• The longlist for this year’s German Book Prize is out: 20 titles, with some names that may be familiar to English-speaking audiences (Uwe Timm, Terezia Mora, Clemens Meyer, Urs Widmer) and many that are new. (Deutcher Buchpreis)
  

  Grey whales don’t have dorsal fins, they have KNUCKLES. Dorsal fins suck! Knuckles rule! Sonic the Hedgehog!

• “Poet Aaron Belz has placed a listing on Craigslist advertising his services as a poet: “Poet available to begin work immediately. Capable in rhyme and meter, fluent in traditional and contemporary forms… Angst extra.” He’s already been hired to write a poem insulting the person who commissioned it, and to respond to actress Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation. (The Atlantic)
• Barbara Cartland‘s unpublished books are going to be published and they’re all going to be so pink. (Fine Books & Collections)
• Eric Limer warns Google ebook customers that traveling to places where Google Play books aren’t available could result in all your books being deleted from your device, even if you purchased and downloaded them in a country where it’s all above-board. (Gizmodo)
• Seattle Public Library’s Books on Bikes program encountered a minor bump this week when its founder’s bike was stolen. Fortunately the books are safe. (Seattle Times)
• Marina Warner, the British novelist who writes about feminism and myth, has been selected to chair the 2015 Man Booker International prize judges. (Guardian)

A song for Monday: “Shining Moon” by Lightnin’ Hopkins