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The return of the Skins Game shows how much has changed in 17 years. The four players are among the top six in the world, it's moving from the California desert to South Florida and it will be broadcast on Prime Video instead of network TV.View the full article

Jon Rahm, who plays in Madrid this week after a short break, said the Ryder Cup was "mentally the toughest week of my career" but also "the most fun I've had."View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Carlos-Rodon-ALDS-G3-Preview-2025.jpgBrad Penner-Imagn Images The Yankees got absolutely thrashed by the Blue Jays during the first two games of the Division Series, losing Saturday’s opener 10-1 and then again on Sunday, 13-7. To be fair, the first game was tight right up to the seventh-inning stretch, after which the Blue Jays expanded their 2-1 lead with four runs apiece in the seventh and eighth innings, but by the same token, Game 2 wasn’t even as close as that six-run margin suggests. The Yankees not only trailed 12-0 through five innings, but also were no-hit by Trey Yesavage through 5 1/3 innings before breaking through against reliever Justin Bruihl in the sixth. Now, for the second time in less than a week, they’ll turn to Carlos Rodón to face an AL East rival with their season on the line. The 32-year-old Rodón started Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, one night after Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman stifled the Yankees in the opener. Rodón held the Red Sox to three runs in six-plus innings, getting by with more than a little help from his friends. He retired the first six batters he faced before running into trouble in the third inning. Jarren Duran, the lone lefty in the lineup, singled, then Ceddanne Rafaela worked a walk, with Rodón exacerbating the situation with a throwing error on switch-hitter Nick Sogard’s sacrifice bunt. Though he recovered to strike out lefty-masher Rob Refsnyder, both runners scored on a sharp single by Trevor Story. Rodón escaped further damage when he induced Alex Bregman to ground into a double play that began with an acrobatic spin move by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. After a clean top of the fifth, Rodón was briefly staked to a 3-2 lead thanks to Aaron Judge’s RBI single, but it proved short-lived. Rodón fell behind Story 2-0 to lead off the fifth, then threw him a meatball, a 95.2-mph four-seamer that ended up in the middle of the strike zone and was hammered 381 feet to left field for a game-tying home run. A four-pitch walk to Bregman put him on the ropes, but he recovered by retiring Romy Gonzalez on a popout, then getting Carlos Narváez to ground into an around-the-horn double play. With his pitch count at a reasonable 82, manager Aaron Boone sent Rodón back out to start the seventh, but he walked Nate Eaton on four pitches, threw a wild pitch that sent him to second, then grazed Duran with a 3-0 pitch. Reliever Fernando Cruz managed to clean up the mess without further damage, aided by a stellar diving stop by Chisholm on a Masataka Yoshida infield single that, had it not been stopped, probably would have plated both Duran and Eaton. The Yankees scored what proved to be the decisive run in the eighth, when Chisholm worked a walk against Garrett Whitlock, then raced home on a long single into the right field corner by Austin Wells. For the night, Rodón threw 91 pitches, yielding four hits and walking three while striking out six. He generated 16 called strikes and 10 whiffs, five with his changeup, four with his slider, and one with his four-seamer; both his 28.5% called strike and whiff rate and 11% swinging-strike rate were a bit below his regular season marks (29.5% and 12.4%, respectively), each of which ranked in the 80th percentile or higher among ERA qualifiers. Contact-wise, his average exit velocity of 93.3 mph and 50% hard-hit rate were further off his season marks, though Story’s homer was the only ball the Red Sox barreled. Rodón is coming off a strong campaign, one that represents a vast improvement on the first two seasons of his six-year, $162 million deal, even if it wasn’t quite as dominant as his career-best 18-9 record suggests. He set career highs with 33 starts and 195 1/3 innings, tying for second in the majors in the former and fourth in the latter. Additionally, he ranked seventh among AL qualifiers in strikeout rate (25.7%) and eighth in ERA (3.08). While both his strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate represented slight steps in the wrong direction relative to 2024, he posted the AL’s lowest batting average allowed among qualifiers (.187) and cut his home run rate from 1.59 per nine to 1.01, part of a vast improvement in his contact profile: Carlos Rodón Statcast Profile Season Team EV EV Pctile LA Barrel% Brl Pctile HardHit% HH Pctile ERA xERA 2021 CHW 89.2 38th 18.7 6.6% 67th 36.1% 68th 2.37 2.68 2022 SFG 89.0 35th 19.4 6.5% 66th 39.7% 30th 2.88 2.64 2023 NYY 91.6 2nd 22.1 12.1% 1st 41.6% 30th 6.85 5.32 2024 NYY 90.4 11th 18.1 11.0% 4th 40.9% 32nd 3.96 4.12 2025 NYY 88.6 66th 12.8 7.5% 62nd 38.9% 64th 3.09 3.31 Source: Baseball Savant In Rodón’s first season with the Yankees — one in which he was limited to 14 starts due to forearm and left hamstring strains as well as back stiffness, which required a cortisone shot — he ranked near the very bottom among qualified pitchers in both average exit velocity and barrel rate. Two years later, he was well above average in those departments, with a career-low average exit velo as well as his lowest average launch angle since 2017. That latter mark coincides with Rodón’s vastly improved groundball rate. His 9.6-point jump from 2024 (33.8%) to ’25 (43.5%) ranked third in the majors among pitchers with at least 50 innings in both seasons, behind Griffin Canning (10.2%) and Tanner Bibee (10.1%). That jump owes something to Rodón’s reconfigured repertoire. This year, he regularly used a sinker for the first time since 2018, throwing it 31.3% of the time against lefties, who hit just .119 and slugged .143 against it, while whiffing on 31.9% of their swings, though just 3.2% of the time against righties, who hit .364 and slugged .409 against it, albeit in just 23 plate appearances. http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/rodonpitchpct-scaled.png Batters hit groundballs on 57.7% of the 52 sinkers they put into play, the highest rate among Rodón’s offerings save for his curveball, which produced just seven balls in play: Carlos Rodón Groundball Rate by Pitch Type Pitch 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Four-Seamer 33.9% 30.7% 23.9% 25.6% 28.4% Slider 52.9% 40.5% 32.6% 40.0% 48.0% Changeup 34.0% 33.3% 50.0% 56.5% 56.6% Curveball — 50.0% 33.3% 32.0% 71.4% Sinker — — — — 57.7% During Rodón’s media session before the Wild Card Series opener, I asked him about the “new” pitch, which he reintroduced in collaboration with the Yankees’ analytics department and coaching staff. “[When] I came in the league, I had what you call a two-seamer. Back then we didn’t have quite the movement plots that we do now and understanding pitch movement and pitch profiles the