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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.
Readers React to Hang Kan’s Nobel Win
Oh, for all book recommendations to be like this! Far too often, book reviews and reader-to-reader recs are heavy on plot synopsis and woefully light on substance. Don’t tell us what happens in the book; tell us what the book is about. What does it feel like to read it? What are the big ideas? What does it mean? How did it challenge you? These readers who shared their experiences with Han Kang’s work nailed it.
Authors Offer 270 Reasons to Vote for Kamala Harris
It takes 270 votes to win the electoral college, and a new project, aptly titled 270 Reasons, is rolling out essays aimed at providing our diverse electorate with varied evidence that Kamala Harris is the one for the job. Among them are contributions from many notable writers. George Saunders is drawn to hope and problem-solving. Percival Everett sees our national IQ hanging in the balance. Lauren Groff is all-in for reproductive justice. Khaled Hosseini is concerned about book banning and censorship. Tomi Adeyemi feels newly invigorated pride in being American. Jeff Zentner knows the future of the Supreme Court is at stake. Pico Iyer predicts Harris’s positive impact on the global neighborhood. Megan Mayhew Bergman trusts Harris to take science-backed action to protect the environment. And that’s just to name a few. With three weeks til Election Day, every voice and every vote matters. Bravo to the organizers who created this resource. May their efforts, and ours, succeed.
Official Trailer for Max Adaptation of Like Water for Chocolate
I’m not sure we needed another adaptation of Like Water for Chocolate—the 1992 edition starring Marco Leonardi and Lumi Cavazos is pretty chef’s-kiss—but I’m not going to turn down a chance to revisit this story about food, family, and passion. The trailer for Max’s six-episode limited series (this is the correct number of episodes for a limited series adaptation in almost every case, well done!) has just dropped, and it looks pretty great.
Everything You Need to Know Before You See Nickel Boys
RaMell Ross’s adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s National Book Award-winning novel The Nickel Boys hits theaters next Friday, October 25th. The early reviews are quite good, and the smart money is on a few Oscar nominations. If you’re not familiar with the book, or if it’s been a while since you read it, here’s a primer on everything you need to know before you go see Nickel Boys…but really, I can’t recommend the book enough. It is low-key Whitehead’s best work, all too often lost in the shadow of the (very accomplished and deserving) Underground Railroad, truly an unforgettable reading experience.
