Book orgs call out HarperCollins silence (This week in books)

This week! Books!

Murdoch-owned publisher HarperCollins was a very notable non-signer of a letter from major publishers speaking out against the Trump administration’s move to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an institution that provides crucial support for the nation’s museums and libraries. Advocacy organization Authors Against Book Bans, the HarperCollins union, and many librarians, booksellers, and industry professionals signed an open letter imploring HarperCollins to speak up in support of libraries and demanding to know why they didn’t sign the previous letter.

Meanwhile, a coalition of literary advocacy organizations have renounced a new bill in Florida that would force school districts to remove any challenged book within five days, regardless of whether it’s undergone a review.

After significant complaints from authors and agents throughout 2024 about missed payments, children’s publisher Albert Whitman has filed for bankruptcy.

Japanese lawmakers are seeking to take legal action against A.I. companies that facilitated the viral Studio Ghibli-inspired A.I. slop that made the rounds a few weeks ago, though experts worry it will be hard to prove and enforce.

George R.R. Martin says he’s making progress on the famously delayed sequel Winds of Winter, but called it “the curse of my life.”

A new foldable e-ink e-reader prototype has been released by China’s Readmoo. It looks small.

And actor Pedro Pascal, who has been vocally supportive of his trans sister, called out J.K. Rowling for “heinous LOSER behavior” for her celebratory post after an anti-transgender U.K. court ruling.

This week in bestsellers

Here are the top five NY Times bestsellers in a few key categories. (All links are affiliate links):

Adult print and e-book fiction:

1. The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
2. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
3. Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage
4. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
5. Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
2. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
3. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
4. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
5. Fight by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes

Young adult hardcover:

1. Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi
2. Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter
3. Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
4. Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft
5. Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Middle grade hardcover:

1. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
2. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
3. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
4. River of Spirits by Shana Targosz
5. The Cursed Campground by FGTeeV with Joe Caramagna

This week on the blog

In case you missed them, here are this week’s posts:

• Are we losing the nascent democratization of books?

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Bluesky
• Check out the Bransforums

And finally, you may have seen and dismissed some headlines about scientists facilitating people seeing a new color, but Ross Anderson’s account of what it was like for scientists to see it does sound pretty spectacular.

Have a great weekend!

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Photo: The Huntington, San Marino, CA