The BookTok Sensation You Didn’t Expect

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

The BookTok Sensation You Didn’t Expect

I took a Russian Lit class in a dim, basement-level classroom at UCLA. It was the correct atmosphere for the subject matter. I was returned to that classroom by this surprising article about Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s popularity with Gen Z. I was just listening to a podcast about Gen Z’s nihilism in reaction to our current economy so my synapses were firing recalling, through UnHerd‘s piece, the author’s own explorations of nihilism. Apparently, Dostoyevsky’s White Nights was the top-selling Penguin Classic last year, helped by BookTok. I didn’t know what to make of this Dostoyevsky-Gen Z connection even after reading the truly interesting article, and started feeling fittingly bleak reading more about the man. So I watched a few Toks to somewhat clarify why a new generation finds his work so compelling, and my small sampling revealed a love for how he writes about the complicated landscape of human emotion, about feeling seen by his ability to realize sensitive, cerebral, complicated characters in prose. There’s talk of catharsis in his depiction of dark times. Also, every generation is glamoured by the act of reading and identifying as a fan of challenging classics. Anyway, this was my favorite video and perfectly conveys my own Russian Lit experience.

The Woes of Library E-Book Licensing

How many of us consider the complex, sometimes expensive process that goes into procuring books for patrons when we check out a book from our library? Well, this article discussing legislation to get a handle on e-book pricing offers a crash course on just how expensive it can be to ensure digital books reach eyes. A Connecticut law is aiming to “force publishers to the bargaining table” through library purchase restrictions. Other states are exploring similar restrictions, and Connecticut would need a state or states with a population of 7 million to trigger their own law. Read arguments for and against the legislation, and about which states are considering taking it up.

How Do You Say, “Yes, Chef!” in Akkadian?

Tuck into an ancient Mesopotamian meal, courtesy of the “Yale Culinary Tablets.” A group of Harvard and Yale researchers worked on making (and eating) recipes from these tablets, and now you can too. Learn about the research and try your hand at making an ancient Babylon lamb stew with a video from Tasting History.

Is Your Dream Home an Old Library? This Place Is For You.

Who else scrolls Zillow for fun? Anyone? Bueller? If you love books and aspirational real estate, you should check out this listing for a former Carnegie library that’s been transformed into a home. Truly dreamy.