#reading-enjoyment

[ follow ]
#characterai
Artificial intelligence
fromFuturism
19 hours ago

AI Company Known for Teen Suicides Launches New Feature to Turn Books Into Roleplaying Experiences

Character.AI introduces 'c.ai Books' to create interactive storytelling experiences using classic literature, despite past controversies and a ban on underage users.
Books
fromThe Verge
3 days ago

Character.AI's new Books mode turns reading into roleplay

Character.AI introduces a new 'Books' mode for structured roleplaying, aiming to enhance user experience while addressing previous controversies.
Artificial intelligence
fromFuturism
19 hours ago

AI Company Known for Teen Suicides Launches New Feature to Turn Books Into Roleplaying Experiences

Character.AI introduces 'c.ai Books' to create interactive storytelling experiences using classic literature, despite past controversies and a ban on underage users.
Books
fromThe Verge
3 days ago

Character.AI's new Books mode turns reading into roleplay

Character.AI introduces a new 'Books' mode for structured roleplaying, aiming to enhance user experience while addressing previous controversies.
fromIndependent
1 day ago

'I'd feel like a voyeur in another world' - Wicklow cancer survivor on novel she started from hospital bed

Asking for a laptop as she lay in a hospital bed during a frightening cancer ordeal, Wicklow woman Elaine Murphy could hardly have imagined that those first taps on the keyboard would lead to her debut work of fiction, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, a Garden County mystery born from the darkest chapter of her life.
Writing
Cancer
fromwww.theguardian.com
19 hours ago

After all the horrible things we've been through,' he said to me, if I die of cancer, it will make a bad story': Siri Hustvedt on losing Paul Auster

Grief after losing a loved one can distort time perception and create overwhelming emotional and physical challenges.
Television
fromwww.theguardian.com
21 hours ago

Women want to experience pleasure': how the female gaze caught the attention of film, TV and fiction

The female gaze in pop culture is increasingly prominent, showcasing women's inner worlds and desires across various media forms.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 day ago

My Kids Love a Classic Children's Book Series. My Husband Claims They Promote an "Agenda."

Homophobia in a partner can lead to significant marital conflicts, especially regarding children's upbringing and values.
Productivity
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who need to finish the chapter before they can put the book down aren't obsessive - their brain treats an unfinished narrative the same way it treats an unresolved argument, as an open loop that will consume background processing power until it closes, and that inability to stop mid-chapter isn't about the book, it's about a mind that cannot rest inside something incomplete - Silicon Canals

The brain's need for closure drives the compulsion to finish reading or resolving incomplete tasks.
Agriculture
fromFuncheap
1 day ago

Free Book Talk: "Our Five Seasons" (Redwood City)

Farmworkers' experiences reveal the impact of climate change on agriculture in Alina Zárate's book, Our Five Seasons.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

The best recent crime and thrillers review roundup

Cal Hooper investigates a suspicious death in a small Irish town, revealing deep-rooted connections and conflicts among its residents.
UX design
fromMedium
1 day ago

Are we makers by nature-or consumers by design?

The relationship between creation and consumption is strained, impacting designers' creativity and cognitive processes.
fromFuncheap
2 days ago

Cybersentics Book Club

In 1976, musician and neuroscientist Manfred Clynes proposed that each emotion is expressed through a precise, biologically programmed dynamic form he called a 'sentic shape.'
SF music
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

There's a specific kind of person who volunteers the embarrassing story about themselves before anyone else can bring it up, and it isn't self-deprecation. It's copyright. If they tell it first, they get to decide what it means. - Silicon Canals

Claiming the narrative of an embarrassing story prevents others from defining its meaning, rather than demonstrating humility.
Film
fromwww.businessinsider.com
2 days ago

15 books to read while you wait for Emily Henry's 'Beach Read' movie to come out

Phoebe Dynevor and Patrick Schwarzenegger will star in the film adaptation of Emily Henry's 'Beach Read'.
Berlin
fromwww.nytimes.com
2 days ago

Greta Lee on Her Favorite Performances, Films, Foods and More

Pablo Neruda's appreciation for simple objects inspires a love for cooking and art, emphasizing naturalism and emotional depth in various forms of expression.
fromMedievalists.net
2 days ago

