Books
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Most Topular Stories
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FLIP: A Column About Skateboarding (9/1/10)
McSweeney's -
Off the Beaten Canon: 5 Great Novels That Don't Get Enough Attention
Flashlight WorthyAs the mother of an only child, I had one chance to get the first day of school right. There would be no learning curve for kids two, three and four… no second chances. So in preparation, I started digging into our bookshelves early so no book would be left unread. Sure, throughout the summer we had plenty of reads of Mrs. Bindergarten and her ilk, but my son and I collect vintage children’s books, and I knew there must be some titles in our backlist that were relevant to the future class of 2023. Out of the dozens of stories we sampled over the last few months, these were the… -
Zen and the Art of Image Maintenance
The Millions2 Sep 2010 | 3:49 amThe New York Times reports on the launch of Neal Stephenson’s new serialized digital novel, The Mongoliad, complete with video, music, and user-profiles. (via AuthorScoop) -
Victor Hugo and the house which speaks for the dead
Jungla.17 Aug 2010 | 11:19 amApocalyptic novels tap into an unnerving and secret desire readers have for the complete annihilation of humanity. There are few authors who have the skill to create these bleak and terrifying worlds, but below are six of the best apocalypse novels reviewed on Jungla.co.uk. 6. Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood Seen through the eyes of an unwilling protagonist caught up in a psychotic friendship, this is more than a dystopian science-fiction novel. It’s disturbing and visionary in equal measure. Questions where consumerism, self-gratification and technology may be leading humanity. -
8 Must-Visit Author Memorials and Museums
Flavorwire » Books1 Sep 2010 | 9:05 amBookstores are dying. They’re dying because of jerks who are too cheap to buy a hardcover, or even a paperback, and too lazy to get a library card. Guys like the one from Julie Bosman‘s NY Times article, and this guy, and this guy. Even before we break into the eBooks discussion, think about everything else that reading is supposed to contend with these days — movies, video games, television, and the internet. And now that there’s competition even within the “book” medium, it’s no wonder that Barnes and Noble is closing a four-level shop (for those of…
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New York Times
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Books of The Times: At the Center of the Storm, but Still a Mystery
2 Sep 2010 | 8:36 amTony Blair’s memoir, “A Journey,” sheds little light on his political vision or on why he took Britain to war against Iraq. -
The Updated Manual of Style
1 Sep 2010 | 10:58 amThe 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style went on sale yesterday. In a nod to the past, the University of Chicago Press is offering a free e-book of the very first edition, published in 1906. -
Roger Ebert: No Longer an Eater, Still a Cook
1 Sep 2010 | 7:12 amAfter losing his lower jaw to cancer, the film critic, who can’t eat, has written a cookbook that is an ode to the rice cooker. -
Books of The Times: Young Man Seeks Poetry in World War II’s Ruins
31 Aug 2010 | 9:30 pmA British author links his grandfather’s World War II bombing missions to the war poetry of the time. -
Peace and War
31 Aug 2010 | 8:00 pmLike Jonathan Franzen’s previous novel, “The Corrections,” this is a masterly portrait of a nuclear family in turmoil, with a majestic sweep that gathers every sociocultural morsel of our shared millennial life.
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NPR
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Where's The Beef? One Man's Search For 'Steak'
2 Sep 2010 | 10:50 amMark Schatzker, a lifelong steak lover, was disappointed in the steaks he was eating -- they simply didn't taste as good as he remembered. So Schatzker set off on a quest to find the very best piece of beef in the world, a quest that took him from feedlots in Texas, to French cave paintings of prehistoric cattle, to the Argentine pampas.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Paperback Nonfiction Bestsellers For Sept. 2
1 Sep 2010 | 10:00 pmNow in its 219th year, the newest Old Farmer's Almanac makes its debut with weather predictions, gardening advice and mouthwatering recipes for Dutch ovens.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Tony Blair On War, Globalization And 'My Political Life'
1 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pmThe former prime minister of the United Kingdom's memoir, My Life: A Political Journey, is on sale in the U.S. Blair spoke to Steve Inskeep about Iraq, globalization and his political career.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Ricks' Picks: Best Books About War In Iraq
1 Sep 2010 | 10:00 amFor more than seven years, Americans learned about the war from news reports. But between headlines, many also turned to books to understand the strategy and the lessons of the conflict. As "Operation New Dawn" begins, Thomas Ricks picks the best and the worst books about the Iraq war.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Three Books For The Self-Help Skeptic
1 Sep 2010 | 5:50 amPlenty of folks are wary when it comes to self-help, but if you're not going to help yourself, then who will? Writer Lisa Unger says: Silence your inner snark and read these three books -- they will clear your mind and change your life.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
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The New York Review of Books
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Moscow and the ‘Merchant of Death’
2 Sep 2010 | 11:05 amApichart Weerawong/AP Photo Victor Bout in prison in Bangkok, August 11, 2009 (Apichart Weerawong/AP Photo) Over the past couple of weeks, the case of the infamous Russian arms trader Victor Bout—who has supplied guns, ammunition, and material to groups ranging from the FARC in Colombia to the Afghan Taliban—has generated enormous attention and raised many questions. Considered one of the world’s most prolific weapons traffickers, Bout has become the object of a high-level tug-of-war between Washington and Moscow over US efforts to extradite him from Thailand, where he is… -
Save the Warburg Library!
1 Sep 2010 | 8:05 ammediaartnet.org Panels from Aby Warburg's «Mnemosyne, A Picture Series Examining the Function of Preconditioned Antiquity-Related Expressive Values for the Presentation of Eventful Life in the Art of the European Renaissance», 1926 Much of Britain’s industry has disappeared. The recently vaunted financial sector is in disarray. But British universities remain world leaders. The conditions that have made this possible included, in the past, a loose, egalitarian organization, substantial autonomy for scholars and teachers, and a generous esprit de corps. Yet instead of preserving this… -
Tony Judt: An Intellectual Journey
31 Aug 2010 | 9:15 amRene Burri/Magnum Photo Train arriving to Paris from Switzerland near Near Gare de l'Est, 1950 When I met Tony Judt twenty years ago, he was on his way to catch a train. But he lingered instead in Providence to lunch with a couple of Brown University undergraduates. He gently gave career advice to two young men hesitating between history and journalism. Of course I wouldn’t suggest that whoever had a meal with Tony either became a historian, as I did, or won the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, as did Gareth Cook. But Tony was always exceedingly generous with his time, especially with… -
Catholics, Muslims, and the Mosque Controversy
27 Aug 2010 | 1:55 pm"The American River Ganges," Thomas Nast's 1875 cartoon showing Catholic priests as crocodiles attacking the United States to devour the nation's school children As historians of American Catholicism, and Catholics, we are concerned to see the revival of a strain of nativism in the current controversy over the establishment of an Islamic center some blocks from Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. For much of the nineteenth century Catholics in America were the unassimilated, sometimes violent “religious other.” Often they did not speak English or attend public schools. Some… -
Prison Rape: Eric Holder’s Unfinished Business
26 Aug 2010 | 11:15 amJames Stenson Bryson Martel, who contracted AIDS as a result of rape in prison. He died in June 2010 at age 47. A new report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) provides grim reaffirmation of something we already knew: sexual violence is epidemic within our country’s prisons and jails. According to the report, 64,500 of the inmates who were in a state or federal prison on the day the latest BJS survey was administered had been sexually abused at their current facility within the previous year, as had 24,000 of those who were in a county jail that day—a total of 88,500…
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book-blog.com
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Lanyon, Josh: The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks
28 Aug 2010 | 8:46 amMLR Press, 224 pages1st published: 2008Note: Links pointing to Amazon contain my affiliate ID. Sales resulting from clicks on those links will earn me a percentage of the purchase price.When Perry returns home early from an unsuccessful tryst--his promising internet relationship having come to nothing in the real world--he's surprised to find a dead guy in his bathtub. One panic attack and an asthmatic episode later, and the police can't find the body Perry claims to have seen. They're none too happy to have been called to the scene, a creepy, remote boarding house in Vermont. Perry's… -
Gerritsen, Tess: Ice Cold
27 Aug 2010 | 7:45 amBallantine Books, 336 pages1st published: 2010Note: Review copy received from publisher. Amazon affiliate: Links pointing to Amazon contain my affiliate ID. Sales resulting from clicks on those links will earn me a percentage of the purchase price.Ice Cold is the latest installment in Tess Gerritsen's series featuring medical examiner Maura Isles and homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. This time out, Maura is off to a medical conference in Wymoing. An impulsive change of plan has her taking a road trip with an old acquaintance and his friends, but a series of unfortunate circumstances puts their… -
Iyengar, Sheena: The Art of Choosing
26 Aug 2010 | 10:07 amTwelve, 352 pages1st published: 2010Note: Review copy received from author. Amazon affiliate: Links pointing to Amazon contain my affiliate ID. Sales resulting from clicks on those links will earn me a percentage of the purchase price.You may have heard about the jam study, which demonstrated that consumers who were confronted by a large array of jam jars were less likely to buy one than those presented with fewer options. The conclusion is appealing: anyone who's pondered the wide variety of toothpastes available these days, even just the variety within a single brand, has probably thought… -
Klima, Jeff: The Dead Janitors Club
19 Aug 2010 | 6:20 pmSourcebooks, 352 pages1st published: 2010Note: Review copy received from publisher. Amazon affiliate: Links pointing to Amazon contain my affiliate ID. Sales resulting from clicks on those links will earn me a percentage of the purchase price.It's not something I'd thought of before, but when somebody dies in untidy circumstances--when a body explodes on the pavement after its owner jumps from a balcony, or if a corpse lies undiscovered for weeks in a hot apartment--somebody's got to clean up the mess. Jeff Klima's The Dead Janitors Club is an account of the time he worked as a crime scene… -
Knight, Rachelle Rogers: Read, Remember, Recommend
12 Aug 2010 | 9:07 amSourcebooks, 320 pages1st published: 2010Note: Review copy received from publisher. Amazon affiliate: Links pointing to Amazon contain my affiliate ID. Sales resulting from clicks on those links will earn me a percentage of the purchase price.Read, Remember, Recommend is a spiral-bound reading journal with six tabbed sections: Awards and Notable Lists, To Read, Journal Pages, Recommendations, Loaner Lists, and Resources. In the introduction to the journal the author explains that one goal of the book is to "promote great works of fiction and literature," and indeed this purpose of the book is…
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Chronicle Books Blog
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Sneak Peak: Lotta Jansdotter’s Handmade Living
2 Sep 2010 | 11:39 amThis fall we’re releasing Lotta Jansdotter‘s new book Handmade Living. This is a special one. It’s all about Lotta’s take on Scandinavian style: functional, easy, organized, and not overly ornate. Words I’d like to have describe my house, too. To help us get there, Lotta opens the doors to her home and studio and shows us how it’s done in this photo-driven decorating + lifestyle + craft + entertaining book. I particularly like the project ideas–simple flower arrangements, cut felt decorations, hand stenciled pillows and tea towels, clipboard art… -
From the Chronicle Kitchen Heirloom Beans
1 Sep 2010 | 1:41 pmThis week’s post comes to us courtesy of Steve Sando, proprietor of the company with the greatest and most desired beans available in the USA, Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food. Let us know what you think of this recipe by posting a comment. And, by commenting, you’re entered to win a copy of Heirloom Beans! I always say “I hate health food” but in reality I do try and find ways to eat better. I don’t think I’d enjoy fat free cupcakes or pretend bacon, but if there are effortless little tricks I can use to lighten things up, I’m all for it. Pureeing beans… -
Comedienne Kristen Schaal & Daily Show heartthrob Rich Blomquist take The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex on the Road
31 Aug 2010 | 11:31 amBefore we get into the events portion of the post, did you know that Jon Stewart LURVES The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex? The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c -
From the Design Desk: Italian Made
30 Aug 2010 | 3:34 pmIn the movie I Am Love by Luca Guadagnino about a prosperous Milanese family, the material quality of everything plays a crucial role in telling the story. The consistency of the food, the shine of the china, and the textures in the architecture and the clothing (they’re a textile family, after all) all set the tone, and in their detailed opulence, transport the viewer. Speaking as a designer (and not a romantic), so much of Italian manufacturing is of an incredibly high level of quality. Italian textiles, tailoring, and printing are consistently some of the best in the world. -
Art + Design: Remembering Jim Marshall and Johnny Cash
26 Aug 2010 | 5:41 pmRenowned photographer Jim Marshall’s legendary pictures of the “man in black” have been complied into covetable collection in Pocket Cash—now releasing from Chronicle Books. I thought I’d share some of John Carter Cash’s heartfelt thoughts about these two larger-than-life men from his introduction to the book. My father was sometimes uncomfortable in front of a camera. Certainly there were other places he would rather be, but he always did his best to smile in the face of one. There were rarely times when he forgot that the camera was there; that was always up to the…
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Powell's Books: Overview
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Review-a-Day for Thu, Sep 2: Composed: A Memoir
2 Sep 2010 | 1:00 amComposed: A Memoir by Rosanne Cash, a review from The Oregonian by Jeff Baker. -
Daily Dose for Thu, Sep 2: City of Bones: Mortal Instruments #1
2 Sep 2010 | 1:00 amCity of Bones: Mortal Instruments #1 by Cassandra Clare Reviewed by Mariah from Ivins, Utah. -
Review-a-Day for Wed, Sep 1: Minefields of the Heart: A Mother's Stories of a Son at War
1 Sep 2010 | 1:00 amMinefields of the Heart: A Mother's Stories of a Son at War by Sue Diaz, a review from The Christian Science Monitor by Chuck Leddy. -
Daily Dose for Wed, Sep 1: Drood
1 Sep 2010 | 1:00 amDrood by Dan Simmons Reviewed by Manek from Olympia, Washington. -
Review-a-Day for Tue, Aug 31: Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America
31 Aug 2010 | 1:00 amSeeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America by Ira Rutkow, a review from The Wilson Quarterly by Charles Barber.
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800 CEO Read
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Conference Room B
1 Sep 2010 | 5:47 pm“The irreducible essence of leadership is that leaders are people who live their deepest personal values without compromise, and they use those values to make life better for others—that is why people become leaders and why people follow leaders.” —Stan Slap, Bury My Heart at Conference Room B (Portfolio, August 2010) If you follow Jack Covert Selects, you may recognize the quote above from Jack’s most recent review. It’s a quote that Jack and Carol appreciated so much that they asked me to put it on our conference room wall. It was fun project, and completed today. -
How Made to Stick was Made to Stick: What Ideas Survived and What Died
30 Aug 2010 | 2:48 pmWe really loved the Heath Brother’s first book, What Sticks: Why Some Ideas Work in the World and Others Don’t, when it first arrived in our office in 2007. So much, in fact, that we saved the manuscript—something we rarely do due to the staggering amount of books we receive every year. The subtitle was a little unruly, but the ideas spiral-bound up in that plastic cover were concise, well-written, and right on. We liked it so much that we also saved the galley when it came through (also rare) which reflects the first major change to the book. It’s title was tightened… -
A Defense of Business Books
27 Aug 2010 | 2:47 pmIt’s a common reaction. When I explain to people that I work for a bookstore that specializes in business books, most people either furrow their brows or wrinkle their noses. Sometimes this reaction is caused by confusion as bookstores, to most people, are brick and mortar locations that display New York Times best selling fiction, spin racks of greeting cards, and children’s pictures books. When that happens, I try to explain, in a nutshell, the origin of our company: we are what is left of the Harry W. Schwartz bookshops, an independent chain of bookstores in Milwaukee that… -
BrandManageCamp 2010
26 Aug 2010 | 2:24 pmIf you’re in the Vegas area (or are interested in going), be sure to check out this year’s BrandManageCamp, run by the great folks at ManageCamp. 2010 marks their 8th event, and this year’s lineup is not to be missed. Featuring a bunch of authors we’ve talked about (and with) at this site before: David Meerman Scott, Jeff Hayzlett, Jackie Huba, Bob Gilbreath, and many more, discussing ideas on building your company’s brand. With this great lineup of experts, attendees will be inspired with plenty of ideas on innovation, new media, and overall brand strategy. For… -
Doing Both and the Importance of Getting Your Feet Wet
26 Aug 2010 | 1:38 pmInder Sidhu’s Doing Both was number one on the Inc./800-CEO-READ Business Book Bestseller List in July. Jon recently sent him three questions he asks of all our best-selling authors, and I really enjoyed his answers: What’s the most influential book you’ve read? Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, which eloquently explains what drives extraordinary human achievement. Who in business had the most profound effect on you? My previous bosses, Gary Daichendt and Rick Justice, who represented unquestionable integrity, humble competence, respect for people, love for family, strength of…
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Charles Petzold
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Multitasking on Windows Phone 7
17 Aug 2010 | 6:15 amThat's the (somewhat provocative) title of a presentation I'll be delivering at the NYC .NET Developers Group on October 21, 2010. Details are here. This is the only public presentation on Windows Phone 7 currently on my schedule, and I plan to make the most of it. ... more ... -
How to Insult a Writer
16 Aug 2010 | 6:14 amDon't you love getting a kick in the teeth first thing in the morning? That's what often happens to me when I read my email immediately after turning on the computer, even before my shower and breakfast. People send me emails that are obviously written in total innocence and with the purest of intentions, but like a clumsy oaf carrying a 2-by-4 beam, succeed in smashing me in the face and making me feel bad for the rest of the day. ... more ... -
New Title! More Chapters!
2 Aug 2010 | 8:37 amAccording to the Microsoft Press blog, my book-in-progress Programming Windows Phone 7 Series now has a new title, Programming Windows Phone 7: ... more ... -
The Disasters of Visual Design Tools
16 Jul 2010 | 3:26 amMany years ago — about the time that visual design tools were being introduced into our programming environments — I promised that I would never believe myself to be teaching programming if I were writing sentences like "Now drag the Button from the toolbox to the window." I am proud to say I have kept to that promise. ... more ... -
Manipulation Events Update for the WP7 Beta
14 Jul 2010 | 11:07 amAlways start with the good news: The good news is that the Manipulation events in the July beta of the Windows Phone 7 development tools no longer have the orientation problem I discussed in my blog entry Basic Manipulation Event Handling in Windows Phone 7 (at least with translation). You can flip the phone emulator sideways and translation coordinates don't need to be finagled. More good news: I am now able to get the emulator to recognize two fingers on my two touch screens, so I've been able to experiment with scaling as well as translation. ... more ...
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The Millions
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Roald Dahl and the Hilariously Bad Grades
2 Sep 2010 | 11:11 amA newly released Roald Dahl collection, The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets, includes a secret ending to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and excerpts from the author’s hilariously bad report cards. Wrote one teacher about Dahl in 1931: “A persistent muddler. Vocabulary negligible, sentences malconstructed. He reminds me of a camel.” (via Galley Cat) -
“Ish” Writes to Granta
2 Sep 2010 | 11:07 amFrom Granta, we learn that Kazuo Ishiguro likes to go by “Ish.” -
Neal Stephenson’s New Digital Novel
2 Sep 2010 | 11:04 amThe New York Times reports on the launch of Neal Stephenson’s new serialized digital novel, The Mongoliad, complete with video, music, and user-profiles. (via AuthorScoop) -
Zen and the Art of Image Maintenance
2 Sep 2010 | 3:49 amThe movie of Eat, Pray, Love commences with the kind of moment that, depending on your outlook, leads you to find memoirist Elizabeth Gilbert either deeply appalling or appealing. In a chatty voice-over, Julia Roberts tells us the story of her psychologist friend, Deborah, who’s daunted when asked to counsel a bunch of recently deposited Cambodian boat people. The boat people, Julia tells us, have suffered “the worst of what humans can inflict on each other—genocide, rape, torture, starvation, the murder of their relatives before their eyes.” How can a privileged American—a mere… -
File Under: Self-Realization in Women
2 Sep 2010 | 3:49 amPitting a novel entitled Am I a Redundant Human Being? against Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love may initially seem like an imbalanced match. Eat, Pray, Love is more than double its length, a best-seller turned blockbuster movie, an inspirational book devoted to the pursuit of sensuality, spirituality, personal independence, and love. Mela Hartwig’s Am I a Redundant Human Being? is a conspicuous underdog, a slight volume in translation written by the Austrian actress turned novelist Mela Hartwig who befriended Virginia Woolf in Woolf’s final years. Gilbert’s book is a travel memoir…
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The Book Publicity Blog
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NPR Books Watch — 8/20-8/26
27 Aug 2010 | 7:34 amI finally started the Hunger Games trilogy Tuesday night because I was just dying with curiosity to see why my publishing friends and colleagues were so obsessed. I have to admit — I’m impressed. The writing is tight, witty at times, and the story isn’t simply a clever send up of reality TV, but also a critique of many aspects of our lives. (Sending our children to kill each other in an inhospitable landscape where they encounter deadly and unexpected situations only to have the victors return traumatized for life and turn to alcohol and drugs? Wonder why that sounds… -
NPR Books Watch — 8/13-8/19
20 Aug 2010 | 6:45 amAnyone who emails me the imprints of all the books listed (or houses if no imprint is available) will win the NPR Books Grid for the prior week that includes, in addition to the information below, interviewer, pub date, imprint, genre, post-interview Amazon ranking, pre-interview ranking (if the book was mentioned on Shelf Awareness and I was able to look up the number before the interview), and interview hyperlink. TOTAL book stories for the past week: 28 (16 last week) All Things Considered: 5 (4 LW) Diane Rehm: 2 (3 LW) Fresh Air: 4 (6 LW) Morning Edition: 6 (4 LW) NPR.org: 3… -
NPR Books Watch — 8/6-8/12
13 Aug 2010 | 6:25 amAnyone who emails me the imprints of all the books listed (or houses if no imprint is available) will win the NPR Books Grid for the prior week that includes, in addition to the information below, interviewer, pub date, imprint, genre, post-interview Amazon ranking, pre-interview ranking (if the book was mentioned on Shelf Awareness and I was able to look up the number before the interview), and interview hyperlink. TOTAL book stories for the past week: 28 (16 last week) All Things Considered: 4 (5 LW) Diane Rehm: 3 (1 LW) Fresh Air: 6 (3 LW) Morning Edition: 4 (1 LW) NPR.org: 4… -
NPR Books Watch — 7/30-8/5
6 Aug 2010 | 7:06 amAnyone who emails me the imprints of all the books listed (or houses if no imprint is available) will win the NPR Books Grid for the prior week that includes, in addition to the information below, interviewer, pub date, imprint, genre, post-interview Amazon ranking, pre-interview ranking (if the book was mentioned on Shelf Awareness and I was able to look up the number before the interview), and interview hyperlink. TOTAL book stories for the past week: 16 (37 last week) All Things Considered: 5 (9 LW) Diane Rehm: 1 (2 LW) Fresh Air: 3 (3 LW) Morning Edition: 1 (5 LW) NPR.org: 2 (9 LW)… -
Checking in to promote books: Foursquare vs. Get Glue
4 Aug 2010 | 6:52 amLast week I attended a Publishing Point talk with Foursquare co-founder @naveen. Foursquare is currently the most hyped of the location-based social networks that have been taking the social media world by storm these past few months: Google Latitude, Gowalla, Loopt and Whrll (among others, of course. I think I’ve discovered at least two more since starting to write this post a few days ago). LBS services are still in their infancy – Foursquare has two million users vs. 500+ million on Facebook — but they’re starting to command a lot of talk and thought (not…
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ReadersRead.com Book Blog
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Bum Phillips Releases Autobiography
27 Aug 2010 | 4:00 pmBum Phillips, a former NFL coach, has released his autobiography. Bum Phillips became the head coach of the National Football League's Houston Oilers in 1975. He retired from the league 10 years later as one of its most colorful characters of all time. Phillips was known for his cowboy hat and boots, but he also survived deadly battles during World War II and found Jesus during a trip to prison. The book covers Phillips' accounts of his pro footaball coaching career, his favorite NFL stories, accounts of his time during World War II, his struggle to balance family life with NFL demands and… -
Socialite Tinsley Mortimer Writing a Book
25 Aug 2010 | 12:00 pmSocialite Tinsley Mortimer is writing a novel. The New York Post reports that the socialite, who used to have a CW reality show called High Society, has landed a book deal with Simon & Schuster. Tinsley has no novel writing experience, but she did contribute a chapter to a nonfiction book, Dr. Stuart Fisher's The Park Avenue Diet. Tinsley is also a designer - she has a line of handbags and apparel in Japan for Samantha Thavasa. Her Twitter account can be found here. Permalink | Recent Headlines | Our News Feeds -
Jimmy Wayne to Publish Book Called Paper Angels
23 Aug 2010 | 1:00 pmCountry music star Jimmy Wayne is writing a book. Wayne's first book, Paper Angels, will be published by Howard Books, in September 2011. The book will be co-authored by novelist Travis Thrasher. Wayne was abandoned at a young age by his father and growing up in foster care due to his mother being in prison. Wayne and his sister were both recipients of the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program. Wayne went on to be awarded the William Booth Award from the Salvation Army, the youngest ever recipient of the honor. Howard Books vice president and publisher, Jonathan Merkh, says, "Paper Angels is… -
Betty White to Publish Two Books
20 Aug 2010 | 1:00 pmBetty White will write two books for G. P. Putnam's Sons. The first book, titled Listen Up!, will draw upon life lessons learned during her long career in Hollywood, with an emphasis on the extraordinary past 15 years of the star's life. The second book, titled The Zoo and I: Betty and Her Friends, will be filled with stories and photographs capturing the daily life of her animal friends at the zoo. Betty White is a long-time member of the board of the Los Angeles Zoo, and she has been a passionate supporter of animal health and welfare her entire life. Putnam is planning to publish the first… -
Ricky Martin's Memoir to be Published November 2nd
19 Aug 2010 | 4:00 pmRicky Martin has released the cover art and the release date for his memoir. The book, entitled Me, will be published by Celebra on November 2nd. A statement released by his publicist said the book will discuss Ricky Martin's experience as a member of the boy band Menudo. It will also reveal his challenges dealing fame and the popularity of Livin' La Vida Loca. Ricky Martin writes about his decision to come out as a gay and his family life. He also discusses his devotion to helping children around the world. Ricky Martin told CNN in March that the book was the tool that set him free. Ricky…
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Eye on Books - Author Interviews
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Nicole Hollander - The Sylvia Chronicles
1 Sep 2010 | 9:02 amFrom the early days of the Ronald Reagan administration to the arrival of Sarah Palin, syndicated cartoonist Nicole Hollander has been speaking to a loyal audience of millions, through her alter ego Sylvia, speaking truth and snark to power. Now Hollander brings together the highlights of those thirty years in a collection called "The Sylvia Chronicles." -
Samantha Bee - I Know I Am, But What Are You?
