What We're Reading – October 2019

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoSince studying Lara as a student, I have been a fan of Bernardine Evaristo’s work, and am delighted to see her win the Booker Prize this year. Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of twelve black characters with different backgrounds and experiences, most of whom identify as female, living in London. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them through my reading and seeing how their lives are linked or overlap in different ways. What I found particularly interesting about this book is how each character responds in their own way to the universal questions of self and identity, particularly the tensions between personal, public and political gender discourse and the effect it has on the relationships the characters have with others. This feels like a very important book, and a must-read if you’re interested in what’s happening in UK fiction today.Rachel Stevens, Director LiteratureCommon People - An Anthology of Working-class Writers (ed Kit de Waal). An exceptional collection of essays, poems, memoir and short stories celebrating working-class life, culture and literature. There are many highlights, but I especially recommend Lisa McInnery’s essay ‘Working Class: An Escape Manual’, which considers how working-class writers and artists are co-opted into other identities when they achieve success. Debut author Adam Sharp’s ‘Play’, a memoir of his relationship with a substance-addicted father, is poignant and deftly handled - he’s a writer to... Continue reading at 'British Council global'

[ British Council global | 2019-10-30 09:49:28 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "What We're Reading – October 2019"


On ‘herd immunity,’ vaccines, and pandemic whiplash

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[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-10-21 12:30:20 UTC ]
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On Beauty Standards (and Privilege) in Memoir and Fiction

To close out October’s theme of beauty privilege, Kendra and Sumaiyya discuss Say Hello by Carly Findlay and If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha. From the episode:  Sumaiyya: My discussion pick is If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, which is set in Seoul, South Korea. This looks at four young women... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-21 08:47:55 UTC ]
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Plant-based meat sales exploded during the pandemic. Here’s how to keep consumers coming back

Four in five consumers say sustainability matters, but taste and health both rate higher. During the early stage of the pandemic, consumers had trouble buying meat as food processing facilities shut temporarily to slow the spread of COVID-19. As a result, consumers turned to plant-based... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-10-21 06:00:54 UTC ]
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Muswell Hill Bookshop to close

North London indie stalwart Muswell Hill Bookshop is to close, following the retirement of its owner, Ivan Beal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-20 23:21:36 UTC ]
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Matthew McConaughey is all right, all right, all right — and thinks you will be too

McConaughey’s memoir “Greenlights” is full of can-do thoughts about this thing he calls “livin.” Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
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As Key Decision Looms, Bolton Demands Jury Trial

In his long-awaited answer to the government's civil complaint, former national security adviser John Bolton denied that he broke any laws in publishing his bestselling memoir 'The Room Where It Happened.' But with a DoJ motion for Summary Judgment now pending before the court, it's unclear... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Monkey Island is getting a $160 anthology release this month

It’s no three-headed monkey, but if you’re a fan of classic adventure games, you’ll definitely want to turn around and take a look at this. In honor of Monkey Island’s 30th anniversary, Limited Run Games is releasing a massive collector’s edition tha... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-10-19 20:28:16 UTC ]
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Heywood Hill launches free books for life competition

London bookshop Heywood Hill has launched a competition to provide one book-lover with a free book every month for life.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-19 13:58:51 UTC ]
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Headline signs professional autograph dealer's memoir

Headline will publish Two Hitlers and a Marilyn by Adam Andrusier in July 2021.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-19 12:19:03 UTC ]
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Totnes Bookshop closes in box office development plan

Totnes Bookshop in south Devon is being closed in its current form by the trust that owns its lease and will reopen as a box office for local events. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-19 11:36:36 UTC ]
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Exercising Religion and Taming Faction

AMERICAN RELIGION WAS a shock to Frances Trollope. The reform-minded English writer came to the United States in 1827 with hopes of revitalizing her family finances. But she left disappointed after four years. In her memoir of her American travels, Trollope commented on the dynamic but... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-10-18 12:30:49 UTC ]
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A Wine Lover Considers the “Sober Lush” Lifestyle

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[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-10-16 19:00:23 UTC ]
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As Trump blundered, Cuomo stepped into the coronavirus spotlight

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[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-16 12:00:00 UTC ]
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A memoir of a family’s Holocaust complicity, with lessons for today

Géraldine Schwarz argues that historical reckoning is necessary to prevent repetitions of intolerance and targeted violence. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-16 12:00:00 UTC ]
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17 Excellent Short Stories By Black Authors

These short stories by Black authors include some of the best Black short stories published, for middle graders, YA readers, and adults. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-16 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Sandycove's Deevy goes full Boyle for new collection

The Penguin Random House Ireland imprint buys medievalist Elizabeth Boyle's memoir hybrid.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-15 13:39:11 UTC ]
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S&S snaps up Foulkes' vampire middle-grade series

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[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-14 20:29:58 UTC ]
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Glenn Close is unrecognizable in the first trailer for Hillbilly Elegy.

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[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-14 15:41:25 UTC ]
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Korean American experience resonates in ‘The Prince of Mournful Thoughts’

The longing for connection, for belonging, is woven throughout a dozen short stories in Caroline Kim’s superlative debut collection. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-10-13 22:35:50 UTC ]
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Korean American experience resonates in ‘The Prince of Mournful Thoughts’

The longing for connection, for belonging, is woven throughout a dozen short stories in Caroline Kim’s superlative debut collection. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-10-13 22:35:50 UTC ]
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