way we do now,” he said. “So it was slightly a different pitch, and the grip was slightly different. I had an idea of how to throw what you call a sinker, two-seamer from throwing it eight, nine years ago… we just stumbled upon it and the Yankees pitching department refined it. [Pitching coach] Matt Blake had a hand in that, [assistant pitching coach] Preston [Claiborne] had a hand in that. We went with it.” Rodón’s sinker comes in slightly slower than his four-seamer (averaging 91.9 mph vs. 94.1) with almost a foot more drop (6.3 inches of induced vertical break vs. 17.6 inches) and more arm-side movement (14.6 inches vs. 10.8 inches). Before Rodón’s Wild Card Series start, Boone described the lefty’s evolution, saying, “He is a more complete pitcher, [has] more ways of beating you now.” More: “For the bulk of his career, he was that fastball-slider guy, big four-seam fastball up in the zone with the wipeout slider. As he has navigated these last couple of years and obviously had a lot of success for us the last couple of years, he’s evolved that arsenal a little bit… He still has a four-seam [and] slider that’s bread and butter for him. Now he is incorporating the sinker. The changeup is a really good pitch for him now. He can slow you down and spin it in there. “He has a lot of different ways to go about it now. There’s been a lot of different games where something different has been featured and really been that go-to pitch for him. Add it all up and it has been a really strong year.” The other notable aspect of Rodón’s evolution has been a greater effort to control his emotions. His experience pitching big games, as well as his talking to some of the Yankees’ big-game pitchers of yesteryear, seems to have helped. “I learned fairly quick last year that things need to be in check, and [I need to] save that energy for some extra innings down the road,” he said of the extent to which he dialed back his celebration of strikeouts. After his rough 3 2/3-inning, four-run start against the Royals in Game 2 of last year’s Division Series — a start that began with the very amped-up lefty strutting around after striking out five of the first eight hitters he faced before things escalated — he spoke to Andy Pettitte (now a Yankees advisor) and Gerrit Cole (currently serving as a quasi-assistant pitching coach as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery). “Those two, after that start, got my mind where it needed to be,” he said. As for how all of this will translate to Tuesday’s critical start, Rodón has his work cut out. The Blue Jays tied for third in the majors with a 111 wRC+ against lefties, and in the two times they faced Rodón — both at the Rogers Centre, within a span of 22 days — they chased him after five labor-intensive innings: On June 30, Rodón burned through 96 pitches, allowing five hits and three walks but just two runs while striking out four. Boone brought him out to start the sixth with the Yankees ahead 2-1, but pulled him after he yielded a leadoff double to Davis Schneider, then watched the bullpen melt down to allow four runs in what ended up as a 5-4 defeat. On July 21, six days after Rodón threw a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game (his first appearance in three trips to the Midsummer Classic), he threw 107 pitches, allowing six hits, five walks and four runs, all in the fifth; the big blow was a two-run double by Bo Bichette, who is out of commission for this series due to a left knee sprain. After Rodón won a 14-pitch battle (!) to get Schneider to pop up for the second out, throwing errors by third baseman Oswald Peraza and shortstop Anthony Volpe made the last two runs unearned. To Boone’s point about Rodón’s having different go-to pitches in different outings, in the first of those two starts against Toronto, his four-seamer (37.5%) and slider (34.4%) accounted for nearly three-quarters of his offerings, while in the second, his four-seamer (50.5%) and changeup (25.2%) made up over three-quarters of his pitches. The Jays were all over that slider, hitting .364 and slugging .545 against it while whiffing on just 5.3% of their swings, but they hit a more modest .222 and slugged .333 against the four-seamer, whiffing on 21.4% of their swings. Rodón threw his sinker just 8.2% of the time in those two games, with batters swinging at just six of the 17 he threw them, whiffing on two (one for strike three), fouling three off, and hitting one 100.1 mph to center field for an out. If manager John Schneider matches what he did against the left-handed Max Fried on Sunday, the only lefties in the Blue Jays lineup might be center fielder Daulton Varsho (who went 4-for-5 overall, with two doubles in two at-bats against Fried, plus two homers off righty Will Warren) and second baseman-turned-shortstop Andrés Giménez (who struck out and singled against Fried). Varsho hit for a respectable 99 wRC+ in 56 plate appearances against lefties this year and owns a career 90 wRC+ against them; Giménez managed just a 39 wRC+ in 86 PA against them this year but similarly owns a 92 wRC+ against them for his career, with his defensive advantage over Bichette helping to offset the loss of the latter’s 143 wRC+ against lefties this year. Righties Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (163 wRC+ against lefties), Ernie Clement (146 wRC+), and George Springer (132 wRC+) gave lefties a hard time, and both Alejandro Kirk (113 wRC+) and Davis Schneider (106 wRC+) were at least solid. Particularly with Tim Hill the only lefty reliever the Yankees are carrying in this series, having a platoon disadvantage isn’t going to be much of a concern for Toronto. Rodón recognizes the challenge, saying in his media session on Sunday, “There’s not a lot of miss. They’re tough to strike out. They force action. They put the ball in play. They make teams play defense. They’re pretty athletic. There’s also slug within the lineup. And it makes it tough. There’s times where you need a strikeout, and just the miss isn’t there. They seem to have a really good understanding of the zone as well. So the chase is low… they have a good idea of what they want to do at the plate.” Regarding that lack of swing-and-miss, the Blue Jays had the majors’ third-lowest swinging-strike rate (9.4%) and lowest strikeout rate (17.8%), with players such as Clement (10.4% strikeout rate), Kirk (11.7%), and Guerrero (13.8%) particularly difficult to punch out. That said, Toronto’s 28.9% chase rate was actually the majors’ ninth-highest mark, though the Jays did have the highest out-of-zone contact rate (63.6%) by four full percentage points — which generally works in a pitcher’s favor. Kirk’s .305 average and .356 slugging on pitches outside the zone were by far the best marks on the team. There’s no getting around the fact that the Blue Jays — who will counter Rodón with Shane Bieber — are squarely in control of this series, after winning the division on the basis of their 8-5 series advantage during the regular season. For as well as Rodón has pitched in 2025, and for as well as he may end up pitching Tuesday night, it still may not be enough for the Yankees to stave off elimination. Source View the full article

