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This originally appeared in our Today in Books daily newsletter, where each day we round up the most interesting stories, news, essays, and other goings on in the world of books and reading. Sign up here if you want to get it.
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How Fall Became The Big Season in Book Publishing
We got an incredible link from a listener of the Book Riot Podcast about the origins of publishing’s “seasons,” especially the big separation into “Fall” and “Spring” lists. The answer is both sort of boring and amazing. Basically, in the early 19th century, the vast majority of book publishers were in the Northeast (and printers too). You know what happens in the winter in New England. Stuff freezes. And you know what the best way to get books to the rest of the country was? Boats and rivers. So publishers had a “fall list” that they got out before things iced up and a “spring list” for when things thawed. And we just sorta still do that.
Red, White, & Royal Blue is Getting a Sequel
In one way, not a surprise: the Amazon adaptation of Red, White, & Royal Blue was really popular. In this way, a surprise: there is no book sequel to Red, White, and Royal Blue, nor does this announcement of a sequel mention a book. Instead, it appears that McQuiston will co-write the screenplay with Matthew Lopez, who directed the first film. Good for McQuiston and fans of the film. Bummer for the book world, if we get skipped right over for the follow-up.
Shogun Looks Like It is Getting a Second Season
Shogun was terrific. And series lead and producer Hiroyuki Sanada was a big reason why. And he apparently has signed on to return as Lord Tanaga in Season 2. The wrinkle here is that there is no material for Lord Tanaga in a second season. Clavell wrote other books about feudal Japan, but chronologically the next book in the series, Tai-Pan, takes place more than 200 years after Lord Tanaga’s time. So the showrunners will need to Benioff & Weiss this sucker. Nervous.
Amazon’s Increasingly Mis-Calendered Book Sale Has Some Good Deal
As mentioned in a previous edition of Today in Books , Amazon is throwing a big multi-day book sale May 15. Except that it is already started? Or at least some of the deals are already available? I am pretty confused about the rollout here but I am not confused about there being some good deals. Like deep discounts on print editions of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, Such a Fun Age, Little Fires Everwhere, and others. It’s a good chance to grab copies of book’s you probably have heard of but didn’t get to the first time around. Not seeing some “diamond in the rough” picks, which would be cool. Still worth checking out (and keep checking out until it’s over….at some point).