New Medieval Books: Vikings Behaving Reasonably - Medievalists.net

The concept of hóf in Norse culture represents a cultural expectation of moderation and restraint, which was pivotal in resolving disputes and maintaining order within communities.
History
Philosophy
fromOpen Culture
5 days ago

Leo Tolstoy Calls Shakespeare an 'Insignificant, Inartistic Writer.' Then George Orwell Fires Back

Leo Tolstoy's radical conversion to Christian anarchism led him to vehemently oppose patriarchal institutions and advocate for the Russian peasantry.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

Two super hosts team up for a fun new series: best podcasts of the week

The first episode challenges Shakespeare's vision of a villainous Richard III, while a future episode will consider the Ross and Rachel of early modern history, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Podcast
Relationships
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

I have just one secret from my husband. If he reads this, even that will be gone | Emma Beddington

Secrets in relationships can be both harmful and beneficial, depending on their nature and impact on psychological wellbeing.
fromwww.nytimes.com
2 days ago

Classic and Contemporary Literature From France, Japan, India, the U.K. and Brazil

Classic France is a country of nuance with a love of conversation and freedom and an aversion to fanaticism. Contemporary Houellebecq describes France as a museum, where landscape turns into decor and where rural areas are emptying out.
Writing
Artificial intelligence
fromWIRED
2 days ago

AI Drafting My Stories? Over My Dead Body

AI is increasingly being used in journalism to generate content, raising concerns about the quality and authenticity of writing.
History
fromWIRED
3 days ago

The Online Fiction Boom Reimagining China's History

Chinese alt-history fiction allows readers to rewrite history using modern knowledge to improve China's past.
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

How Storytelling Informs Relationships

Complexity involves understanding interdependence and multiple perspectives, essential for resolving conflicts and nurturing relationships.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
2 days ago

The First Draft of Cultural History

Gossip serves as the rough draft of news, with Lena Dunham's memoir providing unique insights into Millennial art and culture.
Writing
fromBig Think
3 days ago

Jan Morris, and the struggle between coherence and uncovering another's inner life

Jan Morris's unique perspective as a writer reflects her experiences of transition and historical events, revealing universal themes of addiction and identity.
Artificial intelligence
fromwww.nytimes.com
5 days ago

Video: Why Is Everyone Spooked by Claude Mythos Preview?

Claude Mythos Preview by Anthropic can identify zero-day exploits in software faster than human teams, raising significant implications for cybersecurity.
Books
fromFuncheap
2 days ago

Danielle Girard with JJ Elliott - Pinky Swear: A Novel (Corte Madera)

Danielle Girard's new thriller features a young woman's frantic search for her missing surrogate before the baby's due date.
Digital life
fromwww.dw.com
2 weeks ago

The pleasure of books in the digital age

The debate over digital archiving versus physical books highlights the unique engagement and sensory experience that books provide in a digital age.
#audiobooks
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Daunting, inspiring, comforting, terrifying: the writers who can make silence as eloquent as words

A vision lay before him: Fleet Street blanketed with snow, silent, empty, pure white, and, at the end of it, the huge and majestic form of Saint Paul's Cathedral. It was a spellbinding moment: the great thoroughfare temporarily devoid of carts and carriages, the cathedral looming blurrily out of the still-falling snowflakes a real-life snow globe.
London
Books
fromEngadget
4 days ago

Spotify is selling books now

Spotify and Bookshop.org collaboration allows users to purchase physical books directly in the Spotify app, supporting indie bookstores.
Books
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Do You See Yourself in a Story?

Comic books have evolved into a serious medium for exploring trauma and psychological depth, exemplified by works like Maus.
Digital life
fromFast Company
4 weeks ago

Is AI killing the human voice in writing?

