AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Booksellers: Sharjah Book Authority chair Sheikha Bodour announced its 5th Booksellers Conference for Sep 19-20, aiming to tackle global distribution supply chains and the shift in reader behavior. Consumer Tech & Reading Habits: Sony says PlayStation will stop producing physical game discs for new releases starting Jan 2028, sparking a debate about whether consumers truly prefer digital. Faith, History & the 250th: Senator Tim Scott’s One Nation Always Under God spotlights Christianity’s role in U.S. development through “profiles in Christian courage,” while Frederick Douglass’s Fourth of July speech is resurfacing as a reminder that American ideals need redemption. Local Reading Life: A new independent shop in Clitheroe, Thistle & Thorn, opens with a Pendle folklore focus and plans for book clubs and events. Kids & Community: Charleston Animal Society’s Raising Readers program returns, with children reading aloud to shelter dogs to build confidence and comfort pets. Health & Evidence: A review in Advances in Nutrition finds milk lipid bioactives can improve cardiovascular risk markers like LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.

Bestseller Scrutiny: Jill Biden’s memoir View from the East Wing hit No. 1 with a “bulk purchase” dagger on the NYT list, then slid fast—raising fresh questions about how sales are being manufactured. Consumer Protection: Way.com was fined $200,000 by NYC regulators for listing illegal JFK-area parking lots, tied to complaints about junk fees and bait-and-switch pricing. Publishing & Power: Congressional scrutiny is growing over Melania Trump’s $10.7M Amazon documentary deal and JD Vance’s royalties, with lawmakers alleging pay-to-play influence. Local Governance: La Crosse County extended its Civilian Review Board pilot, pushing a decision on whether to end or make it permanent to November 2028. Books & Culture: A review of Jonathan Clements’ Japan’s Anime Revolution! flags AI-looking cover art that doesn’t match the book’s contents. Media Industry: Travelport says AI booking agents can search brilliantly but still struggle to complete transactions—highlighting a real-world gap for “agentic” travel tech. History in Print: A newly found Pittsylvania County deed book and rule book were discovered in a clerk’s office safe, reviving early American records for researchers.

Publishing & Books: Ann Patchett’s new novel “Whistler” spotlights a rekindled relationship across decades, mixing museum-time suspense with grief and tenderness. Retail & Reading Culture: Barnes & Noble opens a new Oak Park store in the historic Marshall Field’s building, signaling continued investment in physical books and community events. Faith & Self-Help Books: Dr. Derrick Marshall releases “The Heart of a Son Vol. 2,” framing fatherlessness through Christian restoration; attorney Ted Sutton’s “Greenback’s Book of Law” uses a dog-friendly format to teach legal basics. Women in Publishing: PublisHer launches PublisHer Studio, an eight-week global learning program for women in publishing starting October 2026. Media & Politics via Books: JD Vance discusses how his Christianity shapes his new book “Communion,” while the broader culture war around authors and audiences keeps spilling into headlines. Film Tie-Ins: “Minions & Monsters” gets multiple reviews as a Hollywood love letter—another reminder that book-and-story culture is increasingly cross-platform.

Public Health & Science Integrity: David Michaels’ The Triumph of Doubt spotlights how “science-for-hire” grew from tobacco-era tactics into today’s policy and public life, arguing the real problem isn’t uncertainty but manipulation. Publishing & Ideas: A Claremont Review of Books essay marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration by asking how to understand the American Revolution “in the minds and hearts” of people. Books & Community: A library book sale in Patterson drew big crowds for thousands of donated titles, while Hawaiʻi’s Friends of the Library event continues to expand with major sponsor support. Kids & Faith: New picture and bilingual Bible story releases aim at family reading and language learning, including Grandpa’s Favorite Bible Stories (English/Spanish). Tech & Reading Habits: Amazon’s new color Kindle is driving renewed enthusiasm for digital reading, with readers highlighting color-coded notes. Controversy & Libraries: Lubbock ISD faces renewed scrutiny over a school library book flagged for profanity and sexual references. Media & Money: Federal disclosures claim Melania Trump earned over $10M from an Amazon-backed documentary venture.

