Books

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Who’s ready to take a Judy Blume character quiz? Judy Blume books have been there for me at every age of my life. In elementary school, I laughed as my mom read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing out loud to me and my sister. I related to Margaret’s quest to discover who she is and where she fits in while reading Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret? I learned a lot about sex from the infamous Forever… and still reread Judy Blume’s adult book Summer Sisters on a...

It’s a new year, meaning that the groups and individuals creating hell for public educators will be developing their new plans for continued “work.” What began as an attack on “Critical Race Theory” in 2021 — spearheaded by the right-wing darling Christopher Rufo — has morphed into disdain for other categories of teaching and books, including “Social Emotional Learning” and “Comprehensive Sexuality Education” (yes, “sexuality”). These terms used by right-wing groups simply mean they don’t want their children “exposed” to any books by or about queer people or people of...

In a fantastic collaboration between two top-notch institutions working against censorship and book bans, high school students across the country are invited to apply to and take part in the Freedom to Read Advocacy Institute. Brooklyn Public Library–named Librarians of the Year from Library Journal for their Books Unbanned program–and PEN America–a leader in tracking and elucidating the current landscape of book bans–have teamed up to offer a four week, online training to help current high schoolers learn how to push back against the book bans impacting their schools, libraries,...

The official trailer for Lionsgate’s Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret adaptation has been released. The new movie is based on Judy Blume’s iconic coming-of-age novel with the same name that follows preteen Margaret Simon as she contends with a new school and longings to fit in. The trailer shows Margaret (played by Abby Ryder Fortson) learning about puberty, joining secrets clubs with friends, and praying for normalcy — all with nostalgic ’70s trappings. Margaret’s mother (played by Rachel McAdams) also tries to adjust to their new surroundings, as...

In addition to a list of the Most Anticipated 2023 horror releases, Goodreads has also released a Most Anticipated list for Science Fiction and Fantasy. They note that 2023 will be a great year for speculative reading, with a mix of releases of very buzzy books and those by popular authors, like Salmon Rushdie, Chloe Gong, Brandon Sanderson, Leigh Bardugo, and Martha Wells. Goodreads assembled the list by looking at a few things — books that had been shelved as “Want to read” by Goodreads members, author fanbase, and buzz....

Self-help has been a booming genre for adults for decades, with books available that can teach us everything from how to boost our self-esteem, overcome addiction, and deal with mental illness to how to actualise our wildest dreams. Adults often buy self-help when we reach a turning point in our lives, or find ourselves in a rut, and want to make some major changes. But what about children? Self-help books for kids are less of a well-known genre than their adult counterparts, because we don’t think of children as having...

Known for his novels exploring the wintry, rural lands of the Northeast including Sweet Hereafter and Affliction, as well as his award-winning work Cloudsplitter, which followed the life of abolitionist John Brown, author Russell Banks was considered by many to follow in the footsteps of other American authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Walt Whitman. Banks died this weekend in upstate New York at the age of 82. Born in Massachusetts and spending most of his childhood there and in New Hampshire, Banks grew up with a father who worked...

Paperbacks are the ideal book format for me. There’s no screen glare. There’s no figuring out how or where to store a dust jacket. There’s simply a flexible binding and cover that allow for folding and curling pages. I know — many of you likely flinched at the idea, and that’s fine. You can keep your books as pristine as you prefer. For me, I love giving my books a workout and putting them to use. As we settle in for the long cold season, I invite you, whatever your...

For a while, I thought I was an expert at recognising by the cover alone if a book was a young adult novel or a novel for adults. Then, one day, I picked up an audiobook I was absolutely convinced was YA, but got to such steamy scenes, that I had to stop in my tracks to reevaluate everything I thought I knew about book covers. I learned my lesson. Of course, while all this sounds like a mere lack of attention on my part – an assumption that all...

On the two year anniversary of the day when right-wing terrorist radicals attempted to overthrow American democracy, it seems fitting to talk a little bit about the groups across the country working to ensure democracy remains a fundamental right for every single person in this country. We’re deep into the second year of seeing books by and about queer people and people of color being demeaned, belittled, and ripped from public library and school shelves, thanks to groups — and people affiliated with groups — like those who attended the...

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting — who both starred in 1968’s Romeo and Juliet when they were 15 and 16, respectively — have sued Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million. The suit, filed Tuesday in the L.A. County Superior Court, alleges sexual abuse, harassment, and fraud. It comes as a result of the circumstances surrounding the film’s nude scene. Initially, director Franco Zeffirelli told the two teen stars they’d only be required to wear flesh-toned underwear for the scene, but the underwear changed to body makeup, and then finally...

In an email sent to victims on Tuesday, the office of the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said that Filippo Bernardini, the Italian citizen who was arrested last year on suspicion of stealing unpublished books, is expected to plead guilty to wire fraud on Friday. For years, Bernardini used his insider knowledge as a rights coordinator for Simon & Schuster UK in a phishing scheme. He impersonated publishing professionals by using things like small changes in email addresses and industry shorthand. Over five years, he targeted...

It’s January, which means it’s out with the Best Books of 2022 lists and in with the Most Anticipated Books of 2023 lists! Goodreads has gathered up the new releases already getting the most buzz in a variety of genres, including horror. They note that horror has increased in popularity in recent years, and that there has been a big influx of talented new authors in this genre, including more Indigenous authors, like Stephen Graham Jones, Jessica Johns, and Nick Medina. Here are just a few of the most anticipated...