Forecasting

Despite looming tariffs and declining consumer confidence, BookScan predicts that book sales should fare relatively well over the next few years, even as shoppers adjust their spending habits. With sales of religion books on a hot streak, Simon & Schuster has tapped Jonathan Merritt to spearhead a robust list focusing on religion, faith, and spirituality titles at the flagship imprint. Plus, a group of French and American publishers converged in New York City on Tuesday to discuss the ins and outs of art book publishing. And we rounded up this month’s biggest book club picks. The New York Times looks at a new online writing course taught by the long-dead Agatha Christie’s AI avatar, as well as Netflix’s modern retelling of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel Forever. South Carolina now leads the nation in school book bans following a vote removing 10 more books from public schools statewide, reports WRDW. In response, YA author Malinda Lo took to the South Carolina Daily Gazette to consider why book banners are so squeamish about sex. Television producer and former IDW Entertainment president David Ozer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of embezzling, reports the Beat. For Quartz, author Catherine Baab reflects on Meta’s theft of her book to train its AI. And two Vulture critics—one skeptical, one curious—discuss the merits of art made by AI.