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 ]
When Sylvia Beach, the New Jersey native who published Ulysses and opened Paris’ Shakespeare and Co. (“the most famous bookstore in the world”), died in 1962, Princeton University purchased and catalogued her papers. This trove of materials reveals, among other things, the reading preferences of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-08 19:46:30 UTC ]
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On this episode of Sheltering, Maris Kreizman speaks with Mikel Jollett about his memoir, Hollywood Park. Hollywood Park is about Jollett’s experience growing up in a cult, and his escape and fallout from the childhood trauma he experienced. He talks about believing his life was normal as a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-08 19:00:54 UTC ]
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Whether delving into chunky historical narratives or listening to short story podcasts, we’ve all been approaching reading differently during lockdown. Our reading habits can take us back in time, allow us to examine our present, or give us hope for the future. In time for the May bank holiday... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-05-07 13:58:54 UTC ]
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#hilary mantel
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Mysteries from the Golden Age, Arthur Conan Doyle and a helluva good book about a Texas book dealer. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Our own Nick Ripatrazone takes a look a new poetry from John Freeman, Rosanna Warren, Juditha Dowd and Kiki Petrosino—plus an anthology edited Leah Silvieus and Lee Herrick. The post Must-Read Poetry: May 2020 appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2020-05-06 10:00:15 UTC ]
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a video of Meghan reading son Archie Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Chronicle Books) on his first birthday, in support of the Save with Stories initiative. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-05 20:37:52 UTC ]
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David Beckham, Dakota Fanning, Eddie Redmayne and "Harry Potter" himself, Daniel Radcliffe, have all signed on to read chapters of "The Sorcerer's Stone." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-05-05 18:07:58 UTC ]
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Daniel Radcliffe will lead an all-star read-along of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-05 17:46:56 UTC ]
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The stars are coming out to bring the first Harry Potter novel to life in a new way. There have been audiobooks of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Philosopher's Stone, and (of course) a movie based on it, but this time around, big names are reading t... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2020-05-05 16:59:45 UTC ]
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Have a quick bite of these excellent small press short story collections and anthologies sampling a wide variety of genres, themes, and perspectives. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-05 10:34:09 UTC ]
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In his recent blog, 'Amazon's VAT Windfall', Anthony McGowan expressed concern that the Bezos behemoth had not changed e-book prices following the recent VAT cut, and were set to profit to the tune of millions as a result. He and I have been arguing on Twitter, very politely I might add, about... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 21:54:48 UTC ]
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If you’re wondering why rereads are what you most want, the answer is simple: Your brain, much like the rest of you, is tired. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-02 12:00:00 UTC ]
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“Mum” and “Phantom Thread” star Lesley Manville will narrate the audiobook of Richard Osman's forthcoming novel, The Thursday Murder Club. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-01 14:43:02 UTC ]
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In late March, Ryan Grim, of The Intercept, published a story on Tara Reade, a former staffer in Joe Biden’s Senate office. She was one of several women who had come forward to say that Biden, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, had, in past encounters, touched them inappropriately. Grim... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-05-01 12:33:41 UTC ]
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African academics draw up a reading list that speaks to the vibrancy of contemporary as well as older African literature. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2020-04-30 11:23:41 UTC ]
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VAT on digital publications will be scrapped this week (from Friday 1st May) after the Chancellor Rishi Sunak fast-tracked the plan, saying it would help readers and publishers during the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-30 02:59:34 UTC ]
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Do you love manga and need more books featuring characters of color? Then you need to read these manga books featuring Black characters now. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-29 10:36:21 UTC ]
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While the personal essay has enjoyed continued popularity, a book-length collection of linked essays, centered on an author’s self or life, is less common than a traditional memoir or novel. A truly successful essay collection can reveal the author processing experiences at many different points... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-29 08:47:44 UTC ]
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Emma Straub, Curtis Sittenfeld and Lydia Millet all offer escapes from our current reality. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
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A J Waines, Fiona Veitch Smith and Holly Watt will feature in this year's National Crime Reading Month, which is now online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-26 19:51:35 UTC ]
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