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“I think it’s mischief, and something that doesn’t need to happen,” said Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder (R) to the Idaho Press. “I think it’s very appropriately numbered, 666.” The bill, sponsored by Representative Gayann DeMordaunt (R), claimed it was a necessary way to protect the state’s children from what she claims are obscene and pornographic books in libraries across the state. The vague nature of the bill raised alarm within the House, but ultimately passed by a vote of 51-14....

The point I am trying to make here is that there are some fiction and nonfiction book pairs that go really well together — even with apparently different approaches and even subject matter. If you have enjoyed one, chances are that you will find the other a satisfying reading experience as well. I’ve compile a list of nonfiction read-alikes for nine well-loved fiction titles from across genres. I hope you find one of your favorites on it, and happy reading!...

You can certainly fashion reading games from common household objects (check out this awesome list of ideas from FirstCry Parenting for inspiration). But if you want something ready-made and specifically designed to develop different types of reading skills, here’s a little guide to help the young readers in your life build their skills. Reading Games For Kids That Help Develop Literacy ABC Mouse I spoke with librarians in different states and all of them mentioned ABC Mouse as their go-to reading app for aspiring and developing readers....

A post shared by Seven Stories (@7stories) on Jul 30, 2019 at 10:01am PDT I visited there a couple of years ago for my birthday and I loved it. I am ancient and I don’t have kids, but honestly? It was perfect. My job is to get the right book to the right kid at the right time. Seven Stories felt like the physical embodiment at that time. Children’s books can change lives....

However, this isn’t the same for many people in the world. They don’t associate Harry Potter with the fall. Some people haven’t even seen the movies, let alone read the books. You see them. You know these people. They’re the ones that say “oh, I haven’t watched all of Harry Potter” or “I haven’t read any of the books.” Most of the time, these responses are met with an avalanche of angry Potter-heads....

But first, how does this work? The 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards have just opened which means we’re in round one: Between November 16 and November 28, you can vote for one book from each genre/category. There are a lot of genre/categories (17!) which include YA, middle grade, comic book, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, SFF, romance, mystery, and more. The eligibility and how they selected the first round nominees can be found under Voting Schedule > Rules & Eligibility....

A week later, on November 4, a group of Texas librarians responded with the #FReadom Fighters Twitter campaign. They tagged the Texas Legislature with testimonials about books that have positively changed their lives. Students, families, and authors joined in to decry censorship and book banning attempts and defend libraries as well as access to information. 2021 was a devastating year for censorship in U.S. libraries, especially school libraries. LGBTQ books have been particularly targeted, often equated with pornography and pedophilia....

One of the fun ways that my job has grown in the last few months is I’ve gotten a chance to curate the children’s subscription boxes for our store. Each month I get to pick out my very favorites, the books I’d press into customer’s hands, but to make it more fun we pop the books in the mail, so it feels like I get to send dozens of presents a month!...

For example, Hugo Gernsback is often credited with establishing modern-day science fiction in the publishing industry. In the introduction to the first issue of the sf magazine Amazing Stories in 1926, Gernsback famously wrote that writers in this genre “have the knack of imparting knowledge, and even inspiration, without once making us aware that we are being taught.” I would argue that this is true not only of science fiction, but also of fantasy and other speculative genres....

But did you know that Austin is also a book lover’s warm-weathered paradise? If not, allow me to introduce you to the bookish nooks and crannies of my city. Let’s take a tour, y’all. A Local Bookstore for Every Taste A post shared by BookPeople (@bookpeople) on Dec 3, 2019 at 4:21pm PST Austinites are fortunate to have one of the nation’s best independent bookstores in BookPeople, celebrating its 50th year in business in 2020....

One proposal in the bookstore world is to restructure author events, to think outside the box in terms of programming. Perhaps the traditional reading/Q&A/book signing is no longer sufficient to capture audience interest. Maybe it’s time to raise the stakes for the authors and attendees. For this reason, I brainstormed a number of high stakes author events with literary themes. Authors have already proven they can read and write books, why don’t we see what else they can do?...

This might be old news to everyone else, and I guess I was living in a hole for the last two decades, because I didn’t realize the liner notes for ATLiens are a full length comic book until I decided to write a paper on the album. I own the vinyl, rather than the CD, which doesn’t include the book. So if you are interested, make sure to pick up the CD!...

The initiative is the creation of Reginald Dwayne Betts, an author and lawyer who was incarcerated at 16 for 9 years. He read daily and credits access to books in prison for helping to turn his life around. He received a $625,000 (£460,000) MacArthur genius grant as well as several other grants to fund his plan to place 500 book micro-libraries in prisons across the U.S. The books carried in Freedom Libraries are selected to provide a broad range of perspectives: “It skews toward contemporary work and it’s diverse in every way you might expect....

The report, released this week, highlighted the popularity of audiobooks as a tool for reading, particularly among adults. OverDrive surveyed over 730 adults in February of this year, diving into their reading lives and where and how technology has impacted it. For those working with books, the results are not surprising, but rather validate the reality of audiobooks continuing to be not only a growing market, but a way for many to enjoy reading while juggling many other tasks in their daily life....

If you haven’t read these self-help books by Black authors and any sound intriguing to you, I recommend purchasing a copy. From creating a basic budget to doing your best with a small salary and keeping your credit in check, Bola Sokunbi helps with the financial basics and encourages you to take charge of your financial independence the clever girl way. There are a lot of ups and downs when it comes to dating, and for some of us there are questions we may not be comfortable asking out loud to our peers....

A few things to note about this list: they are ranked, with the best one coming in at number one. These rankings are absolutely based on my own personal preferences and biases, as is my prerogative as the writer of this list. Also, unfortunately, a good majority of the writers on this list are white men, because Hollywood is still overrun by white men. Hopefully in a few years time, this list will start to look different....

Best Novel Blackout by Alex Segura Gun to my head? In this category? I’m going with Blackout. Probably because, gun to my head, Alex Segura’s PI Pete Fernandez is the guy I want coming to my rescue. Even with all his ups and downs throughout an action-packed series, Fernandez seems to always find a way to land on his feet. With Segura’s experience in the comics world, his novels fly, with twists readers won’t see coming and action worthy of the most vibrant panels of your favorite graphic novel....

In addition to writing books for young readers, Shusterman has written for television as well. The movie Pixel Perfect, written for the Disney Channel, was one of his titles, as are several episodes of the popular Goosebumps and Animorphs series. “It started back when I was 17, and was working as a counselor at a summer camp in upstate New York,” said Shusterman. “I got to be known as the camp storyteller, and that notoriety was deeply meaningful, because when I was at the same camp as a camper, I was that kid who never stood out, and often got picked on, because ball-sport coordination was not my thing....

In recent years, the gothic genre — once considered the realm of white, Victorian-era protagonists — has had a resurgence as writers use the ideas of isolation and unforgiving communities in new ways. You pull up to a dark mansion, a Mexican woman, the guest of a white British family with their own secrets. You’re a woman in a misogynist world that won’t share its rumors with you. You’re young and followed by ghosts that you can’t shake, that your family won’t let you shake....

Kate Bishop is a member of the Young Avengers who took up the mantle of Hawkeye after Clint Barton, even becoming his protégé of sorts after his return. The two now share the title, with Kate fondly referring to Clint as “Hawkguy” in Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Javier Pulido’s, much-loved run of the comic. Kate also recently got her own run of comics in Hawkeye: Kate Bishop by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero, in which she goes to California to become a P....