Having written this column since mid-2021, I sometimes forget what I’ve covered. In some ways, I haven’t written anything new in the world of book censorship because the tactics, goals, and outcomes have not changed much at all over the course of this significant era of censorship, even if the trends in how those means are achieved have.

This week, rather than drafting something fresh, let’s take the time to look back at some of the Literary Activism columns you may have missed from the previous several Januarys and Februarys. Catch up on what you may have missed, and remember that there is nothing exceptionally new in the book—just different names and faces trying to get their 15 minutes of manufactured outrage fame. We are seeing the results of these actions play out and if you’ve been watching or engaged, nothing is surprising. That doesn’t mean it isn’t infuriating, disgusting, or not in need to pushback. It just means that the groundwork’s been being laid so it is simply not surprising in the least.

How to Critically Read a Press Release From the Federal Government (2025)

“As we truly enter a new administration—one that has reiterated time and time again that things like mis- and dis- information are not real and that those who teach such literacy skills may find themselves losing the right to vote (!)—it is going to be vital to learn how to critically read press releases disseminating from the federal government.

Last week proved this as we saw the Department of Education announce that book bans were a hoax. While what the release stated was (partially) true, there was not only a lot of missing context to the press release, there was also a lotof response that indicated a lack of understanding about what the purpose of such a press release was. The release induced a lot of panic and anger, and while much of that was merited, that elicited response was intentional on the part of the new Department of Education.

The big new book-to-screen adaptations continue to dominate the most read books on Goodreads: three of the top five titles this month are enjoying a boost in popularity from their TV or movie counterparts.

Regardless of the reasons, it is interesting to see Wuthering Heights on this list. I am so curious about the reactions from readers who picked it up because of the recent movie, since it diverges so dramatically from the original. My sympathy goes out to anyone who picked it up expecting a steamy romance.

New Books Out in February You Should Know About

Unfortunately, the most read books on Goodreads tend not to be diverse by any definition of the word. So, here are a few new books that came out in February and deserve wider readership.

Greedy by Callie Kazumi This horror/psychological thriller novel is perfect for fans of Parasite and The Menu. It follows Edward Cook, a British man living in Japan. He’s drowning in debt because of his gambling addiction, and he’s desperate for work. So he takes a job as a chef for Hazeline Yamamoto, a reclusive woman living in a remote mountain estate. Hazeline is a certified gourmand with a particular palate, but Edward is horrified to discover what Hazeline is really doing and what she wants Edward to do for her. —Emily Martin

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord In the world of this YA dark academia, human bodies can be replaced, if you have the money. Anabelle Gage is trapped in a decaying male body and desperate to get out of it, so she attempts to steal one from the Paragon Academy, where students are automatically given new ones. But caught by the school’s headmaster, Anabelle is blackmailed into being his personal mercenary instead. —Liberty Hardy

We’ve got a big round up of library news and links to take you through to the next month: publishing news (which is the same as saying “AI updates” nowadays), censorship updates, stats and trends, award nominees, and more.

Let’s dive in.

Publishing News

More eBooks and digital audiobooks are featuring interactive AI features. An author discovered deepfake videos of himself on YouTube reading chapters of a book published by John Murray Business. The Human Artistry Campaign is launching an anti-AI campaign backed by big name celebrities and authors, including Jodi Picoult, Roxane Gay, and Jonathan Franzen. AI is coming for your toddler’s bedtime story.

New & Upcoming Titles

Jeffrey Archer has announced that his next book, Adam and Eve, will also be his last. The Millions has posted their Great Winter 2026 preview. 24 new and upcoming historical novels to look forward to in 2026. Recent Japanese horror novels.

Censorship Updates

The book censorship trends of 2025. The latest trends in comic censorship. Fighting book bans coast to coast. We Need Diverse Books launches the Unbanned Book Network to fight book bans in schools. The generational impact of book bans on teens. Plato has been censored as Texas A&M carries out its course review. They have also instructed English faculty not to teach books with major plot lines involving gay, lesbian, or transgender identities. Alamo Heights ISD (TX) canceled a visit by children’s author Chris Barton because his nonfiction book about the history of glitter had the audacity to include a sentence that mentioned the existence of LGBTQ+ people. (I wish I were kidding.) Bellbrook-Sugarcreek School District (OH) implemented a policy this year that prohibits so-called “sexuality content” and “gender ideology” from students in kindergarten through grade eight under the guise of “parental rights.” Iowa’s law restricting school library books and LGBTQ topics returns to federal court. Utah begins 2026 by banning three more books at all public schools across the state. Just weeks later, the state banned yet another one. Some Alberta school divisions have removed a handful of titles from library shelves as new school library rules take effect, but they’re not saying which books have been removed.

