Goodreads’s Best Books of 2023 Released, Great Gifts for Readers This Holiday Season

As the holiday season quickly approaches, consumers are still scrambling to find gifts for their loved ones. And for those of you with avid readers in your lives, that means books. But scouring your nearest Barnes & Noble or your local bookstore can be a challenge when you aren’t sure if the book you choose will suit a person. You may know which genres they prefer or subjects they are interested in, but that doesn’t mean every book will be one they devour and add to their list of favorites. Worst case scenario, it ends up collecting dust on the shelf and only halfway finished.

Luckily for you frantic shoppers, Goodreads has just released the results of their 2023 Choice Awards for the Best Books of 2023 list! Gathering votes from nearly six million of their site-users, Goodreads has collected a list of both fiction and nonfiction titles that their users have deemed the best of 2023. From science fiction to romance and memoirs to history, Goodreads has something for anyone to enjoy on their list. You can even check out the nominees that didn’t win in each category if you want even more gift ideas for readers. 

Scrolling through Goodreads’s social media accounts may highlight the discourse between readers as they argue which book may have been more deserving to win a particular category than others. This is normal considering the subjectivity of art and the wide-range of taste and preferences amongst readers, so don’t fret over buying a book someone else may call ‘boring’ or ‘trash’ (especially if they mention that they didn’t even read it). What someone else hates, your reader may enjoy! If you choose to scroll through their Instagram or Tiktok, you may want to take note of these comments. Not only could you potentially get a better idea of what certain books are about, but you may just get great recommendations! 

Some titles that may be popular gifts this holiday season seemed almost destined to win first-place in their respective categories. Yellowface and Fourth Wing, for example, were immensely popular on bookstagram and booktok this year, so it seems no surprise that they won by such large margins. There were a few interesting outcomes, however. Interestingly, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which was named the 2023 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, came in fourth-place in its category for historical fiction, losing to the first-place winner Weyward with almost 30,000 votes. Barnes & Noble determines the winner of their prestigious title by inquiring their booksellers to nominate the titles they feel are particularly remarkable and would recommend to a consumer. This explanation, provided in one of their blog posts this past November,, is rather vague. Meanwhile, Goodreads allows their list to be determined as a sort of popularity contest. A voter isn’t required to have read every book in each category in order to cast their vote, so they merely choose the books they have read and enjoyed to determine who they vote for. This is not necessarily bad, per se, as Goodreads pools together a large group of readers, allowing many different perspectives, interests, and preferences to come together and let their voices be heard. If some books win by large margins, perhaps it’s because a majority of readers believed it deserved to win. 

Lists such as Goodreads’s Best Books of 2023 gives us a great insight into the minds of readers and which books or authors have really made an impact in the publishing world. However, just because one book wins doesn’t mean its fellow nominees in the category are any less enjoyable. Yellowface may have won with over 200,000 votes (with second-place lagging 140,000 votes behind) in the fiction category, but the titles it competed against, such as Hello Beautiful (second-place), Maame (eighth-place), or Evil Eye (thirteenth-place) are also incredible books that you should absolutely check out. If the reader you’re shopping for hasn’t read the book that won in their preferred genre, then you should definitely check it out to see if it’s something they would be interested in. That being said, check out all the nominated books in that category! Even if a book didn’t win, it could be a gem that your reader loves!

The Woman in Me, Spare, and Celebrity Memoirs Humanizing Celebrities

In 2021, the world was captivated by Britney Spears’s story as she spoke out against her father and her management as the result of their abuse and for keeping her under involuntary conservatorship. The world applauded for her as the conservatorship was terminated. Now the world applauds her memoir, The Woman in Me, for reclaiming and humanizing her story. The book highlights the importance of Spears reclaiming her independence by sharing her story as a woman within the music industry fighting against the men in her life that sought to control her. 

Published on October 24, the memoir narrates a story that is described on the Gallery Books website—the publisher and a division of Simon & Schuster—as “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.” Gallery Books reports that the memoir sold 1.1 million copies in its first week in the U.S, with the combined figure composed of sales of print books, e-books, pre-orders, and audiobooks. The publisher has also announced the memoir is going for a fourth printing, bringing the number of hardcover copies in print to about 1.4 million, making it the fastest selling book in Gallery’s history. The Woman in Me now joins other celebrity memoirs such as Spare by Prince Harry, The Promised Land by Barack Obama, Becoming by Michelle Obama, and Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump in selling over a million copies in their first week of publication.

