Around the Web: Bookstores, Puns, Moms, and Romance
Hello friends, are you ready for some more content from around the web?
Bookstores to Travel to
If you’re on the road this summer and in need of a good book, where should you go? Lonely Planet recently got 11 authors to recommend US bookstores worth the trip. And let me tell you, some of them look amazing!
Story Social
One of the best things about the internet is the communities that spring up through social media. I’m sure many of you participate in various online literary communities, but if you’ve got room for one more and like discussing fiction writing, here’s a place for you. #StorySocial is a weekly hour-long Twitter chat with writers from all over the world hosted by Well Storied. The latest chat took place on Wednesday May 9th at 9pm ET and covered genre fiction. There’s a whole recap of the conversation on the Well Storied site, if you’re interested.
Punny Pet Names
We love a good pun (okay, maybe a few not-so-good puns as well). If you’re in the same boat and perhaps considering adding a furry friend to your family, or if you could just use a little laugh at the end of this week, check out Mcsweeney’s list of “literary pet names using puns unworthy of their namesakes.”
Keeping Connected through Reading
WFAA recently shared a piece on the Women’s Storybook Project of Texas, now in its 15th year. The project has the goal of keeping inmates in five women’s prisons in Texas connected with their children. Inmates who have maintained good behaviour are given a chance to record themselves reading a book to their kids. The recordings and books are then sent to the children and their guardians. With Mothers’ Day coming up, it’s easy to imagine how a program like this could benefit the relationship between mothers and their children.
Have you heard about this yet? A romance writer named Faleena Hopkins has trademarked the word “cocky” and it has caused an uproar. The word is commonly found in Romance titles (because, who doesn’t like a good double entendre, am I right?). She’s been trying to enforce the trademark by sending cease and desist letters, largely targeting indie authors who likely don’t have a lot of flexibility in their budgets to rename books. Thus, she’s earned the ire of a lot of fellow writers. Furthermore, there’s some question of the validity of the trademark (Tech Dirt has details on that), which is being challenged by Romance Writers of America through an IP lawyer.
Though I’m not particularly invested in the romance genre, I’m very intrigued by how this will play out. It definitely makes a case for understanding the literary community you’re trying to be a part of, and for that reason I’d recommend any aspiring writer check it out.
That’s all I have for this week. Get out there and enjoy your weekend!
(Oh, and if you still need a Mother’s Day gift, we recommend books of course)