Diary of a small town sensation: how the Wimpy Kid author built his dream bookshop

Growing up, Jeff Kinney discovered Tolkien, comics and computers at his local bookshop. When it closed he was bereft – would opening his own as an adult help to right that wrong?Author Jacqueline Woodson recently spoke about books being either mirrors or windows. Mirrors for seeing ourselves, and windows for seeing into other worlds. Growing up, I enjoyed both types of books, from the realistic contemporary fiction of Judy Blume to the epic fantasy of JRR Tolkien. I had access to books by these and every author in between courtesy of a bookstore a short drive from my house. I didn’t understand my privilege then, but I’ve come to understand it better over time.In the short time that it was open, I developed interests that would shape my career. I grew up at the advent of personal computing, and the books I read helped me along a path to becoming a programmer. I also developed a deep appreciation for comics, thanks to an expansive humour section at the bookstore. Those comic collections helped to prepare me for my dream career as a cartoonist. Had we not had a bookstore nearby during my formative years, I would have grown up to be a completely different person.We’ve had several romances develop from first dates in the cafe, and one couple is getting married this autumn Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-05 09:00:40 UTC ]
News tagged with: #local bookshop #judy blume #epic fantasy #formative years #bookstore

Other news stories related to: "Diary of a small town sensation: how the Wimpy Kid author built his dream bookshop"

A precious African-studies collection burns in Cape Town

For scholars, the loss recalled those of the libraries of Alexandria, Timbuktu and Rio Continue reading at The Economist

[ The Economist | 2021-06-17 14:58:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #libraries #loss recalled #cape town

The greatest prison escape ever? ‘The Confidence Men’ tells a sensational true story.

Margalit Fox’s new book is an enthralling tale about two British officers who broke out of a World War I POW camp with the help of a Ouija board. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-06-16 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #pow camp #world war #margalit fox

'Monster' Kody Scott, former L.A. gang member who became a bestselling author, found dead at 57

Former Eight Tray Gangster Crip member's memoir brought attention to the sobering truth of gang life in South L.A. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-06-15 23:57:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #gang life #found dead #bestselling author

WIRED's Ultimate Summer Reading List 2021: Books for Kids and Teens

This surreal school year is finally over. Here are some books to get your young readers in the swing of the season. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2021-06-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #young readers

Female-centered historical novels are dogged by questions of accuracy. Hence the author’s note.

Resistance to books that cast heroines with agency and hidden talents has declined, but only after a hard-fought battle. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-06-14 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Author Lucinda Riley dies after four-year cancer battle

Bestselling Irish author Lucinda Riley, best known for the Seven Sisters series, has died after battling cancer for four years.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-12 03:14:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #irish author

Bologna Children’s Book Fair: Italy Published 7,289 Kids’ Titles in 2020

The Association of Italian Publishers participates in Monday's Bologna Book Plus conference and shares 2020 book publishing and rights sales data from Italy. The post Bologna Children’s Book Fair: Italy Published 7,289 Kids’ Titles in 2020 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-06-10 18:58:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #children’s book #bologna book #book publishing #book fair #bologna children

'Libraries saved my life', says Lowborn author Kerry Hudson

Lowborn author Kerry Hudson has told a Scottish conference that libraries saved her life. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-09 23:41:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

McMullan and Millwood Hargrave win Society of Authors awards

Thomas McMullan, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Fredrik Logevall are among the writers and illustrators who have won awards from the Society of Authors this year.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-09 09:31:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #won awards #authors awards

HCCB signs children's series from Slay in Your Lane authors Adegoke and Uviebinené

HarperCollins Children's Books has signed a new middle-grade fiction series from Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, the authors of Slay in Your Lane (HarperCollins).  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-08 04:03:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #harpercollins #harpercollins children #elizabeth uviebinen

Scholastic Authors Pay Tribute to Dick Robinson

A number of Scholastic’s writers paid tribute to the Scholastic CEO, lauding his vision, his passion, and his unwavering support for children’s books and authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #scholastic #dick robinson

'Princess Diaries' Character Chimes In On Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Baby News

Although Princess Mia Thermopolis is fictional, many real-life Twitter users were royally amused. Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2021-06-07 19:13:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #meghan markle #prince harry

Fleet takes two more from Stubborn Archivist author Fowler

Fleet has signed two new titles from Yara Rodrigues Fowler author of Stubborn Archivist, and Sunday Times Young Writer Award shortlistee. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-06 21:30:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

He watched two missiles destroy his bookshop. 'My soul came out of me'

Samir Mansour's bookstore was a cultural magnet for residents of the Gaza Strip until an Israeli airstrike leveled it. Now he has to start over. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-06-01 08:00:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookstore

In ‘The Living Sea of Waking Dreams,’ last-ditch medical interventions are their own horror story

Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan returns to familiar themes, including the human capacity for cruelty. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-31 16:41:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #familiar themes #horror story #waking dreams

Sweet Cherry Publishing: Life for Leicester children’s indie after Nibbies Small Press triumph

"We want to be recognised as one of the leading children’s book publishers in the industry: we want not only to be recognised, we want to be respected.” Sanjee de Silva (pictured), the new publisher at Sweet Cherry, recently named Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards, has big... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 22:25:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #small press #children’s book #british book #big ambitions #sweet cherry #book publishers #leading children

The spellbinding ‘Revival Season’ makes Monica West an author to watch

West joins American writers who have tackled the significance of the Black church as a locus for community organizing that can also harm those seeking spiritual refuge. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #black church

Booksellers Grapple with a Host of Issues at Annual Meeting, Town Hall

The ABA held its second virtual annual meeting Thursday, followed by a Town Hall. While some booksellers expressed concerns over publisher discounts and plans by Ingram to ship all IPS titles from a single warehouse, others focused on the future of in-person events. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #in-person events #town hall #annual meeting

'Three Women' author Lisa Taddeo's debut novel is fearless. So what is she afraid of?

Lisa Taddeo, whose book "Three Women" broke the mold of immersive journalism, talks about her first novel, "Animal," and the struggle to write and live. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-05-27 13:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #debut novel #lisa taddeo

The Book Club of My Dreams Was at the Library All Along

A successful book club needs three things to thrive: delicious food, decent wine and wonderful people. Only the first two, food and wine, are easy to find. It is the third element, the people, that is like a jigsaw puzzle with a thousand pieces—something that promises to look like the pretty... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-05-27 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book club #electric literature