Turning literature into a numbers game makes some sense for the book trade, but none for readersWe may be halfway through January already, but the spirit of new year is still in full swing over in San Francisco, where the 2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge goes from strength to strength to strength. More than 240,000 of Goodreads' 25 million members have already committed to reading more than 14m books this year, pledging to get through them at an average of more than a book a week. And many fans of books will say hurrah for that. I reckon I'm pretty much in favour of books and literature, too, but the Goodreads Reading Challenge just sets my teeth on edge.It starts right there in the name. Since when was reading any kind of challenge? Isn't it supposed to be fun? Maybe not for children still learning to differentiate their Perfect Peters from their Horrid Henrys, or for the one in six UK adults who still struggle with literacy, but Goodreads is a site for people who are already "readers" . I don't think they have schoolchildren in mind when they suggest you should "raise your reading ambitions" and it certainly doesn't look like a scheme designed to help adult learners "make it to the final chapter". All this talk of pledging, of targets, of tracking your progress, is just another step in the marketisation of the reading experience, another stage in the commodification of literary culture.We know that literacy correlates with better social outcomes, that literary fiction... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
In an October 30 message, Goodreads officials urged users to report activity designed to “harass readers or authors, or attempt to artificially deflate or inflate the overall rating” of books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
New study finds less than half of adult Americans read a book for pleasure last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#study finds
Almost eight decades after the end of World War II, that conflict continues to define political discourse throughout the Western world. Still, for American, British, French, and Canadian readers, the war overwhelmingly means the European theater, with the Asia-Pacific campaigns against Imperial... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-02 08:40:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#canadian readers
#essential books
#center stage
Bethanne Patrick's November highlights include new fiction from Michael Cunningham, a wild alt-history from Ed Park and nonfiction on COVID, mental illness and AI. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-10-31 13:00:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#mental illness
#ed park
#michael cunningham
#bethanne patrick
When I encounter the question “are you a Witch?” my first response is always, “who is asking, and why?” Perhaps there never has been a more loaded noun in the English language. Depending on who is asking, it can be a compliment. Or preamble to torture. Despite its crowded dictionary entry,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-31 08:50:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#english language
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) The American author Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was a pioneer of what became known as the ‘techno-thriller’. He wrote novels informed by the latest up-to-date science on a range of issues, but what sets him apart is his willingness to adopt a... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-10-30 15:00:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#american author
The Atlantic’s books editor prescribes these titles as antidotes to the quick and dirty ways people are communicating on social media. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2023-10-27 15:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#books editor
These must-read historical fiction books set in France span more than 800 years, from the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine to post-WWII Paris. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-26 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#historical fiction
‘Maman & Me’ author Roya Shariat talks about writing her cookbook while overseeing social impact and partnerships at Glossier. From the time she sat down with Glossier founder Emily Weiss for a job interview, Roya Shariat told anyone who would listen that her dream was to write a cookbook.... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-10-25 18:15:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#cookbook
#fast company
#social impact
#job interview
#big job
Novelist, poet, and educator Heba Abu Nada, a beloved figure in the Palestinian literary community and the author of Oxygen is Not for the Dead, was killed in her home south of Gaza City by an Israeli airstrike on Friday. She was thirty-two years old. In her final tweet, written in Arabic on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-24 15:54:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#literary community
#gaza city
#israeli airstrike
A meta-narrator has an authorial awareness of a story being told. They make their presence known, intervening when they deem necessary. In the case that they are also the protagonist (which is often) then they must be as adept as immersing themselves in the real-time story unfolding up close as... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-24 08:15:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
The leaves are amassing, the skeletons are out, and enormous bags of candy fill the grocery store aisles and threaten to spill their chocolates right into your mouth, through absolutely no fault of your own. Yep, it’s officially spooky season. But if you still need some help getting into the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-23 16:13:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#short stories
#free online
After you've listened to the EMPIRE podcast, these history and historical fiction books will deepen your understanding of the subject. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-19 10:32:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#historical fiction
#podcast empire
Guest of Honor Slovenia kicks off its professional program at the Frankfurt Book Fair with a presentation of Ljubjana Reading Manifesto. The post Frankfurt: Ljubljana Reading Manifesto Rallies Book Industry appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-18 15:10:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#frankfurt book fair
#book industry
#professional program
#post frankfurt
Bryan Washington’s Family Meal, Mary Gabriel’s Madonna: A Rebel Life, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Roman Stories, andWerner Herzog’s Every Man for Himself and God Against All all feature among the Best Reviewed Books of the Week. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s book review aggregator. * Fiction 1.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-13 11:00:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#book review
#lit hub
#book marks
#jhumpa lahiri
#rebel life
#family meal
#bryan washington
#reviewed books
If you somehow missed the Fosse train before his big Nobel win earlier this month, here’s another chance to get on board. Six chances, in fact. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#jon fosse
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 ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#historical fiction
#electric literature
#climate change
#lasting impact
#investigative journalism
#wide range
#indigenous authors
#reading appeared
No matter which October vibes you’re here for — the cozy ones or the creepy ones — we’ve got plenty of new manga picks for you! Start with My Cat Is Such a Weirdo by Tamako Tamagoyama. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-06 10:32:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#manga
#manga releases
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 ]
More news stories like this |
Just when Microsoft's buyout of Activision seemed to finally be near complete, the Federal Trade Commission said it will revive its attempt to block the $69 billion deal in an adjudicative process. The FTC plans to restart its in-house trial against Microsoft’s... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-09-28 16:28:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with:
#lulu
#short term
#worst-case scenario
#federal court
#review process
#days ahead
#significant milestone
#tech giant