But here’s the most intriguing thing that came out of the pandemic: businesses that are not necessarily bookish in nature also started their own virtual book clubs. One such company is MUDWTR, a coffee brand...

Why do I pay attention to AAPI Heritage Month? As a school librarian, I spend a lot of time thinking about the diversity of my collection. I’m a white woman working in a school where white kids are a slight minority. I know that my ingrained racism keeps me from selecting books that are appropriate representative of the world unless I make a serious effort. One reliable way to naturally encourage diversity is to pay attention to heritage months. Of course, we need Black and Native American literature year round....

A couple of weeks back, I shared a roundup of pending legislation across several states and at the national level which would ensure the right to read. There is another bill worth highlighting during this legislative session that is making positive progress in Connecticut. Senate Bill 2, called the Act Concerning the Mental, Physical, and Emotional Wellness of Children, is a wide-ranging one covering everything from children’s mental health coverage to public libraries. Most pertinent to the ongoing removal of books from public and school libraries, though, is the bill’s...

The Killers of the Flower Moon trailer was released today. Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated new movie is based on the book by the same name that shows how the Osage Nation — who were the richest people per capita in the world in the ’20s — were slowly killed off. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, who narrates the trailer. The romance of Burkhart and Mollie Kyle (played by Lily Gladstone) helps tell the film’s story of greed, betrayal, and murder. The movie also stars Robert De Niro and Jesse Clemons,...

PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House, as well as a few authors and parents, filed a federal law suit today against Florida’s Escambia County School District. The authors who joined the suit — all of whom have had their books either removed or restricted by the school board — are Sarah Brannen, David Levithan, George M. Johnson, Ashley Hope Pérez, and Kyle Lukoff. The suit demands books that were taken out of school libraries be returned, stating that the removal of the books, which discuss LGBTQ+ and racial identities and racism,...

A recent poll asked 10,000 US and Canadian TikTok users between the ages of 18 and 45 if they are reading more because of BookTok, the bookish community on the social media platform. BookTok is widely believed to have driven a big bump in book sales and increased the popularity of reading in general. The survey was done in May 2023, and it found that 48% of TikTok users in The United States and 53% of Canadian users reported reading more because of the influence of BookTok. Users didn’t just...

The Nebula Awards were first awarded in 1966, and they recognize the best writing in science fiction and fantasy published in the U.S. the previous year. The winners of the 58th annual Nebula Awards, which consider works published in 2022, have just been announced! You can watch the whole ceremony on YouTube, or scroll down for the winners. Nebula Award for Novel Babel by R.F. Kuang Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion by K. Tempest Bradford Today In Books...

The Cure has been my favorite band since I was about 14. This was not too long after Wish came out, and while I enjoyed “Friday I’m in Love,” it was pretty far on the light side of pop for my 8th grade punk-grunge taste; I liked it, but I listened to Nirvana and the Ramones, so it was more of a “Thursday doesn’t even start.” But once I started listening to their back catalog, I was in love every day of the week. By 1996, I was such a...

Researching and reading books for this piece has been an unexpectedly needed experience for me. I may be speaking for myself, but when I think of “Asian horror” my first thoughts are of works in translation and their movie adaptations that make me want to pour bleach on my eyeballs. And I say that as a compliment. But as an Asian American myself, who also wants to be recognized as both an Asian AND an American, it both amazed (and horrified) me that Asian American and Pacific Islander authors did...

With Pride just a few weeks away, it’s time for library workers to start thinking about the where, how, when, and what of their book displays. We know that queer books remain among the most targeted in the current book ban ~curation~ wave and we also know that Pride displays have historically been among the catalysts for book banners to come out against the library. Groups like CatholicVote are planning their “Hide the Pride” agendas, which — unfortunately — are extremely successful, even in communities unused to seeing book challenges or bans....

Netflix has began filming an adaptation of Juan Rulfo’s Pedro Páramo, marking the directorial debit of cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. The highly influential Páramo is a modern Mexican classic that follows Juan Preciado after he promises his dying mother that he’ll meet his father for the first time. IN searching for his father, he finds a town inhabited by ghosts. Tenoch Huerta, who made a splash in last year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as Namor, will star as Juan Preciado, with Manuel García-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) starring as his father and the...

On Saturday, Twitter user bigolas dickolas wolfwood (@maskofbun) tweeted: read this. DO NOT look up anything about it. just read it. it's only like 200 pages u can download it on audible it's only like four hours. do it right now i'm very extremely serious. pic.twitter.com/Pzb2FWvFlg — bigolas dickolas woIfwood (@maskofbun) May 7, 2023 The follow up tweet says “*grabs you personally by the throat* you will do this. for me. you will go to the counter at barnes and noble. you will buy this. i will be greatly rewarded”...

The advent of machine learning algorithms in publishing ushered the era of online book recommendations. First there was Goodreads, and then came Amazon. And now, there’s Tertulia, which scrapes an excessive amount of public data to recommend books to its users. There are also others out there that function similarly, be it an app or a website. However, even with their prevalence these days, algorithms still make plenty of mistakes, and you would think twice about using it when you dig deeper and discover its limitations. But before we get...

Since its founding in 1917, the Pulitzer Prize has recognized excellence in journalism, arts, and literature. You can see the winners in all categories, including 15 Journalism categories, at the Pulitzer website. You can also watch the ceremony in full on YouTube below. Here are the 2023 Pulitzer Prize winners in the Books categories. Today In Books Newsletter Sign up to Today In Books to receive daily news and miscellany from the world of books. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. By signing up you...