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 ]
This exciting mix of new science fiction and fantasy novels out in March 2023 will help you finish off the worst of the winter. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-09 11:34:00 UTC ]
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Tales of foraging and magic, cults and deeply embedded social ills are among our top March picks, including new work from Mona Simpson and Victor LaValle. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-02-28 17:06:03 UTC ]
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On the closing day of the ABA's Winter Institute 2023, a keynote and idea exchange tackled book banning and other threats to the freedom to read. Stories of outrage were easy to come by, but solutions were in shorter supply. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Is there a best season for reading? One book lover makes the case for winter as the perfect time to cozy up with books. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-24 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Bestseller lists of recent years have shown that our interest in the tales of the ancient Greeks is still going strong after three millennia, and even experiencing a renaissance. This is a testament, I think, to the timelessness of their content: the deeply human passions and agonies that they... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-24 09:52:27 UTC ]
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Whether completed series or upcoming releases, find recommendations for the best shōnen manga to read this year — like To Your Eternity by Yoshitoki Ōima. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-22 11:37:00 UTC ]
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A century ago, on February 18, 1923, the first issue of Weird Tales appeared on American newsstands. Subtitled “The Unique Magazine,” it was, as the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction puts it, “the first pulp magazine to specialize in supernatural and occult fiction,” including horror, fantasy,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-17 09:56:46 UTC ]
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In 2016, I was no longer interested in teaching the traditional workshop and felt that my students no longer wanted it. A poet mentioned that in their workshop, they read the poem on the spot and then discuss it together. This was mind-blowing. No reading and re-reading in the week before? No... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-17 09:53:21 UTC ]
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Stan’s new series adapted Rebecca Starford’s memoir gives brutal and honest insight into the consequences of bullying. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2023-02-17 02:14:58 UTC ]
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Reviews editor David Adams recommends 10 excellent works of Black history recently starred by PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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There are decades of great comics to read about Ant-Man and the Wasp. Here’s your reading list for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-15 11:32:00 UTC ]
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Quantum Mechanics is the science behind nuclear energy, smart phones, and particle collisions. Yet, almost a century after its discovery, there is still controversy over what the theory actually means. The problem is that its key element, the quantum-mechanical wave function describing atoms and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-10 09:52:54 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has reached a tentative agreement with its striking union that includes an unspecified increase in minimum salaries. The deal was announced shortly after the publisher reported that sales fell 14% in the quarter ended December 31, and that profits plunged 52%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Books always leave us changed. A random decision to pick up a certain book series led to one of the days of my life that I most cherish. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-07 11:38:00 UTC ]
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Whether you're a veteran manga reader or newbie, answer a few quick questions and we'll help you find the next manga to read. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-01 11:35:00 UTC ]
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Bethanne Patrick's February picks include new work from Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith, plus fresh insights into friendship, Silicon Valley and wolves. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-31 14:18:02 UTC ]
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For many tourists, the Caribbean is a paradise. A place outside time—with no history and no future. A place for cocktails on the beach and escaping the relentless rhythms of modern life. But to me, the Caribbean has always been beautiful because of its history, not in spite of it. A cross-roads... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-31 09:51:39 UTC ]
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The paleobiologist and author of Foyles’ nonfiction book of 2022 on Earth’s deep past, the joys of the British Library, and how early four-limbed vertebrates helped him find his feetThomas Halliday was born in 1989 and raised in Rannoch in the Scottish Highlands. He studied zoology at Cambridge... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-28 18:00:26 UTC ]
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Following the new double-dipping template of memoir and documentary, Pamela Anderson finally tells her own story with remarkable matter-of-factness. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-27 08:01:22 UTC ]
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Following a down year for print book sales, NPD Group's publishing industry analyst, Kristen McLean, predicts that 2023 will be a year of transition for the publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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