The Hub

News, Notes, Talk

Public libraries in TX, LA, and MS are no longer protected by the First Amendment.

Six months ago, Anthony Aycock wrote a piece for this website called “How a Single Court Case Could Determine the Future of Book Banning in America” in which he detailed a case working its way through the American judicial system: Read more >

By Drew Broussard

This week’s news in Venn diagrams.

We’re currently nestled in the period between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, when time acts strangely and the calendar never behaves like it’s supposed to. It’s the perfect season to steal away to read a book, and force time to Read more >

By James Folta

Christmas shopping in the tri-state area? Check out the estate sale selling 100,000 books.

The late William Roberts was a Pennsylvania lawyer, philanthropist, and self-identified bibliophile. And as The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in his recent obit, when the bookstore near his home closed, a window opened. Roberts, a devoted reader, bought the store’s entire Read more >

By Brittany Allen

The US will reinstate library grants canceled by Trump.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services issued a short and sweet update on Wednesday announcing the restoration of all grants supporting libraries and museums: Upon further review, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has reinstated all federal grants. Read more >

By James Folta

Here’s what’s making us happy this week.

This week, Lit Hub ate buffet style. We followed individual whims, and satisfied diverse appetites. Literally? We gamed, we read, and we giggled. Emily Temple’s nice thing of the week was music. Says our managing editor: “After years of being Read more >

By Brittany Allen

On this Krampus Night, revisit the scariest Christmas book of all.

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Nicholas, a celebration of the patron saint of children, travelers, sailors, toymakers, broadcasters, the falsely accused, repentant thieves, Greece, archers, unmarried people, and the Russian Navy. St. Nick also inspired Santa Claus, so the Read more >

By James Folta

Have libraries have become the new Blockbuster?

Streaming is over. The magazine is back. And everyone who’s too online is apparently getting off again. The time is ripe for an analog revolution. And where better to start than the stacks? As Claire Woodcock reported in 404 Media Read more >

By Brittany Allen

La, la, laaa, la, la, laaa. We’re getting a Gilmore Girls tell-all.

Some of us just can’t seem to quit a certain Connecticut town. Maybe it’s the pancakes at the diner. The quaint local color. Or maybe it’s those unlikely palm trees, swaying in the distance. Either way, despite the inscrutably speedy Read more >

By Brittany Allen

Author R.F. Kuang has dropped out of a UAE literary festival, citing the BDS boycott.

R.F. Kuang, the bestselling novelist behind Katabasis, Yellowface, and Babel, is taking a stand with the BDS movement. Citing a call from the organizers of the Palestinian BDS (or, Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) National Committee, the popular author withdrew from Read more >

By Brittany Allen

Caro-head Matthew Rhys wants to make a Power Broker show with Netflix.

As Lit Hub’s resident Caro-head, it is my sworn duty to bring you any and all news about Caro, The Power Broker, or any updates on how the latest LBJ volume is going. The latest news for the Broker-pilled is Read more >

By James Folta

Here are the most scathing lines from the reviews of Olivia Nuzzi’s American Canto.

There’s nothing brave or noble about admitting that I am completely engrossed by the ongoing Olivia Nuzzi saga. It’s not just that it’s tawdry, or that all the players are, to varying degrees, despicable. It’s also the Wider Implications, for Read more >

By Jessie Gaynor

A kid’s book press had to tell Pete Hegseth to not depict their turtle committing murder.

If you’re a fan of Kids Can Press or Canadian writer Paulette Bourgeois’s Franklin the Turtle, you may have come across this statement on social media yesterday: — Kids Can Press (@kidscanpress.bsky.social) 2025-12-01T23:18:59.601Z   Why is a kids book publisher Read more >

By James Folta

How Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia literally saved lives.

It’s unusual to encounter good news these days, particularly on social media. So I was delighted to come across this image on Bluesky earlier today, of a letter to the Times of London in reference to the great Tom Stoppard, Read more >

By Jonny Diamond

Get in, loser! We’re watching the trailer for Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation.

Emily Henry is a phenom unto herself. A New York Times bestseller known for her slow burning, thoughtful romances and prolific pace, some say she’s single-handedly steering the literary romance renaissance. While the filmed rom-com continues to flounder since Nora Read more >

By Brittany Allen

The Black List will grant $10,000 to seven writers for its inaugural Unpublished Novel Award.

Today, the Black List, which originated as a yearly list of Hollywood’s most-admired but still-unproduced screenplays, announced the seven winners of its inaugural Unpublished Novel Award. Each winner will receive $10,000 to support their work. The judging panel, which included Read more >

By Literary Hub

Elizabeth McCracken, Olga Tokarczuk, Olivia Nuzzi, and more: 22 new books out today!

December marks the winding down of the year’s releases, but there’s still a lot to be excited by. Elizabeth McCracken has released a craft memoir, a gift to anyone who isn’t lucky enough to be her student at Michener. Olga Read more >

By Julia Hass

Sally Rooney says her books may become unavailable in the UK because of her advocacy for Palestine.

Sally Rooney’s books, both new and old, may be unavailable in the UK due to the government’s aggressive action against those who are speaking out and taking action against Israel’s genocide in Palestine. Rooney, the bestselling Irish novelist and Millennial Read more >

By James Folta

Remembering Tom Stoppard, the thinker’s playwright.

Tis a truth universally acknowledged: all precocious theatre kids raised up in Western traditions meet Arcadia or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at some point sophomore year, then frantically try to secure the performance rights for one or the other until pushback Read more >

By Brittany Allen

Naomi Wood! Britney Spears! Fomenting revolution! 20 new paperbacks out this December.

December is upon us, and that means not only a month of exciting new books to look forward to, but a wonderful opportunity for many of us to also pick up some new books as gifts for the special ones Read more >

By Gabrielle Bellot

Natan Last, Sven Beckert, Juhea Kim, and more: 16 new books out today!

It’s a quiet week over here in literary world, and hopefully quiet for you, reader, in whichever industry you work. The cities get quieter, the exoduses take place, and the publishing output slows to an almost complete halt. It’s a Read more >

By Julia Hass