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 ]
Looking for the best book club books for summer and fall 2022? This guide has something for every kind of book club. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-24 10:32:00 UTC ]
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“My iPhone must be dead, or secured in a lockbox of some sort,” says the journalist and author, whose latest book is the true-crime collection “Rogues.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-06-23 09:00:21 UTC ]
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“My iPhone must be dead, or secured in a lockbox of some sort,” says the journalist and author, whose latest book is the true-crime collection “Rogues.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-06-23 09:00:21 UTC ]
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After 50 years, the prize has been scrapped. How did it change Britain’s literary landscape? And what happened at the awards when Margaret Drabble was seated next to Theresa May?Margaret Drabble was a bright young star with five novels to her name in 1971, when she was talked into joining her... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-06-23 05:00:38 UTC ]
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More than a million new titles are published annually in the US, far more than even the most bibliophilic secret agent could get through. Even with a weekly publishing schedule, we can only bring you 52 Hitting the Books each year. To help shine a spotlight on all the fantastic stories that... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-06-22 17:30:23 UTC ]
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People who turned to books during Covid lockdowns continuing to buy them, company saysBloomsbury has reported a record year for sales, as the Harry Potter publisher said the increase in reading during the pandemic had become “permanent” after lockdowns eased.The company benefited substantially... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-06-15 08:09:40 UTC ]
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The former "Reading Rainbow" host said banned books are "where the good stuff is." Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2022-06-12 14:45:21 UTC ]
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A new look at Gillian Flynn’s cat-and-mouse tale, the novel that sparked a wave of copycat novels and a blockbuster movie. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-12 11:00:43 UTC ]
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James Burrows, who directed "Cheers," "Friends" and "Frasier," among many other television series, looks back on his career. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-11 12:00:00 UTC ]
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An industry roundtable, held at the Multipli Forti literary festival in New York on June 6, addressed how independent publishers can get works of translated literature to readers in an era marked by media saturation and increased dominance by major companies over the book business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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It seems like everyone (ahem) has a summer reading list for you this week—even Bill Gates. As you probably know, Gates loves to read—and he also loves to write about books on his blog, GatesNotes, where today he published a list of his recommendations for the season. But don’t expect any beach... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-06 17:00:32 UTC ]
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On Friday night, P&T Knitwear opened its doors on the Lower East Side to celebrate its grand opening. Any new indie bookstore/cafe is cause for applause, but this one in particular has a few fun bells and whistles worth mentioning! When you first walk in, what’s probably most noticeable is... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-06 15:01:31 UTC ]
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On May 18, a judge found that there was probable cause that two books, 'Gender Queer' and 'Court of Mist and Fury', could be deemed obscene under an obscure state law, and ordered the authors and publishers to defend the books in court. In a statement, freedom to read advocates say such actions... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Did you know that J.P. Morgan releases a summer reading list every year? (I didn’t, and I’m the person who does these.) Last week, the bank (??) announced its 23rd annual (??) summer reading list, which “invit[es] readers worldwide to explore the adventures, discoveries and new ideas that... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-02 14:46:06 UTC ]
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Ann Leary‘s thrilling novel was inspired by the early 20th-century incarceration of “feebleminded” women. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-02 13:54:15 UTC ]
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For some reason, whenever I sit down to make this list of paperbacks coming out this month, Justin Timberlake’s 2006 hit always gets stuck in my head: We’re bringing paperback (yeah). * Zakiya Dalila Harris, The Other Black Girl (Atria, June 7) “The Other Black Girl is about many... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-01 13:30:03 UTC ]
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These June children’s book releases are some of the best yet, with Japanese dragons, asthmatic protagonists, Black girl magic, and more, like The Lost Ryū by Emi Watanabe Cohen. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-01 10:38:00 UTC ]
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Bethanne Patrick's June highlights include Tom Perrotta's 'Election' sequel, essential new war histories and a fresh look at females of all species. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-05-31 14:00:49 UTC ]
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Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller, hosts of a popular podcast, take a look at history through the lens of problematic gay figures. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-05-31 13:59:29 UTC ]
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These novels remind us that people have made horrible mistakes since the beginning of time. (They also contain love, joy and triumph!) Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-05-27 20:30:21 UTC ]
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