Welcome to Today in Books, where we report on literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
Looks Like We Made It
Despite concerns that its sale to private equity firm KKR was “the beginning of the end”and a harbinger of billion-dollar-debt doom, Simon & Schuster has survived to see its 100th birthday. And S & S isn’t just surviving, it seems to be thriving:
KKR has invested in the company, starting new imprints and hiring editors, which has boosted morale and set Simon & Schuster apart at a moment when most publishers are looking for ways to cut costs.
Indeed, sales are up but profits are down across the industry…and S & S has bucked the trend. That’s no guarantee of future success, of course, but nothing is. For now, it looks like KKR is making good on their stated intention to grow the business for 5-7 years before ultimately seeking a new home for the historic publisher. Not too shabby, especially now that we know that Meta discussed buying S & S to train its AI models.
Break It Down to Build It Up
Sophia Bogle used to let her clients watch her restore their books, but now she prefers to work in private. “Nobody needs to know what I’m doing,” she says, describing a process that often involves taking apart old, rare, precious books—like, fully deconstructing the spines—in order to put them back together and preserve them for the future. It’s fascinating and fun to watch. Enjoy!
Now in Color
Kobo will launch its first color e-readers April 30th. The Kobo Libra Colour ($219.99) and smaller, waterproof (!) Kobo Clara Colour ($149.99) are available for pre-order now. Better-known in Canada, Kobo’s e-readers are under-celebrated alternatives to the Amazon/Kindle eco-system. Keep an eye out for reviews if you’re in the market!
Yes, Chef
If books are one of the primary ways you learn about how to make your life better, you’ll probably enjoy Better Living Through Books. In the latest installment, I rounded up the best cookbooks for beginners and beyond. Dig in!
Find more posts like this via our subscription publication, Today in Books! Get access to our daily newsletter rounding up some of the biggest bookish headlines of the day for free, or you can sign up for a paid subscription to get additional content and access to community features.
