Rebecca Yarros answers only the most Very Important Questions
Author Rebecca Yarros sits down at the L.A. Times Festival of Books to answer your Very Important Questions.
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Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Another Year of Romance, with a Dark Twist, Circana BookScan Reports
CHICAGO, IL, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market for romance books has been growing since 2021 and remains hot, according to Circana, LLC. In the U.S., year-to-date print sales for romance books are up 24%, versus the same period last year. The volume for romance books has more than doubled compared to four years ago, with 51 million units sold in the past 12 months. Circana BookScan data reveals that romance stands out among the adult fiction subjects showing the most growth in 2025. In fact, romance is the leading growth category for the total print book market thus far in 2025. Fastest growing romance subjects include romantasy and sports romance, each experiencing triple-digit growth, as well as suspense romance and contemporary romance. Romance readers are particularly desirable for the book industry. According to the latest findings from Circana's Future of™ Books study, 26% of romance book buyers report that they are reading 'much more' compared to a year ago – a behavior that is contributing to the growth for romance book sales. While Rebecca Yarros' latest release Onyx Storm – the fastest selling adult title in its opening week, in the 20-year history of BookScan – is a key factor in the romance sales growth, a lot of activity is happening beyond one major author. Even when excluding Yarros from the romance market, the category is still showing double-digit growth. H.D. Carlton, Rina Kent, and Elsie Silver are among the top growing romance authors this year. One key similarity among them is that their stories explore dark romance, including paranormal and anti-hero themes. A desire for dark subjects is surfacing within the romance book market. This trend aligns with other growing segments in adult fiction including psychological thrillers (+29%), dark fantasy (+23%), and horror (+13%). 'This year, I am watching a shift away from rosier romance subjects like romantic comedy and new adult romance in favor of authors and titles with darker themes,' said Brenna Connor, U.S. books industry analyst at Circana. 'Combined with the growth in other more intense fiction subjects like horror and dystopian, a new trend has emerged that's marked by darker escapist themes. These subject matters provide an outlet for readers to safely explore negative emotions such as sadness, anger, or anxiety – allowing them to feel connected and perhaps even comforted. I expect to see continued interest in these darker subjects in the year ahead.' About Circana Circana is a leader in providing technology, AI, and data to fast-moving consumer packaged goods companies, durables manufacturers, and retailers seeking to optimize their businesses. Circana's predictive analytics and technology empower clients to measure their market share, understand the underlying consumer behavior driving it, and accelerate their growth. Circana's Liquid Data® technology platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality data set, and intelligent algorithms trained on six decades of domain expertise. With Circana, clients can take immediate action to future-proof and evolve their growth strategies amid an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and ever-changing economy. Marissa Guyduy Circana +1 312-731-1782 [email protected]
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Jon M. Chu slams Silicon Valley for AI excesses — and studios for forgiving it
Jon M. Chu suspects artificial intelligence may have been born wicked. The hit filmmaker's Silicon Valley upbringing, which he details in his 2024 memoir "Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen," made him comfortable with technology from an early age, he said Sunday during an L.A. Times Festival of Books panel. It even gave him an edge as a young person pursuing a creative career that now includes directing credits for blockbuster films such as "Wicked" and "Crazy Rich Asians." But Chu said he believes the entertainment industry has been too lax about tech companies' ethically questionable training methods since the advent of generative AI, calling the unauthorized use of Hollywood creations an "original sin." "There was an initial sin that I think we're not over yet, which is they gathered all the data. They took all the scripts, they took all the movies," Chu told the audience. In his view, the studios who owned such copyrighted materials didn't fight back hard enough. "It feels like they're saying, 'We're past it, move on,'" he said, adding that he could "never forgive that." Read more: Broadway makes way for 'Crazy Rich Asians' with new musical directed by Jon M. Chu But the "Crazy Rich Asians" director said that despite generative AI being "freaking scary" for the entertainment industry, he is confident it will never replace human creativity. Nor will it rob people of the right to define "art" for themselves. "I don't think the robots choose what we decide is valuable," Chu said. "We decide, and that's very empowering for me," he said. Read more: Hollywood creatives urge government to defend copyright laws against AI Chu also spoke during the Sunday panel about his forthcoming projects, including "Wicked: For Good," which is slated for a Nov. 21 theatrical release. Outside of the movie musical, Chu is also working on adaptations of Britney Spears' 2023 memoir "The Woman in Me" and the video game "Split Fiction," which centers on two writer friends who become trapped in a high-tech simulation of their imaginations. "That was leaked, so I cannot confirm or deny that, but yes," he said of the latter adaptation project reportedly starring Sydney Sweeney. Still, the director said the challenge of visualizing the video game's dual realities "excites me, because I don't know how to balance that correctly yet." Get the latest book news, events and more in your inbox every Saturday. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Chelsea Handler has... interesting writing habits
Author, comedian and actor Chelsea Handler stopped by the L.A. Times Festival of Books to talk about writing, words and answer Very Important Questions.
