A Chapter a Day Keeps the Reaper at Bay
A new longitudinal study out of the Yale University School of Public Health indicates that people who read books live longer (in this case, 23 months longer on average) than those who do not. Researchers have been following the same group of more 3,563 adults aged 50+ for over a decade and speculate that the cognitive processes involved specifically in reading books provide a “survival advantage.” If you’re wondering about confounding factors, rest assured that the result holds even when controlling for income and education level. This study defined readers as those who read books for more than 3.5 hours per week, but it indicates that even 30 minutes a day can make a difference. Books: they’re what the doctor ordered!
American Library Association Updates Fact-Checking for the Trump Era
Not sure if what you’re reading is fake news or alternative facts? The CRAAP test, long used by librarians and educators to help students and patrons evaluate the reliability of sources, is here for you. (The oh-so-appropriate acronym stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Appropriate, Purpose.) In light of the President’s repeated dismissal of legitimate news sources and his complicated relationship with facts, the ALA is updating the test’s criteria to encourage added scrutiny of the authority component, determining if the creator/writer of the news source is actually an expert.
“Book” Your Next Airbnb Adventure
Peeping other people’s bookshelves is one of the unsung pleasures of staying in homes instead of hotels when you travel. This week, BuzzFeed rounded up 18 bookalicious Airbnbs around the world, guaranteed to satisfy all your readerly voyeuristic urges. Exhibit A: this bonkers gorgeous bedroom in a Garden District mansion in New Orleans.
Thanks to The Book That Made Me, edited by Judith Ridge, for sponsoring This Week in Books.
What if you could look inside your favorite authors’ heads and see the book that led them to become who they are today? What was the book that made them fall in love, or made them understand something for the first time? What was the book that made them feel challenged in ways they never knew they could be, emotionally, intellectually, or politically? What book made them readers, or made them writers, or made them laugh, think, or cry? Join thirty-one top children’s and young adult authors as they explore the books, stories, and experiences that changed them as readers — for good.