The Fantasy Author Who Just Signed an Unprecedented Adaptation Deal

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

Don’t Bet Against Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson has inked a doozy of a deal with Apple TV for the rights to his fantasy universe Cosmere. The tech and streaming giant will adapt Sanderson’s Mistborn series for film and has already announced producers attached for a TV series based on The Stormlight Archive . The deal, being described as "unprecedented," comes after Sanderson met with the heads of many Hollywood studios gives him "rarefied control" over the process and final product. Per The Hollywood Reporter, "Sanderson
will be the architect of the universe, will write, produce and consult, and have approvals...a level of involvement that not even J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin enjoy." Financial details have not yet been disclosed.

Brace Your TBR for February

The 2026 publishing year is about to shift into high gear. The February new release calendar is a real embarrassment of riches: Lauren Groff, Tayari Jones, a new book of essays by Toni Morrison , and a new book of essays about Toni Morrison. Curate your TBR with the NYT’s highlight reel of 27 of the month’s most interesting new books, and unlock Book Riot’s jam-packed New Release Index when you join All Access.

If at First You Don’t Succeed

Literary history is rife with stories about canonized classics and blockbuster bestsellers that very nearly weren’t. Try this one on for size: Lord of the Flies, which was originally titled Strangers From Within (editors matter!), was rejected 21 times before William Golding got the deal that will ultimately lead to winning the Nobel Prize.

The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists

Every week, we collate a bunch of bestseller lists to identify the books that are leading the moment. It should come as no surprise that Heated Rivalry is on all of them, along with The Housemaid (the adaptation just broke $300 million at the box office!). Can you guess what else cracked the top 5?