October 7th and 8th are Amazon Prime Days, and that means a whole lot of sales for members, including on books and Kindles. We’ve included some of the most exciting sales on hardcovers, paperbacks, and book boxed sets below, but there are a lot more to explore. Check out our Daily Book Deals page for ebook sales. There are some categories of books that have a ton of titles on sale during Prime Days. Take a browse through the cookbooks section and children’s books section to start with. Most Dungeons and Dragons books are also on sale today. Here’s a pro tip: most of these titles are on sale even without a Prime membership, but it’s a slightly smaller discount. So it’s worth browsing even as a non member. Now, let’s get into the books! Prime Day Deals $8The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu MandannaGet This Deal $9The Reformatory by Tananarive DueGet This Deal $7Normal People by Sally RooneyGet This Deal $10Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. ButlerGet This Deal $112The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated by the Author by J. R. R. TolkienGet This Deal $30The Hobbit Illustrated by the Author by J. R. R. TolkienGet This Deal $25The Complete Poppy War Trilogy Boxed Set by R. F. KuangGet This Deal $15The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. JemisinGet This Deal $22A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set by George R. R. MartinGet This Deal $83The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill WattersonGet This Deal View the full article

A number of teams (and their fanbases) have already turned their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking a look at the players who’ll be available at each position. We’re moving to second base, where the eligibility cutoff is players who either logged at least 50 innings at the position this season or have primarily played there in their careers. Every shortstop could theoretically play second base, and there’ll be teams that have interest in Bo Bichette and/or Ha-Seong Kim on the right side of the infield. They’ll be covered in greater detail with the shortstop preview, so we’ll limit this to true second basemen and/or utility players. Ages listed are for the 2026 season. Previous entries in this series: catcher, first base Everyday Players Gleyber Torres (29) Torres hits the market for a second straight season. He chose a one-year, $15MM pillow contract with the Tigers last time. Torres was coming off a relative down season in his final year with the Yankees. He’d hit .257/.330/.378 across 665 plate appearances, and while that was weighed down by a slow start, teams clearly weren’t making the kind of long-term offers he’d sought. The stint in Detroit started brilliantly. Torres hit .281/.387/.425 in the first half and was named the AL’s starting second baseman at the All-Star Game. The numbers dropped significantly after that, as he limped to a .223/.320/.339 finish amidst Detroit’s near collapse. He ended the year with numbers that were only a little better than he managed in 2024: .256/.358/.387 with 16 homers over 628 plate appearances. Torres is a bat-first second baseman who is a good but not great hitter. He’s young enough to have a shot at a four or even five years, but that would’ve been easier to see if his numbers hadn’t crashed in the second half. Free agency generally hasn’t been kind to second basemen in recent years, especially those who aren’t capable of or willing to play other positions. Torres has been adamant about sticking about the position in the past and seemingly rebuffed interest from the Nationals in moving to third base last offseason. It’s not clear if he’ll be more open to moving around the diamond in his second trip to free agency. The Tigers could make Torres a qualifying offer, which will reportedly come in around $22MM. That looked quite likely early in the season but now seems borderline. The Giants, Angels, Reds, Royals, Astros and potentially Nationals could all be involved if Detroit lets him walk. Jorge Polanco (32) Polanco’s contract technically contains a $6MM player option, but he’s going to decline that and hit free agency. The Mariners surprisingly re-signed him on the heels of a disappointing 2024 season. Seattle attributed the down year to a knee injury through which he’d played that required postseason meniscus surgery. They’ve been proven right with a resurgent year from the switch-hitting infielder. Polanco drilled 26 homers and 30 doubles with a .265/.326/.495 slash line in the regular season. He’s carried the hot bat into October, blasting a couple solo homers off Tarik Skubal on Sunday night to help the Mariners even their Division Series against Detroit. While Polanco can still hit, he’ll face questions about his defensive workload over 162 games. Seattle initially planned to play him at third base, believing that not needing to navigate the second base bag would be easier on his knee. That lasted five games before renewed soreness and an oblique injury led the M’s to use him as a full-time designated hitter for a while. He began mixing in second base work in June and played there regularly for the final three weeks of the season. He logged a little under 300 innings at the keystone overall. Polanco is eligible for a qualifying offer. Seattle probably wouldn’t want to commit $22MM at the beginning of the offseason, but he has played so well this year that it’s at least a long shot possibility — especially if he helps carry the lineup on a deep playoff run. Luis Arraez (29) Arraez also isn’t expected to start 100+ games at second base, though that’s not because of injury. He’s simply not a good defensive player. The Padres have pushed him mostly to first base over the past couple seasons. He only started 10 games and logged 82 innings at second base this year. It’s unlikely teams would want to live with his glove there on an everyday basis, but he could get part-time work while playing mostly first base as he has done in San Diego. Readers are surely familiar with Arraez’s unique offensive skillset. He’s the sport’s best contact hitter and one of the few players who can be expected to hit close to or above .300. The throwback style doesn’t include many walks or extra-base hits, which becomes more of an issue as he falls further down the defensive spectrum. Baseball Reference has valued Arraez around one Win Above Replacement in consecutive seasons. His free agency will be a test case for how much teams still care about batting average. Multi-Positional Types Willi Castro (29) Castro was one of the better utility players available at the deadline. The switch-hitter had turned in a .250/.335/.398 line over two and a half seasons in Minnesota. He looked to be on track for a solid multi-year contract as free agency approached. Things have gone sharply downhill since he was traded to the Cubs, however. Castro hit .170/.245/.240 in 34 games with Chicago. That dropped his season batting mark to .226/.313/.366 through 454 trips to the dish. Adam Frazier (34) The lefty-hitting Frazier was also traded at the deadline. His numbers picked up after the move. Frazier carried a .255/.318/.336 slash in 78 games with the Pirates. He turned in a league-average .283/.320/.402 line in nearly 200 plate appearances in his second stint with the Royals. He finished the year with a .267/.319/.365 line over 459 trips to the plate. Frazier doesn’t take many walks or hit the ball hard, but he’s a plus contact hitter who still grades as a competent defender. Luis Rengifo (29) Rengifo has some similarities to Castro. He’s a switch-hitter, relatively young for a free agent, and has had a couple above-average offensive seasons. He has played all over the field but isn’t an especially good defender anywhere. The bat has been good enough to make up for that in previous years. Rengifo combined for a .273/.323/.431 slash in almost 1300 plate appearances between 2022-24. However, he ended the ’24 campaign on the injured list after undergoing wrist surgery, and he’s now coming off the worst full season of his career in ’25. While he appeared in a personal-high 147 games, he managed just a .238/.287/.335 batting line. He should still command a big league deal based on his track record, but it’ll likely be a one-year contract. Miguel Rojas (37) Teams know what they’re getting from Rojas, a rock solid defensive infielder who can play a fine shortstop, second base or third base. He’s coming off a second straight decent offensive season, hitting .262/.318/.397 across 317 plate appearances. Rojas isn’t going to put many balls in the seats, but he makes a ton of contact and has enough juice to pick up 20-25 doubles. Amed Rosario (30) The Yankees acquired the righty-hitting Rosario from the Nationals at the deadline — one of two utility pickups (along with José Caballero) to complement lefty-swinging infielders Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Rosario hit .303 in 16 games in pinstripes and finished the year with a combined .276/.309/.436 line. He has a lifetime .298/.336/.464 slash versus lefty pitching, which should get him another low-cost big league deal. Team Options Ozzie Albies (29) The Braves control Albies on a $7MM option that comes with a $4MM buyout, making it a $3MM decision. That’s still an easy yes even with Albies coming off a second straight middling year and suffering a season-ending hamate fracture. They’re not going to cut their longtime second baseman to save what amounts to low-end utility player/middle reliever money. Brandon Lowe (31) Lowe isn’t going to get to free agency either. The Rays have an $11.5MM club option, a bargain for a middle infielder coming off a 31-homer season. He’ll probably be in trade rumors because this will be his final year under club control and that salary is a bit steep by Rays standards, but Tampa Bay would be able to find a solid trade return even if they’d rather reallocate the money. Minor League Deal Candidates Tim Anderson (33) Orlando Arcia (31) Jon Berti (36) Cavan Biggio (31) Paul DeJong (32) Kyle Farmer (34) Garrett Hampson (31) Kiké Hernández (34) Jose Iglesias (36) Scott Kingery (32) DJ LeMahieu (37) Nicky Lopez (31) Dylan Moore (34) Brendan Rodgers (29) Josh Rojas (32) Chris Taylor (35) Luis Urías (29) View the full article

