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 ]
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Encompassing a wide range of genres from historical fiction to fantasy to poetry to investigative journalism to memoir, this exciting abundance of books published in 2023 by emerging and acclaimed Native writers speak to the rich diversity of the Indigenous experience. From meditations on the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-09 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Your guide to all things fall 2023 YA paperback books is here. Whether you love nonfiction, fantasy, romance, or something else, you're in luck this season. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-03 10:31:00 UTC ]
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Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 books for October, including fiction from Walter Mosley and Jesmyn Ward and memoirs from Viet Thanh Nguyen and Safiya Sinclair. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-09-28 10:00:03 UTC ]
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As we move into the fall reading season, deeply imagined short stories and inventive linked essays are having a moment alongside novels. What’s thrilling about the books coming out from small presses is the breadth of range—there are intentional and accidental murders, family drama and... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-26 11:15:00 UTC ]
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‘Kill the Rich’ by Jack Allison and Kate Shapiro is a lacerating satire of America’s gonzo culture—and no one comes out unscathed. A provocative book title doesn’t always telegraph to readers what awaits inside. When it comes to those self-help books that include a naughty little swear on the... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-09-16 03:00:00 UTC ]
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You *can* handle the truth with these eight incredible nonfiction reads to kick your fall reading season off right, including Thicker than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-07 10:32:00 UTC ]
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Bethanne Patrick's recommended reads for September include novels from Ben Fountain and Anne Enright and nonfiction on mental illness, AR-15s and doppelgangers. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-31 15:00:47 UTC ]
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The season’s most anticipated releases run the gamut, from rediscovered literary gems to spine-tingling suspense to candid memoir. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent booksellers from across the country highlight eight independently published books they're excited to sell this fall. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Mysteries from China, short stories from the Balkans, a French-Morrocan autobiography and more. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2023-08-17 13:31:43 UTC ]
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow overtook titles by David Walliams and Colleen Hoover to become the UK’s number one bestseller. The author, booksellers and fans reflect on how it became a literary phenomenonTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’s distinctive cover, with its image of Hokusai’s... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-08-11 10:00:35 UTC ]
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Share that link right now or ruin your reading life! Do it, do it now! Or, a brief history of chain letters. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-07 10:36:00 UTC ]
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These new science fiction and fantasy books out August 2023, including More Perfect by Temi Oh, deal with everything from ghosts to aliens to war machines. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-03 10:33:00 UTC ]
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No romance story is complete without a best friend side character, and sometimes that best friend has four legs and a tail. Something goes hand-in-hand about seeing people fall in love and having a beloved pet along for the journey. Perhaps it’s the human-animal connection transcending the page,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-03 09:30:07 UTC ]
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Bethanne Patrick's recommended reads for August include new fiction from Lydia Kiesling and Angie Kim, plus stories of cons, kidnapping and tennis. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-31 13:00:44 UTC ]
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Rioters share the best books they read last quarter, from historical fiction featuring badass lady pirates to essays by disabled parents. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-26 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Barack Obama's 2023 summer reading list is out! This year's selections showcase his usual mix of nonfiction and fiction. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-20 17:47:33 UTC ]
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Get ready for all things reading outdoors or indoors beside a window with these summer 2023 YA paperbacks. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-07 10:39:00 UTC ]
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Bethanne Patrick's 10 recommended books for July include memoirs on mothers and art, histories of muscle and heat, a new caper from Colson Whitehead and more. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-06-29 19:18:11 UTC ]
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These 8 books that explore the relationships between humans and animals in a variety of ways, including the personal and professional. Start with Birding While Indian: A Mixed-Blood Memoir by Thomas C. Ganno. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-06-29 10:35:00 UTC ]
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