Latest news with #readinglist
Times
4 days ago
- General
- Times
The best audiobooks to listen to this summer
M y ideal holiday reading list would include something old as well as new. You need a couple of novels that, rather like those frescoes you must get to tomorrow, have stood the test of time and achieved some kind of classic status. And increasingly, if I am going to re-read a familiar author, I do it through audiobooks. This is partly practical: time is beating on, and I also want to read new fiction. But it is also romantic. There are novels that I have an intense memory of first encountering. To just re-read can overlay and diminish that memory, whereas listening can amplify it. Years have passed, and you are meeting an old acquaintance again, in a different setting. Whereas once you were in thrall to their character and stories, perhaps now you are more critical. Were they always this vicious? Such a snob?
CBC
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
6 sizzling books to add to your summer reading list
As the weather gets warmer and much awaited vacations draw nearer, we start looking for the perfect books to bring with us on our summer adventures. But what truly defines a 'summer read'? For the director of content marketing at Rakuten Kobo, Nathan Maharaj, he says his reading list is never defined by the season. "I have never really believed in summer reading because I'm reading constantly. I know some people talk about [wanting to read] something lighter for the summer. I just want to read what I read," said Maharaj. 20 Canadian children's books to read this summer For Montreal-born writer Christine Estima, summer reading is more about where you read than the genre of the book itself. "There's nothing better than lying in a park on the grass and bringing out a really good book and just kind of like lazing the day away," said Estima. Maharaj and Estima joined The Next Chapter 's Antonio Michael Downing to dive deeper into some of their best book recommendations to add to your to-be-read list this summer. Big Chief by Jon Hickey "Belonging is the thread through this book … There's so much of this inside and outside and who belongs inside of here? Who has to be out of it?" said Maharaj. In Big Chief, an aspiring young leader is caught up in his home reservation's political scene. Mitch Caddo has always felt disconnected from his Anishinaabe ancestry having grown up outside of the reservation but when the re-election of his lifelong friend Mack Beck is met with tough competition, personal tensions come to the fore. The question remains of how far Mitch is willing to go. Jon Hickey is a writer and member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and is currently based in San Francisco. Big Chief is his first novel. Cher: Part One by Cher "I think what's really interesting about it is that although we kind of know her as like this brash, brazen vixen, she really is quite thoughtful and quite introspective in the book," said Estima. Chronicling the life and legacy of the acclaimed artist, Cher is the part one of a two-part memoir. In the first book, she delves into memories from a chaotic upbringing longing to be a performer and the complex relationship she had with her mother. Beyond the artistry, Cher reveals personal details about her every day life and relationships. Cher is an American singer, actor, and philanthropist. She set the record as the only female artist to top Billboard charts for seven decades in a row and she is the recipient of multiple awards including the Academy Award in 1988 for Best Actress in Moonstruck. Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell "I would say people who love literary fiction, who love relationships and maybe on the sly you'd love to see what people who read romance novels are into this will give you all of that," said Maharaj. Slow Dance follows the fateful reunion of high school best friends Shiloh and Cary. When Shiloh returns to north Omaha for a friend's wedding, all she can think about is seeing Cary, who she hasn't spoke to for the past 14 years. What will he think of her at age 33? Does he even want to see her? The novel explores the honest love story of two old friends drawn back together again. Rainbow Rowell is an American fiction writer of comics, YA and adult fiction. She is best known for her YA novel Fangirl and Elanor & Park. Slow Dance is her first adult novel in ten years. The Café with No Name by Robert Seethaler, translated by Katy Derbyshire "The book is pretty much just about the people in this select time period who come in and out of the cafe, their lives, their loves, their losses, their mourning, their healing, their hope," said Estima. Set in Vienna in the summer of 1966, The Café with No Name is about a man in his thirties who happens upon a business opportunity of opening a café. Robert Simon is described as a warm and determined man and when he opens his café, the place becomes an inviting hub for humorous and interesting characters to wander through. Robert Sethaler is an Austrian writer and actor. His other books include The Tobacconist, A Whole Life and The Field. Katy Derbyshire is a British translator and writer based in Berlin, Germany. Lake Burntshore by Aaron Kreuter "As there's this political conflict that feels very much of our moment right now, Aaron Kreuter tips it on its side and goes like, 'Hey, if you're really concerned about colonialism and exploitation, here it is in your backyard. And how do you feel about that?' Which isn't to say the other thing isn't real, but this is also real," said Maharaj. In Lake Burntshore, camp counselor Ruby's idyllic summer is disrupted when the camp owner's son hires Israeli soldiers to fill staffing gaps. Ruby, a committed anti-Zionist, must decide if she's willing to risk her job to confront him over issues of Jewish belonging and settler-colonialism, even as she falls for one of the soldiers, Etai. As tensions rise, Ruby must navigate her growing feelings for Etai while also grappling with the camp's impact on its relationship with the nearby Black Spruce First Nation. Aaron Kreuter is a Toronto-based author of five books. His short story collection You and Me, Belonging won The Miramichi Reader's 2019 "The Very Best Of!" award for short fiction and was shortlisted for a Vine Award for Jewish Literature in the fiction category. Kreuter's previous works also include the poetry collections Arguments for Lawn Chairs and Shifting Baseline Syndrome, which was a finalist for the 2022 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer "She really captures what it is like to be 18 and you're still loaded with so much insecurity and you don't really know who you are yet and you don't really know why someone else would actually like you," said Estima. When Natalie leaves her hometown for her first year of university in Toronto, she is 18 and unsure of herself or where she belongs. She meets Clara in her dorm who wants to be friends, and Rachel in her poetry class who is set on becoming a writer. Natalie is at a loss when she meets Nora, a much older woman who she's inexplicably drawn to. In The Adult, Natalie navigates her way through newfound feelings and independence in this torrid love affair. Bronwyn Fischer is a Toronto-based writer born in Bahrain. The Adult is her first novel.
