In Our Feeds: Paperbacks, the '90s & reading around the world

Brittany Sullivan  //  Apr 25, 2014

In Our Feeds: Paperbacks, the '90s & reading around the world

Every Friday, we share a handful of links that we found funny, provocative or just plain cool. We call it In Our Feeds. Have a great weekend!

If one thing is certain, it’s that the reading landscape of today is noticeably different than it was ten, 50 or even 100 years ago – and it continues to change. Yesterday, Kristen discussed making an effort to read hardcover books in an age when digital seems to be unavoidable. She wrote, “I had forgotten how nice it can be to consciously set aside a weekend afternoon to sit somewhere and read chapters at a time.”

Along this same line, the most popular article that the OOM team shared this week was this Mental Floss piece titled “How Paperbacks Transformed the Way Americans Read.” In 1939, entrepreneur Robert de Graff took out an ad in The New York Times to promote 25 cent pocket books. Later in 1960, paperback revenues finally surpassed those from hardcover sales. While the introduction of the paperback, and later the e-book, may have changed the way we read, Kristen reminds us that sometimes it doesn’t hurt to return to the classics.

Speaking of a blast from the past, Michael B. shared this fun list of “21 ’90s Book Titles That Should Actually Exist.” My personal favorites are The Little Prince of Bel-Air and Of Mice and Eminem.

Are you in a book club? Michael S. spotted this fascinating article about Writers at the Willard, a newly announced book club, which is sure to put all other book clubs to shame. This new literary series from White House Politics & Prose and Willard InterContinental combines famous authors and gourmet food, what’s not to love?

In case you aren’t in a book club but are still on the hunt for your next great read, Nadia shared a map of every book store and public library in the US. This digital map, created by Google Maps, is perfect for the book lover on-the-go. Even better, this “Reading Around the World” infographic illustrates the reading habits of readers across the globe.

Finally, for the child in all of us, Nadia found this list of “10 Picture Books Every Adult Should Read” and a tasty selection of “The Best Cakes From Children’s Literature.” Enjoy these other fun links that we shared this week:

Have a great weekend and happy World Penguin Day everyone!