Bridgerton
Hello, book lovers! The weekend has arrived and it’s time to unwind. So, grab your favorite cocktail and enjoy this exciting mix of stories from the book world.
National Book Critics Circle Announces Its 30 Award Finalists: Each year the NBCC honors “the best books of the previous publishing year” across six categories — autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Among the finalists were Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, Bryan Washington’s Memorial and Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste. — Publishers Weekly
Love and Lust in Regency London: Revisiting Bridgerton’s The Duke and I: “It is Gossip Girl-meets-Jane Austen-meets-Fifty Shades of Grey,” with a “fake fiancés to lovers” plot. And although fans of the Netflix series adaptation may be “disappointed at the absence of the sassy supporting players,” revisiting the show’s source material delivers a “spicy romance … to keep every reader red-hot in the dead of winter.” — BookTrib
Local Book Club to the Rescue! Fighting COVID-19 Just Got Literary: Like many book clubs, the Fabulous Ladies Book Club of Ruidoso, NM, was forced to start meeting online when the pandemic hit early last year. Now, “they are helping vaccinate their town.” Book club member Marin Goza said, “After months of hunkering down and feeling helpless, we welcomed a chance to actively help end this nightmare.” — The Washington Post
In Love With Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman? Here Are 7 More Poets You Need to Read: At President Biden’s inauguration “with the world’s eyes on her, Gorman opened up minds to the power of truth through spoken word in an age when honesty itself feels subjective.” From Maya Angelou, the poet who inspired Gorman, to Elizabeth Acevedo, whose bestselling YA novels are written in verse, this list offers a variety of poets any Gorman fan will enjoy. — Book Riot
Edgar Award Nominee Elle Cosimano Is Killing It With Her Adult Mystery Debut: Struggling suspense novelist Finlay Donovan is mistaken for a contract killer when she’s overheard discussing her latest book, and now she’s wrapped up in an actual murder investigation. Neil Nyren declares Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan Is Killing It “the funniest crime series debut since Stephanie Plum strapped on her bounty-hunting gear, and you’ll love every minute of it.” — BookTrib
NYT Book Review Celebrates Its 125th Anniversary: “We’ve been fortunate to feature the writing of so many illustrious figures in our pages … all offering their insights with wit and flair,” the Book Review notes. And in this article, they share book reviews written by 25 of the greatest writers and thinkers from H.G. Wells to Toni Morrison. — The New York Times
Anna North’s NYT Bestseller Outlawed to Be Adapted for Television: “The alternative, inclusive, feminist spin on the traditionally white, hetero, masculine Western genre has been met with effusive critical acclaim since its debut on Jan. 5.” On bookstore shelves less than a month, it has already been “picked up by A24 and Amy Adams’ Bond Group Entertainment team” for a series adaptation. — Variety
11 of the Best Book to Screen Adaptations and 11 of the Worst: With very few exceptions, the book is always better than the movie, but while some adaptations are spot on, others miss the mark entirely. From children’s classics like Matilda to blockbuster franchises like Harry Potter, it’s clear that not all screen adaptations are made equal. — BuzzFeed
Meet Cunning Novelist Who Outwitted the Nazis, Convincing the World She Didn’t Exist: Writing books on “subjects like independent women in Berlin’s seedy underworld,” Irmgard Keun’s work was seen as “anti-German,” and banned by the Nazis. She left Germany in 1936 to live in exile, but four short years later, Germany’s occupation of the Netherlands forced Keun to kill herself … “or so a British newspaper reported.” Turns out, it was all a clever work of fiction. — Smithsonian Magazine
10 TBR-Worthy Reads From Up-and-Coming Authors: “Millions of new books hit the market every year,” and the sad truth is that most, no matter how wonderful, “will never achieve great fame and fortune.” But stories themselves seek neither fame nor fortune. They’re just waiting to be read, and these ten stories are worth opening. — Reedsy
Missing Persons, Deadly Assassins and Chilling Truth in These 6 Thrillers: They say that truth can be stranger than fiction, and sometimes true stories can feel like thrillers. This month, Jon Land recommends two works of pulse-pounding nonfiction alongside expertly crafted novels in his Januray thriller round-up. — BookTrib
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