What these numbers reflect is the support for the #FreeBritney movement that began in 2020 when rumors and personal accounts of the conservatorship and the effects it had on Spears’s mental health began to be uncovered. The internet has come out in droves to support Spears before the full extent of the situation and the implications of what that meant for the pop star’s life was even fully revealed. Of course, this also means that people have eagerly awaited for more news concerning Spears’s career under the authority of her conservatorship and what effects this had on her. And perhaps that reveals the harsh truth: the obsessive curiosity audiences possess when it comes to knowing and understanding the ugly and humane realities that lie beyond the persona celebrities present to the world. An almost desperate need to know that these larger-than-life figures possess larger-than-life issues that ground them back into reality and bring them to equal footing with us, humanizing them to us.

Another celebrity memoir that did exceptionally well was Prince Harry’s Spare, which was published earlier this year in January and sold 1.6 million copies in the U.S. during its first week. Spare followed the announcement that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, would be leaving the royal family. Like Spears’s memoir, the success and reception of Spare could be attributed to the memoir’s debut following a huge news story.

The near-instant success of celebrity memoirs such as The Woman in Me following the dramatic revelation of such imperfections in these people’s lives seems to suggest readers crave these tragic stories that explore every human emotion that hides behind the smiles and carefully-crafted persona portrayed in public. Readers want to know the details hidden behind closed doors that humanize celebrities. In a sense, a memoir like The Woman in Me is the closest we can get to an honest portrayal of a human who has been placed on a pedestal.

The Horrors of the Supernatural & Family Trauma

As Halloween quickly approaches, this is the best season to indulge in a great horror novel that sends chills down your spine. In order to celebrate the spookiest season of the year, this blog post is dedicated to reviewing a popular horror novel published earlier this year. How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is not this author’s first foray into horror and he does not hesitate to thrust you into an environment bursting with tension and eeriness once the main character, Louise, enters the aforementioned haunted house. This narrative  doesn’t just frighten its reader with the hauntings of the supernatural, though. In it, Hendrix explores the depth of unresolved trauma and the ways it can haunt a family through generations.

The story begins with Louise receiving a call from her estranged brother, Mark, with the news that both of their parents tragically died in a car accident. Now, single-parent Louise must leave her daughter Poppy behind in San Francisco to travel back to Charleston for the funeral. As is often the case with a death in the family, money becomes a huge issue between Louise and Mark as they fight over their inheritance and what they should do with the house—including their late-mother’s extensive and creepy puppet collection. Eventually agreeing to sell the house, as the siblings bicker over their past and the differences in how they view their lives, Hendrix makes it clear that something is very wrong with the house. From dolls that seem to move on their own to the attic being nailed shut as though to keep something from getting out, coupled with Aunt Honey’s recollection of their mother saying their father had been “attacked” the night they died, Hendrix eloquently weaves together a story laced with figurative and literal hauntings that forces the siblings to actually talk through their differences and their family’s past.

Hendrix’s haunted house and haunted dolls are undeniably campy but they work well with the dark topics discussed within the family and the awkward, heavy tension that often permeates any interaction between Louise and Mark. Hendrix didn’t attempt to reinvent the horror genre or bring anything new to the table, but the novel is enjoyable because he plays into the camp and the supernatural aspects of the story works to develop the family conflict and force the family to confront the issues they were often prone to avoiding. Avoidance is perhaps the most prominent theme within the story and the setting of the family home is the most appropriate setting to force this confrontation. Although Louise wishes to escape the odd occurrences once more and flee to San Francisco, her determination to ensure the house is ready for sale in order to use the money to provide for her daughter is what drives her to confront the ghosts of her family’s past.

The leader of these haunted dolls is Pupkin, the late-mother’s favorite puppet and a source of great fear for the siblings. As a reader, one can feel how much fun Hendrix likely had while writing this character. His eerie song that echoes in Louise’s head and the aggressive actions he often displays coupled with the joy others’ fear provides him makes him a being of pure chaos. One gets the sense he is, in an ironic play by Hendrix, the puppetmaster jerking Louise and Mark around like his own pair of puppets for his twisted amusement. As Hendrix explains in the novel, “A puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor.” What Pupkin is and what he wants remains a mystery throughout most of the novel, as he represents the physical symbol for all of the secrets that have been buried and carefully avoided within the family. 

