Around the Web: Book Thieves, Skim Reading, Postmodern Lit, Review Bingo, and Bedtime Stories
Hello friends, and happy Friday! This week I've got a few long reads (long but worth it) and a few short, just for fun things.
A Tale of Literary Crime
When we think crime spree we often think bank robberies or jewel heists. While rare books aren’t often depicted as objects of desire in heist films, they are indeed valued commodities. So if you’ve ever wished for a crime story with books at the centre, this Atlas Obscura article on library thief Robert Kindred is just the thing for you.
The Effects of Skim Reading on the Brain
Nowadays there are lots of ways to read thanks to technology. But reading on screens may be changing how we read and our ability to absorb what we’ve read. According to the Guardian, skim reading is the new normal and it might be affecting our brains. What do you think? Is this a real concern or is it techno-phobia? Let us know in the comments.
Postmodern Literature and Autism
Postmodern literature gets mixed reactions. There are folks enamoured with it, and others who think it’s garbage. But here’s a take on postmodern literature that I hadn’t come across: postmodern writing as an expression of an autistic mind. In this piece, autistic writer Alex Sobel argues that “scattered timelines” and other hallmarks of postmodern books best represent his experience of the world.
Book Review Bingo
When you love a book (or hate a book, I guess), it can be hard to string together the right words to sum up all your feelings. As a result, it’s easy to fall into using familiar phrases. Author Paraic O’Donnell points fun at this in the book review bingo card. If you read book reviews, you’ve no doubt come across some of these expressions.
Bedtime Story Hotline
And finally, a little something to put a smile on your face. The Toronto Public Library has a bedtime story hotline. You can call, choose a language, and listen to a story. This is not a new service, but it recently got attention on Twitter and BlogTO.
I hope you enjoy these links. See you next week.