Bringing an Oasis to the Book Desert
Welcome to Today in Books, where we report on literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
It’s been a quiet start to the week news-wise, and TBH, I don’t hate it. Let’s hit a few highlights and get to the “it” books of the week.
p.s. Don’t know what to get your bookish mom for Mother’s Day? Call in the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations, our personalized book recommendation service offering a variety of gift subscriptions.
An Oasis in the (Book) Desert
Is it too early to declare the hero of the week? Ymani Wince, who owns St. Louis’s Noir Bookshop, an indie emphasizing works by and about people of color, is on a mission to reverse the city’s status as a “book desert.” In her search for a community-oriented solution, Wince landed on the concept of book vending machines, and she has just launched one inside the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club on the city’s north side. As she told PBS NewsHour, “The concept of reading is good, having literacy is good, and I think access to information is a human right, no matter what you look like.” Yes and amen.
In the absence of systemic solutions to this persistent systemic problem, people like Wince are stepping up to make the life-changing impact of books and reading accessible to their communities. May their efforts succeed.
The Next Step Toward AI Transparency?
Representative Adam Schiff of California has introduced a bill that would require tech companies to disclose the copyrighted works they use to train AI models. Given that it has taken Congress twenty years since Facebook launched to start getting their heads around social media regulation, I’m heartened that they’re trying to move faster with the latest world-changing technology. But it’s still Mike Johnson’s House, so I’m also not holding my breath. May Schiff’s efforts succeed.
Search and Find
There are 15 book titles hidden in this puzzle, and for the life of me, I can only find 12. May your efforts succeed!
Let’s Hear It for the Weird Black Girls
Elwin Cotman’s new short story collection Weird Black Girls uses a mix of reality and fantasy to explore the anxieties and absurdities of modern Black life. Dig into an excerpt and find your next great read.
“It” Books of the Week
As always, I’ve got one fiction pick and one nonfiction. Upgrade to a paid subscription to unlock the good stuff.
Fiction
The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes
The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes is about four Irish sisters who were orphaned as kids and find their way back to each other when the oldest goes missing. It’s giving getting-the-gang-back-together, Bad Sisters vibes. It seems to have popped up overnight to glowing reviews. I can’t wait to dive in.
Nonfiction
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie’s new memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder is one of my three most anticipated books of the season, likely of the year. Rushdie, who has been living under a fatwa for thirty years, was attacked on stage during a book event in August 2022, a stabbing that caused serious injuries and left him blind in one eye. This would be a compelling story regardless of the writer, but in Rushdie’s hands, it is bound to be extraordinary.
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