31 Aug 2010 | 8:50 am"Daily Show" viewers know Samantha Bee well. The self-deprecating Most Senior Correspondent now takes readers on a hilariously guided tour of her childhood and adolescence -- parents, step-parents, grandparents and nuns along for the ride -- in her irreverent memoir "I Know I Am, But What Are You?" -
Janet Evanovich - Sizzling Sixteen
30 Aug 2010 | 8:48 amUh oh, Vinnie's been kidnapped - bad, bad people are demanding a six-figure ransom. So Stephanie Plum, of course, leads the effort to get him back, in the new Janet Evanovich mystery "Sizzling Sixteen." The effort is not entirely altruistic, of course, since Stephanie, Connie, Lula et al owe their livelihoods to Vinnie's bail bond business. And what would happen to them, if something happened to him? -
Bret Easton Ellis - Imperial Bedrooms
27 Aug 2010 | 9:13 amTwenty-five years after the events of Bret Easton Ellis' iconic novel "Less Than Zero," Clay, Blair, Julian and Rip return for a new story. In "Imperial Bedrooms," Ellis brings his cast into a 21st century that is different but the same, comfortable and creepy. Their respective fates will be anything but predictable. -
Steve Martini - The Rule of Nine
26 Aug 2010 | 2:53 pmCalifornia attorney Paul Madriani is facing a hired killer with a grudge, in the eleventh installment from bestselling thriller writer Steve Martini. His first sign of trouble? When a young Washington staffer is killed, an effort is made to implicate Madriani. But a terrorist mastermind is also at work in Martini's thriller "The Rule of Nine."
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Boston Globe
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A lost way of life is recalled in book on Gloucester dorymen
1 Sep 2010 | 6:34 pmOn March 7, 1935, two men trawling for halibut from a Gloucester schooner off Newfoundland disappeared from their overturned dory and were presumed drowned. The deaths of Charles Daley and Stephen Olsson were unremarkable, except that they were among the last of their kind. Their families mourned and then turned to the task of surviving without them. Within ... Newfoundland - Gloucester Massachusetts - Schooner - Gloucester - Health -
In memoir, Blair explains, defends himself
1 Sep 2010 | 9:29 amFormer British Prime Minister Tony Blair is, like many interesting and accomplished individuals, a collection of contradictions. As a social liberal and economic moderate with hawkish tendencies on foreign policy, he doesn’t completely satisfy those on either side of the political divide. Tony Blair - Politics - History - prime minister - Foreign policy -
Suitable to the occasion
1 Sep 2010 | 9:10 amThe Marie Claire fashion director and “Project Runway’’ judge on her new book, Lindsay Lohan, and why Boston women should invest in one great coat. Marie Claire - projectrunway - Lindsay Lohan - Fashion - Boston -
In ‘Bliss’ stories, angst and empathy
31 Aug 2010 | 9:58 amTed Gilley’s characters are trapped in loneliness. Even when they’re with a lover or surrounded by friends, they are stranded in a blank waste where they can’t be reached, facing down their secret fears, their private losses. And yet they often find their way out, never to complete emotional security or warm happiness, but they somehow get to the edge ... Arts - Television - Apple - Business - WordPress -
Talent, ambition, shadowed by secret sexuality
30 Aug 2010 | 4:46 pm“Secret Historian,’’ Justin Spring’s biography of Samuel Steward, chronicles an amazing life a few steps ahead of the evolution of attitudes toward sex in this country. Steward was an influential teacher and tattoo artist, a talented writer, and a dedicated homosexual when such sexuality was deeply taboo. He was a masochist intoxicated by authority (especially in sailor’s clothes), a transgressive ... Phil Andros - Homosexuality - Writer - Arts - Tattoo artist
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The Book Deal: A Publishing Blog for Writers and Book People
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The last laugh: If self-published authors owned the midlist
31 Aug 2010 | 11:27 pmMega publishers like Simon and Schuster and Random House could someday cede the midlist to a vast army of self-published authors. They’d focus instead just on blockbuster books by brand-name authors and celebrities. All the rest — the literary fiction, the cookbooks, the self-help books, the bread and butter midlist books that now make up 80 percent of every publisher’s list — those books they’d cherry pick from self-published authors who’d already tested the market and had the credible sales to prove it. Wild-eyed predictions? This scenario of the future… -
Live webinar: My insider’s guide to landing a book deal
17 Aug 2010 | 4:35 amNews Flash The recorded version of this webinar is now available at Writers Digest. Join me live online for 75 minutes of candid and surprising revelations about what really happens behind closed doors when publishers decide whether or not to sign up your book. Sponsored by Writer’s Digest magazine, this webinar will provide a step-by-step disclosure of what editors, agents, and publishers want to see in a proposal, how you can have the most effective impact on our decision to publish, and how you can help us champion your book for the best deal possible. I’ll be speaking from the… -
Boost your book sales with the magic of niche marketing
26 Jul 2010 | 3:17 amWhat does a recipe for white cake have to do with selling a literary novel? A lot, as it turns out, in the case of The School of Essential Ingredients, the acclaimed debut novel by Erica Bauermeister, described in reviews as a seductively delicious tale of love, loss, and redemption. Identifying potential readers “I decided to target foodies and cooking students by offering recipes created by my fictional characters, which I gave away in guest posts on blogs and at readings in culinary schools,” Bauermeister told me in a phone interview from her home in Seattle. Her guest post titled… -
The author background check: Cautionary notes
12 Jul 2010 | 1:48 pmWe were hunkered down debating whether to make an offer on a self-help book written by a seemingly well-qualified psychologist. Then one of our dogged marketing assistants dashed in, shouting “WAIT!” She tossed us a bunch of comments she’d unearthed from an obscure online forum: jaw-dropping, scathing assessments from former patients about the author’s failures as a therapist. Whoa. We took a big pause — and ultimately dropped the project. Don’t let this happen to you! Searching with a fine-toothed comb A little-known aspect of making a book deal these days is how a… -
Getting the most out of a rewrite: Tips for authors
22 Jun 2010 | 11:29 pmYou thought you’d finished up a darned good manuscript ready to send out into the world, so you decided to give yourself a well-deserved vacation. Upon your return, you started rereading your opus and began unexpectedly to channel your stern fifth grade teacher Mrs. Spellman. Remember her? In a blinding flash, you realized you’d produced endless pages of boring backstory. And essential characterization, plot, even the climax itself somehow never made it onto the page. Time to get back to work… Reasons for rewriting That’s a fairly typical reason for embarking on a major…
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Personanondata
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Animals in War Monument Park Lane
1 Sep 2010 | 10:47 pmA weekly image from my archive. Click on the image to make it larger.For a nation that supposedly loves animals the British certainly put them through a lot. Finally, they have their own memorial that sits in the center divide running down Park Lane. Inscribed in the portland stone is the inscription:"This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time. They had no choice"This image was taken in April 2009. -
Elsevier Introduces SciVerse
30 Aug 2010 | 10:55 pmI've mentioned that information and academic publishers are starting to open up their data to third party applications providers and, in the process, enable greater utility for their subscribers and users. SciVerse, announced today by Elsevier, is a platform for doing just that. For a publisher of this size and importance to academics, professionals and institutions this initiative should be considered quite important as it represents a significant (and logical) step in the evolution of information database publishing.As the press release states, SciVerse is "an innovative platform that… -
Cal State's Digital Marketplace Announces Pilot
30 Aug 2010 | 3:49 pmThe Digital Marketplace, an initiative of the California State University Office of the Chancellor, announced plans today to launch a pilot to license digital course content from Bedford/Freeman/Worth, Cengage Learning, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Students will purchase their personal-use subscriptions for the digital content through their local campus bookstore. More from the press release: “Offering faculty the choice of a licensing model gives them the option of finding the highest quality content at the lowest cost,” said Gerard L. Hanley, PhD.,… -
Media Week (Vol 3) No 35: Ads in EBooks? Twitter Links
29 Aug 2010 | 4:11 amAds in eBooks? Not so fast (Techcrunch):It’s a compelling argument, but like so many compelling arguments made about the future of books, it’s also hampered by consisting almost entirely of bullshit. For one thing, publishers are really not geared up to sell ads: they’d have to recruit armies of ad sales people who would be forced to actually sit down and read the novels and historical memoirs and chick-lit-churn-outs that they’d be selling against. Not going to happen. And even if publishers do hire these crack ad teams, they’d be asking them to perform an almost impossible task:… -
Repost: The New Publishing Experience: Build Your Own Book
26 Aug 2010 | 10:26 pmOriginally posted July 10, 2007.Traveling to a new location for vacation (and sometimes business) can be an exciting event and generally a lot of planning goes into the effort so you make the best use of your time. Often building your ideal itinerary may necessitate the purchase of several travel guides (or in my case diligent note taking in the cafe at BN) and I can only imagine that this situation is even more relevant if you travel as a family. Having had a great time - and probably seeing only half of what you thought you would - you leave the travel guides behind in the hotel room…
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Ghost Word
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A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
30 Aug 2010 | 8:47 amWhen Lauren Belfer's City of Light came out, I devoured it. I don't generally adore historical novels, but this one about Niagara Falls and the building of an electrical system hooked me from the start. So when I heard that her new novel, A Fierce Radiance, was about the discovery of penicillin, I rushed to my library and put it on reserve.Unfortunately, I wish I didn't move that fast. Belfer's second novel is not nearly as good as her first. It tells the story of a female photographer from Life Magazine who goes to the Rockefeller Institute in NYC to photograph human tests of penicillin. It… -
A Visti from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
30 Jul 2010 | 3:15 pmI just finished Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad. I am not sure what to make of the book. It’s a series of sketches of various people in and around the music industry at various times of their lives. The book is not like a traditional novel with a neat narrative arc, character development or even an identifiable plot. And yet it is not exactly a set of linked stories, either. It’s written in the first, second, and third person points of view and sometimes it’s even tough to know who is narrating. Yet I liked it.The book opens with a 30ish kleptomaniac named Sasha. She is in… -
A Night of Nonfiction
19 Jul 2010 | 11:59 amOn Wednesday evening, high in the hills about UCSF, author Terry Gamble will host an evening with some of the region's best-known non-fiction writers. Cocktails will be served and drinks will flow. I suspect there will be lots of interesting conversation, given that the writers' specialties range from 19th century tycoons to 21st century killers to natural disasters to ADHD. Other sub specialties include S&M, the contents of Imelda Marcos' closet, the rift between German Jews and Eastern European Jews, the Pony Express, and the birth of photography.The evening is a benefit for Litquake,… -
Allegra Goodman's The Cookbook Collector
18 Jul 2010 | 1:25 pmAllegra Goodman exploded onto the literary scene in 1996 with the publication of her first novel, The Family Markowitz, and followed up that success with Kaaterskill Falls in 1998. Both novels dealt centered around Jewish families, and the latter was set in an Orthodox community in upstate New York. Goodman was born in Hawaii in 1967, got her bachelor’s degree from Harvard, and her PhD in English from Stanford University. Her succeeding novels, Total Immersion, Paradise Park, and Intuition are set in those various locales.Her latest book, The Cookbook Collector, reflects the time Goodman… -
Henry Lee's gripping book on murder of Nina Reiser
9 Jul 2010 | 10:20 amHenry Lee’s byline is one of the most familiar in the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s covered crime in the East Bay for 16 years and is known to have the best police sources around. He writes so fast that his words are often online shortly after the report of a crime comes across the scanner.Lee got his start as the crime reporter for The Daily Californian, the newspaper for UC Berkeley. In 2006 he covered the mysterious disappearance of Nina Reiser of Oakland, a beautiful young mother of two who had last been seen heading to Berkeley Bowl. Hans Reiser, Nina’s brilliant but strange…
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The Guardian (UK)
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Authors, like Oscar winners, should keep their acknowledgements short | Stuart Evers
2 Sep 2010 | 7:05 amWhy do writers whose prose is clean and clear turn into gushing Kate Winslets in the thank-you pages of their books?The title story of If I Loved You, I would Tell You This, Robin Black's debut collection, is a shimmering, skewed tale of domestic disturbance and urban disaffection. It's one of 10 glacially poised stories that stand out for their simplicity; that quietly dissect the minor dramas of life and love, and blaze with understated emotion. However, on finishing the collection something else stayed with me almost as clearly as the stories themselves: the fulsome four pages of… -
The literary (anti)heroes of middle age
1 Sep 2010 | 2:33 amWidmerpool, Anthony Powell's ghastly creation in The Dance To The Music of Time, is a spectre to haunt the middle agedA treat turned up on my doorstep yesterday: a new book called The Midlife Manual, by John O'Connell and Jessica Cargill Thompson. I say treat: with my birthday coming next week, it's all a bit close to the bone. I particularly enjoyed their notion of the midlife literary anti-hero. O'Connell (who reviews thrillers for our Review) and Cargill Thompson picked out Widmerpool, the character from Anthony Powell's 12-novel sequence A Dance To The Music of Time. They describe him… -
Sitting, lying or standing: what's the pole position for reading?
1 Sep 2010 | 1:13 amAbeBooks wonder if it's weird to read lying on your stomach. The answer is yes: everyone knows the side is best. Don't they?I don't mean to boast, but I think I have quite strong hands. Strong because they are forced, every night in bed, to hold up whatever hefty tome I'm currently reading (they generally seem to be long, the books I choose). It's an essential end to my day: I find I can't actually go to sleep unless I've read for at least five minutes, and I'll even do it when I'm somewhat intoxicated, words blurring and all – although in the morning I'll never remember what happened… -
How will Tony Blair's Journey begin?
31 Aug 2010 | 6:57 amThe memoirs of the former prime minister go before an apparently eager public tomorrow. Rather than shelling out for them, why not just guess what he'll say?Let's get one thing clear: we're not comparing Tony Blair to Lord Voldemort. No, really we're not. But it struck the books desk today that a competition we ran at the time of the release of JK Rowling's final Potter tome, asking readers for their predicted (or funniest) first line of the novel might work rather well for Blair's eagerly-awaited (by some) political memoir, A Journey, which hits the shelves tomorrow. Just to refresh your… -
Not the Booker prize 2010: nominate now!
31 Aug 2010 | 5:10 amFast becoming a pivotal event in the literary calendar, this is the coveted honour decided by readers of the Guardian books blog. It's time to do your jury serviceThis year, the fun of complaining about the Man Booker prize has been rather spoiled by the fact that the judging panel appears to have compiled a pretty strong longlist. Disappointingly, nearly all the books appear to be interesting – and at least two on the list – The Slap and Room – are even proving excitingly divisive and controversial. The talk hasn't been so much about dull worthiness and yet more Irish dolour and north…
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Litopia
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Writing On Rails
28 Aug 2010 | 5:24 amThe tsunami of advice and self-help books courses, seminars and retreats is one of the few boom areas in the publishing business at the moment - each time an editor is made redundant, they either become an agent, or set themselves up as book doctors. Dave Bartram finds all this onanistic self-regard deeply disturbing (are you an 8-point arc girl or a hero's journey boy?). But can you really achieve truth in your writing when you're following a formula? We're lucky to be joined this week by mega-selling YA author Cathy Hopkins, whose personal experience sheds valuable light on this complex… -
The Devil & Google Are Raging Inside Me
20 Aug 2010 | 9:00 pmThe e-book is barely with us, yet already it's threatening to undermine the whole publishing edifice. The news that Britain's WH Smith and Amazon are apparently getting into a price war (Dan Brown at £2.78 from Smiths; Stieg Larsson at £2.68 from Amazon) is bad news for everyone - but particularly writers. "Cheaper is not better", says marketing guru Jamie Mollart. "Making something cheaper only makes something cheaper!" It's a terrific discussion - make sure you listen - and tell your publisher to listen, too! -
Back With A Bang!
14 Aug 2010 | 3:52 amOur Summer break's over and we're back with a bang tonight - with panellists that include the writers' therapist Dr. Susan O'Doherty from New York, award-winning author and broadcaster Philippa Ballantine from New Zealand, writer and marketing guru Jamie Mollart from England and writer, bookseller and one-woman multi-functional device Eve Harvey live and direct from Edinburgh where the Festival is in full swing. -
Summer Reads Special
8 Aug 2010 | 9:44 amLitopia After Dark is on its annual summer holiday - we’ll be back live on air on Friday 13th August (superstitious? nous?) but until then, please enjoy this special show that Peter, Eve and Dave have put together featuring a wide range of summer reading suggestions for you. We hope you’re having a terrific summer (if you’re in the northern hemisphere!) and very much look forward to being back with you again... -
Don't Let The Editor Touch My Chode!
23 Jul 2010 | 11:32 pmIt's our last Litopia After Dark before our summer break - we'll be back live and kicking on Friday 13th of August, do join us in the chatroom to celebrate - and we're certainly going out with an all-star bang!
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Omnivoracious
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Guest Post: Darin Bradley Provides an Audio-Visual Tour of Noise
2 Sep 2010 | 7:14 amFirst-time novelist Darin Bradley, guestblogging on Omnivoracious this week, has published short fiction, poetry, and critical nonfiction have appeared in a variety of journals. He also served as founding fiction editor of the experimental e-zine, Farrago's Wainscot. Noise takes as its premise that, in the aftermath of the switch from analog to digital TV, an anarchic movement known as Salvage hijacks the unused airwaves. Mixed in with the static’s random noise are dire warnings of the imminent economic, political, and social collapse of civilization—and cold-blooded lessons on… -
Where Is My Wiener Dog?: Travel Note from Gary Shteyngart
1 Sep 2010 | 11:02 pm[Ed: Since we spoke to him last, Gary Shteyngart has been fully immersing himself in the social media that his novel Super Sad True Love Story makes so horribly and amusingly disturbing, with regular (often dachshund-themed) Facebook updates about his book tour. He recently sent us a note which we pass on to you below.] OMG, I just got back from the West Coast part of my tour and I’m sad to say: reading isn’t dead. Darn it!! I just wrote a book predicting the death of literature and here I go out into the world and hordes of people actually show up at my readings. Not just people, mind… -
Omni Daily News
1 Sep 2010 | 12:43 pmYou be the judge: The Guardian has not let the fact that they think the Booker judges have done a decent job with their longlist this year--"Disappointingly, nearly all the books appear to be interesting"--stop them from organizing once again their alternative discussion group/award (if the prize of a Guardian mug counts as an award), the Not the Booker Prize 2010. Send in your nominations in the comments field during the next week. (P.S. You can find two of the longlisters for the real prize, Emma Donoghue's Room and Paul Murray's Skippy Dies, on our Best Books of… -
Guest Post: Noise's Darin Bradley on Salvage, the Switch to Digital, and Book PR
1 Sep 2010 | 9:20 amFirst-time novelist Darin Bradley, guestblogging on Omnivoracious this week, has taught courses on writing and literature at the University of North Texas, Furman University, and East Tennessee State University. His short fiction, poetry, and critical nonfiction have appeared in a variety of journals, and he served as founding fiction editor of the experimental e-zine, Farrago's Wainscot. Noise takes as its premise that, in the aftermath of the switch from analog to digital TV, an anarchic movement known as Salvage hijacks the unused airwaves. Mixed in with the static’s random noise… -
Editors at Work: Behind the Scenes of the Paris Review Interviews
31 Aug 2010 | 4:24 pmI'm a shameless dork about a number of literary things, but perhaps the first of them were the Paris Review interviews. Plenty of other folks might have been doing more interesting things on their study breaks in my college library, but I wore a path in the linoleum between my desk and the shelf in the stacks where they kept all the old Writers at Work collections, and by the end of four years I had worked my way through all of them, from E.M. Forster through Rebecca West and S.J. Perelman and James Jones and Lillian Hellman and all those other mid-century giants canonized by the…
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Fresh Fiction
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Spotlight on Cleo Coyle
2 Sep 2010 | 8:45 amMurder with Recipes: the national bestselling author brews up a hot new culinary mystery… Most of the world knows about the bravery of New York City’s fire department on 9/11. For ROAST MORTEM, I wanted to go deeper. Almost every day I see these hunky, heroic guys in my Queens’ neighborhood. So I decided to research how they work and live and layer this background into my new Coffeehouse Mystery. At the start of ROAST MORTEM, an unknown arsonist begins torching cafés around the city. When firefighters come to the rescue of Clare Cosi, manager of the landmark Village Blend, she returns… -
Fresh Pick | NINE LIVES LAST FOREVER by Rebecca M. Hale
1 Sep 2010 | 4:42 pmCats And Curious Mystery #2June 2010 On Sale: June 1, 2010 352 pages ISBN: 0425234320 EAN: 9780425234327 Paperback $14.00 Add to Wish List Mystery Pet Lovers, Mystery Cozy Buy at Amazon.com Nine Lives Last Forever by Rebecca M. Hale “Follow the frogs…” My cats Rupert and Isabella didn’t need a note telling them to follow the frogs. When the green intruders first began appearing in the antiques shop I had inherited from my Uncle Oscar, my feline friends instantly gave chase. But why were frogs also turning up in San Francisco’s City Hall building? And what did my late… -
Suzanne Rock | A Labor Of Love
31 Aug 2010 | 9:05 pmI love to drive fast. I’m one of those people whose foot is made out of lead when it comes to acceleration. My husband constantly tells me to slow down, that I’m going over the speed limit. At my day job (where I’m a scientist), sometimes I rush through an experiment just because I want to know what the answer is — I don’t want to wait. I love the instant gratification of the drive-through, and the wind whipping through my hair as I speed down the highway. For me, life has always been about being in the fast lane. So you are probably all wondering why on Earth I would ever want… -
Fresh Pick | MAMA GETS HITCHED by Deborah Sharp
31 Aug 2010 | 2:33 amMace Bauer Mystery #3 August 2010 On Sale: July 1, 2010 Featuring: Mama 336 pages ISBN: 0738719226 EAN: 9780738719221 Trade Size $14.95 Add to Wish List Mystery Cozy Buy at Amazon.com Mama Gets Hitched by Deborah Sharp According to Mama, a Gone with the Wind-themed wedding— including a ring-bearing Pomeranian—is just fine for her fifth trip down the aisle. But what’s a bridezilla to do when the caterer is murdered? Thanks to the nonstop gossip train in their small Florida town, Mama’s gator-wrestling daughter Mace is getting the dirt on who did it. Prime suspects are two East… -
Alyssa Day | Big Big Changes
30 Aug 2010 | 9:05 pmI’m on the cusp of a huge change in my life as ATLANTIS BETRAYED releases September 7th – in a few short weeks I’ll be moving clear across the world from Florida to Japan. In general terms, it’s really an exciting move with wonderful adventures to look forward to. In specific terms? It’s kicking my butt. All the millions of crucial details involved in an overseas move are crushing down on me and I wake up in a cold panic at 4 a.m. every night wondering what I forgot. Being a writer, of course, I’m working this into my fiction. Being a human being, I’d love some help! Please tell…
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Young Adult (& Kids) Books
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The Dead Boys
2 Sep 2010 | 6:49 am12 year old Teddy Matthews just moved to Richland, Washington with his mother. While he's out exploring the town, he meets some boys his age. He soon realizes that something is wrong with the boys he is meeting. And what is up with the creepy old tree next door that seems to be trying to get him? Can Teddy figure out what is going on with his new friends and the tree before it's too late? Click here to read more! -
Clock Work Angel Review
31 Aug 2010 | 6:37 amSet in 1878 London, we first meet Tessa, a 16 year old from New York. After Tessa’s aunt, and primary caregiver, passes away, Tessa travels to London to live with her brother, Nathaniel. Upon arriving to London, Tessa is surprised when two mysterious women pick her up instead of Nathaniel. She soon realizes her brother is missing and decides to do whatever it takes to find him! Click here to read more -
Review: The Sweet Life of Stella Madison
31 Aug 2010 | 6:33 amStella Madison has quite the summer. She has a boyfriend, Max, who has just dropped “The L-Word,” and seems to be perfect boyfriend material, great friends, and she managed to land a summer internship at a local paper. Sounds great, right? Now, throw in a cute, older guy that works at Stella’s mom’s restaurant (who she cannot stop thinking about) and trying to figure out her separated-but not divorced-for six years parents’ relationship. Stella’s journey is full of ups and downs while she tries to figure out what and whom she wants. click to read more -
Review: StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
28 Aug 2010 | 10:21 amFantasy vs. Historical Fiction vs. Young Adult. It's not easy to categorize StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce. Following the success of her debut novel, A Curse Dark as Gold, Bunce transitions into a whole new world in this new book, due out October 1st. Lovers of magic, lovers of the Renaissance-era, and lovers of just plain great writing will all enjoy this read! Find out more about the tale here. -
Announcing the winner of MOCKINGJAY!
