Emotional stress, abuse and daunting experiences may be some of the toughest things to get past. Bullying at schools and elsewhere can lead to more serious issues, like depression and suicidal ideation. However, an experiment has shown that reading books can help individuals cope better with their lives – both past and present. John Warner shares more in his column for the Chicago Tribune.
Dorothy Speak – one of the most talented and reputed writers in Canada – has published (well, the right term would be self-published) her new work, Reconciliation Stories. This seems like good news, getting to read more of her excellent craft. However, it also depicts a negative side of the Canadian publishing industry. What has happened that moved prime writers to resort to self-publication? Read more of this from Veronica Ross’ perspective.
With Christmas coming faster than we mean it to, we realize how far we still have to go to complete our list of gifts to buy. One of the sure-fire gifts to give are books – you can never go wrong with books. But what books to give? Here’s a guide to the ten best titles to buy as presents for the holidays, courtesy of Niamh Fleming-Farrell.
Books may be sweet escapes to places we haven’t gone to before, distractions from the daily grind of life, or pictures of things greater than what we are able to comprehend. Sometimes, they are also reflections of real experiences and lessons that can only be learned from genuine falls and failures. This week, we give you the craziest lineup of book titles and stories ever:
- Eyder Peralta shares the story of the very first book ever printed in North America. Is it in danger of losing its legacy and value in exchange for huge sums of money?
- The Inquisitr shares the novel idea of a bookstore owner as he pops no-seller old book titles into a vending machine in hopes of generating consumer interest.
- BlogCritics.org gives us a dose of our book review fix this week. Take a peek into the greater cosmos as we talk about James Trefil’s new book, Space Atlas.
- Hannah Furness’ post gives us the lowdown on royal sister turned best-selling author Pippa Middleton’s party-planning book, Celebrate, as it takes over London’s bookstores by storm.
- Charles McGrath gives us a chance to learn more about the award-winning author Andrew Solomon’s past and present life. What struggles did he go through to get at where he is now?
- Finally, in an attempt to understand life Outside Normalcy we talk about societal standards, familial judgment, gender inequality, and a really good book suggestion.
I’m afraid society has put a different meaning on what is normal. These days you can’t differentiate being normal from being regular, so I guess they are one and the same. Under most circumstances this is okay, but when a person’s preferences and beliefs are put into question and ridiculed – then that is an entirely different case. We’ve gone way past the era of racial profiling and discrimination, slavery, and gender inequality – so I guess we’ve made some real progress over the years. However, it’s no secret that a lot of families and communities regard anything (or anyone) outside the norms to be less of a person.
This may have been the case in Andrew Solomon’s life – at present, he is one of the wealthiest people in the literary industry, has a loving partner and son, and recently won a prestigious award for his book. It only shows that despite the many innuendos directed towards him during his teenage years, one can rise up to the call of the times and be his own success story. Now a proud husband, father, author, and trustee (of many fancy things and assets), Solomon is living proof that happiness and success in life knows no gender, age, background, or race.
His latest book highlights the many challenges and issues that children of an extraordinary make-up have to go through. It deals with the expectations and possibly, judgment, that people around them have for them – including their own families and parents. Solomon’s book is not only a literary masterpiece – it is a brilliant eye-opener and call to action. Check out more about his book, Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity from your local bookstores now.
Andrew Solomon is not the regular book author who rents an apartment and lives from paycheck to paycheck. He lives in a grand mansion and is extremely wealthy. His new book Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity is about children who don’t fit what today’s society deems as “normal.” Having been through some unusual experiences while growing up, Solomon delves into the topic of being a person one’s parents did not expect to have. Charles McGrath talks about Solomon’s previous books, his personal struggles, and his current family life.
She may have not married the Prince, but Pippa Middleton is making her mark in the world in her own way. Now officially an author, her party-planning book, Celebrate, is number one in various areas in London and elsewhere. The key to its success was partly the simplicity and directness of the book’s approach, getting the vote of many readers. Hannah Furness gives us the details of her book launch and how well it is faring in London and all over the world.
A new National Geographic book is on the shelves – Space Atlas, by James Trefil. The book showcases a map of a world greater and larger than our own. In sequence, readers will take the journey from the Solar System to the Galaxy to the Universe at large. There are photographs, star charts, and impressive illustrations to aid the imagination through reading the book. An in-depth review of it is presented by Gordon S. Miller in BlogCritics.org.
We’re used to buying refreshments and snacks from vending machines. Hospitals, airports, convenience stores and gas stations are teeming with these instant finger treats. Someone, somewhere, though, had the idea of selling books in vending machines as well – a clever way to sell the older titles that aren’t faring well in terms of sales. Tayla Holman shares more of this novel, literary delicacy from The Inquisitr.
The very first book ever printed in North America still exists. It belongs – or belonged – to the Old South Church in Boston. After taking votes, the decision has been made to sell the book at auction. It is projected to rally as much as $10 to $20 million in bids – valuable money which will go to numerous projects and priorities. Eyder Peralta shares more of this story.