A Novel of Old Shanghai: In Conversation with Weina Dai Randel, by Susan Blumberg-Kason

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 ]

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The Best Audiobooks of 2023

Each month, for your literary listening pleasure, our friends at AudioFile Magazine bring us the cream of the audiobook crop. Now, at 2023 draws to a close, they’ve rounded up the very best audiobooks of the year. Happy listening and happy holidays! * FICTION AudioFile’s 2023 Best Fiction... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-01 14:03:20 UTC ]
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Audiobook Review: ‘Jezebel,’ by Megan Barnard

Perdita Weeks reads the audiobook version of Megan Barnard’s debut novel, reimagining the Israeli queen as a source of mythic, feminist anger. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-01 10:00:14 UTC ]
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Germany: Bookwire’s Audiobook Service Goes to Brazilian, English, Spanish Markets

Bookwire's 'WAY' audiobook services are to be available to French-language publishers early in 2024. The post Germany: Bookwire’s Audiobook Service Goes to Brazilian, English, Spanish Markets appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-11-29 04:44:54 UTC ]
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The best Cyber Monday deals for 2023 that are still going: Shop sales from Apple, Sonos, Google, Anker and more

Cyber Monday is almost over but the deals are not yet gone. There are still a number of great tech deals out there, so if you're a little late to the holiday shopping frenzy that has been the past few days, fear not. You can still save on gadgets from Apple, Sonos,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 23:00:03 UTC ]
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Audible Cyber Monday sale brings a Premium Plus membership down to $6 for the first four months

Today is the last day to get an Audible subscription at a discounted rate for the holidays. A Cyber Monday deal on the audiobook subscription service brings a Premium Plus membership down to just $6 per month for the first four months — that's more than half off the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 18:30:45 UTC ]
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The 73 best Cyber Monday deals you can get from Amazon, Target and others

Cyber Monday is finally here, and even though many of the best Black Friday deals have carried over into today, it's still worth checking online sales to see if you want to pick up anything while prices are down. Whether you dropped some money on new tech a few days ago... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 15:25:39 UTC ]
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The 63 best Cyber Monday deals you can get right now from Amazon, Target and others

Cyber Monday is right around the corner and this year, much like year's past, we're seeing plenty of Black Friday deals bleed into the new week. If you didn't get the chance to shop on Friday, there's still time to snag a few good deals on all kinds of tech, including... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-26 14:00:25 UTC ]
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Huge Libro.fm Audiobook Sale

The Libro.fm audiobook sale has thousands of audiobooks available at a great discount. Get everything from Fourth Wing to Yellowface. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-11-22 17:30:38 UTC ]
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Project Gutenberg Produced 5,000 AI Audiobooks, but How Do They Sound?

Project Gutenberg's AI audiobook project is yet another instance of AI encroaching on the book industry. But how do the audiobooks sound? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-11-22 11:36:00 UTC ]
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Performing on Stage for an Audience of One

An excerpt from Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright Check out the audiobook edition of this excerpt, read by award-winning actress Chloë Sevigny, from Simon & Schuster Audio. Simon & Schuster Audio · ALICE SADIE CELINE Audiobook Excerpt – Chapter 1 AliceFRIDAY Opening night... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-11-20 12:05:00 UTC ]
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‘Going Infinite’ Audiobook Review: Michael Lewis Tells His Own Story of Sam Bankman-Fried

“Going Infinite” may have missed the big takeaway, but it offers at least one undeniable pleasure: deep access. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-17 14:25:02 UTC ]
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France’s Vivlio, 10 Years Old, Launches New Ebook Service

Not unlike the 'Storytel Originals' effort to create new audiobook content in some markets, France's Vivlio is starting a 'Stories' platform. The post France’s Vivlio, 10 Years Old, Launches New Ebook Service appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-11-16 22:07:48 UTC ]
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Spotify subscribers in the US now get 15 hours of audiobooks every month

In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify has recently been working to cement its presence in the audiobook space. Today, the company announced Premium users in the US will be able to stream 15 hours of free audiobook content monthly as a part of their subscription.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-08 19:20:00 UTC ]
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Spotify’s Streaming Audiobook Service Launches in the U.S.

A little over a month after launching in the U.K. and Australia, Spotify's new streaming audiobook service is now available the U.S., meaning that tens of millions of Spotify premium subscribers now have access to a catalog of more than 200,000 audiobook titles—including titles from all the Big... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Take 60% off an Audible subscription in a killer early Black Friday deal

For a limited time, Amazon is offering an Audible deal on its audiobook subscription with a price of up to 60% off the normal subscription cost. You can cancel at any time during the discounted period and not be committed to a longer subscription. With the discounted Audible... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-11-02 15:59:38 UTC ]
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Kindle Direct Publishing Will Beta Test Virtual Voice–Narrated Audiobooks

Amazon's self-publishing arm has begun a beta test on technology allowing KDP authors to produce audiobook versions of their e-books using virtual voice narration. The audiobooks will be available wherever Audible titles are sold. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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10 of the Best Michael Crichton Books Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) The American author Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was a pioneer of what became known as the ‘techno-thriller’. He wrote novels informed by the latest up-to-date science on a range of issues, but what sets him apart is his willingness to adopt a... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-10-30 15:00:38 UTC ]
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A Clip Of Michelle Williams Narrating Britney Spears' Audiobook Is Going Viral For A Certain Justin Timberlake Moment

"I gagged when it was revealed who Justin Timberlake was throwing on a blaccent for." Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2023-10-28 12:00:26 UTC ]
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Myriam Gurba Isn’t Afraid of Being a Disruptor

In Myriam Gurba’s latest essay collection Creep, the Mexican American author interrogates both those who deceive, exploit, and oppress others as well as the culture that enables them. “People who hurt other people can be charming,” Gurba notes in the title essay. “It works in their favor.” In... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-26 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury’s fantasy list helps it to record £17.7m first-half profits

Publisher to double dividend after demand grows for books by Sarah J Maas and Samantha ShannonBusiness live – latest updatesThe book publisher Bloomsbury has hit record profits in the first half of the year thanks in part to a boom in fantasy fiction driven by the American author Sarah J Maas,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-26 07:50:43 UTC ]
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