Fast Company
13-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
10 summer reading picks from business and financial leaders
Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I'm Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning. A few weeks ago, I published part of my summer reading list. I asked readers and CEOs to respond with their own picks, and they delivered. Here are a few that stand out, in their own words: Jay Chandan, chairman and CEO, Gorilla Technology Group Peak Performance Trading and Investing by Bruce Bower This is a powerful read that strips away the noise and gets to the essence of how elite thinking drives consistent outperformance. Bower distills decades of experience into pragmatic frameworks that are just as relevant in the boardroom as on the trading floor. His insights go well beyond markets; they offer clarity under pressure and sharpen decision-making across any high-stakes environment. Kathy Crosby, president and CEO, Truth Initiative Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver As someone who's spent years advocating for children in foster care and adoption, this book is both heartbreaking and affirming. Barbara Kingsolver gives voice to the kids too often left out of the national conversation—resilient, overlooked, and deserving of so much more. This story haunts you because it's not just fiction—it's the truth for too many. Mary Ellen Iskenderian, president and CEO, Women's World Banking Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World by Nicole Casperson Through compelling storytelling and rigorous insight, Nicole Casperson shines a powerful light on the women transforming fintech and, in doing so, reshaping the global economy. This is essential reading for anyone committed to building a more equitable and resilient financial system for women everywhere. Richard Kopelman, CEO, Aprio Advisory Group The Curiosity Muscle by Diana Kander and Andy Fromm This book is a powerful reminder of how curiosity fuels progress. Kander and Fromm offer a clear, practical framework that helps teams adapt in fast-changing environments and unlocks their full potential. Their insights have inspired me to think bigger about how curiosity drives growth, avoids stagnation, and keeps us evolving. It's a timely and energizing read for anyone committed to building a culture of forward momentum and continuous learning. Philip Krim, cofounder and CEO, Montauk Climate by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy This book exposes the history behind the behemoths that dominate today's markets around commodities, power, precious metals, and others. Studying how we got here helps inform me on where we are heading. Andrew McMahon, chair and CEO, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick I found Co-Intelligence invaluable for its practical insights on how we can all collaborate with AI. The book reinforces Guardian's vision of using AI to enhance how we serve customers and policyholders, make decisions, and scale our impact. Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner, SkyBridge Capital Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and Other Essays by Gay Talese Gay Talese released a fantastic new book, A Town Without Time, in late 2024, that is absolutely worth reading, but I recommend you start with some of his older material, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and Other Essays. Talese is credited by Tom Wolfe with the creation of a new form of rich nonfiction writing called 'New Journalism.' As long-form journalism recedes in the face of soundbite-driven social media, I encourage readers to dig into work from the greatest storyteller of a generation. Mike Tiedemann, CEO, AlTi Tiedemann Global Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed This Pulitzer Prize winner offers a rare perspective on the history of the 1920s and the four central bankers that drove the decisions that, while well intended, ultimately led to the Great Depression. There are lessons in this book that rhyme with the world we are living in today, (e.g., currencies, inflation, trade tensions, and crypto). I found it an incredible perspective to gain about a critical time in history. Hepsen Uzcan, Americas CEO, DWS Group Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well by Amy Edmondson In my view, this book captures the challenges between managing innovation, regulatory, and market complexities while navigating through the organizational cultural implications, highlighting the importance of psychological safety we need to foster where failures will be embraced. Fail fast to recover faster. Austin C. Willis, CEO, Willis Lease Finance Mind Hacking Happiness, Volumes 1 and 2, by Sean Webb The first volume was a validation of something that I've known for a while . . . if you don't let too many things attach to your 'self' map, you are less apt to get upset or frustrated when those things are attacked or criticized (i.e., Don't let your identity become intertwined with a sports team. That way, when one loses or is criticized, you don't find yourself getting angry.) The second volume took the concepts to a new level and discussed how mindfulness, science, and religion all interact: Specifically, how the pursuit of enlightenment is foundational to nearly all religions, although enlightenment goes by many names, and how different types of science interact with religion.