28 Aug 2010 | 9:04 amWe had a lot of great entires in our MOCKINGJAY giveaway this past week. Honorable mentions go to Andy Porter with his hybrid creation, the PeetaGale. "I was thinking of a PeetaGale. This is obviously a meld of the two love interests from the books. The powers of the hybrid are the ability to love like Peeta, and the ability to be loved like Gale. This is the perfect solution to Katniss' predicament." I don't care who you are, that's just hilarious. Also to Callie and Jen Hen, whose creations were super cute: "What about a winged fox, called a Boxwing? (bird...fox...box) it would be…
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The Fine Books Blog
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The Nature of Printing Money
1 Sep 2010 | 5:26 pmEarlier this week, the exhibition Money on Paper opened at Princeton University. Looking at bank notes as an art form, curator of numismatics Alan Stahl puts on display several treasures, including the recently discovered bank note engraving of a grouse by John James Audubon. The 1763 New Jersey shilling seen here (printed by James Parker of Woodbridge, courtesy of Princeton University) is one of the fascinating examples of nature printing in the exhibit. According to the exhibition's website, "the most inventive printer of paper money of the time was Benjamin Franklin, who devised a system… -
Beer, Wine & Food books at auction
30 Aug 2010 | 6:10 pmOn Thursday, PBA Galleries in San Francisco will hold an auction of Beer, Wine & Food: The Marlene & Doug Calhoun Gastronomical Library. Section I will contain books on beer, wine, and other libations, while section II focuses on food, cookery, and domestic economy. The Calhouns, who have been ABAA (and PBFA) booksellers, developed the collection over decades, traveling in the U.S., England, and Scotland. According to the sale catalogue, Doug Calhoun used the collection to write a bibliography on beer books that is "about finished now." In addition to brewing manuals and early 'art of… -
Something About Mary
30 Aug 2010 | 6:07 amIn honor of Mary Shelley's birthday today (she was born in 1797), here are a few goodies about Mary from Fine Books. Ian McKay's auction report from May of last year detailing a review copy of Frankenstein: That very review copy of the 1818 first edition, the three volumes, bound as one in period calf, lacked the half-titles and advertisements and there was spotting throughout, but firsts of Frankenstein are rare beasts, and those shortcomings were in some way compensated for by its unusual provenance. It made £36,425 ($52,090). Or, Ian McKay's auction report from… -
The Unofficial Historian of Crime
29 Aug 2010 | 5:44 amThere is not much mystery about Balham nowadays--unless it be why anyone should wish either to go or stay there; but in the summer of 1876 it was a name to conjure with, a word of sinister significance and power, compelling for many months the attention of the English-speaking race. ... Don't reach for that Collected Sherlock Holmes on your bookshelf--Arthur Conan Doyle didn't pen the above. Nor did Wilkie Collins. Nor did any other novelist of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. The above quotation is in fact not from a work of fiction at all. Malice Domestic, or The Balham Mystery, is a… -
Yes, We're in a Reading Revolution...
26 Aug 2010 | 6:24 pm... but certainly not the first. The Atlantic knows this. In fact, there have been oodles of reading revolutions before the Kindle Revolution. Indeed, Tim Carmody runs them down for us. From the piece ... 5. The shift from scroll to codex was in turn enabled by a shift from papyrus to parchment and then paper, but honestly, the continual changes in materials essential to writing and reading alone could constitute a few dozen revolutions, at different places and times all over the world. Let's just say that what the 6. This is especially true for arguably the most important reading…
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Hip Librarians
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The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
29 Aug 2010 | 7:45 amSixteen year old Mackie Doyle’s sole mission in life can be summed up succinctly. Don’t. Stand. Out. Mackie is a Replacement, a creature left in trade when a human baby disappears from its crib in the tiny town of Gentry. Even though theLeave Comment -
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
25 Aug 2010 | 8:31 pm<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-faLeave Comment -
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
22 Jul 2010 | 1:54 pmIt's the summer before senior year and Cammie Morgan is savoring every minute of her time in London. Sightseeing and vacation plans are quickly shelved when Cammie and her schoolmate, Bex, become entangled in a government surveillance operation.Leave Comment -
The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson
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Matched by Ally Condie
16 Jul 2010 | 6:57 pm<!--[if gte mso 9]> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:Leave Comment
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Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
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Cover Snark: Wayback Retro Edition
2 Sep 2010 | 6:45 amThe ever-awesome LadyRhian did some scanning, and then Candy and I did some screaming and some rushing and some eyewashing, and now it’s your turn to feast your eyes on the retro majesty. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. As usual, these covers are NSFW in the fuchsia sense. I mean, there is NO way you can pass off that you’re doing work if you’re caught having a look-see at these. Candy: Candy: I’ve encountered a lot of goofy names for schmeckies, but this is the first time I’ve heard it being called a Venus. Unless the title’s referring to the razor? I mean, this happy couple… -
HaBO: Billie Bloebaum Needs Your Help
2 Sep 2010 | 5:14 amOur Bookmatcher, Billie Bloebaum from Powell’s Airport SuperEdition, has a HaBO request: Okay. Now it’s my turn to hope the Bitchery can help me out. It’s been close to thirty years since I read this book—sometime in the mid- to late-seventies. There’s a good chance that it was published in 1976 for the Bicentennial. It was a novel for younger readers and one of the featured characters was the Marquis de Lafayette. The book was possibly told in first person from the heroine’s perspective. I don’t remember much about the plot, except that there was a banquet fairly early on where… -
Behold! A Video Interview with Jesse Petersen!
1 Sep 2010 | 2:42 amJesse Peterson won the author interview I offered for the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction, and she wanted to talk about her book Married With Zombies, which comes out 1 September 2010. I decided it might be fun to do a goofy video author interview, and ask Jesse about her book, and what’s next in zombie fiction. She totally went along with my bizarre questions during the RWA conference - we’re in the lobby of the hotel, which fit the odd and silly finished product. Enjoy! -
Crusie Winners
31 Aug 2010 | 6:31 amI got me some hardbacks, ready to rock and roll. The winners of the Maybe This Time giveaway are: Amanda Blair Dread Pirate Rachel MadamOwl Sarapencil Babs Natalie’s Mama Following the Road Lizw65 Please email me with your mailing addresses at SarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom, with subject line “Crusie Book Winner,” and I shall put the book in the mail asap. Thank you for entering, and happy reading! -
Leah Hultenschmidt moves to SourceBooks
30 Aug 2010 | 12:17 pmStarting 1 September, with email effective immediately, Leah Hultenschmidt is now Senior Editor at Sourcebooks. Woo hoo! From the official press release: Sourcebooks Casablanca is now building on this success with the addition of Leah Hultenschmidt as Senior Editor. Leah will acquire romance and YA projects for Sourcebooks’ Casablanca and Fire imprints, and she is the newest addition to the Sourcebooks New York office. “I’m thrilled to be coming on board at Sourcebooks, whose innovation and commitment to authors is well known throughout the industry,” said Hultenschmidt. Leah…
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Booksquare
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The Daily Square – My Generation Edition
1 Sep 2010 | 9:15 pmToday’s links of interest: Borders Group Reports Second Quarter 2010 ResultsMore worrisome numbers from Borders. Here’s hoping the teddy bears do the trick. -
A Question of Value
31 Aug 2010 | 10:10 pmI’ve been thinking about the topic of the value of books a lot. Not for days. Not for months. Years. However, recently I’ve been angered by the implication that readers are cheap, that they won’t pay a proper price for books, that they don’t get it. Whatever it is. These assertions are not untrue. They are also not entirely accurate. Perspective is everything, nuance matters, and I have thoughts. Of course. What is a book worth? Well, there’s list price created by the publisher. That seems to be the value referenced by publishers. Then there’s the price… -
The Daily Square – Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere Edition
31 Aug 2010 | 9:15 pmToday’s links of interest: Borders Reduces E-reader to $99And there you have it. An ereader below $100. Oh, wow, the world is still turning. Random House’s Strong Half-Year Results Driven By ‘Dragon Tattoo’ SalesStieg Larsson, who will not likely be producing more books, drives huge dollars to Random House. His ebook sales are phenomenal. Which leads to the question: does the lack of an iBookstore agreement hurt RH in any way? A Moment of JenFrom Jennifer Weiner: Instead of asking which books and which authors deserve the Times’ coverage, maybe we should think about what… -
The Daily Square – I Can’t Explain Edition
30 Aug 2010 | 9:15 pmToday’s links of interest: Barnes Noble to Shutter Lincoln Center StoreThis is big news. Store closing due to increased rent costs. You’d think landlords would have a bit more foresight, but one supposes losing a major renter is the cost of taking a stand. In other thoughts, how long will the space remain empty? Borders to Sell Build-A-Bear Items as Readers Switch to E-BooksYou know when you can’t tell if something is a genius idea or insane? This is one of those moments. Why Is Amazon So Secretive About Its Best Selling Kindle Numbers?Why, one wonders, does this matter? -
The Daily Square – Whichever Way the Wind Blows Edition
26 Aug 2010 | 9:15 pmToday’s links of interest: “If it were my money, there’s no way I’d put up with this cr*p”, says young readerIs this really how you want the next generation of readers thinking about ebooks? Especially when the competition for reading is so intense? Lots of Little Improvements Make the Kindle 3 The Best E-Ink E-readerAs the holiday shopping season approaches (noooo!), debating on the mother’s gift. Trying to resist urge to be selfish…give her K2, give us K3. Oh, the moral dilemmas we face. Publishing Revenue Down at LagardereNot bad, considering it’s the post…
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London Review of Books
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Tony Wood: Siberia is Melting
The corridor we are standing in bristles with ice. Thick layers of what turn out, on closer inspection, to be delicate, hexagonal crystals line the walls and ceiling. I and a handful of other visitors are in the basement laboratory of the Permafrost Institute in Yakutsk; according to the red numbers of an LED panel, the temperature is -8 °C. After a few minutes, our presence – breathing, talking – has raised the temperature to -7 °C, and we are ushered back to the surface, where it is 35 °C, a day of dazzling Arctic sunshine and heat that makes the skin prickle. Here, as elsewhere… -
Jonathan Steele: Neo-Taliban
The road from Kabul to Kandahar was once known as the Eisenhower highway. Built in the 1950s, when the United States and the Soviet Union competed peacefully for Afghan friendship, this US-funded 300-mile ribbon of tarmac was plied for two decades by lorries and garishly painted buses with no concern for security. Among the passengers were half-stoned Western hippies on the overland trail through Asia. Then came civil war and in 1979 the Soviet invasion. Ambushes turned the highway into a death trap until the victorious Taliban swept into Kabul in September 1996, eliminating all security… -
Jenny Turner: Tom McCarthy’s ‘C’
For the final part of this novel’s first movement, our young hero, Serge Carrefax, travels to Kloděbrady’, a presumably Austro-Hungarian spa town, to take a cure. It’s 1913, and Serge is two years older than the century. His problem is ‘a blockage’, ‘encumbrances’ in his bowel. ‘Morbid matter … Bad stuff … black bile: mela chole,’ the doctor says. ‘Your illness is not a thing; it is a process. A rhythm. Toxins are secreted around body, organs become accustomed and, perverted by custom, addicted.’ The deep link between spiritual state and bowel habit was well known… -
Michael Wood: ‘Five Easy Pieces’
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Mary-Kay Wilmers: Frank Kermode
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McSweeney's
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Feature "The San Diego Snake Company's September Newsletter" (9/2/10)
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An Open Letter to My Self Respect (9/2/10)
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Global War on Bedbugs: Letters from Bedbug City (9/2/10)
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Feature "Announcing the 2010 Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award" (9/1/10)
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FLIP: A Column About Skateboarding (9/1/10)
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Podiobooker
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Now releasing The Arwen Season 4: The Water Planet by Timothy P. Callahan
30 Aug 2010 | 12:00 amTim Callahan continues the tale. Make way for The Arwen Season 4: The Water Planet: Arwen Season IV-The Water planet is part one of a four part adventure that will stretch across the vastness of space and time. An exciting follow up to the Gyssyc trilogy, The Water Planet sets in motion events that will change the Arwen, her crew, Earth and the entire United Planets of the Corps forever. After three years of searching Professor Ricter believes he’s found the planet that will help save Ulliam from plummeting into its sun. It comes in the form of an unknown planet over 2,000 light-years from… -
The Secret World Chronicle 3 is COMPLETE!
22 Aug 2010 | 7:20 amVeronica has just posted the 23rd and FINAL episode of Mercedes Lackey’s The Secret World Chronicle, Book Three: World Well Lost. Get it while it’s hot, but you’ll want to catch the first two books first! -
Every Photo Tells… Book 1 is COMPLETE!
21 Aug 2010 | 9:45 amWell that didn’t take long! Actually, it did. But most of the work was done prior to the anthology getting listed on Podiobooks.com. But I’m already getting ahead of myself in this quick note to let you know that Every Photo Tells… Book 1, compiled by Katharina Maimer and Mick Bordet. is now complete at 29 episodes. Enjoy! -
The Prisoner of NaNoWriMo by Craig Robertson
20 Aug 2010 | 12:00 amPlease welcome back Craig Robertson to the site. He’s beginning the release of a new serialized audiobook, The Prisoner of NaNoWriMo: Piers Langland is a mild mannered paint salesman with one burning passion. He aspires to be a famous author. Each November he looks forward to entering The National Novel Writer Month competition. To be a winner in NaNoWriMo he must write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, a tall order for any writer. Turns out, it is an especially tall order for our hero. Join Piers as he struggles to choose a topic for his novel before he can begin his epic task. Vampires… -
Lilith’s Love is COMPLETE!
18 Aug 2010 | 8:31 pmProps to Dan Shaurette for posting the final episode of his modern-day Vampire tale, Lilith’s Love! This Arizona-based vampire doesn’t high-tail it to the northwest. And it’s complete with 14 episodes. Enjoy!
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Bookshop Blog
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Just another day for an Aussie book dealer
2 Sep 2010 | 11:01 amYesterday I made my most accidental sale of all time. Someone had emailed me earlier in the week asking for bank details so they could pay for a book, the eBay id didn’t ring a bell but sometimes people ask so they know ahead of bidding/buying whether you bank with some obscure building society that doesn’t have a branch in their town. Some people just won’t do any banking on line and I don’t blame them. On-line financial transactions have a certain degree of risk. From my perspective providing a bsb and acct no. is safe as people can only deposit not withdraw, so I blithely… -
Lincoln Child’s “Terminal Freeze”
1 Sep 2010 | 4:30 amThe backcover splat basically sells Terminal Freeze as scientists in an abandoned sonar research lab in the arctic are eaten by frozen sabretooth tiger. Throw in a documentary crew who’s there to reveal the defrosted beast, live from the arctic, and you know there’s going to be people dying left and right. There’s also an ice road trucker added to the mix and an almost extinct tribe of Native Americans that hung around just long enough to tell us the back story and why man should not meddle with things he was not meant to know. Magically, the ice the sabretooth is in… -
Archive Boxes: Who Needs Them?
31 Aug 2010 | 11:08 amWhile a book may not be fragile when it is first printed, it quickly and imperceptibly begins to decompose. Over time it’s materials disintegrate. Leather turns to powder. The spine releases the pages. Add that to the wear and tear of occasional use or handling and eventually the book may be beyond repair. Preserving books from this damage is one dilemma book collectors face when deciding how to store antique and rare books securely and for all time. Archivists haven’t discovered a fountain of youth for old books yet unfortunately. In fact, they’re no closer to reversing or… -
Reviving old Books
30 Aug 2010 | 1:51 pmBrian W. Webster bwwebster@gmail.com I recently came into possession of a book – “Fathers and Sons” by Turgenev in 1867 – in not very good condition. I have been experimenting with a product called “Absorene”, originally used for house cleaning but also excellent on books. With caution I tried it with this volume, which was pretty grubby although the interior was in great shape. You take a lump of this stuff and squeeze it in your hand for a little until it is malleable. It feels like putty. Wiping on ONE direction it amazed me on how it changed the book, It took up the dirt… -
A Week in the Life of a Multiple Location Bookshop Owner
30 Aug 2010 | 7:28 amShane Gottwals www.gottwalsbooks.com Gottwals Books, as of this coming Friday, is a 4-store operation. This would be adventuresome enough if all the stores were within a close proximity, but our newest location in North Carolina is seven hours away. In the past four weeks, here is my typical schedule: Sunday Church, family, and rest. Monday This week, in particular, I have another seven-hour journey. I’ve done this sort of trip, there-and-back, each of the past four weeks (once was to Tennessee where our first “sister” store is opening). I’ll start out early in the…
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Berkeley Heights Public Library Book Blog
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The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Buchanan
31 Aug 2010 | 6:55 amThe library book group will meet this Friday, September 3 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan. The heroine of the book is Bess Heath, whose schooling at the Loretto Academy boarding school abruptly ends after her junior year when her father loses his job as director of the power company on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Bess becomes a dressmaker, but it is a life that she chooses so that she can be with Tom Cole, the grandson of the legendary man who could predict disasters on the falls and saved dozens of people who ignored his predictions… -
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
26 Aug 2010 | 6:35 amDo not dismiss Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos just because ita) was a New York Times bestsellerb) has a cute photograph on its cover (see?)It is really good. Occasionally I'd have to stop reading just because I felt overloaded by ideas, as if I were having a in-depth conversation with a large group of friends. Bookreporter explains the premise of Belong To Me than I can:Cornelia and her husband Teo have just moved from New York to a sleepy, upper-class Philadelphia suburb, and she’s having a bit of trouble fitting in. She misses the pace, creativity and intellectual stimulation of the… -
Resources for Job Seekers
23 Aug 2010 | 6:40 amThe unemployment rate in New Jersey was 9.7% at last count, and BHPL is seeing its share of job seekers using our computers and career resources (whether it's people exploring new careers, people with interviews looking for company information, or someone looking for web sites with job listings). Here's some of the resources we've found or that the library offers:The Alternative Press, which covers 10 local towns around Berkeley Heights, has some job postings in its classifieds. (Don't forget to check out the jobs in the Independent Press classifieds in print also.)NJ.com Jobs - Advanced… -
Konnichiwa, Mango
18 Aug 2010 | 6:10 amHave you been meaning to learn a language, or just learn some key phrases before a trip abroad? BHPL offers residents at-home, online access to Mango Languages. You've probably seen the TV commercials or kiosks at the airport for Rosetta Stone, which is similar to Mango - you can read a comparison by a librarian at King County (Washington) Library here. Mango has courses for over 20 languages, plus ESL courses for native speakers of 15 languages. "Little Pim" video courses for kids up to age 6 are available for 10 languages.above: Little Pim videosMango's "basic" courses (as opposed to… -
Giant Zucchini Visits the Library
16 Aug 2010 | 8:29 amThis little zucchini went to the library,This little zucchini stayed home,This little zucchini ate shredded paper,This little zucchini had none,And this little zucchini hid in the garden until he wasn't a little zucchini anymore...It's easy to overlook a squash that lurks way back in the tangled mass of vines and leaves in the vegetable patch. One day, there's a beautiful orange squash blossom, a few days pass without checking the harvest, and voila: The Zucchini That Ate Berkeley Heights is revealed. Earlier this summer, I had the bright idea of using shredded library…
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Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 Blog
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"iBookstore vs Kindle Bookstore" & "Which Device Wins?"
30 Aug 2010 | 5:51 amHere are two somewhat related questions I'm being asked a lot lately: #1: Which bookstore experience do you prefer, Apple's iBookstore or Amazon's Kindle bookstore? #2: Which e-reader device do you believe is going to "win"? My answers to both of these might surprise you.Regarding the first question, I thought when I bought my iPad I'd never buy another ebook from Amazon. Boy, was I wrong! I've owned an iPad for almost 5 months and all but one of my ebook purchases have been from Amazon. And the one iBookstore purchase I made is one I'd like to… -
Why Are eReader Apps Stuck in the DOS Era?
23 Aug 2010 | 6:30 amImagine only being able to open one window or application at a time on your laptop. Work for a bit in Excel and when you need to switch to Word, you've got to closer the former before you open the latter. Or what if you want to open two spreadsheets at the same time? Imagine you had to close the first before you could open the second. That's silly, right? On a regular computer, yes, it is. So why do we accept those sorts of restrictions on our ereader devices? I can't open two books simultaneously on my old Kindle or my new iPad. I have to close the first book… -
The Truth About Paid Models, by Matt Mitchell, Founder & CEO of MediaPass
16 Aug 2010 | 6:50 amThe following is a guest blog post written by Matt Mitchell, Founder & CEO of MediaPass. I love what he has to say about the importance of balancing free vs. paid content as well as making sure advertising is a component of the overall revenue picture:The process of launching, running and attracting paid subscriptions isn't a competency that online publications generally have. This was one of our assumptions when we started MediaPass but we had no idea the extent to which it would prove correct. We also had no idea that some of the smartest publishers in the world would commit some… -
Digital Publishing & POD: What's "Good Enough"?
9 Aug 2010 | 6:23 amOver the course of this summer I've read a couple of great Yankees books: Munson and The Bronx is Burning. The former was read on my iPad and the latter, because it's not available digitally, was read from a dead tree. After seeing countless references in both to another Yankee classic, The Bronx Zoo, I decided that should be on my reading list too. Unfortunately for me, that's another book that's not available digitally. I also was unable to find a copy at the local brick-and-mortars or even the second-hand bookstore, which got me thinking... What's the… -
Maybe Amazon Just Doesn't Want Us to Gift Kindle Books
2 Aug 2010 | 6:35 amThis is stupid. Just flat out stupid. I'm talking about the fact that you can gift a print book to a friend on Amazon but not a Kindle book. This article talks about the issue and suggests one workaround is to have all your friends in your Kindle network and share the books with them. The key, of course, is that you're limited to 5 "friends", which means it's not much of a workaround for most folks. Another workaround is to give your friend an Amazon gift card. The popular spin is, "that way your friend can buy what they want, not what you pick." …
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The Journal of Electronic Publishing
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Maxwell, John W.
The Journal of Electronic Publishing Vol 13 Issue 1, 2010 Book publishers have struggled in recent years to find ways to adopt XML-based editorial and production workflows. Complexity, unfamiliarity, and uncertainty about implementation details contribute to a kind of impasse among publishers—particularly small and medium-sized firms that lack the resources to maintain innovative IT departments that might push them into 21st-century processes. While the benefits of XML-based processes are trumpeted widely, and the general business case for adopting and investing in XML and related… -
Coulter, Gerry
The Journal of Electronic Publishing Vol 13 Issue 1, 2010 Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) was a French thinker, writer, and photographer who was named by the New Statesman (Hussey, 2003) as one of the 12 most important thinkers of our time (alongside of James Lovelock, E.O. Wilson, Martha Nussbaum, Peter Singer, Noam Chomsky, Jacques Derrida, Li Hongzhi, Kate Millet, Maulana Sayyid Abul-Ala Maududi, Antonio Negri, and John Maynard Smith). From 1968 through 2006 he published more than 45 books all of which have now been translated into English. At a broad level his work constitutes an effort to… -
Turner, Judith
The Journal of Electronic Publishing Vol 13 Issue 1, 2010 “Every civilization is, among other things, an arrangement for domesticating the passions and setting them to do useful work," Aldous Huxley wrote in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. As we see it, electronic publishing is becoming civilized. We seem to have reached the end of the period of passionate conviction about what scholarly publishing should become, and are setting about the serious work of understanding what it has become. The articles in this issue of The Journal of Electronic Publishing start by accepting the new… -
Ordonez, Sandra
The Journal of Electronic Publishing Vol 13 Issue 1, 2010 OurBlook is a collaborative Web 2.0 site that allows readers to exchange research and information on national and global issues. The goal of the site is to gather and effectively organize opinions and information from today’s leaders, in the hopes of collaboratively finding tomorrow’s solutions. -
Pochoda, Phil
The Journal of Electronic Publishing Vol 13 Issue 1, 2010 Much attention has been focused recently on the transition from the printed to the digital book, and some of these reactions—and invariably the ones featured in the media—have been extreme, ranging, at one end, from teeth-gnashing proclamations on the end of culture, if not civilization, as we know it and, at the other end, to apocalyptic euphoria verging on Rapture. To the true believers, the digital book, and the seamless connectivity it seems to make inevitable between everything ever written and everybody still reading, appears…
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First Book Blog
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The Votes Are In! Congratulations to the Winners of the Cheerios® 100,000 Book Giveaway!
1 Sep 2010 | 12:58 pmCheerios, Jon Scieszka and First Book have teamed up to distribute new books to kids in need across the country through the 100,000 Book Giveaway. From October 2009 through August 2010, visitors to the 100,000 Book Giveaway site helped to select the five states that would each receive 20,000 new books by answering trivia questions featured in this challenge. For every trivia question answered correctly, visitors could cast one vote for a state to receive new books for local children in need. More than 1,500,000 votes were cast and First Book is delighted to announce the five states that… -
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Ice-Treat Truck Bookstore Tour!
