Best of
Books-About-Books

2018

The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids


Sarah Mackenzie - 2018
    Reading aloud offers us a chance to be fully present with our children. It also increases our kids’ academic success, inspires compassion, and fortifies them with the inner strength they need to face life’s challenges. As Sarah Mackenzie has found with her own six children, reading aloud long after kids are able to read to themselves can deepen relationships in a powerful way.Founder of the immensely popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast, Sarah knows first-hand how reading can change a child’s life. In The Read-Aloud Family, she offers the inspiration and age-appropriate book lists you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home. From a toddler’s wonder to a teenager’s resistance, Sarah details practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family—it has the power to change the world.

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves


Glory EdimBarbara Smith - 2018
    In this timely anthology, "well-read black girl" Glory Edim brings together original essays by some of our best black female writers and creative voices to shine a light on how we search for ourselves in literature, and how important it is that everyone--no matter their gender, race, religion, or abilities--can find themselves there. Whether it's learning about the complexities of femalehood from Their Eyes Were Watching God, seeing a new type of love in The Color Purple, or using mythology to craft an alternative black future, each essay reminds us why we turn to books in times of both struggle and relaxation. As she has done with her incredible book-club-turned-online-community Well-Read Black Girl, in this book, Edim has created a space where black women's writing and knowledge and life experiences are lifted up, to be shared with all readers who value the power of a story to help us understand the world, and ourselves.Contributors include: Jesmyn Ward (Sing Unburied Sing), Lynn Nottage (Sweat), Jacqueline Woodson (Another Brooklyn), Gabourey Sidibe (This Is Just My Face), Morgan Jerkins (This Will Be My Undoing), Zinzi Clemmons (What We Lose), N. K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season), Tayari Jones (An American Marriage), Nicole Dennis-Benn (Here Comes the Sun), Rebecca Walker (Black, White and Jewish), and more.

Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany


Jane Mount - 2018
    Book lovers, rejoice! In this love letter to all things bookish, Jane Mount brings literary people, places, and things to life through her signature and vibrant illustrations. Readers will:• Tour the world's most beautiful bookstores• Test their knowledge of the written word with quizzes• Find their next great read in lovingly curated stacks of books• Sample the most famous fictional meals• Peek inside the workspaces of their favorite authorsA source of endless inspiration, literary facts and recommendations, and pure bookish joy, Bibliophile is sure to enchant book clubbers, English majors, poetry devotees, aspiring writers, and any and all who identify as bookworms.

A Velocity of Being: Letters to A Young Reader


Maria Popova - 2018
    On the page facing each letter, an illustration by a celebrated illustrator or graphic artist presents that artist's visual response.Among the diverse contributions are letters from Jane Goodall, Neil Gaiman, Jerome Bruner, Shonda Rhimes, Ursula K. Le Guin, Yo-Yo Ma, Judy Blume, Lena Dunham, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Jacqueline Woodson, as well as a ninety-eight-year-old Holocaust survivor, a pioneering oceanographer, and Italy’s first woman in space. Some of the illustrators, cartoonists, and graphic designers involved are Marianne Dubuc, Sean Qualls, Oliver Jeffers, Maira Kalman, Mo Willems, Isabelle Arsenault, Chris Ware, Liniers, Shaun Tan, Tomi Ungerer, and Art Spiegelman.  This project is woven entirely of goodwill, generosity of spirit, and a shared love of books. Everyone involved has donated their time, and all profits will go to the New York Public Library systems.Preface by David Remnick, editor, The New Yorker; Edited and introduced by Maria Popova, who has been writing since 2006 about what she reads on Brain Pickings (brainpickings.org), which is now included in the Library of Congress archive of culturally valuable materials; Edited by Claudia Bedrick, publisher, editorial and art director of Enchanted Lion Books.

On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books


Karen Swallow Prior - 2018
    Great literature increases knowledge of and desire for the good life by showing readers what virtue looks like and where vice leads. It is not just what one reads but how one reads that cultivates virtue. Reading good literature well requires one to practice numerous virtues, such as patience, diligence, and prudence. And learning to judge wisely a character in a book, in turn, forms the reader's own character.Acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior takes readers on a guided tour through works of great literature both ancient and modern, exploring twelve virtues that philosophers and theologians throughout history have identified as most essential for good character and the good life. In reintroducing ancient virtues that are as relevant and essential today as ever, Prior draws on the best classical and Christian thinkers, including Aristotle, Aquinas, and Augustine. Covering authors from Henry Fielding to Cormac McCarthy, Jane Austen to George Saunders, and Flannery O'Connor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Prior explores some of the most compelling universal themes found in the pages of classic books, helping readers learn to love life, literature, and God through their encounter with great writing.In examining works by these authors and more, Prior shows why virtues such as prudence, temperance, humility, and patience are still necessary for human flourishing and civil society. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection questions geared toward book club discussions, features original artwork throughout, and includes a foreword from Leland Ryken.

Notes from a Public Typewriter


Michael Gustafson - 2018
    They had no idea what to expect. Would people ask metaphysical questions? Write mean things? Pour their souls onto the page? Yes, no, and did they ever.Every day, people of all ages sit down at the public typewriter. Children perch atop grandparents' knees, both sets of hands hovering above the metal keys: I LOVE YOU. Others walk in alone on Friday nights and confess their hopes: I will find someone someday. And some leave funny asides for the next person who sits down: I dislike people, misanthropes, irony, and ellipses ... and lists too.In Notes from a Public Typewriter Michael and designer Oliver Uberti have combined their favorite notes with essays and photos to create an ode to community and the written word that will surprise, delight, and inspire.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers


Anna James - 2018
    A curl-up-on-the-sofa debut from a uniquely talented author.Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents' bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Like the rest of her family, Tilly loves nothing more than to escape into the pages of her favourite stories.One day Tilly realises that classic children's characters are appearing in the shop through the magic of `book wandering' - crossing over from the page into real life.With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.

Harry's Trees


Jon Cohen - 2018
    Now it’s time for Harry to learn to let go…Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane, lifelong lover of trees, works as an analyst in a treeless US Forest Service office. When his wife dies in a freak accident, devastated, he makes his way to the remote woods of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, intent on losing himself. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She, too, has lost someone—her father. And in the magical, willful world of her reckoning, Oriana believes that Harry is the key to finding her way back to him. As Harry agrees to help the young girl, the unlikeliest of elements—a tree house, a Wolf, a small-town librarian and a book called The Grum’s Ledger—come together to create the biggest sensation ever to descend upon the Endless Mountains…a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wildest dreams and open the door to a new life for Harry.Harry’s Trees is an uplifting tale about love, loss, friendship, and redemption. Fans of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove and Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry will find in its relentless good humor a much-needed remedy for these fraught times

Library on Wheels: Mary Lemist Titcomb and America's First Bookmobile


Sharlee Glenn - 2018
    As librarian at the Washington County Free Library in Maryland, Titcomb was concerned that the library was not reaching all the people it could. She was determined that everyone should have access to the library—not just adults and those who lived in town. Realizing its limitations and inability to reach the county’s 25,000 rural residents, including farmers and their families, Titcomb set about to change the library system forever with the introduction of book-deposit stations throughout the country, a children’s room in the library, and her most revolutionary idea of all—a horse-drawn Book Wagon. Soon book wagons were appearing in other parts of the country, and by 1922, the book wagon idea had received widespread support. The bookmobile was born!

The Writer's Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands


Huw Lewis-Jones - 2018
    Put a map at the start of a book, and we know an adventure is going to follow. Displaying this truth with beautiful full-color illustrations, The Writer’s Map is an atlas of the journeys that our most creative storytellers have made throughout their lives. This magnificent collection encompasses not only the maps that appear in their books but also the many maps that have inspired them, the sketches that they used while writing, and others that simply sparked their curiosity.   Philip Pullman recounts the experience of drawing a map as he set out on one of his early novels, The Tin Princess. Miraphora Mina recalls the creative challenge of drawing up ”The Marauder’s Map” for the Harry Potter films. David Mitchell leads us to the Mappa Mundi by way of Cloud Atlas and his own sketch maps. Robert Macfarlane reflects on the cartophilia that has informed his evocative nature writing, which was set off by Robert Louis Stevenson and his map of Treasure Island. Joanne Harris tells of her fascination with Norse maps of the universe. Reif Larsen writes about our dependence on GPS and the impulse to map our experience. Daniel Reeve describes drawing maps and charts for The Hobbit film trilogy. This exquisitely crafted and illustrated atlas explores these and so many more of the maps writers create and are inspired by—some real, some imagined—in both words and images.   Amid a cornucopia of 167 full-color images, we find here maps of the world as envisaged in medieval times, as well as maps of adventure, sci-fi and fantasy, nursery rhymes, literary classics, and collectible comics. An enchanting visual and verbal journey, The Writer’s Map will be irresistible for lovers of maps, literature, and memories—and anyone prone to flights of the imagination.

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life


Anne Bogel - 2018
    Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can't imagine life without them.I'd Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives.The perfect gift for the bibliophile in everyone's life, I'd Rather Be Reading will command an honored place on the overstuffed bookshelves of any book lover.

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables


Catherine Reid - 2018
    It has turned Prince Edward Island into a multimillion-dollar tourist destination visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. In The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables, Catherine Reid reveals how Lucy Maud Montgomery’s deep connection to the landscape inspired her to write Anne of Green Gables. From the Lake of Shining Waters and the Haunted Wood to Lover’s Lane, readers will be immersed in the real places immortalized in the novel. Using Montgomery’s journals, archives, and scrapbooks, Reid explores the many similarities between Montgomery and her unforgettable heroine, Anne Shirley. The lush package includes Montgomery’s hand-colorized photographs, the illustrations originally used in Anne of Green Gables, and contemporary and historical photography.

Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life


Sarah Clarkson - 2018
    Raised in the company of the lively Anne of Green Gables, the brave Pevensie children of Narnia, and the wise Austen heroines, she discovered reading early on as a daily gift, a way of encountering the world in all its wonder. But what she came to realize as an adult was just how powerfully books had shaped her as a woman to live a story within that world, to be a lifelong learner, to grasp hope in struggle, and to create and act with courage.She's convinced that books can do the same for you.Join Sarah in exploring the reading life as a gift and an adventure, one meant to enrich, broaden, and delight you in each season of your life as a woman. In Book Girl, you'll discover:how reading can strengthen your spiritual life and deepen your faith, why a journey through classic literature might be just what you need (and where to begin), how stories form your sense of identity, how Sarah's parents raised her to be a reader--and what you can do to cultivate a love of reading in the growing readers around you, and 20+ annotated book lists, including some old favorites and many new discoveries.Whether you've long considered yourself a reader or have dreams of becoming one, Book Girl will draw you into the life-giving journey of becoming a woman who reads and lives well.

