This Week In Books
January 6, 2024 Edition
Well, well, well, if it isn’t a new year. And what is that we see in the distance? The bridge we said we’d cross when we got to it. So here we are, staring at a to-do list with a heaping side of resolutions, topped with a healthy dollop of procrastination. And yet, the book world stops for no woman. So let’s get to it:
First up is our Very Big News. If you’ve not seen the announcement, please go check out this post about our new* book club. (*Technically an old book club resurrected for a new year). The short and sweet of it is that we (Marybeth, Ariel, and Abby) are opening our actual book club to a wider audience. If you like to read and chat books, then this is the place for you. But, because we are over achievers, it will be way, way more than just a book club.
The Defense Is Entitled To Your Manuscript: The criminal trial of Hadi Matar, the man accused of attacking author Salman Rushdie (is it really an accusation if the whole thing was caught on video?), will be delayed due to an unusual hiccup. Rushdie is set to release Knife, his memoir of the attack, in April. The judge presiding over the case has ruled that Matar has a right to the manuscript and all relevant documents. The trial will therefore be delayed until the defense has read everything. Come on guys, the man was stabbed in the face and not only survived, but retained his faith in humanity. We can’t figure out how his attacker has a right to anything other than due process (because ‘Merica). That judge should throw the book at Matar. And not just any book. We vote for The Satanic Verses.
Spotify Wants You To Be A Marxist: Spotify has set its signs on audiobooks. Under a new plan, subscribers can listen to fifteen hours of any audiobook for a $10.99 per month. However, a number of critics have pointed out that authors will only be paid on the percentage of the book that is finished by the consumer. The streaming service already has a sketchy track record when it comes to paying musicians, so this new endeavor hasn’t exactly been met with applause by those who study the industry. Last month the New York Times weighed in with an opinion piece by author Kim Scott on the various ways this new program could be bad news for authors. Then Vulture pointed out that Spotify is already pushing books in the public domain to the front of their algorithm (so they don’t have to pay royalties) including the works of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and anarchist Emma Goldman. So let’s get this straight: a capitalist company is promoting Marxism in order to make more money? Irony, thy name is Spotify.
Speaking Of The Public Domain: Thousands of titles entered the public domain on January 1, including Steamboat Willie, Peter Pan, and works by DH Lawrence and Evelyn Waugh. If you’ve been itching to write about Mickey Mouse falling through a wormhole into Neverland, now is your chance!
Nobody Can Throw Shade Like The Bard: Mental Floss compiled a list of Shakepeare’s 10 best insults. While calling someone a “bull’s pizzle” is quite effective, we take our pizzles seriously at The Book Tide and prefer the good old “uncircumcised donkey” variety when it comes to insults. Or, if you demand a bit more class, then we will allow “clay brained, greasy whoreson” (as quoted by Ariel Lawhon in The Frozen River). Although, as the Mental Floss list points out, saying, “Villain, I have done thy mother,” is a real mic drop.
Everybody’s Favorite Librarian: The New York Times profiled everybody’s favorite librarian, Mychal Threets. As well they should. If you are not familiar with Threets messages of uninhibited book joy, go check out his Instagram account for a daily dose of libraries, love, and positivity. You’d best hold onto that Reading Rainbow crown, Lavar Burton, Threets is coming for you.
The Grumpy Octopus With Staying Power: The New York Times is perplexed that a book narrated by a grumpy octopus would have such a wide and long-lasting appeal. Us? We are not surprised at all. This is, in fact, a grumpy animal fan page. Bring on all the grumpy animals! Dragons! Cats! Octopuses (Octopi? Octopodes?)! Which is why we understand why Shelby Van Pelt’s novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, remains a bestseller almost two years after its release. Who among us doesn’t secretly long to be told off by a crusty, cantankerous mollusc?
Infringement Abounds: As reported by The Bookseller, author Demetrius Polychron brought a lawsuit against the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and Amazon TV, claiming the Rings Of Power series infringed on the copyright of his book The Fellowship Of The King. Turns out that Polychron’s book was an unauthorized “sequel” to Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. The judge ruled in favor of Amazon and Tolkien’s estate to the tune of $134,000 in legal fees. Polychron will also be required to stop selling his book and destroy all copies under penalty of law. Let this be a lesson to everyone: there is one story to rule them all, one lawyer to find them, one judge to bring them all, and in the courtroom bind them.
She Got Writin’ Mad: In a recent interview with The Guardian, Bonnie Garmus explained how a particularly heinous episode of sexism in the workplace led to the inspiration for Lessons In Chemistry, her blockbuster debut novel. We applaud you, Ms. Garmus! You show them that hell hath no fury like a woman whose hard work was scorned and then subsequently claimed by a man.