31 Aug 2010 | 9:05 amIn celebration of the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth, Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, is donating 26,000 new books to First Book! The children’s book series has introduced many children to the joy of reading and with this donation, First Book hopes to touch the lives of many more. To spread the word about the book’s release in November, Wimpy Kid fans across the country have the opportunity to enjoy free purple ice treats from during the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth 2010 Ice-Treat Truck Bookstore Tour. First Book staff had a blast at the Wimpy Kid Ice-Treat… -
Community Spotlight: The Shyann Kindness Project
30 Aug 2010 | 12:06 pmThis Month’s Recipient Group: The Shyann Kindness Project. “The mission of The Shyann Kindness Project is to pass on kindness by providing fun and needed items to children in stressful situations, while inspiring the performance of random acts of kindness and acceptance of others.” The Shyann Kindness Project has served over 8,000 children since April 2006, and is comprised of three programs: the Kindness Gift-Giving Program, Shyann’s Helping Hands, and Shyann’s Mentors Program. Kindness Gift Giving Events occur twice a month at venues such as hospital emergency rooms and clinics,… -
Presenting the 2010 Summer Reading Superlatives
27 Aug 2010 | 1:07 pmAround First Book there is a lot of talk about books. Go figure, right? We talk about the bilingual edition of Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, Ezra Jack Keat’s Snowy Day, Rosemary Well’s Bunny Money, Curious George, The Cat in the Hat and even what books got us hooked. And while we spend a lot of time discussing children’s books, we rarely talk about, well, what we’re reading. So I set out to find out what books my fellow First Bookers were reading to wrap up the summer. And so now, I present to you (drumroll, please . . . ) the 2010 Summer Reading Superlatives: Most Read… -
Odds and Bookends: August 27, 2010
27 Aug 2010 | 7:52 amNational Book Festival Features Favorite Author Voting. Book-lovers will be able to select from among the roughly 500 authors who have appeared at the nine previous National Book Festivals, or will appear at this years festival. Using an alphabetical listing or voting from a page that includes each author’s biography and photograph. The top 10 vote-getters will be displayed on the voting page, with daily updates. Leave a Mark Book Auction This auction features marked up books, but not just any marked up book. The author of each book went through and made notes in the margin…giving the…
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Publishing Insider
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hot fun in the summertime!
28 Aug 2010 | 7:27 am‘Tis the season – and been so throughout August – for county and state fairs, with which I have a love/hate.Not fun: the hot days, tattooed masses, fried food, specious mechanical whirling pieces of metal run by tattooed people, missing the ring toss, and standing sweating while daughter (years ago)said hello to every rabbit. The fun: the hot days, tattooed masses, fried food, specious mechanical whirling pieces of metal run by tattooed people, standing sweating while daughter (years ago)said hello to every rabbit. . . and winning the stuffed animal (after just $15 spent) for beaming… -
words, music, baseball, love and goodness
27 Aug 2010 | 10:12 amRandy Wayne White, one of my favorite authors, and his ol’ pal, Bill “Spaceman” Lee went to Cuba years ago to find Hemingway’s Boys – the kids Ernest taught to play baseball. The trip was captured in the PBS documentary “Gift of the Game.” See a clip. It’s touching and wonderful! In 2 related developments of late – you ready?? 1 – Randy’s paramour Wendy Webb has recorded a beautiful, beautiful album called Moon on Havana – and I gots the vinyl, hah; you should buy the cd or the vinyl, too!!! – and 2 – Bill Lee is pitching Sept. 5, at 63 yrs old!!! -
7 suns!
27 Aug 2010 | 6:27 amOh joy, oh rapture. 7 suns on the Weather Channel week's forecast the other night. I have NEVER seen that. It was like 4 cherries on a slot machine, times two. -
Fawlty fans rejoice!!!
25 Aug 2010 | 4:27 amNo, no; sorry; he’s not returning…BUT if you’ve been Jonesing for another British cranky misanthrope, he’s here!! Dr. Martin Ellingham of the BBC Doc Martin series. Omigoodness, he’s awful and fantastic!! -
River Why to be a movie!
18 Aug 2010 | 3:21 amOne of my favorite novels of all time, the first novel published by Sierra Club back when I was a Random House sales rep 25 years ago, is finally going to be a movie!!
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Publishing Talk
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Who needs publishers? We all do!
25 Aug 2010 | 9:43 amBy Philip Goldberg in The Huffington Post: Recently, Newsweek ran an article about the brave new world of self-publishing. Its title asked the question “Who Needs a Publisher?” Well, the short answer is, I do. The bigger answer is: we all do. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that self-publishing has evolved from stigma to respectability. I love that worthy authors who might be overlooked by the major houses can now be read. It’s great that writers with a special niche, an established following or an entrepreneurial bent can make more money self-publishing than they… -
Seth Godin quits traditional publishing
23 Aug 2010 | 1:48 pmBy Seth Godin on Seth Godin’s Blog: Authors need publishers because they need a customer. Readers have been separated from authors by many levels–stores, distributors, media outlets, printers, publishers–there were lots of layers for many generations, and the editor with a checkbook made the process palatable to the writer. For ten years, I had a publisher as a client (with some fun self-published adventuresalong the way). Twelve bestsellers later, I’ve thought hard about what it means to have a traditional publisher. Read more at sethgodin.typepad.com Related… -
The Smirnoff effect – coming to a magazine near you
20 Aug 2010 | 12:51 pmJon Reed is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Publishing Talk, and author of Get Up to Speed with Online Marketing. Follow him at @jonreed Is augmented reality a way to add value to publications – or a passing novelty? You know those Smirnoff ads where people look through the lens of a bottle and see strange wonders? I’ve never quite understood what the marketing message there was supposed to be – “get off your face on vodka until you hallucinate”? Well, you can now have that experience with a magazine and an iPhone. So long as the magazine is Süddeutsche… -
2010: A Publishing Odyssey
26 Jul 2010 | 2:01 pmJon Reed is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Publishing Talk, and author of Get Up to Speed with Online Marketing. Follow him at @jonreed. With the launch of Odyssey Editions, has Andrew Wylie turned publishing on its head? Is this a tipping point? Did publishing power just shift a little in favour of authors? Are agents publishers now? Über-agent Andrew “the Jackal” Wylie – no doubt with his little finger at the corner of his mouth, Dr Evil style – has hatched an audacious plot. Or maybe he has just seen the future. Either way, he has disintermediated the… -
Do iPad or do I Kindle? – Part 2
15 Jul 2010 | 9:08 amTom Evans is an author’s mentor, writer’s unblocker and founder of the eprint Commutabooks. Follow him on Twitter at @thebookwright. Which digital format is best for authors? Tom Evans considers some of the options. Well I never thought I’d ever buy Knitting for Dummies. But I just got a copy via the Amazon Kindle Store to read – or is that to watch? – on my iPad. So am I taking up crocheting iPad covers? No, I am just checking out how embedded video and audio in Kindle books for the iPad and iPhone works. Somewhat ironically perhaps, the video and audio doesn’t…
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University of Nebraska Press
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UNP celebrating September with two sales
1 Sep 2010 | 11:50 amHere in Lincoln on this first day of September it’s rainy and cool enough that I’ve seen several people wearing scarves (myself included). School is back in session, our fall student workers are getting acquainted with their new gigs, and the first of the University of Nebraska Press's Fall Winter 2010 books are officially on the shelves of bookstores everywhere. Welcome, September. The University of Nebraska Press is celebrating September with two sales, both of which run though the end of the month. California celebrates 160 years of statehood this month (on Sept. 9, to be… -
Stolen Horses reviewed on NPR's All Things Considered
31 Aug 2010 | 8:38 amStolen Horses, by Dan O’Brien, is an old-fashioned Western novel in some ways. The fictional setting – McDermot, Nebraska – is a place where cowboys still live on the ranch homesteads settled by great-great-grandparents, where everyone knows the local history, where many people are resistant to change. But in other ways, it’s a modern story, one that touches on healthcare inequity, corruption, the growing gulf between the rich and poor, and what happens when change finally does come to a place as remote and untouched as McDermot. NPR’s Alan Cheuse reviewed Stolen Horses on All… -
Off the Shelf: The John Lardner Reader edited and with an introduction by John Schulian
30 Aug 2010 | 5:30 amRead the beginning of the Introduction from The John Lardner Reader: A Press Box Legend's Classic Sportswriting, edited and with an introduction by John Schulian: "Since TV and talk radio started throwing crazy money at them, more and more otherwise admirable sportswriters have been only too happy to install whoopee cushions where their regard for the language used to be. It’s a natural reaction, I suppose, like realizing that the only way to be heard in a noisy bar is to shout louder than everybody else. But sly humor and high style have taken a drubbing everywhere sports are… -
Praise for Robert Camuto's Palmento (and Corkscrewed, too!)
27 Aug 2010 | 1:27 pmEric Asimov writes about wine for the New York Times – wine trends, wine regions, individual wines, wine culture, etc. Wine blog The Daily Sip posted this Q&A with Asimov yesterday, in which Asimov writes about his wine writing philosophy (I especially liked this quote: I don't think it's so important that people know a lot about wine as it is they drink wine if they like it. I don't think anyone is under any obligation to know about wine. I don't think of myself as an educator, but more as an inspirer.) Asimov also discussed some wine writers he admires, including… -
Off the Shelf: The Hard Way Home by Steve Kahn
23 Aug 2010 | 5:30 amRead the beginning of "One Last Cast" from The Hard Way Home: Alaska Stories of Adventure, Friendship, and the Hunt by Steve Kahn: "I remember gazing into a mountain stream near Turnagain Pass. Minute air bubbles formed along the backs of polished granite boulders hunched at the bottom, then rose in a swirl of motion to the surface. My little hands held tight their first fishing pole: a willow branch rigged with a piece of string from the glove box, a safety pin, and a half-ripe cranberry. I was four years old, maybe five. My folks tell me I was more interested in fishing than…
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The Book Bag Blog
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At the National Library of Sweden.......I wonder if Ikea supplied the shelves?
13 Aug 2010 | 7:08 am -
Developing a habit of hanging around Abbeys
13 Aug 2010 | 7:06 am -
Tread softly book bag because you tread on my dreams
13 Aug 2010 | 6:59 am -
The bird bag of Alcatraz looks on at the Golden Gate Bridge
15 Jul 2010 | 8:23 am -
In search of Schulz.........Good grief!
13 Jul 2010 | 9:12 am
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The Penguin Blog
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Editor Simon Winder looks back on a curious attempt to make philosophy popular.
1 Sep 2010 | 5:38 amGlazed, shaky, politically and philosophically confused, I have just finished up editing the 100th and last Penguin Great Ideas title. Why we should stop the series at this specific, wholly arbitrary number is the sort of issue which would have delighted some of the more annoying authors in the series but, setting that aside, we have now published five sets of twenty and it is time to stop and do something different. Nobody is saying that these are the hundred Great Ideas – just a hundred, with plenty of shameful omissions, insulting inclusions and unthinking biases trailing in a vast… -
Happy Birthday Penguin!
30 Jul 2010 | 2:15 amWe’ve been celebrating all year, but today is in fact our official birthday. So a very Happy 75th Birthday to us! We've partied like it's 1999, but we've also managed to do a lot of fun work around our 75th, as well as continuing to publish many great books that we're tremendously proud of. As part of our celebrations, we’ve interviewed our Editors talking about life at Penguin Books; they’ve responded to questions from our Twitter followers, they’ve talked about some of the highlights of their careers, and they’ve also given us sneak previews of the books… -
The Joys of Cycling a Bike in London
28 Jul 2010 | 9:21 amLast night I had the pleasure of attending the launch party for Robert Penn’s timely new book It’s All About the Bike at Rapha Cycle Club. It was a fantastic evening, with the Penguin staff arriving en masse on their bikes, a warm welcome from his editor Helen Conford and a hilarious speech from Robert Penn full of great anecdotes and romantic memories of writing the book; touring the world to design and build his dream bike. Living in London for a year, meeting an author like Robert Penn 6 months prior to publication of his book, and having an old rusty road bike that was much in need of… -
Our Kind of Writer
28 Jul 2010 | 7:44 amToday we are publishing a novel written by a bright young thing and everyone here at Penguin is very excited. You see, every now and then in this publishing racket you get hold of a novel that really shakes you to your very core. It’s a rare, exhilarating experience, and one made all the more startling when you realise the author was barely older than you are when he wrote it and apparently wrote the thing in only five weeks. The author in question? A publisher’s dream. Under thirty-five, incredibly talented, handsome and charismatic and with what some like to call a very promotable… -
They Do Things Differently Over There; or, A Pictorial Tour of New York’s Bookshops
16 Jul 2010 | 2:13 amContrary to how this may look, my recent visit to New York wasn’t work-oriented; I do just like to spend time in bookshops. But I’d guess a fair few people who visit this site and read this blog like doing the same so I refuse to apologise for how I like to spend my time on holiday.While there, I met our author Joshua Ferris for lunch and he talked about how he was struck by the difference between UK and US bookshops. He said he’d recognise around 95% of the names on a New York bookshop’s shelves whereas in London it was closer to 20% and he thought it was interesting that at the…
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will work for books
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Laura Lippman on Craig Ferguson's show
1 Sep 2010 | 1:25 pmShe and Craig talk about their "bad urges." I can't wait to get her new book (can't believe I don't already have it). Should I get a print copy or ebook? I'm leaning toward the hardcover. I hope I like the jacket. -
True Story, by Michael Finkel
27 Aug 2010 | 10:29 amTitle True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea CulpaAuthor: Michael FinkelPublisher: HarperCollins, 2005; HarperPerennialISBN: 0-06-058047-X (cloth copy I read, from the library); PB copy available now 978-0060580483 Michael Finkel was a writer for the New York Times magazine until he submitted a story about a main character he'd assembled from a composite of people (and did not tell the magazine that that's what he was doing). He was found out and then lost his job with the magazine.Christian Longo was a guy with a wife and three kids; they were devout Jehovah's Witnesses. When he faced financial… -
Abandoned Books
2 Aug 2010 | 6:00 amI guess I'm a bit of a masochist. Writing this post makes me feel horrible—I feel guilty because these books don't deserve to be abandoned and also embarrassed because in the time that I didn't finish The Wordy Shipmates I did manage to read the entire Jesse Stone series. On the other hand, I'm really enjoying putting this post together—I like revisiting my lists of books and thinking about how I feel about each title. (By the way, Beth wrote a similar post a while back.)I'm fighting the urge to explain too much but talking about why I didn't finish these makes me feel mean. I hope that… -
(Mostly) Bookish Links for July 25 - 31, 2010
31 Jul 2010 | 8:38 amI knew there was a reason those sparkly vampires repulsed me (via BoingBoing)June 30th was Penguin's 75th birthday. They've been posting all sorts of good stuff in celebration. (The Penguin Blog) A federal judge ruled that it's ok to break DRM if you are not doing it to infringe on copyright (BoingBoing) The Book Depository Live lets you watch people all over the world buy books. It's a lot more interesting than I just made it sound. (via TeleRead)I want this pen (via BoingBoing)The longlist for the Booker Prize was announced. (via GalleyCat)Here's a list of the 100 best magazine… -
The Passage by Justin Cronin
26 Jul 2010 | 6:00 amThe Passageby Justin CroninEbook (B&N)978-0-345-51686-2Ballantine Books / Random HouseRating (on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being best)Plot: 4.5Characters: 3.5Writing: 4Final: 4 Comments: I bought this on a whim, and I can't remember which tweet or blog post piqued my interest. I'd seen a lot of both regarding this book, but one in particular pushed me over the edge and got me to buy it. I knew very little about it and I had no idea how long it was. To be honest, I don't know if I would have ended up buying it as a print book. I would have known right off…
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Pub Rants
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An Interesting Reason For A Pseudonym
1 Sep 2010 | 4:55 pmSTATUS: This week is actually rather quiet. I’m checking off lots on my To Do list. Next week, after the holiday, will be zany I’m sure.What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? LOVE SOMEBODY by Schuyler FiskOne of my new to-be-published authors recently decided that she might publish her debut novel under a pseudonym and she had an interesting reason why.She had gone to lunch with a few of her author friends and one of them was in the job market but having trouble landing a job—even after a good interview. Prospective employers were Googling her, discovering her writing stuff, and… -
A First
31 Aug 2010 | 8:17 pmSTATUS: I spent 3 hours on one conference call this morning. Means the rest of my day should have gone uphill, right?What’s playing on the iPod right now? CRAZY by Gnarls BarkleyThis may be a sign that we have officially turned some kind of corner in publishing.I just literally got an email from my author Kristina Riggle who is out doing bookstore appearances for her second novel THE LIFE YOU’VE IMAGINED.So she’s at her signing when a twenty-year-old gal approaches her to say that her mother is a huge fan of Kristina’s novels and would Kris sign her mom’s Nook.How could any author… -
The Power Of Story—In Any Medium
27 Aug 2010 | 11:27 amSTATUS: I have a lot on my plate today. If I don’t blog now, it won’t happen.What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? LITTLE GREEN APPLES by O.C. SmithSince my father passed away in January, I’ve long wanted to write this blog entry but didn’t feel up to it. I’m going to give it try today.My love of reading definitely came from my parents—both avid readers. But my father was passionate about books. He was the one who took me and my older brother and sister to the library every Sunday (almost without fail).In fact, it was my Dad who created my love of science fiction and… -
One More Question To Ask During The Agent Interview
26 Aug 2010 | 5:22 pmSTATUS: Totally on a 70s kick!What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE by Cliff RichardI get that a good majority of you might be thinking “could I just get to that place where I’m asking agents questions because they want to rep me” but in the event that you do, I think there is one more question you should add to your list:Do you enjoy agenting and do you see yourself being an agent for the long-term?Now, of course, an agent can always agree in an enthusiastic affirmative and still leave 6 months or a year later but I imagine authors don’t often ask this… -
Wake Up Call
25 Aug 2010 | 11:22 amSTATUS: Getting this day off to a good start.What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? BLUE MOON by Elvis PresleyWhile at RWA in Orlando, I sat on a PRO panel for published authors with Steve Axelrod and Karen Solem. One of the questions asked of the panel was what we thought about Andrew Wylie’s announcement of doing eBooks through his own publishing arm called Odyssey and the Mexican stand-off that subsequently ensued with Random House over it.For the record, I don’t know Mr. Wylie personally and any viewpoint expressed here is simply my opinion.My answer at the panel was that I…
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The Rejecter
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Follow-Up on Writers Earning Money
31 Aug 2010 | 6:53 pmI didn't think to include this in the last post, which is OK because it's needlessly complicated, but another way writers make money - sometimes, how they make most of their money - is in foreign rights.Remember that when a publisher buys your book, they don't buy the physical book. They buy the right to copy the material in the book and then resell it. Different companies will ask for different rights, and it's a good agent's job to negotiate what rights you give away in the initial offering and what rights you hold on to.For example, a publisher will ask for world rights. These are,… -
How Much Does a Writer Make?
20 Aug 2010 | 1:24 pmI have read through several years of your back posts and I have a quick question for you as an assistant agent with inside knowledge and also for you as a published author in your own right.You mentioned in a couple of your posts that it is common to see advances for new authors in the 5000-7000 range but I can't find any information about royalties. You do mention in an almost off handed way that each time you sell a book you receive about $1.12. What sort of annual income is typical for a author that publishes one book every other year. I think I could write a book a year if not more but I… -
Inside Agenting
4 Aug 2010 | 8:22 pmOne reason it's a good idea to belong to the AAR if you're an agent, aside from it being the ultimate stamp of legitimacy, is you get to go to AAR meetings. They're hit-or-miss, but there's usually drinks.The last couple have been either about e-Books or social media outlets for authors like Facebook, Foursquare, etc. They basically boil down to this:Social Media Presenter: This program is totally awesome and unless your author is a complete shut-in, incapable of communicating with the outside world, they have to have it YESTERDAY. Let's look at some totally cool statistics about user… -
MA Degree Questions
3 Aug 2010 | 1:56 pmDear Rejecter, I have been writing novels since I was about seven. I literally think about it all the time. However, try as I might I have never been able to get beyond the 40,000 word mark before losing the plot and momentum of my story and deciding to start something else entirely. I'm a journalist on a big women's glossy in the UK so it's not getting the words down on paper that's the problem, it's rather getting my plot from A to B that stumps me. I'm currently looking into doing a part time MA in creative writing in the hope that following a structured course might help me complete a… -
Rejections!
27 Jul 2010 | 6:51 pmHello Rejecter,I just came across your blog today and found your honesty refreshing. Speaking of honesty, I'm trying to decipher some agent rejection letters. They say many positive things about the story and writing followed by:Agent 1: "After long consideration, though, I have to say I am just not enthusiastic enough to offer representation."Agent 2: "I'm afraid, however, that I simply didn't fall in love with the work as I would have to, to take on a new project. "Agent 3: "Unfortunately, however, I am being extremely careful about taking on new projects, and while I admired this a lot, I…
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800 CEO Read
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Conference Room B
1 Sep 2010 | 5:47 pm“The irreducible essence of leadership is that leaders are people who live their deepest personal values without compromise, and they use those values to make life better for others—that is why people become leaders and why people follow leaders.” —Stan Slap, Bury My Heart at Conference Room B (Portfolio, August 2010) If you follow Jack Covert Selects, you may recognize the quote above from Jack’s most recent review. It’s a quote that Jack and Carol appreciated so much that they asked me to put it on our conference room wall. It was fun project, and completed today. -
How Made to Stick was Made to Stick: What Ideas Survived and What Died
30 Aug 2010 | 2:48 pmWe really loved the Heath Brother’s first book, What Sticks: Why Some Ideas Work in the World and Others Don’t, when it first arrived in our office in 2007. So much, in fact, that we saved the manuscript—something we rarely do due to the staggering amount of books we receive every year. The subtitle was a little unruly, but the ideas spiral-bound up in that plastic cover were concise, well-written, and right on. We liked it so much that we also saved the galley when it came through (also rare) which reflects the first major change to the book. It’s title was tightened… -
A Defense of Business Books
27 Aug 2010 | 2:47 pmIt’s a common reaction. When I explain to people that I work for a bookstore that specializes in business books, most people either furrow their brows or wrinkle their noses. Sometimes this reaction is caused by confusion as bookstores, to most people, are brick and mortar locations that display New York Times best selling fiction, spin racks of greeting cards, and children’s pictures books. When that happens, I try to explain, in a nutshell, the origin of our company: we are what is left of the Harry W. Schwartz bookshops, an independent chain of bookstores in Milwaukee that… -
BrandManageCamp 2010
26 Aug 2010 | 2:24 pmIf you’re in the Vegas area (or are interested in going), be sure to check out this year’s BrandManageCamp, run by the great folks at ManageCamp. 2010 marks their 8th event, and this year’s lineup is not to be missed. Featuring a bunch of authors we’ve talked about (and with) at this site before: David Meerman Scott, Jeff Hayzlett, Jackie Huba, Bob Gilbreath, and many more, discussing ideas on building your company’s brand. With this great lineup of experts, attendees will be inspired with plenty of ideas on innovation, new media, and overall brand strategy. For… -
Doing Both and the Importance of Getting Your Feet Wet
26 Aug 2010 | 1:38 pmInder Sidhu’s Doing Both was number one on the Inc./800-CEO-READ Business Book Bestseller List in July. Jon recently sent him three questions he asks of all our best-selling authors, and I really enjoyed his answers: What’s the most influential book you’ve read? Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, which eloquently explains what drives extraordinary human achievement. Who in business had the most profound effect on you? My previous bosses, Gary Daichendt and Rick Justice, who represented unquestionable integrity, humble competence, respect for people, love for family, strength of…
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Duffbert's Random Musings
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Book Review - HTML5: Up and Running by Mark Pilgrim
30 Aug 2010 | 5:52 pmAs part of my education on HTML5, I ended up with a review copy of Mark Pilgrim's book HTML5: Up and Running. Like many O'Reilly books I own, this will be one of the books I end up going back to repeatedly while I get "up and running." Pilgrim includes a balanced blend of context and code, which means I learn not only *what* to do, but *why* I'm doing it and how it ended up that way. Contents: How Did We Get Here?; Detecting HTML5 Features; What Does It All Mean?; Let's Call It a Draw(ing Surface); Video on the Web; You Are Here (And So Is Everyone Else); The Past,… -
Book Review - Follow The Money by Ross Cavins
29 Aug 2010 | 8:36 amI had the pleasure of receiving a review copy of Follow The Money by Ross Cavins recently. This ended up being one of those gems that I'd never find on my own, but am very glad I ended up reading. Cavins has a great sense of plot and dialog, and he did something that I'm not used to seeing in a book. Rather than have a single novel or a collection of unrelated short stories, he compiled a collection of short stories that all tie together with a common thread... money. Specifically, three million dollars that ends up moving from character to character in various ways,… -
Book Review - Valley Forge: George Washington and the Crucible of Victory by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen
28 Aug 2010 | 11:18 amCourtesy of the publishers, I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Valley Forge: George Washington and the Crucible of Victory by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. This is the follow-on to their collaboration on their book To Try Men's Souls, and again Gingrich and Forstchen put flesh on the ordinarily dry depictions of what went on during the Revolutionary War after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The authors go beyond events and dive into the characters, emotions, and physical hardships that comprised the day-to-day existence of those fighting for… -
Book Review - Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack
28 Aug 2010 | 9:06 am'Fess up... you have those "family photos" that you hide from others, hoping nobody every finds them. At the time the images made sense or sounded like a good idea. But now? <shudder> Just hope your kids don't get hold of them and send them off trying to get you included in the book Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack. If that happens, you might as well join the Witness Protection Program, because you'll start to think that wherever you go, someone will recognize you... and laugh (and we will!) Bender and Chernack started a web… -
Product Review - Lift Audio Icon Series 6 mm Premium Earphones
27 Aug 2010 | 4:20 pmAs part of the Amazon Vine review program, I selected a pair of Lift Audio Icon Series 6 mm Premium Earphones for review. I had two purposes for this... I have an iPad now, and I thought a decent set of earphones would be nice. And second, with my kids around, I never HAVE any earphones that seem to stay in one place for very long. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Fair warning says I'm not an audiophile of any sort. I don't listen to a lot of music, so most of my usage would be watching videos or not disturbing someone around me with sound. What I *did* want…
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Chris Webb's Publishing Blog
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From Around the ‘Net on 08/20/10
20 Aug 2010 | 8:05 pmUK Bookscan (tags: bookscan) -
The Future of Publishing is Not What You Think
18 Mar 2010 | 8:36 amThis clever video from DK encourages publishers to change their perspective on their impending doom. Watch all of it – it’s not what you think. What do you think? -
Fun, Free Online Christmas Activities with Santa
21 Dec 2009 | 7:44 amNote: I originally wrote this for Dadomatic As Christmas draws near, I thought I’d share some fun online sites you might like to share with your children this holiday season. Of course a quick Google search will yield you thousands of results, but here are a few I’ve enjoyed with my kids. My 4 year old especially likes these. For him as a child that is growing up with on-demand video and the internet, it seems only natural to incorporate some of what Santa does online. Countdown to Christmas features a daily video message from Santa, and a chance to ask St. Nick questions in real time. -
Social Media Tools For Publishing Professionals
12 Mar 2009 | 8:07 amToday I had the opportunity to give a crash course in social media to a group of publishing colleagues at Wiley’s European headquarters. The talk was only an hour, so we covered a lot of ground quickly with hopes that everyone could pick up at least one tool they could put to use right away. If social media is like drinking from a firehose, we all got a little wet today. Many if not most of the attendees were involved in some sort of social media activity, either personally or professionally. Almost everyone was using Facebook to some degree, less using Twitter, and a lone MySpace… -
Interesting Twitter Strategy from Chelsea Green Publishers
18 Feb 2009 | 1:31 pmI witnessed an interesting use of Twitter today by Chelsea Green Publishers who promoted their website and books with a very simple contest. The premise was very straight forward – tweet about a book from their website that you would like to read. The 10th person to tweet a book wins the book tweeted. Free book, free shipping. Easy, right? There are several things I like about the way Chelsea Green ran this contest including: You have to follow them on Twitter to be eligible They have built “Tweet this book” links into each product page that includes a link to the book, as…
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Three Percent - Article
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FILI Editors' Trip
2 Sep 2010 | 7:10 amLast week I had the opportunity to travel to Helsinki, Finland at the invitation of the Finnish Literature Exchange. FILI invited fourteen editors, from Tawain to the UK to the US, to attend a few lectures on the Finnish Publishing scene, meet with individual publishers and agents, and generally soak up the publishing atmosphere in Helsinki. The first morning was taken up with two lectures, the first by Sakari Laiho, the director of the Finnish Book Publishers Association. The organization was founded in 1858—much of Finnish publishing seems to have gotten its start around this… -
New Issue of World Literature Today
1 Sep 2010 | 8:36 amThe September/October issue of World Literature Today is apparently now available. (Stealing from Michael Orthofer’s playbook, I say apparently because I actually subscribed to WLT a couple years ago and received exactly one issue . . . which is pretty much what happened with my subscription to The Nation. What the hell? This is a pretty savvy way to keep newspapers & magazines alive—convince people to subscribe and send them nothing.) Anyway, the new issue has a focus on “International Short Fiction,” edited by Alan Cheuse. A couple of the stories are available… -
Reading the World #6: Forrest Gander
1 Sep 2010 | 8:27 amThis month we talk with poet and translator Forrest Gander about approaches to translating poetry and his forthcoming translation “Watchword” by Pura López Colomé. -
Triple Canopy and the History-Future of Online Publishing
1 Sep 2010 | 7:31 amI’ve only begun to explore the contents, but the new issue of Triple Canopy — subtitled “Unplaced Movements” — looks incredible. And right in the wheelhouse of my obsessions . . . From the editors’ Note on Unplaced Movements: Every innovative new-media publishing venture is born obsolescent. No sooner has an editorial initiative laid claim to a new technology than some newer technology arrives, turning its predecessor into an outdated curio. The numerous attempts to create alternatives to the print magazine using other forms of distributable… -
PW's Indie Sleepers . . . Including "Zone"
31 Aug 2010 | 10:30 amI feel like this is a week of individual themed days . . . Yesterday was all Japanese literature and Michael Emmerich, today is all Zone . . . Publishers Weekly‘s Indie Press Sleepers list for the fall came out yesterday, featuring twenty titles from independent presses that may be slightly less hyped than Franzen’s Freedom, but have a real shot at “breaking out,” capturing the imagination and interest of the reading public, and selling thousands of copies thanks to great indie stores, solid reviews, word-of-mouth, etc. These lists are always fascinating, especially…
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bademailname
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I am afraid for our future generation when this great nation of ours breeds fear instead of tolerance, violence instead of peace, hate instead of love. Ignorance of a thing does not mean you must fear it. This is especially true when it pertains to a third of the world's people.
