Welcome to The Book Briefing, your weekly catch-up on all the biggest moments from the literary world. From headline-making author news and award winners to viral bookish trends and exciting new releases, here’s everything readers have been talking about this week.
Audiobook narrators are suing Google over AI voice training
US audiobook narrators are suing Google after alleging the company used their voices to train AI systems without consent.
The lawsuit claims recordings from audiobook narrators, podcasters, and journalists were used to help build products including Gemini Live, Google Assistant, and AI voice tools that now directly compete with the people whose voices allegedly trained them.
The narrators argue that voiceprints are biometric data that can’t simply be replaced once taken, while many online are pointing out the terrifying reality that AI voices are becoming cheaper alternatives to actual human performers.
Barnes & Noble face backlash over CEO’s comments about AI
B&N CEO James Daunt said the company would consider selling AI-generated books as long as they’re clearly labelled and not pretending to be human-written, sparking huge backlash from people worried about originality and AI replacing real authors.
B&N has since clarified that they do not currently sell AI-generated books “as far as we are aware,” and would only consider stocking those books if they were clearly labelled, published by reputable publishers, and there was proven demand, which they say is “very unlikely.”
Literature Nobel Prize winner argues using AI is a positive asset
Weighing in on the hot topic of AI-assisted writing is Olga Tokarczuk, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature and the International Booker Prize in 2018, revealed that she sometimes uses AI to help develop ideas for her fiction, even calling the technology “an asset of incredible proportions” for literary writing.
She explained that she’ll throw ideas “to the machine” and ask how they could be developed more beautifully, which has sparked debate online over where people draw the line between writing assistance and AI-generated art.
SJM teases ‘ACOTAR 6’ title and cover reveal coming soon
Sarah J. Maas announced that Bloomsbury revealed the pre-orders for ‘ACOTAR’ books six and seven are already “extraordinary,” with the publisher saying they’ve “never seen such robust support from the entire retailer base in America.”
Sarah also teased that the ‘ACOTAR 6’ title announcement and cover reveal are coming soon, sending the fandom into full detective mode online. With only 157 days (but who’s counting) until the release, readers are convinced we’re about to enter a new ACOTAR era.
International Booker Prize Winner Announced
‘Taiwan Travelogue’ by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated by Lin King has officially won the 2026 International Booker Prize, making history as the first novel originally written in Mandarin Chinese to take home the award.
Set in 1930s Taiwan during Japanese occupation, the novel blends romance, food, travel writing, and postcolonial commentary in a story that judges called both inventive and deeply moving.
The win is also another huge moment for translated fiction, with the International Booker continuing to spotlight stories and voices readers might never have discovered otherwise.
Alexandra Moody just secured a major new book deal
Alexandra Moody just signed a massive new five-book deal with HarperCollins after the huge success of her self-published romances.
The deal includes the fourth book in her wildly popular Darling Devils hockey romance series, a standalone enemies-to-lovers romcom called ‘I Hate You More’, and an entire new boarding school romance trilogy. Considering the Darling Devils books basically took over BookTok with their low-spice romance, hockey boys, and chaotic tension, readers are already obsessed with what’s coming next.
The deluxe edition we’ve all been waiting for
The Long Game Deluxe Hardcover is finally getting the cover it deserves. Releasing January 26, 2027, this edition is officially open for pre-order now and it’s packed with everything fans could want including metallic sprayed edges, full-colour endpapers featuring never-before-seen character art, stamped foil casing and cover effects, bonus content, and stunning Shane and Ilya cover art that honestly makes this feel like the ultimate collector’s edition.
John Cusack is releasing a graphic novel and it sounds completely unhinged
John Cusack is officially becoming a graphic novelist. The actor has teamed up with internationally acclaimed artist Ignacio Noé for ‘Momo’, a surreal, genre-bending graphic novel that mixes crime, conspiracy theories, cosmic horror, and political satire into one wild road trip story.
