Author Claire Messud Calls Timothée Chalamet Her Dream Cast For ‘Books That Feel Humanly True’ (Exclusive)

Claire Messud in 2024.Photo:Franco Origlia/Getty Franco Origlia/Getty “But I think for me, the aim is to write books that feel humanly true, and that are in that sense achieved, rather than focusing on the marketplace,” the author adds. “So I feel very lucky to have been able to do that in a world that maybe cares less and less about that as a goal.” The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it?

Author Kaira Rouda Sends a Couple on a Thrilling 'Cat-and-Mouse' Game inJill Is Not Happy— See the Cover! (Exclusive)

Kaira Rouda and the cover of ‘Jill is Not Happy’.Photo:Scarlet; Candice Dartez Scarlet; Candice Dartez Bestselling author Kaira Rouda is masterful in the suspense genre, as seen with her novelsThe Widow,Somebody’s HomeandBeneath the Surface— and we have an exclusive first look at her upcoming release.Rouda shared the cover of her forthcoming thriller,Jill Is Not Happy, exclusively with PEOPLE. The book will hit shelves in summer 2025 via Scarlet/Penzler Publishing.The new novel follows Jill Tingley, who seemingly has the perfect life with her husband, Jack, in California.

Author Kirsten Miller Has Some Advice for Fighting Book Bans: ‘Find Your Posse’ (Exclusive)

Kirsten Miller.Photo:Courtesy of Kirsten Miller Courtesy of Kirsten Miller William Morrow Miller recently spent time traveling the country, talking with librarians, teachers and booksellers, as book bans skyrocket nationwide. A recentPEN America reportfound that there were over 10,000 recorded instances of book bans during the 2023-2024 school year, a200 percent surgeover the previous year.“I’m from the South, and a lot of people assume that it’s a southern problem,” Miller said. “You talk to librarians in Massachusetts or Wisconsin or even Connecticut and they will tell you that the same thing is happening in their schools and in their public libraries and even in their bookstores.

Author Lisi Harrison and Ellen Marlow Share They’re Writing a New Book inThe CliqueSeries: ‘Update on the Girlies’

Lisi Harrison (left), Ellen Marlow and the cover of ‘The Clique’.Photo:Leon Bennett/FilmMagic; Poppy; Ellen Marlow/Instagram Leon Bennett/FilmMagic; Poppy; Ellen Marlow/Instagram The Pretty Committee is back, like you’ve never seen them before!In a TikTok posted on Oct. 23, actress Ellen Marlow shared that she andThe Cliqueauthor Lisi Harrison are writing a new book in the beloved young adult series — which will feature the book’s central characters now in their 20s.“The girls want to know what Massie Block is doing for real,” Marlow asks Harrison in the video, of one of the novel’s characters.

Author R.O. Kwon's Parents Watched Margaret Cho Talk About This Sex Act — And a Funny Misunderstanding Ensued

R.O. Kwon (left) and Margaret Cho.Photo:CraSH/Shutterstock; Michael Bezjian/Getty CraSH/Shutterstock; Michael Bezjian/Getty “My parents speak English quite fluently, but they don’t understand everything,” Kwon added. “For instance, Margaret Cho was talking about fisting. I helplessly glanced at my parents, and I saw that my father looked gently puzzled, and then he nodded approvingly. And I realized, ‘Oh, he’s thinking that Margaret Cho punched somebody … And he’s just like, ‘Great.’” The author added that her father has always been an advocate for self-defense.