29 Aug 2010 | 9:07 pm -
Good morning, world! You know the drill: Love and be loved. And as always: Be good, or be good at it.
25 Aug 2010 | 6:25 am -
Dick Cavett is smarter than your average American. Sanity will prevail! http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/real-americans-please-stand-up/?src=tptw
23 Aug 2010 | 2:16 pm -
Just been cast as the comic relief in an Equity showcase, which runs in late Oct. and early Nov. Hooray, I get to be funny!
6 Aug 2010 | 12:52 pm -
Just cast in a new short play, "Antipasto", for the Samuel French Festival. Come watch the festival on July 16, and see me perform at 9pm. Looking forward to seeing you!
2 Jul 2010 | 7:39 pm
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HBR.org
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The New York Times Is Dead Wrong
2 Sep 2010 | 10:38 amAs a public speaker, I'm always looking for ways to engage my audience. One old trick — which I never use, precisely because it is so old — is to challenge executives and entrepreneurs to imagine their obituary in the New York Times. What impact did you have? What contribution did you make? What kind of life did you lead? As it turns out, this audience-participation exercise requires a special act of imagination for women. Consider this amazing statistic, brought to you by a Web site called The NYTpicker, which pokes, prods, and otherwise critiques the world's greatest newspaper. -
For a Better Career Outlook, Look Inward
2 Sep 2010 | 10:25 amHere's an idea for your next performance review: Do what the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies do for their annual evaluation by the board of directors — write a self-assessment that helps guide the conversation. What you write will be a valuable tool for the performance review and, even better, a custom guide for your own development. Ongoing self-assessment is one of the five zones of strength that leaders have and non-leader managers don't, according to one of our ongoing workplace studies (pdf). Indeed, self-assessment makes a major contribution to all the other strength zones, the… -
Are These the Economy's Good Old Days?
2 Sep 2010 | 10:08 amFive years from now, will we look back on the dismal unemployment that we're suffering on Labor Day 2010 and see this year as the good old days? Within today's official unemployment statistics hides the true cost of decades of economic mismanagement: Historically unprecedented levels of unemployment and underemployment. The Great Recession that officially ended in 2009 has left millions of Americans without jobs for longer than the worst economic period in modern history — the early 1980s. Almost 7 million Americans have been out of work for more than six months, as compared with less… -
The Dirty Truth About Digital Fasts
2 Sep 2010 | 8:30 amLast year it was the staycation. This year it's the digital fast. "How I unplugged" — from Twitter, from a Blackberry, from the Internet, or at the behest of the New York Times — is the new "what I did on my summer vacation." As people trade stories about how they survived, or even thrived, offline, I'm troubled by the underlying narrative, that our ability to unplug is necessary to prove that we're not Internet addicts. We're supposed to demonstrate our grasp of human relationships by our ability to relate face-to-face, as well as online. We're supposed to show that we can be… -
Keeping Your Business Plan Flexible
2 Sep 2010 | 7:06 amPeople make business plans for all sorts of reasons — to attract funding, evaluate future growth, build partnerships, or guide development. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these plans are usually out of date by the time the printer ink dries. Business moves fast: the product's features morph, new competitors emerge, or the economic climate shifts. When these changes occur, many people just throw their business plans out the window. For a plan to be truly valuable it needs to evolve with your company and stay relevant in the face of uncertainty. What the Experts Say Despite the hype…
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Books on the Nightstand
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BOTNS Books Podcast #92: More book podcasts for your enjoyment!
31 Aug 2010 | 9:16 pmIn this episode, we announce a new listener survey, recommend 6 new book-related podcasts for you to check out, and tell you about 2 books that we absolutely love: Susan Casey’s The Wave and Richard Harvell’s The Bells. Take our listener survey, please! It’s been about 18 months since our last Books on the Nightstand reader/listener survey, and the numbers of you have grown quite a bit. We’d love to learn more about you: how you listen, what you think we are doing well, where you’d like us to improve, and anything else you’d like to tell us. It’s a… -
BOTNS Books Podcast #91: Reviews, plus Recommendations
24 Aug 2010 | 8:40 pmWe discuss what constitutes a review and exactly what it is that we try to do here. Thanks to all of you who wrote and called with info, we have a big list of series you love. For two books, Michael goes back a year and Ann goes back 75. What is a Review? On our Goodreads Group several people mentioned reviews, what are they are, how to write them. Ann and I have always intended Books on the Nightstand to be a recommendation show, not a review show. It’s why we don’t talk about books we don’t like and it’s why we don’t write out a script ahead of time. -
BOTNS Books Podcast #90: Sorry we didn’t send a postcard
17 Aug 2010 | 6:53 pmToday we bring you a vacation recap, updates on some books we’ve covered in previous podcasts, and a progress report on our summer reading. We’ve also got two books we can’t wait for you to read — these are good, so grab a pen to write them down. Hi there! We’re back from vacation, with quite the chatty podcast. We missed you all! We’ve both had book-filled vacations, and we tell you a bit about what we did on our break. Some of our favorite books, back in the news: We’re thrilled at the shortlist announcement for The Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel… -
Guest Post #3: Sarah from Random Acts of Reading
15 Aug 2010 | 7:23 pmAnn and I are on vacation from the podcast. We’ll be back with a new episode on Wednesday. In the meantime, here’s the final guest post (for now!) from our friends and colleagues at Random Acts of Reading, a wonderful blog about kids’ books. If you haven’t checked out their blog, do it today! I have the pleasure of wrapping up the week of Random Acts of Reading guest posts by gushing about a few of my favorite recently published or forthcoming young adult novels that I think easily cross over into the world of adult literature. Thanks to Ann and Michael for giving us the opportunity… -
Guest Post #2: Erin from Random Acts of Reading
12 Aug 2010 | 6:31 pmAnn and I are on vacation from the podcast. We’ll be back with a new episode on August 18. In the meantime, here’s the second guest post from our friends and colleagues at Random Acts of Reading, a wonderful blog about kids’ books. If you haven’t checked out their blog, do it today! My co-worker and fellow blogger Kate did a fantastic job in her post here this week of summing up the reasons adult readers are flocking to well-written young adult novels. Instead of simply echoing her ideas, I thought I would give my own personal reasons for reading “teen” books (aside from the…
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Omnivoracious
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The Best Books of September
2 Sep 2010 | 11:32 amWe debate long and hard every month to decide what books to call best, but September (and October!) are always the heavyweights. It's all about the fiction this month, and a wide range of it too, with Scarlett Thomas's Our Tragic Universe in the spotlight. Have a look at our Best Books of the Month reviews below (including our favorite read for teens and two picks for kids) and let us know what else is on your reading list for September. Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas: Scarlett Thomas is a nimble writer, joyfully unseating and upholding cozy fiction conventions as she… -
Guest Post: Darin Bradley Provides an Audio-Visual Tour of Noise
2 Sep 2010 | 7:14 amFirst-time novelist Darin Bradley, guestblogging on Omnivoracious this week, has published short fiction, poetry, and critical nonfiction have appeared in a variety of journals. He also served as founding fiction editor of the experimental e-zine, Farrago's Wainscot. Noise takes as its premise that, in the aftermath of the switch from analog to digital TV, an anarchic movement known as Salvage hijacks the unused airwaves. Mixed in with the static’s random noise are dire warnings of the imminent economic, political, and social collapse of civilization—and cold-blooded lessons on… -
Where Is My Wiener Dog?: Travel Note from Gary Shteyngart
1 Sep 2010 | 11:02 pm[Ed: Since we spoke to him last, Gary Shteyngart has been fully immersing himself in the social media that his novel Super Sad True Love Story makes so horribly and amusingly disturbing, with regular (often dachshund-themed) Facebook updates about his book tour. He recently sent us a note which we pass on to you below.] OMG, I just got back from the West Coast part of my tour and I’m sad to say: reading isn’t dead. Darn it!! I just wrote a book predicting the death of literature and here I go out into the world and hordes of people actually show up at my readings. Not just people, mind… -
Omni Daily News
1 Sep 2010 | 12:43 pmYou be the judge: The Guardian has not let the fact that they think the Booker judges have done a decent job with their longlist this year--"Disappointingly, nearly all the books appear to be interesting"--stop them from organizing once again their alternative discussion group/award (if the prize of a Guardian mug counts as an award), the Not the Booker Prize 2010. Send in your nominations in the comments field during the next week. (P.S. You can find two of the longlisters for the real prize, Emma Donoghue's Room and Paul Murray's Skippy Dies, on our Best Books of… -
Guest Post: Noise's Darin Bradley on Salvage, the Switch to Digital, and Book PR
1 Sep 2010 | 9:20 amFirst-time novelist Darin Bradley, guestblogging on Omnivoracious this week, has taught courses on writing and literature at the University of North Texas, Furman University, and East Tennessee State University. His short fiction, poetry, and critical nonfiction have appeared in a variety of journals, and he served as founding fiction editor of the experimental e-zine, Farrago's Wainscot. Noise takes as its premise that, in the aftermath of the switch from analog to digital TV, an anarchic movement known as Salvage hijacks the unused airwaves. Mixed in with the static’s random noise…
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mediabistro.com: GalleyCat
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Best Authors on Facebook
2 Sep 2010 | 12:03 pmWho is your favorite writer on Facebook? Share your recommendation in the comments section and help us build a brand new GalleyCat Reviews directory. Our Facebook page has grown rapidly this summer and more than 100 writers have already posted to our "New Books" section. However, a number of previously published authors emailed us wondering if they could include their work as well. Our Best Authors on Facebook directory will help them--allowing both published and self-published authors to connect with readers. We've started the list with a few writers from our summer reading list, but the… -
Suzanne Collins Sells 450,000 Copies of Mockingjay
2 Sep 2010 | 11:03 amScholastic announced that Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay has sold 450,000 copies counting both hardcover and eBook sales since its August 24th release. That's an average of 45,000 books sold per day. The final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy has topped both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. The publisher will print 400,000 additional hardcover copies. The first printing was 1.2 million. Lionsgate has bought the film rights to the Hunger Games and is in the process of developing the first book of the series. Fans of all ages gathered at Books of Wonder's midnight release… -
Neil Gaiman Sandman Comic in "Early Stages of Being Developed" for TV
2 Sep 2010 | 10:23 amNews broke yesterday that Neil Gaiman's beloved Sandman series is "in the early stages of being developed into a TV series." According to the Hollywood Reporter's scoop, Supernatural creator Eric Kripke leads the shortlist of directors being considered to helm the project. During the 1990s, Gaiman's Sandman series blended fantasy and horror, rejuvenating the world of adult comic books. Check it out: "Warner Bros. TV is in the midst of acquiring television rights from sister company DC Entertainment and in talks with several writer-producers about adapting the 1990s comic... The author is not… -
Roald Dahl and the Bad Report Card Factory
2 Sep 2010 | 10:03 amThis week Penguin imprint Puffin released a new Roald Dahl collection that includes a secret ending to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a fudge recipe, and excerpts from the author's terrible report cards. Among his collection of bad grades, one teacher called the aspiring writer "consistently idle." According to The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets, Dahl's teacher described the would-be writer in 1931: "A persistent muddler. Vocabulary negligible, sentences malconstructed. He reminds me of a camel." In 1932, another teacher added more criticism: "This boy is an… -
Textee Will Help You Write Your Cellphone Novel
2 Sep 2010 | 9:03 amHaving trouble writing your cellphone novel? Is every sentence littered with typos from your sticky typing thumbs? Textee might help! The Textee company has designed rubber typing aids to help people use their thumbs more effectively on smartphones. What do you think? The ad has generated headlines around the Internet as people debate the necessity of the Textee and quality of the video. Here's Gawker's take on the video: "Do you like to text, but get slapped by women because you hit the wrong keys and write things you don't mean? Then buy Textees, a stupid rubber thing that you put on your…
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Chronicle Books Blog
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Sneak Peak: Lotta Jansdotter’s Handmade Living
2 Sep 2010 | 11:39 amThis fall we’re releasing Lotta Jansdotter‘s new book Handmade Living. This is a special one. It’s all about Lotta’s take on Scandinavian style: functional, easy, organized, and not overly ornate. Words I’d like to have describe my house, too. To help us get there, Lotta opens the doors to her home and studio and shows us how it’s done in this photo-driven decorating + lifestyle + craft + entertaining book. I particularly like the project ideas–simple flower arrangements, cut felt decorations, hand stenciled pillows and tea towels, clipboard art… -
From the Chronicle Kitchen Heirloom Beans
1 Sep 2010 | 1:41 pmThis week’s post comes to us courtesy of Steve Sando, proprietor of the company with the greatest and most desired beans available in the USA, Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food. Let us know what you think of this recipe by posting a comment. And, by commenting, you’re entered to win a copy of Heirloom Beans! I always say “I hate health food” but in reality I do try and find ways to eat better. I don’t think I’d enjoy fat free cupcakes or pretend bacon, but if there are effortless little tricks I can use to lighten things up, I’m all for it. Pureeing beans… -
Comedienne Kristen Schaal & Daily Show heartthrob Rich Blomquist take The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex on the Road
31 Aug 2010 | 11:31 amBefore we get into the events portion of the post, did you know that Jon Stewart LURVES The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex? The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c -
From the Design Desk: Italian Made
30 Aug 2010 | 3:34 pmIn the movie I Am Love by Luca Guadagnino about a prosperous Milanese family, the material quality of everything plays a crucial role in telling the story. The consistency of the food, the shine of the china, and the textures in the architecture and the clothing (they’re a textile family, after all) all set the tone, and in their detailed opulence, transport the viewer. Speaking as a designer (and not a romantic), so much of Italian manufacturing is of an incredibly high level of quality. Italian textiles, tailoring, and printing are consistently some of the best in the world. -
Art + Design: Remembering Jim Marshall and Johnny Cash
26 Aug 2010 | 5:41 pmRenowned photographer Jim Marshall’s legendary pictures of the “man in black” have been complied into covetable collection in Pocket Cash—now releasing from Chronicle Books. I thought I’d share some of John Carter Cash’s heartfelt thoughts about these two larger-than-life men from his introduction to the book. My father was sometimes uncomfortable in front of a camera. Certainly there were other places he would rather be, but he always did his best to smile in the face of one. There were rarely times when he forgot that the camera was there; that was always up to the…
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THE PLANETESME PLAN
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1 + 1 = 5 (PICTURE BOOK)
17 Aug 2010 | 11:30 pmPICTURE BOOK1+1=5 AND OTHER UNLIKELY ADDITIONS by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Brenda Sexton (Sterling, 2010) When does 1+1=5? How about 1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies! Does 1+1=14? Yes, when 1 ant + 1 spider = 14 legs! Sometimes 1+1= hundreds and hundreds, if you are counting the seeds in 1 pumpkin + 1 watermelon! And more traditional number-crunchers needn't worry, 1+1 does ultimately equal 2, if you count two friends. This ingenious book makes the impossible very possible by exploring outside of the box, and while it may not do wonders for math skills, it certainly… -
ME AND ROLLY MALOO (FICTION) and 10 PICTURE BOOKS I WOULD NOT WANT TO TEACH WITHOUT
10 Aug 2010 | 6:11 amMy list of 10 Picture Books I Couldn't Teach Without is posted atHit the Ground Running: The Educating Esme Blog!Cathy Mere, author of MORE THAN GUIDED READING and blogger at Reflect and Refine: Building a Learning Community, in cooperation with Mandy at Enjoy and Embrace Learning, invited/challenged members of the Kidlitosphere blogging community to come up with ten picture books they couldn't teach without. Please visit my other blog especially for educators to see which titles I chose...and to devise your own "if I were on a desert island" collection! … -
DOGS DON'T DO BALLET (PICTURE BOOK)
8 Aug 2010 | 4:50 pmPICTURE BOOOKDOGS DON'T DO BALLET by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogilve (Simon and Schuster)For my birthday I get tickets to the Royal Ballet. "Can Biff come, too?" I ask Dad. "He loves ballet..." "No," says Dad. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: Dogs don't do ballet!"Miss Polly, the ballet teacher, concurs with Dad. This does not stop the little bulldog from twisting his neck upward to longingly admire a tutu hanging on a doorknob, or peering over a windowsill to observe an eclectic row of little girls of all colors, body types and… -
ORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH (NONFICTION)
2 Aug 2010 | 9:44 amNON-FICTIONORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH: FUN FACTS FROM AN ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHER by Steve Grubman, with Jill Davis (Schwartz & Wade, 2010)The cheerful little organgutan, hands on his knees, postured like an old vaudevillian foreshadows the fun inside this book. All sorts of familiar wild animals get double-page spreads, each with a great photo and unusual facts. Did you know giraffes whistle, moo hiss and roar (and sometimes kiss), kangaroos can't hop backwards, and like snowflakes, no two zebra patterns are exactly the same? Information about each animal is succinct and conversational, but the… -
THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA and GREAT SUMMER READS (FICTION)
17 Jul 2010 | 11:17 amFor children, so much of the school year is clogged with assigned reading, it's a treat as delicious as an orange push-up to get to choose books that reflect personal tastes without judgment or tests and that can be read at any pace, books that are relaxing and friendly and plain old fun, books that make us laugh or carry us away! I had such a wonderful time recently on NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook show, discussing some of the best summer reading (click to listen!) with experts Pete Cowdin of Reading Reptile Bookstore and Monica Edinger of the blog Educating Alice! My only complaint…
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The Kindle Reader
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A Week of Entertainment: Kindle Books Reviewed in Entertainment Weekly's 3 Sep 2010 Issue
2 Sep 2010 | 7:53 amEach week Entertainment Weekly reviews a small selection of popular new books. Titles available for the Kindle reviewed in the September 3rd issue include:Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Print length: 576 p. NOVEL. EW's slant: "...a deep dive into a fascinating family that feels very real, and fully grounded in our time." Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (5 reviews). Kindle edition $14.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled."In his first novel since The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen has given us an epic of contemporary love and marriage. Patty and Walter Berglund were the new… -
Books They're Talking About: Kindle Books in the Media (31 Sep 2010)
31 Aug 2010 | 7:56 amMedia interviews are a popular way for writers to introduce new books they hope will catch the viewer's eye and generate interest in their work. Here's a selection of forthcoming Kindle books by authors scheduled for interviews on TV and radio programs. Books are arranged in chronological order by the date of the scheduled interview.ON NPR'S MORNING EDITION (27 AUG 2010):101 Places Not to See Before You Die, by Catherine Price. Harper Collins. Print Length: 272 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled."From the Grover Cleveland Service Area to the Beijing Museum of Tap Water to, of… -
Kindle Genre Watch: New in Fantasy Fiction (29 Aug 2010)
29 Aug 2010 | 8:23 amSpend less time searching for new genre fiction and more time reading it as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Store so you don't have to. Recent genre fiction releases in fantasy fiction include:Bearers of the Black Staff: Legends of Shannara by Terry Brooks. Del Rey. Print length: 384 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled."The horrors of a war-ravaged world again invade a hard-won peace in Brooks's intense follow-up to 2008's The Gypsy Morph. Five hundred years have passed since Hawk led a tattered band of survivors into a valley protected by a magical… -
Kindle Genre Watch: New in Mystery Fiction (28 Aug 2010)
28 Aug 2010 | 7:48 amSpend less time searching for new genre fiction and more time reading it as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Store so you don't have to. Recent releases in mystery fiction include:Fragile by Lisa Unger. Crown. Print length: 336 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled."Psychologist Maggie Cooper and her husband, Det. Jones Cooper, disagree on how to handle their rebellious son, 17-year-old Rick, who prefers to spend time with his band or holed up with his girlfriend, Charlene Murray. When Charlene disappears one night after a fight with her mother, Maggie and… -
Classifying Books on Your Kindle Using the Dewey Decimal System
26 Aug 2010 | 8:39 amThose of us who purchased the first Kindle in 2007 had no simple way to arrange books by subject on our new e-reader. Owner-created collections were first added to the Kindle 2 and DX relatively recently with the latest software 2.5 update. As this feature should be of great interest to a whole new generation of Kindle readers who are buying the Kindle 3, it might be a good idea to review how it works. The collections feature allows you to group your library by subjects that you choose yourself. So how do you do it? 1. From the home screen, push the menu button.2. Using the 5-way controller,…
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Storytellers Unplugged
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Free Breakfast and Heated Poo
2 Sep 2010 | 10:20 amBeware of Fonts Never Write Something That Will Hurt Somebody Always Givey a Finall Look afore You Go To Print… Horror Homemaker Tip # 657 You Never Know What You Just Said. If you are someone who knows how to read, a good rule of thumb is to read what you’ve written before others read it. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind before deciding you’re ready to go to print. Consider the Pioneers Who Came Before You and Learn From Their Trials “Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.” “Mixing bowl set designed to please a… -
Writing What Hurts – Part IV – Word Mountains
31 Aug 2010 | 7:32 pmWhen I started writing seriously, I attacked the challenge of the short story. The first few times out the gate I remember how difficult it was to hit what I considered the minimum length for a serious story – 2500 words. I worked out characters ahead of time, almost like a role-playing game stat sheet for each one – not because I intended to use all of that information, but because if I knew it, it could inform the decisions and dialogue of the character. I believed that there needed to be a set number of plot twists, and that there was a particular point in the story where you had to… -
10 Authorial Confessions
30 Aug 2010 | 8:35 am1. There are times that I have sat and watched words which *I am typing* appear on the screen in front of my eyes… and not recognised them. That’s how much my characters – or sometimes just my story – take over when I’m in “writer mode”. I sometimes think it’s a mild form of possession. 2. There are characters I have created that I actively dislike (no, I’m not telling which). There are times that it’s HARD to be fair to those characters. I like to think I generally come out on the side of the angels, but I don’t know… 3. -
Skull Rainbows, Asian Girls, and Dwarf Strippers
27 Aug 2010 | 10:33 pmSkull Rainbows, Asian Girls, and Pregnant Dwarf Strippers Wayne Allen Sallee 28 August 2010 I’m still reveling in our incredible summer, which is still producing 90 degree temperatures and, for the first time since high school, I have actually walked the shores of the North Avenue Beach and Fullerton Parkway, the latter where my mom and dad hung out in the 1940s, before the museums and the bike paths and twenty dollar for four hour parking lots. I have written nearly 70K on my novel, Proactive Contrition, because of our heat, staying awake until 3 AM makes me feel immortal as I listen to… -
Heresy! Blasphemy! Rah Rah Rah!
