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Dear Reader,
I’ve been standing by this shelf for half an hour. My tea is cooling by the armchair. I got up to see if I had a book the author referenced in a footnote. The volume I was reading—the cause of this quest—sits lonely, abandoned, slowly digesting the bookmark stuffed inside.
But I’ve forgotten why I’m here before the rows of books staring at me like jurors in a courtroom. I’ve found another volume, once forgotten, ordered in anticipation of a quiet moment not yet come. It’s not what I was looking for, but it’s what I’m looking at. Shall I take it back to my chair?
I do. I move my recent companion to the top of the pile where it’ll sit awhile, chafing to be held and cradled on blanketed knees, spattered with light from the fireplace. The stack stands ominous by my elbow, teetering in impatient jealousy. Soon, I hope, we’ll finish what we began.
Happy reading!
Andrew Spencer
Associate Editor
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| 1. |
Parker Yamasaki, “This Bookshop in Fort Collins is Paying People to Sit Down and Quietly Read” (The Colorado Sun)
“The reader gets a small stipend for their three-month stint—$50 per month for books, and another $50 per month for coffee. They also have access to Perelandra’s wholesale book catalog. The overt goal of the residency is to foster a space for people to experience literature more thoughtfully. The underlying goal is to make them want to smash their phones with a sledgehammer.”
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| 2. |
Joel Miller, “Bookish Diversions: Do Audiobooks Count?” (Miller’s Book Review)
“One reason audio books have upward growth potential while ebooks don’t? The mode of engagement itself offers more opportunity. Roughly 70 percent of users report listening to audiobooks while undertaking other activities, such as driving (65 percent) and household chores (45 percent).”
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| 3. |
Susan Haigh, “Libraries Struggle to Afford the Demand for E-books . . .” (AP)
“The modestly funded West Haven Library has spent more than $12,000 over the last three years to lease just 276 additional digital titles beyond what patrons can access through a consortium of public libraries. Eighty-four of those books are no longer available. If that same amount had been spent on paper books, it would have covered about 800 titles.”
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