This desire to keep shelves in their most useable state extended beyond the library. It’s not about wanting to be minimal; minimalism is not a thing I find realistic in my life nor does it align with my needs. It’s about instead keeping only the books which suit me and reflect me. And yet, following a move this year, I can’t stop thinking about how having less in my life is a thing I do value and need....

For all those who are a “rainbow in someone else’s cloud,” to paraphrase Dr. Maya Angelou, we are grateful—not to mention our literary friends, who keep us company when we can’t see our IRL friends. And who knows, maybe you’ll find more of the latter in today’s posts! Happy reading.

Inn Packages The Jane Austen: 2 nights–One copy of an average-length Classic Novel You’ve Been Meaning To Read Forever. 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Unlimited coffee or tea. One fluffy bathrobe dusted with Cheeto crumbs. In-room video displays Colin Firth encouraging you to keep going or singing “Moves Like Jagger” until you achieve a page count sufficient to shut him up (reader’s choice). The Miller-Nin: 3 nights–This couples package includes a customized selection of erotic literature and love poetry....

I do, however, love a reading project. There’s an active community of readers on Bookstagram who read various awards longlists and shortlists every year, and I’ve always been intrigued by them. It’s hard to resist a checklist! I’ve been pondering giving it a go for a while, so I paid more attention than usual to awards this year. I considered reading a few different longlists — the Booker Prize, the International Booker Prize, the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction....

What is a radical bookstore? When I asked them about what defines a “radical bookstore,” all of my interviewees were quick to remind me that the term “radical” has quite a wide range of meanings and connotations that are often charged in the mind of the reader. In general, though, a “radical bookstore,” is one that operates unconventionally, and with a specific mission of effecting societal change. Meaning, most radical bookstores have a clearly defined social mission decided on by collective members....

It could happen. Or, at least: these scenarios feel a little more like they could happen than, say, the Narnia books, or Anne McCaffery’s adventures in Pern. These are fantasy set-ups with one very important connective quality: they begin (and remain) in the world that we know. Such is the realm of low fantasy, which can distinguished from fantasy books of old (or epic or high fantasy) by the fact that their magical elements are intrusive in the known world, rather than indicative of a whole other imagined world....

“My bibliotherapist was Germaine Leece, an ex-book editor and current specialist counsellor at Sydney Women’s Counselling Centre. She’s the bibliotherapist for the School of Life in Sydney and describes her role as ‘a perfect marriage of her two careers. To Germaine, ‘bibliotherapy is reading for emotional support,’ and not necessarily for intellectual and critical reading. She explained that, ‘we all practice bibliotherapy subconsciously, but these sessions makes choosing books a conscious decision for people....

Don’t know what to read? Find our recommendations for the best light novels here! Internet Archive With new books added almost every day, Internet Archive is the perfect place to find your next light read. Their collection has both new and old books, as well translated works. The best part is? It lets you track, bookmark, and list everything you’re reading so you can stay organized. Royal Road Royal Road is absolutely brimming with translated Light Novels....

She-Hulk was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema and debuted in Savage She-Hulk #1 (February 1980). Like a lot of “variant on an existing hero” characters, she was created to lock in a copyright: Marvel was concerned that the success of The Bionic Woman would inspire the producers of The Incredible Hulk TV show to add a female Hulk to the cast, and if they did so before Marvel put her in the comics, Marvel wouldn’t own the rights to the concept....

Now that you’ve discovered which Marvel villain you are, are you dying for more information? Dying to know more about what comic book characters you are? Check out this quiz: Which Comic Book Character Are You? You can also find out which Guardians of the Galaxy character you are. Or which Avenger you are.

For me, born and raised in ’70s Rust Belt Western Pennsylvania, most of the book’s biscuit-y charm went in one ear and out the Blanche Devereaux. However, y’all, one nugget did done stuck! The monogramming! In Whiskey In A Teacup it’s everywhere. Reese Witherspoon even has a monogrammed horseshoe. Southern Tradition of Monogramming I learned Southerners will monogram just about anything. [Read 100 Must-Read Works of Southern Literature. ] According to Southern Living, “monograms are, in fact, a mandatory­­ element of Southern style....