27 Aug 2010 | 8:33 amWhat you are about to read is heresy. The basic advice every writer gets from every direction is this: Write. Always write. Make sure you write. Make sure you write every day. Write write write write write write write. (Eventually, some of us move on to “and here’s what you do to make your writing good”, but that’s a whole other discussion.) At its core, this makes sense. Most people who say they want to write, don’t. Most people who call themselves writers aren’t, for the simple reason that they never actually sit their asses down in front of something suitably…
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Paulo Coelho's Blog
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Character of the week: Rumi
1 Sep 2010 | 3:45 pmIf in thirst you drink water from a cup, you see God in it. Those who are not in love with God will see only their own faces in it All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? [...] -
By the river Piedra I sat down and wept
31 Aug 2010 | 3:44 pmOne doesn’t love in order to do what is good or to help or to protect someone. If we act that way, we are perceiving the other as a simple object, and we seeing ourselves as wise and generous persons. This has nothing to do with love. To love is to be in communion with [...] -
CNN: Proud of being Brazilians
30 Aug 2010 | 3:46 pmPart of CNN’s Connect the World, this week we’ve picked two giants on their respective continents: Brazil and Nigeria. Here we ask novelist Paulo Coelho what he loves about Brazil. (CNN) — One of the most widely read authors of recent times, Brazilian-born novelist Paulo Coelho talks exclusively to CNN about what Brazil means to [...] -
Why we love men/Por qué amamos a los hombres
27 Aug 2010 | 2:34 pm___________________ AQUI EM PORTUGUES:>>> Porque amamos os homens AQUI EN ESPANOL: >>> Por qué amamos a los hombres ___________________ A Facebook friend sent me an email with some of the lines below. I did some research with other friends and compiled a full list. Please feel free to add more items. We love men because [...]
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Condalmo.
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Borders Bookstores are the greatest!!!1!!1!
30 Aug 2010 | 11:13 amPWxyz blog reports this morning that ailing megabookstore chain Borders has the solution to their financial woes. Teddy bears! According to Bloomberg, Borders has stuck a deal with Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., and will sell that company’s build-your-own-stuffed-animal kids and other related products in a special section of Borders stores. Borders CEO Michael Edwards told Bloomberg, “As more books are bought online or in digital format than bought at retail, it creates really the ultimate strategic challenge in terms of redefining the bookstore…We are totally rethinking it.” YOU… -
Random “Cloud Atlas” question.
26 Aug 2010 | 5:53 pmIs Sonmi-451 a clone of Louisa? Filed under: Books -
Preferred book format survey results.
11 Aug 2010 | 10:00 amA couple of weeks ago, I put together a survey to get a sense of how people want their books – paper, hardcover, e-book, etc. Some people (my wife) hated the survey, as it assumed knowledge of various e-book formats and probably skewed the voting as a result. (If someone came to a question about two formats unknown to them, they probably just closed the window.) This may be true; I only earned a B in Psychological Measurement class, so this isn’t the most rigorous experiment you’re likely to see. Anyway, the results. Click here to see more about how it all broke down. Filed… -
Where do you look to learn about new books?
10 Aug 2010 | 9:10 amMy guest post at the National Book Critics Circle tackles that question. Filed under: Books, Essays Tagged: My work elsewhere -
Hang ‘em high if they steal your books.
29 Jul 2010 | 9:25 amDamn, son. Let’s ponder the yesteryear of bookplates: More to be seen here. Filed under: Books, Pictures Tagged: Books
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Advanced Fiction Writing Blog
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Must A Novelist Begin With Short Stories?
1 Sep 2010 | 11:23 amMust you begin your fiction-writing career by writing short stories so that you can “pay your dues?” Or is it OK to just start writing novels? Neil posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: Hi Randy: I want to write novels but I have read that you should start with short stories. I have read short stories but I have never been interested in writing them. Should I start with writing short stories for several years or should I start by writing novels which is my end-goal? Randy sez: The short story is a somewhat different art form than the novel. If… -
Get Your Free Demon Today
31 Aug 2010 | 10:06 amTosca Lee, one of my writing buddies, recently resold her first two novels to a new publisher. They’re currently running a promotion on Tosca’s first novel, Demon. For a limited time, you can download a free e-book version of Demon. I met Tosca about three years ago at a writing conference. She was rooming with my freelance editor, Meredith Efken, and I got to know her a bit during the conference. At the end of the conference, while I was packing up my unsold books from the bookstore, Tosca gave me a copy of Demon. Demon is about an editor who is accosted by a wannabe writer with… -
Finding The Perfect Title For Your Novel
30 Aug 2010 | 9:47 amDiana posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: How do you think of a good titles for your books? Randy sez: You find good titles wherever you can get them. While driving. While taking a shower. While cleaning up the dog barf. You really can’t force inspiration, so just relax and wait for it to strike. And if you have to spike Fido’s dog food with Instant Ralphie to speed up the process, then you are one sick writer, but go ahead and do it for the sake of your art. Of course, thinking up a great title is no guarantee that it’ll get used. As we… -
Beating Writer’s Block
27 Aug 2010 | 3:25 pmWhat do you do when that pesky well of inspiration runs dry? How do you deal with the dreaded writer’s block? Saira posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: I’m confused, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and it was always my way to ‘get away from reality.’ I mean, I could really get inside my characters minds and just enjoy telling their story but now I’ve hit a giant brick wall… no ideas flow and if I get one I don’t like it, or I can’t go off of it. I don’t know how to get over this… -
Understanding Showing and Telling
26 Aug 2010 | 2:15 pmIs it a rule that your fiction writing should always “show” and never “tell?” If so, then how do you get rid of the “telling” in favor of the “showing”? And if not, then how do you know when to use which? Jay posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: How would you define the difference between ’showing’ and ‘telling’? I hear a lot from people talking about how you should never ‘tell’ the story, but always ’show’ it, but I also see a lot of different definitions of…
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ReadersRead.com Book Blog
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Bum Phillips Releases Autobiography
27 Aug 2010 | 4:00 pmBum Phillips, a former NFL coach, has released his autobiography. Bum Phillips became the head coach of the National Football League's Houston Oilers in 1975. He retired from the league 10 years later as one of its most colorful characters of all time. Phillips was known for his cowboy hat and boots, but he also survived deadly battles during World War II and found Jesus during a trip to prison. The book covers Phillips' accounts of his pro footaball coaching career, his favorite NFL stories, accounts of his time during World War II, his struggle to balance family life with NFL demands and… -
Socialite Tinsley Mortimer Writing a Book
25 Aug 2010 | 12:00 pmSocialite Tinsley Mortimer is writing a novel. The New York Post reports that the socialite, who used to have a CW reality show called High Society, has landed a book deal with Simon & Schuster. Tinsley has no novel writing experience, but she did contribute a chapter to a nonfiction book, Dr. Stuart Fisher's The Park Avenue Diet. Tinsley is also a designer - she has a line of handbags and apparel in Japan for Samantha Thavasa. Her Twitter account can be found here. Permalink | Recent Headlines | Our News Feeds -
Jimmy Wayne to Publish Book Called Paper Angels
23 Aug 2010 | 1:00 pmCountry music star Jimmy Wayne is writing a book. Wayne's first book, Paper Angels, will be published by Howard Books, in September 2011. The book will be co-authored by novelist Travis Thrasher. Wayne was abandoned at a young age by his father and growing up in foster care due to his mother being in prison. Wayne and his sister were both recipients of the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program. Wayne went on to be awarded the William Booth Award from the Salvation Army, the youngest ever recipient of the honor. Howard Books vice president and publisher, Jonathan Merkh, says, "Paper Angels is… -
Betty White to Publish Two Books
20 Aug 2010 | 1:00 pmBetty White will write two books for G. P. Putnam's Sons. The first book, titled Listen Up!, will draw upon life lessons learned during her long career in Hollywood, with an emphasis on the extraordinary past 15 years of the star's life. The second book, titled The Zoo and I: Betty and Her Friends, will be filled with stories and photographs capturing the daily life of her animal friends at the zoo. Betty White is a long-time member of the board of the Los Angeles Zoo, and she has been a passionate supporter of animal health and welfare her entire life. Putnam is planning to publish the first… -
Ricky Martin's Memoir to be Published November 2nd
19 Aug 2010 | 4:00 pmRicky Martin has released the cover art and the release date for his memoir. The book, entitled Me, will be published by Celebra on November 2nd. A statement released by his publicist said the book will discuss Ricky Martin's experience as a member of the boy band Menudo. It will also reveal his challenges dealing fame and the popularity of Livin' La Vida Loca. Ricky Martin writes about his decision to come out as a gay and his family life. He also discusses his devotion to helping children around the world. Ricky Martin told CNN in March that the book was the tool that set him free. Ricky…
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Laptop and Computer
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Data Recovery Services in London
Are you having problems accessing the data from your computer or storage device? Creative IT is here to help. We provide professional and fast data recovery services to customers across the UK. Since 1994 we have built a reputation as one of Britain’s leading specialists through high levels of expert data recovery and friendly customer [...] -
CreativeIT – a professional computer and laptop repair company you can trust
CreativeIT provides a specialist and competitive service for computers and laptops, offering fast diagnostics and maintenance services anywhere in the UK . Our company is well known for the professional and friendly approach to its customers. CreativeIT’s technicians have years of experience in the field of IT troubleshooting and support. We can repair and maintain all major [...] -
Quick London Laptop Screen Replacement Services
London Laptop Screen Replacement Creative IT is a Central London based laptop repair centre with more than a decade’s expertise in laptop repair, upgrade, and replacement services. At Creative IT, we have a highly committed and expert team with hands-on experience plus a good stock of laptop spare parts to render high quality laptop screen [...] -
Same Day Laptop Repair Services London
Creative IT, a leading laptop repair service company in London offers Laptop repairs with a turnaround time of less than a day. With their voluminous stocks of original laptop components and replacement parts, they provide you with component level service on laptops which can be performed by only a very few companies in UK. Their services [...] -
Acer Aspire One and Ferrari One Netbook Repair
Acer Aspire One and AcerFerrari One Repair Email, blog, chat and surf all you want! The new processor for Aspire One netbooks handles Internet multitasking without difficulty, delivering up to 15% enhanced performance than previous-generation processors while lowering power consumption to extend battery life. The compact design features a battery that fits flush into the [...]
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Joanna Campbell Slan
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It's My Story, Damn It! -- An Interview with F. Paul Wilson
25 Aug 2010 | 5:27 amF. Paul Wilson will be appearing at the Love Is Murder Conference, Feb. 4-6, in Chicago. 1. Paul, you’ve said you don’t believe in gore on the page. You prefer to make the gross/horrific stuff happen in the reader’s head. Would you tell us more about that and why it works so well?I tend to go by the maxim that less, if done properly, is more. I’ve been through med school and a rotating internship that included surgery. I’ve dissected a human body and I’ve been up to my wrists in blood in someone’s open abdomen. Blood and gore don’t get to me. I’m more disturbed by what I… -
What a Burglar Won't Tell You--But You Will Wish You Knew!
16 Aug 2010 | 1:02 pmHere are some safety tips from reformed burglars shared by Dr. Sarah Layton, Corporate Strategy Institute. These are useful tips — from former burglars!1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your (or your neighbors’) carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator. 2. Thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my (or my friend’s) return a little easier. 3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things… -
Winner of the Kiki Lowenstein Fan Club Tee Shirt
15 Aug 2010 | 4:42 pmJane Jeffers Thomas won the Kiki Lowenstein Fan Club Tee Shirt.I put all the commenters into a random number generator, and Jane won.Meanwhile, I'd like to introduce all of you to my talented and beautiful cousin, Andrea Hazel Hamilton, the watercolorist. You can read about our family reunion at the Killer Hobbies blog. -
Lois Hirt Looks for the Smiles
14 Aug 2010 | 12:48 pmLois Hirt writes a column called "Dental Scraps." She's interested in dental references we include in our mystery books. After she read Photo, Snap, Shot, she donated it to the National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore!I was happy to meet Lois, and to share the fact that I've had GREAT experiences with my dentists. In fact, I think so much of my dentist in St. Louis that I even named a character after him: Dr. Mike Wallace.Lois posted on DorothyL that she "loved the lines where Kiki remembers how she and each family member could take a day to worry." She quotes from Photo, Snap, Shot were… -
Aloha! A Review of PHOTO, SNAP, SHOT by Cindy Chow
10 Aug 2010 | 12:38 pmNote: Cindy is the first reviewer to notice that Kiki, too, is prejudiced. By the end of Photo, Snap, Shot, she must question her own assumptions about other peopleI admit that I completely lack the Martha Stewart gene. My one attempt at a DIY design project resulted in six - that's six - pieces of my furniture becoming "'marbelized" in paint. I come by it honestly, though, as ten years of my childhood photographs reside in shoeboxes at my parents' home, all in their original Kodak envelopes.So it takes a lot for me to continue to follow a "crafting" mystery series, as there's pretty much no…
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Living to Read
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A World of Difference
25 Aug 2010 | 5:00 amThe biographical blurb about the author Jean Kwok on the jacket cover of her first novel Girl in Translation can just as easily serve as an abbreviated summary of the story:“Jean Kwok (read Kimberly Chang) was born in Hong Kong and as a child immigrated to Brooklyn, where she worked with her family in a sweatshop.”Kimberley and her mother arrive here when Kimberley is eleven expecting to be taken in by relatives already living in Brooklyn.But there is an old rivalry between Kimberley’s mother and her mother’s sister Aunt Paula.It is Paula’s opportunity to exact a measure of revenge… -
Reporting from Rome
20 Aug 2010 | 4:28 pmThere's something almost voyeuristic about reading a novel that is set in a workplace. It's like getting a behind the scenes look at how people function and interact in their everyday lives. It's why I loved Johnathan Ferris' “Then We Came to the End” (see my blog). In some ways all workplaces are alike – big dysfunctional families. But when the workplace is an international newspaper headquartered in Rome, as it is in Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists, it's especially fascinating.Each chapter begins with a headline, a job description and a character name ; a particularly memorable one… -
My Vote for the Man Booker Prize
18 Aug 2010 | 5:00 amThe description of Cloud Atlas from fellow book group member Randy was so off-putting that I really hesitated; but the reviews of David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet were so favorable – and uniformly emphasized that it was a “traditional narrative” (my words) – that I decided to give Thousand Autumns a try.And I am so glad that I did.It is a fascinating book. The location is exotic: a tiny man-made island off the coast of Nagasaki called Dejima.I wasn’t even sure that it was a real place but Wikipedia now informs me that it is.The events of the novel take place… -
Native American Comic Tragedy
15 Aug 2010 | 11:21 pmChoosing a new book to read can be a challenge. I was rushing to catch a train when I stopped into a book store to get a book to read on the train. For some strange reason I didn’t see a familiar title or author. So I picked up a book with a gold seal that stated “Winner Pen Faulkner Award”.I had no idea who the author was or what the book was about. But I was in a hurry. The book I inadvertently chose was “War Dances”, a collection of short stories and poems by the Native American writer, Sherman Alexie. The stories are written in a captivating, in your face style that makes them… -
Mountain Souls
13 Aug 2010 | 3:05 pmWhen I opened Kevin Canty's Everything to the first page, I was reminded of term papers I had written long ago. Wide margins and double spacing between paragraphs – all in the hope of stretching an eight page paper into ten pages. But I'm doing Canty a disservice by making him sound like a slacker, because the style of printing actually complements his style of writing – lean, spare prose full of powerful silences.Canty's story revolves around RL, a middle-aged Montana fishing guide, and his complex relationships with the people closest to him. He and June, the widowed wife of his best…
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RobAroundBooks
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Why there’s not going to be a Van Booy/Barry follow up post
2 Sep 2010 | 7:34 amI know I should be coming back to you today with part 2 of my report on the Simon Van Booy and Kevin Barry event at the Edinburgh Book Festival – meeting with authors face-to-face – but I’ve decided I’m not going to say any more about it. I’m going to keep whatever happened after the main event to myself, through fear that people get the wrong idea. And that’s because I’ve gotten the distinct impression over the past couple of days (not from everyone. I’ve had some wonderful responses from those who I consider to be true friends), that I’ve been bragging and that… -
Rob Reports: Simon Van Booy and Kevin Barry at EdBookFest 2010
1 Sep 2010 | 11:36 amAnd so after weeks of bombarding you with uncontainable excitement, the day finally dawned when I would get to see one of my contemporary literary heroes ‘in the flesh’, along with another short story writer who has fast gained my respect. That’s right dear friends, Monday was the night that Simon Van Booy and Kevin Barry came to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and now I present to you as thorough a rundown as I can offer, on what turned out to be an extraordinary evening (as if I thought it would be anything else but ‘extraordinary’ ). Before I do launch in to telling… -
‘No Greater Gift’ by Simon Van Booy
29 Aug 2010 | 2:01 pmTitle: ‘No Greater Gift’ by Simon Van Booy Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books) Date Read: 29 August 2010 Briefly: Having just picked up a mysterious package, Gabriel considers the passengers with whom he shares his subway journey home with. In turn the passengers are considering Gabriel, and many of them do so with much preconceived suspicion. Afterthoughts: This may not be the most deep and philosophical tale that Simon Van Booy has ever written, but it stands out as one of the most adorable for a couple of reasons. Firstly it’s just… -
‘Ideal Homes’ by Kevin Barry
29 Aug 2010 | 2:01 pmTitle: ‘Ideal Homes’ by Kevin Barry Collection/Anthology?: There Are Little Kingdoms (Stinging Fly Press) Date Read: 29 August 2010 Briefly: This story takes the reader on an evening tour around a quintessential Irish village, with brazen twins, Donna and Dee, acting indirectly as impromptu tour guides. Afterthoughts: If I were asked what kind of story I was hoping for from Kevin Barry, then this would be it. Memorable characters converge in a memorable setting, to bring an equally memorable reading experience. And if character and setting weren’t enough to bring me total… -
‘Distant Ships’ by Simon Van Booy
29 Aug 2010 | 12:19 pmTitle: ‘Distant Ships’ by Simon Van Booy Collection/Anthology?: The Secret Lives of People in Love (Beautiful Books) Date Read: 28 August 2010 Briefly: The narrator speaks of his life in a small coastal town in Wales. His nights are filled with purpose as he carries out his duties in a Royal Mail sorting office. His days however are mournful and directionless, taken up with his aimless wanderings around the town where he reminisces on events that have changed his life forever. Afterthoughts: For me the plot for this story is pretty formulaic. It’s a tale of loss that’s…
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Bookninja
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Poetry bomb
2 Sep 2010 | 9:00 amThis is awesome. Some Chilean artists dropped 100,000 poetry bookmarks over Berlin. Of course, here we’d have Fox news calling them terrorists, but there people have this thing called “Fringenfrugenbeshupenfutzleintien”, which roughly translates to “common sense”. Lasting for half an hour, the initiative was intended as a protest against war and a message of peace, as well as a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the independence of Chile. It was the fifth “poetry rain” project from Chilean art collective Casagrande, which has arranged previous… -
What the hell is a “book”, anyway, roundup
2 Sep 2010 | 8:53 amIt seems we’re doing a lot of frettin’ these days. What was/is/will be a book? It’s old news, man. People have been fretting about this shit forever. When books first arrived people didn’t know what to make of them Tech-savvy kids today don’t really get this “reading” from a “book” thing Is the book just a vehicle to ensure movie ticket sales? And now the paper/digi- divide is separating couples in their own homes! Oh, Technology! You hussy homewrecker!! -
News roundup
2 Sep 2010 | 8:47 amScholastic revamps marketing to create whole new ways of selling plastic shit, video games, and TV tie-in books to unsuspecting kids Dancing with the Stars doesn’t mean dancing with authors 35 million books downloaded via iTunes? Can the book survive the academy? Guardian runs with its Not the Booker Prize again Arts investment turn-around finally happening in culture-gutted BC? VQR closes office and cancels winter issue in wake of suicide Like air, bookstores rush in to fill a vacuum San Diego public library offering free ebooks to patrons Gay Archie character arrives to do God’s… -
Griffin Prize judges announced
2 Sep 2010 | 8:07 amCanadian Tim Lilburn joins Irishman Colm Toíbín and American Chase Twitchell in picking the best of the best in poetry, or whatever you think of that whole process, next spring. Thoughts? I think it looks like a good list of judges. -
News catchup
1 Sep 2010 | 5:43 amUpper west side B&N closes… The armageddon begineth And besides closing it’s own major outlets, Borders thought this would be a good time to introduce a paid loyalty program… hey, Borders, how about getting people to show their loyalty by, I don’t know, SHOPPING AT YOUR STORES!?!? Do you use online dictionaries? Better get started… Which one is currently best? Staples sides with Amazon Sony releases updated readers, apparently pink A side by side comparison of Nook, Kindle, Sony and Kobo (this kind of thing is worth 20 articles of futzing over…
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Flashlight Worthy
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5 Vintage Childrens Books for the First Day of School
As the mother of an only child, I had one chance to get the first day of school right. There would be no learning curve for kids two, three and four… no second chances. So in preparation, I started digging into our bookshelves early so no book would be left unread. Sure, throughout the summer we had plenty of reads of Mrs. Bindergarten and her ilk, but my son and I collect vintage children’s books, and I knew there must be some titles in our backlist that were relevant to the future class of 2023. Out of the dozens of stories we sampled over the last few months, these were the… -
Off the Beaten Canon: 5 Great Novels That Don't Get Enough Attention
Less than half a century after John Erskine taught the first college course based on “Great Books” (also known as the “Western canon”), confidence that higher education curricula could center on “Great Books” collapsed. Neither Allan Bloom’s passionate defense of a “Great Books” curriculum (in 1987's The Closing of the American Mind), nor Harold Bloom’s offering of a great critic’s particular list of great books (in 1994's The Western Canon), were able to prevent higher education from sliding over to the… -
9 Wicked Beach Reads about Friend-Fatales
My novel, With Friends like These, has a strong theme of betrayal by a friend — the kind of person I like to call a "friend fatale". To inspire my writing I started with the Bible, moved on to Shakespeare — Julius Caesar! Othello! Macbeth! — then devoured the holy grails of heartfelt betrayal you see below. What takes a friend to friend-fatale? It has everything to do with the deftness of their method, since the dueling is all the darker when a character does it on the sly. While the bylaws of friendship don’t require full disclosure of behavior, the chicanery in these… -
What God Hath Wrought: 6 Great Books About Natural Disasters and Why You Should Read Them
I write historical fiction because I’m fascinated by the depth and complexity of the human experience; I write fast-paced books because that’s what keeps me turning the pages when the rest of life is trying to pull me away. It can be challenging to make a true story sound like the truth; as Mark Twain said, “Of course truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” But Mother Nature is the ultimate thriller writer, and doesn't have to follow any rules. Because I’ve lived in and traveled to places that experience a disproportionately large number of… -
Great Cultural Books for the Beach... and Anywhere Else
Lolling away time at the beach on a summer day is definitely on my list of favorite things, and a book is an essential accompaniment. But not just any book will do; summer reading at its best is captivating but not cloying, thought-provoking but not ponderous. That’s why the books on this list — each a wonderful mélange of culture and memorable characters — fit perfectly.Click here to see the 5 books on the list
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The Millions
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Roald Dahl and the Hilariously Bad Grades
2 Sep 2010 | 11:11 amA newly released Roald Dahl collection, The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets, includes a secret ending to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and excerpts from the author’s hilariously bad report cards. Wrote one teacher about Dahl in 1931: “A persistent muddler. Vocabulary negligible, sentences malconstructed. He reminds me of a camel.” (via Galley Cat) -
“Ish” Writes to Granta
2 Sep 2010 | 11:07 amFrom Granta, we learn that Kazuo Ishiguro likes to go by “Ish.” -
Neal Stephenson’s New Digital Novel
2 Sep 2010 | 11:04 amThe New York Times reports on the launch of Neal Stephenson’s new serialized digital novel, The Mongoliad, complete with video, music, and user-profiles. (via AuthorScoop) -
Zen and the Art of Image Maintenance
2 Sep 2010 | 3:49 amThe movie of Eat, Pray, Love commences with the kind of moment that, depending on your outlook, leads you to find memoirist Elizabeth Gilbert either deeply appalling or appealing. In a chatty voice-over, Julia Roberts tells us the story of her psychologist friend, Deborah, who’s daunted when asked to counsel a bunch of recently deposited Cambodian boat people. The boat people, Julia tells us, have suffered “the worst of what humans can inflict on each other—genocide, rape, torture, starvation, the murder of their relatives before their eyes.” How can a privileged American—a mere… -
File Under: Self-Realization in Women
2 Sep 2010 | 3:49 amPitting a novel entitled Am I a Redundant Human Being? against Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love may initially seem like an imbalanced match. Eat, Pray, Love is more than double its length, a best-seller turned blockbuster movie, an inspirational book devoted to the pursuit of sensuality, spirituality, personal independence, and love. Mela Hartwig’s Am I a Redundant Human Being? is a conspicuous underdog, a slight volume in translation written by the Austrian actress turned novelist Mela Hartwig who befriended Virginia Woolf in Woolf’s final years. Gilbert’s book is a travel memoir…
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Lair of the Undead Rat
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Hating the Hater
24 Aug 2010 | 9:46 am“The man on the landing at the top of the stairs is dead. . . . Could I have done anything for him? Possibly. Should I have done anything for him? Definitely not. He was a Hater, and it’s scum like him that have caused all of this. . . . They’re the reason I’ve had to lock myself and my family in the apartment.” David Moody creates a book that exults in the paranoia atmosphere created when a small percentage of the population suddenly turn into violent murders. Danny McCoyne is helpless as his city slowly begins to fall apart when people suddenly, and for no… -
The Last Survivors Series
21 Aug 2010 | 3:52 pmThe Moon Crash Trilogy/The Last Survivors/Life As We Knew It Series — these are the various series titles attributed to Susan Beth Pfeffer’s stunning three book series about the teen-aged survivors of a world thrown into chaos when a meteor slams into the moon and knocks its orbit closer to the Earth. Different sources report the series title differently. I personally like The Moon Crash Trilogy but the author uses The Last Survivors as her preferred designation. Because of that, I’ve adopted that series title for this post. But I still like The Moon Crash Trilogy better. -
We Have The Devil’s Garden: And Now You Can Read It Too
17 Aug 2010 | 7:42 amRichard Montanari is a local Cleveland Heights author who is a regular Heights Library System user. He comes to us with tricky reference questions that sometimes figures into the thrillers he writes. He is a member of our new Friends organization and gives us gifts of his most recent books. Just to catch you up to speed, he’s the author of the Cleveland based thrillers, two of them starring homicide detective John Salvatore Paris: Deviant Way (The Cleveland Series #1) The Violet Hour Kiss of Evil (The Cleveland Series #2) He is also the author of the Philadelphia based series starring… -
Scott Pilgrim Lives!
