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Happy Friday, y’all! I hope you don’t mind, but instead of sharing strictly news this week I’ve also included some book-related articles I absolutely loved; you can find them at the end of this post! There has been some wonderful reading on the internet this week – I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!


The rumor mill started off with a bang this week as people in the comic book industry started speculating about a Marvel Comics takeover of DC Comics after DC let their CEO go. The crossover implications are incredible.

The week also started off with an exciting auction as the typewriters previously owned by Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac were sold. I wonder who the lucky winners were (and how much they ended up spending for a piece of literary history)?


The former mayor of Baltimore, Catherine Pugh, has been sentenced to three years in prison for a children’s book scandal.

Ex-Baltimore mayor sentenced to 3 years in prison for children’s book scandal | CBC News

Catherine Pugh, the disgraced former mayor of Baltimore was sentenced to three years in federal prison Thursday for arranging fraudulent sales of her self-published children’s books to nonprofits and foundations to promote her political career and fund her run for the city’s highest office.

The literary world is starting to feel the impact of the coronavirus. The Bologna Book Fair has been pushed from March to May in an effort to avoid the virus.

Speaking of coronavirus, fans of Dean Koontz are starting to wonder if the author is psychic after he predicted a 2020 viral outbreak in a book written in 1981.


Edwidge Danticat became the first two-time winner of the Story Prize award for short fiction this week for her collection “Everything Inside” (she previously won in 2005 for “The Dew Breaker”).

The longlist for the International Booker Prize has been announced! The prize awards excellence in translated fiction from around the world.

The finalists for the Rathbones Folio Prize for the best literary work of the year have been announced

Zadie Smith, Valeria Luiselli & Ben Lerner finalists for $51K Folio Prize for best literary work of the year | CBC Books

Zadie Smith, Valeria Luiselli and Ben Lerner are among the eight finalists for the 2020 Rathbones Folio Prize. The annual £30,000 ($51,560.92 Cdn) prize recognizes the best literary work of the year, in any form. This year’s shortlist includes three novels, three works of nonfiction, along with a poetry and a short story collection.

The 2020 Freedom to Read award will be presented to Ivan Coyote in celebration of their gifted storytelling and activism


Canadian icon Buffy Sainte Marie will be making her children’s book debut this year with a story that celebrates pet adoption.

Buffy Sainte-Marie announces debut children’s book | CBC Music

Music Hey Little Rockabye tells a story about pet adoption and animal rescue. Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has announced Hey Little Rockabye: A Lullaby for Pet Adoption, her debut children’s picture book. The book, which will be published on May 12 by Greystone Kids and was illustrated by Ben Hodson, tells the story of a girl and her family considering pet adoption.

Former Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill has announced she will be writing a book that is “part memoir, part gender-equity battle plan” titled She Will Rise. It is set to be published this summer.

Katie Hill, Who Quit Congress Amid Ethics Inquiry, Will Publish Memoir (Published 2020)

Last fall, private photos were published of Ms. Hill, and the House investigated claims of a relationship with an aide. Her farewell speech became famous. Last fall, Katie Hill, a Democratic congresswoman from California, faced some of the darkest moments of her life.


As someone who was raised on Beverly Cleary’s novels, I absolutely loved this essay celebrating Ramona Quimby.

How Ramona Quimby Taught a Generation of Girls to Embrace Brashness

Plucky heroines abound across Anglo and American children’s literature, yet their own struggles with gendered strictures and the trajectories of their comings-of-age often present conflicting narratives. Perhaps one of the most uncompromising-and uncompromised-children’s heroines from the twentieth century is Pippi Longstocking, literary creation of Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.

In the week of Harvey Weinstein’s guilty verdict, I found this article on the emerging “post-traumatic novel” genre fascinating.

Clare Pooley, whose debut novel The Authenticity Project came out this month, wrote this wonderful essay on using writing to help treat addiction.

Writing About My Alcohol Addiction Helped Treat It

My rock bottom moment was not particularly dramatic. It didn’t involve policemen, lawyers or even a hospital. Rather, it came courtesy of a novelty mug, which I’d filled with red wine to take the edge off my hangover, at 11am. This was a first, because not drinking until after midday was one of my rules.

And finally, if you’re looking for cover inspiration or just need a splash of colour to help get you through this dreary, frozen winter, lithub presented their favourite covers of the month and they are beautiful


Staff Reads and Recommendations:
Joni Di Placido, Author Engagement Specialist

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