Interesting Articles

If you run across an interesting article or web site, post it here for everybody to see. As with the Group Announcements, we'd like to keep discussion of the articles to a minimum on this thread.

Learning to Love Paper Books Again (The author even mentions LT!)

About great bookstores (specifically Barnes and Noble, but most great ones follow this model)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/28/opinion/barnes-noble-amazon-bookstore.html?ca...

Auction of Gregory Peck's scripts and more, including his script for To Kill a Mockingbird. Surely one among us should snatch that up?

An article that gives me great comfort about my forgetfulness of books I've read:
from the New Yorker 2013

Noting the current controversy over Penguin (Puffin) Publisher's decision to drastically edit Roald Dahl's books -
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11771273/Rishi-Sunak-backs-Roald-Dahl-f...
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/roald-dahl-philip-pu...
'Dahl’s publisher, Puffin, has been criticised in recent days after hiring sensitivity readers to go over his texts to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”. Some have said derogatory references to people’s physical appearances, as well as other characteristics, in Dahl’s work are not suitable for young readers.'

'On Monday, UK PM Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the prime minister agrees with the BFG that we shouldn’t gobblefunk around with words. I think it’s important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression.”'

"I think it’s important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed." Agreed. TALK about what's in them and why it may be out of favor. You really can't make Roald Dahl's books "nice".

Yes, I agree. They are better off just not re-publishing them if they are going to tinker with the contents.

Also heard on my local radio about a UK govt. organisation , Prevent, who've listed a slag of books, tv shows & films that encourage far right extremism - so ridiculous when you see the list.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11764775/Yes-Minister-flagged-beleaguer...
'Mr Murray wrote in The Spectator magazine: ‘A number of books are singled out, the possession or reading of which could point to severe wrongthink and therefore potential radicalisation... It seems that RICU is so far off-track that it believes that books identifying the problem that it was itself set up to tackle are in fact a part of the problem.’ He concluded that RICU’s work was ‘pathetic’ and called for ‘accountability’ for its errors and ‘sackings by the score’. The list has emerged following a major review into the Prevent scheme by William Shawcross.
RICU: Research, Information and Communications Unit
Some books, shows and films on list:
Beowulf
The Canterbury Tales
The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare
Paradise Lost
The Four Feathers
Lady Hamilton
The Dam Busters
The Bridge On The River Kwai
The Great Escape
Zulu
Civilisation
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
House Of Cards Trilogy (UK)
Sharpe
Ray Mears’ Bushcraft Survival
David Starkey’s Monarchy
BBC’s Great British Railway Journeys

If You Don't Want Kids in Restaurants, You Should Just Stay Home

I can't really get behind the author's argument since she gives the impression that restaurants are the only places where children are in contact with the community, which I don't think is true: they're in stores, libraries, theatres, and countless other places where they have the opportunity to learn social skills. Dining out is a treat for a lot of people and having to deal with other people's poorly behaved children doesn't make for a pleasant night out. I'm not suggesting all restaurants should ban all children, I just wish the author of the article didn't think that not wanting to deal with a screaming child running around while you're trying to eat means *you* are unreasonable and should stay home.

Children's writer, Hazel Edwards on being accused of cultural appropriation - 'I’m not Indigenous. I’m not Muslim. I’m not a refugee. I’m not transgender. I’m not disabled. And I’m not a hippopotamus who eats cake.

But as a professional author of more than 200 books across 50 years, I’ve always used diverse characters from varied backgrounds and ages in all my stories. And as a 70-ish, white grandmother, I find this diversity is increasingly being challenged.'

https://www.smh.com.au/national/after-more-than-200-books-don-t-tell-me-who-i-ca...

>10 avatiakh: ...and one of the co-authors has a go at Hazel Edwards in Meanjin Magazine - https://meanjin.com.au/blog/dear-young-girl-in-the-bubble-gum-pink-hijab/

Which Writers of Today Will Stand The Test of Time?
One of the disadvantages of literary prizes is the fact that authors are writing to please a Book Award Committee, instead of writing to spread an authentic message.
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/03/354516/which-writers-of-today-will-stan...

Quite an interesting website as well, so worth a visit.

From Lit Hub, 13 Adaptations Better Than the Books They’re Based On

>13 amanda4242:. That’s a great article, and now I want to read all of them. 🤘

>14 mahsdad: I can confirm The Godfather movie is better than the book, but I think American Gods TV series only seems better than the book because of Ian McShane.

