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 ]
Britney Spears said that 'reliving everything' in her memoir, 'The Woman in Me,' has been 'heart-wrenching,' so she's only recording an intro for the audiobook. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-10-13 17:27:42 UTC ]
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The industry body says the music giant’s move to make more than 150,000 titles available has not been discussed with authors and may compete with salesThe Society of Authors (SoA) has said it is “deeply concerned” about Spotify’s new audiobook provision. The industry body cited “the devastating... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-11 15:40:05 UTC ]
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It’s both strange and enlightening to move through the world with an author’s voice filling your ears. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2023-10-11 10:00:00 UTC ]
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From Hamlet to The Princess Bride to audiobook narration, here are the bookish roles Mandy Patinkin has taken on in his storied career. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-10 10:32:00 UTC ]
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This is the most familiar thing in the world, the engineer’s voice in my headphones, me in the sound booth, him at the board. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in recording studios, tracking drums, and I’m accustomed to taking direction and criticism: you were dragging behind the click; your energy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-04 08:35:37 UTC ]
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Ek blames Apple for holding back his company’s first foray into audiobooks and confirms his company is in talks with Google about in-app purchases. Spotify is doubling down on audiobooks: Paying subscribers of the music service will now have access to up to 15 hours of audiobook listening as... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-10-03 16:30:00 UTC ]
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Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films, has died, his publicist said Thursday. He was 82. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-09-28 12:32:43 UTC ]
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The Olivier award-winning actor, whose major film roles included Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, has died• ‘An actor who let his heart and soul crack open’: David Jays on Michael Gambon• A life in pictures – gallerySir Michael Gambon, whose extraordinary acting career took him from... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-28 11:39:05 UTC ]
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If anyone has ever told you Dune is a “tough read,” it would be interesting to see if that same person was able to read an eight‑hundred‑page Stephen King or Harry Potter novel. Although there are dozens and dozens of characters, and various layers of politics, religion, philosophy, and science... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-27 09:40:37 UTC ]
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A statement cited increased costs and removal of UK state funding as the magazine, which featured writers including Paul Murray, Caleb Azumah Nelson and Sally Rooney, is to consider its future Literary magazine the White Review will not be published “for an indefinite period” according to a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-26 09:06:39 UTC ]
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Studios behind Harry Potter films to undergo 400,000 sq ft expansion by 2027, in boost to struggling industryThe Warner Bros studios behind the Harry Potter film series are to undergo a major expansion, creating 4,000 jobs and providing a boost to Britain’s beleaguered film and TV production... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-21 21:30:09 UTC ]
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Actor warns about dangers of artificial intelligence after discovering version of his voice based on Harry Potter audiobooksStephen Fry has issued a warning about the potential dangers of AI, after claiming that a history documentary faked his voice without his knowledge. Speaking at the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-20 16:05:11 UTC ]
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The private equity firm KKR has completed its sale of audiobook publisher RBmedia to investment firm H.I.G. Capital and private equity firm Francisco Partners. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Not all international audiobook markets are evolving at the same pace, according to speakers at the second online Frankfurt Rights Meeting. The post Frankfurt Rights Meeting 2: Developments in Audio appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-16 00:02:33 UTC ]
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Actor, 82, said her new role as an alien in the sci-fi series has made ‘an old woman very happy’Miriam Margolyes will feature in one of the 60th-anniversary episodes of Doctor Who that will air this November, the BBC has announced.Margolyes, 82, who has appeared in Blackadder, Babe and the Harry... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-14 18:30:43 UTC ]
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Rare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone featuring ‘JA Rowling’ typo sold to local museum in OxfordshireThe auction of a rare Harry Potter book found at an Oxfordshire primary school which originally failed to sell has seen a “fairytale ending” as the volume was eventually bought... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-08 14:44:47 UTC ]
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Colleen Hoover’s novels took the top six places on last year’s New York Times bestseller list, while in the UK she rivals Richard Osman as the biggest author in recent times. How has she done it?The first Colleen Hoover book I read was It Ends With Us, and when I opened it on the tube, I saw... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-08-19 10:00:17 UTC ]
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Kate Winkler Dawson’s audiobook original reveals the origins of a society of occult-obsessed supernaturalists that included Dickens, Doyle, Yeats and more. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-08-18 09:00:23 UTC ]
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When asked to narrate an audiobook of machine-generated verse, Mr. Herzog readily agreed. “I wasn’t the best choice,” he said. “I was the only choice.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-08-14 09:00:32 UTC ]
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Actor Christine Baranski and New York Times theater critic Jesse Green join host Jo Reed in a special bonus edition of Behind the Mic. The two teamed up to create the audiobook of Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers, written by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green. Mary Rodgers was the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-11 08:22:34 UTC ]
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