Reading will make you free
Vol. 2 Issue 27
"You will learn most things by looking, but reading gives understanding. Reading will make you free." --Paul Rand
BOOK NEWS & NOTES
Opening the minds of men: What do you read more: fiction or nonfiction? I track my reading each year, and generally, I do about 50/50. According to The New York Times, there’s a robust debate unfolding in newsrooms, on social media and inside the publishing world about the fact that many men are reading less fiction. Which is a shame. There are so many wonderful stories that men would enjoy. Want to help turn the tide? Consider inviting some/more/any men to your next book club meeting. Encourage men to get library cards and join a reading challenge. And the next time you buy your male friend/partner/brother/father/grandfather/colleague a nonfiction book as a gift, consider throwing in a great novel as well. (The New York Times)
Into ebooks?: Then, you're in luck! According to Andrea Reads, there are several "Stuff Your Kindle" events this month, and more planned in the future. Fans of romance, science fiction, cozy mysteries, indie and even witchy books will be able to access free or very affordable ebooks during these events. If you've never participated in a “Stuff Your Kindle” extravaganza, Reads also offers a quick video showing how to download your new novels.
Books to Red: What is your favorite book with some version of the color red in the title? Let me know here, and I'll create a list for fellow Society members. Some of my favorites: "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy, "A Study in Scarlet" by Sherlock Holmes, "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Dr. Seuss, "Snow White, Blood Red" edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling and "Green River, Running Red" by Ann Rule.
Rest in peace: Here are some of the writers, journalists, authors, editors and publishers we've recently lost:
* Associated Press sportswriter Dennis Georgatos, 70, who spent 17 years covering Colorado teams, has died. (The Associated Press)
* Andrea Gibson, an author, performer and Colorado's poet laureate, died. They were 49. (USA Today)
* Rubin Grant, the longtime high school sportswriter for the Birmingham Post-Herald who was honored in 2022 as one of the 50 legends of sports writing in the state by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, died at 67. (The Birmingham Times)
* Fanny Howe, 84, who won numerous prizes for writing more than two dozen books of poetry and nearly 20 works of fiction, as well as memoirs, essays and children’s books, has died. (The New York Times)
* Paulette Jiles, who wrote poetry, nonfiction books and novels, including "Enemy Women" and "News of the World," died at 82. (The Washington Post)
* Journalist Flora Johnson, 63, who wrote features and edited for Chicago newspapers and magazines, died. (Chicago Tribune)
* Jane Lazarre, 81, who wrote poetry, novels and memoirs, including one about raising two Black sons as a white mother ("Beyond the Whiteness of Whiteness"), has died. (The New York Times)
* Bill Moyers, veteran broadcast journalist and former White House press secretary for President Lyndon B. Johnson, died at 91. (The Washington Post)
* Prolific young adult novelist Susan Beth Pfeffer, who published 76 books, including the bestselling post-apocalyptic series that began with the novel "Life as We Knew It," died at 77. (The New York Times)
* Prolific writer and critic David R. Slavitt, who wrote more than 130 books, mostly collections of poetry and translations of classics, as well as pulp fiction novels under a pen name, died. He was 90. (The New York Times)
* Bestselling mystery novelist Martin Cruz Smith, who intrigued readers with the adventures of Moscow investigator Arkady Renko (of the"Gorky Park" series), died. He was 82. (CBS News)
Communing with ghosts: Political commentator Chris Cillizza has recently discovered the genius of Stephen King. Oh, he knew who King was. The best-selling Maine author was one of his father's favorites. But as a young man, Cillizza felt that someone like King -- a *gasp* horror writer -- was beneath him. After Cillizza’s dad died in 2020, he decided to read one of King's 60+ books and was stunned to discover how great it was. Since then, he's read another and another. I'm glad Cillizza decided to take the chance and give King a try. Just imagine all of the great stories he's about to read for the first time. (So What).
My favorite kind of therapy: Bibliotherapy! And it turns out the practice of using literature to heal works wonders. (USA Today)
Book review guidelines: Our book review guidelines have been posted on Substack. Although we currently have four members who review books, any Moonlight Reader Society subscriber may participate. Simply send an email and in the body share your name and home address, the book’s title, the rating and a 25-word review. No AI-written submissions, please. If your review is accepted and published, your subscription will be upgraded to paid status for 1 year. You'll also be added to our reviewer list to receive advanced review copies and bookish gifts.
