The Widow by Fiona Barton has joined the iBooks Bestsellers List this week at No. 2.

Apple has released the list of Bestselling iBooks from the week of 2/21/16. January by Audrey Carlan is No. 1 on the list and RoomHate by Penelope Ward held the No. 3 position.

We have the entire list for you after the jump.

iBooks US Bestseller List – Paid Books 02/21/16

Brooklyn Public Library, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Haines Borough Public Library, James E. Brooks Library at Central Washington University and the San Mateo County Libraries (SMCL) are among the 30 finalists for the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) revealed the complete list of those institutions in the running. The award is given to museums and libraries for service to the community.

“The 2016 National Medal finalists make lasting differences in their communities by serving and inspiring the public,” stated Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “We proudly recognize these museums and libraries for their invaluable work to provide Americans with educational resources, 21st century skills, and opportunities for lifelong learning. As key stewards of our nation’s future, we salute the 30 finalists for their excellence in engaging our citizenry and expanding learning of all kinds.”

A man had complained that Naji’s writings caused him heart palpitations, sickness and a drop in blood pressure. Prosecutors took the case to court, arguing that Naji’s use of “vulgar” phrases to describe genitals and sexual intercourse constituted a “disease destroying social values.”

Banned Books Week will focus on diversity this year. The annual celebration, which calls on readers to fight against censorship by reading works that have been banned, will run from September 25−October 1, 2016.

According to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, more than half of all banned books are by authors of color or reflect issues of diversity. This year’s Banned Books Week global event will celebrate banned literature and will also deal with why diverse books are disproportionately challenged.

“It’s alarming to see so many diverse voices facing censorship,” stated Charles Brownstein, chair of the Banned Books Week Coalition. “2016’s Banned Books Week is an important moment for communities to join together in affirming the value of diverse ideas and multiple viewpoints. By shining a light on how these ideas are censored, we hope to encourage opportunities to create engagement and understanding within our communities, and to emphasize the fundamental importance of the freedom to read.”

Ava DuVernay, the director behind Selma, will take the helm of a movie based on Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. Farrar, Straus & Giroux first published this Newbery Medal-winning children’s book back in 1963.

Here’s more from The Chicago Tribune: “The story follows children as they travel through time and visit strange worlds in order to find their missing scientist father…A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in L’Engle’s Time Quartet series that also includes A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet.”

According to The Wrap, Jennifer Lee, the screenwriter behind Frozen, has signed on to write the script. Disney has scheduled filming to begin later this year. (via Deadline)

Lauren Dane has landed a deal with two Harlequin imprints. According to the press release, Angela James, an editorial director at Carina Press, will edit all of Dane’s manuscripts.

HQN Books will publish Dane’s contemporary romance series, the Whiskey Sharp trilogy. Book one will be released in Spring 2017.

Carina Press will re-release two 2007 titles from Dane’s Cherchez Wolf Pack series. The new editions of Wolf’s Ascension and Sworn to the Wolf will come out this year. (Photo Credit: David Hiller)

Disney has unleashed a new teaser for The Jungle Book. Entertainment Weekly reports that the video features the voice acting talents of Sir Ben Kingsley as Bagheera the black panther and Neel Sethi as Mowgli the man cub.

According to The Disney Blog, Jon Favreau served as the director and Justin Marks served as the screenwriter for this live action/CG hybrid movie. The movie studio has set the theatrical release date for April 15.

Follow these links to watch the first teaser and an international trailer. Click here to download a free digital copy of Rudyard Kipling’s original novel. (via io9)

First Second Books will publish a biographic graphic novel profiling Siddhartha. The story for Little Sid will explore his childhood prior to his “enlightenment” into the Buddha.

Ian Lendler will write the story and Xanthe Bouma will create the artwork for this project. The release date has been set for Winter 2017.