Numbers & Trends

Trump books aren’t selling anymore. Professors warn that Gen Z’s reading struggles could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates. The number of Americans 13 and older who listen to audiobooks has more than doubled since 2016. The best book covers of the last decade.

Award News

The Philip K. Dick Award nominees have been announced. Donna Andrews and Lee Child have been announced as the latest Grand Masters for Mystery Writers of America. The National Book Critics Circle Award finalists have been announced.The Edgar Award nominees have been announced. The Splatterpunk Award nominees have been announced.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

13 YA historical fiction novels by Black authors. Books for tweens who loved Stranger Things. 32 YA thrillers perfect for fans of true crime podcasts. 12 must-read feminist books by Icelandic women writers. A reading list for people who are really, really into hockey right now (for some reason). Also queer hockey romances to read if you loved Heated Rivalry. 7 novels that grapple with the gig economy. 10 long books for long winter nights. If you loved The People We Meet on Vacation. 6 thrillers about the dark side of fame. 8 historical mysteries with pirates and smugglers. 5 horror novels set in inescapable towns. 6 thrillers about secrets and lies. Horror retellings that will scare you all over again. The best fantasy books of the century (so far). 8 memoirs exploring the damage of purity culture. 5 SFF books about time.

Want to keep up with book censorship news? Make sure you’re subscribed to our Literary Activism newsletter, too.

February is coming to an end, which means we’re reaching the end of Black History Month. It’s the perfect time to remember that Black literature is coming out every month of the year, and we will still be reading Black voices all year round.

So, horror fans, get excited. Here are three horror books by Black authors coming out in 2026 that you’ll want on your TBR.

Indigent by Briana N. Cox (Graveside Press, March 20) Briana N. Cox’s debut novel is a horror story set in Leigh Pierce Estates, a low-income apartment building in a rapidly gentrifying area of Atlanta. Xavier, a young Black man who works as a handyman for the building, discovers that one of the tenants has mysteriously passed away. Shortly after, Xavier finds himself infected by a mysterious disease. It’s a disease that fills him with an intense and uncontrollable hunger.

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How a detritus-strewn divan sparked a '90s media frenzy

How do you cut through the constant noise and clutter to grab the attention of the readers who have been waiting for a book like yours? By being as creative with your marketing as you are with writing and illustrating!

For example, there’s The Primal of Blood and Bone, a vampire novel printed with “garlic-infused ink.” Less appetizing but just as attention-getting is the variant cover of horror comic Dark Regards printed with the blood of the writer, editor, and publisher. Streaming series The Comic Shop actually released a tie-in comic to promote the show.

Coming up with such unique concepts is not always as easy as it sounds, and they’re not always easy to implement. To gain more insight into the process, I spoke with comic book writer Daniel Nayeri and his wife, author Alexandra Davis, about a most unusual promotional campaign they undertook late last year.

The graphic novel series Nayeri writes, “The Bizarre Bazaar,” centers on a curio shop filled with strange and dangerous items. It made perfect sense to promote the series by setting up a vending machine filled with, in Nayeri’s words, “anything that seems to be telling a story.” This included art made by local creators and dissection kits.

It also made perfect sense to debut the machine in time for Rock Hill, North Carolina’s Christmasville weekend, when small vendors and seasonal celebrations take over downtown. But to get it ready in time, they had “only 4 weeks for a local painter to design and paint the outside of the machine, for Dan to figure out the machine’s programming, for me to find dozens of unique vintage objects at the local estate sales, and for a handful of local artists to come on board. I was still labeling and packaging items as Dan was installing the machine in the coffee shop at 9 p.m. the night before Christmasville!,” explained Davis.

January 29 – February 28, 2026

January 18 – February 28, 2026

October 2022. We were making up after a long argument when I gave my girlfriend a tight hug and we heard a noise like a car backfiring.

“What was that?” she said.

“I think I broke your ribs,” I said. I’ve had a broken rib, I broke my friend Bob’s ribs, doesn’t make me an expert.

The X-ray showed a density in her lung. Next she had a CAT scan with contrast. (Never say “dye.”) After that came the pulmonologist, then radiology. Bronchoscopy. They sent her home on my birthday, still coughing up what they called a normal amount of blood. Needle biopsy and pneumothorax, a fancy way to say her lung collapsed. They kept her in the hospital on suction for two days. Then it was time for oncology. And chemotherapy and immunotherapy and thoracic surgery were still in her future, waiting.

From a big-screen Peaky Blinders to Jessie Buckley in The Bride!