Black Ink: Literary Legends on the Peril, Power, and Pleasure of Reading and Writing


Stephanie Stokes Oliver - 2018
    This unique collection seeks to shed light on that injustice and subjugation, as well as the hard-won literary progress made, putting some of America’s most cherished voices in a conversation in one magnificent volume that presents reading as an act of resistance. Organized into three sections, the Peril, the Power, and Pleasure, and with an array of contributors both classic and contemporary, Black Ink presents the brilliant diversity of black thought in America while solidifying the importance of these writers within the greater context of the American literary tradition. At times haunting and other times profoundly humorous, this unprecedented anthology guides you through the remarkable experiences of some of America’s greatest writers and their lifelong pursuits of literacy and literature. The foreword was written by Nikki Giovanni. Contributors include: Frederick Douglass, Solomon Northup, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King, Jr., Toni Morrison, Walter Dean Myers, Stokely Carmichael [Kwame Ture], Alice Walker, Jamaica Kincaid, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Terry McMillan, Junot Diaz, Edwidge Danticat, Colson Whitehead, Marlon James, Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Colson Whitehead. The anthology features a bonus in-depth interview with President Barack Obama.

Lost in the Library


Josh Funk - 2018
    The city is about to awake, and the lions absolutely must be in their places before the sun rises. Now, Fortitude must abandon his own post to find his best friend in the Library’s labyrinthine halls.

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List


James Mustich - 2018
    Covering fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel writing, biography, children’s books, history, and more, 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die ranges across cultures and through time to offer an eclectic collection of works that each deserve to come with the recommendation, You have to read this. But it’s not a proscriptive list of the “great works”—rather, it’s a celebration of the glorious mosaic that is our literary heritage. Flip it open to any page and be transfixed by a fresh take on a very favorite book. Or come across a title you always meant to read and never got around to. Or, like browsing in the best kind of bookshop, stumble on a completely unknown author and work, and feel that tingle of discovery. There are classics, of course, and unexpected treasures, too. Lists to help pick and choose, like Offbeat Escapes, or A Long Climb, but What a View. And its alphabetical arrangement by author assures that surprises await on almost every turn of the page, with Cormac McCarthy and The Road next to Robert McCloskey and Make Way for Ducklings, Alice Walker next to Izaac Walton.  There are nuts and bolts, too—best editions to read, other books by the author, “if you like this, you’ll like that” recommendations , and an interesting endnote of adaptations where appropriate. Add it all up, and in fact there are more than six thousand titles by nearly four thousand authors mentioned—a life-changing list for a lifetime of reading.

Property of the Rebel Librarian


Allison Varnes - 2018
    And everything June loves about Dogwood Middle School unravels: librarian Ms. Bradshaw is suspended, an author appearance is canceled, the library is gutted, and all books on the premises must have administrative approval. But June can't give up books . . . and she realizes she doesn't have to when she spies a Little Free Library on her walk to school. As the rules become stricter at school and at home, June keeps turning the pages of the banned books that continue to appear in the little library. It's a delicious secret . . . and one she can't keep to herself. June starts a banned book library of her own in an abandoned locker at school. The risks grow alongside her library's popularity, and a movement begins at Dogwood Middle--a movement that, if exposed, could destroy her. But if it's powerful enough, maybe it can save Ms. Bradshaw and all that she represents: the freedom to read.Equal parts fun and empowering, this novel explores censorship, freedom of speech, and activism. For any kid who doesn’t believe one person can effect change…and for all the kids who already know they can!

The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations: An Utterly Unreliable Account of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events


Netflix - 2018
    You will encounter original concept art, annotated script excerpts, and interviews with the creative team and all-star cast, as well as glossaries, recipes, lyric sheets, hidden Easter eggs, shocking backstories, and suspicious pages from the titular tome, unredacted, and revealed here for the first time.Featuring interviews with: Tony HaleDaniel HandlerAasif MandviSara RueBarry SonnenfeldPatrick WarburtonBo WelchAlfre Woodardand more...Perhaps you are wondering how a noble person such as yourself might become a member of a secret organization. Like so many things in life, it starts by picking up the right book. So go ahead, read at your own risk.

The Great American Read: The Book of Books: Explore America's 100 Best-Loved Novels


Jessica Allen - 2018
    What are America's best-loved novels? PBS will launch The Great American Read series with a 2-hour special in May 2018 revealing America's 100 best-loved novels, determined by a rigorous national survey. Subsequent episodes will air in September and October. Celebrities and everyday Americans will champion their favorite novel and in the finale in late October, America's #1 best-loved novel will be revealed. The Great American Read: The Book of Books will present all 100 novels with fascinating information about each book, author profiles, a snapshot of the novel's social relevance, film or television adaptations, other books and writings by the author, and little-known facts. Also included are themed articles about banned books, the most influential book illustrators, reading recommendations, the best first-lines in literature, and more. Beautifully designed with rare images of the original manuscripts, first-edition covers, rejection letters, and other ephemera, The Great American Read: The Book of Books is a must-have book for all booklovers.

Syria's Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege


Mike Thomson - 2018
    Yet for four years it lived in another world. Besieged by government forces early in the Syrian Civil War, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by heavy artillery, and under the constant fire of snipers. But deep beneath this scene of frightening devastation lay a hidden library. While the streets above echoed with shelling and rifle fire, the secret world below was a haven of books.Long rows of well-thumbed volumes lined almost every wall: bloated editions with grand leather covers, pocket-sized guides to Syrian poetry, and no-nonsense reference books, all arranged in well-ordered lines. But this precious horde was not bought from publishers or loaned by other libraries--they were the books salvaged and scavenged at great personal risk from the doomed city above.The story of this extraordinary place and the people who found purpose and refuge in it is one of hope, human resilience, and above all, the timeless, universal love of literature and the compassion and wisdom it fosters.

Random Facts about Harry Potter: (500 Random facts, Spells, Charms and Potions for Potter Fans)


Jack Stone - 2018
    The book contains 500 random facts along with Spells, Charms and Potions that you've Probably never heard before in the blockbuster harry potter series.Test your knowledge and check how many of this are know to you.

Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian


Jacob Sager Weinstein - 2018
    Glockenspiel threatens all the books in the world, only one person can stop him—a book-wielding, super-secret operative called Lyric McKerrigan.

The Penguin Classics Book


Henry Eliot - 2018
    The Penguin Classics Book is a reader's companion to the largest library of classic literature in the world.Spanning 4,000 years from the legends of Ancient Mesopotamia to the poetry of the First World War, with Greek tragedies, Icelandic sagas, Japanese epics and much more in between, it encompasses 500 authors and 1,200 books, bringing these to life with lively descriptions, literary connections and beautiful cover designs.

Abridged Classics: Brief Summaries of Books You Were Supposed to Read but Probably Didn't


John Atkinson - 2018
    Tolkien, Margaret Atwood, James Joyce, Plato, Ernest Hemingway, Dan Brown, Ayn Rand, and Herman Melville.From "Old ladies convince a guy to ruin Scotland" (Macbeth) to "Everyone is sad. It snows." (War and Peace), these clever, humorous synopses are sure to make book lovers smile.

The Snooty Bookshop: Fifty Literary Postcards


Tom Gauld - 2018
    A master of condensing grand, highbrow themes into one- to eight-panel comics, his weekly strips embody his trademark British humor while simultaneously opening comics to an audience unfamiliar with the artistry that cartooning has to offer. Funny but serious, these comics allow Gauld to put his impressive knowledge of history, literature, and pop culture on full display—his impeccable timing and distinctive visual style setting him apart from the rest.This postcard set celebrates more than a decade of Gauld’s contributions to The Guardian, with fifty of his most beloved strips, on everything from Samuel Beckett’s sitcom pitches (such as Waiting for Kramer: a show where two men await the arrival of a man named Kramer who never comes), “Procrastination for Creative Writers, a 10-Week Course,” and “Poetry Anthologies for People Who Don’t Like Poems.” Witty and beautifully drawn, The Snooty Bookshop will make you chuckle at least fifty times, guaranteed.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls


Elaine Roberts - 2018
    Elaine Roberts is a bright new star in the world of sagas' Elaine Everest. London, 1914: one ordinary day, three girls arrive for work at London's renowned Foyles bookshop. But when war with Germany is declared their lives will never be the same again... Alice has always been the 'sensible' one in her family – especially in comparison with her suffrage-supporting sister! But decidedly against her father's wishes, she accepts a job at Foyles Bookshop; and for bookworm Alice it's a dream come true. But with the country at war, Alice's happy world is shattered in an instant. Determined to do what she can, Alice works in the bookshop by day, and risks her own life driving an ambulance around bomb-ravaged London by night. But however busy she keeps herself, she can't help but think of the constant danger those she loves are facing on the frontline... Alice, Victoria and Molly couldn't be more different and yet they share a friendship that stems back to their childhood – a friendship that provides everyday solace from the tribulations and heartbreak of war. Perfect for fans of Elaine Everest, Daisy Styles and Rosie Hendry. Look out for the next book in the series, The Foyles Bookshop Girls at War.

The Little Book Café: Tash’s Story


Georgia Hill - 2018
    Dragged there by her friend Emma, she knows she needs a night out. Her boyfriend Adrian is wonderful, and adores her, but has become a bit clingy of late. So when she is introduced to new local farmer Kit, with his scruffy beard and low-key look, its’s a breath of fresh air to chat to someone so un-Adrian. Maybe this book club idea could be fun after all!But when Tash starts forgetting things and behaving oddly, over-protective Adrian is determined to keep her from her new interest. But if bookclub has taught Tash anything, she should know not to judge a book by its cover…

The Reading Cure: How Books Restored My Appetite


Laura Freeman - 2018
    She had seized the one aspect of her life that she seemed able to control, and struck different foods from her diet one by one until she was starving. But even at her lowest point, the one appetite she never lost was her love of reading.As Laura battled her anorexia, she gradually re-discovered how to enjoy food - and life more broadly - through literature. Plum puddings and pottles of fruit in Dickens gave her courage to try new dishes; the wounded Robert Graves' appreciation of a pair of greengages changed the way she thought about plenty and choice; Virginia Woolf's painterly descriptions of bread, blackberries and biscuits were infinitely tempting. Book by book, meal by meal, Laura developed an appetite and discovered an entire library of reasons to live.The Reading Cure is a beautiful, inspiring account of hunger and happiness, about addiction, obsession and recovery, and about the way literature and food can restore appetite and renew hope.

Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia


Joseph Pearce - 2018
    Lewis’ magical land entered through that most important wardrobe in literary history. Beloved by generations of readers, The Chronicles of Narnia are thought, erroneously, by some to be “mere children’s stories.” In this volume, Pearce thoroughly debunks the error as he skillfully explains why there is nothing “mere” about such stories. Rather, the Narnia books contain profound insights concerning the human condition. Pearce, however, goes beyond even that and illuminates the deeper riches and profound truths found therein: the highest truths, in fact, those concerning God. Join Pearce as he explores the “grown-up” themes that are so important for a proper understanding of Lewis’ magnificent creation, including the deep and profound Christian symbolism, extensive literary allusions, and the constant theme of temptation, sin, and redemption. The author of numerous literary works and an authority on the writings of Lewis, Chesterton, and Tolkien, Pearce is uniquely qualified to examine the deeper theological, philosophical, and historical dimensions of the Chronicles. With Pearce as your guide, “return to Narnia,” and come to understand in new and profound ways that place which has so marked the imaginative landscape of so many. Rediscover your love for Narnia, because “wardrobes are for grown-ups too.”

GUTS


Janet Buttenwieser - 2018
    But within a year she’d developed an intestinal illness so rare she wound up in a medical journal. Janet navigated misdiagnosis, multiple surgeries, and life with a permanent colostomy. Like many female patients her concerns were glossed over by doctors. She was young and insecure, major liabilities in her life as a patient. How would she advocate for low-income people when she couldn’t even advocate for herself? Janet’s model for assertiveness was her friend Beth. She was the kind of friend who’d accompany you to the doctor when you got dysentery in Ecuador, nonchalantly translating the graphic details of your symptoms into Spanish. Throughout Janet’s illness Beth took care of her; then she developed brain cancer and their roles reversed. Eventually Janet recovered, but Beth’s condition worsened. At the age of 38, Beth died. To cope, Janet competed in endurance events, becoming a triathlete with a colostomy pouch. With themes that echo Susannah Cahalan’s 'Brain on Fire' and Gail Caldwell’s 'Let’s Take the Long Way Home', GUTS is a story of resilience for the millions of Americans who manage to thrive while living with a chronic condition, as well as the many who’ve lost a loved one at a young age.

Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading


Lucy Mangan - 2018
    They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one.She was whisked away to Narnia – and Kirrin Island – and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy, and played by the tracks with the Railway Children. With Charlotte’s Web she discovered Death and with Judy Blume it was Boys. No wonder she only left the house for her weekly trip to the library or to spend her pocket money on amassing her own at home.In Bookworm, Lucy revisits her childhood reading with wit, love and gratitude. She relives our best-beloved books, their extraordinary creators, and looks at the thousand subtle ways they shape our lives. She also disinters a few forgotten treasures to inspire the next generation of bookworms and set them on their way.Lucy brings the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life – prompting endless re-readings, rediscoveries, and, inevitably, fierce debate – and brilliantly uses them to tell her own story, that of a born, and unrepentant, bookworm.

Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study: 80 Expert Insights, Explained in a Single Minute


Michael S. Heiser - 2018
    It's also one of the most misunderstood. Studying Scripture involves much more than reading. Serious Bible study can be a daunting task. It takes effort and skill.The Bible was put together over 2000 years ago. There are serious obstacles to grasping its meaning and message. Wouldn't it be great to have a seasoned Bible scholar by your side to help? Now you can. In Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study, biblical scholar Michael S. Heiser is the guide by your side, providing easy-to-read lessons and truisms for grasping God's Word.Adept Bible study isn't about a checklist of tasks. It's about using the right tools, thinking carefully, and sticking to it. You don't need to be a scholar to understand the Bible. You just need some advice from one along the way.

The Art of the Fold: How to Make Innovative Books and Paper Structures (Learn paper craft bookbinding from influential bookmaker artist Hedi Kyle)


Hedi Kyle - 2018
    From creating flag books and fishbones, to blizzards and nesting boxes, you'll gain an invaluable insight into the work of two skilled artists with this fun read! With the help of their thorough instructions and simple illustrations, you'll be on your way to becoming a pro paper crafter in no time at all" – Sew magazine"A wonderful insight into the work of a truly skilled artist" – PaperCrafterThe renowned and influential book artist Hedi Kyle shows you step–by–step how to create her unique designs using folding techniques in The Art of the Fold. Bookbinding and paper craft projects include flag books, blizzard books, the fishbone fold, and nesting boxes.Written by the doyenne of artists' books, Hedi Kyle, The Art of the Fold is a wonderful insight into the work of a truly skilled artist. Hedi will show you how to bind a book and fold paper to create over 35 of her cut–fold book designs. The book is beautifully illustrated with Hedi's finished works of art.An excerpt from the book:'I can still remember the thrill I experienced when my first folded book structure emerged from my fingers – how eager I was to explore its possibilities and to share it with whoever was interested. The Flag Book, as I now call it, is a simple accordion and has interlocking pages oriented in opposite directions. Little did I know that this simple structure would have legs and be the catalyst for the next forty–plus years of thinking about and making books.The common perception of the book today is fairly straightforward: a series of pages organized around a spine and protected on either side by two covers. This format allows for easy access, storage and retrieval of information. Yet what happens when the book is stripped away of centuries of preconceptions and is allowed to reveal something else: playfulness, utility, invention? Expanding the notion of the book is what the structures in the following chapters of The Art of the Fold attempt to do. Exploring its tactile, sculptural form, primarily through folding methods, the book as a structural object is celebrated while content is considered in a new and unconventional way.My range in this medium has always been broad. In part this is due to my introduction to the world of bookbinding and some chance encounters. In the 1970s in New York City, the art and craft of hand bookbinding and papermaking were experiencing an unprecedented revival. I was fortunate to arrive in the city at just this moment. With an art–school background and an impulse to make things, I was naturally drawn to pursue this new opportunity. The Center for Book Arts, the famous forerunner of so many centers yet to come, was located in a small storefront just down the street from where I lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Under the direction of founder Richard Minsky, it had a radical mission: to push concept, materials, printing and making of artist books in a new direction. When Richard dared me to teach at the Center one evening a week, I was hooked.My career as a book conservator and a book artist has now spanned over 45 years. As head conservator at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, I've had the opportunity to handle some of the rarest volumes and manuscripts in the world. I have also dealt with decrepit books, torn maps and countless curiosities discovered in stacks and archives. All were endless sources for ideas and provided a springboard for a departure from tradition. Leading book–arts workshops around the world and a 25 year tenure teaching in the graduate program for Book Arts and Printmaking at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia have shown me, in retrospect, that the more I taught, the more it propelled me to experiment and develop my ideas. The many students I have had over the years were always my biggest inspiration, and they continue to be so.' – Hedi Kyle, Pine Hill, NY Sept 2017

The William H. Gass Reader


William H. Gass - 2018
    . . and at those whose work he explores and embraces (Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy; Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End; Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain; Stendhal's The Red and the Black). He writes (from A Temple of Texts) on the nature and value of writing ("The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words"). Here is a rich experience of Gass's short fiction: from Eyes, his masterfully crafted novella, "In Camera," about collecting, hording; about suspicions run amok . . . from Cartesian Sonata . . . and In the Heart of the Heart of the Country (1968), a mythical reimagining of America's heartland. And from his nimble, daredevil novels: Middle C (2013), the chronicle of an Austrian-born man who, as a child with his mother, relocates to America's Midwest (Woodbine, Ohio), grows up a low-skilled amateur piano player to become a music professor at a small Bible college; his only hobby a fantasy life as the curator of his Inhumanity Museum . . . and from The Tunnel ("The most beautiful, most complex, most disturbing novel to be published in my lifetime" --Michael Silverblatt, Los Angeles Times).

Writers: Their Lives and Works


James Naughtie - 2018
    Each featured novelist, playwright, or poet is introduced by a stunning portrait, followed by photography and illustrations of locations and artifacts important in their lives - along with pages from original manuscripts, first editions, and their correspondence.Trace the friendships, loves, and rivalries that inspired each individual and affected their writing, revealing insights into the larger-than-life characters, plots, and evocative settings that they created. You will also uncover details each writer's most famous pieces and understand the times and cultures they lived in - see how the world influenced them and how their works influenced the world.Writers introduces key ideas, themes, and literary techniques of each figure, revealing the imaginations and personalities behind some of the world's greatest novels, short stories, poems, and plays. A diverse variety of authors are covered, from the Middle Ages to present day, providing a compelling glimpse into the lives of the people behind the page.

A People's Guide to Publishing: Build a Successful, Sustainable, Meaningful Book Business


Joe Biel - 2018
    You'll learn all the skills of the trade, including how to:Develop your individual books to connect with readers on a practical and emotional levelChoose between offset printed, digitally printed, and eBook formats and work effectively with printersBuild an authentic niche so you can reach your audience and sell books directlyUnderstand if and when you're ready to work with a distributor or large online retailerCreate a budget and predict the cost and income of each book so your company stays in the blackDecide what work you need to do yourself and what can be done by othersPlan for sustainable growthFeaturing interviews with other upstart independent publishers and funny anecdotes from publishing's long history as well as detailed charts and visuals, this book is intended both beginners looking for a realistic overview of the publishing or self-publishing process and for experienced publishers seeking a deeper understanding of accounting principles, ways to bring their books to new audiences, and how to advance their mission in a changing industry. All readers will come away with the confidence to move forward wisely and a strong sense of why publishing matters today more than ever.