From Lit Hub Approaching Gridlock: Arundhati Roy on Free Speech and Failing Democracy

What makes a book hoarder? And wo are they? (besides LTers)

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/10-famous-book-hoarders?utm_source=pocket-new...

>17 jessibud2: Only a thousand books makes a book hoarder? I don't consider myself a hoarder- I thin my collection regularly and I don't have much in the house I have not already read but trimming it all down to less than a thousand would be very painful., and seems unnecessary.

Oh, well, it's Shelfari that claims 1000 books makes a hoarder. GIGO.

There's also zero mention, in either article (the linked one or the one about 1000 books making a hoarder) of ebooks. I have 13,000+ books - but only a little under 6000 in "my library" which is the collection that holds physical books in my home. Still, tsundoku definitely applies, to both physical and ebooks - far more unread than read (4000-, though that's short of reality - there are (some) books I read before LT that aren't in my Read category).

>19 jjmcgaffey: Oh, I keep coming across books I know I've read, but that aren't in my catalog on LT. I've made a category for them as they come to my attention - 'the before times'. If I could list them all, it would be the largest collection, of course.

For my purposes, e-books don't count as hoarded, since they don't take up physical space (except on some serves, I guess). With limited square footage, each time I want to do something new, I have to triage what's already in place.

This is unfortunate news, especially for our Gift exchanges.

The New Yorker on Beatrice Sparks and the "true" diaries she wrote.

How a Mormon Housewife Turned a Fake Diary Into an Enormous Best-Seller

Praise for my favorite Mary Renault novel.

Cat Sebastian on the Unexpected Power of Mary Renault’s The Charioteer

Under the heading of how asinine is that...

https://bookriot.com/hoopla-overdrive-libby-now-banned-for-those-under-18-in-mis...

Perhaps all hope is not lost: Texas Book Rating Law Blocked

In case you missed it, US citizens:

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1202900361/a-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-is-c...

>28 laytonwoman3rd: That is very good news!!

The Best Speculative Fiction About Gods and Godlike Beings recommended by Karen Lord

https://fivebooks.com/best-books/gods-and-godlike-figures-in-science-fiction-kar...

A very interesting article about an upcoming novel by the marvelous Holly Wendt. You probably don't know them yet (unless you've been paying very close attention to my singing their praises for the last several years), but you want to. I know you do.

Heading North by Holly Wendt is due out on November 7th.

Not sure if you'll be able to read it, but the LA Times had an interesting article about Tananarive Due and her new books and how she started writing Black Horror.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/newsletter/2023-10-28/book-club...

I got The Wishing Pool this year on LTER (one of the new books) and it was pretty good.

If anyone wants it, PM me, I'll be happy to send it a long.

>33 mahsdad: I am almost tempted to read something by Tananarive Due, her husband and I dated briefly decades back and I follow his FB page which features her work and achievements often. I occasionally met them pre-COVID at parties or conventions. But Horror and from what I understand effective horror which is even more something I avoid.

From Publishers Weekly NEA Finds Worrying Drop in Reading Participation

Not quite an article, but if you're into podcasts, Dax Shepard's Arm Chair Expert podcast has a recent episode with an interview with Barbara Kingsolver

If that's your thing, you might enjoy it.

https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/barbara-kingsolver

Here's another bookish article from today's LA Times. An interesting history of book stores in LA over the years. Hopefully, its not stuck behind a paywall if you choose to read it.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-14/dont-let-anybody-diss-l-a-s-...

>34 quondame: I am one who absolutely, positively (almost) never reads horror. Yet I still recommend reading these:
* My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
* A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan

I read the Due because of a positive Publishers Weekly review back in the -- '90s?

And we read O'Nan for my historical fiction book group. It won an international award for horror. Don't think I knew the genre when I picked it.

For all those that enjoyed The Martian, this was both a fascinating and informative interview and link of other books/points of research to explore.

https://www.insidehook.com/books/book-city-mars-colonizing-space-challenges

Thanks! I just got this from the library but haven't gotten around to reading it yet; your quick review may push me to it faster.

Not really an article, but a podcast recommendation.

Its called The Cultured Bumpkin (Jake Phillips). I found him on TikTok. His schtik there was to read poetry or Shakespeare in a Southern Accent. Very interesting take on things.

In his podcast, he's doing short poetry readings, of the classics and some short stories. (Just in his normal voice, so far) I'm listening to him read Jack London's To Build a Fire right now, and its really good.