Listen to EXIT WEST author Mohsin Hamid discuss narrating his audiobook & why he was inspired to write about the migration experience

EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid is an astonishingly visionary love story that imagines the forces that drive ordinary people from their homes into the uncertain embrace of new lands. The talented New York Times bestselling author also narrated his own audiobook. Join Hamid in the studio as he discusses the universality of the migration experience,

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THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers has been selected for Common Reading at Auburn University

Auburn University has chosen The Circle by Dave Eggers as their 2017 Common Book. Auburn is the 26th college or university to select The Circle for their common reads program. This novel, which is soon to be a major motion picture, follows idealistic Mae Holland after she is hired to work for the world’s most powerful

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With New Members & A New Mission Statement: the Penguin Random House First-Year Reading Board

On February 10, 2017, the Penguin Random House First-Year Reading Advisory Board convened for their annual summit the day before The First-Year Experience® Conference exhibit and sessions commenced. The Board members, representing a variety of public and private higher education institutions of varying sizes, came together to exchange ideas, and provide feedback and guidance. Two new members joined the existing five members for

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WE’RE ALL WONDERS

Since its publication five years ago, R. J. Palacio’s Wonder has spread kindness in classrooms and communities across the country and inspired the Choose Kind anti-bullying initiative. Now educators can introduce the importance of choosing kind to younger readers with the publication of We’re All Wonders, a gorgeous picture book featuring Auggie and Daisy on

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New York Selects AMERICANAH for the Inaugural One Book, One New York Program

On Thursday, March 16th, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and BuzzFeed announced Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah as the winner of the inaugural “One Book, One New York” program. Throughout February, nearly 50,000 votes were cast for this first-of-its-kind competition. And, in the coming months New Yorkers will be encouraged

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You Can Save Lives with This Community Read

by DONNA GEPHART, author of Lily and Dunkin (Delacorte Press, May 2016)   I’m not going to sugarcoat this. The statistic is grim and the stories behind it heartbreaking. Forty-three percent of transgender young people try to kill themselves. Why? Here’s one story: Because her parents isolated her from supportive friends and adults, refused to accept

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Videos from the 2017 First-Year Experience® Conference Are Now Available

  If you were one of the many in attendance at the First-Year Experience® conference in Atlanta this past  February, you might have joined us at one of our events showcasing authors and books ideal for common reading. If you or your colleagues didn’t make it, or if you would like to watch the talks

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VIDEO: Audiobook Narrator Bahni Turpin reads from THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD at the National Book Awards Finalists Reading

On the evening before the National Book Awards ceremony, The New School hosts a reading with the finalists. Don’t miss this exquisite reading by the audio narrator of the 2016 winner.

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VIDEO: 2017 FYE® Conference Speaker Garrard Conley’s TEDx Talk on Compassion

Garrard Conley, a survivor of the controversial “ex-gay” therapy movement, describes his traumatic experience as a gay man growing up in the South. In the years following his escape from extreme prejudice, he has learned one important lesson: compassion has the power to heal wounds, but it’s also one of the messiest human emotions.

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