The Writer's Field Guide to the Craft of Fiction


Michael Noll - 2018
    THE WRITER'S FIELD GUIDE offers a refreshing approach to the craft of fiction writing. It takes a single page from forty contemporary novels and short stories, identifies techniques used by the writers, and presents approachable exercises and prompts that allow anyone to put those techniques to immediate use in their own work. Encompassing everything from micro (how to "write pretty") to macro (how to "move through time space"), and even how to put all together on page one, this a field guide for anyone who wants to start writing now. "There comes a time in every writer's education when they realize they don't know what the hell they're doing. At this point, a writer can throw in the towel, take out student loans for another round of schooling, or discover a brilliant book like Michael Noll's THE WRITER'S FIELD GUIDE. With patience, good humor, and fortitude, Noll provides a field manual for taking fiction apart and putting it back together again, gaining technical know-how and inspiration along the way. An indispensable book that belongs on every serious writer's desk."--Amanda Eyre Ward "These exercises are a true inspiration for both novice and experienced writers. THE WRITER'S FIELD GUIDE is an invaluable book that will energize any writer's imagination and help overcome any writer's block."--Heidi W. Durrow "Michael Noll, having grown up a curious, pragmatic Midwestern farm boy, now passes along some of his hard-earned fiction writing wisdom, freeing us from the 'Behold! Genius- at-work' writing myths in the process. As a writer you'll still find yourself in awe of what Nabokov, Morrison, or Chekov do on the page, but Noll shines some new light on how fiction writers might reexamine story form, character, and language through an old but nearly forgotten method-close reading and imitation-and build their own entirely original works. Because there's less theory and more practice, we all benefit. 'Tell me a story, ' he quotes one of his former instructors urging, which seems simplistic until you look at how often we avoid doing just that. A terrific, truly curious book about the humbling practice of writing fiction."--Scott Blackwood "For years, Michael Noll's Read to Write Stories blog has been one of my favorite resources, period. Now, at last, along comes his WRITER'S FIELD GUIDE, in which reading and writing are rightly treated as inextricable, such that every sharp insight and lively provocation is rooted in the terra firma of great writing. Indeed, its primary text excerpts are impeccable, but it is also Noll's own intuition, reading acumen, and willingness to push beyond the obvious that ultimately make these exercises so worthwhile, and the book a gem."--Tim Horvath, author of Understories

Slightly Foxed Issue 60 : A Dickens of a Riot


Gail Pirkis - 2018
    H. Shepard, Drawn from Memory & Drawn from LifeFrom Bloomsbury . . . • ALAN BRADLEYVirginia Woolf, The Common Reader. . . to Buckingham Palace • HAZEL WOODAlan Bennett, The Uncommon ReaderRock, Root and Bird • JUSTIN MAROZZINan Shepherd, The Living MountainKeeping Ahead of the Game • CHRISTOPHER RUSHAnon., Sir Gawain and the Green KnightRussian Roulette • ANNE BOSTONLionel Davidson, Kolymsky HeightsIncorrigible and Irresistible • SUE GAISFORDThe letters of John Wilmot, Earl of RochesterA Modern Pied Piper • MAGGIE FERGUSSONAn interview with Michael MorpurgoHistories of the Soul • CHRISTIAN TYLERThe works of Svetlana AlexievichWhatever Happened to Elizabeth Jenkins? • NIGEL ANDREWThe novels of Elizabeth JenkinsIn Search of Unicorns • VICTORIA NEUMARKElizabeth Goudge, The Little White Horse & Linnets and ValeriansGrave Expectations • RICHARD PLATTCharles Palliser, The QuincunxKinsey Makes a Difference • FRANCES DONNELLYSue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone Alphabet novelsThe Next Bob Dylan • Laurence ScottBert Weedon, Play in a DayUnsung Heroes • ALASTAIR GLEGGLearning to read at prep schoolAbout Slightly FoxedThe independent-minded quarterly that combines good looks, good writing and a personal approach. Slightly Foxed introduces its readers to books that are no longer new and fashionable but have lasting appeal. Good-humoured, unpretentious and a bit eccentric, it’s more like a well-read friend than a literary magazine. More . . . ‘It ranks as one of the more unusual publications I have ever come across and manages to be both literary and easily readable. I consider myself fairly well-read but Slightly Foxed never fails to dazzle me upon its arrival. ’ Bookslut ‘Slightly Foxed’s best offering is its quarterly, in which a dozen or so elegant essays make a case for various amusing but neglected books. A subscription would make an inspired gift for a hungry reader.’ Telegraph ‘A highly diverting antitode to the gloom of winter’ The Tablet

Reading with Presence: Crafting Meaningful, Evidenced-Based Reading Responses


Marilyn Pryle - 2018
    Is there a more frustrating answer when we ask students what they think about the texts they're reading? More often than not, they DO know; or at least, they have something to say but are afraid to say it.Marilyn Pryle argues that we can help students find their voices and deeply understand texts when we invite them to write and share short reading responses. If you've read something, you must have a thought, she explains. The idea behind reading responses is simple: Read, and have a concrete idea about the text to bring to the discussion. You don't have to be 'right.' But you do have to have a thought from your own mind that is specific about the reading. This kind of engagement with texts is what Marilyn calls reading with presence. Writing and sharing reading responses helps students look more closely at texts and their own thinking, while boosting engagement and self-confidence in their own voices.Marilyn provides a clear framework for helping students embark on a year long journey of literary criticism and intellectual growth, filling notebooks with responses that are both personal and scholarly. Her suggested categories for reading responses allow for plenty of student choice, and the writing examples she shares throughout the book illustrate students' deep thinking about a rich variety of texts both old and new, in a range of genres, from both whole-class and independent reading. Reading responses put students on a road that leads to evidence-based interpretation rooted in personal experience, prior knowledge, and engagement, Marilyn writes. The road, perhaps, of personal growth. And isn't that why we all teach in the first place?

Reading Art: Art for Book Lovers


David Trigg - 2018
    Books are depicted as indicators of intellect in portraits, as symbols of piety in religious paintings, as subjects in still lifes, and as the raw material for contemporary installations. Reading Art spotlights artworks from museums and collections around the globe, creating a gorgeous, inspiring homage to both the written word and to its pivotal role in the visual world.

Buzz Books 2018: Spring/Summer: Exclusive excerpts from forthcoming titles by Patrick DeWitt, Sheila Heti, Kristan Higgins, Ottessa Moshfegh Allison Pearson and 35 more


Publishers Lunch - 2018
    Start off a year of new reading discoveries with substantial excerpts from 40 talked about Buzz Books due to be published in the months ahead. Be among the first to get a taste of new fiction from major bestselling authors including Allison Pearson’s follow up to I Don’t Know How She Does It and beloved romance writer Kristan Higgins’ work of general fiction, Good Luck with That. Samples from award-winning literary authors include Chris Offutt, with his first novel in 20 years, Country Dark; Ottessa Moshfegh with My Year of Rest and Relaxation; bestselling nonfiction author Sheila Heti’s Motherhood, and Peter Swanson’s thriller All the Beautiful Lies. The new Buzz Books shines a light on 11 promising debuts. Bestselling nonfiction author Aimee Molloy’s forthcoming novel The Perfect Mother already has been optioned for film by Kerry Washington. Accomplished comic book writer Charles Soule writes a novel that is part comedy, part thriller, The Oracle Year. Other featured debut authors include Luke Allnutt, Alice Feeney, Jane Rosenberg LaForge, and Zoje Stage. Our fascinating nonfiction section is filled with memoir this time around. In The Fox Hunt, Mohammed Al Samawi describes fighting in the Yemeni Civil War before fleeing to the United States while Tessa Fontaine’s The Electric Woman is about running away to join the circus. Regular readers know that each Buzz Books collection is filled with early looks at titles that will go on to top the bestseller lists and critics' "best of the year" lists. And our comprehensive seasonal preview starts the book off with a curated overview of hundreds of notable books on the way later this year.For still more great previews, check out our separate Buzz Books 2018: Young Adult Spring/Summer as well. For complete download links, lists and more, just visit buzz.publishersmarketplace.com.

Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein


Kathryn Harkup - 2018
    Frankenstein: Or, Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley had a huge impact on gothic horror and science fiction genres. The name Frankenstein has become part of our everyday language, often used in derogatory terms to describe scientists who have overstepped a perceived moral line. But how did a 19-year-old woman with no formal education come up with the idea for an extraordinary novel such as Frankenstein? The period of 1790-1820 saw huge advances in our understanding of electricity and physiology. Sensational science demonstrations caught the imagination of the general public, and newspapers were full of tales of murderers and resurrectionists.It is unlikely that Frankenstein would have been successful in his attempts to create life back in 1818. However, advances in medical science mean we have overcome many of the stumbling blocks that would have thwarted his ambition. We can resuscitate people using defibrillators, save lives using blood transfusions, and prolong life through organ transplants--these procedures are nowadays considered almost routine. Many of these modern achievements are a direct result of 19th century scientists conducting their gruesome experiments on the dead.Making the Monster explores the science behind Shelley's book. From tales of reanimated zombie kittens to electrical experiments on human cadavers, Kathryn Harkup examines the science and scientists that influenced Mary Shelley and inspired her most famous creation, Victor Frankenstein. While, thankfully, we are still far from being able to recreate Victor's "creature," scientists have tried to create the building blocks of life, and the dream of creating life-forms from scratch is now tantalizingly close.

Buzz Books 2018: Fall/Winter: Exclusive excerpts from forthcoming titles by Stephen Carter, Jude Devereaux, Leif Enger, Barbara Kingsolver, Sarah Perry and 35 more


Publishers Lunch - 2018
    From bestselling authors we have samples of new work from Barbara Kingsolver, Diane Chamberlain and Jude Devereaux, who breaks away from romance with her first mystery. A rich selection of highly anticipated follow-up books is inside too: Sarah Perry’s Melmoth, a companion to The Essex Serpent; Elizabeth McCracken’s Bowlaway; and Leif Enger’s Virgil Wander. This edition is packed with 16 big debut novels, including the highly-touted The Silent Patient by British screenwriter Alex Michaelides, already being adapted to film and posed to become an international bestseller, and Kathy Wang’s Family Trust, described as The Nest set in Silicon Valley. In nonfiction, bestselling novelist and history author Stephen L. Carter writes about his grandmother in Invisible: The Forgotten Story Of The Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster. Journalist Stephanie Land describes her poverty-ridden early years in Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, And A Mother’s Will To Survive, a Book Expo Buzz Editor’s Panel pick. Memoirs on two opposite ends of the spectrum include My Own Devices by rap singer Dessa and Witness: Lessons From Elie Wiesel’s Classroom by Ariel Burger. Regular readers know that each Buzz Books collection is filled with early looks at titles that will go on to top the bestseller lists and critics' "best of the year" lists. And our comprehensive seasonal preview starts the book off with a curated overview of hundreds of notable books on the way later this year. While Buzz Books feels like your own insider access to book publishing, these collections are meant to be shared, so spread your enthusiasm and "to be read" picks online. For still more great previews, check out our separate Buzz Books 2018: Young Adult Fall/Winter as well. Finally, don’t miss our popular Buzz Books Monthly editions, available on Amazon, iBooks, and NetGalley, for up-to-the-minute monthly publication lists and excerpts.