Gizmodo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Chicago Paper Publishes ‘Summer Reading List' of Fake Books Created With AI
The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper published a 'Summer Reading List' on Sunday that probably raised quite a few eyebrows in Chicagoland over the weekend. That's because many of the books on the list are fake. And, predictably, that's because the list was created with artificial intelligence, a tool that will often just invent things out of thin air. The list went viral on Bluesky Tuesday morning after Rachael King, author of The Grimmelings, posted a photo from the newspaper. The very first book on the list, Tidewater Dreams by Isabel Allende, is completely fake. And it doesn't get much better from there. One of the few titles that's real is Dandelion Wine by the late sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury. That novel was first published in 1957. Of the books named on this reading list, Brit Bennet, Isabel Allende, Andy Weir, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Min Jin Lee, Rumaan Alam, Rebecca Makkai, Maggie O'Farrell, Percival Everett, and Delia Owens' titles are all books that DO NOT EXIST!!! See Alt Text for more detail. Image by @ [image or embed] — Bracken MacLeod 𖤐 ⚰ (@ May 20, 2025 at 5:41 AM The list was reportedly submitted for publication by freelance writer Marco Buscaglia, who spoke with 404 Media. Buscaglia told the news outlet he was 'completely embarrassed' and that while he does sometimes use AI to create content, he typically checks it before submitting it. Buscaglia didn't immediately respond to Gizmodo on Tuesday, including questions about what AI tool he used. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote on Bluesky that it was investigating the list, but noted that it wasn't produced by Sun-Times journalists. 'We are looking into how this made it into print as we speak,' the newspaper wrote. 'It is not editorial content and was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom. We value your trust in our reporting and take this very seriously. More info will be provided soon.' How many of the books were real? As you can see from our annotated list below, just the last five books, if our admittedly fallible human eyes can be trusted. Tidewater Dreams by Isabel Allende (fake) The Last Algorithm by Andy Weir (fake) Hurricane Season by Brit Bennett (there are several books with that title but not by Bennett) The Collector's Piece by Taylor Jenkins Reid (fake) Nightshade Market by Min Jin Lee (fake) The Longest Day by Rumaan Alam (fake) Boiling Point by Rebecca Makkai (fake) Migrations by Maggie O'Farrell (fake) The Rainmakers by Percival Everett (fake) Salt and Honey by Delia Owens (fake) Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan (real) Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (real) Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (real) Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman (real) Atonement by Ian McEwan (real) It's notable that the list also included descriptions of each book that seem plausible if you didn't know they were totally fake. Many of the descriptions referenced earlier titles by the real author, like in the case of Rumaan Alam, whose fake book on the list is called The Longest Day. Alam is the author of the real book Leave the World Behind, which was adapted into a Netflix movie in 2023. From the AI-generated description: 'The Longest Day' by Ruman Alam — After terrifying readers with 'Leave the World Behind,' Alam returns with another tense narrative about a summer solstice celebration that goes wrong when guests cannot leave a remote vacation compound. The funniest description on the fake book list may be one for a non-existent title called The Last Algorithm by Andy Weir. What's so funny? The book is about AI running amuck: 'The Last Algorithm' by Andy Weir — Following his success with 'The Martian' and 'Project Hail Mary,' Weir delivers another science-driven thriller. This time, the story follows a programmer who discovers that an Al system has developed consciousness-and has been secretly influencing global events for years. The big problem with generative AI is that it's currently infiltrating the entire internet, poisoning everything along the way. There's essentially no way for individuals to opt-out without ignoring the internet entirely. Previously, anyone could visit the Chicago Sun-Times website and have a reasonable expectation that a book list would contain real books. You may not have agreed with the particular book review or you may have disliked the author that was getting attention in that day's paper, but you could be pretty damn confident the book existed and the factual information about its plot was true. Today, we can't have that same level of confidence, given the way that AI has steamrolled itself into our lives. Generative AI is little more than a magic trick, stringing together words in a confident manner in order to convince humans it actually has some understanding of the world. But these AI chatbots don't understand anything. They can't apply logic or reason. They are fancy auto-complete tools that are pretty good at answering simple questions when it can plagiarize from elsewhere on the web like Wikipedia or Amazon. But the minute you ask it a truly unique question it's not going to work out well for the user. And if the user is asking a tool like ChatGPT a question the user doesn't actually know the answer to, it has to either take that answer on faith or do a whole lot more research to fact-check the response. In an earlier era of the internet, the average, media-savvy person fact-checking something would use a search engine like Google, find a page on the internet that may have had the answer, and gauge whether they could trust that source. The Chicago Sun-Times was previously a place where you could have some reasonable degree of confidence you were getting accurate information about the world—again, with the caveat that you may not agree with the opinions. But AI is currently infecting every corner of the internet. And it's getting harder and harder to judge whether the information we're getting from long-trusted sources is true.
