This excellent cradle-to-grave biography of a much loved novelist who goes in and out of fashion captures her alarming habits and tormented love affairsIn 1971 the author Barbara Pym was at her day job at the International African Institute when she noticed “Mr C” laboriously attacking his lunchtime sandwich with a knife and fork. Pym made a mental note of the detail before asking herself ruefully, “Oh why can’t I write about things like that any more – why is this kind of thing no longer acceptable?” Ten years earlier, Jonathan Cape had dumped her after her sixth book on the grounds that her brand of anthropological observation of English social manners was old lady-ish, dull and didn’t sell. As an extra humiliation, no other publishing house had been interested in picking up Miss Pym: books built on “the daily round of trivial things” could hardly compete with Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal or, if you were feeling fancy, Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. Jonathan Cape had even published John Lennon (Pym liked the Beatles, but still). Clearly there was no place in contemporary literature for Mr C and his oddly formal way with a sandwich.There is nothing unusual about major minor novelists having a disappointing and disproportionate decline, followed by a posthumous flowering in reputation and sales. What’s unusual about Pym is that her phoenix moment came while she was still alive. In 1977 the Times Literary Supplement asked well-known... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-08 06:30:07 UTC ]
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Bob Feller, Satchel Paige, Larry Doby and Bill Veeck represented integration and commercialization. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-04-09 12:00:00 UTC ]
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These pick-a-path picture books include Choose Your Own Adventure titles, storybooks with multiple endings, and collaborative storytelling. Start with Where the Bugaboo Lives by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Neal Layton! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-04-09 10:33:00 UTC ]
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Andrew J. Graff’s novel is an earthy coming-of-age story set in rural Wisconsin in the ‘90s. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-04-08 14:13:27 UTC ]
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British journalist Nick Bryant became attached to the U.S. in the 1980s. Then things went downhill Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-04-02 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The imprint carries a unique and targeted marketing program that transforms its books into bestsellers. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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"They are bright, simple, uncomplicated yarns featuring winsome animal outsiders who crave love and acceptance,” says author-illustrator Nadia Shireen, when describing her books to date. And her new picture book, Barbara Throws a Wobbler, certainly falls into those categories. The book breaks... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-09 13:27:57 UTC ]
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A new abridged translation by Julia Lovell reveals the delights — and flaws — of the classic Chinese tale Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-03-03 08:24:52 UTC ]
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There are nostalgic pleasures aplenty in stories published in 1930s pulp magazines or dramatized in 1940s radio programs. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-02-24 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin has scooped the “epic” new stand-alone middle-grade novel from bestselling author Rick Riordan, Daughter of the Deep, featuring his first female protagonist. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-23 13:02:08 UTC ]
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Kitty and Alex Tait, Claire Finney and Gurdeep Loyal have made the shortlist for the Jane Grigson Trust Award 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-22 08:46:30 UTC ]
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Find powerful and compelling essays on race, politics, culture, and more in this list of recent small press essay collections. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-17 11:38:00 UTC ]
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First published in 1865, Lewis Carroll's children's book has never been out of print. It continues to appeal to adults who prefer childhood. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2021-02-16 18:52:59 UTC ]
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Rioters talk about what they miss most about comic book conventions. Everything from cosplay to the sweet comic book finds. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-10 11:35:00 UTC ]
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The story of the Scottish diaspora has been well told in print. Now a new audio book brings emigrant stories to life in their own words. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2021-01-22 17:53:17 UTC ]
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Stevenson’s classic 19th-century novel is study in loyalty against a backdrop of violence and unrest. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-01-20 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent children's publisher Owlet Press has landed Ian Eagleton's “magical and groundbreaking” reimagining of fairytale "The Little Mermaid", with LGBTQ+ inclusivity at its heart and a subtle environmental message. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-20 00:28:56 UTC ]
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Eight of Barbara Taylor Bradford's novels are to be made into TV dramas after the author secured a major deal with independent film company The Forge. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-19 19:48:57 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury is to publish fashion designer and entrepreneur Anya Hindmarch's guide to modern living, If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-13 22:23:11 UTC ]
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The acclaimed actor’s memoir takes us far from Hollywood to his Irish childhood. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-01-12 13:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s been a bad year for libraries and those who love them. Despite some interesting tech innovations (we could have been cleaning our books with UV rays this whole time!), many temporarily reopened libraries are closing again due to surging COVID numbers and COVID exposures, and many other... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-11 18:26:49 UTC ]
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