It’s been a busy week in book news, though we admit it’s been hard to focus on as we watch the horrifying events unfold in Ukraine. So we went looking for a book or five that might help us understand more about the long, complex history behind Russia’s act of aggression. Literary rockstar Cormac McCarthy has announced new writings, and so has folk-star Bob Dylan (though his new book’s title feels like it was written by a Ph.D.). Positive reviews for the new NoViolet Bulawayo and Sarah J. Maas are coming in, and we have the usual mix of screen adaptation and literary awards to round up. So, let’s get started!
Five of the Best Books About Russia and Ukraine: Historian Orlando Figes, author of the forthcoming book, The Story of Russia, offers a guide to the literature that illuminates the tensions and the myths of the region. It’s a mix of history, memoirs and the requisite Russian novelists. — The Guardian
16 Years After The Road, Cormac McCarthy Is Publishing Two New Novels: The long-awaited The Passenger is finally on its way, along with a related novel called Stella Maris. Planned for release a month apart, these two books mark “a thematic and stylistic departure” for the author. — The New York Times
Bob Dylan Waxes Philosophical on Music in His Forthcoming Book of Essays: Publishing November 8, The Philosophy of Modern Song will contain over 60 essays that Dylan wrote about songs by artists including Stephen Foster, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams and Nina Simone. — Pitchfork
Lucy Foley Bestseller The Paris Apartment Picked Up by Sony in Film Deal: Pete Czernin and Graham Broadbent of Blueprint Pictures have been named as producers for a big-screen adaptation of Foley’s just-released missing-person mystery. As it features a colorful cast of suspects, fingers crossed we’ll get some fun cameos from unexpected players. — Deadline
Speaking of Adaptations, Booker Prize Winner Shuggie Bain Is Under Development at the BBC: The Crown’s Stephen Daldry is reported to be attached to direct the coming-of-age tale of a working-class boy and his alcoholic mother. The show will most probably air in 2024. — Deadline
NoViolet Bulawayo’s Brilliant New Novel, Glory, Is an Animal Farm-Like Fable Based on Zimbabwe Coup: The Washington Post adds to the many admiring reviews for this new release, while NPR hosts the author for an enlightening, though brief, interview.
Embargoed Sarah J. Maas Novel House of Sky and Breath Was Worth the Wait to Review: Our resident Maas fan, Cameron Kimball, plowed giddily through the 801-page sequel to House of Earth and Blood to deliver the latest just for you, our beloved readers! — BookTrib
Shondaland Fans Rejoice! The Residence Is Coming to Netflix: Okay, okay, this one barely qualifies as a screen adaptation, but it is Shonda news nonetheless — a new series, this one inspired by Kate Andersen Brower’s nonfiction book about White House service staff. The new project is a “screwball” Upstairs, Downstairs whodunnit set in the world’s most famous mansion. (For more funny business in the White House, check out our quirks-and-all POTUS listicle.) — Variety
Awards and Accolades Worthy of Note: Louise Erdrich, Maggie Shipstead and Ruth Ozeki are among longlist nominees for the Women’s Prize for Fiction; the 57th Annual Nebula Awards finalists are announced; Project Hail Mary wins audiobook of the year in the Audie Awards; poet and activist Sonia Sanchez is slated to receive the MacDowell Medal in July; BIO’s 2021 Plutarch Award longlist includes Women’s Biography roundtable member Janice P. Nimura; and among the 2022 Oregon Book Award finalists is the superb We Are the Brennans.
Elena Ferrante’s In the Margins Drops Next Week, But You Can Read an Exclusive Excerpt Right Now! Translated from the Italian, Ferrante writes about her influences, her struggles and her formation as both a reader and a writer in a series of four essays, one of which, “Aquamarine,” you can read now at OprahDaily.com. — Oprah Daily
Fans of Philosophical Fiction, Dive Into These 5 Works of Existential Sci-Fi: Cultural historian Ryan Lizardi (Existential Science Fiction, Lexington Books) shares his favorite books in this sub-subgenre. — BookTrib
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