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 ]
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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My sophomore novel, Evil Eye, follows Yara Murad, a Palestinian American woman who begins to confront the psychological and interpersonal aftermath of her emotionally volatile childhood as her carefully constructed life begins to fall apart. In drafting this novel, which explores post-traumatic... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-22 08:35:35 UTC ]
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Last spring, I approached Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of the novels Shotgun Lovesongs, The Hearts of Men, and Godspeed, to be the judge for this year’s Insider Prize, American Short Fiction’s annual literary award for incarcerated writers in Texas. He’d worked with... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-22 08:15:30 UTC ]
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Actor warns about dangers of artificial intelligence after discovering version of his voice based on Harry Potter audiobooksStephen Fry has issued a warning about the potential dangers of AI, after claiming that a history documentary faked his voice without his knowledge. Speaking at the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-20 16:05:11 UTC ]
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Because we never spoke of it, I’ve had to imagine the conversation: Me: “Why have you never told me anything about Partition?” My grandfather: “What is there to know?” My grandfather’s reply would indicate both a lack and a surplus—a surplus of memories and visions of vehicles big and strong,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-20 08:24:56 UTC ]
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Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ALA reported 695 attempts to censor library materials between January 1 and August 31, 2023, and 1,915 unique titles challenged—a 20% jump over last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Drag performers who read stories to children at libraries across Canada have faced an increase in protests calling the events destructive for kids, and in some cases, even threats of violence. But the king and queens say they won't let that stop them, because storytimes are about joy and literacy. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-09-16 08:00:00 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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What are the book clubs reading this month? Dive into eight picks for September book clubs and learn how to join the conversation. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-15 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Quests are a true bedrock of fantasy: the hero’s journey, the wandering hero. From Odysseus to Gawain, to Don Quixote to Bilbo Baggins, to Genly Ai to Geralt of Rivia. Generally a male-coded trope, episodic in format. When I began turning the concept of Godkiller over in my head, I knew I wanted... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-15 08:30:21 UTC ]
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In the midst of a historic attack on the freedom to read, the American Library Association has announced a series of "listening sessions" which could lead the first revision of the landmark Freedom to Read statement since 2004. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-08 04:00:00 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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Find your YA book club reading list, with YA book club books on a wide range of topics and exploring many different genres. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-05 10:33:00 UTC ]
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When reading about mothers and daughters, we might feel grateful we didn’t have to endure such conflict and trauma. We might long for what we, ourselves, never had. But then again, we might feel seen. More often, literature reflects troubling, toxic, or estranged mother-daughter relationships... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-01 09:35:26 UTC ]
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After several critics complained of being quoted out of context on the covers of Jordan Peterson’s new book, the industry body has spoken out against the practiceThe Society of Authors (SoA) has spoken out against publishers misrepresenting negative reviews on book covers and the UK publisher... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-09-01 06:02:22 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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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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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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In 1966, after more than a quarter century in obscurity, the Dominica-born British author Jean Rhys published what is now considered to be her masterpiece. Wide Sargasso Sea is an astonishing, hallucinatory fantasy about the early life, and eventual psychological disintegration, of the first... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-24 12:59:00 UTC ]
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