In observance of the U.S. holiday, there will be no Book Pulse for the week of November 22-26. We wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

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Awards & Buzzy Book News

The 2021 Porchlight Business Book Awards Longlist is announced.

Wattpad Webtoon Studios will begin printing digital comics with Webtoon Unscrolled, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Page to Screen

November 19:

The Wheel of Time, based on the book series by Robert Jordan. PrimeVideo. No reviews | Trailer

Cowboy Bebop, based on associated titles. Netflix. Reviews | Trailer

Harriet the Spy, based on the book by Louise Fitzhugh. Apple TV+. No reviews | Trailer

Hellbound, based on the webtoon by Yeon Sang-ho. Netflix. No reviews | Trailer

Nantucket Noel, based on the book by Nancy Thayer. Hallmark. No reviews | Trailer

November 24:

A Boy Called Christmas, based on the book by Matt Haig. Netflix. No reviews | Trailer

Hawkeye, based on associated titles. Disney+. No reviews | Trailer

House of Gucci, based on the book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden. MGM. No reviews | Trailer

The Summit of the Gods, based on the manga series by Jiro Taniguchi. Netflix. No reviews | Trailer

8-Bit Christmas, based on the book by Kevin Jakubowski. HBO Max. No reviews | Trailer

November 25:

Gossip Girl, based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar. HBO Max. Reviews | Trailer

Super Crooks, based on the comic book series by Mark Millar. Netflix. No reviews | Trailer

Reviews

The Washington Post reviews Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America by Keisha N. Blain (Beacon): "Hamer is an essential and inspirational figure for anyone seeking an honest accounting of America’s troubled past and for those who set themselves to the still-unfinished struggle for change, and Blain does an excellent job of reminding us of her importance. Every generation deserves to be reminded of her legacy, even as the temptation to press Hamer into the service of our own struggles remains irresistible." And, The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality by Kathryn Paige Harden (Princeton University Press): "Harden’s book is a thought-provoking read but in the end demonstrates only the incredible difficulty of using empirical data, both genetic and environmental, to level the educational playing field." Plus, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us by Brian Klaas (S. & S.): "Yet Klaas, an associate professor at University College London, fails to bring his deep understanding of global politics to bear on the really tough problems. His stories offer ample tactical tweaks, such as improving recruitment to make jobs more attractive to better people, or rotating leadership posts and using randomized integrity tests focused on those at the top to catch those who can do the most harm." Also, many other reviews posted this morning.

NYT reviews Hitler's American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germany's March to Global War by Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman (Hachette): "The greatest strength of Simms and Laderman’s book is its success in accomplishing something supremely difficult: It reminds us how contingent even the most significant historical events can be, how many other possibilities lurked beyond the familiar ones that actually happened — and how even the greatest leaders often have only a shaky grasp of what is happening." Also, These Precious Days by Ann Pachett (Harper): "Patchett has a talent for friendship and celebrates many of those friends here. She writes with pure love for her mother, and with humor and some good-natured exasperation at Karl, who is such a great character he warrants a book of his own. Patchett’s account of his feigned offer to buy a woman’s newly adopted baby when she expresses unwarranted doubts is priceless."

Tor.com reviews Even Greater Mistakes by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor: Macmillan): “As Even Greater Mistakes proves, there will always be muralists painting seawalls, small business owners trying to handsell books across an international ideological divide, playwrights gaining unexpected inspiration—and writers like Anders, chronicling ages we haven’t yet lived but that, through her thoughts and words, we feel as if we have.”

The Seattle Times reviews Burntcoat by Sarah Hall (Custom House): “Read it tomorrow or a decade from now — either way, it’ll convey a palpable sense of what it feels like to be alive in 2021, another grueling year shaped by an epochal crisis.”

Book Marks lists "The Best Reviewed Books of the Week."

Briefly Noted

The Rumpus talks to Gene Kwak about his debut novel Go Home, Ricky! (Abrams), “performance, the best Starburst flavor combinations, and more.” Also a chat with Elissa Washuta, author of White Magic (Tin House), about “finding meaning at the edge of reality.”

Clarkesworld interviews Charlie Jane Anders, Even Greater Mistakes (Tor: Macmillan), about the important books that inspire her. 

Kim Perell, author of Jump: Dare to Do What Scares You in Business and Life (HarperCollins) chats with People about “overcoming fear after her first set of twins were born at 24 weeks.” 

Shondaland interviews Michael Tubbs, The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home (Flatiron), about his love for his hometown of Stockton, California. Also, Kerry Rea, author of The Wedding Ringer (Berkley), discusses “the power of finding true friendship in the wake of a devastating betrayal.” Plus, Charlie Jane Anders talks about “her speculative fiction short-story collection” Even Greater Mistakes (Tor: Macmillan).

Dwyane Wade speaks to Vanity Fair about his photo memoir Dwyane (William Morrow: HarperCollins) and “life after basketball.”

Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World (Greystone: Ingram), speaks to Miriam Garcia about “what nature can teach us about creativity” on The Creative Independent.

NYT profiles Fatima Daas and her book The Last One (Penguin Random House), who wrote a book about her conflicting identities as "a lesbian, Muslim woman with an immigrant background."

Vulture shares an excerpt from Mel Brooks’ memoir All About Me! (Ballantine: Penguin Random House).

Oprah Daily features a brief overview of each book of the “winners of the 2021 National Book Awards.”

Book Riot profiles Belle de Costa Greene, “the world’s most glamorous librarian.”

Esquire shares “How to Read the Wheel of Time Books in Order.”

CrimeReads gives "November's Best Nonfiction Crime Books."

Vox provides 11 “prestige books” not to be missed.

Book Riot lists Libro.fm’s “Top 10 Bestselling Audiobooks of 2021” and Barnes & Noble's 2021 Book of the Year as The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney (Liverlight: Norton).

Electric Lit gives “Around the World in 8 Novels.”

The Washington Post provides many lists summing up books for 2021 including: “The 10 best books of 2021,” “50 notable works of fiction,” and “50 notable works of nonfiction” among others.

NYT lists “9 New Books We Recommend This Week" and "New in Paperback."

Authors on Air

NPR’s Book of the Day features Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA by Tim Mak (Dutton) that “takes an inside look at the corruption at the heart of the NRA.”

Anne Applebaum, historian, journalist and author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism (Anchor: Penguin Random House), speaks to Terry Gross about how “the autocrats are winning” on NPR’s Fresh Air.

Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case by Caitlin Rother (Citadel) will be adapted into a television series by Untitled Entertainment. Deadline has more.

Rosemary Mosco, author of A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World’s Most Misunderstood Bird (Workman), defends pigeons from stereotypes on the Book Dreams podcast.

Rebecca Solnit, Orwell's Roses (Viking), discusses "who George Orwell was in his time, who he can be for our time, and what we might learn for thinking about own lives" with Open Source podcast.

The NYPLblog lists “Notable Book Adaptations Out Now or Coming Soon.”

In observance of the U.S. holiday, there will be no Book Pulse for the week of November 22-26. We wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Want to get the latest book news delivered to your inbox each day? Sign up for our daily Book Pulse newsletter.