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 ]
What are the best places to begin exploring the wonderful world of science fiction? Some of the classic novels of the genre, from Frank Herbert’s Dune to Asimov’s Foundation series (which eventually stretched to seven volumes), might appear daunting because of their sheer size and scope. Below,... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2021-10-20 14:00:25 UTC ]
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Australian dramatist David Williamson’s new book is a mash up of memoir and autobiography, which casts himself as a former ‘plunderer’ of other’s lives. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2021-10-20 03:57:12 UTC ]
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Today, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land first appeared in print in The Criterion, a quarterly British literary magazine founded and edited by Eliot. The poem’s final form was heavily influenced by Ezra Pound, who made extensive cuts and revisions to Eliot’s manuscript. Eliot once said of his mentor... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-10-15 19:30:10 UTC ]
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Historical fiction can remind us that these "unprecedented" times are anything but. Here's what they can teach us about our current crisis. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-13 10:38:00 UTC ]
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Find your next comic in this list of Rioters' recent favorite comic and graphic novel reads. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-07 10:43:00 UTC ]
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During the Follett and Baker & Taylor 2021 Virtual Publisher Summit—which convened on October 1 via Zoom for a second straight year—executives from B&T and parent company Follett offered a market overview of how their businesses have fared during the past year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The supply chain issues the industry is facing this holiday season and beyond were years in the making and while there are no quick fixes there are steps that can be taken, speakers at the webinar “Publishing Industry Supply Chain Challenges and Opportunities,” said. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Selections by teens and librarians include ‘The Kite Runner,’ ‘Ready Player One’ and ‘Dreams of My Father’ Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-05 12:00:00 UTC ]
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October children’s book releases include picture books like Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast by David Ezra Stein, middle grade books like Living With Viola by Rosena Fung, and so much more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-04 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Begin the season with books by Anthony Horowitz, Camilla Trinchieri, David McCloskey and others. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-02 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Witches have always been a bit of figment and fact, appearing in some way in every culture and throughout history. They’ve been said to have supernatural healing abilities, calling back loved ones, precious livestock, and near-barren lands from the brink of demise. Further still they’ve crossed... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-10-01 08:49:55 UTC ]
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Bafta-winning actor Toby Jones will read the audiobook of John le Carré’s final novel, Silverview, which publishes on 14th October 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-28 22:01:16 UTC ]
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Novelists Paula Hawkins, Graham Norton and Alex Wheatle are among the authors writing short, accessible titles for the Quick Reads literacy programme for 2022. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-26 23:05:50 UTC ]
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From the magazine’s archive: a selection of short stories and nonfiction from the magazine that have been adapted into films. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2021-09-26 10:00:00 UTC ]
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One very short story – often attributed to Ernest Hemingway but actually the work of another writer – is just six words long: ‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn’. And some of the greatest fiction-writers of the last two centuries have written memorable short stories which stretch to little more […] Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2021-09-25 14:00:49 UTC ]
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Who says you shouldn't judge a book based on its cover? The cover has an important job: to capture your attention. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-09-24 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Bad Form is launching a series of free events to demystify the publishing industry for people from Black, Asian and racialised communities. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-24 03:18:13 UTC ]
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Williams’s urgent novel takes place on the shore of a rotting lake, where a group of eco-warriors has gathered. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-23 13:46:54 UTC ]
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“The Dark Remains” captures perfectly the voice of the late William McIlvanney, master of Tartan Noir. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-22 06:11:08 UTC ]
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Recently, we heard about Netflix’s forthcoming adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s famously banned book Lady Chatterley’s Lover (apparently it’s going to be raunchier than Bridgerton, which does seem only fair). To prepare yourself, you may want to start with this video of John Waters—or as William S.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-09-20 16:04:44 UTC ]
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