Hendrix uses a simplistic foundation for any horror story—a haunted house and haunted dolls—and uses them to reinforce the very real horrors of a family rife with secrecy, family drama, and generational trauma. The story works best when the family begins opening up to one another and the truth finally begins to unravel, allowing Louise to come to terms with her past and make amends with her family, both the living and dead. This is definitely a great novel to check out if you’re looking for some good old-fashioned horror mixed with the exploration of a family and their strained bonds.

Nonfiction Books That Will Change Your Life

For many readers, nonfiction can be an intimidating genre to break into.  However, nonfiction can often help people to change their habits, or keep them informed  on past, current, and future issues. Here, I have collected some nonfiction books I have loved and that have affected the way I think, act, and interact with others. So dive in. I promise, these books will change your life.

1. The Sweetness of a Simple Life by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Diana Beresford-Kroeger draws on her life as a botanist and scientist to teach a better way of life in her 2013 novel, The Sweetness of a Simple Life. Beresford-Kroeger is a Canadian citizen who grew up in Ireland learning ancient Celtic wisdom. She applies these principles of natural connection, language, and kindness to modern-day life with a series of guidelines for how to live a “simple life.” This book includes tips on a wide range of  things, including how to build a bird’s nest, how to use leftover meat bones to fertilize a garden, and even  how to reduce the chance of a heart attack with food. Beresford-Kroeger’s other works, The Global Forest and To Speak for the Trees, expand on her love of nature and Celtic wisdom.

2. Radical Curiosity by Seth Goldenberg

While the market of pop science books is endlessly diluted by excess, this 2022 book was a standout in its emphasis on curiosity as society’s biggest kept secret. Seth Goldenberg makes the argument that curiosity is in short supply in the modern day, but harnessing its power could radically change the way we view our impact on society. As a more recent release, this book draws on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for “looking at the system in a fundamentally new way.”

3. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

Hood Feminism is a breakthrough in feminist texts that reframes the conversation towards marginalized groups that created it in the first place. Mikki Kendall outlines the feminist movement as it was developed by and then shunned from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) women. Each essay in this collection reflects on how BIPOC women have continuously been left out of the mainstream white feminist movement, and how to change this. Kendall shows how the combination of racism, poverty, and hypersexualization of BIPOC women has been at the forefront of this divide, and how intersectionality is a more complex issue than mainstream feminists realize. 

4. How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

As deceiving as the title may seem, this book does not teach you how to do nothing. Instead, it teaches you how to slow down, look outside your window every now and again (or even go for a walk in the park), and distance yourself from what Jenny Odell labels “the attention economy.” Odell makes the argument that in modern society, it has become too easy to get swept up in “the attention economy” of today, with social media, the Internet, and technology at the forefront of our lives. Throughout the book, Odell develops an action plan for taking back our time that does not ignore the complexities of modern-day life and the importance of technology. Instead, Odell shows how we can disconnect from the negative effects and turn the rest into positive action.

5. Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

Trick Mirror was one of the most popular books when it was released in 2019, and for good reason. Expanding on previous essays and adding new ones, journalist Jia Tolentino gives a complex picture of the last two decades through a series of social and cultural questions that many people can relate to. In one essay, Tolentino focuses on the idea of “always optimizing,” wherein people, especially millennials, are constantly trying to find the best use of their time instead of taking a moment alone (similar to Odell’s theory in How to Do Nothing). In another, Tolentino tells the story of a falsified 2014 Rolling Stone article of a sexual assault case that happened at her alma mater, the University of Virginia. Tolentino covers a lot of ground in these essays, but ultimately does a great job of tying together underlying themes of social and cultural touchstones.

6. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Similar to The Sweetness of a Simple Life, this 2013 book serves as a part-memoir and part-instruction guide on how to live a more environmentally-friendly life. Botanist and Potawatomi scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer draws on a lifetime of studying plants, indigenous culture, and her own personal story of motherhood. Wall Kimmerer’s love of nature is infectious, and with each page, she manages to inspire the reader to do better. Her argument for a renewed bond between people and nature relies on a reciprocal culture of gratitude, in which people understand that they are indebted to the natural world in the same way as it is to them.  

Happy reading!

-Hannah Eaton, CambridgeEditors Team

The Triumphs and Tears of Women Talking

The cast of Women Talking / Credit: Michael Gibson/United Artists Releasing

While the trend of book-to-movie adaptations has become excessive and (in some instances) disappointing in recent years, the January release of Women Talking, directed by Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley, has proven to be an important exception. 

