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

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Lit Hub Asks: 5 Authors, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers

The Lit Hub Author Questionnaire is a monthly interview featuring seven questions for five authors with new books. This month we talk to: Charles Bock (I Will Do Better: A Father’s Memoir of Heartbreak, Parenting, and Love) Kay Chronister (The Bog Wife) Mike Fu (Masquerade) Kate Greathead (The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-10-08 08:56:09 UTC ]
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The New Yorker Union Members Unanimously Authorize Strike Ahead of Festival

More than three years ago, The New Yorker's unionized employees authorized and threatened a strike during a contentious first contract negotiation that culminated with scores of protestors descending on the Greenwich Village home of Conde Nast executive Anna Wintour days... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-10-04 11:54:00 UTC ]
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De Los Reads: Paola Santos' 'How to Eat a Mango' and other Latino authors we're reading in October

Paola Santos' picture book encourages young readers to appreciate nature's gifts and the love that comes with them. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-10-03 19:53:20 UTC ]
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Majority of UK children’s books with Black main characters written by white authors, study finds

Report finds that books with main characters from minority ethnicities or who are disabled or neurodivergent are written by those who do not share the protagonist’s identityMore than half of children’s books with marginalised main characters are by writers and illustrators who do not share their... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-10-03 17:10:48 UTC ]
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The Dreams and Specters of Scholastique Mukasonga

“Every night the same nightmare interrupts my sleep.” With this sentence Scholastique Mukasonga begins her debut Cockroaches, a memoir that came out in French in 2006. That year, Mukasonga was fifty. She had been living in Normandy since 1992, when she moved there hoping to find employment as a... Continue reading at The Paris Review

[ The Paris Review | 2024-10-03 15:01:54 UTC ]
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Prime Day deals include 32 percent off Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite Kids

Physical books are heavy and given everything else a youngster has to carry around in their backpack, who needs to deal with those as well? An ereader can help to lighten the load and there's a good deal on a kid-friendly option at the minute. Just ahead of the October edition of Prime Day,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-02 19:31:31 UTC ]
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Save $55 on a Kindle Paperwhite Kids and get your children into reading

A love of reading is easier to stoke when you have easy access to books, and there’s no easier way to do that than by getting your child this Kindle Paperwhite Kids that’s on sale for $115 on Amazon. That’s a solid 32% discount off its MSRP of $170. The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is pretty... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2024-10-01 13:44:32 UTC ]
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Looking for what to watch this weekend? Try your favorite authors’ favorite films.

Ever since novelists started mixing with Hollywood, film and prose have been easy bedfellows. A lot of authors are proud cinephiles. Others go so far as to credit movies as major form or content influences. And thanks to the fleet marketing department at Criterion and the rise of Letterboxd,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-09-27 15:48:15 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2024: Are We Publishing the Right Stories for Kids?

PW Talks with Lawrence Schimel, host of Frankfurt’s second annual children’s publishing conference. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+ are tablets built for AI

Samsung is once again expanding its tablet lineup, and this time, the company is doing so with AI at the forefront. Today, Samsung revealed the Galaxy Tab S10 series, two models that it says are "built with AI enhancements available right out of the box." The 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-09-26 16:26:33 UTC ]
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US Supreme Court: AAP, Authors Guild File Brief on Sexual Content Law

Banned Books Week: Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild, and others file an amicus brief with US Supreme Court. The post US Supreme Court: AAP, Authors Guild File Brief on Sexual Content Law appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-09-24 18:56:17 UTC ]
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7 Small Press Books About Motherhood You Might Have Missed

When I started to write about motherhood a decade ago, the topic still carried a tinge of shame. Writers tended to fear motherhood would push them into some unsightly box, as if they’d succumbed to something less serious than the laudable material of their (non-mothering) peers. In the Los... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-09-18 11:05:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Reaches Agreement with Troubled TouchPoint Press

After hearing from dozens of authors about the poor business practices of TouchPoint Press, the Authors Guild has reached an agreement with founder Sheri Williams to pay authors overdue royalties, revert rights back to any author who has not yet received them, and close the press. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Authors on the Real-World Cost of Book Banning

Authors discuss how having their work targeted by censors has directly affected their livelihood and their well-being. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Sharjah Book Authority Approves 303 Translation Grants

The Sharjah International Book Fair translation grants drew 2,506 applications for these grants for publishers, to and from Arabic. The post Sharjah Book Authority Approves 303 Translation Grants appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-09-13 13:34:04 UTC ]
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First Lines from BookLife Authors

This month, we’ve got a giant eagle, good wine, and more. To submit a first line, email [email protected]. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Romantasy Author Scarlett St. Clair Announces New, Biblical-Themed Novel

Billed as a sex-positive, “feminist rage fantasy,” ‘Terror at the Gates’ will be published in July by Bloom Books. The anticipated initial print run is 250,000 copies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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After Years of Depression, a Best-Selling Author Confronts What Haunted Him

In his new novel, Matt Haig goes back to the place where he fell apart — Ibiza, Spain — and reclaims it. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-09-05 09:00:15 UTC ]
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New Historical Fiction by Black Authors

Get into the life of a Civil Rights icon when she's still a girl, learn about Nigerian women protesting, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-09-04 15:35:00 UTC ]
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A Fall Harvest of Titles for Kids and Teens: 10 Great New Children’s Books Out in September

I’d rather not acknowledge that fall is approaching, mostly because I’ve made an embarrassingly small dent in my summer reading pile over the past three months. But the signs of autumn are unmistakable. Kids are going back to school, political ads are ramping up on swing state TV screens, and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-09-03 08:56:54 UTC ]
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