Old Newsletters, New Events
On middling (and Lord of the Rings):
Yes, Tolkien could've thwarted Evil in six emoji rather than a half-million words, but, that would've been a bad story. Even if all of this stuff, this middling, is procedurally meaningless, it is the point of the epic.
On value (and bookplates):
To put a bookplate in a book is therefore a great imbalance in the Force: a declaration that the book's personal relevance offsets - or trumps - all other values. I'm arbitrarily assigning a high value to the historical factor of my own ownership and, by acting on it, 'betting' that the increase of that value offsets the corresponding depreciation that results from putting a whopping big sticker in it.
And on nothing in particular (or, more accurately, lots of little things):
Juicy new survey on American reading habits from YouGov. Not new news, but nor is it great news. Only about 40% of Americans read one book a month or more. Only 6% read a book each week. (That rises to 9% of women, 2% of men.) Oh, and hey, 2/3rds don't read for pleasure - meaning a large chunk of the reading that is happening is in the functional space (work, study, cookery, DIY...).
In other places:
A terrific piece in Newsline on the rise of the djinn in literature, featuring my partner in crime, Mahvesh Murad.
I'm joining a panel on Literary Landscapes on at Lutyens & Rubenstein on 23 October. Tickets here.
There's also an event at Waterstones Hampstead on 18 October. Tickets here.
Kind words from Naomi Foyle about The Djinn Falls in Love, over on the blog for Jo Fletcher Books.
The Best of British Fantasy reading continues apace, with over 150 stories. Phew. Keep 'em coming.