Based on a real tragedy in a Bolivian colony, the 2018 novel by Miriam Toews follows a Mennonite community located in rural Canada where a stream of sexual assaults have affected the women of the colony. The story follows a subsequent meeting where an elected group of colony women must decide how to move forward in the aftermath of such violent and horrific crimes. 

When a story as unique and powerful as this one is adapted for the screen, there is the fear that something will be missing in the translation. However, screenwriter Sarah Polley has managed to capture the essence of Women Talking while also opening the door for more conversations on the relationships between survivors of sexual assault.

A major difference that Polley utilized between page and screen was a shifting narrator.  In the novel, the colony teacher August Epp takes the minutes for the women’s meeting and narrates through his notes. In the movie, our narrator is Autje, played by Kate Hallet, a teenager attending the meeting. 

While this difference does not dramatically change the story’s content, it does change the audience’s perception of the events. The youthful voice of Autje recollecting the crimes against the women is enough to bring even the most stoic viewer to tears. 

The movie emphasizes the divisiveness of the characters. Mariche, played by Jessie Buckley, believes that forgiving the men of their crimes is the only way to reach heaven, while Salome, played byClaire Foy, states that she can not forgive them and will turn her back on her religion if she is forced to stay. 

Mariche, in fact, butts heads with each of the women, even accusing her sister Mejal, played by Michelle McLeod, of faking her panic attacks “for attention.” This survivor-on-survivor attack brings into question the responses to trauma and the different ways they manifest. Mariche is incorrect for attacking Mejal, but the audience is aware that this is a trauma response, and her later apology is both understood and accepted.

A new inclusion in the story was an emotional scene where Mariche’s mother Greta, played bySheila McCarthy, apologizes for her role of complicity by not protecting Mariche from her abusive husband. 

Each scene of disunity among the women effectively shows the multifaceted path of assault survivors. There is not one clear-cut way to move forward, nor is there one way to deal with the years of struggle that these women had to endure and learn to overcome. But as Polley shows in the final scenes, it is possible to work together through these moments to prioritize recovery.

On January 24, the Academy Award nomination list was released, with Polley earning a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking. A win for this movie would go a long way to encourage more media about sexual assault survivors and show audiences that these stories are necessary for our current social culture.

You can see Women Talking in theaters now.

Hannah Eaton, CambridgeEditors Team

The Epidemic of Dead Print Publications and the New Digital Age

By Anne Jonas

Image Source: https://bit.ly/2Xsk4xR

Could closing bookstores be an indication of the rise of digital media? This question came to mind as two major events shook the BU Humanities Community. The first event being the closing of our Barnes & Noble in Kenmore square, and its relocation in West campus. The second event being the reduction of our newspaper, The Daily Free Press, from a weekly print publication to a predominantly digital version, with printing only occurring along with paid advertisements. While our Barnes & Noble has not closed, it’s relocation made me think about the notion that bookstores are fragile, dying creatures under attack by our new digital age. Moreover, the DFP’s shift from print to digital raises important questions and queries about how journalism is using–– and promoting–– digital technology over its print counterpart. This article, therefore, seeks to understand the ways in which the internet is simultaneously a kiss of death for bookstore chains and print publications, and a breath of life for journalism.

An article by Forbes describes Barnes & Noble as an “unstoppable goliath” at its peak in 2005. Since then, however, it seems that bookstore chains, such as Barnes & Noble, have been fighting a losing battle. The New York Times reports that Barnes & Noble has “been struggling for many years and has closed about 10 percent of its stores since 2011.” This slow decline is perpetrated by none other than the internet, specifically, by Amazon. Between 2015 and 2017, Amazon has opened 15 of its own bookstores and has taken its place as the number one bookstore chain in America.

What makes this phenomenon perplexing is that indie bookstores, by comparison, are flourishing. NPR reports that indie bookstores are up 40 percent since 2009, and that there is no stopping this new “phoenix rising from the ashes,” reporter Paddy Hirsch remarks. A similar resurrection is occurring in journalism.

While the internet seems to be harming bookstore chains, it is paving a new pathway for journalism. In a report by American Press Institute, researchers say that “the future of journalism will increasingly depend on consumers paying for the news directly, as content distributors like Facebook and Google take up the lion’s share of digital advertising dollars.”

