News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, and other cool stuff.
Worth Reading/Viewing
- The HarperCollins union is still on strike. Here’s why, how it affects you as a reader, and how you can support them.
- Guest Post: I asked ChatGPT to Outline a Christmas RomCom (Jeevani Charika for SBTB) The result is… generic.
- How a Great Audiobook Narrator Finds Her Voices (New Yorker Magazine) A portrait of Robin Miles, audiobook narrator extraordinaire.
- How To Focus Like It’s 1990 (New York Times) It’s not your imagination: your attention span has gotten shorter. Here are some suggestions to get back your ability to concentrate on what you’re reading.
- Spellbound: why ‘witch lit’ is the hottest new genre on our bookshelves (The Guardian)
For Readers, Writers, & Bloggers
- Want a spreadsheet to track your reading, but don’t have the time or inclination to make your own? Check out this spreadsheet from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. It’s built in Google Sheets, so all you have to do is copy the file and create a new document of your own.
Books, Movies, TV, and Conventions
- Boskone, the venerable Boston-area SFF convention, is offering a virtual option this year. If you (like me) are missing attending cons, but you’re not ready to brave the crowds in person, a virtual membership is around $25. However, it’s unclear how much access you get with that. I presume a live feed of the panels and presentations, but I’m not sure.
Lists
- Reading Resolutions Based On Your Zodiac Sign (We Are Bookish). Regardless of your sign, you’ll find something that resonates here.
- An unofficial list of the most influential science fiction works ever (Washington Post)
Bookish Quote
Wendy
I always enjoy this post as I don’t normally track much in the reading world. I am going to check out that spreadsheet. Thanks!
Wendy recently posted…Stacking the Shelves #73!
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
That sounds like happiness indeed.
I had noticed that there were a lot of popular books about witches recently, but I hadn’t stopped to think about why. That article makes a lot of sense.
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits recently posted…Book Review: Ravenfall (Kalyn Josephson)