14 Aug 2010 | 6:20 amWith the success of the movie, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and the completion of the comic book series, I thought it might be a good idea to list the Scott Pilgrim series in order. Two things you need to know about the movie: The movie covers the entire span of the comic series. Although it was co-written with Bryan Lee O’Malley at about the time he was finishing up the series, the movie and Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour have different but satisfying endings. Or so I’ve been told . . . Scott Pilgrim Series Many weekends I pick a new series and detail it here — giving… -
Are You Reading Freakangels?
12 Aug 2010 | 12:50 pmFreakangels — written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Paul Duffield is a free webcomic. It comes out in weekly installments of eight bright, full color pages that fill your monitor with visions of a devastated future London and the twelve strange young adults trying to create a life out of the ruins. It’s a great experiment that is worth your attention, especially if you have any interest in reading or creating web-based comics. And it’s Warren Ellis. Missed an episode? Actually if this is the first you’ve heard of it, then you’ve missed two years worth of…
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Jacket Copy
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The Virginia Quarterly Review, part 2: Forging a future, now in jeopardy
2 Sep 2010 | 10:04 amA different path In the universe of literary journals, the Virginia Quarterly Review became something of an outlier: It invested resources in long-form narrative journalism. "I believe in the work," editor Ted Genoways told The Times. "I want to spend my time on long-form stories that are important." The VQR has stepped into the void left by mainstream newspapers and magazines facing reductions and curtailing international coverage. That’s why it was for the VQR, rather than another outlet, that Elliot Woods was hot, dirty, wearing a plastic helmet and feeling… -
The Virginia Quarterly Review, part 1: A suicide rocks the esteemed literary journal
2 Sep 2010 | 9:23 amOn July 30, Kevin Morrissey printed a note, gathered his identification and called the Charlottesville, Va., police to report a shooting at the coal tower, a local landmark. When they arrived, it was Morrissey they found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his papers laid out neatly beside him. Morrissey was the 52-year-old managing editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, an award-winning literary journal published by the University of Virginia. He had worked at the journal since 2004, handling accounting, payments, contracts and other administrative details. -
Paste Magazine says goodbye to print
2 Sep 2010 | 8:44 amPaste Magazine, the Decatur, Ga.-based glossy that describes its contents as "signs of life in music, film and culture," got quite a bit dimmer Thursday when it announced that its June/July issue would be its last on paper. It is ceasing its print publication. Last year, struggling with mounting debt and shrinking ad revenues, Paste called on readers to help bridge its difficult time. Readers did, but the debt and ad issues didn't improve enough. Paste debuted as a print magazine in 2002. It has twice been nominated for National Magazine Awards for general excellence. On… -
Sony Reader announces new line of e-readers [Updated]
1 Sep 2010 | 2:37 pmToday Sony announced its new electronic Reader line. The new Readers have more memory and improved screens. The new Reader Daily Edition is able to download ebooks from Sony's store without a cable and do limited Web browsing using AT&T's 3G wireless network. The device has a 7-inch touch screen and comes with 2GB of memory, expandable to 32 GB. Its base price is $299. Sony, which was one of the first out of the box with an e-reader for books, has lagged behind competitors Amazon and Apple by not expanding its 3G wireless connection to all of its models. The new Reader… -
Summer reading: Rosecrans Baldwin on Graham Greene
1 Sep 2010 | 6:30 amRosecrans Baldwin, a founder of the smart and witty website The Morning News, published his debut novel this week. And while it's smart, "You Lost Me There" has none of the charming sarcasm of the website; instead, it takes a mature look at relationships and memory. The Daily Beast writes that it is a "masterful study of love, loss, and self-discovery."Baldwin told Jacket Copy about one of his favorite summer reads, "The End of the Affair" by Graham Greene, via e-mail. Jacket Copy: Do you remember reading a specific book during summertime?Rosecrans Baldwin:…
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Buzz, Balls & Hype
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Linktopia
1 Sep 2010 | 7:43 pmFrom the boardroom to the bedroom - from today's New York TimesBy the end of this year, 10.3 million people are expected to own e-readers in the United States, buying about 100 million e-books, the market research company Forrester predicts. This is up from 3.7 million e-readers and 30 million e-books sold last year.The full story is here. -
Self Publishing Might Not Be Your Answer
30 Aug 2010 | 8:29 amA great article here about the differences in publishing models. -
THE DOCTOR IS IN
27 Aug 2010 | 4:26 amRED HOT (OKAY, WARM PINK) MAMA Monday night was my voice class performance. On Sunday three of my classmates—the ones I went to Maine with—and I held a marathon rehearsal. We ran through our individual songs several times; Beth, Antonietta and I rehearsed “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” and Florrie and I practiced “Sisters.” After each run-through, the “audience” (whoever wasn’t singing) gave the others feedback. Everyone agreed that my voice and delivery were stronger than they’d ever been in class. But Beth said, “You’re still holding something back.” “When we… -
THE DOCTOR IS IN
20 Aug 2010 | 4:27 amCOCKEYED OPTIMISM In the comments to last week’s post, “me” advised me to check out the Gotham Girls for inspiration in gutsiness. I haven’t done that yet (though the suggestion continues to intrigue me) but I was inspired this week nonetheless. I saw South Pacific. A friend from childhood and I have birthdays very close together, and every year we plan an elaborate celebration—a day trip to a sculpture park or mountain resort; an extravagant dinner; once a visit to a museum several states away to see a photography exhibit we were both interested in. This year, we decided on a… -
Guest Blog: Roll Your Own Blog Tour
18 Aug 2010 | 9:35 pmBy Scott Nicholson www.hauntedcomputer.comAbout three weeks ago, I was driving to the day job and reflecting on the blitzes I've done with a few other authors, where we would cross-promote each other and try to stimulate a sales rush on Amazon.I was preparing another new book for independent digital release and the idea of several weeks of organizing just for a few hours of boosted sales seemed a little disheartening.Then I realized I was still stuck in "old brain," a hangover from the days when I would drive three hours on my own gas card to sit at a bookstore for two…
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My Mind on Books
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new book – ‘The Multitasking Mind’
2 Sep 2010 | 10:21 amThe Multitasking Mind by Dario D. Salvucci and Niels A. Taatgen (Oxford University Press, USA, 2010) (link for amazon.co.uk) Product description from the publisher: Multitasking is all around us: the office worker interrupted by a phone call, the teenager texting while driving, the salesperson chatting while entering an order. When multitasking, the mind juggles all [...] -
new book – ‘Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages’
31 Aug 2010 | 2:26 pmThrough the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher (Metropolitan Books, 2010) (link for amazon.co.uk) Product description from the publisher: A masterpiece of linguistics scholarship, at once erudite and entertaining, confronts the thorny question of how—and whether—culture shapes language and language, culture Linguistics has long shied away from claiming [...] -
‘Mapping the Mind’ – revised & updated
27 Aug 2010 | 11:49 pmA revised and updated edition of Mapping the Mind by Rita Carter has been issued by the University of California Press. (by Phoenix in the UK) Product description from the publisher: Today a brain scan reveals our thoughts and moods as clearly as an X-ray reveals our bones. We can actually observe a person’s brain [...] -
recent philosophy book – ‘Three Questions We Never Stop Asking’
26 Aug 2010 | 3:44 pmThree Questions We Never Stop Asking by Michael Kellogg (Prometheus Books, 2010) (link for UK) Product description from the publisher: What can I know? What may I hope? What ought I to do? These are three questions that—however much we immerse ourselves in the whirl and concerns of everyday life—we cannot, in the end, escape. [...] -
social perception in ‘God Soul Mind Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Reflections on the Spirit World’
22 Aug 2010 | 11:35 amDespite the title, God Soul Mind Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Reflections on the Spirit World (link for amazon.co.uk) is not primarily about religion or the spirit world from a neuroscientific perspective. Instead, gods and spirits figure as examples of a more general process of social perception that is the real focus of the work. In a [...]
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Reading Local
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Review: “Saving Stanley” by Scott Nadelson
1 Sep 2010 | 12:20 pm[ Saving Stanley: The Brickman Stories | Scott Nadelson | Hawthorne Books & Literary Arts| $15.95 ] Saving Stanley is a terrific collection of eight interrelated stories about Daniel Brickman and his family. The stories move back and forth in time and focus on different family members, eventually piecing together a family history from the grandfather’s Communist youth in Leningrad, the parents’ early years of marriage, and Daniel’s adolescence, to Daniel’s own marriage. The stories that focus on Daniel’s mother Hannah are the strongest, starting with the title piece in which she… -
The Instant Librarian’s Summer Reading Summary
1 Sep 2010 | 12:56 amI thoroughly enjoyed The Instant Librarian‘s summary of her summer reading: In each season, there’s a moment– maybe a few seconds, maybe a whole afternoon– when the approach of the next season makes itself known. The wind picks up in a day of stillness, dry leaves stir for the first time, some heavy scent– jasmine, orange blossom– drifts from an unseen vine. It’s the voice of a ghost or a vaguely familiar stranger in a dream. A distinct message clearly sounded and then gone. There’s a part of me that listens and waits for the first sign. It must not be conscious, though,… -
Chloe Eudaly Interviewed on Bangback
30 Aug 2010 | 5:03 pmI’ve already shared how much I love Pinball Publishing’s blog Bangback, and they have delivered the goods once again by posting a terrific interview with Reading Frenzy’s “faithful proprietress” Chloe Eudaly. Reading Frenzy by the way, just achieved full funding on their Kickstarter project with 33 hours to spare!! Anyhow, here is a sample from the interview: [Bangback]Reading Frenzy celebrated its 15 year anniversary this past year. Wow! This milestone is extremely impressive for so many reason, especially given the changing nature of print media and… -
New Release: “Blood, Money, Power” by Michele Marie Tate
27 Aug 2010 | 9:51 amEditors Note: If you are a Portland author, poet, zinester, cartoonist or publisher looking to publicize your new release(s), you can now do so on our community blog with a post similar to this. Please visit our FAQ page to learn more about adding posts to the community blog. New Release: Blood, Money, Power, the debut novel from Michele Marie Tate, is now available for purchase. Description: Blood, Money, Power is an epic political novel inspired by a true story. Your’e invited to follow the Preston family bloodline for three generations. In 1920, Otto Preston a lawyer and… -
Confessions of a Book Nerd: Down the Rabbit Hole
25 Aug 2010 | 9:51 amBreathless. It’s the best feeling you can get when reading a book. It’s the most intense feeling you can get when experiencing anything artistic. And I’m not talking about that bullshit sentimental “breathless” that rode a motorcycle right out of Top Gun, bringing its ridiculous and beautiful sunsets with it. I’m talking about the kind of breathless that happens when someone is beating the shit out of you. That pressure in your chest when your trying like hell to inhale. I’m talking about the kind of breathless that feels like you are being held under water,…
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Boomerang Books Blog
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USER REVIEW WINNER: Dead In The Family
2 Sep 2010 | 2:49 amDead In The Family by Charlaine Harris Reviewed by Molly Dead In The Family, #10 in the Sookie Stackhouse series, is definitely no let-down. Loyal and dedicated fans who have read the previous books in the series will not be disappointed. The novel is still action-packed and realistic in its depiction of Harris’ supernatural world, however in this particular book, but there’s been a change: you’ll meet a slightly more world-wary Sookie. This in no way detracts from her original character – in fact, this growth of character is what makes her easily likeable and real. -
Amsterdam on ‘Guardian’ first book longlist
1 Sep 2010 | 8:05 pmThings We Didn’t See Coming by Australian author Steven Amsterdam (Sleepers Publishing) has been longlisted for this year’s £10,000 (A$17,000) Guardian first book award in the fiction category. Other authors longlisted in the fiction category are Rebecca Hunt, Ned Beauman, Maile Chapman and Nadifa Mohamed. The shortlist for this year’s prize will be released in late October, with the winner announced at the beginning of December. Amsterdam is one of the authors included in the new Sleepers Almanac, which has just been released for the first time as an iPhone app. Source:… -
‘Addition’ film rights sold
1 Sep 2010 | 7:59 pmText Publishing has announced that film rights to Toni Jordan’s Addition have been acquired by Buon Giorno Productions and Bruna Papandrea. The film is set to be co-produced by Cristina Pozzan of Buon Giorno Productions and Papandrea. Pozzan, who has worked in the film industry for more than 25 years, said the film of Jordan’s book ‘promises to be a highly original and sophisticated romantic comedy’. US-based Australian producer Papandrea said she had ‘long wanted to return to Australia to work on a project that was both smart and also had broad commercial appeal’… -
2010 Inky Awards longlist announced
1 Sep 2010 | 7:53 pmThe longlist for the 2010 Inky Awards has been announced. The Inkys are international awards for teenage literature, presented by Inside a Dog, a website funded by the State Library of Victoria. Here are the longlisted books: The Gold Inky (Australian books) * Liar (Justine Larbalestier, A&U) * Guardian of the Dead (Karen Healey, Little, Brown) * Merrow (Ananda Braxton-Smith, Black Dog Books) * Raw Blue (Kirsty Eagar, Penguin) * Swerve (Phillip Gwynne, Penguin) * The Piper’s Son (Melina Marchetta, Viking) * Confessions of a Liar, a Thief and a Failed Sex God (Bill Condon, Woolshed… -
Davitt Awards winners announced
1 Sep 2010 | 7:39 pmAllen & Unwin won all awards in the Sisters in Crime Australia’s 10th Davitt Awards for best Australian women’s crime writing, presented by Val McDermid in the Celtic Club as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival. * Adult Fiction: Sharp Shooter (Marianne Delacourt, A&U) * Children’s & YA Fiction: Liar (Justine Larbalestier, A&U) * True Crime: Lady Killer (Candace Sutton & Ellen Connolly, A&U) * Readers’ Choice: Forbidden Fruit (Kerry Greenwood, A&U) Forty crime books competed for the Davitt Awards this year. Judges were impressed by the 10 children’s and…
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Reading Copy Book Blog
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AbeBooks’ August 2010 bestsellers
2 Sep 2010 | 9:55 amAbeBooks.co.uk Top 10 bestsellers for August 2010 1. Vietnam by Spencer C. Tucker 2. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren 3. The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal 4. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 5. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 6. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 7. The Golden Warrior, the Story of Harold and William by Hope Muntz 8. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson 9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest by Stieg Larsson 10. The Wild Muir by John Muir The AbeBooks.com top 10 bestsellers for August 2010 1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by… -
Yo, Robot: Foreign Asimov Covers
1 Sep 2010 | 2:02 pmWhile burrowing through the site for great collectible copies of Isaac Asimov books for a feature, I came across these great paperback copies of I, Robot in other languages. Since they didn’t really work for the feature, I thought I would follow in my colleague Scott’s footsteps and share them on the blog. The second Italian one (last) is by far my favourite. It’s like a weird, wooden, Easter-Island robot. Love it. The other Italian one features what I imagine the offspring of R2-D2 and C-3PO would have looked like, if those two crazy kids had ever made a go of it. Spanish:… -
AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales in August 2010
1 Sep 2010 | 9:17 amThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in six volumes, by Edward Gibbon appears twice, selling for $27,500 and $7,150 respectively. The $27,500 sale is a complete set of first editions and very rare as such. The lesser sale features a first volume which is a third edition so that forced down the price in a significant fashion. The sale of S.J. Perelman’s personal travelling leather briefcase and writing desk for $3,000 is particularly interesting. Perelman (1904- 1979) contributed many humorous articles to The New Yorker over the years but he was also an accomplished… -
Top Class Writing: Teachers & Schools in Literature
31 Aug 2010 | 10:56 amGot that back-to-school feeling again? Take a gander at our literary tribute to teachers and students in literature. My personal favourite from this list of 25 memorable books is Tom Sharpe’s Porterhouse Blue. The head porter, Skullion, is a wonderful creation and a truly crafty individual. Having spent 10 years living in Oxford, I am positive there are many Skullions in reality. I’d out The History Man by Malcolm Bradbury as a close second simply because Howard Kirk such a completely awful person. Again, I’m sure there are many Howard Kirks in reality. The list also includes Miss Jean… -
Berlin bombed by poets
31 Aug 2010 | 8:09 amBerlin was ‘bombed’ with poetry at the weekend, reports The Guardian.
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About.com: Bestsellers
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September New Releases
1 Sep 2010 | 1:57 amSeptember is the start of the big fall publishing season. Find out all about the hottest new books being released this month with this September 2010 New Releases Calendar. Cover Photo Courtesy Spiegel & Grau -
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
29 Aug 2010 | 5:02 pmSophomore Slump? Well, not really. It technically can't be. Yann Martel did write a novel before Life of Pi, but his books from here on out will always be compared to Pi until he writes something that matches the imagination, wit and style of that modern classic. Beatrice and Virgil, Martel's third novel, sadly falls short of Pi's magic. It packs a punch at the end, but the storytelling this time is much more plodding and burdensome, distracting from the powerful metaphors at work. Beatrice and Virgil Book Review Beatrice and Virgil Book Club Discussion Questions Cover Photo Courtesy Spiegel… -
Best Books of the Year (So Far)
24 Aug 2010 | 5:10 pmAs summer winds down, you might start to take stock of how 2010 is going so far. We are doing the same thing. If, in the process of contemplating the year, you decide you need to catch up on some reading, here is what we think are the 5 Best Books of 2010 so far. Cover Photo Courtesy Grand Central -
Read The Hunger Games Trilogy Now!
22 Aug 2010 | 5:12 pmMaybe we were a little late to The Hunger Games bandwagon, but we have a message for those who also have not read the books yet: They are brilliant. Feverishly addicting. For those suffering from withdrawal from the finales of Harry Potter or Twilight, here is your chance to discover a trilogy pulsating under the radar. The Hunger Games and its sequel, Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins are both worth reading in a stop-whatever-else-you're-doing-and-consume-these-in-48-hours-or-less type fashion. That's what I did. So hurry. Mockingjay, the final chapter, comes out tomorrow! The Hunger Games… -
Presidential Reading
20 Aug 2010 | 7:26 amPresident Barack Obama and family are on vacation, and one of their first trips out was to a local bookstore. Obama bought The Red Pony by John Steinbeck, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Jonathan Franzen's new novel, Freedom -- which has gotten a lot of attention ahead of its August 31st release (maybe bookstores that leaders of state frequent get advanced copies). Obama's reading list has helped past books achieve bestseller status, including Netherland by Joseph O'Neill -- his novel of choice last summer.
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The Creative Penn
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The Accidental Author: Lessons Learned From Writing A Children’s Book
31 Aug 2010 | 11:08 pmThis is a guest post from Cindy Jett, author of ‘Harry the Happy Caterpillar Grows: Helping children adjust to change”. If you’d like to write a guest post for the blog, please check the submission guidelines here. When I considered writing a guest post, I thought to myself, what do I know about writing for children? True, I just had a children’s book published, but I still thought of that as kind of an accident. Truth is, I have never been been singled out for my writing talent, I had never considered myself a writer, and I had never written a single story, until… -
Writing, Publishing Options And Book Marketing: August Ezine
29 Aug 2010 | 11:06 pmAugust has been a crazy month for me! I have been fully into editing my thriller novel Pentecost, as well as speaking and doing much more video for the blog as well as my YouTube channel. I’ve also done some amazing audio interviews on the podcast on creativity, spoken word poetry, copywriting, and ebook publishing. Check out the 63 free interviews now available for free. Here is the monthly Ezine roundup of the posts from the month (right click to download) => The Creative Penn Ezine August 2010 Here’s the online version at Scribd.com if you want to read on-screen. Writing,… -
Copywriting That Sells Your Books Podcast With Paul Lonergan
27 Aug 2010 | 11:07 pmIn this great podcast, we explore copywriting for authors that can help sell books including headline writing, capturing people’s attention and the call to action as well as exploring authenticity and Facebook ads among other topics! Paul Lonergan is an author, ghostwriter and copywriter with AlwaysWrite.com.au. For more than 20 years, he’s been using words to sell everything from stock-broking services to beauty products In this podcast you will learn: How Paul started out in writing, working for free at a radio station and then moving into writing copy. He moved into… -
Book Marketing: Use Your Email Signature Effectively
25 Aug 2010 | 11:32 pmYou have probably heard this advice before, but have you done anything about it? What does your email signature say right now? I get emails every day from people commenting on the blog, asking questions or telling me about their books which I love to receive and happily reply to. However, over 50% of those emails do not have any links in their email signature, and many have no email signature at all. Some have an image of a business card with no clickable links to their website or book for sale which is not very useful either. How many emails do you send a day? To friends, your accountant,… -
Seth Godin Gives Up On Traditional Publishing
24 Aug 2010 | 2:04 amThe publishing world and the blogosphere is full of the reports that Seth Godin, 12 x NY bestselling author of marketing books, has given up on traditional publishing. Here is his blog post outlining his move to digital publishing as it allows rapid spreading of ideas direct to the customer. I previously posted about how he launched ‘Linchpin’ with non-traditional media so this seems like a natural progression. In this video, I explain what this means for you and I as authors, and also how it is impacting the opinions of the publishing industry. (Main points below if you want to…
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www.publetariat.com
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On Beyond Ebooks
1 Sep 2010 | 6:00 pmThis post, by JA Konrath, originally appeared on his A Newbie's Guide to Publishing blog on 8/27/10. I'm loving the ebook revolution. Obviously, I enjoy the money I'm making (close to $500 a day). But it's more than that. I'm able to do things I never could have done in the traditional publishing world. read more -
Ebook Revolution Well Underway
1 Sep 2010 | 6:00 pmExactly a year ago, I wrote about how ebooks are the future. Today I read that the Oxford English Dictionary, the mighty volumes that record our very language itself, will only be available online. You can read a bit about that here. read more -
ISBNs Don't Matter As Much As You Probably Think They Do, But You Might Want To Start Owning Your Own Anyway
31 Aug 2010 | 6:00 pmI was about to post an overlong response in a comment thread on Joel Friedlander's The Book Designer blog, but on reflection, realized what I was about to post wasn't a response, it was a blog entry in its own right. The article associated with the comment thread is about Library of Congress registration information [Editor's note: the article is reprinted here on Publetariat today], and the subject of ISBN ownership came up in the discussion going on beneath the article, in the comments. And here's what I have to say about ISBN ownership: read more -
CIP: What It Means, How to Read It, Who Should Get It
31 Aug 2010 | 6:00 pmThere is one place in printed books were we look for all kinds of editorial, bibliographic, legal, promotional and production information: the copyright page. But among all this information, data, legal notices and marketing and contact information, there’s one piece of content on the copyright page that is obscure to most people who pick up the book: the CIP data block, issued by the Library of Congress’ Cataloging in Publication program. read more
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There Are No Rules
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Self-Published Authors Should Band Together
1 Sep 2010 | 12:30 pmToday's Q&A is with longtime author and publisher Eric Hammel, who started his own publishing company in the 1980s alongside his traditional author career. Given his 30+ years of experience as an author, marketer, and self-publisher, I find his in-depth perspective on the industry invaluable for anyone considering DIY options, or contemplating the future of authorship and publishing. -- You've been self-publishing in parallel with a traditional writing and publishing career for 25 years. Why did you initially start self-publishing? I went into self-publishing in 1985 because of a… -
Your Self-Help Book Should Not Be a Thinly Disguised Memoir
31 Aug 2010 | 12:27 pmIf you're writing a memoir, and it's your very first attempt at writing (or writing seriously for publication), odds are good that you won't yet be skillful enough to pass muster with an agent or editor. (See this YouTube lesson from master storyteller Ira Glass on why.) Many people are sparked to write a memoir after they overcome great pain and adversity in their lives, as a means of catharsis, as well as to help others going through the same thing. Based on writers I meet at conferences, about 50% of the time this memoir is actually positioned or written as a self-help book. I've said it… -
Make the Most of Your Memory: 10 Tips for Writing About Your Life
30 Aug 2010 | 10:36 amToday's guest post is by Stacey Dubois, a graduate student at Tufts University, as well as an aspiring children’s/YA novelist. For more on the psychology of the creative process, visit her blog. -- In the courtroom, witnesses pledge to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” An admirable goal, but a laughable one to memory researchers. Unless you’re Jill Price, a woman suffering from the first known case of hyperthymestic syndrome (“total recall”), such a feat is impossible. Why? Memory is not an impartial recording device. Retrieving a memory is not like… -
Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 8/27/10)
29 Aug 2010 | 12:56 pmI watch Twitter, so you don't have to. Visit each Sunday for the week's best Tweets. If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the Comments. Want to know about the best stuff I read each week? Click here to subscribe to my shared items. Quick plug for upcoming Writer's Digest online classes: Publish Your Children's Work in Today's Market by Mary Kole, on September 23 Best of Best B happened because A happened ... Plotting advice stripped to the bones @dirtywhitecandy WOW! Best articles for writers (lots of them!) Thx @4kidlit @thecreativepenn Getting Published, Agents/Editors Everything you need… -
Don't Annoy People on Facebook
27 Aug 2010 | 10:26 amI have a wide range of friends of Facebook—including many writers who are using the site to market their work. While this isn't wrong in and of itself, some approach the site as their personal direct marketing tool, and do more damage than good. That's why I wrote this lengthy post at Writer Unboxed: Using Facebook to Amplify Your Reach and Not Annoy People There you'll find basic principles for using the site beyond socializing with close friends, 5 un-marketing principles, and specific tactics to avoid. I also offer a list of extra-credit reading, from trusted sources, if you want to…
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Better World Books Blog
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Better World Books Podcast: Eric Jerome Dickey
31 Aug 2010 | 12:24 pmNY Times Bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey and I are kindred spirits. While I am not a NY Times Bestselling author, we both started out in IT and ended up in books and we both had stops along the way that included acting and stand-up comedy. A couple of years ago I actually interviewed Eric on the phone for the radio show I was doing at the time, but this was the first time I was going to meet Eric in person, so I was pretty excited to meet him. And I was not the only one. Eric had some adoring fans in our office who were happy to get to meet him too (and unhappy with me –… -
BWB @Lilith: Up close and personal with Sarah McLachlan
27 Aug 2010 | 4:30 amWhile on tour this summer with Lilith – everyone got to know everyone quite well. We spent many days in our [i4c] Campaign tent with Pema Teeter from Alter-Eco Fair Trade and Organic Foods. Pema had the amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with Lilith founder Sarah McLachlan about life and music and giving back. Enjoy! Part 1: Part 2: Stay tuned for the rest of the interview… coming soon! -
Women’s Equality Day 2010
26 Aug 2010 | 4:30 amHere at Better World Books we’re celebrating Women’s Equality Day 2010 and the 90th anniversary of 19th amendment which gave women in the US the right to vote. Enjoy this list of books by and about powerful women. You may love ‘em, you may hate ‘em – but either way, you’ve got to admit they’ve each changed the political landscape in their own way! Notes from the Cracked Ceiling by Anne E. Kornblut Pearls, Politics and Power by Madeleine Kunin Bella Azbug by Suzanne Braun Levine A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Carl… -
BWB @Lilith: Get to know Worldfund
25 Aug 2010 | 4:29 amMeet Luanne Zurlo, president of Worldfund one of our premier literacy partners. Our Lilith tour guru Abbey Frick sat down for a chat with Luanne at the Boston show to talk about how Worldfund got started and what it’s all about. -
Top 10 Books for Sending the Little Ones Off to School
23 Aug 2010 | 8:42 amNot sure who the first day of school is harder for… Mom or the little ones, but if your little one has the “school is scaries” here’s a list of books to help them board the big yellow bus: The Berenstain Bears Go to School by Stan & Jan Berenstain The Exceptionally, Extraordinarily Ordinary First Day of School by Albert Lorenz Junie B., First Grader (at Last!) by Barbara Park If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff First Day Jitters by Julie Dannenberg First Grade Stinks! by Mary Ann Rodman Miss Mingo and the First Day of School by Jamie Harper On My Very…
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Art of Mike Cressy
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NEW Abstracts!
