King, Kingsolver, Diaz, Swift Making This Week’s Headlines

Pulitzer’s Landmark Announcement:

With the naming of Demon Copperhead,  Barbara Kingsolver’s modern recasting of the Charles Dickens classic David Copperfield, and Hernan Diaz’s Trust, an innovative tale of wealth and deceit set in 1920s New York, for the Pulitzer Prize, it marks the first time in the prestigious award’s 105-year history that two fiction books have received the honor.

More Pulitzer:

Beverly Gage’s biography, G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, was also recognized for its exceptional contribution to the field. Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa’s His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice won the General Nonfiction prize. Jefferson Cowie’s Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power won in the History category, while Hua Hsu won the Memoir or Autobiography award for Stay True. Carl Phillips took home the Poetry prize for Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020, while Sanaz Toossi won the Drama award for English. Finally, Andrea Long Chu, who reviews books for New York magazine, won the Criticism award.

And Speaking of Pulitzer Winners …

A new novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham, titled Day, is slated for release January 30, 2024. The novel follows a married Brooklyn couple — Dan and Isabel — who live with their two children and Isabel’s younger brother, Robbie. When the Covid-19 pandemic hits, Robbie has moved to Iceland, and Dan and Isabel’s marriage has become fraught. Michael Cunningham is best known for his book, The Hours.

Hail the King of Books-To-Screen:

Two Stephen King stories are headed to the big screen, with some big names attached. Theo James is set to star in the film based on King’s story, The Monkey. The movie will be written and directed by Osgood Perkins (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and Gretel & Hansel). This news came one day after it was announced that Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill will star in a film adaptation of King’s novella, The Life of Chuck, which will be written, produced, and directed by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting, Midnight Mass). These projects are two of many King adaptations currently in the works.

Bringing Down the House:

Reality TV turns deadly in We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer. This novel is a convincing yet laugh-out-loud, fast-paced, whodunnit thriller for anyone who enjoys round-the-clock HGTV programs devoted to all aspects of real estate, interior design, home renovation, landscaping and Do-It-Yourself projects.

Cutting-Edge Happiness From Oprah:

Oprah Winfrey is co-writing a new book, titled Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, with professor and columnist Arthur C. Brooks, set to release later this year. Portfolio Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, said the book “introduces readers to the cutting-edge happiness science that can change their lives, in understandable terms and with actionable strategies.”

BookTok Swifties Speculate Upcoming Memoir:

Some TikTok users, thanks to the Good Neighbor Bookstore TikTok account, are convinced Taylor Swift will publish a surprise memoir this summer. The store posted a video about an untitled book scheduled for publication by Flatiron on July 9 — a Sunday, not a Tuesday, the day of the week when most new titles are published. In the original video, the owner of the bookstore says, “The book is 544 pages,” while a graphic notes that if you add the digits 5, 4, and 4 together, you get 13—Swift’s lucky number.” Taylor Swift has been known to leave “Easter Eggs” for her fans in her music videos, lyrics, and promotional images, so there’s a good chance we may see a memoir from the pop sensation.

It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk ) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their… pic.twitter.com/oa0Vs5kszr

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 6, 2023

Giving Voice to the Voiceless:

Let this list of 13 novels act as a siren song, luring you into the retold stories of the most captivating women of Greek mythology. Featuring titles by Margaret Atwood, Madeline Miller, Veronica Roth and more.

Reviving Ghosts of the Past:

A vivid and often-disturbing picture of the American mining town Butte, Montana at the height of the 1918 influenza pandemic comes to life in Beautiful Ghost by Milana Marsenich, showcasing how a deadly virus can permeate a community.

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