The 25 Best Websites for Literature Lovers It’s an interesting relationship that book lovers have with the Internet: most would rather read a physical book than something on an iPad or Kindle, and even though an Amazon purchase is just two or three clicks away, dedicated readers would rather take a trip to their local indie bookstore. Yet the literary world occupies a decent-sized space on the web. Readers, writers, publishers, editors, and everybody in between are tweeting, Tumbling, blogging, and probably even Vine-ing about their favorite books. In case the demise of Google Reader threw your literary Internet browsing into a dark void, here’s a list of 25 book sites to bookmark. The Millions Ten years is a mighty long time in terms of Internet life, but that’s how long The Millions has been kicking out a steady stream of reviews, essays, and links.
10 great science fiction novels that have been banned @djscruffy: And that's why you're a heathen and should be burned at the stake. @djscruffy: In defense of public schools, I would suggest that the reason many of these books are challenged so often is that they're frequently included in school curriculums and libraries. I grew up in a state that, according to these links, engaged in book-burning less than a decade before my birth. That makes me shudder. But I'm also the child of a public school teacher and am familiar with my mother's and many of her peers' views on children's reading materials. I suppose I've wandered a bit. @djscruffy: To be fair, it's not usually the schools that want to ban the books, but the few overprotective parents who make wild assumptions about the books we try to teach. Most of us really try to teach the kids to think, rather than becoming nice little automatons.
How to Pass the Google Analytics IQ Test in Two Days: Zero to Hero I am going to tell you how to study for and pass the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) test in two days. But, why should you listen to me? I’m just a lowly intern, right? Not only did I manage to go from zero GAIQ experience to passing the test with 94% in two days, but I also spent 3 years as a professional ACT instructor at a leading test prep company. The GAIQ is a valuable certification that absolutely always results in multiple job offers, Oscar nominations, and your old boss begging to have you back. So, what will this post help you accomplish? Test Overview The GAIQ test is 90 minutes and 70 questions long, consisting of both multiple choice and True/False questions. Preparation First and foremost, go to Google Analytics IQ Lessons and watch all of the videos. You’re done watching the videos? Wake up! Ready to embarrass yourself further? Resources for the Test You are now as ready as you’ll ever be. First, download this cheat sheet from Matt Gratt’s blog.
19 Contemporary British Novels You Need to Read Now Perhaps my opinion here owes much to the fact that I’m Canadian and therefore still subject to excessive colonial reverence for people with cool accents and universities that date to the 13th century who put all the “u”s in the proper places in the words! But people who love books in America are, in my opinion, overly focused on contemporary American authors. Contemporary American authors are, in my opinion, not necessarily doing the best and most interesting work in fiction today, if I’m to make generalizations. I’d much prefer picking up just about any living British novelist whose last name is not Amis. Here is my list of the novelists you must read to get up to snuff on British novel-writing. Bonus: None of these novels are set in Brooklyn, and vanishingly few are about writers. Charlotte Mendelson, Almost English Shortlisted for the Booker this year, Mendelson’s novel stuffs five women in a tiny apartment together and lets things devolve from there.
Isaac Asimov - The Last Question The last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light. The question came about as a result of a five dollar bet over highballs, and it happened this way: Alexander Adell and Bertram Lupov were two of the faithful attendants of Multivac. Multivac was self-adjusting and self-correcting. For decades, Multivac had helped design the ships and plot the trajectories that enabled man to reach the Moon, Mars, and Venus, but past that, Earth’s poor resources could not support the ships. But slowly Multivac learned enough to answer deeper questions more fundamentally, and on May 14, 2061, what had been theory, became fact. The energy of the sun was stored, converted, and utilized directly on a planet-wide scale. They had brought a bottle with them, and their only concern at the moment was to relax in the company of each other and the bottle. “It’s amazing when you think of it,” said Adell. Lupov cocked his head sideways.