Image Source: American Press Institute https://bit.ly/2oW9ly0

What this means for journalism is that there will be a greater demand from subscribers digitally, as well as a demand for digital news sources. American Press Institute reports that “53 percent of Americans pay for news, including subscribing to newspapers or magazines, paying for news apps, or donating to public media.” Within these subscribers, about 66 percent “of them who use Facebook use it several times a day (compared with half of older subscribers), and many say that discovering a news source through social media was a key factor in deciding to pay for it.”

Social media has become a fully-fledged force that has impacted all parts of our daily lives. From waking to sleeping, we are often glued to our phones and screens, not only as a means to connect to our friends and family, but to stay connected to the world. The report explains that “for both groups, print and digital subscribers, social media is a major part of this frequent news acquisition. Fully 73 percent of news subscribers now say they get news from social media.” The study concludes that “any forward-looking subscription strategy has to lean more digital, even if the current subscriber base is in print.”

The American Marketing Association corroborates this importance of digital media with their review of The New York Times’ 2017 “The Truth is Hard” televised advertisement. The advertisement was “the newspaper’s first brand campaign in a decade.” In just 24 hours the advertisement garnered “more subscribers for The Times than the paper had gained in the preceding six weeks. The first quarter of 2017, when the ads debuted, was the Times’ best quarter ever for subscription growth. In the second quarter of the year, The Times passed 2 million digital-only subscribers, a first for any news organization.”

The prospects of digital journalism are promising and pose new, unexplored opportunities for growth. While members of the BU Humanities Community are deeply saddened by the reduction in print publications, there is hope. The DFP publishes digital content daily and serves as a beacon for independent student-run publishing. I am excited to see where digital media will take this publication. And who knows–– maybe, someday, print publications will rise again like a phoenix from the ashes.

Whether print or digital, connect with Cambridge Editors to help realize your written work!

Pride Month Reads!

Boston Pride 2017

Happy Pride Month everyone! I attended Boston Pride for the first time this past weekend and it was an environment full of happy, dancing people who felt comfortable being themselves. So, in honor of Pride Month, I decided to put together a few books that have excellent LGBTQ+ representation. They are all YA novels that serve as an introduction for cisgender/straight readers, provide representation for LGBTQ+ teens, and can be enjoyed by all ages. Representation is so important, especially for traditionally marginalized communities to be able to see themselves in characters. Without further ado, here are some great Pride reads!

You Know Me Well by David Levithan & Nina LaCour

This book takes place during Pride Week and follows two teens, Mark and Katie, who have never spoken before they end up in the same gay bar. They’re both young, gay, and afraid of love, which creates a fast bond between the two of them. The story is told in alternating points of view as Mark and Katie grow closer and adventure through the colorful world of Pride while trying to figure out what to do after high school graduation. Given that David Levithan and Nina LaCour are both members of the LGBTQ community, the vibrant scenes that take place during Pride feel authentic, all the way down to the bands that play. You Know Me Well is a quick read full of the joy, happiness, and acceptance.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante was one of the best books that I have read this year. When the book starts, Aristotle is struggling with his brother’s arrest and the fact that his parents won’t talk about it. Dante is an oddball kid who doesn’t look at the world quite the same way as everyone else. They meet at a pool over the summer and quickly become the best of friends and, maybe, just a little bit more. The first word that comes to mind when I think of this book is “sweet.” Ari and Dante have the most genuine, adorable friendship and the feelings between them progress slowly and realistically. With a narration style similar to that of The Catcher in the Rye and characters that steal your heart, this book will quickly become one of your favorites!

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

The Art of Being Normal was the first YA book about transgender characters I ever read. Although the author herself is cisgender, she spent years working with transgender teens and clearly did her research in order to portray the characters and their experiences as well as she could. David is in the process of trying to figure out how to transition to a girl and how to come out to family and friends. Leo is the new kid at school with a few secrets of his own who is desperately trying to stay under the radar. The two of them have much more in common than they initially think. While The Art of Being Normal doesn’t address trans issues beyond the most basic beginning thoughts of transitioning, I still think this book is important. It is a great introduction for cis readers to the perspective of transgender characters and I think that young trans teens who are still trying to figure out their identity could find it helpful.

