RIASS stuff:
Reading habits and prejudices and Joe Queenan's One for the Books'In which I realise that Ill only get through about another 11,400 books before I die. Turning off the internet right now.
On narrative voice in YA and Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos'A startling, sometimes wonderful YA that strives for something a little different.
At Last by Jill Shalvis (and why I'm a sap at heart)'Aw, you guys, the looooove.
The Art of Truth in nonfiction: an event summary'What is truth, and how much of it should we expect in non-fiction?
Other bookish stuff:
Ebooks may be the solution to Latin Americas library problem'Many countries in Latin America have very low numbers of bookshops and have low library accessibility. Ebooks may help to bypass existing infrastructure issues and improve access to books at a low cost.
Hamlet as a choose-your-own-adventure story?'(to be or not to be indeed.)'Ive used the story of Hamlet as a starting point, but a) thats already a great story because it ends with pretty much everyone in it getting stabbed in the body and b) the story can go in all sorts of fun, crazy directions when you make a choice that Shakespeare didnt, says Ryan North, the Canadian graphic novelist behind the project.
Chuck Wendig on all the ways that NaNoWriMo can actually spell disaster for your writing'These include thinking of November as the only proper writing month of the year, ditching a project halfway through, or just letting the manuscript sit around doing nothing.
On instalove and why authors (yes, YA authors, Im looking at you) should just stop already.'Communication is in fact utterly vital in a successful relationship, which is why you should probably focus on having them communicate about more than just how in love they are and how much they want to bone. This does not a relationship make. They just freaking met, so they have plenty of time to fall in love; theres no rush! If you dont hold the readers hands and tell them how to feel, we can make up our own minds, and will likely enjoy your book much more as a result.
On sexism in rural fiction'An interesting look at sexism in rural Australia and whether this is an issue that should be being addressed in rural fiction.
Oops: Bloomsbury pulps 6,000 Ann Patchett books printed with a sticker declaring it 2012 winner of the Orange Prize'Patchett was shortlisted for the award, which was won by Achilles by Madeline Miller. Im not sure I buy the PR damage control line about the sticker having meant to have read 2002 winner.
Visiting Orhan Pamuks museum of innocence'With the literary scene's current taste for 'faction', in which memoir moves ever further from autobiography and history towards fiction, it was only a matter of time before someone perfected this sleight of hand. It could easily have been Michael Ondaatje or JM Coetzee (or even Laurence Sterne, if we stretch the point), but it was Pamuk who hauled the literary bars apart and set up shop within. To some it may seem cynical, an exercise in postmodern wit, but as you stand among the teaspoons, salt shakers and hairclips of the museum, it's hard not to find yourself bewitched.
On the volumetric analysis of books'The baffling reads Amazon histogramwas absolutely flat: the distribution for 1 through 5 stars was nearly identical. One suspects your correspondent was not the only one experiencing cognitive dissonanceThe histogram and reviews helped a bit. Those praising the novel liked the sweep of society. The less favourably disposed were elegiac about the writers earlier work, and slightly confused or despondent about the latest effort.
eBooks and DRM: or ebooks are only yours until your credit card expires'Yesterday, I tried to download an ebook I paid for, and previously put on my Nook, a few months ago. When I tried, I got an error message stating I could not download the book because the credit card on file had expired. But, I already paid for it. Who cares if the credit card is expired? It has long since been paid for, so the status of the card on file has nothing to do with my ability to download said book. I didn't see anything in the terms of service about this either, but it's possible I missed it.
The most enduring Oscar Wilde epigrams
Are we currently in a golden age for writers?'A massive process of literary rebirth is under way. Everyone seems to understand and accept this golden age except the writers themselves.
And a puzzle for you! This super abstract image refers to the title of a book Ive reviewed on this site. Can you figure out what it is?
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