Vault of Frankenstein: 200 Years of the World's Most Famous Monster


Paul Ruditis - 2018
    Removable replica memorabilia—Shelley's manuscript pages, movie posters, a playbill, and a photograph of Boris Karloff on set for the iconic 1931 portrayal of the character—add an interactive element to this amazing retrospective. Beginning with the story of how Mary Shelley first conceived of the novel (on a stormy night on the shores of Lake Geneva), The Vault of Frankensteintraces the Creature’s evolution from nameless literary character to international superstar, appearing in films, TV shows, comic books, and commercial merchandise.Frankenstein’s monster has been a hero and a villain, in both comedies and dramas. He hastap danced with Gene Wilder, held a daisy by a stream, and even appeared on cereal boxes. With special attention placed on the 1931 film that lifted Frankenstein’s monster to a new level of stardom, this book explores the many facets of this enduring—and often tragically misunderstood—character. Fantastic replica memorabilia—enclosed in an elegantly designed envelope inside the back cover—bring the history to even more vivid life as you hold it in your hands:The Bride of Frankenstein movie posterPages from Mary Shelley's original manuscript of Frankenstein; or, The Modern PrometheusPhoto of Boris Karloff on the set of Universal's FrankensteinPlaybill for Presumption; or The Fate of Frankenstein, the first stage adaptation of FrankensteinFrankenstein movie posterRelive the Creature's greatest pop culture moments in this new retrospective that commemorates the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's masterpiece.

Every Day a Word Surprises Me Other Quotes by Writers


Phaidon Press - 2018
    This carefully curated book, packed with original research, is a go-to resource for thoughts on a variety of subjects, including originality, punctuation, reading, daily routines, rejection, money troubles, the creative process, love, truth, and more. 'Every day a word surprises me' is a quotation from British neurologist and author Oliver Sacks. This collection is full of its own surprises and hard-earned advice - communicated with the eloquence and clarity that only the world's finest writers could summon.

Book Nerds and Boyfriends


Sarah Monzon - 2018
    She’d take curling up with a good novel over a night on the town any day of the week. But then best friend Tate Woodby accuses her of living between the pages of her paperbacks instead of the real world, and makes a bet that will force her to experience the adventures of her fictional friends…instead of just reading about them. With her face no longer buried in books, Emory must confront the pain of the past. But is it also her perfect opportunity to discover the hunky hero who could be the happily-ever-after of her own story? Literarily For Keeps She only has to pretend to be married for five days. What's the worst that could happen? Literature professor Ashleigh Darmody never imagined her life would turn into a classic trope, but that's exactly what happens when her sister Claire calls with a bizarre request--quickly find a fake husband. Backstory is a powerful thing, and Ashleigh's has plenty of shadows, but is her past so shady that it requires an elaborate scheme to ensure Claire's prospective father-in-law, renowned TV evangelist Ken Abrams, will give her his blessing to marry his son?Already divorced from a man who turned out to be other than he claimed, Ashleigh now has to pretend to be blissfully married to a stranger for the next five days. But when the lines of fiction and reality blur with each tick of the clock, could a temporary deal turn into something for keeps? Novelly Upon A Time Harper Jones prides herself on the impeccable research she does for her novels, so when early reviews come pouring in claiming her romance reeks of inauthenticity, her editor suggests pulling her nose out of books and getting some real-life smooching experience. But her plans to do just that are thwarted by her arch nemesis from high school who's recently returned to town. Suddenly she's left with an impossible decision--kiss her worst enemy or kiss her three-book contract goodbye.

100 Books That Changed the World


Scott Christianson - 2018
    Beautifully illustrated in full color, this book informs and entertains as it demonstrates how the power of the written word has shaped, changed, and even revolutionized the world.Prize-winning author Scott Christianson brings together an exceptional collection of groundbreaking works that have changed the tide of history. Included are scriptures that founded religions, manifestos that sparked revolutions, scientific treatises that challenged ingrained beliefs, and novels that kick-started new literary movements.This sweeping chronological survey highlights the most important books from around the globe, from the earliest illuminated manuscripts all the way to the digital age. Included are such well-known classics as the Odyssey, the Torah, Shakespeare's First Folio, Moby-Dick, and Darwin's On the Origins of Species, but an array of other works, some well-known and others less so, are featured as well, including those by Sun Tzu, Nicolaus Copernicus, Mary Wollstonecraft, Adam Smith, Henry David Thoreau, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, as well as more recent works by J. K. Rowling, Art Spiegelman, and Naomi Klein. This provocative collection is the perfect book for both literature lovers and history buffs.

How to Get Your Screen-Loving Kids to Read Books for Pleasure


Kaye Newton - 2018
    Studies show that reading can also reduce stress levels and help us relate to each other. "How to Get Your Screen-Loving Kids to Read Books for Pleasure" offers practical advice, kid-tested tips, and recommendations of books that will hook children on reading for fun.

Read Harder (A Reading Log): Track Books, Chart Progress


Book Riot - 2018
    Evenly interspersed among these entry pages are 12 challenges inspired by Book Riot’s annual Read Harder initiative, which began in 2015 to encourage readers to pick up passed-over books, try out new genres, and choose titles from a wider range of voices and perspectives. Indulge your inner book nerd and read a book about books, get a new perspective on current events by reading a book written by an immigrant, find a hidden gem by reading a book published by an independent press, and so much more. Each challenge includes an inspiring quotation, an explanation of why the challenge will prove to be rewarding, and five book recommendations that fulfill the challenge.

Packing My Library: An Elegy and Ten Digressions


Alberto Manguel - 2018
    Packing up his enormous, 35,000‑volume personal library, choosing which books to keep, store, or cast out, Manguel found himself in deep reverie on the nature of relationships between books and readers, books and collectors, order and disorder, memory and reading. In this poignant and personal reevaluation of his life as a reader, the author illuminates the highly personal art of reading and affirms the vital role of public libraries.   Manguel’s musings range widely, from delightful reflections on the idiosyncrasies of book lovers to deeper analyses of historic and catastrophic book events, including the burning of ancient Alexandria’s library and contemporary library lootings at the hands of ISIS. With insight and passion, the author underscores the universal centrality of books and their unique importance to a democratic, civilized, and engaged society.

Read to Succeed: The Power of Books to Transform Your Life and Put You on the Path to Success


Stan Skrabut - 2018
    Developing a reading habit that will open you up to new ideas is easy to start and by reading this book, you will learn how to develop a reading habit that will last.The book recounts the reading habits of our Founding Fathers. In addition, it shares the reading plans of well-known successful business leaders such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Oprah Winfrey. These pillars of our society all have similar reading habits. This book uses their strategies to help anyone become a more effective reader. Further, this book lays out realistic ideas on how to incorporate reading into your personal game plan to succeed and accomplish your goals. Whether you are a beginning college student or already on your way to success in the professional world, this book has something for you to hasten your path.Do yourself and your future a favor, get Read to Succeed today and start building a reading habit right away!

Flight of the Lionheart: The Dark Pilgrim


J.M. Cliff - 2018
    Two decades ago, the Empire gave itself over to tyranny. And with surrender came the violent purge of history. Libraries stand desolate. Book burnings glow ominously on street corners. People must erase their memories or be accused of high treason. After all, it is history that would remind Andumon of a time before fear and oppression, before the reign of the tyrant. In the small town of Adanac, far removed from the heart of the Empire and its dangerous politics, life for Gilaon and his townspeople continues simply. But everything is about to change. When his village is violently attacked, Gilaon is pitched into a vast and perilous world. As he travels across the wilds of Andumon, he discovers the key piece to a revolutionary plot. Gilaon cannot rest until he unravels the secrets of his own mother’s mysterious past, and of her involvement with an underground rebellion.

Saving Cinderella: What Feminists Get Wrong About Disney Princesses And How To Set It Right


Faith Moore - 2018
    Until the 1990s, Disney princesses were role models for little girls, teaching them how to grow up into strong, centered, moral women. But then something terrible happened. A vocal minority of viewers and film critics (let’s call them “princess critics”) got hold of the narrative. They called Disney princesses “drips,” said they were “boring,” and boiled their dreams down to “husband hunting.” And Disney listened, churning out princesses who were virtue-signaling, man-hating puppets shouting the ideas of the princess critics. But the princess critics were wrong. Each chapter in this book covers one of the eleven “official” Disney princesses (plus Elsa and Anna from Frozen, who aren’t yet “official”). In chronological order the book will explore the themes, tropes, and symbolism of these movies, and the ways in which the princess critics have influenced our perceptions of them. And then it will prove the princess critics wrong. Saving Cinderella rescues the Disney princess narrative from the princess critics, giving Disney fans everywhere the validation they need to proudly love the princesses they’ve always admired in secret.

After Emily: Two Remarkable Women and the Legacy of America's Greatest Poet


Julie Dobrow - 2018
    Utilizing letters, diaries, and journals long relegated to the archives, Julie Dobrow reveals the intrigue of Dickinson’s literary beginnings, including a tumultuous affair, controversial editorial decisions, and a battle over the right to define the “Belle of Amherst.”“Dobrow’s intimate account reveals how decisively [Mabel and Millicent’s] efforts shaped perceptions of the white- clad recluse and her visionary poems. Scandal and pathos abound.” — The New Yorker“Long overdue. . . . At the end of her book, Ms. Dobrow wonders what Mabel and Millicent would think of her good work. Doubtless, they’d be very pleased.” — Brenda Wineapple, Wall Street Journal“[Dobrow] serves as a kind of fiercely clever detective in stitching together Todd’s remarkable influence and all the other little intrigues behind the marketing of Dickinson and her legacy.” — American Scholar

Making Medieval Manuscripts


Christopher de Hamel - 2018
    But who were the skilled craftsmen who made these exquisite books? What precisely is parchment? How were medieval manuscripts designed and executed? What were the inks and pigments, and how were they applied? Examining the work of scribes, illuminators, and bookbinders, this lavishly illustrated account tells the story of manuscript production from the early Middle Ages through to the high Renaissance. Each stage of production is described in detail, from the preparation of the parchment, pens, paints, and inks to the writing of the scripts and the final decoration of the manuscript. Christopher de Hamel’s engaging text is accompanied by a glossary of key technical terms relating to manuscripts and illumination, providing an invaluable introduction for anyone interested in studying medieval manuscripts today.

The Big Book Adventure


Emily Ford - 2018
    Best friends Foxy and Piggy can’t wait to tell each other about all of their adventures in reading! Flying over Neverland, swimming with a mermaid, joining in a mad tea party, soaring on a magic carpet—old classics come to life in the eyes of two little readers who can’t believe what they’ve seen. Journey back to old favorites and experience the magic all over again in this adorable picture book about the joys of reading!

Slightly Foxed 59: 'Manhattan Moments'


Gail Pirkis - 2018
    

The Literary Medicine Cabinet A Guide to Self-Care Through Good Books


Haley Stewart - 2018
    

Sylvia's Bookshop: The Story of Paris's Beloved Bookstore and Its Founder (As Told by the Bookstore Itself!)