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Tariffs Trap Libraries’ Internationally Loaned Books 404 Media reports that tariffs and the elimination of some fee exemptions is creating new challenges for university libraries, “reversing long-held standards in academic cooperation.” Some libraries that have materials loaned out internationally can’t get those books back due to carriers being unwilling to ship to the U.S. and confusion caused by new tariffs and the elimination of de minimis exceptions for items that cost less than $800, for example, about how mail services should handle loaned books. An American Library Association group has even found it necessary to create a site to help librarians navigate the new and unpredictable terrain formed by these changes. “If we can’t do [interlibrary loans] anymore and we’re limiting what our users can access, because maybe they’re only limited to what we have in our collection, then ultimately could hinder academic progress,” associate director of resource sharing and reserves at Yale University Library Jessica Bower Relevo told 404. Truly Rallying Book Ban News Twelve-year-old Abigail Friedman organized a Right to Read Rally in Amherst with the help of friends. The event, which set out to combat book bans in New York State, was held last weekend and featured local authors who have been impacted by these bans. The author lineup included Jasminne Mendez (The Story of My Anger), Jewell Parker Rhodes (Ghost Boys), and Marieke Nijkamp (This is Where It Ends), and U.S. Congressman Tim Kennedy was a featured speaker. Friedman, co-creator of the YouTube channel 2 Kid Interviews, told the Amherst Bee, “When I lived in Illinois, I was in the only state that banned book bans. I loved that. I really want New York to become the second state to do it.” The Twits Come to Netflix An animated movie inspired by the characters from Roald Dahl’s The Twits is coming to Netflix on October 17th, and you can watch the trailer here. The film is written, directed, and produced by Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and features the voice talents of Natalie Portman, Emilia Clarke, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, among others. The Netflix film detours from the original text to pit Mr. and Mrs. Twit, a loathsome couple who despise each other, against a group of orphans. Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company a few years ago, so this likely isn’t the last Dahl-inspired production we’ll see from them. The Twits is one of the Dahl books posthumously revised for offensive language, and antisemitism, racism, and other reprehensible offenses have tarnished the author’s legacy. What Books Do Readers Find Most Confusing? Find out what books confuzzled readers the most! What are you reading? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Awards season is upon us, and the National Book Award judges just released their 2025 shortlists across five categories. You may recall that longlists of 10 titles each began to roll out in September. Now the lists grow shorter in anticipation of the awards ceremony on Wednesday, November 19, when winners in each category will be announced. Finalists each take home $1,000, while the winner in each category received $10,000 and a bronze sculpture. The Awards honor books written by U.S. authors for books published in the United States. The five categories include Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. Here’s the 2025 National Book Awards Shortlist for Fiction: The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar The Antidote by Karen Russell North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther by Ethan Rutherford Palaver by Bryan Washington Here’s the 2025 National Book Awards Shortlist for Nonfiction: One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia Ioffe Things In Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care by Claudia Row When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World by Jordan Thomas Here’s the 2025 National Book Awards Shortlist for Poetry: The New Economy by Gabrielle Calvocoressi Becoming Ghost by Cathy Linh Che Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark I Do Know Some Things by Richard Silken The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems by Patricia Smith Here’s the 2025 National Book Awards Shortlist for Translated Literature: On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle, translated from Danish by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russel We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated from Spanish by Robin Myers The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated from Dutch by David McKay We Computers: A Ghazal Novel by Hamid Ismailov, translated from Uzbek by Shelley Fairweather-Vega Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno, translated from French by Natasha Lehrer Here’s the 2025 National Book Awards Shortlist for Young People’s Literature: A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff The Leaving Room by Amber McBride The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri Truth Is by Hannah V. Sawyerr (S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi The National Book Awards are among the most prestigious honors bestowed upon books in a given year. They began in 1936 by the American Booksellers Association, took a break during World War II, and then resumed under the leadership of several collaborating book industry organizations in 1950. A few decades later, the National Book Foundation took over, with the goal of ensuring these books are not only honored but that their impact is felt across the country in a real, meaningful way. More information about the National Book Awards finalists is available on their website. Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books. View the full article

This week is Amazon’s biannual Prime Day sale, which hopes to draw in new Prime members by offering discounts on a range of products, including books. Some competitors are now holding their own “Anti-Prime Day” sales at the same time, including Bookshop.org. October 7th and 8th, they’re offering free shipping in addition to most titles already being 10% off. This overlaps with their Banned Books Week sale, which runs October 5th-19th. You can get 20% off banned books using the code BBW25 at checkout. This is a partnership with We Need Diverse Books, and you can see all the eligible titles on Bookshop.org’s Banned Books page. Bookshop.org sales go towards support independent bookstores. You can choose a bookstore to support with your purchases. Since it started in 2020, Bookshop.org has raised $39 million for indie bookstores. You can find more details on their Anti-Prime Day sale at Bookshop.org. Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books. View the full article

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management) Taylor Swift recently praised One Battle After Another during a recent appearance on national television. On Monday night, Swift appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, which was released on October 3. During the interview, Fallon and Swift played the Game of Lasts, where the pop star answered questions about the last thing she did. When Fallon brought up the last movie she saw, Swift excitedly answered with Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film. What did Taylor Swift say about One Battle After Another? “One Battle After Another. My god,” Swift said to Fallon. The Fate of Ophelia singer then broke down what she loved about the movie, spotlighting two performances that are Oscar-worthy. “Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor, how are they going to split the Oscar?” Swift explained. “Benicio [del Toro] was so funny. They were so funny. Leo [DiCaprio] was hilarious. The fact that when you hear that theme [film’s score] each time, it makes you feel something different every single time.” Swift added, “We are so lucky to be alive at the same time as Paul Thomas Anderson. It’s crazy that he’s just out here doing that. He’s writing it. He’s directing it. He’s existing on this higher level that we get to watch.” In One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, a washed-up revolutionary who must find his daughter when his former nemesis resurfaces after a 16-year hiatus. Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti also star. Anderson wrote and directed One Battle After Another, his tenth feature film. Released on September 26, Anderson’s movie has grossed $102 million worldwide. One Battle After Another has received near-universal praise and launched itself into contender status at the 2026 Oscars. One Battle After Another is now in theaters. The post Taylor Swift Praises New Leonardo DiCaprio Movie, Shares Oscars Predictions appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is entering his 16th NBA season this fall, but the two-time MVP still doesn’t have a retirement timeline in mind at this late stage of his Hall of Fame career. “No clue. I just know it’s closer than it was even yesterday,” Curry told ESPN’s Malika Andrews when […] The post Warriors’ Stephen Curry Has ‘No Clue’ When He Will Retire From NBA appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

The 2025-26 season will be telling for the Philadelphia 76ers. If the team cannot stay healthy, the Sixers may have to make the tough decision of hitting a massive rebuild. Philadelphia cannot justify having Joel Embiid and Paul George on their roster if they’re not available. While the team is at a crossroads, they still […] The post 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe believes his playmaking is being overlooked as a rookie appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

As the playoffs continue, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today: 1. ALDS resumes: Game 3 of the ALDS is today, with the Yankees and Blue Jays headed to New York while the Mariners and Tigers head to Detroit. For the Yankees, today could be the club’s last stand as they face elimination. Carlos Rodon (3.09 ERA) will take the mound for the club opposite Toronto righty Shane Bieber (3.57 ERA in seven starts). In Detroit, the Tigers will be hoping to take a lead over the Mariners after Seattle managed to tie the series in a game started by Tarik Skubal on Sunday. This time around, Jack Flaherty (4.64 ERA) is on the bump for Detroit against Seattle right-hander Logan Gilbert (3.44 ERA). The Mariners and Tigers are set to play at 4:08pm local time at Comerica Park, while the Blue Jays and Yankees will square off at 8:08pm local time in the Bronx. 2. Rays ownership introductory presser: The Rays’ new ownership group has officially taken over for longtime owner Stu Sternberg, though Sternberg remains in the fold as a minority stakeholder. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that an introductory press conference for the new owners is scheduled to take place at 11:30am local time later today. Patrick Zalupski, the managing partner and co-chair of the organization, will be in attendance alongside new co-chair Bill Cosgrove and new CEO Ken Babby. Per the Rays, the conference will be viewable for fans on the Rays’ YouTube channel among other local options. While personnel changes on the baseball operations side of organization currently appear unlikely, fans will still surely be curious to see if the new owners will be altering the club’s budget going forward. It’s also possible there will be notable updates on the Rays’ stadium situation. 3. MLBTR chat today: The postseason is underway, and just eight teams remain in the fight as the Division Series continues in both leagues. The rest of MLB is already looking ahead to 2026, with a number of managerial vacancies (plus a GM vacancy in Colorado) yet to be filled. Whether your team is still in the hunt or you’re already turning your attention towards the offseason free agent and trade markets, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered in a live chat at 1pm CT later today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete. View the full article

