Welcome to At this time in Books, our day by day round-up of literary headlines on the intersection of politics, tradition, media, and extra. Right here is the information that mattered most this week.

The High 50 Most Learn Books on Goodreads This Week Are by White Authors

I often don’t hyperlink to Ebook Riot issues right here on TIB within the first couple of spots, however am making an exception as we speak. Our editor Danika Ellis does a weekly take a look at what books are hottest on Goodreads, and this week she observed that each one 50 of the highest books had been by white authors. Now, Danika notes that it often is simply very, very white not completely white. To say that is dispiriting is an understatement.

George Saunders Is Publishing a New Novel Early Subsequent 12 months

I don’t have to know what it’s about. Simply that it’s coming. And it’s coming January 27, 2026. Vigil is what it’s known as, and like with most George Saunders joints, studying the pitch is each telling and never. I’ll say that I’m particularly appreciative of how Saunders is excited by exploration and positing, moderately than moralizing or proclaiming:

The novel, he hopes, approaches a political subject with out proscribing itself to an expression of opinion. “It’s like Chekhov mentioned — artwork doesn’t have to unravel an issue, it simply has to formulate it appropriately,” Saunders says. “So as a substitute of claiming, ‘Right here, world, right here’s my totally shaped opinion,’ you find yourself taking your self on a bit of journey within the path of extra complexity, extra ambiguity, a deeper understanding. On this sense, the product is much more political, as a result of it’s charged, not solely with opinion (presumably anger), but in addition with some sympathy.”

Hachette Reportedly Acquires Joe Biden’s Memoir for $10 Million

Sure, it is a lot lower than Obama and Clinton (each two termers who went out a lot, rather more fashionable than Biden). And I nonetheless assume it can battle to earn out the advance within the brief time period, however I’ve a lot much less sense of how these memoirs which can be de facto historic paperwork do over the approaching many years. I don’t know anybody champing on the bit for this, however you might need mentioned the identical for Jimmy Carter in 1981. Issues can change.

For Extra Than a 100 Years, Extra Fiction Was Written by Males Than Girls

We haven’t linked to a lot (any?) of it right here, however there was one other bout of “what concerning the fellas?” in relation to books. This has come and going fairly a bit within the final 5-10 years. This deep historic surveywas handed round lately to point out simply how female-heavy novel writing was, after which wasn’t, over the novel’s lifespan. This paper ends in 2018, the place males had been nonetheless writing extra fiction than ladies. 

However my sense is that the upward slope has continued within the final seven years, and wouldn’t be shocked if it was meaningfully over 50% now. And that’s A-OK.

How is AI Altering Publishing?

We hear rumors. And whispers. And various accusations and admissions. However how is AI actually getting used within the publishing trade? My sense is greater than you would possibly assume, however not in ways in which many people worry. The Ebook Business Examine Group is launching a cleverly nameless survey for ebook professionals to spill about what their homes and imprints are as much as. VERY within the outcomes, which can be launched in September.

Spotify Increasing Audiobooks Plans in Most Complicated Means Doable

Look, getting 15 hours of audiobook listening as a part of a daily Spotify subscription has been nice. I take advantage of it each month, principally to experiment with stuff that I then go borrow or purchase elsewhere. It’s not fairly so simple as “1 audiobook” per 30 days, however manageable. How Spotify is increasing past this base providing is a bit of bananas, although. In some nations (not the US for now), Spotify is including a few tiers Audiobooks+ and Audiobooks+ for Plan Members. Right here is how they clarify what these plans are:

Audiobooks+: Obtainable to Premium Particular person subscribers in addition to Household and Duo plan managers, this add-on unlocks a further 15 hours of listening every month for the present base plan—an incredible choice for booklovers searching for extra audiobook time, together with followers of longer titles.

Audiobooks+ for Plan Members: For the primary time, further members on Premium Household and Duo can entry 15 hours of month-to-month audiobook listening by this recurring add-on. Plan members simply have to request audiobook entry from their plan supervisor, who should purchase the add-on on their behalf. They’ll additionally buy a one-time 10-hour top-up in the event that they run out of hours earlier than their month-to-month billing cycle refreshes. 

First one is sensible. 15 extra hours for some (unspoken amount of cash). 

The second? I believe when you have the phrase “Plan members simply have to request audiobook entry from their plan supervisor, who should purchase the add-on on their behalf” in your product description. You may’t simply say “simply.” It truly needs to be the factor.