Hello, book lovers! Tomorrow is the first day of spring and we couldn’t be more excited. The weather is getting warmer and if there’s anything better than burying yourself under a blanket with your favorite book, it’s sitting outside and reading in nature. Plus, there’s a myriad of spring releases to look forward to! So, sit back, relax and enjoy this mix of stories from the book world.
Actor Idris Elba to Publish Several Books for Young Readers With HarperCollins: Elba the “Golden Globe and SAG-winning actor, musician, filmmaker, and activist,” best known for his roles in HBO’s The Wire and Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, will release multiple children’s books beginning in 2022 with co-author Robyn Charteris. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to bring stories inspired by my daughter to life,” said Elba, expressing thanks to Charteris and the team at HarperCollins for their help on the project. — Publishers Weekly
16 Novels on the Longlist for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction: “Covering a range of genres and themes,” such titles as Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half, Raven Leilani’s Luster, Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi and Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom make up this list of 16 must-read novels. The shortlist will be announced in April, after the judges have narrowed down this group to just six titles, and the “winner will be announced on Wednesday 7 July.” — Good Housekeeping
YA Debut Fire Keeper’s Daughter Optioned for Netflix by the Obamas’ Production Company: Angeline Boulley’s “dedication to detail and passion for story led to a bidding war” over her debut novel, Fire Keeper’s Daughter, a Reese’s Book Club pick. And after the author’s “whirlwind journey to publication,” the book has been optioned by Higher Ground for an original series on Netflix. Boulley described her partnership with the Obamas’ production company as “in sync” and “hopes that the visibility of her book encourages publishers to seek out new voices.” — Rolling Stone
Harlan Coben Mixes Art, Radical Politics, Vigilante Justice and Family Secrets in Win: This latest thriller “is a classically Coben stew of crafty plot twists, fast-moving action and witty dialogue.” Starring Windsor Horne Lockwood III, a.k.a. Win, the “friend of sports agent Myron Bolitar … who established Coben as one of the great contemporary masters of mysteries,” this novel is both surprising and satisfying in its answer to the question “Can the antihero become a hero after all?” — BookTrib
Oprah Selects Marilynne Robinson’s Four Gilead Books as her 87th, 88th, 89th and 90th Book Club Picks: Oprah praised Robinson as “one of our greatest living authors,” and called her Gilead novels “a quartet of masterpieces.” The titles include Gilead, which was released in 2004, followed by Home (2008), Lila (2014) and, most recently, Jack (2020), all of which “returned to Gilead, Iowa, and the characters who populated that fictional town.” Oprah plans to lead a deep dive into Robinson’s literary world over the next two months. — Oprah Mag
Meet the Hottest New Writing Team in Romance: “When long time author Anna Gomez and actor Kristoffer Polaha, who you may have just seen in Wonder Woman 1984, set up a Zoom call to discuss film scripts and Gomez’s books, neither one of them had any clue it would lead to an incredible writing partnership.” In this video interview, Gomez and Polaha dive into their novel Moments Like This, which kicks off their exciting five-part series called From Kona With Love, and discuss their whirlwind experience writing together. — BookTrib
Literary Listening: 13 Fiction Podcasts Perfect for Book Lovers: If you’re looking for some “audio drama to spice up your workout or daily commute,” look no further! These fiction podcasts are all must-listens for anyone craving new ways to consume stories. Whether “you read true crime or rom-coms, horror or fantasy,” this list has something for everyone from popular favorites like Welcome to Night Vale to new shows just waiting to be discovered. — Bustle
Our Obsession With Autofiction: Assuming Authors Are Like Their Characters: They say, “Write what you know,” but does that mean we expect everything we read in a novel to be ripped from the pages of an author’s memoir? In this essay, author and editor for The New Yorker Jessica Winter examines the prevalence of autofiction and readers’ assumptions by looking at a selection of fictional works from classics like Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield to more contemporary novels like American Dirt and the backlash Jeanine Cummins received after its release. — The New York Times
Is the “Diversity” Trend Here to Stay, or Is it Just Another Fleeting YA Crush?: Author Chloe Gong, who wrote These Violent Delights, a YA retelling of Shakspeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai, examines the history of “genre conventions” and “trend eruptions” in YA literature during recent decades, voicing her worries about the attention marginalized voices have garnered as of late, especially in light of how trends tend to self-destruct. Gong says these are “stories that are worth reading,” and questions the accountability of publishing’s recent “diversifying efforts” after 2020’s anti-racism boom. — The Spinoff
Terror-Filled Novel The Sanatorium Offers Thrills and Chills at a Luxurious Winter Resort: Get your beauty rest while you can because once you crack open this terrifying debut, you won’t be able to put it down. Sarah Pearse’s “gothic thriller is rife with plot twists and unreliable characters, leaving the reader unsure of whom to root for and whom to trust.” Set in a secluded region of the Swiss Alps in an old sanatorium that’s been renovated into a high-end hotel, an avalanche traps resort guests inside with a serial killer. It’s the perfectly thrilling read for a wintery escape! — BookTrib
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