It’s Okay If Your Kid Only Reads Comics–They’re Building Literacy Skills

“The Scarlet Letter in My Career”: My Life as a Sex Writer

This is an excerpt from a memoir coming out this week, and it’s a very good one. There are many jobs that are considered boring to the average person, and many of them involve sex. Whether that’s sex work or, in this case, sex writing, being taken seriously. It’s also about how sexuality has changed in some ways over the last few generations (and in others it’s stayed the same or even gone backwards).

As I told my mother a long time ago, in many ways I have succeeded in defying “all the shame.” I regularly receive emails and DMs from young women telling me that my first book changed their lives. They said it made them feel less alone. It helped bring them great joy, understanding, and self-acceptance. Yet, I secretly struggled with my own sense of shame. In my daily life, especially after becoming a mother, I could hardly talk about my work. It felt vulgar to bring my subject to our suburban parenthood, even though parenthood is the one that most often exists by gender. I, too, wondered what it would mean for my child to grow up with a mother like me.

The fight to protect Mauritania’s ancient books

A good photo essay is always welcome, but even more so when it’s related to a book. I know very little about the country Mauritania, and even less about its historical libraries. This article talks about how Chinguetti’s former role as an important trading post helped the town develop a series of libraries that housed holy texts, especially Islamic texts. The role of stewarding these important books has historically been passed down through families, but as climate change, remoteness and resource scarcity make it increasingly difficult to live in desert cities, some families are wondering who will oversee these important cultural and historical sites in the future.

Creepy BIPOC and/or Queer Romantacy

Romantacy has always existed, but it’s hard to overstate the growth of the portmanteau genre over the past few years. Romantic appeal appeals to all kinds of readers, and with more books being published that fall into this category, the shelves are becoming more diverse. Check out this handy guide for BIPOC and queer romance readers, and subscribe to All Access for a complete list of comprehensive romance books.