By Sophie.
A special day today: it’s my daughter’s birthday! (If you thought I was going to talk about the U.S. Elections, see below.)
– First up: ABC’s co-director Martijn was a guest on the Bookshop Podcast! Listen here to hear what he has to say about working in the best bookstore in the world (it’s an international podcast so I feel qualified to go global here).
– Alan Moore on the double-edged sword that is fandom.
– Lists! Bookriot has rounded up the Best Thrillers of the Past 10 Years, 9 Twisty Time Travel Graphic Novels and Comics, and 10 Books About Neurodivergence for Newly Diagnosed Adults. And Booktrib collects 7 Books That Are So Confusing (In the Best Way) – it has some favorite books of mine on there so I’m definitely putting the others I don’t know yet on my ABC wishlist!
– Awards! Han Kang is the 2024 Nobel Laureate in Literature, and we’re trying to restock her titles as quickly as the publishers can republish them. The Booker Prize announcement is imminent (12 November), and the Guardian asked the shortlisted authors what inspired them to write their books (“I was playing tennis,” answers one). This year’s Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction was awarded to It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anne de Marcken. I still have 2 books to finish before I can post my take on this year’s prize shortlist, but post my take in the future, I will…
– Dutch publisher VBK is trialling the use of A.I. to translate its Dutch authors into English. Hmmm.
– Nick Harkaway is interviewed by the Guardian about continuing his father John le Carré’s Smiley legacy with Karla’s Choice. I’ve always enjoyed Harkaway’s books so I’m sure he’ll do great!
– Here’s delightful essay by Nick Hornby on the curious tendency for older readers to veer towards nonfiction. “I try to find works of fiction, I promise, but it’s like pushing a wonky shopping trolley round a supermarket. I constantly veer off toward literary biographies, books about the Replacements, and so on […]”.
– And finally, if you want some context on the U.S. Elections happening today, check out our Highlights list on the topic here.
