The Peruvian-American author made a deep dive, interviewing nearly 250 people for her latest book. Why? "The U.S. has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico. I needed to explain who we are.” - El Pais
And that choice turned some readers' year-end summaries into screeds about their needing to read white cis male authors, which didn’t land particularly well. - The New York Times
To help us recap the highlights we're joined now by two familiar faces, Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR's "Fresh Air," and Gilbert Cruz, editor of The New York Times Book Review. - PBS News Hour
"On December 27, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that Amanda Jones’s 2022 defamation case against two local men who accused her of pushing pornography to children can continue. In a 4-2 ruling, the court found that an appeals court erred in denying Jones’s appeal based on an apparently missed deadline." - Publishers Weekly
In The Times, Jason Farago defended an artistic movement against its detractors: “If you find Monet, Renoir, Degas too pretty and popular — if you think Impressionism is the artistic equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte — I want you to taste the espresso beneath the foam.” - The New York Times
Publishing 32 books over the course of his life, he wasn’t simply prolific, as far as former presidents go. His output also displayed an extraordinary range that included historical fiction, poetry and meditations on the meaning of faith and the splendor of nature. There was even a coffee-table book on woodworking. - The New York Times
But even the most borrowed books only represent a sliver: "When you actually look at what people read in New York City, it wasn't like 20% of our audience were only reading these books. It's only 1%. There is still interest in a broad range of subject areas.” - NPR
“Publishers are investing in colorful patterned edges, metallic foil covers, reversible jackets, elaborate artwork on the endpapers, ribbon bookmarks and bonus content.” - The New York Times
That’s partially due to Spotify - but the service only pays authors when listeners finish a book, so despite the increase in listenership, it may end up devaluing the product. - The Guardian (UK)
“Whatever you do when you read fiction is commit a small act of empathy. You know, you think about situations that are not like your own. You think about people whose lives are not like your own. And that, I think, is an incredibly useful exercise.” - The Atlantic
Many researchers find another reason to worry about the spread of English: the prospect of cognitive hegemony. Languages, they argue, influence how we perceive and respond to the world. The idiosyncrasies of English—its grammar, its concepts, its connection to Western culture—can jointly produce an arbitrary construction of reality. - The New Yorker
Then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi blocked publication and import of the novel not long after it was released in 1988. Last month, when the government couldn't produce the relevant paperwork, a court overturned the ban. At least one New Delhi bookstore reports that sales are good. - The Guardian
As with so many innovations, the first Christmas card, sent out in 1843, was devised by a guy trying to avoid a big, tedious task. Reaction was mixed, and the temperance society was particularly upset. - BBC