Political Books & Nation-Building: Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim reviewed a manuscript for Gagasan Anwar Ibrahim Dalam Peradaban Budaya Bangsa, aiming it as a reference on nation-building and values. Used-Book Culture: Oman’s Medad charity used book fair opened with 9,000+ Arabic and English titles, pushing reading and recirculation. Publishing Meets Tech: Shueisha will end its Marvel manga deal with Disney Japan on Sept. 30, 2026, with licensed titles set to fade from stores. AI in the Creative Pipeline: Independent author Marc Swift is using AI-generated character visuals and a cinematic trailer to pitch a screen-ready speculative novel. Data, AI, and the Book Business: Craig S. Mullins’ new book argues “good enough” data quality undermines AI readiness and enterprise decisions. Legal Spotlight on Books: A Las Vegas judge ruled a Tupac Shakur murder-related book can be used as evidence in Duane “Keefe D” Davis’s trial. Reading for Kids: A rhyming picture book pick spotlights Capy Capy Capybara, while a new YA/children’s slate rounds out summer recommendations. World Cup, Media, and Books: A World Cup preview story ties “booking” to Belgium vs Senegal, reflecting how sports coverage keeps pulling readers into publishing-adjacent culture.

Supreme Court & Immigration: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Trump’s plan to restrict birthright citizenship, calling it unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. Royal Books & Backlash: Queen Camilla met J.K. Rowling at Holyroodhouse to discuss kids’ access to books, but the photo sparked renewed online outrage over Rowling’s politics. Publishing & Libraries: A TikTok-driven resurgence is boosting demand for UNM Press’s 1983 children’s title The Weighty Word Book, showing how fast backlist books can rebound. AI & Authorship: Cory Doctorow’s The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI topped Canadian nonfiction lists, while Libby is rolling out AI filtering “kind of,” aiming to keep readers from unwanted AI content. Tech & Open Source: GitHub added a setting to restrict issue creation to collaborators with write access, continuing its maintainer-first push to reduce noise. Kids’ Reading Events: Steamboat Springs will host children’s author Lynne Kelly for free talks and signings tied to a local reading camp. Science & Health: A global review in The Lancet finds mRNA vaccines safe and highly effective after billions of doses.

Children’s Reading Access: A former teacher in Scotland launched Little Reads, a subscription “library” app with 3,000+ hand-picked books for ages 5–11 and 100 free titles, aiming to solve the “supply” problem once kids get hooked. Education Reform: A new Albert Shanker Institute brief argues teacher workload reform starts with one missing ingredient: time—more hours and added policies without removing tasks make change unsustainable. AI, Trust, and Deception: A new edited book, The Age of Fakes!, tackles how deepfakes and AI abuse are reshaping trust, leadership, and business risk. Publishing & Culture: Pen and Sword is releasing The Making of Tomb Raider: 1997–2000, an oral history that revisits the controversial 1999 decision to kill off Lara Croft. Tech & Surveillance: A report highlights how police are using AI to analyze drone and camera footage faster, raising civil-liberties fears about bias and courtroom challenges. Streaming Buzz: Apple TV’s Silo Season 3 returns with a two-timeline structure, and early reviews call it its strongest season yet.

Prison Reform: Norway’s “youth-hostel” style prisons are drawing backlash as “luxury” branding, but the pitch is blunt: safer society comes from preparing people to live normally after release. Voting Rights at the US Supreme Court: The Court will hear Arizona’s bid to require proof of citizenship for voter registration, a fight critics call voter suppression. Healthcare Accountability: England’s maternity system is branded “not fit for purpose” after a damning review, and ministers are set to appoint a powerful maternity and neonatal commissioner to drive change. Publishing & Censorship: Syria’s ministry has issued new publishing prohibitions, reigniting press-freedom worries during a fragile media transition. Tech & Books/Readers: Bibliobeats launches as a “book soundtrack” app, pairing titles with background music to help readers focus. Literary Community: Canada mourns mystery writer Gail Bowen, credited with putting Saskatchewan on the national crime-fiction map. Market Watch: May’s global markets rose on easing tensions and lower energy prices, with bonds more volatile but returns still modestly positive.