Here’s more from the GeekDad blog: “Before he became The Buddha, Siddhartha was a regular man. And before Siddhartha was a man, he was Little Sid- a regular kid. Well, as regular as you can be if you’re a prince who gets everything his heart desires. But this opulent lifestyle leaves Little Sid feeling dissatisfied, so he ventures out of his castle in search of a more meaningful life.” (via the First Second Books tumblr page)

Ethan Young has signed a deal with Dark Horse Comics.

Young aims to create a science fiction story for a young adult audience. His new graphic novel series will be called The Battles of Bridget Lee. The first volume is slated to come out on Sept. 21.

Here’s more from the press release: “There is no longer a generation that remembers a time before the Marauders invaded Earth. The remaining human outposts have been quiet since they fought back the alien aggressors, but there are stirrings of another attack. Bridget Lee, an ex–combat medic now residing at the outpost Farfall, may be the world’s last hope. But Bridget will need to overcome her own fears before she can save her people. Her legend begins here.”

The Los Angeles Times has revealed the honorees and finalists for its Book Prizes.

The Book Prizes reward 50 works in 10 different categories: biography, current interest, fiction, first fiction (the Art Seidenbaum Award), graphic novel/comics, history, mystery/thriller, poetry, science and technology, and young adult literature. Follow this link to see the complete list of finalists in each category.

Novelist James Patterson has been selected to win the Innovator’s Award and United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera will receive the 2015 Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement.

The awards will be handed out on April 9, during the 21 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium. Tickets for the event go on sale on March 8.

Humble Bundle has crafted a deal highlighting science fiction classics. It will be available from now until March 1.

Three charities have been named as the beneficiaries of this venture. Customers can choose to have their money go to one of the following organizations: the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), the Challenger Learning Center for Space Science Education, and Extra Life (Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals).

Here’s more from the press release: “Readers can pay what they want for The Last Defender of Camelot, Dragonworld, The Deceivers, Wild Cards Deuces Down, Roger Zelazny’s The Dawn of Amber Book 1, and Damnation Alley. Those who pay more than the average price will also receive The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth; Eye of Cat; The Computer Connection; Wild Cards Death Draws Five; Roger Zelazny’s Chaos in Amber Book 2; Roger Zelazny’s To Rule in Amber Book 3; and Robot Visions. In addition, readers who pay $15 more will receive all of that plus Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime 1, The Demolished Man, Roger Zelazny’s Shadows of Amber Book 4, Robot Dreams, and The Stars My Destination.”

The cover has been unveiled for Mindy McGinnis’ forthcoming book, The Female of the Species. We’ve embedded the full image for the jacket design above—what do you think?

According to Epic Reads, this will be McGinnis’ first contemporary young adult novel. Prior to this, “Mindy’s book have all been either historical and dark or post-apocalytpic and dark.”

In a blog post, McGinnis revealed that this project also features “my first attempt at writing a male main character and my first book with multiple POV’s.” Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, has scheduled the publication date for September 20.

New authors looking to get into the publishing business deal will need to have a book proposal to get a publisher or agent to even look at their work.

Publishing consultant Jane Friedman (not to be confused with Jane Friedman, the Open Road CEO/former HarperCollins CEO) outlined some great tips for writing a book proposal. These steps are great insights to help you get started in writing a book proposal. Here is an excerpt:

Editors care about one thing only: A viable idea with a clear market, paired with a writer who has credibility and marketing savvy.Knowing your audience or market—and having direct, tangible reach to them (online or off)—gives you a much better chance of success. Pitch only the book you know has a firm spot in the marketplace. Do not pitch a book expecting that the publisher will bring the audience to you. It’s the other way around. You bring your audience and platform to the publisher.

In less than one week, the winners will be announced at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony. The BookBub team has created an infographic that highlights 9 Book-to-Movie Adaptations.

This year, The Revenant has been recognized with 12 nominations including Best Picture. The movie, based in part on Michael Punke’s 2015 novel, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass.

We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think? Follow this link to check out the full list of this year’s Oscar nominees.

