Author: Content Source
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The Science of Suspense: How Prose Triggers a Visceral Response
The creak of a floorboard in an empty house, the unnerving glint of an unknown figure in the shadows, or the chilling certainty that something is about to go terribly wrong – these are the hallmarks of suspense. As readers, we crave this sensation, willingly subjecting ourselves to heart-pounding narratives from the safety of our…
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Fiction Trends for 2026: What Readers Want Next (With Book Recommendations)
Predictions and early announcements about fiction trends for 2026 – according to what publishers, industry analysts, and book bloggers are anticipating – centre on deeply human, high-quality physical and community experiences as an answer to AI-generated fluff. Readers are being attracted by high-concept hybrids while simultaneously seeking cosy escapes from global stress. This means that…
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Do SMART Goals Work for Creative People Like Writers?
The SMART method has been praised as infallible. For some, however, it’s like the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic. But if the method is so good, why does it often fail creative tasks? It’s not that SMART goals are bad; it’s that they are designed for predictable environments. In a corporate setting, if you put in X hours…
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How to Maintain a Reading Habit When Life Gets Busy
There’s a peculiar irony about the times when we most need the mental escape that reading fiction provides. Holiday season, house moving, travelling, or a particularly demanding period at work are precisely the moments when our carefully maintained reading habits tend to collapse entirely. But here’s the thing: life rarely settles down on its own.…
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Holiday Season Reading: 25 Christmas Short Stories in the Public Domain
For a lot of people, the Holiday season is usually the hardest time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like reading good stories. That’s why we’re finishing our Holiday Season Reading series with 25 Christmas short stories: bite-sized tales that can be finished in a sitting. You can sink into them quickly without worrying…
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Holiday Season Reading: 12 Translated Christmas Books from Around the World
Finding translated full-length Christmas books and novels is genuinely challenging, but we did our best to bring you some of the finest stories from other cultures for part III of our Holiday Season Reading. This list leans heavily on ‘The Very Christmas’ anthology series, and for good reason: it is an excellent backbone for a…
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Holiday Season Reading: Delightful Christmas Books from 12 Indie Authors
We are continuing our festive journey through the Holiday Season Reading with a wonderful indie Christmas stories roundup. We bring you reads from 12 indie authors who promise a compelling plot and the kind of heartwarming magic only independent writers can deliver. These Christmas books offer a unique blend of pleasing charm, sparkling romance (many…
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Holiday Season Reading: Christmas Books from Around the World (Anglophone Countries)
What about spending these holidays travelling the globe without leaving your cosy reading corner? This is the first post of the Holiday Season Reading series, with recommendations for Christmas and New Year’s stories by authors from different countries.In these posts, you’ll find picture books for children that will also be enjoyed by adults, anthologies, reimaginings, and cosy…
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Reduce Eye Strain: Easy Everyday Habits for a Longer, Healthier Reading Life
Healthy vision is crucial to the reading experience, yet many readers overlook simple steps that support long-term visual comfort. In a world dominated by screens and fast information, eye strain has become increasingly common, and it can quietly erode the pleasure of settling down with a book. Fortunately, a few practical habits can protect eyesight…
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Cosy Reading Nook Has a Name: Hygge, Mys, and the Art of Comfort
In a world addicted to hustle and digital distraction, it’s been increasingly difficult to feel utterly snug, safe, and immersed. But if you still yearn for that deep contentment while curled up with a book, completely lost in a story, even when there’s a storm raging outside, you can create your own cosy reading corner.…