Publishing & Politics: A new political book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Regime Change, is driving fresh controversy with claims about internal White House deliberations tied to the Jeffrey Epstein files, including a quoted explicit phrase that’s now fueling renewed scrutiny. Tech & Reading Habits: Bibliobeats is pitching a new way to read—pairing physical books with background music via barcode/title matching—aimed at reducing distraction while you read. Consumer Protection: India’s Kerala consumer forum ordered Goibibo to refund a family after a confirmed hotel booking was denied, citing deficiency in service and awarding compensation. Books & Culture: Norway’s Future Library project has sealed a new manuscript by Amitav Ghosh for 100 years, with publication planned for 2114. Author Spotlight: Greek-American YA writer Mima Tipper’s latest, Channeling Marilyn, blends coming-of-age with a paranormal Marilyn Monroe “acting coach” premise. Media & Society: A viral post by Indian-origin author Nivedita Shukla about refusing food to a Pakistani traveller at Frankfurt Airport has sparked intense online backlash and debate.

Publishing & Events: Salt Lake City is launching its first citywide book festival in October, already landing Jodi Picoult as a headline guest, with more authors (including Nghi Vo and Mathilda Zeller) set to join. Book Rights & Censorship: Idaho’s Nampa trustees are again weighing curriculum removals after earlier bans, this time recommending three potentially controversial titles be pulled—while “Maus” is kept in the middle school plan. Author Spotlights: A West Lothian teacher’s debut novel, “The Search For Othella Savage,” has won major recognition, and Elder Robert Cree’s memoir “The Many Names of Robert Cree” adds another award medal. AI & Authorship: Pangram’s AI-detection tool is fueling a fresh fight over who really wrote the words, with critics questioning how such systems are used. Media & Adaptations: “Supergirl” is stumbling at the box office and drawing mixed reviews, while Netflix’s “Human Vapor” remake gets praise for standing out in a crowded sci-fi field. Global Books & Literacy: Wisdom Bridge Authors says it’s translating transformational titles into full Spanish-language experiences, aiming to reach 500 million Spanish-speaking readers.

Religious Publishing Oversight: Malaysia’s JAKIM urged the National Book Council to keep tightening checks on religious books that quote the Quran and hadith, after a controversy involving inaccuracies in a religious title. WNBA Safety Debate: Caitlin Clark’s early-career face-hit timeline is reigniting arguments about officiating, race, and politics in women’s basketball. AI Skepticism from a Major Author: Margaret Atwood called AI “garbage in, garbage out,” saying her one chatbot use produced a wrong spoiler and underscoring the need for human verification. Book-to-World Politics: Eddie Glaude’s “America, U.S.A.” frames the nation’s 250th anniversary as a recurring moment of racial tension, not just patriotic pageantry. Global Governance Books: A new China-focused governance white paper argues for a more just international system and multilateral reform. Parenting & Screens: A study urges governments to rethink guidance on screens for under-twos, warning of long-term health and development downsides. Publishing/Reviews Culture: A review of Benji Wilson’s book questions whether star ratings and review systems help readers—or quietly steer them. New Titles & Launches: A Kansas author’s essay collection lands with humor and bite; a Qatari legal scholar’s book on witness protection gets a launch; and a new murder mystery series entry debuts in Tennessee’s Tellico Village.

Publishing & Books: Padma Venkatraman’s debut picture book Faraway Family (Nancy Paulsen/Penguin Random House) spotlights grandparents and grandchildren bridging distance through shadow play, earning early praise including a starred School Library Journal review. AI & Ethics: Margaret Atwood warns that AI’s output is only as good as its inputs, calling it “garbage in, garbage out,” after using a chatbot that gave her the wrong answer. Library Censorship Fight: South Carolina AG Alan Wilson joins a legal push backing local control over library removals, arguing taxpayer-funded libraries must be able to select and deselect materials. Science Publishing Integrity: Max Planck faces criticism after two older papers were retracted by Springer Nature, raising questions about how modern standards are applied to historical work. Culture & Reading Life: A new Garden City book bar, Oldspeak, blends shelves, beer, and conversation—part café, part community hangout. Comics & Adaptations: DC’s Supergirl rollout keeps fueling debate, while The Joker is getting a manga treatment in 2026.