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Nina LaCour is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. It is rare to see books, especially in YA, where a character’s sexuality is just a part of who they are. Often, the plot centers solely around a character coming out or bullying/harassment in school, but that isn’t the case with Everything Leads to You. Emi is a talented young set designer trying to break her way into Hollywood. When she finds a mysterious letter from a recently deceased Old-Hollywood star, she meets Ava, who is unlike anyone Emi has ever encountered before. The world of Emi’s set designs and film-making is so vibrant in this book that readers can’t help but picture every piece of furniture Emi places in a room. She has a caring romance with Ava and I love that their feelings for each other took a backseat to solving the mystery surrounding Ava’s family. It was nice to read about two lesbian characters who were more than just their sexuality or their feelings for each other.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl tells the story of Amanda, a trans woman who has been fully transitioned and on pills for several years. She’s recently moved to Tennessee to live with her dad and finish out high school while remaining as low profile as possible. Her plans become complicated when she acquires a group of friends and meets a boy named Grant who she wants to tell everything. This is also the first YA book written by a trans woman to be heavily promoted, which is amazing. The book is heartfelt and significantly more upbeat than one might expect from a story that could have easily felt dark. Meredith Russo also includes two separate notes to readers, one for cis-gendered readers and another for trans readers, each with their own message about the book and its contents. To see those notes in full and to read an awesome review of the book by a trans woman, have a look here.

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

I’m closing this list out with David Levithan again because it’s hard to go wrong with one of his books. His first book, Boy Meets Boy, was originally published in 2003 when it wasn’t anywhere near as normal to see a romance between two boys, even in Young Adult books. Since then, he’s continued to write beautiful stories about gay teens just trying to live their best life in a world that tries its best to knock them down. Two Boys Kissing was no exception to this. The book is narrated by the generation of gay men that died from AIDS telling the story of several gay couples and gay teenagers in the present. All of this is centered around Harry and Craig, two ex-boyfriends trying to break the Guinness World Record for the longest kiss. I have never read another book narrated like Two Boys Kissing and the contrast between the lives of the gay men killed by AIDS and the teenagers today was stunning and I teared up while reading a few times. It was equal parts adorable and sad in a way that only David Levithan can manage. This book is an excellent reminder of how far we have come and how far we still need to go for equality.

Happy Pride Everyone! Keep being your beautiful selves, no matter who that may be!

-Megan, Intern

Bookstores of Boston, a Brief Overview of America’s Most Collegiate City

In the past few years that I’ve spent in Boston, I’ve made a point to try and visit some of the many book stores it houses. Boasting over 100 colleges in the greater Boston area, I don’t think it is outrageous to claim that Boston is America’s ‘Most Collegiate City’, and it shows. The sheer amount of college students, professors, libraries, and of course bookstores show how academic Boston is, and how more knowledge is constantly sought. A veritable Mecca for those seeking to learn for the sake of learning!

With that, I’m going to highlight a few of my favorite bookstores that I have visited in Boston during my college years, as well as mention those that I have heard of and intend to visit. If there is a bookstore on here that I fail to mention, which you, our readers, feel deserves a moment in the spotlight, please feel free to comment away!

The bookshelves at Porter Square Books runneth over with something new to learn!

Porter Square Books: Nestled into a corner near the Star Market in Porter Square, Porter Square Books is a hidden gem that every college student in the nearby area seems to discover by chance. I myself came across it my freshman year of college, when my friend and I braved the snows of Nemo to go to the grocery store. As we attempted to head back into that record breaking snowstorm, we realized that we wouldn’t get far, and took refuge in Porter Square Books. As a point I’ve practically beaten into the ground by now, I love books and bookstores, and my friend and I were so pleasantly surprised by Porter Square Books that we stayed many hours, even after the snow stopped.

The store itself isn’t enormous, but the selection of books it has is excellent, with a range of the classics, new arrivals, and just quality choices in the fiction, poetry, mystery, travel, and cooking sections, among others.

In addition to a great selection of books, Porter Square Books also has a small coffee bar in the corner, where patrons can order gourmet coffee based drinks (as well as a wide ranging selection of teas), and can enjoy their purchases in many comfortable seats near the windows, whether at separate tables or a long bar in the well of the window. The light and the atmosphere are incredibly conducive to getting some quality reading done.

The final touch on this already lovely bookstore is that fact that Porter Square Books has frequent events. Just about every night of the week, the little bookstore brings in authors, some well known, some just breaking into the publishing industry, to give readings from their works. The public is always welcome to attend, and many stay to get books autographed or to ask the authors questions after.  For such a small store, it feels very large. Whoever claimed that independently run bookstores are dying out clearly didn’t visit Porter Square Books, which is thriving nicely.

