As publishers vie to persuade us to pack their titles for the holidays, we chart the evolution of the ’beach read’Summer reads, beach reads, holiday reads … at this time of year, the publishing world works itself into a sweat trying to force its novels into our carry-on luggage, or over the ether on to our Kindles. There are more books sold in the summer than during any other season: the well-established publishing calendar tends to see hardbacks released in the autumn to be given as gifts at Christmas, then repackaged as paperbacks in late spring. As Donna Harrington-Lueker sets out in her history of the beach read, Books for Idle Hours, the summer publishing rush is at least a century old, and has typically aimed “airy and froth-like” books on “young ladies” (the quote is from an 1888 work on summer books by Arlo Bates). The summer fiction market is changing, though, with more and more “serious”, “literary” novels showing up where once there were only thrillers and crime novels, bonkbusters and romances. So it is that Normal People by Sally Rooney is currently piled high on the tables of WH Smith’s Travel alongside Lee Child, Jodi Picoult and Bernard Cornwell.I’m aware of how contentious and porous discussions of genre can be. Generic labels, though, are the terms that booksellers and publishers think in and for literary novels, the chances of summer success are still relatively slim. Tom Tivnan, managing editor of the Bookseller, points to Nielsen BookScan data that... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-07-14 07:00:23 UTC ]
PW looks back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world this year, and what they portend for 2025. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Writing fiction itself might be (and often is) considered an act of translation: from experience to language, from emotion to logic, from chaos to legibility. Perhaps it is a mere coincidence, or a stroke of good luck, then that these three fall debut novelists selected for our craft series each... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-12-17 12:00:00 UTC ]
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I wrote What It’s Like in Words in my dressing room in the St Martin’s theatre in the West End whilst playing Miss Casewell in The Mousetrap, and over nine months and approximately 300 shows it occurred to me how similar the processes of writing and acting are. They may appear binary forms of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-12-04 09:55:59 UTC ]
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Artificial intelligence is pushing the publishing world toward volume. That could drown out the good work. AI has the power to pump out words in record speed. And already, that’s substantially inflating the book publishing market. Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-12-02 09:00:00 UTC ]
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From tales of alienation to comforting novels set in bookshops, Japanese authors have written nearly half of this year’s bestselling translated novels in the UK. What’s their secret?• Read an an exclusive Q&A with Haruki MurakamiAnyone who has been in a bookshop in the last few years will... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-11-23 09:00:37 UTC ]
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North America, especially U.S. airport stores, is becoming a major growth engine for the U.K.-based bookstore chain. Sales in North America rose 9% in fiscal 2024, to £401 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman recover from the election by discussing our final thoughts on the PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as Apple’s M4 Mac mini (so cute, so powerful!) and new MacBook Pros. The M4 chip is a solid upgrade, but the M4 Pro is shockingly fast (so much so that... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-08 12:30:09 UTC ]
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It's been a Mac-heavy week! In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman dive into all of Apple's new M4 hardware: the new iMac, Mac mini and refreshed Macbook Pros. The Mac mini, in particular, looks like it'll be a huge hit for anyone who needs a simple desktop system. Also, we dive into... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 13:20:04 UTC ]
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Our friends at AudioFile magazine recommend the best fall audiobooks, from Sally Rooney’s buzzy new Intermezzo to a delicious memoir from actor Stanley Tucci, plus Earphones Award–winning audiobooks from Rumaan Alam, Liane Moriarty, Rachel Kushner, and more. This is listening to settle in with.... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2024-10-29 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Move over, Harry Potter! Hotly anticipated adult novels from such authors as Haruki Murakami and Sally Rooney are the latest to get the midnight book release party treatment. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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We finally got an iPad Mini refresh, and it's not particularly exciting. But that's fine! It's still a useful little tablet, and now thanks to the A17 Pro chip, it's already ready for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. In this episode, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins to discuss... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-25 11:30:45 UTC ]
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Former prime minister’s heavily promoted book, Unleashed, just hung on to No 1 bestseller spot in UKSales of Boris Johnson’s memoir, Unleashed, have slumped by 62% in its second week since publication.The heavily marketed tome, promoted in a prolonged media round by the former prime minister in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-10-24 14:17:36 UTC ]
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A total of 46 books—23 fiction titles and 23 nonfiction titles—have made the longlist for the American Library Association’s 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, the association’s adult book award. The six-title shortlist will be announced on November 12. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Earlier this May, an Esquire article by Kate Dwyer called “Why Are Debut Novels Failing to Launch?” channeled the fear of debut novelists everywhere: What happens if no one buys my book? Book sales are an important way for editors and agents to gauge whether to invest in an author. If her first... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2024-10-16 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The far-right activist’s Manifesto briefly topped the website’s chart. It is gone now, but the comments make for worrying readingIt’s always tempting to self-soothe when the far right is on the march. Tommy Robinson’s new book, Manifesto: Free Speech, Real Democracy, Peaceful Disobedience,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-10-15 10:00:56 UTC ]
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Breaking Bourgeois Taboos in Cairo: Ihsan Abdel Quddous’s A Nose and Three Eyes, by Gretchen McCullough Book Reviews [email protected] Mon, 10/14/2024 - 14:18 Five or six years ago, I was reading Ihsan Abdel Quddous (1919–1990) with my Arabic... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-10-14 19:18:43 UTC ]
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With earnings having dropped by 60%, it is harder than ever to keep going as a writer – even if your work gets rave reviewsThe 2022 publication of A Hunger, Ross Raisin’s fourth novel, was his “lowest moment”, the 45-year-old author says. “It was a deflating experience.”The book received... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-10-14 15:35:55 UTC ]
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This week, we’re joined by tech critic Paris Marx to discuss Data Vampires, his latest Tech Won’t Save us podcast series. We chat about how data centers suck up vast amounts of power, water and other resources, and why the AI boom is exacerbating those issues. Also, Devindra and Ben dive into a... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-11 13:30:50 UTC ]
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This week, Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 11 2024 update, but it quickly became clear that the company was far more eager to unveil new features for its Copilot AI and Copilot+ AI PCs. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about Microsoft's current AI priorities, and what it... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-04 11:30:26 UTC ]
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