There’s a new Romeo and Juliet adaptation in the works

Like capri pants and velour tracksuits, it seems that Shakespeare’s tragic tale of teenage love is destined to come back around every 30 years.

Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey drew raves and included a brief nude scene that prompted “a lot of fuss” at the time and a lawsuit alleging child abuse decades later. Baz Luhrmann’s psychedelic 1996 spin starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes received a critical response that was lukewarm at best but nevertheless remains a core millennial text.

Now, Gen Z’s moment with the star-crossed lovers is in the offing, as Robert Eggers is set to direct and produce a new film for Focus Features. This is a fascinating choice given that Eggers, best known for The Witch (2015) and Nosferatu (2024), made his bones with horror stories.

Then again, what’s more horrifying than horned-up teenagers with underdeveloped frontal lobes and access to lethal substances?

Production details are TBA, but Eggers has confirmed that the film will use Shakespearean English.

LITERARY HISTORY

The gossipy writer who spilled too much tea

This saucy author photo isn’t even close to the top of the list of dishy and occasionally side-eye-worthy things the cheekiest minx of the mid-century literary scene committed to paper.

Even if you recognize him on sight (good on ya!), we’re willing to bet you can’t guess his real name.

A modern-day Icarus, this writer rose to fame when his debut novel—a Southern Gothic—hit shelves in 1948. He went on to pioneer the “nonfiction novel” and became a mainstay in highbrow (and high net worth) social circles.

He knew he’d hit the big time when he fell in with a group of glamorous women whose closets contained nearly as many skeletons as cocktail dresses. They trusted him with their secrets (big mistake! huge!), but he flew too close to the sun. In 1975, he published a scandalous story with characters who were such thinly-veiled versions of his A-list friends that they immediately iced him out.

Think you know who he was? Get all the juicy details.

IN READING COLOR

The BIPOC books you need this fall

How many BIPOC books have you read so far this year? If you’re struggling to remember any or feel bashful about your number, help is here.

Finding BIPOC books on Goodreads, Amazon, and other major lists can be a struggle, but we’ve pulled out some highlights for your fall reading list.

From Goodreads’ Most Anticipated Fall releases, don’t miss:

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw: For a juicy, fictional scandal, let Philyaw take you to church–megachurch, to be specific. American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee: For an epic story to sink your teeth into, explore ambition and hope through the lives and trajectory of the Koh family. The Savage Mind: An American Legacy by David Treuer: For nonfiction that takes a critical look at America’s “frontier” mindset, pick up this new book by the author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee.

Instead of reading that trashy NYT opinion on the National Book Awards, explore the BIPOC books that made the NBA longlist. Here are a few:

A Dead White: An Argument Against White Paint by Wendy S. Walters: For a nonfiction book that takes you to surprising places by way of a mundane subject, explore the prevalence of white paint in our society and what it says about us. Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich: For the short story readers, a book written over two decades that showcases Erdrich’s innovative storytelling and boundless imagination.

Getting ready for spooky season and Latine Heritage Month? You need:

Muñeca by Cynthia Gomez: For gothic fiction fans, try this one about a queer working-class witch taking big risks against dark magic in the name of love.

Don’t miss more of our favorite BIPOC books of the year so far.

BOOK COLLECTING

So you have 800 bucks to spend on The Handmaid’s Tale….which do you choose?

The Folio Society announced super-deluxe editions of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and its sequel, The Testaments, featuring bespoke illustrations, a new introduction by Atwood about the visual landscape of Gilead, and of course, signed by Atwood.

The price for the set? A cool $760.

This made me wonder what a first edition, first printing of The Handmaid’s Tale would set you back. After all, that is the standard grail collectible for collectors (and I think the original cover smokes this fancy edition anyway).

And it turns out, you can get a first edition, first printing with a signed bookplate in it for just over $500, though this particular copy is not in pristine condition.

The choice would be extremely easy for me (hint, I would have enough left over to buy this). — JO

AUDIOBOOKS

Spotify’s hottest listens of the season

covers for the audiobook versions of five books available on Spotify in September 2026

Your Spotify Premium membership gets you 15 hours of audiobook listening every month. We suggest these picks from Spotify’s hottest listens of the season, each under 15 hours.

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie – An all-new Marple mystery from Lucy Foley, with full-cast narration by Hayley Atwell, Mara Wilson, Adeel Akhtar, and Lucy Boynton

An Unexpected Life by Gloria Steinem – Reflect on the legacy of the late activist and feminist icon with her final memoir.

Taipei Story by R. F. Kuang – Kuang takes a break from genre with this coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of an unforgettable summer in Taipei.

I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming – A woman stranded on a faraway planet mates with its warlord alien king. The queen of quirky rom-com titles strikes again!

Fruit Fly by Josh Silver – A domestic thriller about a washed-up author desperate for another shot at relevancy who passes off a young gay man’s tragic story as her own. —VD

UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

Agatha Christie recs based on your favorite Lucy Foley books

Lucy Foley is the author of thrillers like The Guest List and The Paris Apartment. Her newest book, out this week, is Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, a Miss Marple Mystery.

Whether you’re new to Agatha Christie or already a fan, here are the Agatha Christie books you should read based on your favorite Lucy Foley novels.

If you like The Guest List, try: A Caribbean Mystery, A Pocket Full of Rye, and Cat Among the Pigeons

If you like The Midnight Feast, try: Dead Man’s Folly, Endless Night, and Murder is Easy

If you like The Paris Apartment, try: After the Funeral, At Bertram’s Hotel, and Death on the Nile

If you like The Hunting Party, try: Philomel Cottage, The Sittaford Mystery, and They Do It With Mirrors

If you like Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, try: And Then There Were None, A Murder is Announced, and The Mousetrap

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

F. Scott Fitzgerald, born September 24, 1896

Did you know? F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald once boiled movie star Ronald Colman’s watch in a pot of tomato sauce at a party as a prank. Colman did not take the joke.

CRITICAL LINKING