Hello, book lovers! Did you binge Station Eleven on HBO Max this past December? Whether your answer is an enthusiastic “You bet I did!” or an exasperated, albeit excited, “Why didn’t anyone tell me that existed?!” we’ve got some exciting news to share: HBO Max (and you, dear reader) has not seen the last of Emily St. John Mandel. And the world, it would seem, has not seen the last of E L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey; its 10th-anniversary edition hit shelves this week much to the delight of devoted fans. Plus, Barnes & Noble just launched its own audiobook subscription service, and the USPS honored a beloved children’s author with an adorable new stamp. So, without further ado, enjoy this mix of stories from the book world.

HBO Max Orders More Emily St. John Mandel Adaptations: Mandel and Patrick Somerville, who adapted Station Eleven, are teaming up to bring her latest works, The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility, to the streaming platform. — Deadline

New Report Documents Staggering 1500+ Book Bans Across 26 U.S. States: A leader in protecting free speech, PEN America’s new Index of Book Bans and an accompanying report confirm the historically unparalleled intensity of ongoing assaults on free speech nationwide. — PEN America

Barnes & Noble Steps Into the Ring With Amazon’s Audible: Launching its very own audiobook subscription service this week, the bookseller offers subscribers one monthly credit to redeem on a book of their choice plus deals on thousands of audiobooks for everyone. — Barnes & Noble

Special Anniversary Edition Celebrates 10 Years of Global Phenomenon Fifty Shades of Grey: Out this week, the commemorative edition of E L James’ controversial, sensuous and wildly popular debut features never-before-seen content! — BookTrib

Awards and Accolades Worthy of Note: The International Book Prize shortlist features books spanning six different languages; Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary among this year’s Hugo Awards finalists; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie among winners of the 2022 O. Henry Prize for Short Fiction (LitHub); Rabih Alameddine’s The Wrong End of the Telescope wins the 2022 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction; The Cleveland Foundation announced the winners of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, which recognizes literature that confronts racism and explores diversity; the 2021 Aurealis Awards shortlist has been announced; and the 2022 Whiting Awards celebrate 10 emerging writers (NPR).

What Are Book Clubs Reading This April? Jenna Bush Hager picks Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow; Good Morning America selects Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus; Reese Witherspoon chooses True Biz by Sara Nović (SheKnows); B&N will discuss Emily St. John Mandel’s highly-anticipated Sea of Tranquility; and BookTrib’s own book club network will dive into seven exciting reads this month.

6 Autistic Authors You Should Be Reading: April is Autism Acceptance Month, and these authors’ stories, spanning various genres of fiction, captivate neurodivergent and neurotypical readers alike. — BookTrib

USPS Honors Author/Illustrator Shel Silverstein With New Forever Stamp: Featuring artwork from his 1964 beloved children’s classic, The Giving Tree, these stamps capture the nostalgia of children’s literature. — USPS

April’s the Month for New Books by Award-Winning Authors! With much-anticipated releases from Pulitzer Prize-winners Margo Jefferson and Jennifer Egan, Booker Prize-winner Douglas Stuart and more, readers have hit the literary jackpot this month. — Vanity Fair

Move Over, John le Carré! 5 New Masterful Tales of Cold War Espionage: Deserving of any and all comparisons to their predecessors, these contemporary writers tackle the Cold War with great success. — BookTrib

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