Berkeley Breathed has signed a deal with The Penguin Young Readers imprint, Philomel Books. He plans to create a picture book called The Bill The Cat Story: A Bloom County Epic.

With this project, Breathed will share the origin story for Bill the Cat; this character is part of the cast for Breathed’s beloved Bloom County comic strip. Michael Green, president and publisher of the imprint, will edit the manuscript. The publication date has been set for September 13.

Here’s more from the press release: “The Bill The Cat Story: A Bloom County Epic will be illustrated and presented as a deluxe edition of the legendary comic strip, which made national headlines after returning from a twenty-five year hiatus in July of 2015. The strip is published exclusively on Breathed’s Facebook page, and in mere months has amassed over half a million followers, a testimony to Bloom County’s lasting and dedicated fan base. This new picture book from Breathed will serve as a funny, kid-friendly introduction to Bloom County, while offering adult fans the chance to learn the backstory of one of its most beloved characters.”

State run media outlets in Iran are collaborating on a new bounty for the capture of author Salman Rushdie.

Forty organizations have pooled $600,000 to pay for the capture of Rushdie. The new fatwa comes 27 years after the original banning of “The Satanic Verses” in Iran for “blaspheming” Islam. The Guardian has more:

The fatwa provoked an international outcry and caused the UK to sever diplomatic relations with Iran for nearly a decade. In 1998, Iran’s former president Mohammad Khatami said the fatwa was “finished”, but it was never officially lifted and has been reiterated several times, occasionally on the anniversary, by Iran’s current supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and other religious officials.

HarperCollins has acquired the world rights for a memoir by Nujeen Mustafa, a teenage Syrian refugee who travelled from Syria to Germany in a wheelchair.

Golf legend Tiger Woods will be the subject of a new biography from Simon & Schuster. The book has yet to be titled or given a release date.

Journalists/book authors Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian are writing the book.
Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster, and Jofie Ferrari-Adler, Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster acquired world, audio, and first serial rights to the project from literary agent Richard Pine of Inkwell Management.

The authors have spent the last year doing research and interviews for the book. The book will chart Woods’ rise to success in golf and business and his decline in recent years since his tabloid divorce.

“Our approach has been to gather and digest everything we possibly can,” stated Keteyian. “We’re also talking to a lot of people that haven’t talked previously. It’s clearly been a complicated, unmatched, and well-chronicled, rise, fall, and return. But there’s more. A lot more. And I believe the end result will captivate sports fans and fans of big, sweeping biographies.”

Titan Comics will publish an English translation of the Sherlock manga series. These comic books, adapted from the popular BBC television series, were originally published in Japan four years ago.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Jay, an illustrator, created the artwork. The release date for Sherlock: A Study In Pink has been scheduled for June 2016.

Here’s more from io9: “To make up for the fact that fan translations have been widely distributed in the four years since the manga released in Japan, Titan’s release will include an increased page count, new alternate covers, and bonus art from frequent Titan collaborator Alice X. Zhang. It will also be available in both physical and digital formats.” (via Comic Book Resources)

What if Donald Trump sat on the Iron Throne and ruled over Westeros? One YouTube creative, known as huw parkinson, decided to produce a hilarious piece called “Winter is Trumping.”

The video embedded above features the Republican presidential candidate interacting with Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and the men of the Night’s Watch. The season six premiere episode of Game of Thrones will air on April 24.

Click on these links to watch HBO’s first teaser and the second teaser. For more parody humor, follow these links to watch the “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Trump” video and a clip from the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show.

Actually DEADPOOL was going to host back in the 90s, but then this happened. Thank god Tom Hanks was available.https://t.co/7pyPEMysdY

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) February 20, 2016

Andrew Stege, a fan of the Deadpool film adaptation, has launched a Change.org petition. He hopes to encourage producer Lorne Michaels, actor Ryan Reynolds, and NBC to allow the “Merc with a Mouth” to host an episode of Saturday Night Live.

