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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
A Megalist of New LGBTQ+ Books
Goodreads has a massive list of 135 LGBTQ+ fiction, nonfiction, and YA books just in time for Pride. These are books that published in January through early June, so you can catch up on any titles that might’ve flown under your radar this first half of the year. My standouts include The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, Stag Dance by Torrey Peters, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (who recently came out as bisexual), When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris (which is on my fantasy league book draft), and Good Girl by Aria Aber (also on my fantasy draft), but there really is an embarrassment of riches here. Check out the full list at Goodreads.
A New Spelling Bee Champion is Crowned
Congratulations to Faizan Zaki, this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee champion! The 13-year-old from Allen, Texas took home a cup that would fit in alongside any grandma’s HomeGoods shelf decor, but more than that, he claimed vindication. I kinda feel bad that the articles I’ve read have all emphasized a humbling lightning-round blunder–give the kid a break!–but I bet that misstep made the win all the sweeter. Also, I love that Zaki’s dad called him the GOAT. This year’s bee sounds like it was a fun and feisty time–if spelling bees are your kind of sport but you missed out on watching, you can find all the live updates that posted during the competition here.
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Reunited and It Feels So Good
I’ve got good news for the Hamilfans out there–the original Broadway cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is reuniting for the 78th annual Tony Awards. It’s been 10 years since the play debuted and what better place to celebrate than at Broadway’s biggest awards ceremony? Miranda will be joined by Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom, Jr., and more performers who broke ground with the singular play. I recently rewatched Hamilton and that energy doesn’t quit; I fully expect the audience to be on their feet for this one. I mean, what a time to look back at America’s fraught, complicated, underdog history and to remember that we weren’t and aren’t about monarchies.
How To Build a Voters Guide for Public Library Board Elections
If you’re looking for a way to support your local libraries as they come under attack across the country, Kelly Jensen is here to walk you through how she created a voters’ guide to public library board elections and how she did it. Says Kelly:
For the April 1, 2025, Illinois Consolidated Elections, I created a voters’ guide to contested public library board elections. This wasn’t the initial plan; I intended to cover all the boards with elections. But the effort was Herculean, even with a group of dedicated volunteers, and ultimately, it wasn’t the guide’s goal. So rather than try to cover every public library election on the ballot, I focused exclusively on those elections where there were more candidates than open positions (that is, they were contested elections).
Find the guide here.
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