Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, has put together a heady mix of history, philosophy, anecdotes and entertaining factsWhat most people know about the American librarian Melvil Dewey is his phenomenal classification technique, the Dewey decimal system, which is still used in 135 countries. Less well known is how he liked to classify people, too. In a chapter entitled “Dubious Dewey”, Martin Latham describes how the great librarian created groups from A to D, banning all in the D group – Jews, African-Americans, Cubans and the “new rich” – from his Lake Placid resort. He was also a prolific groper of women. Latham speculates that Dewey’s hypocrisy, and his “obsessively domineering persona”, were what caused his lifelong constipation and piles.This is a book that is down on banning, rigidity, abuse of power and all kinds of snobbery, bookish and otherwise. It celebrates stories, scribbling in margins and the collecting, cherishing and even kissing of books – something done with surprising frequency, apparently. Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, currently runs Waterstones Canterbury, where he proudly filed the biggest petty cash claim in the chain’s history to pay for the excavation of a Roman bath house under its floor. But this is not one of those funny “anecdotes from a bookshop” books that have recently been popular – though anecdotes there are aplenty. It is rather a history and celebration of all things bookish, from Alexander the Great’s unusual habit of reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-12-19 09:00:45 UTC ]
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A debut novel views a middle-aged organic farmer through the eyes of a 21-year-old woman he preys upon. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-08-15 19:37:36 UTC ]
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Half Price Books, a Texas-based company, has firmly established itself as the nation’s third-largest bookstore chain with 121 stores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Richard Charkin offers 'a heartfelt apology,' writing that he now finds literary agents 'trusted go-betweens and understanding partners.' The post Richard Charkin: Dear Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-10 17:00:17 UTC ]
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Close to 600 titles will be part of the new, accessible 'Ebooks for Everyone' initiative from the Literary Press Group of Canada. The post Canada’s Literary Press Group: Accessible Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-09 14:58:40 UTC ]
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Lynne Tillman’s taut memoir of caring for an aging parent runs an emotional gamut. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-08-08 19:30:06 UTC ]
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Her first short-story collection, "The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing," was translated into more than 30 languages and became a best-seller. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-05 16:41:12 UTC ]
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In 2008, after 13 years together, my literary agent and I parted ways. (To preserve her anonymity, let’s call her Michael Ovitz.) Between 1995 and 2002, Michael Ovitz sold two of my novels, including my debut, Hunger Point. By any measure, our partnership was a terrific success. Michael Ovitz... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-05 08:53:09 UTC ]
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At a glanceExpert’s Rating ProsFast CPUGorgeous 3.5K OLEDGreat audioConsOnly two USB-C PortsMiddling battery performanceNo headset jackOur VerdictDell’s XPS 13 Plus once again tries to set standard for all laptops and largely succeeds, but its battery life and lack of ports don’t... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-08-04 10:45:00 UTC ]
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In his latest book, the French author celebrated for his deeply personal accounts of tragic events embraces meditation as a means of learning to write “without fabrication.” But telling the truth is complicated. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-31 09:00:08 UTC ]
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July 30 is officially Paperback Book Day! It’s apparently the day that Penguin started publishing paperbacks, way back in 1935. And what a glorious day it was! Who doesn’t love paperbacks? They feel so nice in your hands! They fit so conveniently into your bag! Curious about the history behind... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-29 13:00:35 UTC ]
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Noir has long been obsessed with books—books as objects, as evidence, as repositories of the past, and occasionally as glimpses into other worlds of possibility. It’s no wonder, then, that booksellers often turn up in fiction, and especially in mystery. There’s something intoxicating about the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
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'Yoga' charts true-crime master Emmanuel Carrère's journey from intensive meditation to mental breakdown — but leaves out the divorce that derailed him. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-07-26 13:00:18 UTC ]
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Following the "Don't Say Gay" bill, Florida teachers have been told to pull their classroom libraries until each title has been approved. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-25 17:58:04 UTC ]
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Lio Min's 'Beating Heart Baby' follows two boys who meet online and ultimately grapples with the joys and perils of making public art. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-07-25 13:00:45 UTC ]
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If you want a tablet just for browsing the internet, watching videos and playing games, you won’t need anything fancy. Amazon’s Fire tablets are exactly that. Most of them are under $200, and the Fire 7, which has been updated for 2022, starts at just $60 ($75 if you don’t want ads on the lock... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-07-21 15:00:54 UTC ]
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The Fable app is a new platform that aims to make reading more social. Here's what one writer thought of it. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-20 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Gail See, a Minneapolis-area bookseller for many years and a leader in Minnesota's literary community, who served as president of the ABA board from 1984-1986, has died at age 94. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In his grouchy, funny memoir, “A Factotum in the Book Trade,” Marius Kociejowski writes about what a good bookstore should feel like, famous customers he’s served and more. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-18 18:02:04 UTC ]
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I remember the first time I met Courtney Maum. It was nearly ten years ago, a spring or maybe summer day in Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens. We were both in our twenties, no books published yet, just a few free essays here and there, just starting our writing careers with the fierce intensity of Jack... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-18 08:52:29 UTC ]
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Isaac Fitzgerald’s “Dirtbag, Massachusetts” is a memoir about male misbehavior and the struggle to make sense of oneself. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-16 09:00:11 UTC ]
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