The Washington Wizards have signed big man Skal Labissiere to an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced Monday. In a corresponding move, forward Akoldah Gak was waived to make room on the training camp roster. Capital City Go-Go Acquired Skal Labissiere’s Rights NBA insider Chris Haynes first reported in August that Labissiere would sign with […] The post Wizards Sign Skal Labissiere, Waive Akoldah Gak appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

When LeBron James left the Cavaliers for a second time, the team had a small drought of missing the playoffs. They went four consecutive years missing the postseason. That all changed when Donovan Mitchell arrived in 2022-23. Since then, the farthest Cleveland has made it is the East semi-finals. Even after the Cavs had the […] The post Cleveland’s Lonzo Ball is already looking like an upgrade for the Cavaliers appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

Photo Credit: CBS The Bold and the Beautiful has retconned a major attribute that could affect Hope and Deke’s stance in the show significantly. Fans of the show are worried and curious regarding the direction the showrunners are taking with this massive change. Here’s what’s happening on The Bold and the Beautiful. How did The Bold and the Beautiful alter the soap’s history after Deke’s return? The Bold and the Beautiful recently reunited Deacon’s son, Deke, with his sister Hope for the first time since Deke’s return to the show as a young adult. Fans have been eagerly waiting for this moment, as it could answer one of the show’s most puzzling changes. Originally, Deke was born in 1999 to Deacon and Amber’s cousin Becky, making him three years older than Hope. It is obvious that the characters are SORASed (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome), a common practice in soaps to adjust characters’ ages. However, Hope was aged into her 30s, while Deke was aged into his early 20s. The abrupt change seems to have thrown fans off balance. Fans believe it was done to fit Deke into a younger generation. Right now, he aligns perfectly with Remy’s age, setting a stage for potential romance. Nonetheless, viewers have questioned the necessity of de-aging a character to such an extent that it alters the show’s history. They have also pointed out that other legacy characters could’ve been aged up for new storylines for a younger generation. Characters like Nick and Brooke’s son, Jack, who was born in 2007. Maybe even Bridget and Owen’s son, Logan, who appeared in earlier storylines. The speculation suggests the change might simply be to pair him with Remy. However, fans are hoping that the upcoming interaction between Deke and Hope might clarify the rewrite. So, to know how it all pans out, make sure to tune into The Bold and the Beautiful this week. The post Bold & Beautiful Retcons History Ahead of Deke’s Meet-up With Hope appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