For such a small store, it feels very large. Whoever claimed that independently run bookstores are dying out clearly didn’t visit Porter Square Books, which is thriving nicely. To learn more, visit their website: http://www.portersquarebooks.com

The famous storefront of the original Harvard Book Store.

Harvard Bookstore: Harvard Square boasts many bookstores, which comes as no surprise considering that one of the world’s most famous colleges and universities is located there. It almost goes without saying that the bookstore associated with the college should be astounding, and any bibliophile’s dream.

Much like Porter Square Books, the Harvard Book Store is locally owned and independently run, as they proudly tout on their website, http://www.harvard.com. With an innumerable amount of books and sections, I think it can suffice to say that if there is a book you are seeking, in a particular genre, era, or color, it is likely bundled into the plentiful shelves of the Harvard bookstore.

Aside from the amazing selection and intensely intellectual atmosphere, which inspires its patrons to buy books in new disciplines for the sake of learning, one of the most exciting things about the Harvard Book Store is the frequent events when world renowned authors and readers come to speak! Upcoming speakers include Chelsea Clinton, Sarah Vowell, Simon Winchester, and Judah Friedlander. Throughout my time in Boston I’ve known college students and Boston residents alike to go to these events, creating a greater community of intellectuals.

One feels as though they have entered a place outside of time when they go to the Harvard COOP.

Harvard COOP: Down the street from the Harvard Book Store is the COOP, the bookstore for current Harvard and MIT students that is open to the public as well. I suppose the best descriptor of the store is that it resembles Hogwarts, with many floors and spiral staircases, and bookshelves lining the entire building. One walks in and feels as though they have gone through some sort of portal to a place outside of reality, which I feel is one of the main allure of books. If a building can replicate the feeling one gets from an excellent book, the building is doing something right!

Spanning over several buildings, the COOP is like a mixture of a Bed Bath and Beyond and the library of a castle; essentially everything a college student could need is there, whether it be their textbooks or replacement clothes hangars. I myself have wandered through there many times, marveling at the selection of books, audio books, and even different types of jig saw puzzles. It’s the jack of all trades of book stores! To learn more, or perhaps to purchase some Harvard paraphernalia, visit their website here: http://store.thecoop.com.

One of the staples of Newbury Street, Trident Booksellers and Cafe allows it patrons to enjoy their lunch and their reading material simultaneously.

Trident Booksellers and Cafe: Located in the center of Boston, Trident Booksellers and Cafe is one of the main attractions along the famous Newbury Street. When weary shoppers have had enough of the many designer clothing stores and delectable foods of Newbury, Trident offers a brief, calm respite with a nice cup of tea and a book. Like all the stores along Newbury, Trident is not very large, but its selection of books and magazines is top notch. With new arrivals, including the incredibly popular ‘adult coloring books’ (which I may or may not have purchased from Trident myself) from the past summer, as well as numerous classics, journals and most genres under the sun, Trident utilizes its space well, and leaves room for a full blown restaurant.

Downstairs is a coffee shop where readers can sit and enjoy any sort of beverage or pastry along with their book, and upstairs patrons can sit and enjoy simple, delicious meals! Check out their website here: http://tridentbookscafe.com.

Other bookstores that I haven’t gotten the chance to visit yet, but are on my list include:

Brattle Book Shop: located in the heart of Boston and best known for its book selections put outdoors in an adjacent alley for patrons to browse through. See their website for more information: http://www.brattlebookshop.com

Who wouldn’t want to wander through?

Commonwealth Books: Known for their rare selections, Commonwealth Books is a must see for any book lover. Learn more here: http://www.commonwealthbooks.com

New England Mobile Book Fair:  I’m not sure if it is actually a book fair or if it actually moves, but rumor has it that the store is a long as several football fields, and packed to the gills with books of all sorts! See for yourself: http://www.nebookfair.com

All of these bookstores are places that any visitor or resident of Boston should consider going to, if for no other reason than to support local business in some cases! As Lemony Snicket, (aka Daniel Handler, aka the author of the famous A Series of Unfortunate Events) wrote in reference to libraries (which in this case I am likening to book stores), “The world is quiet here.”

-Hadley Gibson

Interview with the Interns

Hey, readers! We had a bit of downtime in the office today, and I decided to introduce you to the sillier side of the staff here. I asked our two interns, Hadley and Adrienne, to answer some questions about themselves. It started out as normal, but quickly turns absurd. Hope you enjoy!