Predictive language technologies challenge individual expression by influencing how writers generate and complete their thoughts.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
5 days ago

On Memoir by Blake Morrison review lessons in life writing from a master

Life writing encompasses personal and collective experiences, requiring careful navigation of emotions and events.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh review a climate-crisis novel let down by its prose

Cliché-laden prose can undermine the impact of a well-crafted plot and important themes in a novel.
#film-vs-literature
Books
fromKqed
1 week ago

11 New Books for April That Step Inside Someone Else's World

Keefe's latest book examines modern London's ties to the financial elite through a tragic incident involving a young man's death in the Thames.
Books
fromwww.npr.org
1 week ago

11 new books in April offer a chance to step inside someone else's world

Books provide an alternative to doomscrolling, offering perspectives on anxiety, corruption, and reality.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Shift That Happens When You Write a Non-Fiction Book

Writing a book transforms tacit knowledge into explicit frameworks, forcing experts to articulate intuitions they've developed through experience into clear, communicable ideas.
fromThe Verge
1 month ago

What we're listening to, watching, and reading right now.

Whether it's a slept-on post-punk album from the '80s, a new sci-fi novel, or a cult classic horror movie, we're always finding new obsessions here at The Verge - and we want to share those obsessions with you. Sometimes that might be a new release, but often it's going to be something a little older, something not necessarily plastered all over TikTok or sitting at the top of the charts on Spotify.
Music production
#literature
fromThe Atlantic
2 weeks ago
Books

Unconventional Novels About Conventional People

Aging revolutionaries and conformists share parallel narratives of disillusionment and the loss of youthful dreams in recent literature.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
2 weeks ago

Unconventional Novels About Conventional People

Aging revolutionaries and conformists share parallel narratives of disillusionment and the loss of youthful dreams in recent literature.
Philosophy
fromBig Think
1 month ago

The 3 types of reading (and the 2 you'll pick)

Reading exists on a spectrum from scanning to deep engagement, with most digital readers employing surface-level scanning that misses textual depth and nuance.
Books
fromTime Out New York
2 weeks ago

This New York reading retreat is rethinking book clubs

Page Break offers a unique weekend retreat where strangers read a novel aloud together, fostering community and enhancing comprehension.
fromConde Nast Traveler
2 weeks ago

9 Books Our Editors Couldn't Put Down This Season

New biographies and freshly issued retrospectives reexamine the lives and legacies of fashion's biggest names, from archetypical It girl Jane Birkin to the eternally ahead of his time Issey Miyake.
Books
Music
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

Why music has become such a big part of the romance novel reading experience

Romance novel readers increasingly use pop music playlists to enhance their reading experiences, creating a community that bridges book fandom and music fandom, exemplified by Charli XCX's Wuthering Heights album.
#reading
Books
fromConde Nast Traveler
3 weeks ago

Book Lovers, These Towns Were Made for You

Cities are nurturing a return to reading with bookstores, literary festivals, and spaces for readers to enjoy books.
Books
fromConde Nast Traveler
3 weeks ago

Book Lovers, These Towns Were Made for You

Cities are nurturing a return to reading with bookstores, literary festivals, and spaces for readers to enjoy books.
fromHarvard Gazette
1 month ago

Audiobooks don't really count as reading? Think again. - Harvard Gazette

The neural networks that process written and oral language are deeply intertwined and largely overlap when reading print books or listening to audiobooks. There isn't much of a difference between the brain network for reading and the brain network for language comprehension. The brain area we call the 'letter box,' which processes print, is not as engaged when you listen, but it has been shown that when some people listen to words, they visualize them, so the letter box gets activated as well.
Education
Books
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Fiction Is Indispensable to Life's Journey

Fiction is essential for emotional connection, learning, and social cognition, allowing us to escape reality and engage deeply with narratives.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Children and teens roundup the best new picture books and novels

Bear finds hope in a tiny seed after his forest disappears, needing help from other animals to nurture it.
Books
fromBustle
3 weeks ago

The 10 Best New Books About Women Breaking The Mold

Successful women often defy expectations, and quieter forms of rebellion deserve recognition alongside visible rule-breakers.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

How Not to Recommend a Book

Reader's advisory—the skill of matching specific books to individual readers' preferences—is essential for successful book club experiences and literary recommendations across libraries, bookstores, and online platforms.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Six Books You'll Have to Discuss With a Friend

Reading in public creates social connections and marks readers as members of an enthusiastic community that spans all walks of life and geographic locations.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Books Are Meant to Be Slow

The slowness of reading books is a virtue, not a weakness, offering contemplative depth that digital media cannot replicate.
fromKqed
1 month ago

10 New Books in March That Offer Mental Vacations

A veteran war correspondent, Gopal earned finalist nods for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for what the Pulitzer jury described as his "vivid, haunting and courageous" first book, No Good Men Among the Living, which conveyed the fallout of the war in Afghanistan through the personal stories of just a few Afghans.
Books
Books
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

Something Strange Is Happening With Books. It Could Reshape Literary Culture.