So far, the petition has drawn more than 72,000 signatures. Recently, Reynolds responded with a tweet (embedded above) that claims Deadpool was “going to host back in the 90s, but then this happened.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Reynolds and his alter-ego have been making waves at the box office — the R-rated film grossed a record-breaking $132.7 million over its debut weekend, giving it one of the best showings ever for a superhero film.” Click on these links to watch an IMAX trailer, a teaser trailer, the red band version of the first trailer, and the second trailer. (via A.V. Club)

Ann Shoket has signed a deal for a nonfiction book with Rodale Books. She (pictured, via) has become well-known as the former editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine.

Marisa Vigilante, a senior editor, negotiated the deal with Brandi Bowles, an agent at Foundry Literary + Media. Michelle Phan, a make-up expert and YouTube star, has agreed to write the foreword. The release date for The Big Life: Find Your Confidence, Live Your Dreams, and Get Everything You Ever Wanted – On Your Own Terms has been set for Winter 2017.

According to the press release, this book “is specifically tailored to millennial women who are changing what it means to be powerful and successful in the world—for everyone. Forever. The book will help them sort through the complicated emotions that come with being young, hungry and ambitious.”

The world has been mourning the passing of Harper Lee. President Barack Obama (pictured, via) wrote a post on Facebook to praise the To Kill a Mockingbird author.

Here’s an excerpt from Obama’s post: “Ms. Lee changed America for the better. And there is no higher tribute we can offer her than to keep telling this timeless American story – to our students, to our neighbors, and to our children – and to constantly try, in our own lives, to finally see each other.”

Many members of the publishing industry have also spoken out in remembrance of Lee including HarperCollins publisher Michael Morrison, literary agent Andrew Nurnberg, and Amazon Books editorial director Sara Nelson. Do you have a favorite quote from To Kill a Mockingbird or Go Set a Watchman?

Umberto Eco has died. According to The New York Times, the Italian writer was 84 years old.

BBC News reports that Eco produced a wide variety of work throughout his career including novels, children’s books, and literary criticism. He gained great renown as a fiction writer for his 1980 mystery novel, The Name of The Rose.

Here’s more from The Guardian: “The author, who had been suffering from cancer, passed away at 9.30pm (8.30pm GMT) on Friday, La Repubblica said on its website. He was the 1992-3 Norton professor at Harvard and taught semiotics at Bologna University and once suggested that writing novels was a mere part-time occupation, saying: ‘I am a philosopher; I write novels only on the weekends.'” (Photo Credit: Augusto Casasoli)

One of the perks of new technology is the access that readers now have to some of their favorite authors. Recently, Neil Gaiman (pictured, via) has taken to sharing tips about the writing craft on his Tumblr page.

Below, we’ve collected some of Gaiman’s wisdom and advice. Do you have any other recommendations to add?

Five Writing Tips From Neil Gaiman

(1) In response to one 14 year old aspiring writer’s question, Gaiman advised devoting the time to “read everything you can lay your hands on.”

(2) To the same 14 year old, Gaiman also suggested trying to “live as much as you can. The more things you see, the more places you go, the more lives you touch, the more you will be able to write truthfully, and the more memories you will have to make your imaginings real.”

(3) To help one fan who is concerned with following the rules of grammar, Gaiman urges that one not “obsess over grammar. If you have to obsess, obsess over clarity.”

(4) To assist one fan who is dealing with self-loathing, Gaiman prescribes that one “remember that everyone who writes anything good wrote a lot of bad stuff first. You are learning, be kind to yourself, just as you would be kind to anyone learning to do something hard, like juggling or ballroom dancing or surgery. Learn from your mistakes, and get better, and one day you’ll write something you won’t loathe.”

(5) In an answer to one 24 year old fan who fears that it may be too late to launch a writing career, Gaiman proposed the following: “Tell your brain to hush, and start writing. It’s never too late.”