2 . It’s no secret that reading good news feels a lot better than reading bad news. Like, would you rather bite into a lemon, or sip on a fresh glass of lemonade?

    1    The world is full of problems and conflicts and we need to stay informed and alert (警觉的) to what’s going on around us. While reading traditional, more negative news is important, consuming good news is also part of staying informed.     2    And it also brings meaningful benefits, like reduced stress and anxiety, higher rates of engagement, community building skills, and inspiration for creating a better world. Plus, knowing what to look for in the good news landscape is a key part of improving our media literacy skills and being thoughtful news consumers.

In fact, good news, known as solutions journalism, is becoming more popular, as publishers and news stations discover the benefits of sharing positive stories. Good Good Good is one of them.     3     A team of reporters and editors there work daily to deliver stories that make readers feel hopeful and equipped to do more good with possible solutions.

“If it bleeds, it leads.” has long been a saying used in the media to describe how news stories about violence, death and destruction draw readers’ attention.       4     The thing is, however, there’s also good stuff out there—the delightful and kind parts of humanity. “Beautiful stories are happening worldwide.    5    When you do find them, the world can suddenly feel like a very different place. Good news is a vital part of how we learn about the world and solving the world’s problems.” Hervey, one of Good Good Good’s editors said.

4 . How to Host a Book Swap

If you love the written word, you probably have a pile of books somewhere in your home.     1    If you’re becoming alarmed at the price of new books, hold a book swap. The idea is pretty simple Guests bring books to share, and the accumulated books are then redistributed to new owners. If you’ve never held a book swap before, here are a few tips.

Send out invitations. A formal invitation should include the address, date and duration. A 2 to 3 hour party gives everyone a chance to enjoy the time and leave happy.     2    Three books is pretty standard. If you want extras around, don’t set a maximum.

Provide enough space. Some people use one large dining table and start piling up books when they run out of space.     3    They can offer people a chance to consider their selections without having to juggle piles of books while they’re doing it.

    4    To make sure guests can find what interests them, the easiest way to do this is to mart sections on the table for specific types of books. When people arrive, hand out a brief set of instructions, asking them to place their books in the right category.

Make it a party. When you’re in the planning stages, think party and you’ll be one step ahead of the game.     5    Create some good interactions with a little background music. Have an area set aside for coats and bags. Remember, you are hosting a party!

6 . If you’ve reached the end of the year feeling as though you didn’t read enough, we’ve got you. Here are some of the best books of the year according to notable artists, image-makers and other cultural taste makers.

“This collection of nine short stories probes into many of the same themes in Lisa Taddeo’s beloved ‘Three Women’, but discusses them in a sharper, more disagreeable way. She ruthlessly explores jealousy relationships between women, aging, revenge and, of course, desire. Taddeo never lets you come up for air -- making you laugh while simultaneously horrifying you all when you least expect it.”

“This is a portrait of artist and writer Barbara Chase-Riboud, through the letters she wrote to her mother, Vivian Mae, between 1957 and 1991. In this remarkable title, Barbara Chase-Riboud tells her mother about her development as an artist, her love stories, and her trips around the globe, from Africa to China. In these memoirs (回忆录), Chase-Riboud frankly and passionately describes her aspirations, her ambitions and creative inspiration，while also showcasing love and tenderness to her mother.”

“‘Who is Wellness For?’ is a book that works as part social observation and part memoir. It explores the commercialization of healing and ritual and asks questions about the industry of wellness I found the read insightful, thoughtful, and unafraid. Wellness isn’t for anyone if it’s not for everyone.”

10 . Anxieties (忧虑) about children and reading are not unusual, but news that fewer than half of those aged between 8 and 18 admit to actually enjoying it — the lowest level since 2005 — should raise a red flag. The survey, conducted by the National Literacy Trust ahead of World Book Day last Thursday, also showed a worrying picture of growing inequality.

10% of 3,000 parents interviewed across the UK said they were too stressed to read to their child because of economic pressures. And the percentage doubled among those who described themselves as struggling with financial problems. However, the sales data for the last year, released by an organization called Nielsen BookScan, showed a 15% increase in the overall number of children’s books sold compared with 2019. If poorer families are spending less of the money invested in children’s reading, it follows that richer families must be investing more.

Therefore, what is to be done? At a time of financial stress, libraries have a key role to play. A positive sign that they are doing so came with borrowing figures for last year. Libraries are where children of all ages go to choose books for themselves, different from bookshops, which is always influenced by parents’ budgets and tastes.

This is why the libraries are such an important part of the reading ecology. However, libraries have long been in the frontline (前线) of cuts to public services, especially libraries in schools. While prisons in the UK have libraries, primary schools are not. The result, according to one survey, is that 14% of kids have no library space at all. This disadvantage is more serious in the north of England, where children’s reading scores are lower.

As Children’s Prize winner in 2021, the author Cressida Cowell wrote an open letter to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, calling for an annual investment of £100 million a year in primary school libraries. Her demand should be taken seriously, as it directly meets the needs of children most badly affected by the cost of living crisis.