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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
Groundbreaking Poet Nikki Giovanni Dies at 81
Beloved poet Nikki Giovanni has died at the age of 81. Giovanni made her name as a standout of the Black Arts Movement and became the rarest of things: a famous poet. Known for her powerful performances, Giovanni was also often invited to comment on politics, current events, and issues of race and gender. If you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing Giovanni read her work, here is one wonderful example, though if you’re going to consumer one piece of Giovanni-related media, it really should be this conversation she had with James Baldwin in 1971, well worth two hours of your time. Fare thee well, Ms. Giovanni.
Looks Matter
In a year dominated by cutesy illustrations and sprayed edges—stop trying to make “spredges” happen, you monsters—surprising, strange, and abstract cover designs deserve extra celebration. Here’s a look at the best book covers of 2024 as selected by professional book designers.
Whatcha Got Cookin’?
Cookbooks make excellent gifts, and in my humble opinion, the kitchen is one of the few environments where print maintains an edge over digital. Reading recipes on a tiny phone screen or tapping on a tablet with flour-dusted fingers is a nightmare, not to mention that you can’t easily take notes or enjoy the charm of spilled ingredients on an e-recipe. Treat yourself and the home cooks on your holiday shopping list to some of the best cookbooks of 2024, and really, don’t sleep on Julia Turshen’s What Goes with What.
On the latest episode of the Book Riot Podcast, Jeff O’Neal and I analyze the NYT’s list of 100 notable books of 2024 (and quibble about what “notable” means), the Goodreads Choice Awards winners, and more end-of-year literary news.
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