RIASS stuff:
Book Review: The Journal of Dora Damage by Belinda Starling'Rating: 
Murder in Mesopotamia: crime, archaeology and Agatha Christie'(my notes from a recent lecture at the Melbourne Museum)
Book Review: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides'Rating: 
Other bookish stuff:
The Man Booker Shortlist has been announced'
Aspiring romance author? Give Harlequins So You Think You Can Write? contest a shot.
The Lambda Literary Awards (for LGBTQ books) are now open for submissions
Tips for reading from librarians in the 1930s'Read with a definite purpose, a problem, in mind.
What students can learn from the zombie war'Max Brooks'World War Z is showing up on uni reading lists in the US with regularity. In this interview Brooks chats with a student about writing the book and what students can take from it. A few interesting points: Brooks is severely dyslexic, which is why he opted for an oral-type history; Brooks, as a young reader, was inspired to become interested in geopolitical events by thrillers and action-oriented booksnot by his classes.
Cross-under reads for the US autumnie, books for younger readers being read by adults.'These include'Every Day'by'David Levithan,'The Broken Lands'by Kate Milford,'The Brides of Rollrock Island'by Aussie author'Margo Lanagan,'The Peculiar'by Stefan Bachmann'and'In a Glass Grimmly'by Adam Gidwitz (which Ill be reading, as I loved'A Tale Dark and Grimm)
Possibly my favourite bookmarks ever
On expectation and reward in blogging'The author looks at why she blogs and how shes grown through her blogging, and also reflects on things such as feedback and engagement, as well as how blogging allows a person to stay on top of industry developments and issues. Her point about feedback is interesting, particularly when she talks about how some frivolous posts can receive huge amounts of feedback, and other thoughtful posts (usually reviews), go uncommented. She wonders whether its because reading is a fairly solitary activity, and I think thats true. Its also difficult to comment thoughtfully on a book that you havent read. My most popular post on this site was about my engagementit went viral, ending up on Galleycat, the Huffington Post, Instapundit, and then in a glossy tabloid. Surprising, definitely. But its something that people can relate to. Books that they havent read on the other hand, well, not so much. But I love reading and teasing out my thoughts on what Ive read, which is why I tend to stick to review posts rather than memes and so on.
Where are the books that make secondary school look fun? Most of the school classics, argues the author, are a bit on the grim side, and even ones where school is perceived in some warmth have their own issues. Hogwarts sounds lovely, after all, except for that whole constantly having your life threatened bit.
On the digital essay: a panel at the London Review of Books'It is certainly a testament to the power of words. If the pictures are better on radio than on TV, then they are surely even better when read. For all its visual diversions, Self's essay demonstrates how words can themselves create images.
Stunning papercut illustrations for'Romeo and Juliet
Is reach commensurate with value?'Tim Parks reflects on the comment: 'If a book is really good, it will reach out to everyone, the world over. His response is: 'It's interesting that this belief in the universal appeal of fine literature exactly coincides with commercial convenience. The better a book is, the more it transcends its local origins, the more people it can be sold to worldwide.''(This is a debate my husband and I have constantly) Parks looks at the idea of popular art travelling, and why some affectionately regarded authors still remain very minor in canon. Is it an issue of the greatness of subject matter? Or of enduring topics that may persist over time? Does it matter at all if a book is widely travelled, or if it deeply touches just a few?
On authors and their internet addictions'(What? Im not blogging when I should be writing, surely!) Internet and social media blocking technology is becoming increasingly popular as authors look to switch off from those myriad online distractions. These technologies do things like disconnecting from the internet, shutting down social media programs, blocking access to distracting websites, and, for some authors, blocking things like review sites (and no doubt Amazon ranking numbers).
Chuck Wendigs twenty-five personal rules for writing and storytelling'I quite like the plot is Soylent Green one. Ie, plot isnt plot as suchits drawn from people. Yummy.
A scribbly interview with Laura Lippman.'Not the handwriting I expected Lippman to have, for some reason.
On equine vocabulary and the reimagining of etymology'The author looks at how horsey words such as linchpin are being spelled with a Y; phrases involving reins are being changed to reign, saddled to straddled, and roughshod to roughshot.
The ideas that inspired'The Hobbit,'Animal Farm, Around the World in Eighty Days and more'My favourite is'Anna Karenina: apparently Tolstoy was inspired by, of all things, the image of a womans elbow. Shows how much you can stretch an idea!
This is your brain on Jane Austen'Reading a text closely increases brain activity. Reading for pleasure also increases brain activity, but in different areas.
