Month: October 2017

Book World Will Close All 45 Locations

Wisconsin-based Book World is closing all 45 of its bookstores across seven states. Book World stores are located in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, and Missouri, with 320 employees across all stores. Beginning Thursday, possibly through January, each store will hold a liquidation sale until all inventory is sold. The Milwaukee news site reporting on the closures noted that Book World is the fourth largest bookstore chain in the United States.

Seattle Designated A UNESCO City Of Literature

Seattle joins 20 cities as a UNESCO City of Literature. Iowa City is the only other U.S. City of Literature. The Seattle Review of Books initially thought the city’s bid, which began in 2013, would be stalled by the U.S.’s withdrawal from UNESCO. Seattle City of Literature Board President Bob Redmond stated that the designation is “just extremely timely.” In order to qualify for the designation, cities have to meet a number of criteria, including “quality, quantity and diversity of publishing in the city.” Seattle joins cities including Edinburgh, Prague, Barcelona, and Baghdad.

Jacqueline Woodson Signs Two-Book Deal With Riverhead

The National Book Award winner says she’ll write a novel and a nonfiction book. Woodson became the 2014 National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature with Brown Girl Dreaming, and published Another Brooklyn in 2016. Entertainment Weekly interviewed the author about publishing her first adult novel in 20 years (Another Brooklyn), her move to Riverhead, and, of course, what she’s reading now. She didn’t offer details about the novel or nonfiction book, but somehow they’re already on my TBR.

Sponsored by THE BRIDE WHO GOT LUCKY, Janna MacGregor’s captivating new Regency romance that’s available October 31.

On October 31, Janna MacGregor’s Cavensham Heiresses series continues with The Bride Who Got Lucky.

Nicholas St. Mauer prefers solitude to society. But driven by honor, the reclusive Earl feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham. She possesses a penchant for passions that finds Nick in constant peril of losing his well-structured solitude.

Emma has little use for a man—especially with the more pressing mission of proving her late friend’s death was no accident. But when a compromising moment upends all her plans, Nick may be the only man brave enough to join in Emma’s cause. . .and fight for her heart.

A New Bot Named Shelley Might Write Your Next Horror Read

MIT researchers have been hard at work, creating a machine to fuel our nightmares. Named after Mary Shelley, the writing bot read 140,000 stories published by amateur writers who participate in Reddit’s “r/nosleep” forum. Shelley is now capable of generating its own stories. It sounds like the bot’s work might fit into the New Weird genre, based on some of the excerpts published with the piece. It also sounds like writers don’t have much to worry about as far as competition goes…

A National Rail Provider Comes Under Fire For Use Of Anne Frank’s Name

National rail provider Deutsche Bahn is under fire for plans to name a train after Anne Frank. In a statement, the Anne Frank Foundation said, “A combination of Anne Frank and a train conjures up the image of persecution of Jews and deportations during World War II.” A jury selected Frank’s name from a shortlist. The Berlin-based company responded to criticism about the insensitivity of their plans, saying they hadn’t intended to cause hurt, and that they’ll hold internal discussions about the public’s concerns. Another piece on the story mentioned that DB is a state-owned successor of the rail provider that deported millions of Jews.

A Halloween Special Featuring Neil Gaiman

As the day is creeping up on us, I’ll leave you with a special Halloween show featuring Neil Gaiman. If you’re struggling to get in the spirit, you can listen to Gaiman guest host Funny/Scary from Selected Shorts. Gaiman presents four ghoulish tales, two by the author and two Chuck Palahniuk favorites. He also narrates one of his stories, “Click-Clack, The Rattlebag.” But other familiar names, including John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and Becky Ann Baker (Freaks and Geeks), join in to narrate. Grab a bag of candy corn (:shudder:), and have a listen.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away $500 to the bookstore of your choice! Click here to enter.

Sponsored by the University of Iowa Press, publisher of Outside Is the Ocean, 2017 Iowa Short Fiction Award-winning collection by Matthew Lansburgh.

Three days after her twentieth birthday, a woman who grew up in WWII Germany travels to America for a new beginning. Outside Is the Ocean traces Heike’s struggle to find love and happiness. After two marriages and a troubled relationship with her son, Heike adopts Galina, a disabled child from Russia, hoping for the affection and companionship she craves. As Galina grows, Heike’s grasp on reality frays. She writes a series of letters to the son she thinks has abandoned her. It isn’t until Heike’s death that her son finds these letters and realizes how skewed her perceptions actually were.