Citizen Reading: 15 August 2016
15 August 2016
A weekly selection of reading and book news, sometimes with completely inappropriate commentary.*
I have no idea what it all means, but here is a fascinating (and short-ish, so you really should go read it) article about the lack of fact-checking in publishing in general, and science books specifically. If you're a nonfiction reader at all you owe it to yourself to understand the nebulous nature of "truth," "facts," and "cheap publishers" (or "harsh publishing environment," if you want to be gentler about it), so check it out. Also: support authors who do their own rigorous fact-checking.
Becky over at RA for All is reviewing horror books like the wind for you!
NPR offers up an Alabama bookseller making three summer book recommendations for you.
Double review of two recent books on girls and social media. And here's a book on what the pursuit of beauty does to women that I totally want to look at.
Car keyless security systems: seriously suspect. Remember how I just talked about the book Future Crimes? Here we go...
"Seven surprising benefits of maker spaces." So here's a link for the librarians among you. I have never been a fan of maker spaces; I'll admit I really pretty much only care about the books and reading aspects of libraries, and "maker spaces" always seemed like code to me for "someone in the library wants to buy a 3D printer." Although I still don't believe, as this article suggests, that maker spaces can be "the antidote to today's lifestyle," I at least felt a little less dismissive about the whole concept after considering the benefits listed here.
Interested in a pretty comprehensive list of books from the last few years with "girls" in their titles? Here you go.
The next big music memoir: Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, coming at the end of September.
Arianna Huffington is leaving the Huffington Post.
Library Reads: September 2016. I still say this is the most boring reading list around, and I've never been able to actually make it through an Ann Patchett novel (there's on this list). At least there's ONE nonfiction title on the list this time, though.
On a non-reading note, I had the rare treat of seeing a movie over the weekend, and I really enjoyed it: Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Obligatory Neil Gaiman link: Neil Gaiman on Why We Read. No, I've not read it. Will someone, and tell me if it's worth the time? Thanks!
*Sorry for the short list this week, and no Friday book lists last week. A mid-week attack of some weird vertigo-type-thing slowed me down. Ridiculous. Remember when I railed against my midlife crisis and my midlife health? Over the weekend I laughed at a story my brother was telling and threw my back out a little bit doing so. What? Okay, granted. My brother is funny. The story in question was one of my favorites, about when he accidentally used the woman's bathroom in an airport and ever-so-slowly put together the hazy clues to figure that out (no urinals, etc.). But still. I should not be throwing out my back by LAUGHING at the ripe old age of 42. I don't want one, but evidently it is time for some sort of stupid basic fitness regime.