Amazon Picks Its Best Books of the Year So Far
Amazon Picks Its Best Books of the Year So Far
Amazon released its list of the best books of the year so far, including their #1 pick of the year, James by Percival Everett. This is confirms for me that James is the Book of the Year (so far), and I think likely to be the book of the year by the time we flip the calendar to 2026. It already had the most mentions in mid-year best of lists in my breakdown of ten lists that had already appeared. Everett had a lot of latent love from the kind of folks who care about literary fiction, and this particular book hits a lot of marks: it is readable, connected to an American classic, and, not for nothing, is selling well. I am delighted.
Publishing Industry Sales Were Hot in April
Wait, what the hell? There are some eye-popping numbers in the latest Publishers Weekly sales check-in. Overall sales for April are up 18.3% over 2023. And every category is up. Digital audiobooks are up more than 50% year-over-year. Wisely, PW does not speculate on reasons this is the case, though notes for a couple of categories that decreased returns were a factor. But why in the name of Johannes Gutenberg are ebook sales up 19%!?! I am glad to see it, but kinda speechless.
Why Do We Have A Voice In Our Heads When We Read?
I am not exactly sure if I engage in subvocalization when I read, but according to this study, maybe I better try. Essentially, for those that have a voice in their head that “reads” the words aloud benefit with better memory and comprehension. This seems to happen because we process spoken language differently because it goes through a “phonological loop” that engages different parts of our brain.
72 of the Best Horror Books, According to Horror Authors
Writers of a genre are terrific sources of recommendations in that genre. Not only do they often do a lot of reading to keep abreast of what folks are doing, they are generally huge fans.
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