Interviews Weina Dai Randel burst onto the literary scene a number of years ago with her duology about Empress Wu Zetian, China’s first woman leader. After winning the prestigious Rita Award in 2017 and seeing her novels translated into seven languages, she is back now with a new historical novel set in 1940s Shanghai. Keeping with her love of strong women characters, her new book, The Last Rose of Shanghai, centers on a nightclub owner named Aiyi Shao who falls for a Jewish refugee who had recently escaped Nazi Germany. Through their love of jazz, they develop a forbidden bond set during one of Shanghai’s most volatile and exciting eras. Randel is the first Chinese American author to write about Shanghai Jewish refugees, although there have been dozens of memoirs, narratives, and novels about this phenomenon from Jewish authors. We recently spoke over Zoom about what made Shanghai so special and why it matters now, along with the reasons Jews escaped to Shanghai during World War II and how Chinese and Jewish traditions are so similar. Susan Blumberg-Kason: It seems that the popularity of 1930s and ’40s Shanghai rose both in China and the US about twenty-five years ago. Can you talk about the appeal of this time and why it’s so special, both to people in the US and China? Weina Dai Randel: I think many aspects of Old Shanghai appeal to us today. From the late 1920s to the early 1940s, the period of Old Shanghai was a symbol of... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2022-01-20 14:33:49 UTC ]
Contemporary recordings breathe new life into such books as “To the Lighthouse,” “Jane Eyre” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-11-22 17:06:26 UTC ]
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These inclusive children's books by women of color highlight awesome yet underrepresented communities like Sikh, indigenous, and Dominican. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-21 11:35:59 UTC ]
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That winter, the year Boogie turned 14, we got it in our heads that we could run away, leave Miami Beach and never come back. For months, I’d spent every night lost in a book, read whatever the librarian put in my hands, which usually meant books written by white men, about white people, for […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-20 09:47:43 UTC ]
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Audiobook sales have rocketed in 2019, and look set to achieve another record year, as the sector continues to attract first-time listeners. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-15 08:43:01 UTC ]
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William Seymour has won The Future AudioBook Originals competition with his short story "Interviewing". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-12 17:32:18 UTC ]
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The audiobook of Garrett M. Graff’s “The Only Plane in the Sky” offers vivid memories of people who were present at the 9/11 tragedy. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-11-12 10:00:05 UTC ]
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There are many books written by successful business leaders, but this has to be one of the best when it comes to showcasing leadership and a company’s values. 1. Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon ChouinardRead Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2019-11-12 07:00:44 UTC ]
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From the hugely popular to the lesser known, these are the best Audible books of 2019 that will make perfect audiobook gifts for anyone on your list. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-04 11:37:38 UTC ]
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Valérie Lévy-Soussan, founder of Audiolib, has tracked France’s audiobook market from CDs in the early 2000s to streaming and download formats. The post From Frankfurt’s First Audio Summit: Valérie Lévy-Soussan of France’s Audiolib appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-31 05:30:42 UTC ]
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Rowman & Littlefield Audio plans to release 35 audio titles this year and 50 in 2020 in subject areas that include history, self-help, business, and pop culture. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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If you listen to audiobooks on Libby, then you need these Libby audiobook hacks in your life. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-25 10:41:56 UTC ]
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A W F Howes audiobook of self-published star LJ Ross’s new Dr Alexander Gregory thriller Impostor will be narrated by “Hannibal” actor Hugh Dancy. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-22 03:57:05 UTC ]
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There are a lot of tips around on how to get physical review copies. But how about audiobooks? Below are some ways to get those audiobook ARCs. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-21 10:39:48 UTC ]
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Author Nnedi Okorafor is known for her award-winning Afrofuturist works, stories rooted in African culture and perspective that explore beyond the realm of what is currently possible. Okorafor’s writing examines the intersection of technology, the natural world, and magic, building a world in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-17 08:47:48 UTC ]
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In her new audiobook “Self-Tanner for the Soul,” the quasi-reformed party girl tells listeners that you can, in fact, run away from your problems. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-10-16 16:00:15 UTC ]
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Audio dominates the shortlists for this year’s prestigious FutureBook Awards, with seven podcasts, and seven audiobooks shortlisted along with the campaign for the launch of the Penguin Classics audiobook series, and start-ups NoisyBook and DeepZen. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-16 15:52:38 UTC ]
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Editor of The Bookseller Philip Jones will interview former indie publisher turned audiobook pioneer Mark Pearson at the Frankfurt Book Fair, ahead of the announcement of the shortlists for this year’s FutureBook Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-16 14:44:34 UTC ]
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The audiobook version of “Catch and Kill” features first-rate reporting and some wince-worthy character work. (You do NOT want to hear him do Trump’s voice.) What: The least necessary vocal inflection in recent memory.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2019-10-16 14:20:58 UTC ]
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Lit Lists Olivia McCourry Asja BakićMarsTranslated by Jennifer Zoble Feminist Press, 2019 With imaginative and striking prose, Bosnian author Asja Bakić’s debut story collection, Mars, tells a tale of a series of different universes. Each realist tale... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2019-10-16 13:12:17 UTC ]
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The Swedish Company is leading a booming digital audiobook subscription market in Europe. But is the digital subscription business sustainable for publishers? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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