A little late coming out, but never fear! Here is your list of interesting, weird and relevant book-news from the big bad book blog:
Derbhile Dromey of the Irish Independent gives us the pick of the litter: the ten best bookshops in the world.
What do Chengguan, Jai Ho!, Mobama, Phelpsian, Quendy-Trendy, Wonderstar, and Zombie Banks have in common? They are all competing to become the one millionth word added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
For the pop-song-writer in you, there are a few things you just shouldn’t write (or sing) about. Incidentally, these are all great topics for your next great novel.
Women, girls, ladies, chicks: summer is here! And with it, a new collection of books for every taste, of every genre, to tantalize and intrigue and humor us all.
Now step aside, ladies. Farahad Zama may be the next big name in romance, and he’s not afraid to play like a man. He’s already become the first man to win the Melissa Nathan award for romance fiction.
They’re calling it a thoughtcrime, but what is the line between stealing, borrowing and repurposing content for your own writing? George Orwell’s 1984 has been accused of lifting ideas from an earlier Russian novel, WE.
Memoirist and poet Kamala Das, whose soulful writings of India and women’s sexuality made her famous and controversial, passed away at age 75.
“I want to go on living even after my death!” proclaimed the young Anne Frank in her diary, and her wish continues to be granted. This year, the Anne Frank House Museum will be putting all of Anne’s diaries and papers on permanent display. The book based on her diaries continues to sell in dozens of languages around the world.
Get it right: it’s not angst, it’s dark. Teenagers today are eagerly reading books that discuss deep, disturbing and very adult subjects, including suicide, mental health, and physically-disabling accidents. Black is the new pink.
Consider the most significant problems facing the publishing industry today. Compare your thoughts to the Eighteen Challenges to Contemporary Literature at Wired.
Aspiring writers, fear not: the world at large is still rewarding the new and unknown. Debut novelist Michael Thomas has won the Impac Dublin prize, which is considered the “world’s richest literary award,” for his book MAN GONE DOWN.
The irony is obvious: a copy of Benjamin Franklin’s POOR RICHARD almanac has just sold at auction for over half-a-million dollars.
Remember how awkward it can feel to be the biggest kid in the room when you’re in elementary school? The Kindle DX is feeling it too. The debut of the larger-sized version of the handheld Kindle is pricier, wider, and—some say—ultimately less practical.
Hey, we don’t have short attention spa… BUTTERFLY! Harper’s senior editor Bill Wasik discusses the effects of the Internet on a new age of people. Decide for yourself what it means for readers.
Have a great week!
Tags: book news, literary news, publishing news
[...] Fun list of the 10 best bookstores in the world. I’ve hit up five of these so far – who wants to plan a trip to see the other five? (Hat tip to The Big Bad Book Blog) [...]