Books

With human activities directly and indirectly leading to the decimation of the diversity of animals on the planet, scientific study of animals, in order to understand how best we can protect them, is more important than ever. At a time when human lives are becoming more and more isolated, both from nature and from meaningful human connections, reading about the fascinating science of the animal world, and marveling at the interconnectedness of our existence in it, can be a cathartic, reassuring experience. Other animals’ interactions with each other, and with...

Remember that survey of literary agents put together a month ago to see what the reality is in publishing right now related to book bans? It was widely shared across social media, as well as through several other online literary outlets. Today, let’s look at what was said. . . . . 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 agree to...

The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyers will be adapted for television by Lionsgate Television. The new Twilight show comes years after the film adaptation of the bestselling book series earned more than $3.4 billion internationally. Though the production is still in its earliest stages, what is known so far is that Sinead Daly (The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Raised by Wolves) is set to write the script, and Stephenie Meyer will be involved in the production. Lionsgate, who released Twilight’s film adaptations, plans to remain in control of the project...

The Boston Public Library is the latest in a string of public libraries in metropolitan areas to plan for co-location. Co-location is when housing is combined with other public services, like public libraries and radio studios, for instance. The president of the Boston Public Library, David Leonard, explained how combining affordable housing with public libraries serves communities in more ways than either structure could by itself. In addition to helping Boston’s affordable housing shortage, the initiative will also provide much needed renovations to a couple of its already existing branches,...

Honoring the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, the International Booker Prize has announced its 2023 shortlist. The prize is awarded every year to a single book translated into English and published in the UK and Ireland. It aims to encourage more publishing and reading of international fiction from all over the world and to promote and recognize the vital work of translators. The £50,000 prize is split between the winning author and translator. The winning title will be announced at a ceremony at Sky Garden in London...

There are a lot of great robots in science fiction. In fact, when you think of the science fiction genre, robots are on of the first things that comes to mind. But what makes a robot great? What makes for the best sci-fi robots from books? Is it their capability? Is it their personality? Or something else? Probably it’s a little bit of everything. Robots have been around in some form or another for a century. In fact the word “robot” was first used in R.U.R, a play by Karel...

Roald Dahl’s books are being edited to make them less offensive. Joke is, nothing has really changed. No matter how many tweaks are made to try and push classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into more politically correct territory, Dahl’s books are still harmful. There are a number of things that make defending Roald Dahl a questionable move, but I’d like to address the way his books reinforce stereotypes about physical attractiveness. Dahl wasn’t creative enough to make his antagonists’ actions reveal their character, and his shortcuts in using...

Though we have been deep in the current wave of book bans for over two years, new groups and organizations continue organizing campaigns to raise awareness of the situation. There are so many big and small groups doing good work on the issue, and they have done tremendous work in not only ensuring that people know about book bans but that they have access to resources, tools, and support to take action. Unfortunately, we’re well past the needs of more hashtag activism and online resources to bring attention to book...

If you want a peek into the workroom, the real T on the untucked lounge, and perspectives on what’s next in drag, check out these books by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants and winners. These drag queens bring humor, heart, and plenty of originality from the main stage to the book page. Some of them even include photos, life advice, and recipes. And after that, we’ve got some bonus recommendations from RuPaul and other icons in the world of drag. Put on your most bedazzled reading glasses, because the library is...

Mystery writer Anne Perry has died at 84. The author, born Juliet Marion Hulme, passed away in a Los Angeles hospital months after having a heart attack. A prolific mystery and crime writer, Perry published more than 100 books that collectively sold more than 26 million worldwide. But crime wasn’t only in Perry’s books — when she was 15, she helped her best friend, Pauline Parker, murder her mother. Before adopting the pen name Anne Perry, Juliet was born in London in 1938 to a nuclear scientist and a marriage...

Brittney Griner’s memoir is slated for a spring 2024 release. In it, the basketball star will detail her experiences being arrested and imprisoned in Russia. In February 2022, the WNBA All-Star flew to Moscow to play for the Russian women’s team UMMC Ekaterinburg, a common offseason activity for WNBA athletes that sometimes earns them almost four times as much as they are usually paid. Around the same time Russia invaded Ukraine, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for having canisters that contained cannabis oil. In her memoir, Griner plans...

Sometime in the early morning of April 7, an anti-book ban billboard in Abita Springs, Louisiana, was set on fire. The billboard was created by a woman involved with the St Tammany Library Alliance and designed by her trans child. It was meant to raise awareness of book bans in the Parish and it was located on their private property. The joyful billboard featured a red headed child with a brightly colored book. The text beside it reads “Ban Hate, Not Books.” The only word remaining following the fire was...

On April 4, the international book community went in mourning when Book Depository announced that it was closing at the end of the month. Readers have until midday, April 26, 2023 to buy any books from them before it shuts down. For international readers, this news is far from welcome: for over 20 years, a countless number of us have relied on Book Depository’s enormous catalogue and, more importantly, free shipping to get a good portion of our books. So what happens now? Are there any truly comparable Book Depository...

If you spend a good amount of time in manga circles, you may have heard the term dōjinshi before. And you may have certain assumptions about what it is, which I fear is quite common, particularly for those in the west. But for those who’ve ever been curious about dōjinshi and want to learn more about the medium, here is a quick and easy guide to what it actually is, where to find it, and even a few recommendations! What Is Dōjinshi? The term “dōjinshi” is derived from the Japanese...