Leonard Riggio, a brash, self-styled underdog who transformed the publishing industry by building Barnes & Noble into the country’s most powerful bookseller before his company was overtaken by the rise of Amazon.com, has died at age 83. Read more
Month: August 2024
How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World
In the spirit of Progressive Era muckrakers, Michel, an investigative journalist and author of American Kleptocracy, reveals the shamelessness, venality, and moral turpitude of those who work to influence federal legislators and the public in order to advance antidemocratic foreign interests. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
Suspected Burglar Caught After Sitting Down With Book
A would-be burglar in Rome was caught after stopping to read a book on Greek mythology in the middle of a theft, Italian media reports. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
How the Push to Diversify Publishing Fell Short
Lisa Lucas was among the big hires meant to shake up the industry. Her departure, alongside other prominent Black editors and executives, has led some to question publishers’ pledge to diversify. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
Two Centuries After His Death, Why is Lord Byron Still Seductive?
“…the poet is mostly recalled in the context of the Byronic hero: a dark, brooding, sexy rebel, derived partly from Byron’s celebrity persona and also from his works, such as his autobiographical masterpiece, “Don Juan”. In England the bicentenary has been marked by new books and events. But many are also taking place abroad, in the countries that hosted his self-imposed exile. In Italy, where he wrote some of his greatest works, including “Don Juan”, he is claimed as something of a national poet. The Keats-Shelley House, at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome, is holding a year-long festival of readings, exhibitions and performances. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
‘State of Paradise’ by Laura van den Berg
With exquisite prose, smart lines on every page, a building sense of growing strangeness tinged with dread, and surprises all the way to the end, State of Paradise might be van den Berg’s best novel so far — and that’s saying a lot. A narrative that constantly feels like its dancing on the border between fiction and nonfiction despite all the weirdness it contains, this book is at once an adventure and a treat, a deep study of Florida’s psychogeography and a creepy story about ghosts, missing people, cults, and technology. Don’t miss it. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
Winners of the 2024 Hugo Awards Announced
The winners of the 2024 Hugo Awards—one of science fiction and fantasy’s most prestigious awards, decided by the popular vote of WorldCon members—were presented this weekend at the 82nd WorldCon in Glasgow, Scotland. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
‘Highway Thirteen’ by Fiona McFarlane
McFarlane is a master at just about everything: dialogue, setting, comic timing. One of her best stories, “Podcast,” is a spot-on send-up of a true-crime podcast, with its giddy silliness and flashes of compassion for the victims (McFarlane has said that these stories were partially inspired by a podcast she followed during the pandemic). But her biggest accomplishment is creating an empathic bond with people whose lives are touched by unexplainable violence. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
‘There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven’ by Ruben Reyes Jr.
The volume is shot through with genuine pathos and astute social commentary, and Reyes shifts effortlessly from absurdism to satire to sci-fi. These dynamic tales herald the arrival of a promising new talent. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
‘The Bookshop’ by Evan Friss
In “The Bookshop,” Evan Friss offers lively profiles of booksellers and the stores they’ve overseen, from the 18th century to today. Read more
(We earn a small commission if you click above and buy the book at Bookshop.org)