Robert Burleigh - 2018
    “Books are my treasures—the best that I’ve got.” Books are like rivers that flow through my head. Books are like roads,” she just might have said. “Roads that connect my old self to my new. Unlocking our hearts to what’s noble and true.” Told by the bookstore itself, Sylvia’s Bookshop tells the story of the legendary Shakespeare and Company, its owner Sylvia Beach, and the many great writers who gathered there to meet, read, and remind us that books are more than the words on the page.

An Informal History of the Hugos


Jo Walton - 2018
    They are widely considered the most prestigious award in science fiction.Between 2010 and 2013, Jo Walton wrote a series of posts for Tor.com, surveying the Hugo finalists and winners from the award’s inception up to the year 2000. Her contention was that each year’s full set of finalists generally tells a meaningful story about the state of science fiction at that time.Walton’s cheerfully opinionated and vastly well-informed posts provoked valuable conversation among the field’s historians. Now these posts, lightly revised, have been gathered into this book, along with a small selection of the comments posted by SF luminaries such as Rich Horton, Gardner Dozois, and the late David G. Hartwell.Engaged, passionate, and consistently entertaining, this is a book for the many who enjoyed Walton’s previous collection of writing from Tor.com, the Locus Award-winning What Makes This Book So Great.

Behind the Book: Eleven Authors on Their Path to Publication


Chris Mackenzie Jones - 2018
    No two books follow quite the same path, but all are shaped by a similar array of market forces and writing craft concerns as well as by a cast of characters stretching beyond the author.Behind the Book explores how eleven contemporary first-time authors, in genres ranging from post-apocalyptic fiction to young adult fantasy to travel memoir, navigated these pathways with their debut works. Based on extensive interviews with the authors, it covers the process of writing and publishing a book from beginning to end, including idea generation, developing a process, building a support network, revising the manuscript, finding the right approach to publication, building awareness, and ultimately moving on to the next project. It also includes insights from editors, agents, publishers, and others who helped to bring these projects to life. Unlike other books on writing craft, Behind the Book looks at the larger picture of how an author’s work and choices can affect the outcome of a project. The authors profiled in each story open up about their challenges, mistakes, and successes. While their paths to publication may be unique, together they offer important lessons that authors of all types can apply to their own writing journeys.

Slightly Foxed (Issue 58): 'A Snatch of Morning'


Gail Pirkis - 2018
    

The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction: Third Edition


Neal Wyatt - 2018
    A must for every readers' advisory desk, this resource is also a useful tool for collection development librarians and students in LIS programs. Inside, RA experts Wyatt and Saricks cover genres such as Psychological Suspense, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Literary and Historical Fiction, and introduce the concepts of Adrenaline and Relationship Fiction; include everything advisors need to get up to speed on a genre, including its appeal characteristics, key authors, sure bets, and trends; demonstrate how genres overlap and connect, plus suggestions for guiding readers among genres; and tie genre fiction to the whole collection, including nonfiction, audiobooks, graphic novels, film and TV, poetry, and games. Both insightful and comprehensive, this matchless guidebook will help librarians become familiar with many different fiction genres, especially those they do not regularly read, and aid library staff in connecting readers to books they're sure to love.

Slightly Foxed no 57: 'A Crowning Achievement'


Gail Pirkis - 2018
    

Writers as Readers: A Celebration of Virago Modern Classics


Various - 2018
    Writers as Readers is a thought-provoking collection that is a joy to read.Contributors include:Margaret Drabble . Beryl Bainbridge . Angela Carter . Maggie O’Farrell . Elizabeth Jane Howard .A. S. Byatt . Penelope Lively . Sarah Waters . Jonathan Coe . Diana Souhami . Jilly Cooper . Elizabeth Bowen . Mark Bostridge . Alexander McCall Smith . Sarah Dunant . Rachel Cooke . Zadie Smith . Anita Desai . Sophie Dahl . Clare Boylan . Paula McLain . Diana Athill . Marina Lewycka . Claire Messud . Michèle Roberts . Simon Russell Beale . Amanda Craig . Hilary Mantel . Elizabeth Taylor . Ali Smith . Linda Grant . Jane Gardam . Julie Burchill . Carmen Callil . Helen Oyeyemi . Marian Keyes . Nora Ephron . Sandi Toksvig . Kate Saunders

Word to Kindle Formatting Magic: Self-Publishing on Amazon with Style


Chris McMullen - 2018
    This guide will show you step-by-step how to format a Word document on Windows in order to control hidden formatting in a way that results in a friendly conversion to Kindle. You will also learn how to go a quick step beyond Word to make subtle improvements, such as how to display pictures full-width on any size screen and how to use a media query to create drop caps that work well on any device. Take the mystery out of self-publishing and add a little magic to your eBook. This handy reference includes several indispensable features that will help you on your self-publishing journey: Discussions of eBook design and typography are accompanied by pictures to show you the issues visually. A detailed chapter describes how to format pictures, including size, aspect ratio, format, reading backgrounds, different display sizes, and their impact on eBook design. Recommended settings for Word’s paragraph styles and HTML style definitions are provided for several common types of eBook paragraphs and headings. A comprehensive troubleshooting section describes several common formatting issues and solutions. Proofreading, editing, and formatting checklists will help you preview your eBook carefully. Appendix A lists every symbol that is fully supported across all devices. Appendix B includes a hands-on tutorial to master Word’s paragraph styles. Appendix C provides a sample short eBook, showing you Word’s styles and the full HTML. Find valuable advice for keywords, categories, cover design, and other aspects of the publishing process. A thorough marketing checklist will help you succeed as an authorpreneur in the business of writing. Learn about sales rank, customer reviews, giveaways, promotional pricing, piracy, and more. This 2018 guide to formatting and self-publishing your eBook with Amazon includes up-to-date information, such as how to add X-Ray after you publish, the latest version of the downloadable previewer (with Auto-Advance and a Thumbnail Pane), and recent changes (like the removal of the 127 KB limit for GIF images).

Reading Around: Journalism on Authors, Artists, and Ideas


John J. Miller - 2018
    Miller, the respected author, journalist, and academic. From literature to music, from movies to writing, from culture to politics, "Reading Around" shows Miller -- the talented director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College -- at his peak performance. This best-of book draws from National Review, Wall Street Journal, and other publications and includes pieces on the ancient epics "Gilgamesh" and "Beowulf"; thriller writers Michael Crichton, Daniel Silva, and Brad Thor; science-fiction authors Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein; fantasy novelists J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis; the horror fiction of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft; movies such as "The Exorcist" and "Red Dawn"; the music of Iron Maiden; the art of Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo; and much more, including essays on the purpose of libraries, writer's block, and the conundrum of having a common name. The Chronicle of Higher Education has called Miller "one of the best literary journalists in the country," and this volume shows why. For anyone who loves and admires excellent writing, "Reading Around" is an enjoyable must.

The Unusual Man


David R. Davis - 2018
    He was a man tormented by the death of his younger brother, the memory of his abusive father and financial desperation. He expected the book to be his passport into literary fame and fortune. It didn't work out as he had planned. One hundred years later, a worn copy of The Unusual Man makes its way to Tucson, Arizona and into the hands of Austin Brewer. Life for Brewer is controlled by OCD and a deep desire to be left alone. Densmore' book, along with housekeeper Lupita, Victor Frankl and twelve-year-old Bobby Prescott become instrumental in the redemption of the reclusive Brewer. A writer writes to bridge the gap between humans, sometimes it takes a century to accomplish.

The Book


Amaranth Borsuk - 2018
    It was preceded by clay tablets and papyrus scrolls. Are those books? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Amaranth Borsuk considers the history of the book, the future of the book, and the idea of the book. Tracing the interrelationship of form and content in the book's development, she bridges book history, book arts, and electronic literature to expand our definition of an object we thought we knew intimately.Contrary to the many reports of its death (which has been blamed at various times on newspapers, television, and e-readers), the book is alive. Despite nostalgic paeans to the codex and its printed pages, Borsuk reminds us, the term “book” commonly refers to both medium and content. And the medium has proved to be malleable. Rather than pinning our notion of the book to a single form, Borsuk argues, we should remember its long history of transformation. Considering the book as object, content, idea, and interface, she shows that the physical form of the book has always been the site of experimentation and play. Rather than creating a false dichotomy between print and digital media, we should appreciate their continuities.

The Inking Woman


Nicola Streeten - 2018
    It addresses inclusion of art by women of underrepresented backgrounds. Based on an exhibition of the same name, held at the Cartoon Museum in 2017, this book demonstrates that women have always had a wicked sense of humour and a perceptive view of the world.

The Magic Bookshop


Natalie Jane Prior - 2018
    But with secret doors and passages, and tigers under the floorboards, there's much more going on than Ben could ever have imagined.An enchanting new collection of fully illustrated stories from two much-loved Australian creators, and the perfect gift for any young booklover.PRAISE FOR THE FAIRY DANCERS VOLUMES 1 AND 2:'The Fairy Dancers is simply stunning ... making it the perfect keepsake gift book' - Children's Books Daily'This book is perfect for children who want more of a reading challenge than a picture book provides, but may not yet be ready for a complete chapter book. It's beautiful to both read and look at' - The Daily Telegraph

Beating the Story: How to Map, Understand, and Elevate Any Narrative


Robin D. Laws - 2018
    

Unwritten


Tara Gilboy - 2018
    When she was a baby, her parents learned that she was supposed to die in the story, and with the help of a magic book, took her out of the story, and into the outside world, where she could be safe.But Gracie longs to know what the story says about her. Despite her mother’s warnings, Gracie seeks out the story’s author, setting in motion a chain of events that draws herself, her mother, and other former storybook characters back into the forgotten tale. Inside the story, Gracie struggles to navigate the blurred boundary between who she really is and the surprising things the author wrote about her. As the story moves toward its deadly climax, Gracie realizes she’ll have to face a dark truth and figure out her own fairy tale ending.

Well Read Cookies - Beautiful Biscuits Inspired by Great Literature


Lauren Chater - 2018
    Feast your eyes on 60 mouth-watering classics in full colour from Jane Austen and Mary Shelley to Tolkien and F. Scott Fitzgerald, modern masterpieces by Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Geraldine Brooks and Melissa Ashley, and beloved children’s tales by Dr Seuss and J.K. Rowling.With all the tender love and care of a true book lover, author and baker extraordinaire Lauren Chater shows you how to translate your favourite books to the plate – and start making your very own sweet morsels of edible art. Filled with beautiful photographs and insider tips on achieving cookie nirvana, now you can have your books and eat them too.Lauren Chater is the founder of the popular blog, The Well-Read Cookie, and author of the acclaimed historical novel The Lace Weaver.

