Reading in Public

Reading in Public No. 44: What do we mean when we call a book "the best"?

Why the term best gets us so fired up and how I define a best book

Jul 16 •

Reading in Public No. 43: The best books of the 21st century

Hey readers! This week, the New York Times is sharing twenty books a day counting down their top 100 books of the 21st century (NYT gift link). …

Jul 9 •

Reading in Public No. 42: The slow steady loss of an indie bookstore giant

A jumble of thoughts and round up of links about a beloved institution

Jun 25 •

Reading in Public No. 41: Thirty things good readers do

According to Vladimir Nabokov and me

Jun 11 •

Reading in Public No. 40: My complicated thoughts on DNFing

This one might be controversial...

Jun 4 •

Reading in Public No. 39: What "drives" a book?

Books outside the plot / character binary

May 28 •

Reading in Public No. 38: What does it mean for reading to promote empathy?

It's true, of course, but what exactly does it require of us?

May 21 •

Reading in Public No. 37: Five things I learned while creating the PSRG

What getting deep into the backlist taught me about books and reading

May 14 •

Reading in Public No. 36: Three reasons to read poetry

Plus tips and resources to help you actually enjoy it

Apr 9 •

Reading in Public No. 35: Five tips for discerning what a book is trying to do

Questions and strategies for getting more out of the books you read

Apr 2 •

Reading in Public No. 34: What makes a Great American Novel?

Themes and patterns from a century of American literature

Mar 19 •

Reading in Public No. 33: How I keep reviews from tainting my reading experiences

Strategies and mindsets to keep others' opinions in check

Mar 12 •

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