S. Zainab would like to think she bleeds ink but the very idea makes her feel faint. She writes fantasy and horror, and is currently clutching a manuscript while groping in the dark. Find her on Twitter: @szainabwilliams.
Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center Turns 100
Happy 100th to NYPL’s Schomburg Center! The Schomburg holds “one of the world’s leading collections of material relating to the African diaspora,” as well as Langston Hughes’ ashes. Jennifer Schuessler of The New York Times wrote about the event kicking off a year of celebrating the Schomburg and the opening of the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints, including this weekend’s Schomburg Centennial Festival, which features a day of literary and cultural events. There are so many interesting facts and ties to literary greats in this profile, including that Passing author Nella Larsen was a librarian there. Learn more about the celebration and, hey, Rioter Erika Hardison (Fabulize Magazine Presents: MSAB! Mixtape Vol.1) will be moderating a “Black Utopias” panel for the Centennial Festival, featuring Cebo Campbell (Sky Full of Elephants), Andrea Hairston (Archangels of Funk), Clarence A. Haynes (The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery), and Isis Asare (Afrofuturism Short Stories) on June 14. Check it out!
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The Animated Animal Farm a Decade in the Making
George Orwell’s Animal Farm was one of those rare assigned books I actually loved as a young reader. It lured me in with the anthropomorphized animals and kept me around with the political satire. Now Andy Serkis is bringing the classic to the big screen with a fully animated adaptation that has a contemporary twist. Scott Roxborough of The Hollywood Reporter observes that Seth Rogen’s Napoleon the pig bears resemblance to a particular person in power, but Serkis said, “there are enough despots around the world using the same divisive techniques — misinformation, disinformation — to control people. That’s what we wrote about years ago.” We also have a new character in the form of young Lucky the pig. Whether or not the film successfully manages to capture the satirical wit and sharpness of the original text, you can’t say the film lacks star power with Rogen joined by Glenn Close and Kieran Culkin, to name a few of the A-list voices behind the characters. The film is currently seeking distribution.
The Best Romance Novels of 2025 (So Far)
If you’re looking for a healthy dose of HEAs this summer, check out this NYT list of the best romance of the year so far. The picks are categorized to make it easier for romance readers on the hunt for something specific to find their flavor (A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera for readers who would “like a steamy scorcher set in Belle Époque Paris,” for example), and there’s even a flag for romance novels popular with Times readers.
Oprah’s Book Club Announces 115th Pick and It’s An Author She’s Picked Before–Twice
I’m guessing Wally Lamb doesn’t sweat the sales of his books, considering Oprah can’t stop won’t stop picking his books for her eponymous book club. This is the third time one of his books has been selected. Learn why Oprah selected The River Is Waiting and the identities of the mere three other authors who’ve been selected as many times.
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