After Ireland: Writing the Nation from Beckett to the Present


Declan Kiberd - 2018
    Catholic Church scandals, political corruption, and economic collapse have shaken the Irish people's faith in their institutions and thrown the nation's struggle for independence into question. While Declan Kiberd explores how political failures and economic globalization have eroded Irish sovereignty, he also sees a way out of this crisis. After Ireland surveys thirty works by modern writers that speak to worrisome trends in Irish life and yet also imagine a renewed, more plural and open nation.After Dublin burned in 1916, Samuel Beckett feared "the birth of a nation might also seal its doom." In Waiting for Godot and a range of powerful works by other writers, Kiberd traces the development of an early warning system in Irish literature that portended social, cultural, and political decline. Edna O'Brien, Frank O'Connor, Seamus Heaney, and Michael Hartnett lamented the loss of the Irish language, Gaelic tradition, and rural life. Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill and Eavan Boland grappled with institutional corruption and the end of traditional Catholicism. These themes, though bleak, led to audacious experimentation, exemplified in the plays of Brian Friel and Tom Murphy and the novels of John Banville. Their achievements embody the defiance and resourcefulness of Ireland's founding spirit--and a strange kind of hope.After Ireland places these writers and others at the center of Ireland's ongoing fight for independence. In their diagnoses of Ireland's troubles, Irish artists preserve and extend a humane culture, planting the seeds of a sound moral economy.

The Book Lovers' Miscellany


Claire Cock-Starkey - 2018
    With customary wisdom and wit, Claire Cock-Starkey presents a brief illustrated history of paper, binding, printing, and dust jackets, with a wealth of arcane facts that even the most avid book lovers may be hard-pressed to answer: Which natural pigments were used to decorate medieval bibles? Which animal is needed for the making of vellum? Curious facts are drawn from throughout the history of books and publishing, including many more recent examples, such as a short history of the comic and the story behind the massively successful Harlequin romance imprint Mills and Boon. Readers can explore the output of the most prolific writers and marvel at the youth of the youngest published authors—or lament the decisions of the publishers who rejected books that later became colossal bestsellers. The book also includes a collection of lists, including unfinished novels, books that have faced bans, books printed with mistakes, the most influential academic books of all time, and the longest established literary families. The perfect gift for every bibliophile, The Book Lovers’ Miscellany is equally well suited to reading straight through or dipping into here and there.

Books Before Print


Erik Kwakkel - 2018
    Captured in the materiality of manuscripts are the data enabling us to make sense of the preferences and habits of the individuals who made up medieval society. With short chapters grouped under thematic headings, Books Before Print shows how we may tap into the evidence and explores how manuscripts can act as a vibrant and versatile tool to understand the deep historical roots of human interaction with written information. It highlights extraordinary continuities between medieval book culture and modern-world communication, as witnessed in medieval pop-up books, posters, speech bubbles, book advertisements, and even sticky notes.

Barbarian Life: A Literary Biography of Conan the Barbarian


Roy Thomas - 2018
    In thousands of four-color panels for Marvel Comics, Roy Thomas told the tale of Robert E. Howard’s greatest creation, Conan the Barbarian. Now, in this definitive biography and analysis, Roy chronicles Conan’s comic-book life, issue by issue, plot by plot, and artist by artist.For ten years, from October 1970 when Roy and artist Barry Smith assembled the first issue of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian, to October 1980 when Roy and artist John Buscema completed their last issue together on the series, Thomas wrote of Conan's gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth—as well as the wars, the wenches, and the wizardry that bedeviled the Cimmerian from one issue to the next.In this first of two volumes, Roy Thomas explains the creative process behind the first 51 issues of Conan the Barbarian. You'll look over his shoulder as he plots and scripts each issue, devises new adventures for Conan that expand Howard's original stories into a world-spanning epic, and works with such Conan artists as Barry Smith, Gil Kane, and John Buscema.Whether you’re a Conan fan or a comics fan, you'll enjoy this in-depth look at a Marvel comic-book classic.

AHistory:An Unauthorized History of the Doctor Who Universe


Lance Parkin - 2018
    All told, this Fourth Edition takes about 2000 (!!!!!) full-length Doctor Who stories and dates them in a single chronology — starting with the Universe’s origins and working its way forward to the end of time.Specifically, this Fourth Edition covers all Doctor Who TV episodes through the end of the twelfth Doctor era starring Peter Capaldi (Twice Upon a Time); all New Series Adventures up through Diamond Dogs; the Big Finish audio range up through Static (#233); all Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, K9 and Class episodes, novels and comics; the Titan, IDW and Doctor Who Magazine comics; and a cornucopia of other Doctor Who spin-off series (Jago & Litefoot, Counter-Measures and more).Volume 1 (of 3) of Ahistory Fourth Edition encompasses the Prehistory and History sections (through 1962) of the Doctor Who universe. Also included: a bonus timeline to Big Finish’s The Confessions of Dorian Gray audios.All told, the three volumes of Ahistory Fourth Edition contain more than a million words of hardcore geeky analysis on the world’s longest-running Sci-Fi series.

TL;DR: The Best of Odd Things Considered


Anita Dalton - 2018
    This massive anthology collects the most memorable and provocative examples of Dalton’s conversationally-intoned counter-criticism, with insightful discussions of overlooked literature, anthropodermic bibliopegy, serial killer memoirs, outsider manifestos, and conspiracy theories (among many other outré subjects) converging to illuminate a vast and volatile pyscho-literary topography that has been ignored or deplored (but seldom explored) by our reigning arbiters of taste and culture.When you’re ready to put down that Jonathan Franzen doorstop, consider picking up a copy of Anita Dalton’s TL;DR — The Best of Odd Things Considered. You’ll see what you’ve been missing.

A Library Miscellany


Claire Cock-Starkey - 2018
    From the ancient library at Alexandria to the Library of Congress in Washington DC, and from university libraries to those of humble villages, A Library Miscellany explores institutions both old and new. Opening the door to unusual collections such as herbaria, art libraries, magic libraries, and even the “library of smells,” this book also charts the difficulties of cataloging books deemed to be subversive, heretical, libelous, or obscene.Packed with unusual facts and statistics, this is the perfect gift for library enthusiasts, bibliophiles, collectors, and readers everywhere.

Dedalus


Chris McCabe - 2018
    Tracing the same structure as the original, McCabe describes the events of the following day, 17th June 1904. Stephen Dedalus wakes up, hungover, with scores and debts to settle, unaware that Leopold Bloom is waking up in Eccles street with his own plans for him.“Friday’s children would be fattening like seals across the sand, on their way to class. Black liquorice teeth. Loving and giving under the whalefeed of the clouds. He had to teach.”Dedalus is shot through with cut and paste disruptions from the Digital Age. From ’80s Text Adventure gaming to Google maps and pop-ups. McCabe picks up the tradition of Laurence Sterne and B.S. Johnson, underpinning the paragraphs of his storytelling with concrete poetry.This novel is haunted (by Hamlet). This novel has a subconscious. This novel has therapy. This novel gives right of reply to Joyce’s self-portrait and questions the foundations of narrative storytelling. This truly is a hotly anticipated moment in Fiction.

The Codex in Context: The Craft of Bookmaking in Late Antiquity


Georgios Boudalis - 2018
    The Codex in Context examines surviving evidence in order to better understand how this transition took place. Placing the codex into the general cultural, religious, and technological context of Late Antiquity, the book examines the major types of codices—the wooden tablet codex, the single-quire codex and the multi-quire codex—in all their structural, technical, and decorative features. Georgios Boudalis argues that the codex was not an ingenious invention but rather an innovation that evolved using techniques already widely employed by artisans and craftspeople in the creation of everyday items such as socks, shoes, and baskets, revealing that the codex was a fascinating, yet practical, development.

Book Towns: Forty-Five Paradises of the Printed Word


Alex Johnson - 2018
    Book Towns takes readers on a richly illustrated tour of the 40 semi-officially recognized literary towns around the world and outlines the history and development of each community, and offers practical travel advice. Many Book Towns have emerged in areas of marked attraction, such as Ureña in Spain or Fjaerland in Norway, where bookshops have been set up in buildings including former ferry waiting rooms and banks. While the UK has the best-known examples at Hay, Wigtown and Sedbergh, the book has a broad international appeal, featuring locations such as Jimbochu in Japan, College Street in Calcutta, and major unofficial “book cities” such as Buenos Aires.

Bibliotherapy


Liz Brewster - 2018
    This book draws on the latest international practical and theoretical developments in bibliotherapy to explore how libraries can best support the health and wellbeing of their communities. Bibliotherapy encompasses all aspects of `bibliotherapy' in its widest sense, starting with a critical historical overview of bibliotherapy, followed by an explanation of theories or approaches to bibliotherapy. The book explains how various bibliotherapy models work by drawing on practical examples to demonstrate how the theories behind bibliotherapy can be applied in practice. Case studies include a range of settings (public library, academic library, outpatient, inpatient); populations (including young people, ESOL speakers, psychiatric patients, homeless people, people with dementia/carers); and countries (UK, North America, South America, Australia). This book will be useful reading for students and practising library and information professionals across sectors, including health, public, and academic libraries, and those with an interest in wellbeing more generally.

Bookbinding: A Comprehensive Guide to Folding, Sewing, & Binding


Franziska Morlok - 2018
    From types of paper to folding methods, to all of the available paperback and hardcover bindings, to finishing techniques and case studies by contemporary designers, Bookbinding is truly the must-have book for professional designers and production staff. Bookbinding is also a work of art in its own right, given an award by the Type Director's Club for typographic excellence.

Muslims in Story: Expanding Multicultural Understanding through Children's and Young Adult Literature


Gauri Manglik - 2018
    One of the root causes of Islamophobia is ignorance, often fueled by stereotyped and negative portrayals of Muslims in media and popular culture. Muslims in Story is a timely and proactive approach to tackling this issue, by engendering friendships and empathy through quality children's and young adult literature. Exposing children in their formative years to positive stories about Muslims can go a long way to creating a multicultural understanding by cementing ideas of tolerance, respect, and acceptance. This resource- recommends books that will act as windows and mirrors for PreK–12 readers by showcasing diverse foods, dress, and traditions;- spotlights curated titles that feature Muslim kids as heroes, Islamic contributions throughout history, inspiring Muslim leaders, and folktales from Islamic traditions;- includes helpful information such as an overview of Muslims in America, author interviews that lend insights into the stories, and hands-on programming activities and discussion tools; and- provides a list of additional resources for gaining a better understanding of Islam.This book will equip public and school library staff, including educators and collection development librarians, to make real change in their communities by validating lived experiences of Muslim kids and building a stronger sense of empathy, respect, and understanding towards Muslims.

