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Welcome to Today in Books, where we report on literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
Make a Run For the…Bookstore?
I would pay a lot of money for a transcript of the meetings that led to this partnership between Reese’s Book Club and Taco Bell. How many other brands do you think they talked to before deciding to have the celebration of Reese’s 100th book club pick catered with quesadillas? If you’re in LA and have a craving for some cheesy, chickeny synergy, you can Live Más at the event on Saturday, May 25, and you better email us after with all the deets.
Go Back for Seconds
Books and reading are and have always been political. This is no less true for cookbooks than it is for literary fiction or cultural criticism or any of the myriad genres that, given the right conditions, can explode your brain and expand your horizons. Cookbooks have always been political. Here’s the shot:
Cooking is not only an accessible way to reckon with global conflict, but also a chance to gain knowledge, cultivate empathy, and shape perspectives, one meal at a time.
This collection of 8 cookbooks worth reading cover-to-cover is the chaser. I can vouch for The Taste of Country Cooking; Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat; and An Everlasting Meal.
Poor Little Rich Girl
As a connoisseur of Rich People Problems novels, I deeply appreciate this taxonomy of the sad rich girls of literatureeven if nothing is compelling enough to make me read Jane Austen again.
Take the W
In a rare piece of good news about the fight against book banning, Maryland has passed the Freedom to Read Act.
House Bill 0785, filed concurrently as SB 0738, is a series of comprehensive protections for school and public library workers, as well as the materials acquired and housed in these institutions. In both public libraries and school libraries, the bill protects access to books and other library items by stating they cannot be removed or prohibited from collections because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
May their efforts continue to succeed.
The “It” Books of the Week
You know how it goes: every week, we highlight two of the hottest new releases, one each from fiction and nonfiction. This week, we’ve got one of the most anticipated novels of the season and a nonfiction pick from an author whose last book was a surprise smash. Subscribe to Today in Books for access to this and all bonus content.
