It was a chance to finally get around to Tolstoy or Proust, but the charts tell a different story. Which books did we actually turn to in the lockdowns? • Let us know in the comments what you were reading Back in spring 2020, when it became clear that coronavirus wasn’t going away, book lovers spied an opportunity for a rare, government-mandated reading holiday. Here, at last, was a chance to have a go at Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Robert Macfarlane reported that he was working his way through the great Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. Ali Smith urged readers towards Boccaccio’s Decameron. Diana Evans’s thoughts turned “heavenwards” by way of Homer’s Odyssey. I downloaded 27 hours of The Brothers Karamazov audiobook in anticipation.All lovely ideas. With 20 months of hindsight, however, which books did we actually end up turning to? The bestseller lists from the three different lockdowns may not tell you the contents of Britain’s soul, but then again, the numbers do not lie. We read: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Sophie Hinchliffe’s Mrs Hinch: The Little Book of Lists. Lots of David Walliams, who topped the Lockdown 1 and Lockdown 2 charts with Slime and Code Name Bananas respectively. JK Rowling: the first three Harry Potter books steadily rose up the charts through the pandemic. Joe Wicks. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. A Pinch of Nom, plus spin-offs. Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2021-12-11 09:00:06 UTC ]
Updated terms of service for Spotifiy's indie author audiobook distribution platform Findaway Voices appeared to give Spotify broad powers to reuse content. An outcry forced a revision of terms, but clarification is still needed, say authors and affiliates. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In Streisand’s new audiobook recording for her chatty, brick-size memoir, “My Name Is Barbra,” the superlative diva adds a little freestyling. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-02-23 12:45:40 UTC ]
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Changes in Spotify's terms of use for its Findaway Voices audiobook product trigger concerns from the Society of Authors in London. The post UK’s Society of Authors: More Clarity in Spotify’s Terms appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-22 15:16:42 UTC ]
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I always imagined, that, given the choice, I would read my own audiobook. I had heard memoirs often sounded best in the author’s throat—something about the familiar tang of the hardship unspooled. But had I written a memoir? A bookseller acquaintance asked me that a year before the publication... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-22 09:54:39 UTC ]
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We Solve Murders introduces a new detective duo – but the author has not abandoned his Thursday Murder Club charactersA new crime series by Richard Osman called We Solve Murders has been announced, after the huge success of his Thursday Murder Club novels.The beloved elderly sleuths from the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-20 17:44:06 UTC ]
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10 Questions for Hwang Bo-reum, by Michelle Johnson Interviews [email protected] Tue, 02/20/2024 - 10:01 Photo by Seong Ji Min Clayhouse Inc.Hwang Bo-reum’s debut novel, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, translated by Shanna Tan, was published... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-02-20 16:01:47 UTC ]
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Fans who were girls in the era of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Twilight are now the women who have powered the success of Barbie and the Eras Tour. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2024-02-18 19:51:27 UTC ]
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Publisher tells investors profits will exceed expectations, attributing this to release of House of Flame and Shadow The publisher Bloomsbury has lifted its annual profit forecasts after the latest novel from the fantasy author Sarah J Maas topped bestseller lists across the world, aided by fans... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-14 13:36:52 UTC ]
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From fan fiction about Disney cartoons having sex to raunchy shows from Hollywood stars, pornographic audio is podcasting’s hottest new trendHave you ever stood at the school gates, waiting to pick up your six-year-old, while secretly listening to fan fiction about Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-12 16:32:24 UTC ]
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Job cuts add to costs for streaming service but it gains 10m premium subscribers in fourth quarterSpotify’s push beyond music has tipped the streaming service into the red again, after it acquired the rights to 200,000 audiobooks for premium subscribers, with Prince Harry’s autobiography and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-06 15:45:35 UTC ]
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The streaming company says its payout model is competitive, but the Society of Authors has raised doubts about whether authors ultimately benefit Spotify has said that it has paid audiobook publishers “tens of millions” since allowing users 15 hours of audiobook listening in its Premium... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-01 16:08:34 UTC ]
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There are early signs that Spotify’s addition of audiobooks to its streaming service is helping drive audiobook consumption — already a growing market. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-01-29 17:00:09 UTC ]
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HarperVia will publish 'The Last Dream,' the debut collection of short stories by Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar, translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne, on September 24, in print and audiobook formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Audiobook publisher RBmedia has acquired Berrett-Koehler’s audiobook publishing business, including its backlist, and will publish audiobook editions of new Berrett-Koehler titles under its business audiobook brand, Ascent Audio, beginning this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Sally Rooney and Richard Osman were among the winners at this year's Nielsen BookData Bestseller Awards, which celebrate titles that passed sales landmarks in print in the U.K. Nielsen reported that 199 million print books were sold in the U.K. in 2023. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A UK-US deal, the Open Road-owned Bloodhound in the UK is to see Dreamscape produce at five audiobooks from its list monthly. The post UK-US: Open Road’s Bloodhound Books in Audiobook Deal With Dreamscape appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-19 20:47:58 UTC ]
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A Call of Duty game sells. That’s what it does. And it usually tops the sales charts, almost every year since 2009. However, last year was a bit different: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III landed in second place. To convey the gravitational pull of CoD, when Microsoft was fighting to buy... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-01-19 12:15:26 UTC ]
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The independent audiobook publisher's catalog topped 70,000 titles last year as it entered into more partnerships. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In 2023, the major publishers maintained their grip on the bestseller lists, but indies scored some notable successes, with Entangled, Kensington, and Sourcebooks among those making inroads. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Just like death and taxes, you can usually rely on a Call of Duty game to top the sales charts each year. The various entries in Activision’s warfare simulation franchise have mostly done just that, going all the way back to 2009. This year’s a bit different. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III has... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-01-18 19:16:41 UTC ]
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