(Photo Credit: Agoric Media) ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive trailer for Suspicious Minds, the upcoming timely documentary series about the dangers of artificial intelligence, or A.I. The show hails from executive producer Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building), who just recently got married to record producer Benny Blanco. It is currently scheduled to premiere on October 17, 2025, on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Substack, and more. The first installment will be released weekly for a total of 8 video and podcast episodes. Check out the exclusive Suspicious Minds trailer below (watch more trailers): What happens in the Suspicious Minds trailer? The video highlights the investigation into how the widespread rise of A.I. affected people’s mental health, particularly by manipulating one’s perception of reality. The show aims to create awareness of these new and omnipresent digital triggers and explore the psychological minefield we find ourselves unexpectedly living in today. Suspicious Minds is created and directed by filmmaker Sean King O’Grady. The docuseries is executive-produced by Gomez, O’Grady, Mandy Teefey, Jonathon Glucksman, Molly Borman, Jesse Ford, and David Tuohy. It features appearances from Dr. Joel Gold, Ian Gold, Etienne Brisson, Ryan Turman, Lacey Turman, and Allan Brooks, along with AI experts Nick Haber, Nate Sharadin, and Dr. Amy Levy. The show is a production by Wondermind and Agoric Media. “It is a docuseries that investigates the disturbing rise of artificial intelligence as a trigger for delusional thinking,” reads the synopsis. “Through powerful firsthand accounts and in-depth interviews with leading experts in psychiatry, neuroscience, and AI ethics, the series unpacks a growing psychological phenomenon: individuals developing complex, often life-altering delusions rooted in AI technologies. From chatbots to surveillance fears, we examine how emerging technologies are reshaping the landscape of paranoia and how these modern delusions echo, amplify, and challenge our historical understanding of the human mind.” The post Selena Gomez’s AI Docuseries Suspicious Minds Gets Trailer | Exclusive appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Buckle up: October is the most exciting publishing month of the year, including for queer books. Usually, I highlight about ten new releases a month, but I had trouble narrowing it down to just these 19. As you might expect, this list is heavy on horror and gothic novels, but there’s also some queer litfic, romances, fantasy, memoir, and essay collections. Personally, October is my favorite reading month of the year. This is the time to devour all things horror and unsettling, and my TBR overflows with queer Halloween reads. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s this flood of new releases! I just finished The Salvage by Anbara Salam, a sapphic gothic out today that is so atmospheric and absorbing. I hope your reading month is going well, too! Make sure to scroll to the end for a bonus list of 31(!!) more queer new releases out today, for All Access members. Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor (October 14) Booker Prize finalist Taylor’s latest follows a gay Black artist from the South who is struggling a bit to find his place in the Manhattan art scene. Wyeth is navigating bad art shows, pretension, and even backstabbing as he tries to settle into a new art ecosystem. Then he meets Keating, who left the priesthood, and he begins to question the way Blackness fits into white art spaces…or rather, how it doesn’t. —Erica Ezeifedi Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz (October 21) I’ve seen a lot more bi4bi M/F romances recently, and I’m here for it. Yael is a high school librarian whose anonymous podcast has become much more popular than she expected. She hires Kevin, a remote editor/producer, to help, so she has the time to still do her day job and run the after school queer teen book club. When Ravi shows up at the book club to volunteer, he and Yael immediately butt heads: he’s the same guy who climbed out of her window after a one-night stand with her roommate. As they work together, sparks begin to fly at the same time that Yael is falling for sensitive Kevin over email—but what neither of them know is that Kevin also goes by his middle name, Ravi, and Yael goes by Elle on her podcast. It’s a hidden identity romance! I especially like that this one is so much about the queer teen book club: their bisexuality is important to the two main characters, including in an M/F relationship. —Danika Ellis Dead & Breakfast by Rosiee Thor and Kat Hillis (October 14) Arthur and Sal are a married vampire couple that proves some stereotypes aren’t accurate: they’re out in daylight, they eat garlic, and they run a bed and breakfast in Oregon. The problem is that the mayor is found dead with puncture wounds that point at Arthur and Sal, the two vampire residents in an “idyllic” town not friendly to the paranormal. Obviously they’ll need to solve this murder quickly in order to prove they aren’t murdering vampires! —Jamie Canaves All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles (October 7) The author of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen brings us a fresh gothic mystery following two ex-lovers who must find some way to reconcile under the flickering gaslight of Lackaday House, where they’ve both been summoned to compete for the hand of a young bride—and all the wealth she’ll inherit. Zeb has no interest in playing into these games, but when he tries to leave, he discovers there’s no way out. In this game of love and haunted houses, winning is less important than making it out alive. —Rachel Brittain Spellfire by Agatha Willow (October 23) If you’ve been craving a swoony, witchy sapphic romance, this one will cast its spell on you. Bryn swore she’d never return to Grimoire Academy, but when she inherits her former professor’s treasured spellbook collection, she finds herself face-to-face with Amelia Hexford—her old school’s untouchable queen, now the headmistress. A flustered Bryn agrees to stay on as a teacher, and soon the two witches are circling each other in the tight quarters of the staffroom. With sparks flying as brightly as their magic, this enemies-to-lovers (with a dash of academia) romance is both spicy and enchanting—perfect for readers who like their love stories equal parts steamy and spellbinding. —Nikki DeMarco Cinder House by Freya Marske (October 7) The author of the Last Binding trilogy and Swordcrossed returns with this Cinderella retelling. It’s a queer Gothic romance about the ghost of a murdered girl trapped in her father’s house, who makes a bargain to be almost-alive and free for three nights. Spoiler: three nights won’t be enough. —Liberty Hardy Local Heavens by K. M. Fajardo (October 14) Buckle in for a queer The Great Gatsby in New York in 2075! In this futuristic retelling, Nick Caraway befriends the ultra-wealthy Jay Gatsby, in a city where money can buy you tech-enhanced bodies and longer life spans. But will the allure of wealth keep Nick from carrying out his secret mission as a cyber hacker assigned to investigate Gatsby? —Liberty Hardy The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong (October 14) It’s a new charming fantasy from the author of The Teller of Small Fortunes! Certainty is a novice mage unable to perform much magic and, therefore, not much of a help. But when she’s paired up for a task with overachiever Aurelia, whose talents have alienated everyone, the two form an unlikely bond that may bloom into something more. —Liberty Hardy When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee (October 21) In this sapphic historical dark fantasy, a young loner searches for the killer who took the life of her mother, Madam Butterfly, the head of a gang. Her hunt will take her deep into the gang’s violent world and the city’s seedy underbelly, where the body count continues to grow. —Liberty Hardy The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri (October 21) Here’s a new sapphic fantasy from the award-winning author of the Burning Kingdoms series! A witch and a knight fated to fall in love and be torn apart over and over must find a way to halt the cycle of their story. Meanwhile, a mysterious assassin is on the prowl, looking to permanently destroy anyone with a story like theirs. —Liberty Hardy Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell (October 7) This is a queer retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappaccini’s Daughter—can I be vulnerable with you and admit I’ve never heard of it? Regardless, I love a sapphic gothic, and this one looks fantastic. Cordelia’s search for her missing brother leads her to the town of Farrow, but even the man her brother was an apprentice to claims to never have met him. She’s taken in by a botanist, Lady Evangeline, who hires her as a maid and companion to her daughters, Prim and Briar. Cordelia grows closer to Briar, but when she finds evidence her brother was once at the estate, she realizes Lady Evangeline has been keeping secrets. —Danika Ellis Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson (October 7) I just finished this dark, bisexual, M/F/M/F, why choose, fantasy gothic, and I had a great time with it. I would advise that you read the content warnings closely before picking it up, though. This follows Adam, who is searching out the Scottish manor his late grandfather told so many stories about. By his side is his best friend, Nicola. When they find it, they’re welcomed by the mysterious owner, Eileen, and the gruff groundskeeper, Finley. A storm strikes, and they’re trapped in the house together—which seems to stoke their suppressed desires. This is a steamy, kinky, brooding gothic fantasy I couldn’t stop reading, and I can’t wait for book two in the trilogy. —Danika Ellis The Salvage by Anbara Salam (October 7) In this sapphic gothic, when marine archeologist Marta Khoury is called to a remote Scottish isle to explore a recently uncovered Victorian shipwreck, she expects salvage to be the most interesting thing she finds. Instead, she’s snowed in as the Cuban Missile Crisis rages halfway across the globe and becomes convinced a shadowy figure stalks her every step, even as she searches for the ship’s artifacts, which have, mysteriously, disappeared. —Rachel Brittain Herculine by Grace Byron (October 7) Herculine was supposed to be an escape. The narrator ran from her life in New York City to the all trans girl commune in the woods that her ex-girlfriend started to get away from her demons—not just the metaphorical demons of transphobia and poverty, but also the actual entity stalking her. Soon, though, Herculine proves to have its own demons. There are strange cryptograms on the wall. The girls are keeping a secret. And as she dives deeper, she encounters “disemboweled pigs, cultlike psychosexual rituals, and the horrors of communal breakfast.” —Danika Ellis Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer (October 7) Ruth feels trapped in her life and trapped in the closet in the small, conservative town of Kill Devil, Kentucky. When her manager at the craft store where she works finds out she’s living with her girlfriend, Ruth gets fired. But she’s not going down without a fight. In an act of revenge, Ruth attempts to shoplift yarn from the store, and instead, she finds herself captured by the religious group that runs the store (and the whole town). As Ruth comes face-to-face with the dark secrets behind Kill Devil, will she be able to make it out alive? —Emily Martin Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews (October 28) From the author of Don’t Let the Forest In comes a new YA horror novel. This one is about Evander, who has lived in the shadows of the Hazelthorn estate under the orders of his billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, since he was a small child. He’s forbidden to leave the estate, to explore the gardens, or to be anywhere near Byron’s grandson, Laurie—ever since Laurie tried to kill him. But when Byron dies and Evander inherits the estate, he has to team up with Laurie to find the murderer. Along the way, they struggle with the deadly garden escaping its walls and the family secrets that won’t stay buried. (The author describes Evander as “bi in the way of being nervous of all genders, equally.“) —Danika Ellis Monstress Compendium One: (Vol. 1-8) written by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda This award-winning and beautifully illustrated sapphic graphic novel centers on 17-year-old Maika, who is searching for answers after the death of her mother and the discovery of a murderous monster living inside of her. After killing a room filled with child enslavers, she ends up escaping with a fox girl named Kippa and a strange cat named Ren Momorian. It’s a dark story as Maika struggles to keep control of the literal monster inside of her while also navigating a world full of child slavery and the brutality of war. —Elisa Shoenberger Five Star White Trash: A Memoir of Fraud and Family by Georgiann Davis (October 7) As Chris M. Arnone wrote about recently, there are very few intersex memoirs. In this one, Georgiann Davis writes about growing up in a poor family that borrowed money to appear well off. She struggled to fit in as a child, dropping out in seventh grade to sell weed. Eventually, she learns the secret her family has been keeping from her: she’s intersex. The publisher’s description says, “She connects her personal experiences of medical abuse, fatphobia, and fear of the intersex body with incisive critiques of whiteness, the opioid crisis, and gendered and queer oppression.” —Danika Ellis Uncanny Valley Girls: Essays on Horror, Survival, and Love by Zefyr Lisowski (October 7) This essay collection is about finding comfort in horror movies: “From fears about sickness and disability, to trans narratives and the predator/victim complex, to the struggle to live in a world that wants you dead, she explores horror’s reciprocal impact on our culture and—by extension—our lives.” Woven throughout is Lisowski’s own story, including her trans childhood in the South. This comes highly recommended by Torrey Peters and Jeanne Thornton! —Danika Ellis 31 More New Queer Books Out This Week As a bonus for All Access members, here are 31 queer books out this week, including This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.View the full article

After a prolonged contract stalemate between the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga, the former first-rounder finally agreed to a two-year, $46.8 million deal with a 2026-27 team option in the second year. The club option in the second year is designed for either Golden State or another team if and when Kuminga is traded […] The post Jonathan Kuminga Says ‘Me Betting On Myself’ Will Help Warriors Win Title appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