PEN’s report lays out and links to several stories about various groups, including this box exploring some of the nationally-organized groups. Read the report, particularly this section, to get a sense of what ideas these groups are formed around. For the most part, it’s not just book bans. It’s the broader issue of “parental rights,” which became a movement in 2020 with parents demanding that schools “reopen” during the pandemic (the language here matters, as schools were open but operating virtually)....

This story, entitled “Who Haunts the Corridor of Chills?” appeared in Flash #162, published in 1966. It starts with theme park impresario Walt Dempsey wandering through his own attractions at night. While Dempsey is not drawn to explicitly resemble Disney, you can definitely see the influence in the white hair and mustache. Right in the middle of the tour, some unknown force turns Dempsey into a man-bird monster. (The Flash seems fond of those....

I named my youngest son Atticus. Well, youngest by 60 seconds. My other twin’s name is Rhett- I named them after two Southern literary gentlemen who kick against the goads of the times in which they exist, but who both still exhibit views and prejudices I don’t always love. My boys, I figured, are my new home, so I named them after my first one– the South, a place I love but criticize....

Here’s what Bookperk is all about: Bookperk is HarperCollins’ daily newsletter filled with e-book bargains, sneak peeks from upcoming releases, exclusive offers, giveaways, and more! To be entered to win, simply fill in the form below. This sweepstakes is open to residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico and all other US territories). Entries will be accepted until 11:45pm, August 31st. Winner will be randomly selected. Complete rules and eligibility requirements available here....

So we have one brand new waterproof Kindle Paperwhite to give away, courtesy of Tor Books. To enter, sign up to receive the latest news about Sci-Fi and Fantasy culture and original articles from our authors like Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, V.E. Schwab, and more. This sweepstakes is open to residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico and all other US territories). Entries will be accepted until 11:45pm, May 31, 2019....

With the virtuosic synthesis of memoir, criticism, and journalism for which she has become known, Leslie Jamison offers us fourteen new essays that are by turns ecstatic, searching, staggering, and wise. In its kaleidoscopic sweep, Make It Scream, Make It Burn creates a profound exploration of the oceanic depths of longing and the reverberations of obsession. Among Jamison’s subjects are 52 Blue, deemed “the loneliest whale in the world”; the eerie past-life memories of children; the devoted citizens of an online world called Second Life; the haunted landscape of the Sri Lankan Civil War; and an entire museum dedicated to the relics of broken relationships....

Below is a range of witchy bookish goods, including bookmarks, shirts, totes, and more that feature bookish witches. There are also a number of great goods featuring witches and witchy lore from popular books from across time (it is hard for me to believe that Practical Magic is 26 years old, since I remember reading it not long after it came out). Get your magic flowing with a flick of the broom stick and a stir of a bubbling caldron with these witchy bookish finds....

This quarter is a little slimmer than previous seasons, but we can still expect some excellent, brand-new graphic novels from new voices, a reissue of a fan favorite, a newly released edition of a favorite webcomic, a translated work, two graphic novels about food and falling in love, and some interesting adaptations from big-name creators — one of which may surprise you! Whether you’re all about those heartfelt and real moments in realistic graphic novels or you love your stories with a dash of the fantastic, this quarter is sure to satisfy....

I see Instagram posts about ’80s and ’90s memorabilia and cultural icons (anyone else remember Big Bopper magazine, YM, and of course the best magazine of all time, Sassy?) and am immediately wistful, losing myself down the rabbit hole of whatever account was reposted. My Spotify playlists heavily feature Tori Amos, Rage Against the Machine, Bikini Kill, The Roots, and Ani DiFranco. Recently, with Netflix’s adaptation of Moxie, Hulu’s release of Felicity and My So-Called Life, and the reunion of the original Real World cast, I’ve been more than a little nostalgic for the 1990s....