Schools, Audiobooks and book fun - June news from Bookship
Hope you’re enjoying spring and getting ready for summer. And reading some great books! We’ve got some recommendations for you below.
I’m not usually an audiobook listener but have started getting into it. I’m thinking about adding an audiobook player into Bookship, so you can listen to classics for free. I’m gauging interest as it’s a fair-sized undertaking. Would love a comment back this post if you’d be interested. Thanks!
We’ve started seeing Bookship crop up in schools. It’s a great way for students and educators to connect outside the classroom (bonus: free access to the classics!). You can do a lot with the free version of Bookship, but we’ve recently introduced features specifically designed for schools, including group administration and reader analytics (e.g. how much are people reading?). The cost for these features is very modest. If you’re using Bookship in a school, I’d love to hear how it’s going for you! Read more here.
This month’s tip
Book Briefings are a collection of background content about a book, including reviews from trusted sites, reading guides, the author’s website, even book trailers or YouTube interviews with the author. It’s great for prepping for your book club meeting or just deciding if you want to read something. You can read it all right in the app, or on the Bookship website. Not every book has one - look for the blue and purple icon - tapping it will take you there (the “More” button in your reading chat will as well). (drop me a note if you want one for your book!)
OK let’s get to our winners! The most popular books on Bookship in the last month are:
OK small fib. This book isn’t popular on Bookship right now. But it should be. But I just finished it and it’s one of the funniest books I’ve read in years. And it’s a thriller! Sheldon is a Jewish grandfather and ex-Marine sniper in his 80s who goes to live with his granddaughter and her Norwegian husband in Norway. Witnessing a brutal attack by a Balkan immigrant warlord, he becomes the caretaker of small Balkan boy who doesn’t speak, and whom the attacker wants back. Sheldon may or may not be suffering from dementia, but he’s still got moves, and he and the boy go on the run. The humor is sardonic and laugh-out-loud funny, especially if you’re “of a certain age”. The ruminations on age, family, memory and dementia, cultural assimilation and the evolution of Europe are the icing on the cake of this funny and literary thriller. I’ve loved the cover of this book for years and glad I finally read it. You will be to.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
A lot of folks are reading this book. Reese Witherspoon picked it for her book club (come to think of it Reese has showed up in most of our newsletters…hm….). Eleanor, an eccentric loner, meets Raymond, a not-quite-normal IT guy, and then they help Sammy, an older gentleman, and a “smart, warm and uplifting” story ensues. Reese is making the movie. She seems to be doing that a lot.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution - a number one international best seller - that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us. One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one - Homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? If you love Jared Diamon or James Gleick books, this one is for you.