Bookmark love: What's between your pages? Take a photo of your bookmark or placeholder and let me know why you love it. I may share your image/thoughts in a future issue.
SUPPORT THE MOONLIGHT READER SOCIETY
The Moonlight Reader Society is a reader-supported newsletter featuring book news and reviews, interviews, reading quotes, polls and more. New issues come out every Friday and subscriptions are free. But, if you want to aid my efforts — and can afford to do so — paid subscriptions are only $5/month, or $50/year. Everyone who purchases a subscription will also receive extra subscriber content, gain full access to the archives and be automatically entered into a monthly giveaway for bookish prizes.
READER POLL
LAST WEEK’S POLL
LOVELY DEDICATIONS
"To all survivors everywhere- Always choose to live life to the fullest. You never know how much that choice affects the world around you."
25-WORD REVIEWS
Rating System:
* * * * * One of the best books I've read in a while
* * * * A wonderful book, recommended
* * * Good book, worth the read
* * This book was fine, but not my favorite
* This book wasn't for me
I didn't like the aunt's nonconsensual seancing, but otherwise found this book to be an overall easygoing delight. Every asshole gets punished in the end. --Nikki Clark
Rating: * * * stars
Exquisite photography and accompanying background stories beautifully combine to provide a colorful glimpse into the lives of cats. Each location is purrfect for feline adventures. --Pam Otis
Rating: * * * * * stars
LITERARY HOLIDAYS
July is: Read an Almanac Month
July 30 is Paperback Book Day
WRITER BIRTHDAYS
July 18 - Jeanne Córdova, Joseph Ellis, Elizabeth Gilbert, Elizabeth Jennings, Margaret Laurence, Alan Morrison, Clifford Odets, William Makepeace Thackeray, Hunter S. Thompson and Jessamyn West
July 19 - Joseph Hansen, Samuel John Hazo, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Garth Nix, Mark O'Donnell, Steve O'Donnell, Jayne Anne Phillips, Tom Raworth and Elizabeth Spencer
July 20 - Thomas Berger, Julie Bindel, Charles Bowden, Augustin Daly, Thomas L. Friedman, Erica Hill, George Johnston, Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Jacquemine Charrott Lodwidge, Alistair MacLeod, Cormac McCarthy, Petrarch and Jess Walter
July 21 - Christopher Barzak, Michael Connelly, Hart Crane, John Gardner, Ernest Hemingway, Paul Reuter and Sarah Waters
July 22 - Stephen Vincent Benét, S.E. Hinton, David M. Kennedy, Emma Lazarus, Jack Matthews, Tom Robbins, Odell Shepard and Amy Vanderbilt
July 23 - M.H. Abrams, Julia Davis Adams, Raymond Chandler, Gardner Dozois, Guy Fournier, Lauren Groff, John Nichols, Rene Ricard, Hubert Selby Jr. and Joel Stein
July 24 - Alfred Balk, Alexandre Dumas, Zelda Fitzgerald, Grace Glueck, Robert Graves, John D. MacDonald, Henrik Pontoppidan, Essie Summers and Frank Wedekind
July 25 - Anne Applebaum, Richard Ballantine, Sally Beauman, Elias Canetti, Maria Gripe, Eric Hoffer, Ruth Krauss, George Peele, Josephine Tey, Joseph A. Tunzi and Denys Watkins-Pitchford
RECOMMENDED NEWSLETTERS ON SUBSTACK
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to Perfecto Capucine, Unsplash, The New York Times, Andrea Reads, TikTok, Ricki Smith, Great Big Story, YouTube, The Associated Press, USA Today, The Birmingham Times, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, CBS News, So What, A Bit of Good News, Betty Winslow, the American Library Association, Holidays Calendar, National Today, National Day Calendar, A Wandering Scribbler, Good Good Good, Writers Write, Keeping Up With the Penguins, Brainy Quote, The Literary Lifestyle, Wikipedia, The End Files, The Creative Shift by Dan Blank, Canva and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon and earn a commission when you click these links and make a purchase. Thank you for being so supportive!
KEEP IN TOUCH
If you want to share book news, odd titles, memorable dedications, a photo of your latest bookmark, catchy hooks, reader poll ideas, 25-word reviews, reading-related quotes or just say hello:
Like this newsletter? Please forward it to your friends and encourage them to subscribe.