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Like speculative fiction, slipstream’s definition varies depending on who you ask and with what context. Is it a sub-genre? Is it its own animal? And how do contemporary authors feel about the term? For this overview, we’ll tackle slipstream’s origins, its modern uses, a couple author interpretations, and give some examples on what may currently be considered slipstream (though some of you may disagree, and that’s okay!). In the end, you the reader will ultimately be the judge for where on the spectrum of weird or speculative fiction slipstream resides....

Here are our favorite options available online. Some are super minimalist, while others take a “the more the merrier” approach. 1. Handmade Tree Bookshelf This large tree bookshelf goes up the entire wall, giving you countless options for stacking and plenty of room to play. 2. DIY Tree Bookshelf Plans Handy types can DIY this spindly shelf with the help of a digital download for building plans. BYO tools!...

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell in this sequel to Ninth House, the smash bestseller by Leigh Bardugo. Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters. Dark academia is a sub-genre of literature, making itself comfortable in mystery, thriller, horror, and general fiction....

The ten categories for artistic disciplines are as follows: Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing. Some past notable fellows in writing include playwright Annie Baker (2011), essayist Charles D’Ambrosio (2007), comics writer Lynda Barry (2019), and journalist Lisa Armstrong (2019). In the writing category, USA Fellows cover wide genres because the organization is committed to choosing innovative artists and writers addressing a variety of issues in the American arts world....

For the purposes of the lecture, we focused on the development of vampire lore from the medieval through gothic periods, ending with the vampire as Byronic hero (Dr. Hirst’s areas of expertise). The lecture got me thinking, however, about how cool a comics anthology following the progression of vampire lore from the ancient world to the most modern takes would be. All of that history, all of those stories, bound together in a single volume; not only the words humans have written and spoken about the children of the night over the millennia, but the various images our imaginations have conjured of them as well....

When I was a teenager I discovered a series of published diaries in a small room in my local library. They were The Early Diary of Anais Nin, and I was obsessed with them, reading every volume. I never read her adult diaries. I borrowed, but returned unread, A Literate Passion, which contains the letters between Nin and Henry Miller. I had trouble reading their love letters because I was consumed with my own: I regularly exchanged letters with several friends, and over the course of my teens I was in love with a good half of them....

Start your journey into the past, and grow your to-be-read, here:

Blurbs are meant to catch a buyer’s eye and encourage them to try something new, maybe a debut author they’ve never heard of, because this name they trust says it is worth their time. Hundreds of thousands of books are published each year. New authors, all authors for that matter, are trying to do what they can to stand out. A quote from Oprah or a Reese’s Book Club sticker can go a long way....

New York Times bestselling authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden have teamed up for the first time to create a novel that’s gripping, terrifying and more relevant every day. The Hive follows seventeen-year-old Cassie, who, after being “condemned” on social media, is on the run from a deadly state-sanctioned mob seeking to exact IRL punishment. Aided by a shadowy underground network, Cassie becomes an unlikely heroine, as her search for the truth makes her a threat to the entire unjust system....

“Now, don’t get me wrong, I love reading and I can fully get behind John Waters’ sentiment – ‘If you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t fuck ’em!’ – provided said books aren’t turned the wrong way around as a minimal design statement. I enjoy getting reading recommendations from people I follow on Instagram but the competitive nature of it all can cause a serious case of comparisonitis....

At first it made me feel like a failure. Reading challenges are kind of a huge deal in the reading community. Every New Year I see all my friends on Goodreads excitedly pledge huge amounts of books. BookTube channels make whole videos of their new reading resolutions. These reading challenges are a part of the whole “fresh start” vibe of this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I’m here for it....

When I look at my bookshelf I have the same feeling as a climber clutching his rock: each book is a marker, a sign of hours invested and mental endeavour, a paperbacked conquest, a hardbacked companion. My shelves speak of years hiking through the literary summits. All of which is a roundabout and overly romanticised justification for why, when I read, I never, ever borrow books. I must own them....

While there are lots of YA books that don’t feel like YA, there are also plenty of YA books that are just so dang good that everyone should read them. I’ve included a little of both in this list. Additionally, I’ve tried to provide YA recommendations across a range of genres in order to cater to a varied audience. Usually, making lists like this requires that I do a lot of research and include quite a few books I haven’t actually read....

What makes horror special is that it’s not a genre. It’s a mood. This means that YA horror can cross genres and allow readers frightening reads from contemporary fiction to fantasy and science fiction. Horror allows space not only for monsters and creatures and beings, but also for serial killers, for natural disasters, and more. Included in this roundup of YA horror 2018 titles are books that are sequels or companions to earlier series titles, indicated with a ....

I’m not trying to sell you a timeshare, and there’s no snake oil involved. All of this is true. All that’s required is: a book. This is not bait-and-switch, y’all: I am earnestly recommending that you take to your calendar, locate a free coming weekend, and make plans to get away—all for the cost of a paperback and a hotel room. It’s the best kind of staycation: one where you’re technically still local, but not actually at home....

Anyway, Richard Wright delivers this gut-punch on Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. It appeared in The New Masses in October of 1937. (I don’t have a publicly accessible link, unfortunately). Here is the juiciest bit: Wright and Hurston had a pretty serious rivalry back in the day. She thought him uptight and self-important, and as you can see, he thought her pandering and unserious. Turns out, they were both wrong....

One mark of a seasoned graduate student is the ability to consume large amounts of peer-reviewed journal articles and books in a relatively short time. The second mark is the constant refrain, “I should be reading or writing for my dissertation!” Followed by “I no longer have time to read for fun.” Though it seems unintuitive, reading for pleasure in graduate school is actually incredibly helpful to both your happiness and productivity....

Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek Nation) has been an advocate for Native children’s literature since the publication of her first book Jingle Dancer 20 years ago. She’s continued to champion on behalf of children’s literature broadly while furthering her passion for sharing Native stories for young people. “As a child, I tended to avoid books with covers that hinted at any Native related content, probably because of negative experiences with inaccurate or bigoted depictions across popular mainstream media....

Let’s define cryptozoology, for starters. It’s a subculture and pseudoscience focused on trying to prove the existence of cryptids, creatures that are rumored to exist based on anecdotes or folklore. Other than my beloved Nessie, creatures considered to be cryptids include such entities as Bigfoot, Yeti, the chupacabra, and more. At the same time, the definition generally seems to exclude various mythological creatures and spiritual or supernatural beings (so, for instance, no pegasuses or unicorns or any of the yōkai from the Japanese folktales I grew up hearing)....

Coffee Shops Coffee shop shots are a classic, go-to #Bookstagram post idea, and they’re a classic for a reason! They feel cozy and warm. Plus, who doesn’t love great latte art on Instagram? https://www.instagram.com/p/B8rb_jeHViN/ Get Cozied Up A photo is meant to invoke a feeling, and your book photo should do the same! There’s nothing more fitting for #Bookstagram than being cozy with your latest read. Bonus points for a crackling fire, cozy throw blanket, hot beverage, and slippers....