I fear books are going the way of vinyl records – a rarefied pursuit for hobbyists | Gaby Hinsliff

We’re increasingly getting our narrative fix from short videos. But, like snacking on junk food, it won’t nourish usSummertime, and the reading is easy. Or at least, it’s supposed to be. Holidays were made for sinking blissfully into a pile of books: for long, hot afternoons swinging in hammocks or basting on the sand, gleefully inhaling trashy beach reads or the Booker prize longlist. Finally, we have time to read, plus the urgent need to justify what is essentially two weeks of lying down by looking at least vaguely busy.Yet, by the pool this year, I saw a striking number of people scrolling on their phones instead, some with an unopened paperback lying forlornly by the sun lounger. Not for nothing, an author friend pointed out to me recently, did Instagram Stories get its name. Reels contain just enough of a miniature plot to satisfy the human need for narrative twists, even if they are only a few seconds long, while the most successful influencers have essentially turned themselves into fictionalised characters in their own long-running minor drama. But grazing on these bite-size stories is the literary equivalent of snacking on junk: just filling enough to put you off a proper novel-length meal, but somehow never quite satisfying, and leaving the addicted reader irritably craving more.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-08-06 07:00:35 UTC ]
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Jump Into These 9 New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books in January 2024

The best new sci-fi and fantasy books out January 2024 feature mythological retellings, space adventures, cyberpunk ghost stories, and more! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-02 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Weekly’s 2024 Book Business Events Calendar

Our new Google calendar, to be updated throughout the year and to which readers can subscribe, keeps track of the dates of select trade shows, book fairs, and awards and prizes in 2024. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘A Hitch in Time,’ by Christopher Hitchens

This bracing anthology of Christopher Hitchens’s work for The London Review of Books is just the ticket. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-01-01 10:02:01 UTC ]
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Announcing the Best Book Cover of 2023

Last week, we asked our social media followers to vote for the cover of year from the best 32 designs of the year. This year’s tournament was fierce, with surprise twists and crowd favorites that bowed out early. The winner edged out the competition by a mere 6 votes. From 32 cover designs, here... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-12-29 12:05:00 UTC ]
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10 books to add to your reading list in January

Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 new books to kick off 2024, including an alternate Mexican history, memoirs of wildfire seasons and open marriage and more. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-29 11:00:49 UTC ]
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18 New Books to Read in January

A look at the Trump-DeSantis rivalry, a witty tribute to “Murder on the Orient Express,” a memoir of open marriage and an epic Swedish novel in verse, among others. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-29 10:01:35 UTC ]
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Judge Blocks Key Provisions of Iowa Book Banning Law

A federal judge has blocked two key portions of an Iowa law that sought to ban books with sexual content from Iowa schools and to bar classroom discussion of gender identity and sexuality for students below the seventh grade. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Top 10 Book Business News Stories of 2023

The book business in 2023 in a nutshell: Amazon got hit with a federal antitrust lawsuit, Scholastic got mired in a censorship controversy, Simon & Schuster finally found a buyer, AI fever gripped the book business, and publishers stepped up to book bans. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The week's bestselling books, Dec. 31

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, December 31 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-27 14:00:47 UTC ]
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The best books we read in 2023

With El Niño slated to drop a warm, wet winter on most of the US in the coming months, everybody’s going to need something good to read while the weather outside is frightful. Engadget’s well-read staff have some suggestions: our favorite books of 2023! We’ve got a phenomenal assortment of... Continue reading at Engadget

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Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2023

From history books to award-winning literary fiction to memoirs, here are the books Barack Obama named as his favorites of 2023. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-22 21:06:46 UTC ]
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Colm Tóibín! Geraldine Brooks! A guide to killing time! 19 books out in paperback this January.

2o24 is approaching! It’s hard to believe that 2023 is over, but a new year means new possibilities (always), new resolutions (maybe), and new books (once again, always). But it also means a new chance to pick up some excellent reads from 2023 that you might have missed when they first came out,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-22 14:01:02 UTC ]
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After Hearing, Court Set to Decide Fate of Iowa LGBTQ Book Banning Law

A federal judge is set to rule before the end of the year on two lawsuits seeking to block a controversial new Iowa law, SF 496, that would ban books with sexual content from Iowa classrooms and school libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Most Popular Books in US Public Libraries 2023

Surveying the data reported from 19 public libraries across the country, here are the top 10 most popular books in 2023. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-21 14:40:59 UTC ]
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Holiday Book Sales Slip Again

For the second consecutive week, gains in adult and young adult fiction were not enough to offset declines in all other categories, resulting in a 2.9% decline in unit sales of print books last week from the comparable week in 2022. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Murder mystery puzzle book Murdle tops UK Christmas bestseller chart

GT Karber’s book of challenges beats Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die and Guinness World Records to top spotThe murder mystery puzzle book Murdle by US writer GT Karber has climbed the UK bestsellers chart to become this year’s Christmas No 1 book, beating Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-20 14:30:03 UTC ]
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The week's bestselling books, Dec. 24

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, December 24 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-20 11:00:18 UTC ]
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Hoover, Yarros Top OverDrive’s List of Most Borrowed E-books for 2023

Overall, OverDrive reps said 2023 was another banner year for library e-books, with North American public libraries seeing a 55% increase in digital checkouts in 2023. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Historical Fiction Books for People Who Don’t Like Historical Fiction

There are historical fiction books out there for every reader. Find recommendations for fans of literary fiction, romance, fantasy, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-19 11:32:00 UTC ]
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Jane Smiley on What It’s Like to Have Your Book Banned

Earlier this month, Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres was banned from the Iowa City Schools. Smiley is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 17 novels, two collections of short fiction, five nonfiction books, and eight books for young adults. She spoke to The Little Hawk, the student newspaper of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-19 09:59:29 UTC ]
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