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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 Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series Announced
I loved both Niels Arden Oplev’s and David Fincher’s adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so I can’t help but get excited about the series adaptation I first learned about through Variety. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most compelling characters I’ve encountered in psychological/crime thriller fiction, and Larsson did plan for many Millennium series books (he wrote three before his death, with more series books divided between authors David Lagercrantz and Karin Smirnoff) so there is plenty of material to work with. But for now, we only know of an eight-episode series adaptation of the first book in the series and it’s being produced by British media company Sky, so who knows how or if we’ll be able to watch the show here in the U.S. Whomp.
Small Press Books Out This Winter
If one of your 2026 reading goals involves reading more small press books, Electric Lit has a list of recommended books out this winter that might not otherwise get a lot of attention. These presses tend to have smaller budgets, including for marketing, so they might fall under the general reader’s radar. One wonderful aspect of small presses is that they don’t follow all of the same conventions as major publishers and they’re willing to take risks on books that are similarly unconventional. You’re bound to find a book with an inventive and fresh take to storytelling. Feast your eyes on these small press winter releases and enjoy a refreshing read.
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A Man Booker Prize Winner Announces His Final Book
Julian Barnes won the Man Booker Prize in 2011 for his novel, The Sense of an Ending and his legacy includes many works of fiction and nonfiction, but Departure(s) will be the final entry in his prolific book writing career. Some years ago, Barnes was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer and Departure(s), a memoir-fiction hybrid, is about the diagnosis and his meditations on death. In the writeup of NPR’s Fresh Air episode about Barnes and his book, his newest work is described as a sort of companion to Levels of Life, in which he discussed the death of his wife and literary agent, Pat Kavanagh. Read about or listen to Barnes’ thoughts on hybrid books, mortality, and more.
Read a Book from a “Best Book Covers” List
I’m not ashamed to admit that I absolutely used to judge a book by its cover. When I was a young reader, I mostly chose books while browsing, without any sort of prepared list or TBR at the ready. I knew what my favorite genres were and I picked up books that caught my eye in those sections first, before turning the book over to read the synopsis. It was as simple as that. If that sounds novel and exciting, if even a tad taboo because we’re all book nerds here, then we have a Read Harder Challenge task you’re going to love. Get recommendations for books with pages that shine as brightly as their excellent covers.
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