LeVar Burton Named Indie Bookstore Ambassador and More Book News!

1 week ago 9

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Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at emily.ecm@gmail.com.

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Book lovers, the book tea this week is piping hot. We’ve got some exciting new cover reveals to check out; some really good news from the Spider-verse; some cool news about upcoming adaptations; and yes, LeVar Burton, the king of literacy advocacy (and our hearts), is back at it again. So let’s cut the small talk and hop right into it!

Here’s the cover of the newest novel by Claire Fuller, the author of Bitter Orange and Unsettled Ground. Of Hunger & Thirst‘s cover design, author Claire Fuller said, “I am amazed and delighted that Beth Steidle has not only designed an incredibly arresting cover but also managed to convey so many of the themes and storylines in the book. The main character, Ursula is a reclusive and famous sculptor, and so while the figure on the cover might be one of her carvings, it could also be Ursula herself caught in a moment of turning away from the camera.” Hunger & Thirst hits shelves on May 7, 2026. But you can read an excerpt now at Crime Reads.

Electric Lit has shared the cover of Diana Xin’s novel Book of Exemplary Women. This debut short story collection features linked stories about ghosts, vampires, and “other manifestations of dread,” but some of the stories are fully grounded in realism. Book of Exemplary Women will be published on December 1st by YesYes Books.

All Access members, read on for more of the latest book news.

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Lifelong literacy advocate LeVar Burton has been announced as the 2026 Indie Bookstore Ambassador. In a press release, the American Booksellers Association said that Burton “has dedicated decades to encouraging children to read.” Burton was also named the inaugural PEN/Faulkner literary champion in 2021 for his “literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers.” The actor, director, and podcaster has also received seven NAACP Awards, a Grammy, a Peabody, and 15 Emmy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Now Burton will be the fourth Indie Bookstore Ambassador, a position that has also been held by Celeste Ng, Amanda Gorman, and Trevor Noah.

The wait for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spiderverse has been incredibly long, but it just got one week shorter. Sony announced that the movie will be released on June 18, 2027, a full week earlier than the original release date of June 25, 2027. Yeah, okay, that’s still a super long time from now, but on June 18, 2027, you’re going to be really happy about it. Especially since the second film in the Miles Morales Spider-Verse trilogy ended on such a huge cliffhanger.

Speaking of adaptations, Caleb Landry Jones, Peter Skarsgaard, and Andrea Riseborough are set to star in Zero K, an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name. The film will be directed by Michael Almereyda, who also wrote the script. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil.