3 . Do you want to find some books to read? If so, here is a list of them.

Adapted from the favorite trips of National Geographic’s travel writers, Journeys of a Lifetime crosses the globe to highlight the world’s most famous and little-known destinations. It presents lots of possibilities, from ocean voyage around Antarctica to horse riding in the Andes. Every continent and every possible form of transport is covered.

Destinations of a Lifetime takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most impressive destinations. Hundreds of the most amazing locations—both natural and man-made—are illustrated with vivid images taken by the world-class photographers. Destinations of a Lifetime includes all the information: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most interesting experience.

Popular actor and award-winning travel writer Andrew McCarthy writes the foreword (序言) to this great book, offering 400 excellent destinations chosen by National Geographic’s family. It will appeal to active travelers looking for the next great trip as well as to the many readers who simply love dreaming of visiting faraway and peaceful destinations.

This collection of the 500 most unmissable sights and attractions in the world has been ranked by Lonely Planet’s global community, so big sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal battle it out for a prized place in the top 10, making this the only list you’ll ever need.

6 . Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024

The Novel Fair is an annual competition initiated by the Irish Writers Centre (IWC). Described by The Irish Times as “A Dragons’ Cave for writers”, each year the Fair aims to introduce up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents.

The Prize

The twelve winners will have the opportunity to present the summary of their novels directly to industry professionals. Leading publishers and agents will be invited by the IWC to meet these writers in person or through a series of online meetings. To get fully prepared for the meeting with publishers and agents, the winners will receive a place in a workshop on “How to Promote Your Novel”, two weeks in advance. Also, applicants who are longlisted (初选) but do not make it to the shortlist of twelve will have their works evaluated and criticized by the judging panel.

How to Enter

Entry fee for application is £ 55 (Members of IWC can enter for a discounted fee of £ 45). This competition only accepts manuscripts (原稿) for novels. Applicants are required to send a summary within 300 words and up to five chapters of their novels, which should be 10,000 words (+/-10%). Manuscripts should be submitted online. There is a limit of one entry per applicant.

Entries are welcome from anywhere in the world. Before entering the competition, please ensure that you have read the Novel Fair Terms & Conditions 2024 very carefully as the Fair is open to only novelists who have never published work previously. If you have any questions about the application process, please email novelfair@irishwriterscentre.ie.

For many people, bookstores remain an important part of the cityscape. They provide quiet and comforting spots for you     1     (refresh) the mind and body. But can you imagine     2     it is like to have a contemporary bookstore in an ancient village, deep in the mountains?

    3     (found) in the city of Nanjing in 1996, Librairie Avant-Garde is a well-known bookstore brand in China. Since its     4     (establish), it has explored a cultural and creative business model, whose themes range from cultural salon or coffee and art gallery     5     elements of film, music, lifestyle and fashion.

One of its     6     (branch) in Chenjiapu village in Lishui city, Zhejiang province,     7     (cover) 300 square meters with about 30,000 books and related products. The store, located in a corner of the village, receives up to 50,000 visitors during the busiest travel season, with income this year already     8     (hit) 1.5 million yuan ($234,600).

The bookstore in Chenjiapu has become     9     must-see attraction. Chenjiapu itself is being praised as a demonstration zone for closing urban-rural development gaps and achieving common prosperity (繁荣).

The latest development efforts and achievements, including its “cliffside bookstore”, show how the area is     10     (quick) realizing its green, common prosperity dream, in line with the major concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets (资产)”.

Reading have a lot of benefits. It can open up our eyes because of books are full of knowledge. I like reading newspapers and magazines from that I get lots of fun and learn about what’s going on around the world. I also read storybooks or novels which make me relaxing and happy. I seldom read e-book because they’re bad for eyes. On weekends, I usual spend a whole afternoon read in the library. And I also read for about half the hour before going to bed every night. Now I am going to read more classics as well as English books improve my language skills. I’m sure reading can make a difference to my life.