AI & Workforce Prep: A new bipartisan nonprofit, RAISE US, backed by $500M, is launching in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah to help workers pivot as AI threatens jobs. Publishing & Tech Education: China’s publishing educators are leaning into “digital intelligence,” framing AI as human-centered support for reading and editing. AI Model Access: OpenAI and Anthropic say new AI models are being limited to Trump-approved users during a cybersecurity review, tightening who gets to use cutting-edge tools. Book-to-Screen Adaptations: Reviews weigh how graphic-novel-like “Here” turns a place-based book into a film that’s more concept than character story. Health & Books in the News: South Sudan and the U.S. sign a $146M health partnership, including HIV support via PEPFAR. Community Reading Life: Author Village events and local bookstore chats keep the focus on writers meeting readers, not just algorithms. Safety & Rights: UK draft conversion-practices legislation faces backlash over loopholes that critics say could enable continued abuse.

AI & Cybersecurity: OpenAI is restricting release of its new GPT-5.6 Sol to a small group of “trusted partners” after a US cybersecurity review, signaling tighter government gatekeeping for powerful models. Publishing & Community: Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading Kickoff spotlights local children’s author Megan Erin Hamilton and her debut picture book, while libraries and bookstores across the US push summer programs, book drives, and author events. Books & Culture: Ann Patchett continues to drive the literary conversation from her Nashville bookstore, and S.C. Gwynne is set to headline a Texas counties conference keynote on storytelling and local government communication. Legal & Books: Ex-Trump national security adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified information tied to notes he compiled for a book, facing up to five years. Health Research: HSS researchers report early-life skin immune cells help build lymphatic vessel development, with long-term effects on immune health. Science Fiction on Screen: Reviews keep rolling in for “Project Hail Mary,” a film adaptation of Andy Weir’s bestselling novel.

Book-to-TV Buzz: Mzansi Magic’s Critical But Stable (based on Angela Makholwa’s novel) spotlights Lawrence Maleka’s “most vulnerable” role as he tackles intimacy and honesty on screen. Curriculum & Culture: India’s NCERT Class 9 Social Science revision adds a new Emergency chapter, expands democracy lessons, and removes the Preamble plus “secularism” references. Publishing & AI: Kobo says it rejected 45% of self-published submissions in 2025, mostly for being “manifestly AI-generated,” as platforms tighten quality checks. Adult Literacy: Quick Reads marks 20 years by recruiting Booker Prize authors for new stories aimed at getting more adults reading again. Consumer Protection: England’s Hughes Report author says victims of vaginal mesh and the epilepsy drug sodium valproate still lack timely compensation. Satire Goes Viral: A Florida author’s “Biblical Proof that Trump Will Save America” bestseller is literally blank pages—an evangelical satire that’s split readers. Markets & Money: Oman’s central bank rolls out a BNPL regulatory framework with licensing, fee transparency, and a 12-month repayment cap.

Global Publishing Trade: Beijing’s 32nd International Book Fair drew nearly 300,000 visitors and helped broker 2,835 copyright deals, with social sciences, children’s books, and science/tech leading the way. Local Reading Culture: Spokane-area libraries and bookstores are pushing summer reading challenges, while Shellharbour City Library lands a major coup with Liane Moriarty’s September tour stop. Awards & Debuts: Canadian debut authors Lyse Doucet, Marc Bendavid, and Marcus Kliewer win the 2026 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prizes, spotlighting new nonfiction and speculative fiction. Books in the Community: A Volga German heritage project at Hays High turns oral histories into children’s books, and the Gardner Museum expands its Free First Thursdays into Free Thursday Nights. Controversy & Free Speech: Wikipedia bans co-founder Larry Sanger after a dispute over intellectual diversity and alleged discussion-rigging. Health & Urgency: The Red Cross ramps up blood and platelet donor appeals for the summer rush.