Are people talking about books again? (This week in books)

This week! Books!

We’re easing into summer, typically a quieter time in publishing, but I found some links for you.

The Rise of Ragebait Lit – Maris Kreizman, Harper’s Bazaar – Are people talking about books again??

Gulliver’s Warning – Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books – Happy three hundredth birthday to Jonathan Swift’s wildly inventive novel channeling his loathing of colonialism.

Think for Yourself – Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books – Another argument that there’s value in engaging with the kind of connective writing you may be tempted to brush past with A.I.

No, Artificial Intelligence Is Not Conscious – Ted Chiang, The Atlantic – Ted Chiang has long been one of the most astute writers on A.I., and he dismantles any notion that A.I. is–or could be–conscious.

How Lit Mags Are Dealing With AI-Slop Submissions – Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture – A look at the front lines of A.I. slop evaluation.

About those Dad Books – Kenneth Whyte, SHuSH – More on last week’s WSJ article on the supposed decline of “Dad Books.” Kenneth Whyte picks apart the less-than-convincing evidence the article relied upon to cite a trend.

Author Jon Klassen’s prestigious award win reflects a broader shift in children’s literature – Christophe Premat, The Conversation – A look at children’s book author and illustrator Jon Klassen, and what recent attention for his work says about perceptions of children’s literature.

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 Divorce by Freida McFadden
2. The Deal by Elle Kennedy
3. The Final Target by Nora Roberts
4. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
5. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. The Land and Its People by David Sedaris
2. Strangers by Belle Burden
3. The Hero Next Door by Martha Raddatz
4. All We Say by Ben Rhodes
5. Liar’s Kingdom by Andrew Weissmann

Young adult hardcover:

1. Behind Five Willows by June Hur
2. The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
3. Release Me by Tahereh Mafi
4. Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
5. If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin

Middle grade hardcover:

1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
2. Wombat Waiting by Katherine Applegate
3. KPop Demon Hunters by Jessica Yoon
4. Refugee by Alan Gratz
5. Unsettling Salad! by Aaron Reynolds

This week on the blog

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

• How to come up with good comp titles for your book

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Bluesky and Threads

And finally:

If you’re a sports fan of a certain age, a heaping dose of addictive nostalgia dropped this week in the form of two very entertaining games: 82-0 for basketball and 7a0 for soccer. Poof goes your productivity!

Have a great weekend!

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