My favorite bookish links from the week of October 24 – 28:
The Truth about Boys and Books: They Read Less – and Skip Pages
“Boys might claim it’s a simple matter of preferring to read magazines or the latest musings of their friends on social media rather than the classics. But two of the largest studies ever conducted into the reading habits of children in the UK have put those excuses to bed.Boys, of every age, no matter the nature of the literature before them, typically read less thoroughly than girls.”
11 of the Greatest Fictional Parties Ever
“Writers send their characters to parties for the very same reason we all go: parties allow the unusual and encourage the unexpected. Parties are short stories within in our broader narrative; each has its own compelling arc that starts from the moment you walk through the door and ends the next morning with the groggy brunch post-script. In that vein, here are eleven novels that deliver all the fun without the hangover.”
Giant Flip Books Are Hiding in the Woods of New Hampshire
“Tucked away in the forests of New Hampshire, somewhere just outside of Strafford, is a family of giant metal boxes. Each one is filled with 50 drawings and rigged with a system of gears that lets you crank through the images with the turn of a handle.”
The Gone Girl With The Dragon Tattoo On The Train: Why are there so many books with “girl” in the title?
“Paula Hawkins’s debut, “The Girl on the Train,” was published last year and is still everywhere… Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” was equally ubiquitous a couple of years back. This summer belonged to “The Girls,” Emma Cline’s acclaimed debut novel, still prominently displayed in every bookstore I enter. Carl Hiaasen’s “Razor Girl” recently hit The New York Times bestseller list. Who are these girls? Why are there so many of them?”