Published by Mad Cave Studios, the story follows two criminals on a mission involving ancient artifacts, UFO lore, and Jackie Gleason of all people. Honestly it sounds exactly as chaotic as you’d expect from the guy behind ‘Being John Malkovich’ and ‘High Fidelity’. It drops in August and pre-orders are now open.
Lucy Score is taking us back to Story Lake
A new Lucy Score romance is officially on the way. ‘Just One More Chapter’ is the third book in her bestselling Story Lake series and while the cover still hasn’t been revealed, readers are already losing it over the announcement. If the first two books are anything to go by, expect small-town romance chaos, emotional damage, and at least one man obsessed with his woman.
A new Nicky Pellegrino cover just dropped
The cover for ‘A Siena Love Story’ by Nicky Pellegrino has officially been revealed and it’s giving peak escapist romance energy. Set against the dreamy backdrop of Siena and the famous Palio horse race, the story follows Aria, a woman chasing the dream she’s had since childhood while navigating love, fresh starts, and second chances. Honestly this already feels like the kind of book you pack for a holiday and accidentally finish in one sitting.
The ‘Emily Wilde’ series is officially getting two more books
Heather Fawcett just confirmed that the ‘Emily Wilde’ series is officially continuing with not one but TWO more books. ‘Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie’ is set to release in January and will kick off a brand new story arc for Emily, Wendell, Shadow, and Ariadne, with Fawcett teasing that the next chapter of the series will be a little darker while still keeping the cozy fantasy vibes readers love.
She also revealed that a fifth book is already in the works, which feels like the best possible news for anyone still emotionally attached to this series.
A new Monica Galetti cookbook is coming this year
Chef and TV personality Monica Galetti is officially releasing a new cookbook later this year and it sounds like so much more than just recipes. The UK-based NZ-Samoan chef is bringing her Polynesian heritage and global travels into ‘Gathering’, a cookbook inspired by the Pacific Islands, Italy, South China, and the Java Seas. Known for her bold flavours, beautiful plating, and no-nonsense energy on screen, this already feels like it’s going to be one of the standout cookbooks of the year.
‘The Housemaid’ is getting a stage adaptation
‘The Housemaid’ is officially heading to the stage. After the massive success of the Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried film adaptation, Lionsgate has announced a live theatre version of Freida McFadden’s bestselling thriller is now in development, with ‘The Notebook’ playwright Bekah Brunstetter attached to adapt it. Honestly the idea of all those twists, secrets, and psychological chaos happening live on stage sounds kind of perfect.
Red phone boxes are basically becoming tiny BookTok libraries
Across the UK, old red telephone boxes are getting turned into miniature community libraries where people can grab a book, leave a book, and accidentally walk away with three more than they planned. Through BT’s £1 Adopt a Kiosk scheme, communities have been giving abandoned phone boxes a second life, and honestly the tiny libraries might be the cutest use yet.
The shelves are packed with everything from thrillers and romance novels to cookbooks and random vintage paperbacks, all running on pure trust and good vibes. There are now thought to be hundreds of them across Britain and people online are obsessed with the idea.
Harry Connick Jr. is finally fulfilling his mother’s dream
Harry Connick Jr. is preparing for his long-awaited Carnegie Hall debut, a performance he has spent decades saving for one deeply personal reason. The singer revealed that his late mother always dreamed of seeing him perform at the iconic venue before she died of ovarian cancer when he was 13.
Instead of playing there earlier in his career, Connick waited until what would have been her 100th birthday to make his debut, where he’ll perform an original orchestral composition written in her honour.
The emotional milestone also arrives as Connick prepares to release his new book, ‘Babe’, which reflects on family, memory and the people who shaped his life, themes that closely connect to the deeply personal concert.
That's all for this book briefing! For more bookish news, new releases, staff picks and plenty more from all the team at Book Hero, follow us on Instagram at @bookheronz and check back here on our blog as we post regularly!