Round-Up: The New Round-Down

News moves fast, and so much can happen in seven days. That’s why we’re switching up the format of our weekly Round-Down series. Instead of concentrating on one topic at length, we’ll be giving you small synopses of the biggest literary headlines from the previous week.

Let’s get things started!

• The Library of Congress announced that graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang has been appointed as the new national ambassador for Young People’s Literature–the first graphic novelist to receive this position. Yang, a computer science teacher for seventeen years, is the author of four graphic novels. His 2006 American Born Chinese was the first graphic novel to ever be nominated for a National Book Award.
• In October, four men linked to the Hong Kong publisher Mighty Current Media, known for publishing books that criticize Chinese regime, were reported missing. Last week, a fifth employee, Lee Bo, an editor at Mighty Current, was reported missing by his wife. “The cases, which all appear to be related, have given rise to myriad theories,” writes the New York Times.
• If you made a goal to read more this year, you’re in luck! The start of the new year wouldn’t be official if the Internet weren’t abuzz with previews of some of the best books set be released over the next twelve months. Check out these lists from The Millions, the New York Times, BBC, and our blog to see what books you should have on your radar for 2016.