Elizabeth: So tell me, what are your favorite books?

Adrienne: I think I’d say American Gods by Neil Gaimen. My most treasured possession is probably my signed copy of Ananzi Boys.

Hadley: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. My favorite type of literature is Middle-Eastern. I think it’s really interesting because it actually depicts the plight of women in extremely patriarchal societies. It was super interesting and I found a lot of parallels between it and American society.

E: Are you guys also interested in writing?

A: Yes and no. I’m interested in writing well, but not necessarily being a writer.

H: Yes, I am. I’ve taken numerous creative writing classes, which I enjoy a lot. I also do a lot of writing on my own. Hopefully some day I can write things to submit to different literary journals or something.

E: Awesome! If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?

A: Oh gosh. I think I’d be a kiwi… because I like green, and I’m kind of tart.

H: If I was a fruit… wow. That’s a really hard question. I’d probably be like, a… What’s something that looks pretty normal on the outside but it pretty gross and weird on the inside? Because I look pretty average but I’m pretty weird.

A: I don’t know, but maybe blueberries, because they aren’t blue on the inside.

H: I could be a blueberry. I can see that. Sure, why not!

E: Last question, guys. If you were an object in the CambridgeEditors’ office, what would you be?

*crickets*

H: Haha, too many options. I’ll be this painting. It’s got lots of colors, and a guy falling off of a bull. I think he’s a bullfighter. I mostly just like the colors, but bull fighting also reminds me of Earnest Hemingway.

A: That reindeer (stuffed animal for dog). There’s no reason, I just like it.

Alright, that’s all for now! Tune in later for more silly anecdotes from the CE office 🙂

The Tangibility of Books

As any good or “classic” bibliophile can affirm, there are few sensations that compare to holding an actual book. With the advent of e-readers, kindles, and e-books, however, the fate of the printed book is looking slightly grim. There have been many reports over the past few years about different schools completely digitizing their libraries, in efforts both to save money and space, as well as being more environmentally friendly. In addition, more and more people are purchasing e-readers because of their ability to hold hundreds of different books, with a fraction of the weight of the tangible books.  I must admit that I cannot argue with a lot of the logic behind these choices, but they do make me sad.

As an avid book collector, it is hard for me to understand how people can love reading off of screens. I struggle to even read shorter articles off of a phone or computer, and can’t even attempt to read longer pieces of work. My eyes simply can’t focus on a screen for that long. Even though many e-readers are now designed to look as similar to a page as possible, with low light settings that won’t irritate the eyes, I still like real books more.

It’s hard to describe the delight that I feel when I have an actual book, but the heft and weight of it are exciting — they show how much information you have to gain from reading it! You can’t ascertain that from a thin little e-reader. Holding an actual book also makes it feel like you are making a real connection with it, like it is a friend or a partner who you are intensely involved with for a short amount of time (if the book is really good and you can’t put it down, that is), or even a friend who you see from time to time (if it’s the sort of book that you take breaks from and come back to every once in a while).

With this precedent, I hope readers who don’t feel as strong a pull towards physical books can imagine how wonderfully overwhelming book stores and libraries are for the classic bibliophile. It’s unlike anything else! Walking into a nice little bookstore, or even an enormous commercialized bookstore, is like finding nirvana for a ravenous book lover.

Not everyone will feel this way, mind you, but book lovers can always recognize each other; they are the ones who can spend hours wandering around bookstores or libraries, their arms laden down by their findings, and can’t bring themselves to leave until absolutely necessary.

However, despite their love of the physicality of books, bibliophiles are also infiltrating the internet! With sources such as Goodreads, which allows readers to rate their books and keep track of books they have read, are reading, or want to read, or even online forums such as tumblr and pinterest where readers can have discussions or see lots of beautiful pictures, book lovers are taking to the world wide web. Recently, I discovered an article from a website called Loner Wolf, which features pictures of beautiful libraries that book lovers and introverts alike can enjoy! The article can be found here: http://lonerwolf.com/introvert-dream-libraries/

The article is a glorified hay day for book lovers, depicting 24 libraries around the world that anyone would want to read in.

Here’s a little taste:

For all you book lovers reading this, I’m sure you are experiencing minor heart palpitations at these images, as well as a burning desire to find these libraries as soon as possible. The feeling is mutual. Until then, the public library and local bookshops will appease me just fine, as long as there are shelves upon shelves of books.

-Hadley Gibson