Happy Friday, readers! This is a special weekend for me because in a few short hours we’re kicking off our inaugural MMD Book Club Retreat!
Readers are coming to Louisville from all over the country to talk books, bask in each other’s bookish company, take a class and a field trip, chat with a New York Times bestselling author in person about her (not yet published) work, eat all the good food, and generally make merry. It is so good to be among people who are reading, and I’m so excited to experience a whole weekend of doing exactly that. But first—I have to finish reading the book we’re discussing!
I hope you have a great weekend ahead of you, full of good times and good books of your own.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- Instagram Etiquette 101. Jenny Komenda shared an excellent and thorough post about Instagram interactions last week. I wish everyone knew the things she shared here. (Heads up: ironically, it was much easier for me to read her advice on my desktop computer as opposed to on my phone.)
- Why Angry Librarians Are Going to War With Publishers Over E-Books. “Studies consistently show library patrons to be more frequent book buyers overall—which is another reason Macmillan’s letter stung. ‘They are taking their readers, their customers, their fans, and intentionally trying to frustrate them,’ he said.”
- How To Handle A Trauma Anniversary. Our bodies sometimes know more than we do. (This piece reminded me of an excellent book I’ve discussed on this blog)
- I’m swooning over these book spine bookmarks.
- Margaret Atwood says thieves targeted Handmaid’s Tale sequel. The lengths people will go to should not be shocking but somehow it still is.
- Trees Are Key To Fighting Urban Heat — But Cities Keep Losing Them. This is not the reason I wanted my city to make the news.
Favorite Instagram:
Readers, I thought I killed my monstera—and then it came back from the dead. Your comments on this post about overthinking and benign neglect made me smile and nod in understanding. (Follow me on Instagram @annebogel.)
On the blog:
One year ago: Audiophile alert: 13 engaging audiobooks read by their authors. Audiobooks are only as good as their narrators, and who better to bring a book to life than the author?
Two years ago: 20 terrific titles from #ownvoices and #diversebooks authors. A stellar book list.
Three years ago: Quick and easy Penguin Classics poster DIY. I love how this project turned out.
Four years ago: Mr. Darcy vs. Gilbert Blythe. People are passionate about their literary heroes. The comments exploded on this post!
Five years ago: My current obsession. I’m still obsessed! And I’m far from the only one.
On What Should I Read Next:
What do you do when you’re reading a book and you’re pretty sure you hate it? This week Brian Eichenberger and I discussed the horrible books that taught us lessons we still think about allllll the time. This episode will make you think, and it will also swell your heart and mind to bursting with bookish enthusiasm.
On One Great Book:
Don’t miss today’s brand-new episode of One Great Book, where each week I pull one standout selection off my personal bookshelves and tell you all about it, in ten minutes or less. I’m sharing about my favorite Tana French novel; it’s just so good and I hope you enjoy listening to me tell you why.
Have a great weekend!
9 comments
I read the Tana French books this year after hearing it on your podcast so many times and from my coworker telling me over and over how good they are. Luckily I finally listened and I blew through them fast. There is actually going to be a show called “Dublin Murder Squad” coming this November and the first season is based on the first two books. I’m hoping it ends up being as good as the books.
Seriously, it can only be ever Gilbert Blythe. He is the man I always wanted to marry. Anne of Green gables has been my most favourite book since being a girl and I reread them often, in fact I just finished the series all over again although none compares to the first book. As I love Anne so much the only perfect man must be Gilbert.
Thanks for sharing the article about the conflict between libraries and publishers over eBooks! I signed the ALA’s petition. Publishers have no right to be so restrictive, especially when their practices aren’t supported by actual data! Libraries are often one of a community’s greatest and yet most overlooked assets. Such a shame, and I hope this practice gets turned around.
I am united with the libraries regarding the new publishing company demands.
My suggestion is to take it to the authors at these publishers.
They have “some” power over their publishing contracts and could include fair library privilges. Honestly, I think Louise Penny would be disgusted to think her fans can not access her work in a timely manner.
Book stores are in a comeback mode and it is not because people check out the books at libraries.
It is because we READ. We buy and check out at libraries because we love BOOKS!
Without us the publishers would have no business:(
How do others feel?
Enjoy your retreat!
Thank you!
I remember, in high school school, living in a very small town with no library or book store, I had to order books from the state library system. Very unsatisfactory, but better than no books at all. But books? No thank you. I want pages, print, and book covers. ITs much more convenient when I want to reread a few pages back, or when I take a few moments to muse over what I’m reading, and the sheet doesn’t go away, leaving me with a blank paper (or screen!). If it isn’t in a book, i don’t read it.
Does anyone have a link to the ALA petition?
When I was a child, the library was everything to me. As an adult, I have served on library committees, but we were only used as a fund-raising source. When I moved to my current state, our local librarian and staff were the most obnoxious I have ever encountered, and I am old, and have been around😀…they were even cold and rude to the fund-raising ladies. So I used another county library nearby. The problem there was, it was so over-used, few newer books were available. The non-fiction books that were purchased were only representative of the head librarian’s viewpoint and were only available because no one agreed with that viewpoint. It is aggravating when public money is used -a lot- for one person’s outlook. So I only read e-books now and get exactly what I want – I read a LOT. The take-away ideas here are: hire knowledgeable, friendly county librarians and have an oversight committee to ensure using taxpayer monies to buy a wide variety of books.