Tag: New York Times

‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Best Audiobook of 2018

The cover to 'Children of Blood and Bone' by Tomi Adeyemi

Image Via Barnes and Noble

 

According to Publisher’s Weekly, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi won big at last night’s 24th annual Audie Awards. Held in Manhattan, the awards recognize outstanding audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Children of Blood and Bone is the debut novel from young author Tomi Adeyemi, and it depicts the story of a young woman called Zélie Adebola who leads her clan of maji against a brutally oppressive regime. A popular YA fantasy novel, the book the first in a highly-anticipated series and has already climbed the ranks of The New York Times’ bestseller list. The audiobook’s narrator is Bahni Turpin, known for her roles in Malcolm X and Cold Case Files. 

The book took home the award for Top Audiobook of the Year, a well deserved win for such a striking debut. Other highlights of the evening included Edoardo Ballerini winning Best Male Narrator for his narration of Watchers by Dean Koontz, Julia Whelan taking home Best Female Narrator for Educated by Tara Westover, and Richard Armitage nabbing Best Audio Drama for The Martian Invasion of Earth by HG Wells.

Tomi Adeyemi and Bahni Turpin are no doubt very pleased with their win. We look forward to seeing more entries in this series!

 

Featured Image Via Publisher’s Weekly.

Ex-New York Times Editor Accused of Plagiarism

One of the worst things that any writer can do is plagiarize another person’s work. It’s even worse when it comes from a seasoned reporter. Equally, it’s one of the worst things for a writer to be accused of.

Former New York Times editor and Wall Street Journal reporter Jill Abramson has been accused of copying several passages from other writers for her book Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts.

The book is an investigation into four news companies (The New York Times, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, and Vice News) as it talks about the impact of technology on the press and the challenges these companies face regarding journalistic standards.

Accusations of plagiarism were first made by Vice reporter Michael C. Moynihan. After finding a factual error regarding a Vice colleague in the book, Moynihan noticed several passages that he felt were similar to articles written from other magazines. Moynihan posted his findings on Twitter. The tweets went viral shortly after.

In an appearance on Fox News, Abramson has denied that she plagiarized anything and has promised to review some passages for errors. She has also responded on Twitter.

 

Featured Image Via Wikipedia

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Amazon Picks Up The New York Times’s ‘Modern Love’ For TV Adaptation

The iconic New York Times’ Modern Love column and its exploration of love and its iterations has been a staple for readers since its beginnings nearly 14 years ago. The column has not only inspired readers and their relationships, but has now inspired Amazon to bring the column to the small screen.

 

According to Hollywood Reporter, the series will be anthological and will follow love, including sexual, romantic, familial, platonic, and self-love, and the human connection through eight stand-alone episodes. Think Black Mirror, but with love instead of technology seeming cool and then ruining people’s lives, one episode at a time. 

 

 

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Via Giphy

 

The order for the adaptation closely follows the trend of Amazon Studios programming pushing female-driven storylines and universal appeal with shows like Marvelous Mrs. Masiel. Amazon Studio’s goal is to create “our next big show that women also can’t stop talking about,” Jennifer Sale, head of Amazon Studios, told Hollywood Reporter.

 

Being a sucker for romantic comedies myself, I cannot wait to spend a few days falling in love with the beauty and love that is Modern Love. 

 

Featured Image Via The New York Times. 

Barnes & Noble Union Square

Save Barnes & Noble! Chain Bookstore In Danger of Closing

An opinion piece was released in The New York Times on Sunday entitled Save Barnes & Noble! which detailed the financial distress the bookstore chain is currently in and how, if we don’t speak out now, the entire company could go under and we could lose Barnes & Noble for good.

 

This prompted a slew of response pieces, along with the Twitter trend Save Barnes & Noble. Many Twitter users were quick to protect the bookstore chain, leaping to it’s defense:

 

 

Other users, however, were quick to point out that, at the end of the day, Barnes & Noble is still a Fortune 500 corporation. And that back in the 1970s and 1980s, the expansion of the chain, along with the discounted prices they began to heavily advertise, put thousands of independent and mom & pop bookstores out of business.

 

 

Personally, I feel pretty torn about this on so many levels. I do believe that it is vital for us as a society to protect and support independent booksellers, as opposed to the large capitalist corporations that already sort of run the world. And, as the author points out in this opposing article here, B&N being out-sold by a corporation as big as Amazon isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On Amazon, consumers are purchasing items through independent sources that then go through the Amazon website, resulting in a profit for both. So in a way, Barnes & Noble is actually losing out to the very bookstores they ran out of town years ago.

 

Still, it’d be hypocritical of me to say I don’t appreciate Barnes & Noble, corporation and all. I love B&N. It’s been my home away from home for so many different points in my life. When I lived wifi-less for six months, the B&N cafe was where I went to work. When I’ve needed a restroom, fast, while running around out in the world, I could always find a Barnes & Noble nearby. I met my favorite author there once and greeted him through a mess of shaky tears and nervous gyrating.

 

Whenever I’ve been in the mood to just wander around somewhere that smells like books, (mmmmmm… books) Barnes & Noble has been right where I needed it.

 

The loss of Barnes & Noble could potentially result in bookstores no longer being readily available in certain areas and that is both heartbreaking and nauseating on so many levels. People need books. People need bookstores. Bookstores will always act as a safe haven for many and we should ensure that they are easily accessible for all.

 

It is immensely important that everyone has equal access to books; books are essential to us as a society. And, without Barnes & Noble, they may be in danger.

 

It’s a tough situation for all. Still, if I had to choose, I think I’d risk being owned by a Fortune 500 company for the sake of keeping 600 bookstores afloat.

 

Featured Image via Mitzie Mee Blog

Harvey Weinstein

New York Times Pulitzer Prize-Winning Weinstein Exposé Coming to Screens

It was the exposé  that shook both Hollywood and the world and society as we know it. Sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein took the media by storm when they first were revealed in October of 2017. His exposure prompted an avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations to be made against other people in power, finally sending the pendulum swinging in favor of victims of Hollywood’s culture of harassment. 
 
 
Thanks to Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of the New York Times and Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker, the movie mogul’s crimes were brought to the surface, and soon, will be brought to your TV screen.

 

Harvey Weinstein

 Image Via The New York Times

 
The three reporters worked continuously to contact victims and break past the walls that Hollywood put up. Now, after receiving a Pulitzer Prize for their research, their investigative articles are being picked up by Plan B, Brad Pitt’s company. Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures will also be backing the work that still remains untitled.

 

Brad Pitt

 Image Via Gossip Cop

 
According to The Guardian, the show won’t be focusing on Weinstein’s crimes and victims so much as it will focus on the tireless reporting and collection of information by each journalist. Think Oscar-winners like Spotlight and All the President’s Men.

 

Weinstein is still under investigation for his misconduct while one of his most prominent victims, Rose McGowan, has published an autobiography, Brave, and is still working for justice for victims. I’m not sure what to expect from this movie, but I’d say we’re all hungry for some justice and equality.

 

Featured Image Via Rolling Stone