Book News & Features

Across the country, libraries have seen demand for e-books skyrocket as people try to entertain themselves during lockdown. But they're also dealing with complicated questions around reopening.

On this day in 1904, Leopold Bloom wandered Dublin's streets in Joyce's novel Ulysses. Fans celebrate Bloomsday by walking in Bloom's footsteps. Because of COVID-19, the celebration is online.

The National Book Critics Circle, which represents hundreds of critics across the country, has been roiled by a dispute over an anti-racism statement that has led several board members to resign.

The flattening effect of political discourse, insipidity of the first lady role and her own remoteness have led us to either forget she has an inner life — or to imagine her as an elegant prisoner.

Author J.K. Rowling has been criticized after a series of tweets that many read as transphobic. Rowling's insistence that "sex is real" and immutable has saddened her trans and genderqueer fans.

Obviously, the the romantic relationship is at the center of any romance novel — but this month, we're bringing you three books where relationships between female friends are almost as important.

Author L.L. McKinney created the #PublishingPaidMe hashtag, where black and white authors are comparing their book advances. "You can now use this to fight for what you are worth," she says.

Because of COVID-19 lockdowns it appears more people are finding time to write. Literary agents are seeing more stories related to pandemics and viruses being submitted for them to review.

Anti-racist reading lists are making the rounds right now — and they can be useful if people do the work of reading. But critic Juan Vidal suggests you look closer to home, to your own bookshelf.

The lawsuit filed this week in federal court alleges that the organization, which lends books online for free, amounts to a "piracy site" that has been eluding copyright law for years.

Our kids' books columnist reports that amidst the messes and fights that result from kids in lockdown, Matthew Cordell's gentle new picture book biography of Mister Rogers has the power to soothe.

Kramer was a writer with an Oscar-nominated screenplay when his friends started dying mysteriously — galvanizing him to found the Gay Men's Health Crisis, and later ACT UP, to combat AIDS.