Welcome back to the third edition of Hot Links, where I compile some of the interesting, longer-form writing I’ve come across on the net this week! Coincidentally this week features a lot of stories about books, so I hope you find these posts as entertaining and enlightening as I did!
The Invisible Seafaring Industry That Keeps the Internet Afloat
from The Verge
Josh Dzieza gives us a fascinating, in-depth look at the crews who spend their time at sea fixing the cables that carry the internet across between continents and also exposes just how understaffed and underfunded they are.
Link: https://www.theverge.com/c/24070570/internet-cables-undersea-deep-repair-ships
Amazon is Filled with Garbage eBooks. Here’s How They Get Made.
from Vox
The popularity of AI may have made things worse, but as this article by Constance Grady points out, cheap, poorly written eBooks have been flooding Amazon’s Kindle store for years now. Here she takes a look at how they get made, and some of the people profiting very handsomely pushing them out.
Link: https://www.vox.com/culture/24128560/amazon-trash-ebooks-mikkelsen-twins-ai-publishing-academy-scam
James Patterson’s Latest Reveals the “Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians”
from People
Reporter Lizz Schumer talks with the prolific author about his latest book (co-written with Matt Eversmann) and gets his thoughts about the growing number of attempted book bans in the United States.
He Was Blinded in One Eye, but Salman Rushdie’s Vision Is Undiminished
from The New York Times
Following the release of his new memoir, Knife, reporter Sarah Lyall profiles the esteemed author, and discusses the repercussions of the attack that nearly killed him.
The Intercept Is Running Out of Cash
from Semafor
Max Tani at Semafor reports that the very-left-leaning, independent news site The Intercept is running low on funds. He examines what has led to the shortfall and what the company claims to be doing about it in this current time of imperiled media organizations.
Link: https://www.semafor.com/article/04/14/2024/the-intercept-is-running-out-of-cash
At Silent Book Clubs, Socializing Is Optional
from The Washington Post
Dawn Fallik examines the recent rise in popularity of “Silent Book Clubs”, in which attendees gather to spend an hour reading whatever they want in silence with optional socialization (and maybe some wine) afterwards.
Link (Gift): https://wapo.st/49EKv7t
Between the Book Club and BookTok: Community Reading in Montreal
from Public Books
This Silent Book Club thing is really taking off. Adam Christopher Hill offers up another look at the trend, this time zeroing in on the experiences of Montreal’s De Stiil Books.
Link: https://www.publicbooks.org/between-the-book-club-and-booktok-community-reading-in-montreal/
Hiking Hut-to-Hut Through History
from The Saturday Evening Post
Travel author Jen Rose Smith talks about her experience hiking to New Hampshire’s high-mountain huts with her mother. From the article: “‘I’m so happy we did this,’ said my mom that evening, as I drove us along winding roads back toward our homes in Vermont. ‘I’m so glad I can still do this.’ Before I could reply, she was asleep.”
Link: https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/04/hiking-hut-to-hut-through-history/
This Trans Author Toured Red-State Libraries. What She Found Might Surprise You.
from The Los Angeles Times
Diana Goetsch (This Body I Wore) writes about her experiences embarking on a book tour through traditionally “red” states like Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa, and the surprisingly kind reception she found herself receiving there.
Link (Gift via Lit Hub): https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-04-17/scenes-from-a-red-state-tour?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%2018%2C%202024&utm_term=lithub_master_list
10 Worst Things to Carry in Your Wallet
from AARP
Katherine Skiba from the AARP lists the things that people should try to avoid carrying with them in order to help protect their security.
Link (Membership Required): https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2021/wallet-protection.html
Photo by Valentin Antonini on Unsplash.
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