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 ]
Cysts in both wrists made reading a literal pain. But Lamicall’s Tablet Holder takes that pain away by holding up my Kindle for me. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-05-12 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Brooklyn State senator Zellnor Myrie is taking steps to challenge Mayor Eric Adams for re-election in 2025, further complicating Adams’ already uncertain hopes for a second term amid sagging approval ratings.Myrie, a 37-year-old progressive, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that he is... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2024-05-08 14:15:56 UTC ]
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'Blood at the Root,' LaDarrion Williams' first novel in a three-book deal — a series that centers on a Black boy in a YA fantasy saga — is the kind of fiction he wishes existed when he was a kid. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-05-03 10:00:51 UTC ]
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A new concerted effort, opened during Bologna Children's Book Fair by the Montreuil Children’s Book Fair, has 15 publishing event producers. The post Frankfurt Joins European Network for Youth Reading Events and Festivals appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-05-03 01:02:49 UTC ]
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The UMG artists’ music returns to the popular platform after a monthslong dispute. Artists from Universal Music Group, which include Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, will be returning to TikTok as the two parties have struck a new licensing agreement following an... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-05-02 12:22:42 UTC ]
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May's most interesting new releases, Independent Bookstore Day round-up, and more bookish news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-04-29 16:15:52 UTC ]
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Readers share their tips on discovering new authors and reading more widelyIn addition to the excellent advice provided in your article on reading (The experts: librarians on 20 easy, enjoyable ways to read more brilliant books, 25 April), I would add the following. The old adage of not judging... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-04-28 16:39:44 UTC ]
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In September, poet Joan Wickersham’s No Ship Sets Out To Be A Shipwreck will be published by Eastover Press. Lit Hub got a sneak peak, and we’re excited to share a new poem from the collection. According to the publisher, No Ship Sets Out To Be A Shipwreck is a poetic and philosophical... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-15 13:30:20 UTC ]
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When I was a child, my grandfather was embroiled in a quiet, and possibly entirely one-sided, feud with his next-door neighbor. Every summer I would visit my grandparents for a week, and follow Grandpa on his morning walks through the woodlot, along a path that skirted the neighbor’s field. Each... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-10 08:54:38 UTC ]
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Maia Kobabe’s 'Gender Queer' topped the list of last year's most challenged books, which is again dominated by stories by and about LGBTQ+ persons and people of color, voices that ALA officials said “censors want to silence.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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During this spring’s Digiday Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, publishers filled the challenge board with a whole host of issues that ranged from traffic troubles to AI anxiety. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2024-04-08 04:01:00 UTC ]
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The Australian author is ‘incredibly influential’, but has had to survive decades of ‘cultural cringe’ and genre snobbery to make finally ‘a decent sort of living’Before parched and dusty towns across Australia became full of fictional sinister people; before the explosion of outback noir and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-04-05 23:00:18 UTC ]
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Today Samuel Delany–inventor/expander of several galaxies–turns 82. And I for one would like to throw some birthday love towards this greatest of octogenarians. Known for his high-concept science fiction and his sharp theories on social contact, Delany’s canon spans genres and generations. I... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-01 17:53:48 UTC ]
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New novels from Emily Henry, Jo Piazza and Rachel Khong; a history of five ballerinas at the Dance Theater of Harlem; Salman Rushdie’s memoir and more. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-03-28 20:59:48 UTC ]
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A reading list about inspiring figures, empowerment and intersectional stories to help kids navigate the world. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2024-03-27 09:45:24 UTC ]
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Emergence Magazine is an online publication with annual print edition exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-27 08:36:11 UTC ]
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Results of a new study presented at Leipzig Book Fair show young Germans reading more but later, buying fewer books but at higher prices. The post At Leipzig Book Fair: Young Germans’ Engagement With Books and Reading appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-25 20:27:54 UTC ]
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The Prisoner’s Throne author Holly Black reflects on the rise of “romantasy” novels, explicit sex scenes, and BookTok. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2024-03-18 21:31:31 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Education reported higher sales and lower losses in the quarter ended January 27, 2024, but those results were overshadowed by news that the company continues to struggle to find ways to shore up its financial position. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In a release, ALA officials said that 4,240 unique book titles were reported challenged in schools and libraries in 2023, a stunning 65% increase over 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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