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The Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title was conceived and first awarded in 1978 when, to alleviate the tedium of a particularly dull Frankfurt book fair, a member of the Diagram Group (which specializes in providing graphic content for books) came up with the idea of awarding a prize to the finder of the oddest title at the fair. Within a few years the prize, now administered by the Bookseller magazine, had moved into the public eye and had been expanded to include all books published in a given year, not just those at the Frankfurt book fair.
A bunch of pie charts posted last week at the website of Vida: Women in Literary Arts has been causing quite a stir. They visually show the extraordinary gender disparity when it comes to books reviewed in the established print media, whether it be newspapers or literary magazines.
Here's a sampling of the ratios of male to female authors reviewed during 2010:
| Books Reviewed Authored by: | Men |
Women |
| The Atlantic | 74% |
26% |
| Harpers | 79% |
21% |
| London Review of Books | 74% |
26% |
| New York Review of Books | 84% |
16% |
| The Times Literary Supplement | 76% |
24% |
| The NY Times Book Review | 65% |
35% |
In short, the ratio of female authors reviewed was at best about one-third, and at worst less than a quarter!
Why do we love to read about animals? The answer seems quite simple, the library cat Dewey of Vicki Myron's surprise bestseller, the wild snail of Elisabeth Tova Bailey's memoir, or John Grogan's dog Marley each offers more charming and inspiring company than the average critter.
I couldn't imagine a life without animals. My life involves the science of observing moody monkeys and apes, a tendency to get slimed rather than sublime in the company of snails, and the herding of a horde of seven fractious cats at home. So, to read an engaging animal book for me is to escape from the litterbox-and-hairball detail for a while.
At last, a theme song for all of us who'd rather not be interrupted when reading a book!
"Don't You Ever Interrupt Me While I'm Readin' a Book" by prolific YouTuber Julian Smith...
I know you're never supposed to say never (who knows what life will bring) but here's something that I will never-ever do. And I mean it. I will never join a book club. I don't care if an Ivy League English professor moderates the discussion or it's filled with literati.
I'm not a club person to begin with and, honestly, I just don't get the whole notion of having one about books. Why do I want a gaggle of readers dictating my literature? Picking a book--I mean truly immersing in one--is one of the few things in life that comes without any ties. Everything else has strings attached. I must meet deadlines (and read relevant literature for them). I'm obligated to my husband, four children, two dogs, three goldfish, and one tortoise--all of whom require varying degrees of food, walks, and nurturing.
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