A Cool Customer: Joan Didion's the Year of Magical Thinking (...Afterwords)


Jacob Bacharach - 2018
    Essay. Reading Joan Didion's iconic memoir The Year of Magical Thinking, Jacob Bacharach's thoughts are never far from his brother, Nate, who died of an opioid addiction. Although he tries to be a a cool customer like Didion, he finds Nate's story breaking through the text, stirring memories of their tight-knit childhood and defying his attempts to find the truth about a tragic death. In A COOL CUSTOMER, Bacharach turns The Year of Magical Thinking into a blueprint for grief and self-discovery that anyone can follow. This book is part of a new series from Fiction Advocate called Afterwords.Bacharach smartly weaves his family story with a literate discussion of Didion's narratives and cultural position to make a snappy and inviting book you could easily read in one sitting.--Rebecca Foster

Hollywood vs. The Author


Stephen Jay Schwartz - 2018
    The oft-repeated cliché that “the book was better than the movie” holds true for more reasons than the average reader will ever know. When asked about selling their book rights to Hollywood authors like to joke that they drive their manuscripts to the border of Arizona and California and toss them over the fence, driving back the way they came at breakneck speed. This is probably because Hollywood just doesn’t “get it.” Its vision for the film or TV series rarely seems to match the vision of the author. And for those rare individuals who’ve had the fortune of sitting across the desk from one of the myriad, interchangeable development execs praising the brilliance of their work while ticking off a never-ending list of notes for the rewrite, the pros of pitching their work to Hollywood rarely outweigh the cons.Stephen Jay Schwartz has sat on both sides of that desk―first as the Director of Development for film director Wolfgang Petersen, then as a screenwriter and author pitching his work to the film and television industry. He’s seen all sides of what is known in this small community as “Development Hell.” The process is both amusing and heartbreaking. Most authors whose work contains a modicum of commercial potential eventually find themselves in “the room” taking a shot at seeing their creations re-visualized by agents, producers or development executives. What they often discover is that their audience is younger and less worldly as themselves. What passes for “story notes” is often a mishmash of vaguely connected ideas intended to put the producer’s personal stamp on the project.Hollywood Versus The Author is a collection of non-fiction anecdotes by authors who’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the development room firsthand―some who have successfully managed to straddle the two worlds, seeing their works morph into the kinds of feature films and TV shows that make them proud, and others who stepped blindsided into that room after selling their first or second novels. All the stories in this collection illustrate the great divide between the world of literature and the big or small screen. They underscore the insanity of every crazy thing you’ve ever heard about Hollywood. For insiders and outsiders alike, Hollywood Versus The Author delivers the goods.

A Conversation Larger than the Universe: Readings in Science Fiction and the Fantastic 1762–2017


Henry Wessells - 2018
    A Conversation larger than the Universe is a history of science fiction in seventy literary artefacts and a highly personal tour through the bookshelves of Henry Wessells. The books (many signed or inscribed by their authors), magazines, manuscripts, letters, and artwork date from the mid-eighteenth century to the present and will allow the viewer to explore the ideas and people that have defined the literatures of the fantastic, from Mary Shelley and H. G. Wells to Philip K. Dick, Joanna Russ, James Tiptree, Jr., and William Gibson, as well as works by W. H. Hudson, Richard Jefferies, and others not so widely known today. Beginning with the origins of science fiction in the Gothic, this Conversation contemplates topics such as the End of the World (and After), Imaginary Voyages, Dystopia, Women Authors, Literary Innovation, Humor, the Sixties, Rock n Roll, Cyberpunk, Steampunk, and what's happening in science fiction and the fantastic right now. The exhibition adopts a broad description of Science Fiction encompassing Fantasy and Horror as well as bibliography and scholarship in the field. Foreword by John Crowley.Henry Wessells is an antiquarian bookseller in New York City and author of Another green world (2003) and Extended Range (2015). A frequent contributor to The New York Review of Science Fiction, his work has appeared in Nature, Lady Churchills Rosebud Wristlet, Wormwood, Interzone, The Washington Post Book World, and other publications. He is also editor and bibliographer of American science fiction author Avram Davidson.

The Publishing Business: A Guide to Starting Out and Getting On


Kelvin Smith - 2018
    Using popular and current examples, this second edition demonstrates that, to succeed, publishers must prove their commitment to producing accurate, attractive and well edited content, their ability to innovate pioneering digital technologies and their dedication to promoting their titles to new audiences. This book explains the responsibilities at each stage of the publishing process, describes current roles and practices, and provides much food for thought on how publishers can ensure their skills remain relevant in the digital age. Fully updated to take into account recent developments in the publishing world, this new edition also includes additional real-world examples from a variety of publishing sectors, insightful interviews with industry experts and new and updated activities throughout. Beautifully designed, thoroughly illustrated and packed with examples of publishing practice, The Publishing Business is an essential introduction to a dynamic industry.

The Chameleon


Samuel Fisher - 2018
    Now 800 years old, John wants to tell his story.Looking back over his life, from its beginnings with a medieval anchoress to his current lodgings beside the deathbed of a cold war spy, John pieces together his tale: the love that held him together and, in particular, the reasons for a murder that took place in Moscow fifty years earlier, and that set in train a shattering series of events.Samuel Fisher’s debut, The Chameleon is a love story about books like no other, weaving texts and lives in a family tale that leads the reader into an extraordinary historical journey, a journey of words as much as of places, and a gripping romance.

Women in the Literary Landscape


Doris Weatherford - 2018
    Despite this important history, no single publication has provided an overview of women’s roles in writing, publishing, book selling, and librarianship. With the publication of Women in the Literary Landscape, and in honor of its Centennial, the WNBA breaks new ground with a narrative connecting women’s contributions in these fields with the social and cultural history of the United States.

Artists and Their Books / Books and Their Artists


Marcia Reed - 2018
    Ever innovative and predictably diverse in their physical formats, artists’ books occupy a creative space between the familiar four-cornered object and challenging works of art that effectively question every preconception of what a book can be. Many artists specialize in producing self-contained art projects in the form of books, like Ken Campbell and Susan King, or they establish small presses, like Simon Cutts and Erica Van Horn’s Coracle Press or Harry and Sandra Reese’s Turkey Press. Countless others who are primarily known as sculptors, painters, or performance artists carry on a parallel practice in artists’ books, including Anselm Kiefer, Annette Messager, Ed Ruscha, and Richard Tuttle. Artists and Their Books / Books and Their Artists includes over one hundred important examples selected from the Getty Research Institute’s Special Collections of more than six thousand editions and unique artists’ books.   This volume also presents precursors to the artist’s book, such as Joris Hoefnagel’s sixteenth-century calligraphy masterpiece; single-sheet episodes from Albrecht Dürer’s Life of Mary, designed to be either broadsides or a book; early illustrated scientific works; and avant-garde publications. Twentieth-century works reveal the impact of artists’ books on Pop Art, Fluxus, Conceptualism, feminist art, and postmodernism. The selection of books by an international range of artists who have chosen to work with texts and images on paper provokes new inquiry into the nature of art and books in contemporary culture.

Wildflowers: A Story from the collection, I Am Heathcliff


Dorothy Koomson - 2018
    It is the mother of her lost love. She will not leave until she’s had her say.

The Library Book


Susan Orlean - 2018
    As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual fire alarm. As one fireman recounted, “Once that first stack got going, it was ‘Goodbye, Charlie.’” The fire was disastrous: it reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who?Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling book that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before.In The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status as a cornerstone of national identity; brings each department of the library to vivid life through on-the-ground reporting; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; reflects on her own experiences in libraries; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago.Along the way, Orlean introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters from libraries past and present—from Mary Foy, who in 1880 at eighteen years old was named the head of the Los Angeles Public Library at a time when men still dominated the role, to Dr. C.J.K. Jones, a pastor, citrus farmer, and polymath known as “The Human Encyclopedia” who roamed the library dispensing information; from Charles Lummis, a wildly eccentric journalist and adventurer who was determined to make the L.A. library one of the best in the world, to the current staff, who do heroic work every day to ensure that their institution remains a vital part of the city it serves.Brimming with her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, The Library Book is Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks that reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country. It is also a master journalist’s reminder that, perhaps especially in the digital era, they are more necessary than ever.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Charles Dickens' Unfinished Novel and Our Endless Attempts to End It


Pete Orford - 2018
    Since that time, hundreds of academics, fans, authors, and playwrights have stepped forward to present their own ideas of how this unfinished book should end.Step into a century and half of Dickensian speculation, detection and bickering to see how our attitudes both to Dickens and his last work have developed. From early responses by his contemporaries that tried to cash in on an opportunity to finish Dickens' book, through to the dogged attempts of the detectives in the early twentieth century to prove _Drood_ to be the greatest mystery of all time, on to the earnest academics of the mid-century who aimed to reinvent Dickens as a modernist writer, and ending in the glorious irreverence of modern continuations, the history of Drood is a tale of just how far people will go in their quest to find an ending worthy of Dickens.Whether you are a life-time _Drood_ fan, or new to the whole controversy, this book will guide you through the tangled web of theories and counter-theories surrounding this enduring literary enigma. From novels to websites, musicals to public trials, academic tomes to erotic fiction, the one thing that can be said with certainty is that there is no end to the endless inventiveness with which we redefine Dickens' final story in our quest to solve a 150-year old mystery.

The Second Shelf


A.N. Devers - 2018
    The Second Shelf is a rare book business and a new quarterly print publication focused on increasing the visibility of writing by women and their contributions throughout history.

The Invention of Rare Books: Private Interest and Public Memory, 1600-1840


David McKitterick - 2018
    Studying examples from across Europe, he explores how this idea took shape in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and how collectors, the book trade and libraries gradually came together to identify canons that often remain the same today. In a world that many people found to be over-supplied with books, the invention of rare books was a process of selection. As books are one of the principal means of memory, this process also created particular kinds of remembering. Taking a European perspective, McKitterick looks at these interests as they developed from being matters of largely private concern and curiosity, to the larger public and national responsibilities of the first half of the nineteenth century.

Queer Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the English Language Arts Curriculum


Paula Greathouse - 2018
    Chapters are authored by leading researchers and theorists in young adult literature, specifically queer-themed YA . Each chapter spotlights the reading of one queer-themed YA novel, and offer pre-, during-, and after reading activities that guide students to a deeper understanding of the content while increasing their literacy practices. While each chapter focuses on a specific queer-themed YA novel, readers will discover the many opportunities for cross-disciplinary study. --Michael Cart, columnist, reviewer, Booklist magazine; author or editor of 25 books including: "Representing the Rainbow: LGBTQ+ Content since 1969" co-authored with Christine A. Jenkins; past president, Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (ALAN) "CHOICE"