Back to the drawing board: In October private equity firm, KKR, finalized the purchase of Simon and Schuster. S&S’s new board of directors was announced in December. Pulling big names from Disney, TikTok, and the publishing industry, plus gaming and media executives from KKR, the lineup covers the gamut of entertainment industries. For an insider’s look into what this means for the publishing industry, see
. We’re hopeful that this will bring fresh eyes and new opportunities to market books across entertainment industries. Give us all of the books in all of the ways!Our Literary Father Christmas: James Patterson made a list and checked it twice and decided that independent bookstore employees were extra nice. Over Christmas he partnered with bookstores around the country and awarded $500 bonuses to 600 different employees. This is definitely better than a membership to the Jelly Of The Month Club (name that movie). Here is a complete list of the bookstores that were awarded this bonus. In an interview with USA Today, Patterson discussed why he believes bookstores are so important, the secrets to his impressive writing career, his expansive imagination and more. And if you are a Patterson fan, go check out his new novel with Brian Sitts Holmes, Marple and Poe with three main characters inspired by three famous detectives in literature. We here at The Book Tide applaud Patterson and also believe that booksellers should get bonuses simply for breathing.
The Color Purple: Oprah is back with a new adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Color Purple, this time as a producer. Ms. Winfrey has been a fan of the book since before she starred in the 1985 film adaptation. It should surprise no one that Our Patron Saint of Books championed a new vision for this classic and brought it to life in a modern way. The Color Purple is the story of sisterhood in the face of racism, sexual assault, and physical violence during the post Civil War south. The new movie released December 24th. Have you seen it yet? How many tissues will we need?
No More Reading In Bed: A London library closed its doors in December for a deep clean when bed bugs were discovered in some of its returned books. (No. Absolutely not. MAKE IT STOP). We thought libraries were just for the free exchange of ideas, not parasites. You want to know how books get burned? This! This is how.
The Queen’s Podcast: Queen Consort* Camilla just announced a new podcast in partnership with her charity and bookclub, The Queen’s Reading Room. (*We’re just going with what QEII requested that we call her. Consort. Elizabeth forever! Amen. The end). Seeking to promote reading and connect readers with the literary greats, the podcast will feature famous authors such as Bonnie Garmus, Ann Patchett, and Camilla herself. We are all in favor of any and every effort to promote reading, authors, and books. For that we salute Camilla. Even if our Princess-Diana-loving-hearts flinch a little.
Leave The World Behind: Netflix released its adaptation of the bestselling novel Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam. Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Myha’la. This film fully engaged all our most primal fears in a truly realistic way. WE’RE not looking on Zillow for nuclear bunkers, YOU’RE looking on Zillow for nuclear bunkers.
The gift of glib: Actresses and podcast hosts, Casey Wilson and Jessica St. Clair spoke with People Magazine about their new audiobook The Art of Small Talk, which promises to teach real life chit-chat skills for people who would rather chew their own tongue into a bloody stump than be stuck in an elevator with a talkative stranger.
The OG Creator Who Hated His Own Creation: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle apparently hated Sherlock Holmes and considered the books lowbrow. (We detect a trend. Agatha Christie also hated Hercule Poirot. What is it about an author’s most famous character that makes them want to scratch their eyes out?) According to The Guardian, Doyle despised the fact that his detective stories brought him fame while his historical fiction went unread. How about we slap a deerstalker hat on good ole’ Mr. Doyle and cast Benedict Cumberbatch in the role? We uncouth Americans will think it’s the height of class. Benedryl Cumberpatch forever!
A Little Wee Library For A Little Wee Despot: Napoleon was a man of war and, apparently, the written word. When traveling, he brought along boxes of books and a personal librarian to fetch them. Soon enough, however, Napoleon discovered that these boxes didn’t contain enough books and were not holding up to the wear and tear of travel. As a result, he commissioned a special, portable library. This library was to contain “... forty works on religion, forty dramatic works, forty volumes of epic, and sixty of other poetry, one hundred novels and sixty volumes of history, [the] remainder being historical memoirs of every period…”. These books were to be printed without margins to save space, and have special covers and spines to withstand the hardships of travel. If only director Ridley Scott had asked Joaquin Phoenix for an awkward portrayal of his “little library” in the most recent adaptation. Then again, it’s not the size of the book that matters, but the content of the story.
Murder Meets Wordle: Murdle is the bestselling, fun, murder-mystery puzzle book designed for the home sleuth. It comes with a website with and daily puzzle. Words and murder. Speaking for ourselves here, but what more you could you want?
Tweet of the Week:
Reid N. Moon, owner of Moon’s Rare Books, curated a four-million-dollar personal library of rare, first edition books for a client. Dead. We’re dying dead. It’s over. We cannot. Who can afford this??? But also we’re so jealous we want to die. Again.
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Great newsletter, ladies! Excellent topic choices. Thank you!
Wow! What a juicy newsletter! I learned, I laughed, I cringed. Such variety and voice here! I’ll eagerly await the next issue. 😄