BookTok readers increasingly prefer first-person narrative perspective in romance and fantasy novels, viewing third-person narration as unnecessarily complex and off-putting.
Books
fromHarvard Gazette
1 month ago

That's a book? - Harvard Gazette

Italo Calvino used tarot card decks as a computational system to generate interconnected narratives, predating modern AI by decades and demonstrating how structured systems can create complex literary works.
#reading-habits
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

What we're reading: writers and readers on the books they enjoyed in February

Claire Baglin's 'On the Clock' uses narrow focus on fast-food work to reveal profound truths about contemporary alienation and precarity with compassion and emotional depth.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

When Did Literature Get Less Dirty?

Philip Roth's Zuckerman Unbound functioned as a response to the controversial reception of Portnoy's Complaint, with Roth's protagonist expressing regret over writing sexually explicit material that drew accusations of anti-Semitism and misogyny.
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

A Biography Without 'The Boring Bits'

Sophia Stewart poses a choice that many biographers struggle with: "what to do with the boring bits."
Books
Books
fromBustle
1 month ago

The 10 Best New Books Of March

Spring 2024 brings diverse literary releases across romance, literary fiction, and debuts, featuring works by established authors like Abby Jimenez and Rebecca Serle alongside promising new writers.
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

A wintry mix: 12 reading recommendations to get you through the storm

If you're hunkering down ahead of the big winter storm this weekend, we want to make sure you're well prepared. Yes, with batteries, flashlights, toilet paper, and food but perhaps most importantly with good reading material. We looked back through some recent interviews and Books We Love, our annual year-end reading guide, to find snowy suggestions to get you through the storm.
Books
Books
fromHarvard Gazette
2 months ago

The stories behind the books - Harvard Gazette

Harvard's library collection includes books that use layered images, movable elements, and raised type to create interactive, tactile, and accessible reading experiences.
Books
fromBustle
1 month ago

"Immersive Reading" Will Finally Help You Open A Book Before Bed Instead Of Scrolling

Immersive reading—simultaneously reading a physical book while listening to its audiobook—enhances focus, retention, and enjoyment for readers struggling with concentration.
fromFast Company
2 months ago

9 nonfiction books to kick-start 2026

Every season, the Next Big Idea Club editorial team reviews dozens of upcoming books to curate a selection of the most exciting, must-read nonfiction titles. We start with a broad pool of nominees from which we identify a small handful of finalists and, ultimately, an official season selection. Today, it's our pleasure to share our list of five finalists for Season 29! Without further ado, the new books we're most excited about right now are . . .
Books
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

How to Put Sex in a Novel

Contemporary literary fiction increasingly avoids depicting heterosexual intimacy while queer novelists freely explore sex's complexities, as exemplified by Jan Saenz's unconventional novel about selling experimental orgasm-inducing pills.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror review roundup

Subsequently, runaway children turned the valley into a fortress, surviving on food they could catch or grow, with occasional forays into the towns below. Riley has heard the rumours, but it is only when she sees a green-clad boy or is it a girl? hovering outside her bedroom window offering directions on how to find Nowhere that she realises this might be her chance to escape and save her little brother from their sadistic guardian.
Books
Books
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

February may be short on days but it boasts a long list of new books

February brings multiple commemorations and a wave of new, translated and genre‑blending book releases that invite readers to dive into fresh literary work.
Books
fromwww.scientificamerican.com
2 months ago

8 romance novels for readers who love science, too

Romantic novels blend rigorous science and emotional narrative across diverse settings, balancing scientific detail with humor, satire, and varied genre influences.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

C'mon, Professors, Assign the Hard Reading

Assigning whole novels in literature classes restores deep reading, rebuilds attention, and enables students to engage meaningfully despite technological distractions.
[ Load more ]