“With a steely command of omniscience, selective disclosure, irony, and other narrative devices, Spark re-creates in the relationship between author and reader the sadomasochistic partnership between the Almighty and his hopelessly wayward flock.” - The Atlantic
“Only 1,500 first-edition copies were printed. Since it's a children's book, many copies are battered and worn, with few still possessing their dust cover.” - CBC
“Unfortunately, the audience for book reviews is relatively low and we can no longer sustain the time it takes to plan, coordinate, write and edit reviews.” - Media Nation
In English, that is (oh, and Spanish as well). “Could the now dominant mythological and scientific ‘Metamorphosis’ eventually give way to the aptly unadorned and existentially suggestive ‘Transformation?’” - LitHub
“The consolidation of the English-language publishing industry in the 1980s and 90s gave its most successful writers a worldwide reach and a critical impact that no authors from other countries could aspire to.” But that very success might have changed things. - The Guardian (UK)
The imperialistic premise in this idea of literature as an egalitarian conversation between national traditions is blatant: as Milan Kundera remarked, what it took for a country to be awarded its own national literature – instead of being grouped into an ill-assorted umbrella term such as “Mitteleuropa” – was a colonial past. - The Guardian
The ban threatens people with prison time for selling or owning 25 works by authors such as Arundhati Roy, constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and noted academicians Sumantra Bose, Christopher Snedden and Victoria Schofield. The central government claims the books propagate “false narratives” and “secessionism.” - AP
For most publishers, the grants are not generous enough to sustain an entire catalog, especially when compared to how tedious and time-consuming the application process is. The money matters because it puts more gas in a small team’s tank, but also it waves a green flag. - LitHub
“The National Association of Black Bookstores, a member-based nonprofit organization which aims to support and promote Black booksellers, announced its launch on Friday. Its mission, NAB2 said in the announcement, includes ‘promoting literacy, amplifying Black voices, and preserving Black culture.’” - Publishers Weekly
That’s what you are when you go on a book tour: merchandise. A traveling salesperson selling a book. But not just any book — it’s your book. - Robert Reich
A study led by McGill University researchers challenges the theory that language change over time requires new generations to replace older generations of speakers. - Phys
“It sounds awfully wooey, you know, kind of hippie-ish, but somewhere I’m still Elaine (her birth name). She doesn’t know how to write. I wouldn’t know how to write an autobiography or a memoir about my childhood, but Jamaica could look at Elaine and write about her.” - The New York Times Magazine
You'll still find books today, even in a world filled with podcasts. Why is that? If we can listen to almost anything, why does reading still matter? - Science Alert
“The bestselling memoir, recently adapted into a film, was presented as a true story by its author, Raynor Winn. But a recent investigation by The Observer, and claims from individuals connected to Winn and her husband, Timothy – known as Moth – suggest that significant details were omitted or exaggerated.” Or outright false. - The Observer (UK)
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. plans to run the California Post as a conservative tabloid with an irreverent streak, a robust online presence and a seven-days-a-week print edition — all just like the New York Post. - AP
