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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
The Sad State of Literary Fiction
Perhaps because I’m rarely looking at the state of books through the exclusive lens of literary fiction, this opinion on the dearth of good lit fic and, hence, the tough job of serving on this year’s Booker Prize jury, raised my eyebrows. The piece spawned from a comment made by Irish author and Booker Prize jury chair Roddy Doyle to a Southbank Centre in London audience. Doyle allegedly said too many of the 153 novels submitted for the prize were a waste of the jury’s time. If you’re curious about which books were decidedly not a waste of time and made the Booker shortlist, you can find that list here. Meanwhile, I’ve been celebrating how many great books are out this year but, again, I’m speaking very inclusively. I’m thinking about One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This (nonfiction), The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (speculative historical fiction), Katabasis (fantasy), Mother Mary Comes to Me (memoir), and others across the genre/category spectrum. I’ve probably read more literary fiction this year than in previous years and I admit I can only name one so far that’s stayed with me (Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, funny enough shortlisted for last year’s Booker Prize but published in the U.S. this year), but I’m very obviously not as attuned to the state of that category, so Johanna Thomas-Corr’s piece at The Times stood out as worth a read.
The Paddington of It All
Paddington Bear is learning the hard way that nothing is sacred in 2025. StudioCanal, Paddington’s rights holder, is suing a British producer for their YouTube series featuring a Paddingtonesque foul-mouthed podcast host. If you’re a YouTube viewer with a penchant for British content, you might have heard about this irreverent BAFTA and Emmy award-winning puppet show, but if you haven’t it sounds like no celebrity or politician is safe from its roasting antics. The lawsuit cites copyright and design right issues. It’s hard to say how strong a case they have in the High Court as I’m not sure how satire plays into copyright infringement claims across the pond, but my guess is that it’ll be hard won if it’s won at all.
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The Nobel in Literature Will Be Announced This Week
Are you anticipating the announcement of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature? Well, that’s happening this Thursday, and if you know it’s prestigious but not much more, here’s a quick and snappy guide to the awards, including what they are, who’s won it in the past, and what the laureates receive. Oh, and you can also anticipate the announcement of the finalists for this year’s National Book Awards. Let literary awards season wash over you!
6 New Mystery & Thriller Adaptations to Watch in October 2025
I am wallowing like a happy hog in new seasons of some of my favorite shows, and there’s still more coming down the pike. This one’s for fans of mystery and thriller adaptations, including a manga series turned anime, a Ruth Ware adaptation and sequel, and some bonus book adaptation comps.
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