Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
Are We Really Doing This Again?
If the literary discourse has an equivalent of “The Song That Doesn’t End,” it’s the infernal conversation around whether audiobooks are a legitimate form of reading. Though Katherine A. Powers’s heart appears to be in the right place in this column, her willingness to engage with the question (which, as far as I can tell, no one asked her) is itself part of the problem. I’ve been working on the literary internet for 17 years, and I cannot tell you how many rounds of “Are Audiobooks Real Books?” I’ve endured. Can we please be done with this? It’s a boring question. It’s an ableist question. It ignores the reality that the majority of American adults have listened to an audiobook. And, most important, it prevents us from getting to the conversation we really need to have about how and why we tolerate a system that legitimizes questions like “Do audiobooks count?”
ALA Names New Head of Public Policy and Advocacy
The American Library Association has named Lisa Varga as the new associate executive director of its Public Policy and Advocacy office. Varga, who has served as the executive director of the Virginia Library Association for the last 15 years, will lead the office’s work to promote the freedom of information and advocate for libraries and library workers. During her time at the VLA, she quintupled the organization’s membership, increased revenue, and “defeated four bills in the Virginia General Assembly in 2024 and 11 bills in the 2023 session which would have impacted intellectual freedom for students.” As a resident if Virginia, I’m grateful for work, especially these last few years as the state has become one of the top sites of book banning attempts. May her continuing efforts succeed.
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Rom-Coms, Take Me Away
Who among us doesn’t need a little escapist reading? Romance author Victoria Lavine recommends 10 romances that are “just as good as a vacation.” I’d add Susie Dumond’s Looking for a Sign, set in New Orleans (full disclosure: Susie writes for Book Riot), and Charish Reid’s Jewel Me Twice if you’re in the mood to gallivant around Europe with some jewel thieves.
The Best New Books Out This Week
Bob the Drag Queen’s debut novel and Roxane Gay’s new feminist reader are just a couple of the best new books out this week. What will you be reading?