Middle of the week again – these come and go like clockwork, don’t they? I won’t keep you long as you wend your busy way to the weekend, but here are ten posts you really should be reading this week!
1) SPEAK
Mr Scroggins believes that the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson should be banned because there’s a rape in the book. Mr Scroggins implies that rape is pornography. Everyone who believes that Mr Scroggins is wrong should Speak Out.
2) Are authors and their work inseparable?
This question was asked as a result of Elizabeth Moon‘s emotional post about 9/11 and Muslims in America. Because of some things she said, some readers were disappointed and said they’d no longer be reading her work, so OF Blog of the Fallen asked: Hate the writing and not the writer, or hate the writer and not the writing, or just dismiss them both?
3) Fantasycon 2010
Last weekend Fantasycon 2010 was held in the UK and a number of attendees have written their reports. The Fantasy Awards were also announced.
4) Genre Diversity
Aidan Moher has joined the SF Signal team and provides an essay on Genre Diversity as his first contribution.
5) The Book-O-Mat
This one is an amusing tale. In The Netherlands, a company has introduced the idea of a vending machine providing books. What do you think about this? Inspired, or madness?
6) Lost Libraries
Have you ever shuddered while wondering what would happen to your private library in the event of your death? A macabre thought, it’s true, but imagine all those books you diligently and lovingly collected being scattered all over the place! Here is a tale of a Lost Library.
7) 10 Ways to Annoy A Literary Agent
I’m sure a number of our FanLit readers aspire to becoming novelists themselves. Here we have Rachelle Gardner bringing us some of her pet peeves as a literary agent. In the same vein, we have here an article on How Not To Pitch Your Work To Any Publisher.
8) When Stories End With Ugh
Persnickety Snark talks with great passion about those series that utilise an epilogue to complete the final volume – and when those epilogues go wrong!
9) Worlds That Outgrew Their Stories
Our next destination is Grasping For The Wind, and an interesting article that takes a look at Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance, and the way they have continually grown since their inception.
10) Smart Chicks Kick It Tour
Finally on this week’s romp around the Internet, I bring you (via The Story Siren) news of the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour. Are any of you intending to head to this? Or have any of you been to the three signings so far?
That’s all, folks! See you next week!
Hey Amanda- I especially liked the article about the Lost Libaries. I know I’m sick and its not like my personal library is anything all that special (I do have a couple signed books though,one of them a hardback of Wheel of Time, by the late Mr. Jordon himself), but I do wonder what will happen to it after I croak. I like to think the books will go to someone who will enjoy and treasure them.
Also, it pointed-out one my favorite things about shopping in Used book stores. Sometimes you’ll find a little teasure left by the previous owner. I often ponder if these used books could talk, what their history would be.
Greg, I can’t think of many places I’d rather be than in a used book store. I don’t usually buy anything because I use my library most (I try before I buy) or the Kindle if I’m going to buy something, but I just love to explore book stores. Especially the ones that have added multiple floors and additions as the collection expands — where you have to walk up a few steps into one room, and then find another room added on in the back with a different floor, go down a few steps to another addition, etc. I love those! Fortunately, my husband does, too (though he won’t be found in the SFF section), so we enjoy doing this when we go downtown for the day or visit new cities.
There’s small one wedged between a sub-way and grocery store, at a stip-mall in the town we lived in until last year, about 15 miles away for me now. It’s been there forever. The lady that owned it before the people that do now, used-to keep her golden retriever there with her everyday.
I think the current owner has been looking to sell it for couple years now. I’ve fantasized about buying it, but I just don’t see how it makes any money and I know nothing about managing a store or owning my own business. Still, its tempting.
Even just being a small shop in as stip-mall, its still cozy. I can hear the bell ring when the door opens and smell the musty old books just thinking about it.