Ron Does Stuff

Another week done, another week of things that happened in the book world! This is one of the things I really like doing now because it also keeps me updated on what is going on.

Florida book ban

People reports that Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, SImon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks are suing the State of Flordia and challenging its House Bill 1069, which allows parents to decide what books school libraries can have.

Aside from the publishing houses, also joining the suit are authors Julia Alvarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Jodi Picoult, and Angie Thomas.

Since its implementation, Penguin Random House has said that the books that have ended up being banned in school libraries are classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, as well as non-fiction titles such as The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Ina: Power and Intimacy

The Caceres Commission for Libraries, Archives and Museums will hold a special lecture series and exhibition called INA: Power and Intimacy on September 6, 7, and 8. Some of the speakers include Fr. Andrew Recepcion from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome and Dr. Maddie Yakal of the University of California – Los Angeles.

Ambeth Ocampo at the Bikol Book Festival

Ambeth Ocampo is coming to Naga for the third Bikol Book Festival and will also be one of the speakers at INA: Power and Intimacy. His talk will be on September 7 at the Alingal Multipurpose Hall, Ateneo de Naga University at 9:30 AM.

‘Spare’ to come out in paperback

Prince Harry’s controversial memoir, Spare, is set to come out on paperback on October 22. People is speculating that since no new material is going to be added to the paperback version of the book, it means that the Royal Family is working towards a reconciliation. Honestly, I think that’s a load of bullshit but that’s just me!

Death of Barnes & Noble founder

I’ve never been to a Barnes & Noble but it’s hard to not know about it if you’re even marginally interested in American pop culture. I feel like it was even the inspiration for Fox Books in You’ve Got Mail?

ANYWAYS, its founder, Leonard Riggio, died after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 83. He started Barnes & Noble back in 1971 and was the chairman of the company until 2019. One thing I was surprised to find out from People‘s obituary is that Riggio also funded the DIA: Beacon, one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world AND also where Namjoon had a performance of his album, Indigo.

Watch RM perform live at the DIA: Beacon below!

Mary Trump’s new book

The Guardian acquired a copy of Who Could Ever Love You: A Family Memoir by Mary L. Trump and the publication highlights how Mary had to undergo ketamine therapy to combat the depression she experienced during her uncle Donald Trump’s presidency.

What tugged at my heart, though, was her talking about how it felt like she was killing herself ever since her uncle got into the White House.

The Guardian quotes: “I realized I was killing myself – with stress, with self-loathing, but above all with isolation that started on 9 November 2016. But I don’t want to die, I want to live.”