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Welcome to Today in Books, the place we report on literary headlines on the intersection of politics, tradition, media, and extra.
Librarians Hold the Front Line
“Punk-ass book jockeys” was supposed to be an insult when Aziz Ansari’s Tom Haverford uttered it on a memorable episode of Parks & Recreation, however I can consider no higher description for the librarians who’re rising as much as defend the First Amendment and shield the free change of concepts within the face of more and more violent ebook banning makes an attempt. No one needs to be subjected to the accusations and abuse these people are experiencing, and it actually isn’t what they thought they had been signing up for. Librarians don’t owe us this, and the work they’re doing to guard not simply books however the rights of queer individuals and other people of colour is punk AF.
Hallmark Diversifies Offerings
If you’ve been in withdrawal after mainlining Hallmark vacation motion pictures from Halloween proper on by New Year’s, excellent news: “Loveuary” has begun. This 12 months, the Hallmark Channel’s monthlong exploitation celebration of Valentine’s Day options three new motion pictures impressed by (who else?) Jane Austen, amongst them a spin on Sense & Sensibility with a largely Black solid.
This is simply the newest in Hallmark’s ongoing efforts to succeed in extra various audiences, and I’m for it for many causes, not the least of which is how a lot it freaks out right-wing conservatives to see a model that’s pushed by “family values” acknowledge that for most Americans, household values embrace assist for concepts the far-right desires to current as excessive. Hallmark has loads work left to do—and they need to most likely thank some Netflix execs for paving the way in which with the unimaginable casting of Bridgerton—however that is progress. RIP to their mentions, and will their efforts succeed.
26 Paperbacks to Pick Up This Month
Oh, the promise of the paperback launch! Nary a month goes by that I don’t see an inventory like this and idiot myself into considering it would ever be doable to ~atone for all the great books on the planet. I can vouch for Hannah Pittard’s We Are Too Many, a divorce “memoir” that presents textual content messages each actual and imagined between her and her ex. Read it when you wait for Leslie Jamison’s Splinters later this month. And sometime I’ll get to What Napoleon Could Not Do by DK Nnuro. Barack recommends it, and I belief his picks.
Speaking of Bad-Ass Librarians
On as we speak’s Book Riot Podcast, Jeff O’Neal and I focus on the Texas instructor who created a clandestine inventory of banned books, Argylle’s all-sizzle-no-steak field workplace second, and extra information from the world of books and studying.
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