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For your reading list

Credit: Chris Stedman

IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives by Chris Stedman

In IRL, Chris Stedman explores the many ways people form meaningful relationships and reveal their authentic selves through social media and forums — often with more success and freedom than in their “real” lives. He takes to task the very idea that such a distinction even exists anymore — what makes our digital life less real than our physical one, especially when both are so often and consistently interwoven? Through personal narrative and insightful cultural analysis, Stedman reveals the ways we've brought the timeless pursuit of meaning into the digital sphere, and how we can use its tools to better understand ourselves. It's a must-read for anyone who’s condemned the internet for creating huge social disconnect, and everyone whose lived experiences prove otherwise. Get your copy. —Arianna Rebolini

Read Receipts:

Texting with our favorite writers 📲

This week, BuzzFeed Books editor Farrah Penn chats with Stephanie Perkins about NaNoWriMo; the adaptation of her first horror novel, There's Someone Inside Your House; and what it's like to revisit her debut novel, Anna and the French Kiss, on its 10th anniversary.

This Week in Virtual Book Events:

Oct.26–Nov. 1

Monday, Oct. 26

Neil Gaiman and Marlon James discuss The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fictions — hosted by William Morrow, 4 p.m. ET. Ticket with purchase from select booksellers. More info.

A discussion of norm-defying South Asian protagonists in fiction, featuring Jenny Bhatt (Each of Us Killers) and Suman Mallick (The Black-Marketer's Daughter) — hosted by Literati, 7 p.m. ET. More info.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Roxane Gay, Tracy Lynne Oliver, and Rebecca Kirby discuss their graphic novel, The Sacrifice of Darkness — hosted by Powell's, 6 p.m. PT. $24.99. More info.

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Leanne Howe, co-editor of When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, discusses the book with contributing poets Sherwin Bitsui, Tommy Pico, Casandra Lopez, and Tacey M. Atsitty — hosted by Bookworks, 7:30 p.m. MT. More info.

Bryan Washington discusses Memorial with Jacqueline Woodson — hosted by BookPeople, 7 p.m. CT. More info.

Thursday, Oct. 29

Nikki Giovanni discusses Make Me Rain in conversation with Bryan Stevenson — presented by William Morrow and multiple bookstores, 7:30 p.m. ET. $25-30. More info.

Sophie Kinsella discusses Love Your Life with Elin Hilderbrand — hosted by Brookline Booksmith, 6 p.m. ET. More info.

Friday, Oct. 30

Saturday, Oct. 31–Sunday, Nov. 1: Texas Teen Book Festival

"Speak! Act! Vote!" — a panel about using your voice to call attention to injustice inspiring others to do the same, featuring Kim Johnson (This Is My America), Francisco X. Stork (Illegal), and Natalia Sylvester (Running). Sat. 10/31, 2:30 p.m. CT. More info.

And many more! Check out the full list here.

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