If the fall season has you feeling any particular kind of way this year, October is a great month to join a book club! Picks range from terrifying horror to cozy witches—and there’s plenty of selections for non-seasonal readers, fans of classics, and adaptations! I’ve rounded up a wide range of book clubs that differ in focus (variety is the spice of life) but they all offer a virtual component, most do author chats, and they all absolutely love reading and shouting about books. You can look forward to a cozy found family witch book, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (in time for Guillermo del Toro’s epic film adaptation), a sweeping friendship novel, a family with secrets, a funny historical novel about family and grief, a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, GMA’s pairing of an emotional adult novel and a YA rom-com, and much more! Quick note before diving in: some book clubs I regularly feature aren’t on this roundup solely because the announcements weren’t made in time for this round up. Mocha Girls Read Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark About the book club: Mocha Girls Read is a monthly book club of Black women who love to read. They currently have chapters in 14 cities across the United States. Anyone can join an Instagram Live every first Saturday of the month at 5 p. m. PT to hear Alysia, the founder of Mocha Girls Read, discuss the current book club selection. What Mocha Girls Read said about the book: “Mocha Girls Read, it’s time to announce our next pick! For October’s theme, Scare the Black Off of Me, we’re diving into a novella that is equal parts horror, history, and razor-sharp social commentary. This story doesn’t just creep in the shadows—it stares directly into America’s darkest chapters and reimagines them with fire, fury, and a touch of the supernatural. With monsters that wear hoods, resistance fighters who refuse to bow, and a heroine you won’t forget, this book is the perfect choice for a month when we honor the art of storytelling that unsettles, provokes, and empowers.” Follow Mocha Girls Read on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, MeetUp, Goodreads, Pinterest Subtle Asian Book Club The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna About the book club: Tiffany and Alexandra, longtime friends, created the Subtle Asian Book Club in 2020 with the goal of uplifting Asian voices and storytellers. You can read along with the monthly book pick, join in on discussions on social media, and watch videos of their live author interviews. About the book: If you’re in the mood for a found family, cozy witch read, this is your book club this month! Follow Subtle Asian Book Club on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Discord The Audacious Book Club The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy About the book club: Author Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist, Ayiti, The Banks) selects a book every month with the goal of uplifting “authentic and necessary perspectives from writers who fearlessly share their stories.” Here are the Book Club FAQs. What Roxane said about the book: “Next month in the Audacious Book Club, we’re talking about The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (@AngelaFlournoy). I hope you’ll join us at The Audacity to discuss this brilliant novel throughout the month of September. We will be in conversation with Angela on October 30 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. You can register here.” Follow Roxane Gay on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads TODAY Book Club, #ReadWithJenna The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill About the book club: Jenna Bush Hager—co-host of Today with Hoda & Jenna—independently chooses a book each month that she personally loves. (“Jenna was not paid to mention these items and is unaffiliated with the authors and publishers.“) What Jenna said about the book: “The October Read With Jenna book club pick is a perfect fall read ‘about a family filled with secrets,’ Jenna Bush Hager says.” Jenna continues, “They return for a Thanksgiving weekend to all be under one roof, and just as families know better than anybody, old patterns come out. We find out about a tragedy that has left these sisters reeling, but it also is full of love and hope and humor.” Follow Read With Jenna on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Read With Jenna Goodreads group The Stacks Book Club Frankenstein by Mary Shelley About the book club: The Stacks is a podcast that chats all about books, and there’s a monthly book club. The book chosen for the month is discussed on the podcast in the last week of the month with a selected special guest. What The Stacks Book Club said about the book: “For the first time ever on The Stacks we’re leaning into horror and ‘spooky season’ with Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This 1818 novel follows Victor Frankenstein, who creates life with body parts and unorthodox scientific methods. The book is widely considered the first science fiction novel, and Frankenstein’s creation has become one of the most iconic monsters in the cultural imagination.” Follow The Stacks on social media: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok Matzah Book Soup: A Jewish Own Voices Book Club for All Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino About the book club: Lillianne Leight and Amanda Spivack created this book club, which focuses on Jewish books and characters “with varying relationships to Judaism” that welcomes all readers—Jewish and non. What Matzah Book Soup said about the book: “Wishing you all a Gmar Chatima Tova! What perfect timing to share our October so you want to start it over the holiday! We are so excited to share that we are reading Good Grief this month by the wonderful @SaraConfino. Sara will be joining our chat on October 30 at 8 pm est so mark your calendars!” Follow Matzah Book Soup on social media: Instagram, Facebook Late Show Book Club What We Can Know by Ian McEwan About the book club: Stephen Colbert recently announced he’d be doing a monthly book club on The Late Show: “We’ll be highlighting wonderful books that are worth your time… that you’re not putting into watching this show.” What Stephen Colbert said about the book: “Dropping our Late Show Book Club October announcement here! This month, our pick is What We Can Know by Ian McEwan.” Follow Late Show Book Club on social media: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok Eclectix The Book Club Beloved by Toni Morrison About the book club: Dawnshaeé Reid is a self-proclaimed eclectic blogger who created this book club with Black authors as a priority. It aims to highlight a wide range of genres. There’s an in-person, once-a-month meeting option if you’re in Louisville, KY, and a virtual option that meets the last Tuesday of every month. What Eclectix The Book Club said about the book: “I know I’m not the only one who hasn’t read Beloved by Toni Morrison yet, so it is with the greatest pleasure to invite you all to join @EclectixTheBookClub to finally give it a go with an incredible group of readers this October If you’re looking for a book club, dedicated to reading books by Black authors since 2021, this is the one for you! Each month we venture into a new genre by reading books written by Black authors – everything from debuts to classics. There is a virtual option and an in-person option if you’re located in or near Louisville, KY! Mark your calendars so you don’t miss the discussions: VIRTUAL DISCUSSION: Tuesday, October 28th at 6:30PM/EST The Zoom link will be available in the Discord server. Just mark your calendars and show up to discuss. This is a relaxed book club so cameras and mics aren’t required, you can always freely just use the chat or listen in. IN-PERSON DISCUSSION: Sunday, 11/ 2 starting at 1PM/EST Location: TBD but follow me for updates to know when the tickets go on sale on to reserve your spot. (RSVP is mandatory on Eventbrite.)” Follow Eclectix The Book Club on social media: Instagram, Discord, TikTok Good Morning America’s GMA Book Club Twice by Mitch Albom About the book club: Read along with Good Morning America Book Club, which aims to “showcase book picks from a wide range of compelling authors.” What GMA said about the book: “A #GMABookClub October pick so good… you’ll want to read it ‘Twice.’ Mitch Albom’s Twice is a an unforgettable emotional journey of love, romance, and second-chance magic. No take-backs needed — this one’s a page-turner you’ll remember the first time.” GMA Book Club Young Adult pick: “We’re on thin ice and LOVING IT with our #GMABookClub Young Adult pick, Fake Skating by @LynnPainterBooks. A heartfelt rom-com about childhood sweethearts who reconnect after a frosty reunion. From friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, this book is sure to melt the ice ” Follow GMA Book Club on social media: Instagram, Facebook View the full article

Book lovers, the book tea this week is piping hot. We’ve got some exciting new cover reveals to check out; some really good news from the Spider-verse; some cool news about upcoming adaptations; and yes, LeVar Burton, the king of literacy advocacy (and our hearts), is back at it again. So let’s cut the small talk and hop right into it! Here’s the cover of the newest novel by Claire Fuller, the author of Bitter Orange and Unsettled Ground. Of Hunger & Thirst‘s cover design, author Claire Fuller said, “I am amazed and delighted that Beth Steidle has not only designed an incredibly arresting cover but also managed to convey so many of the themes and storylines in the book. The main character, Ursula is a reclusive and famous sculptor, and so while the figure on the cover might be one of her carvings, it could also be Ursula herself caught in a moment of turning away from the camera.” Hunger & Thirst hits shelves on May 7, 2026. But you can read an excerpt now at Crime Reads. Electric Lit has shared the cover of Diana Xin’s novel Book of Exemplary Women. This debut short story collection features linked stories about ghosts, vampires, and “other manifestations of dread,” but some of the stories are fully grounded in realism. Book of Exemplary Women will be published on December 1st by YesYes Books. All Access members, read on for more of the latest book news. This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. Craving more book news? Make sure to subscribe to Book Radar so you can get all the book updates delivered straight to your inbox! Happy reading! View the full article

