Of course, we can all use the fresh air and vitamin D no matter what sort of book we plan on toting into the sunshine — literary fiction, horror, Bono’s forthcoming memoir. (Well, sorry, that last one’s only sunshine reading for those who live in the southern hemisphere. It’s not out until November, but the news is exciting nonetheless.) Beyond the beach reads in the near future, the book world’s buzzing with talk of TV and film adaptations, a bizarre plagiarism case, initiatives to combat book bans and more. So, let’s dive in!

STANDOUT READS BOOKTRIB’S DISCUSSING

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner: A quarantine engagement trips over family secrets on the way to “I do” in NYT bestselling author Jennifer Weiner’s new beach read. “The Summer Place is an engaging and rich read that will only add to the guaranteed good vibes of your first beach vacation since quarantine.”

How Lucky by Will Leitch: When a disabled young man witnesses a woman’s kidnapping, the prejudice of law enforcement dismisses his testimony. “Now in paperback, Edgar Award finalist How Lucky … delivers a suspenseful mystery with a theme reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film Rear Window … It’s a fast-paced, compelling novel that may keep you up late reading.”

The Bee & the Fly by Lorraine Tosiello and Jane Cavolina: Renowned 19th-century writers Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson lived just 74 miles from each other. Although “there is no historical record of the two ever meeting or corresponding … would they have become friends? … The idea of such a relationship is tantalizing.”

NEWS FROM THE BOOK WORLD

25+ Organizations Join the American Library Association’s Effort to Unite Against Book Bans: Several publishers, including Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Macmillian, in addition to other organizations, have partnered with ALA to call upon policymakers to fight ongoing book bans. — uniteagianstbookbans.org

Plagarism Began With a Writer’s Novel and Continued in Her Explanation of the Incident: “An online essay in which the writer Jumi Bello explained copying others’ work for her novel was itself removed after further plagiarism was found … Her novel, The Leaving, had been scheduled to publish this summer but was canceled after she disclosed the plagiarism to her publisher.” — The New York Times

Page-to-Screen Adaptations: “Christopher Walken is set to play the Emperor in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Dune: Part Two” (Deadline). Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on Rick Riordian’s bestselling series for young readers, has cast it’s leading trio (Entertainment Weekly); following the announcement, Riordan condemned the “racist backlash to the casting decision” of Annabeth Chase (The Washington Post). “Never Let Me Go, the Kazuo Ishiguro novel that was adapted as a film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield, is being adapted as a TV series” for FX (Deadline). “Colleen Hoover’s novel Maybe Someday is set to get the adaptation treatment” from eOne (The Hollywood Reporter).

5 of the Best Novels Based on Classic Fiction: Author Dinitia Smith, whose most recent novel The Prince puts forth a retelling of Henry James’ The Golden Bowl, shares a few worthy reimaginings of classic tales. — The Wall Street Journal

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES WORTHY OF NOTE

The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family by Joshua Cohen wins the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; The Publishing Triangle announced the 34th annual Triangle Awards winners, honoring the best LGBTQ literature; The Women’s Prize Trust announces its Discoveries longlist; the 2022 Locus Awards top ten finalists have been announced; Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun wins the Tähtivaeltaja Award; Patricia Lockwood’s No One Is Talking About This wins the 2022 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize; IBPA announces its 2022 Benjamin Franklin Awards winners; Celeste Mohammed’s Pleasantview wins OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature; Ontario Creates announces finalists for the 2022 Trillium Book Award; and shortlists for the 2022 Saskatchewan Book Awards and the U.S. Selfies has been announced.

MORE BOOKS THE MEDIA’S BUZZING ABOUT

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono: The long-awaited memoir from U2 frontman Bono is headed for shelves in November. For those impatient fans, “an audio recording of one passage from the book, where he recounts beginning to write U2’s first single ‘Out of Control’ on May 10, 1978 — his 18th birthday,” is available on the band’s YouTube channel. — Pitchfork

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston: “A queer teenage rebel is on the hunt to find her school’s missing golden girl, who, it turns out, is hiding a few secrets … I Kissed Shara Wheeler is an unfettered joy to read.” — The New York Times

The Ravaged by Norman Reedus: Known for the role of Daryl Dixon on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Reedus’ debut “The Ravaged does pull from his personal experiences and elements from his past — with a fictional twist.” — People

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