Man Booker prize judge Colin Thubron has complained this week that star endorsements bully readers into admiring books, but it’s long been standard practiceSetting cats among pigeons has long been an unofficial part of the contract for judges of the Booker prize. Remember Chris Mullin’s insistence on “zip–along” novels, or, way back in 1992, AN Wilson’s condemnation of the prize itself as “essentially trivial”? This year’s flurry of fur and feathers was provoked by a tirade from Colin Thubron on celebrity endorsements. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, “almost blackmail” readers into feeling that “you’re either intellectually or morally incompetent if you don’t love this book or you’ve failed if you haven’t understood it”. Some people, he felt, “seem to earn their living … saying: ‘This is the most profound book of our generation.’”Starting our Iris Murdoch bookclub with this '69 @PenguinUKBooks edition - you don't find blurbs like this any more! pic.twitter.com/P2XUvgtKAM Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Book Week, which started on Sunday, reminds us that no one sets out to write a banned book. But as long as speech threatens those in power, censorship, even in a country that espouses one of the most expansive free-speech regimes in the world, remains inevitable. Given that book banning... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2016-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catching her breath after the summer vacation scramble, settling into a new and larger location, and gearing up for the fall book fair season, Stephanie Steinly, owner of Harleysville Books in Harleysville, Pa., shared word of books that are moving briskly in her store. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Across the grounds of Frankfurt Book Fair and in many other parts of Germany, the Guest of Honor program featuring Flanders and The Netherlands will provide cultural events and programming elements. The post Flanders and The Netherlands at Frankfurt: 454 New Book Releases appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the book attracting international publishers this week are a British novel found in the slush pile and a Swedish thriller set in 2037, in an alternate history where the Berlin Wall never fell. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read that shines a light on censorship of reading material in the United States, has begun. This year, the event focuses on diversity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weidenfeld & Nicolson is publishing a new novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Labyrinth of the Spirits, the last in his "epic" The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series that spans more than a decade. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reports say the ban proposed to Ukraine's parliament members would require a book from Russia to have permission from a special public commission to be imported. The post Latest Ukrainian Ban of Russian Book Imports Under Consideration appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The divorce ‘stories’ are coming so thick and fast that none seems to have any salience for more than a couple of hoursTim Farron was just stepping up to his party conference podium when Brangelina split. Cue TV gags about Hollywood ructions ruining Tim’s big day. So of course a Facebook furore... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week we interviewed Benedetta Costantini, Uk sales executive at Michael o’Mara Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New programs and a continued engagement with creative sectors outside of traditional book publishing have expanded the scope of the show, though rights is still at the core. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One area in which Canada may be leading the United States is the stability and even viability of its leading bookstore chain. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A wave of new books looks to help readers plumb ordinary life for deeper meaning. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Days ago, Bungie released its third expansion, Rise of Iron, for its popular MMO shooter Destiny. A new short single-player campaign, multiplayer mode and six-person raid should keep players busy killing enemy aliens, and each other, for months. Undo... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week: a mind-bending exploration of time travel, plus a tense mystery set in northern Newfoundland. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robert Gottlieb in his Midtown Manhattan townhouse. He has mainly spent his career as an editor but has just published a memoir about his life in the world of books. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Athens learns it's UNESCO's World Book Capital 2018 and that its largest bookstore, the 118-year-old Eleftheroudakis, is going under. The post Athens Named World Book Capital as 118-Year-Old Bookstore Closes appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To offer kids a way to read via Kindle, Amazon is back with another $99 bundle. The Kindle for Kids offer combines the latest e-reader with a cover and a "2-year worry-free guarantee." It's meant to boost reading habits for children complete with too... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Essay collections from Trevor Noah and Gay Talese, the debut novel from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, and a new adult thriller from Stephenie Meyer are among the big titles being shopped at Frankfurt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An autobiography by "one of football's most controversial figures", Joey Barton, has been longlisted for the 2016 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NBA finalist Jason Reynolds inks a superhero pact at Marvel Press, Saga Press signs debut author Rebecca Roanhorse to a two-book deal, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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