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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.
To Read: Is BookTok Dying?
There’s an old adage that any headline that ends with a question mark can be answered with “no,” and it seems to hold for the latest round of concern about what’s going on with BookTok. Literary agent and BookTok expert Alyssa Morris identifies “a real sense of fatigue” across social media and notes TikTok users’ worries that new ownership will negatively impact the algorithm but wisely advises a wait-and-see approach. Even if readers are growing tired of long series, “spicy” romantasy, and trope-based reading selections, there are more than enough standalone titles and genre-defying books to keep them going.
These shifts may feel alarming to younger readers and folks whose bookish internet experience has been limited to TikTok, but take it from someone who was there when the old magic was written: this is just the cycle. We saw it on blogs. We saw it on Twitter. We saw it on BookTube, Tumblr, and Pinterest. I hear it’s happening on Threads, but I value my sanity too much to go find out. A thing is big for a while, and then it’s not. When spicy romantasy’s day is done, there will be another sub-genre to take its place.
To Watch: The Only Rule is Don’t Bring Crap
As if we needed any more reasons to love The Pitt, here’s Noah Wyle giving a tour of the on-set lending library. Phones aren’t allowed, so the cast and crew kick it old-school in their downtime. Countdown to a Pitt book club?
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To Listen: Gisèle Pelicot Tells Her Story
All of the trigger warnings for this, but I urge you to listen if you can. Gisèle Pelicot changed history when she waived her right to a closed court and went public as the victim of decades-long sexual assault by her husband and the dozens of men he invited into their home to abuse her while she was drugged and unconscious. Here, she discusses the decision to speak out and how telling her story helped her put herself back together. It’s a harrowing, inspiring, important listen. Pelicot’s memoir A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides comes out tomorrow.
A Reader’s Guide to Freida McFadden
Emily Brontë isn’t the only author killing it at the box office. If you don’t know your Housemaid from your Inmate, this reader’s guide to Freida McFadden is for you.