There are so many links I come across and there is not enough time to write longer posts about all of them. Borrowing an idea from Ben Dowdy and his Misfill feature at The Pen Addict, I have started sharing these links in a blog post with a short description about why each article is interesting for authors.
This edition of Full Shelf is a bit different because it was written by Bard Press’ intern Marissa Graf. I’ll let her take it from here…
Hi, everyone. Here are some links I gathered throughout the month I spent interning at Bard Press that I found interesting. I hope you do too:
- Men named Jo(h)n have written as many of 2020’s top business books as all women combined (Fortune) – Only 17 of 2020’s bestselling business books were written by women, which is the same number of bestsellers that were written by men named Jo(h)n. Women authors have always been underrepresented in the business book category, which makes it difficult for aspiring businesswomen to find successful role models who look like them. This short article explains more about this problem and the benefits of women in business.
- New African American Histories and Biographies to Read Now (Goodreads) – In an effort to diversify my own reading list and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, I wanted to include some books about African American history. Goodreads has compiled a great list.
- The Search for Why (Simon and Schuster) – A new business book that was released on January 19. Author Bob Raleigh analyzes how instincts determine one’s behavior through human studies. Instead of grouping people by race, gender, etc. Raleigh groups them by what they “instinctively care about most: nurturing, fairness, loyalty, authority, or purity” finding that the people in a specific group act in similar and predictable ways. I’ve already added this one to my Amazon list!
- 2021 Literary Horoscopes (Penguin Random House) – Penguin Random House made this fun literary tarot card deck. I may not be much of a believer in horoscopes, but it’s always fun to get new book recommendations. Just turn to your Zodiac sign and scroll down for some recs.
- New Life for Old Classics, as Their Copyrights Run Out (The New York Times) – This month a bunch of books, movies, music, and other creative works entered the public domain. Some notable titles include The Great Gatsby, The Prophet, and Mrs. Dalloway. This article explains how this change can benefit readers and how it could be a detriment to publishers and literary estates.
- The ‘Great Gatsby’ Glut (The New York Times) – This is another interesting article about the works entering the public domain, specifically The Great Gatsby. They include some new covers of the book, which can be seen in the cover image of this blog post. You can also see more new covers here.
- TILISMA Book Page Holder (Amazon) – For those who don’t know what BookTok is, it’s a niche of TikTok for people who love books. I’m on BookTok and I have been seeing this gadget all over it recently. It’s a small wooden device that helps you comfortably hold open the book you are reading. I just got mine in the mail and I love it!
- After Inaugural Performance, Poet Amanda Gorman Tops The Amazon Bestseller List (NPR) – Even if you didn’t watch the presidential inauguration, you’ve probably heard of Amanda Gorman by now. She is the first National Youth Poet Laureate and her two unpublished books have already reached number one and two on Amazon’s bestseller list. They will be released in September and this article has links to per-order her books.
- Miss Reading in Public? Bring the Sounds of the Library to Your Home (Electric Lit) – The New York Public Library created a Spotify playlist of some sounds that we don’t get to hear so much anymore due to the pandemic. It may be centered towards New Yorkers, but if you miss reading amidst the hustle and bustle of pre-COVID life this playlist is for you. There’s even a track that follows someone entering the New York Public Library and finding a place to work.