Photo Credit: @TaylorSwift | YouTube Taylor Swift has featured Elizabeth Taylor’s moniker in her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl. In a recent podcast, Swift revealed how the latter’s estate reacted when she reached out to use the late actress’ name. Here’s how Elizabeth Taylor’s estate reacted to Taylor Swift’s song named after the iconic actress During The Breakfast Show podcast on BBC Radio 2, the Blank Space singer was asked if she needs to notify people when they are mentioned in her songs. Swift responds by saying, “If they are real people, yeah.” She added, ‘If it’s like Elizabeth Taylor, we go to their family and her estate and let them know. Yeah. They were lovely about it.” Swift provides Elizabeth Taylor’s name as an example because the second song from her album is named after the late actress. The song explores the pressure and attention that come with fame. It also draws parallels between Swift and the actress, who died in 2011. Both women have faced intense public scrutiny of their personal lives. The actress was married eight times to seven men, including Richard Burton, whom she married twice. With lyrics like “All the right guys promised they’d stay. Under bright lights, they withered away, but you bloom,” Swift highlights the commonality between her and the actress. In the wake of her new album, Taylor’s estate has not only approved the track but also embraced it. They have released a limited edition orange crewneck sweater with the name “Elizabeth Taylor.” The color of the sweater also showcases the exact color that Swift is using on her latest album’s promotional tour. Since releasing The Life of a Showgirl on Friday, October 3, Swift has actively promoted the album. She has shared behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram, offering her fans a peek at her process. Along with her album, Swift also released Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Showgirl for a limited time in theaters. The 90-minute film has topped the global box office with $46 million in the opening weekend. The post Taylor Swift Reveals How Elizabeth Taylor’s Estate Reacted to Life of a Showgirl Song appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: CBS Tiger Fafara has shared his thoughts on why he was axed from the 1957 popular sitcom, Leave It to Beaver. The actor was a series regular for two seasons, but he was let go during the third season for undisclosed reasons. However, Fafara has now shared what he believes the reasons could’ve been. Tiger Fafara cites budget issues as reason behind axing from Leave It to Beaver During an interview on That’s Classic!, Luke Fafara was asked if he voluntarily left Leave It to Beaver or was let go. The 80-year-old actor, who played Tooey Brown, suspected that he was let go due to budget constraints. Fafara believed that the show’s cast had expanded quite significantly. As a result, the show creators wrote his character out of the show. He explained, “If they’re going to have to let somebody go, you’re going to let somebody go that’s not contracted,” noting that he wasn’t under contract like other child stars. He had hoped that the show would explore his character’s relationship with Wally Cleaver as they were getting close. Fafara said, “I thought that they would build on that.” However, despite the disappointment, Fafara admitted that he held no grudges. “I’ve never had hard feelings with anybody there. It’s just business,” the actor shared. Years later, the actor returned to reprise his role in the ’80s revival, The New Leave It to Beaver, though he appeared very briefly. Outside of the Beaver series, Fafara had guest roles on several other popular TV shows of the time, including Lassie, The Donna Reed Show, and My Three Sons. Following the cast reunion, the show garnered quite a bit of attention. It created a sense of nostalgia for the viewers who have been fans of the series. Additionally, the youngest surviving cast member, Jerry Mathers (Beaver Cleaver), 77, continues to attend fan conventions and shares memories of the show. The post Leave It to Beaver’s Tiger Fafara on Why He Was Let Go From the 1957 Series appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

In three consecutive postseasons, the Bucks have been eliminated in the first round. That’s just four years after they won the NBA Finals in 2021. It’s been an uphill battle for Milwaukee to be competitive in the playoffs over the past few years. This offseason, tension arose between the Bucks’ front office and their franchise […] The post How close were the Knicks to trading for Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo? appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

Photo Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images A shoutout from Taylor Swift can put anyone on cloud nine, and Keri Russell just proved that even celebrities are no exception. The actress was all smiles in her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The reason you ask? The pop icon called her the coolest celebrity ever. Confirming Swift’s statement, the host read out her post wherein she raved about her experience of meeting Russell. Keri Russell responds to Taylor Swift’s ‘best celebrity ever’ post from 2008 Stating how cool and welcoming Keri Russell is, Taylor Swift mentioned being obsessed with her hair. She shared how Russell was sweet enough to share her hair styling routine and products with the singer and her band member’s wife. Expressing her admiration, Swift wrote, “I just think it’s so awesome when cool people don’t know they are cool. Love her.” Flattered and honoured, Russell called Swift a legend and a queen. The actress recalled her own experience of meeting the singer and hoping she made it big. She also shared how her daughter, Willa, is a big fan of Swift. So much so that she skipped her volleyball game in the hopes of meeting her. Along with Keri Russell, Taylor Swift also made a late-night appearance at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Speaking with the host, the singer revealed that she is gearing up for the release of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. Taylor Swift and Keri Russell’s shared admiration for each other wasn’t the only highlight of the October 6 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The actress’ Netflix show, The Diplomat, with its third season set to release in the fall of 2025, was another hot topic of discussion. Praising Keri Russell’s marvelous performance in season 2, Fallon congratulated her on her second Emmy nomination. The host further highlighted how fans are obsessed with her character and her voluminous hair. Wrapping up the episode, Jimmy Fallon shared with the viewers a sneak peek clip of The Diplomat season 3. The post Keri Russell on Taylor Swift Naming Her the ‘Coolest Celebrity Ever’ appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Toei Animation Director Aya Komaki has revealed what sets Dragon Ball Daima apart from earlier chapters like Z and Super. In a recent interview, Komaki explained that the team worked carefully to ensure the new series didn’t “feel dated.” She noted that DAIMA was designed to maintain balance between honoring the past and giving something new. Aya Komaki says they did not want Dragon Ball Daima to ‘feel dated’ Director Aya Komaki has opened up about the creative vision behind Dragon Ball Daima. She revealed that the team made a conscious effort to keep the new series fresh while still paying tribute to its long legacy. In the interview featured in the Japanese Blu-ray release, Komaki explained that the series’ visuals, particularly the opening montage revisiting the history of Dragon Ball, were designed to celebrate the franchise’s legacy without appearing “dated.” Komaki said, “While evoking the past, we wanted to show a new Daima, to show a new Dragon Ball, without making it feel dated, but with that slight faded quality that brings back memories of the past… those parts were handled with painstaking care.” Komaki was also joined by co-director Yoshitaka Yashima and executive producer Akio Iyoku. They also elaborated on the significance of the opening recap. Iyoku explained that because Daima follows the “Majin Buu” saga, the recap helped bridge the gap for new viewers. He said, “The beginning of DAIMA actually serves two purposes. The first, as Yashima-san just said, was to convey that it connects directly after the Bus saga.” Komaki noted the second purpose was to ensure that the series would be easy for audiences to follow. He said, “If it started all of a sudden, people wouldn’t understand what’s going on; so by explaining the situation—’the state of things’—we wanted even those who had never seen anything before to be able to watch it.” It is important to note that the discussion was shared through a fan translation of the Japanese text. Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on SuperHeroHype. The post Why Dragon Ball Daima Feels Different From Z & Super Revealed appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article