What a sunny summery summer it’s been so far! We hope you are all enjoying either some time off, or else the relaxed atmosphere that comes with most everyone being on vacation can bring. Still, the start of school is looming, so for all you students and teachers, enjoy these last few weeks.
– Awards! The literary award season is still in full swing. The biggest buzz of course comes from the Booker Prize, who recently announced their longlist for this year. For the thrill-chasers out there, the winners of CWA Daggers for the best of crime writing and the Shirley Jackson Award for dark fantasy and horror were also announced.
– Interview! NPR interviews Gil Durán on his upcoming book The Nerd Reich, already contender for title of the year.
– The Pulitzer prize-winning author Colson Whitehead‘s book Cool Machine, the last part to his Harlem trilogy, has finally hit the shelves this month. Take a look at his interview on Defector to get a glimpse into his mind, his writing, and his… coffee table preferences. We still have a few signed copies left in our stores!
– Talking of new titles to watch for, more details about the much anticipated Rebecca Yarros book (which is NOT the fourth book for the Empyrean series, as was made abundantly clear) was announced this month. Threshing Day will be a collection of 13 stories “starring your favorite characters and their dragons.” Pre-order here!
– Trending on screen: The Odyssey has been dominating the screens (and the conversation) all summer. The epic adaptation of the classic was received with much love AND much criticism. Translator Emily Wilson shares her (rather biting) review of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation.
– Not to be a downer, but it appears that the horrors persist (and by horrors, we mean big tech inserting generative AI in any and every digital platform that you are using.) Google Play Books is planning on automatically inserting an AI chatbot into its interface to provide the readers with recaps of the story. On top of the often-voiced ethical and legal concerns of feeding literary works into LLMs, readers are also concerned about false information and spoilers making it into the feature.
– Lists! Crime fiction is the hottest genre for the summer months, and CrimeReads has gathered some great choices for speculative mysteries and thrillers if you are looking for some recommendations for your summer reading list. The Guardian asked various authors for their favorite beach reads, and they delivered. Titles include The Wedding People, The Shampoo Effect, and… There is No Antimemetics Division? Also on The Guardian, Andrew Sean Greer talks about what makes a book funny, and lists 10 of his favorite comic novels.
– “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a big lie – to Sophie at least, whose head is regularly turned by striking covers. And it appears LitHub agrees, in this article on the history and importance of book covers (sadly and ironically without any proper illustrations).
– Ever thought that walking into a bookshop felt like walking into a portal where hours seem to disappear between the stacks as you browse? Take a look at this beautiful article from the 1000 Libraries magazine about the infinite magic of bookshops. (Ok, we are a little bit biased, but this feels like an objective truth!)
– Looking for a new bookish podcast? Then make a note in your calendar for 24 September, when Barack Obama’s 6-part series comes out, A Great Book with Barack Obama. Guests haven’t been announced yet, but the books have: The Fire Next Time, Song of Solomon, All the Pretty Horses, Gilead, All the King’s Men, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, in case you’re looking to do some homework.
– For a bit of hopecore on your news feed, reading parties are still a rising trend in the bookish community according to Bookriot and CNN. Like-minded book lovers are organising events to meet up for a peaceful hour or two of reading their latest picks in each other’s company, creating a community without the pressure of socialising. If you are drawn to the idea, make sure to drop by one of our monthly Quiet Reading Hour sessions at the The Hague branch for an inspiringly cozy hour of reading!
– And finally, we received a really lovely message from author Charles Lincoln, who wrote to let us know he had mentioned the ABC in the acknowledgements to his academical law book Gods, Judges, and Presidents: “Amsterdam became one of my great book cities while I was studying there, and ABC was part of what made it feel that way. Being able to walk into a store filled with English-language books, browse far outside whatever I was formally studying, and discover authors and subjects I had not planned to encounter helped keep intellectual curiosity alive beyond the classroom. Some bookstores become landmarks in a person’s memory of a city. ABC is one of those for me.” Thank you so much for these lovely words, it gives us booksellers hope and makes us feel all glowy!