CNY Arts :: Events Calendar Best New Books For Fall - Reading Guide "I feel like everyone was talking about this book over the holidays, and I was slow to pick it up. But honestly, I hate myself for it, because I would have loved to read this on my days off in December, in one uninterrupted stretch. The characters are so compelling and charming, I never want to leave them — especially not for stupid things like approaching my stop on the subway or going to work. And, even though the titular Bernadette is broken and a little off, I love her as if she were real. Maria Semple does such a beautiful job bringing her to life slowly, and in such a hilarious, fractured way, I feel fiercely protective of her — and that's a grand accomplishment for any storyteller. The fact that she makes me laugh and cry in the process, that's just an added bonus." — Neha Gandhi, executive features editor Maria Semple Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later First, before I begin to bore you with the usual sort of things science fiction writers say in speeches, let me bring you official greetings from Disneyland. I consider myself a spokesperson for Disneyland because I live just a few miles from it — and, as if that were not enough, I once had the honour of being interviewed there by Paris TV. For several weeks after the interview, I was really ill and confined to bed. I think it was the whirling teacups that did it. Elizabeth Antebi, who was the producer of the film, wanted to have me whirling around in one of the giant teacups while discussing the rise of fascism with Norman Spinrad... an old friend of mine who writes excellent science fiction. Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. It reminds me of a headline that appeared in a California newspaper just before I flew here. Well, I will tell you what interests me, what I consider important. But the problem is a real one, not a mere intellectual game.
Creating a Blog Strategy that Works: 10 Tips for Company Bloggers and Teams by Crystal Olig | PRNewPros Blogging can be frightening because no matter the size of your organization, not everyone believes they are a writer. The allure of a brand-spanking new blog tarnishes quickly when everyone realizes you have to feed the beast. As PR pros, we mobilize a company’s internal experts and find a way to help them turn their knowledge into dynamic and compelling content. 1. Blog platforms today, from WordPress and Blogger to Tumblr and Posterous, are intuitive to use, and you can be up and blogging in a day. Combine your content plan into strategic groups. Lastly, a deadline calendar that you gently enforce, or even better, incentivize your staff with, helps everyone know what they are expected to do and when. 2. While brainstorming is great, sometimes you just do not have it in you to start completely from scratch. 3. Pay attention to your blogging team members’ strengths. 4. 5. When you create your team, do not limit it to your peers in communications. 6. 7. Not just any old blog will do. 8.
Which Books Should You Read If You Want To Get Laid? If you’re looking for complacent cogs in the machine, stay away from the Heller fan. By Nerve Staff Omnivore, a book review hub based out of London, recently announced that it's launching a new dating website to connect potential partners through their taste in literature. I can't number the times I've tried catching a commuter's eye on the MTA solely on the basis of the book they're reading. 1. Just Kids is one of the most attractive books you could catch someone reading over a cup of coffee. 2. Despite its reputation, Moby-Dick is chill as hell. 3. Anne Carson is one of the most famous living poets and she's also batty as all get out. 4. If you don't love A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels you are dead inside. 5. Leaving the Atocha Station is Ben Lerner's first novel. 6. Reading Walter Benjamin is equivalent to a marathon session of "It is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself." 7. Y: The Last Man is a contemporary classic in the comic book world. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
365 tomorrows : A New Flash of Science Fiction Every Day Eden : - Mexico City Documentary Photographer based in Mexico City Bio / Contact WeddingsPrints 40 Trashy Novels You Must Read Before You Die First things first: the history of the novel is already tangled up with the notion of “trash.” Peruse the great 19th-century realist novels — particularly Jane Austen’s, say — and you’ll catch characters insulting each other’s reading habits. But there are a lot of reasons to read other than intellectual elevation. Relaxation is one; keeping up with what everyone else is reading is another. Here are 40 of the greatest trashy books written in the last hundred years that, if you’re not looking for perfect prose, will surely decrease muscle tension over a weekend, or on vacation. These books aren’t perfect, but each has some kind of hook — either unexpectedly good construction, entertainingly inventive salaciousness, or historical import in and of itself. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious Grace Metalious’s 1956 classic of love, sex, and domestic violence in a tiny New England Hamlet was so scandalous that it was banned in Rhode Island. “Is it up, Rod?”
This Is Not Just A Story About Prostitution : The Picture Show Hide caption Eden is a prostitute who was recently arrested and is awaiting a court hearing. Here, she waits outside the Richmond, Va., train station for her mother to pick her up. Courtesy of Alicia Vera Hide caption Tensions are high when Eden tells her mother about her work as a prostitute. It was the first time they discussed her profession at length. Hide caption Eden takes off her wig once a customer leaves the room, to return to her "real" self. First, a word of warning: This story features photos about prostitution. When I was studying photojournalism in grad school, one of the most important lessons I learned was that you can't make good pictures without understanding the story. And in the case of these photos, Eden trusted photographer Alicia Vera enough to let her witness some extremely vulnerable moments. Alicia is from Miami, and is the first member of her family to be born in the U.S. While photographing in the clubs, Alicia met Eden, who was 18 at the time.