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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.
Brace Yourself for Tariff Impacts on Books
Trump’s so-called Liberation Day arrived on April 2, planned after April Fool’s Day so it wouldn’t be mistaken for a joke. And who was laughing after he delivered the details of sweeping tariffs from the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday? Senator John Kennedy doesn’t care about what the experts say but many, many investors and industries do, with stocks seeing their worst single-day drop since 2020. Tariff hikes are expected to impact households nationwide with many lower-priced products people rely on imported and increased costs passed on to consumers. Everyone is scrambling to figure out just how much tariff increases will impact consumer prices and the price of producing goods, including publishing. We have no definitive answers yet, but the industry has been bracing itself for impact, especially publishers who rely on printing in China, and with a not insignificant amount of paper imported from outside the U.S. This is a developing story with more information sure to arrive over the coming weeks and months.
New Literary Stamps Will Be Unveiled at Immersive Book Space
I never thought I’d add North Kansas City, Mo to my list of destinations, but then came The Rabbit hOle, an immersive space that allows kids to walk, crawl, and climb into their favorite books. I can’t imagine a better place for the United States Postal Service to unveil new Goodnight Moon stickers. The unveiling is set for May 2nd, ahead of Children’s Book Week, which runs the week of May 5th. If you’re local, the event is free and open to the public and will feature Thacher Hurd, children’s book creator and son of Goodnight Moon illustrator Clement Hurd, reading the book aloud. Register to attend here, and if you want to learn more about the wonder that is The Rabbit hOle, check out this write-up.
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Just When You Thought Colleen Hoover Was Out of the News
Just kidding, nobody thought that. Hoover’s Verity is getting a Michael Showalter adaptation (The Idea of You), with Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, and Dakota Johnson starring, and CinemaCon attendees got to see an exclusive trailer. If you can’t wait for it to become publicly available, you can read a description at The Hollywood Reporter. Verity is a book about a book–a ghostwriter hired to help complete a bestselling author’s ouvré discovers a treasure trove of nightmarish secrets by way of a hidden autobiographical manuscript–and Showalter described his film as a “gripping psychological thriller.” Between the cast, the director, and the writer behind this film, I have no doubt it’ll be a big box office hit when it arrives in theaters May 2026.
Libby’s Most Anticipated April Releases
This is a big month for great books, and if you’re curious about Libby’s most anticipated books, we’ve got answers for you! You’ll find familiar names (Emily Henry, Jasmine Guillory, and Huda Fahmy, we see you), and some debuts. Check out the list here.
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