News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, and other cool stuff
Book News
- Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. (NPR) Considered a longshot before the announcement, Dylan has yet to acknowledge the award personally, but his website does now mention it — on a page promoting a book of his lyrics. (The Guardian)
- NetGalley buys Bookish.com — but not their book recommendation engine. (Publishers Weekly)
- The New York City Public Library is now organizing books by size. Not in the public parts of the library, but in their underground storage facility beneath Bryant Park, which holds more than 4 million books. Shelving by size will save them up to 40% in shelf space. Barcodes and specific location information make it possible for librarians to locate books. (Time Out/New York)
- Open Road launched The Portalist, “a haven for science fiction and fantasy fans” offering “our unique take on everything from pop culture and books to science and the future of our species.”
Worth Reading
- Alt History: How a self-published, racist novel changed white nationalism and inspired decades of violence. (The Atlantic) A chilling reminder of the power of books, for good or — as in this case — ill.
- Most UK authors make under minimum wage, J.K. Rowling notwithstanding. (The Guardian)
- One of the NBF’s 5 Under 35 is published by a very small press. So small that the editors are all volunteers, and the first print run was in the 100s. (Publishers Weekly)
Great Blog Posts
- Reading New England: The Witches of Eastwick. Lory’s insightful review looks at Updike’s novel from a feminist perspective and finds it wanting. (The Emerald City Book Review)
Book & Movie Announcements
- Tolkien’s Beren and Luthien tale to be published next May. Tolkien’s son Christopher has “extracted” it from an early version and later references and retellings in The Silmarillion and elsewhere. Readers will be able to see how the story developed over time. (The Guardian)
- Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson join cast of Paddington 2. (Variety) I didn’t even know there was going to be another Paddington movie, but I’m delighted.
- J. K. Rowling has planned scripts for five Fantastic Beasts movies. The first movie opens Nov. 17; the sequel is already confirmed. (BBC News)
Awesome Lists
- 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Adult Coloring Book (BookRiot)
- 10 Best Dragon Books in Fantasy Fiction (The Portalist)
Really Cool / Just for Fun
- Placing Literature launched literary maps for Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens. (Links to each mapset are in the article.)
- Immerse Yourself In The Harry Potter World With Harry Potter Ambient Sounds (BookRiot) This article has links to ambient sound mixes — but if you log into the site they direct you to (AmbientMixer.com), you can also create your own mixes, and see other mixes. A lot of them are fantasy-related. Really cool.
Bookish Quote
That’s it for this week!
