Audible will launch a pop up listening lounge in New York from May 1–31. Audible Story House is a three-floor “bookless bookstore,” according to a release, and will feature listening spaces with headphones where customers can sample audiobooks. People can browse audiobooks in the form of “story tiles” and the space will host events including panels, book clubs, and crafting activities, plus a cafe. “Story House arrives at a cultural inflection point where audio storytelling is one of the fastest-growing formats in entertainment, and passionate fan culture around books and audiobooks has never been more alive,” a release states. “At […]
Archives for April 2026
People 4/8
National Book Award 5 Under 35
Distribution: Inquisitive Press
Starting in August, children’s nonfiction publisher Inquisitive Press will be distributed exclusively by Lerner Publisher Services in the US and Canada.
Appeals Court Lifts Block On Iowa Book Banning Law
On Monday, the US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a block on Senate File 496, Iowa’s book banning law. The injunction has been reversed and reinstated multiple times since the law, which removes books with LGBTQ themes and references to sex acts from school libraries, first passed in 2023. Just weeks ago in March, U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher reinstated an injunction against the law, after an Iowa Eighth Circuit panel reversed the original injunction in December 2023. Penguin Random House vp and associate general counsel Dan Novack said in a statement on behalf of the plaintiff group: “While […]
Obituary: John Flanagan
Australian fantasy author John Flanagan, 81, has died. He wrote the bestselling Ranger’s Apprentice series for children, as well as thrillers and historical novels for adults. His books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, according to Penguin Young Readers. “His work has had a lasting impact on a generation of readers and Penguin Young Readers is grateful to have had the joy and privilege of working with him for over 20 years,” the publisher said in a statement.