27 Aug 2010 | 6:45 pmI took a little time off from doing this kind of art for the last few weeks,... what with my birthday and all the parties, then starting a new job at MSFT... haven't had much time. But here are some new ones. Hope you dig 'em!See you next post!-MC -
New drawings!
9 Aug 2010 | 8:24 pmThe panda sketch is a new one that I did waiting for Squeeze to take the stage at the Showbox a week ago. I love that band but this sketch had nothing to do with them, it was from something I had seen earlier in the day.The singing at St. Clouds sketch was from seeing a woman friend of mine sing recently. She has a great voice but does not look like the character in the sketch,... not even close.Hope you enjoy the new sketches and hope you are having a great summer. We haven't had a summer in the pacific northwest this year. It's been more like our spring/autumn time of year except the it… -
New Dog Painting! Ruff...
4 Aug 2010 | 10:21 pmI finished this actually last week and I'm starting another painting,... thought I'd post today.The title is "Dog Gone It"Enjoy!See you next post! -
My NEW interview is up!
28 Jul 2010 | 9:30 amI did an art interview with Rasmus Rasmuson on his website "Another Passion" and here's the link for you to read the whole thing... actually it's not very long so... no pain.Check it out and let me know what you think....http://www.anotherpassion.com/2010/interview/mike-cressy-illustrator-creator-of-creatures/INTRO..."Originally from Michigan, Mike Cressy worked, first in animation and later as an illustrator in Los Angeles before coming up north to Seattle. He has a knack for characters and strange creatures, has illustrated several children’s books and created artwork for numerous games,… -
Introducing the Vowels...A,E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y
27 Jul 2010 | 10:18 pmI had set this one aside for a few months while I worked on other stuff and thought I'd finish it off before starting another painting. Hope you dig it. Personally I'm liking the monotone version.
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The Reader's Advisor Online Blog
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Are zombies the new vampires?
1 Sep 2010 | 11:24 amby Sarah Statz Cords All right, I’ll admit, a simple Google search revealed that I am not as clever in this choice of topic as I thought I was. Links to other (undoubtedly more clever) stories on the subject are listed at the end of this post. I noticed the other day as I was looking over new releases for the year that a good number of new horror books feature zombies. Of course, in terms of sheer output, vampire books are still walloping all competition.* But what do you think about it? Are you getting readers as rabid about zombie books as they are/were about vampire books? (And was… -
RA Run Down
29 Aug 2010 | 1:25 pmThe readers’s advisory librarian’s weekly update, from a scan of more than 100 blogs, newsletters, magazines, newspapers and television. This blog is brought to you by the Reader’s Advisor Online, the subscription database based on Libraries Unlimited’s Genreflecting Advisory series. We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment on any of our posts, or contact us at raoblog@lu.com. By Cindy Orr This Week In Books New Titles on the Week’s Most Wanted Mashup of Bestsellers: Fiction Frederick Forsyth – The Cobra James Patterson and Liza Marklund… -
Most Wanted Mashup: Hottest Books of the Week
29 Aug 2010 | 12:53 pmFICTION Sandra Brown – Tough Customer Frederick Forsyth – The Cobra Philippa Gregory – The Red Queen Carl Hiaasen – Star Island Linda Howard – Veil of Night Stieg Larsson – The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest James Patterson and Liza Marklund – The Postcard Killers Martin Cruz Smith – Three Stations Kathryn Stockett – The Help Lauren Weisberger – Last Night At Chateau Marmont NONFICTION Rhonda Byrne – The Power Michael Capuzzo – The Murder Room S. C. Gwynne – Empire of the Summer Moon Justin Halpern –… -
Under the Radar: Addiction Memoirs
29 Aug 2010 | 12:44 pmCupcake Brown–A Piece of Cake Augusten Burroughs–Dry David Carr–The Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life–His Own Dan Clark–Gladiator: A True Story of ‘Roids, Rage, and Redemption Carrie Fisher–Wishful Drinking Kate Holden–In My Skin: A Memoir Mary Karr–Lit: A Memoir Caroline Knapp–Drinking: A Love Story Christopher Kennedy Lawford–Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption William Cope Moyers–Broken Brandon Novak–Dreamseller: An Addiction Memoir David… -
New, Noteworthy, and No-Brainer
29 Aug 2010 | 12:26 pmMONDAY NONFICTION Vern Yip – Designing Spaces: Transforming Every Room With Easy, Elegant Style – 9780060748036 TUESDAY FICTION J. K. Beck – When Blood Calls (mass market) – 9780440245773 Roberto Bolaño – The Insufferable Gaucho – 9780811217163 Ken Bruen – The Devil (Jack Taylor #8) – 9780312646967 Jayne Castle and Jayne Ann Krentz – Midnight Crystal (mass market) – 9780515148367 Jennifer Crusie – Maybe This Time - 9780312303785 Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood – Lost Empire: A Fargo Adventure – 9780399156762…
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The Eclectic Book Lover
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Rookie Wednesday: Kelly Creagh, author of Nevermore
31 Aug 2010 | 10:00 pmRookie Wednesdays are where I interview authors, of any genre and/or reading level, with recent or upcoming debut novels. If you're an author with a recent/upcoming debut and would like to be interviewed, hit me up at jax @ eclecticbooklover . com Today's debut author is Kelly Creagh whose YA novel, Nevermore, was just released in the US yesterday. Great to have you here at The Eclectic Book Lover, Kelly! Let's start off with one random tidbit about yourself. Thanks for having me! Something that I love for people to know about me is that I am a professional bellydancer and instructor. I… -
Interview & Giveaway: Larissa Ione, author of Sin Undone
30 Aug 2010 | 8:30 pmToday I'm glad to be hosting Larissa Ione, who's Demonica paranormal romance series is a favorite of mine (LOVE Wraith!). Her latest installment, Sin Undone, was recently released and she's here to tell us a bit of what to expect. Great to have you here at The Eclectic Book Lover, Larissa! Could you tell new readers a bit about your Demonica series? First of all, thank you for this opportunity! It's nice to be here with you and your readers! Okay, so about the Demonica series...the easiest way to describe it is "Buffy The Vampire Slayer meets E.R." It's a series set in and… -
Pint Sized 'Pinions: Contemporary Romance Edition
26 Aug 2010 | 5:47 pmPint-Sized 'Pinions are mini-reviews that I post often (usually weekly). The books reviewed have either been reviewed a lot or I don't have much to say for them, whether negative or positive, to justify an extended review. Well, the first one's not technically a contemporary romance, but fans of the genre may like it... Family Affair by Caprice Crane Women's Fiction/Chick Lit Bantam (September 29, 2009) ISBN-13: 978-0553386233 368 pages When Layla Brennan married her high school sweetheart, Brett Foster, she finally got the big, loving family she’d always wanted: his. Now she’s closer to… -
Rookie Wednesday & Giveaway: Kathy Charles, author of John Belushi Is Dead
24 Aug 2010 | 10:59 pmSo, I'm reinstating a former feature of mine today. Rookie Wednesdays are where I interview authors, of any genre and/or reading level, with recent or upcoming debut novels. If you're an author with a recent/upcoming debut and would like to be interviewed, hit me up at jax @ eclecticbooklover . com Today's debut author is Kathy Charles whose YA novel, John Belushi Is Dead, was just released yesterday in North America and was initially published in Australia and New Zealand as Hollywood Ending. Great to have you here at The Eclectic Book Lover, Kathy! Let's start off with one random tidbit… -
Currently Coveting (15)
24 Aug 2010 | 8:30 pmIn case you haven't seen this feature before, I'm switching from my usual Waiting on Wednesday post. Instead of just one upcoming title that I want, I'll list several, along with some backlisted books that I have on my wishlist too. If you guys have read any of the previous releases, let me know what you thought about them. On Shelves Now Black Swan Rising Urban FantasyWhen New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a…
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The Bat Segundo Show
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Daniele Thompson (BSS #353)
27 Aug 2010 | 6:08 amDaniele Thompson is most recently the co-writer and director of Change of Plans — a movie that opens in theaters on August 27, 2010. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Confusing his code with his plans. Guest: Daniele Thopmson Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: I wanted to start off about confinement and physical space. In Jet Lag, you have two characters who are predominantly occupying a hotel room. In Avenue Montaigne, you have a broader physical space with the cultural world. And in this [Change of Plans], you have, of course, the dinner party. Eleven… -
Gary Shteyngart II (BSS #352)
20 Aug 2010 | 8:22 amGary Shteyngart is most recently the author of Super Sad True Love Story. He previously appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #121 and was ambushed by a Noah Weinberg type earlier in the year. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Too old and too much of a hack for Conde Nast’s cryogenic chambers. Author: Gary Shteyngart Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: You’ve probably seen this video of this 11-year-old who’s being cyberbullied by 4chan. Did you hear about this? She’s going by the name of Slaughter. And there’s a video where her dad is… -
Vincent Cassel & Rachel Shukert II (BSS #351)
12 Aug 2010 | 6:47 amVincent Cassel stars in Mesrine: Killer Instinct, which opens in limited release on August 27, 2010, followed by Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 on September 3, 2010. Rachel Shukert is most recently the author of Everything is Going to Be Just Great and previously appeared on Show #217. (The true Shukert completist can also listen to Ms. Shukert on Show #173, where she appears in a group discussion on sex writing.) Condition of Mr. Segundo: Dodging persuasive serial killers and angry Swiss listeners. Guests: Vincent Cassel and Rachel Shukert Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPTS FROM… -
David Mitchell III (BSS #350)
11 Aug 2010 | 2:00 pmDavid Mitchell is most recently the author of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. He previously appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #1 — the very program that started it all — along with a two-part podcast from 2006 (Show #54 and Show #55). Condition of Mr. Segundo: Annoyed by hotel security. Author: David Mitchell Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Mitchell: I think of words as vehicles that convey what is in my imagination into someone else’s. And we’re sort of in a dialogue. Because they don’t just replicate what’s in the… -
Adam Ross (BSS #349)
6 Aug 2010 | 11:10 amAdam Ross recently appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #349. Mr. Ross is most recently the author of Mr. Peanut. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Caught within the vertiginous sensation of a Mobius strip. Author: Adam Ross Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Ross: I think that what keeps us going day in and day out as we live our lives — and certainly we live our lives, hopefully, as members of caring relationships — is the belief that we can improve and change. And when I think of the idea of change, progress, and the improvability of character, that to me is a belief…
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Minnesota Reads
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Rebecca
2 Sep 2010 | 8:17 amIt might be fair to say that Daphne du Maurier wrote the book on suspense novels. That book would be Rebecca her 1938 romantic mystery that set the bar for its many predecessors. It embodies many of the genre’s tropes – twisted love affairs, a sprawling manor, breathlessly rendered settings – and proves that in literature, as in the rest of life, the first is often the best. Rebecca begins slowly, with the unnamed narrator’s launch into British high society courtesy of a marriage proposal from the aristocrat Maximilian de Winter. Gentility does not become her, and about a third of… -
No Miso Soup for you
1 Sep 2010 | 9:30 amIt has probably been two years since I read In the Miso Soup, which I consider more than just Ryu Murakami’s flagship novel, but one of the few pieces of literature that I still draw on regularly when I want to ush and gush about fiction. I can still conjure what it feels like to read that book: Dreamy, terrifying and lonely, with a touch of nausea. And whenever I get into a conversation about books with someone I know can handle the dankest of dank, and the sourest of sour, the bloodiest of bloody – something that should be packaged with it’s own air sickness bag — I… -
A Single Man
31 Aug 2010 | 9:52 amI think I came at Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man with the wrong approach. I saw the movie adaptation before I read the novel (I know. I know!) so I was expected some sort of eulogy, a soft and mournfully worded ode to a life about to end. What I did not expect was a polemic, a collection of vehement little diatribes studded onto a thin skeleton of literary fiction. A Single Man reminded me of the kind of books I was assigned to read in high school, books where characters took pains to spell out their (i.e. the author’s) views on social or political topics. It moves forward in fits… -
Mockingjay
30 Aug 2010 | 8:02 amUnable to read Mockingjay until three days after its release, I stayed off Twitter and Facebook to avoid spoilers. I ignored emails with Mockingjay thoughts or links to book reviews. I didn’t even read the book jacket. When I’m looking forward to a book, especially the last in a series, I want to dive in with a blank slate. If you loved the first two books of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, you should do the same. Stop reading this review and dive into Mockingjay. It’s worth it; you’ll adore it. It may even make you cry. If you haven’t started reading The Hunger Games… -
Help us settle this debate
25 Aug 2010 | 7:13 amIt seems most of the MN Reads’ writers are on vacation. And I’m in the middle of about four books. So instead of a review, I’m going to ask you to help settle a raging debate. Last week at Grumpy’s, a few of my classmates from The Loft’s Short-Short Fiction class were celebrating the our last session. Over some tator tots and jalapeno bacon we got to talking at Gary Shteyngart and how he’s coming to read at Magers & Quinn on September 21, which is the same night Jonathan Franzen is going to be at The Fitzgerald. I mentioned how I’m in the midst…
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Great Books that I liked
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The three Sirens (published in 1964) - Authored by Irving Wallace
31 Aug 2010 | 9:49 amIrving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents,Bessie and Alexander Wallace Who had emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book “sins of Peter Fleming did not attract much attention. But his second book… -
The Prize (published in 1962) - written by Irving Wallace
29 Aug 2010 | 9:42 amIrving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents, Bessie and Alexander Wallace Who had Emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book 'Sins of Peter Fleming' did not attract much attention. But his second book… -
The Seventh Secret (Published in 1985) - Authored by Irving Wallace - What if Hitler was still alive ?
12 Aug 2010 | 11:26 amIrving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents,Bessie and Alexander Wallace, who had Emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book “Sins of Peter Fleming" did not attract much attention. But his second book… -
The Man (published in 1964) - the turmoil when a Black Man becomes President of the United States
3 Aug 2010 | 10:57 amIrving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents,Bessie and Alexander Wallace Who had Emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book “Sins of Peter Fleming" did not attract much attention. But his second book… -
Floodgate (1983) - Authored by Alistair Maclean - Irish terrorists threatening the Netherlands with water
30 Jul 2010 | 12:06 pmAlistair MacLean is a Scottish writer who specialized in writing thrillers and crime stories. He was third son of a Scottish minister and joined the Royal Navy during the world war two. He was a senior torpedo operator at the height of his career. He was in the thick of the war theater during the world war and saw action on many fronts especially the arctic north. After retiring he started penning his novels based on the war he saw and many of them became best sellers. MacLean never looked back as a writer until his death in 1987.Floodgate is the second book of Alistair MacLean to be set in…
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Michelle Kerns's feed
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Book Lush 101, Lecture 3: Another round for the Knights of the Round Table- Le Morte d'Arthur
17 Aug 2010 | 9:18 amThis is Lecture 3 in the Book Examiner's series of 13 Book Lush 101: The History of English Literature, Adult Beverage-style "lectures." To see the complete Course Syllabus, to peruse the first two lectures, or to proclaim your everlasting devotion to the cause of both literature and adult beverages, visit the Book Lush page here.Lecture 3: Another round for the Knights of the Round Table -- Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'ArthurLast lecture saw us pondering the triad of alcohol, literature, and sex in Geoffrey Chaucer's highly regarded and highly bawdy 1300s romp, The... -
A spoonful of fiction makes the wonky science go down, in a most delightful way
13 Aug 2010 | 12:30 amI've been whiling away my dish-washing, laundry-folding, floor-mopping hours listening to the audio production of Lisa Scottoline's Think Twice, a thrillerish, mysteryish tome that belongs in the ever-burgeoning genre of Twin Lit.Bennie Rosato is a successful lawyer who dresses sensibly, wears Birkenstocks, and, in a possibly related thread, has no boyfriend. Her identical twin, Alice Connelly, is a skank: she tends towards the criminal and seedy (and that's just in her men) and a fashion sense heavily influenced by Frederick's of Hollywood.Alice needs money fast. She... -
The Proust Project, in which I attempt to change my life by reading through Proust in one year
27 Jul 2010 | 10:10 amWhen I was an innocent young lass, I decided that by the time I turned 33 I would know Everything.I would be confident. I would be intelligent. I would know how to cook pork chops without making them dry. I would know how to buy car insurance. I would understand the difference between who and whom. I would be an expert at bridge. I would finish the New York Times crossword puzzle without help.I turned 35 last Saturday and must face the unpleasant fact that I am at least -- and this is being deliriously optimistic -- two years behind schedule in knowing Everything.... -
Book Lush 101, Lecture 2: The Canterbury Tales - Alcohol and Literature and Sex, oh my
25 Jul 2010 | 2:38 pmThis "lecture" is the second installment of Book Lush 101: The History of English Literature, Adult Beverage-style. Sign up and take a look at the course syllabus here. If you missed Lecture 1, Uncorking English Literature, or "Hand me another mead, Wiglaf, this epic poetry is killing me," get the class notes here or risk failing the midterms and having to wash everyone else's wine glasses for the rest of the course.Lecture 2: The Canterbury Tales: Alcohol and Literature and Sex, oh myThe harmonious union of Alcohol and Literature had several hundred years to... -
The Seven Stages of Grieving After Purchasing a Full-Price Hardcover Book You Later Find To Be Awful
14 Jul 2010 | 9:39 amIn 1969, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross published On Death and Dying, a book that listed the emotional stages of grief she observed in terminally ill patients, those affected by unexpected bad news, and, in a little-known appendix to the main text, people who purchase full-price hardcover books they later discover to be awful.Although Dr. Kübler-Ross originally identified five Stages of Grief, modern psychiatrists (who many experts believe were peeved at the price of Organic Chemistry textbooks they could only get half price for when they tried to sell them back to...
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QuentinFinch | Popular
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Can we finally get rid of the term "Chick Lit"?
28 Aug 2010 | 6:31 pmAmen! Why is fiction by female writers given this diminutive title? Linda Homes tackles this question via the Jodi Picoult/Jennifer Weiner #franzenfreude discussion. 3 Vote(s) -
The Art of Racing in the Rain
27 Aug 2010 | 7:58 amJust finished The Art of Racing in the Rain and loved it!! It was such an enjoyable read. In case you've somehow missed hearing about it, it's a story about the Swift family told from the perspective of the dog, Enzo. Enzo is frustrated by his dogness, but nevertheless finds ways to communicate with his family and make a difference in their lives and his own. It's not at all a hokey situation, no3 Vote(s) -
Review: The Magicians
22 Aug 2010 | 7:56 pmI read this book a while ago (a year, maybe?). It's fun to stumble across reviews for books you loved but have forgotten the details from. I'm glad to read that Galleysmith liked this one, too.3 Vote(s) -
The American coming-of-age story
22 Aug 2010 | 7:49 pmThe Guardian asks the question: why are American so good at writing coming-of-age stories? The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird... We certainly do have our share of our outstanding ones. Is there something particularly American about the teen/tween story?3 Vote(s) -
The Hunger Games Drinking Game
20 Aug 2010 | 5:42 pmYes! Why weren't there these kinds of drinking games when I was in college. I would have ruled the school. Or something like that.4 Vote(s)
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About.com Contemporary Literature
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Lots to read in September
1 Sep 2010 | 5:56 amTalk about an embarrassment of riches! Where do I start? New work from Sara Gruen, Michael Cunningham, and Nicholas Sparks, a new series from Ken Follett, Booker-longlisted Room from Emma Donoghue, Lydia Davis' translation of Madame Bovary... whew... we're going to need more time to read all of this. Plus, Scarlett Thomas, William Gibson, David Sedaris and more! Check it out. -
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
31 Aug 2010 | 2:15 amIn Freedom, the mom is an ex-athlete who still carries a torch for her husband's rock star best friend, the dad is a corporate progressive who fights Big Coal, the son actually moves out of the house and into the neighbor's, and the author, Jonathan Franzen, once again proves mastery at mining the suburban experience for both comedy and tragedy....Read Full Post -
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
30 Aug 2010 | 12:02 amSkippy is a complicated kid. He's a got a good heart but is growing increasingly bored with his successes in both the classroom and on the swim team. Skippy looks to be a Nintendo-fueled recast of the classic Russian hero - laced with an enigmatic malaise - but as Skippy Dies progresses, we learn in a perfectly plotted series of hints that there's a lot more trouble behind Skippy's silent face....Read Full Post -
The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier
25 Aug 2010 | 3:50 amWalker Bean is a bookish pre-teen whose grandfather, an admiral in the navy, falls ill after gazing upon a cursed skull taken from a deep ocean trench in the Mango Islands. The trench is home to Remora and Tartessa, two giant, horrifying, arachnidesque sea witches who, as it happens, would like to have their skull back - thank you very much - and are coming to get it. Read more....Read Full Post -
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
22 Aug 2010 | 11:45 pmPacking for Mars, while about space travel, has more to do with bodily functions such as ingestion, digestion and egestion (yes, it means what you think it does) than any astronautic heroics. This is a book about the necessary questions that preceded the heroics - What are the psychological effects of weightlessness? Of body odor on two men trapped in close proximity for two weeks? What does it look like to eat, sleep, and yes - go to the bathroom in space? And more, as Mary Roach (Stiff, Spook, Bonk) once again goes where no journalist has gone before....Read Full Post
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Flavorwire » Books
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The Top 10 Bookstores in the US
2 Sep 2010 | 10:30 amBookstores are dying. They’re dying because of jerks who are too cheap to buy a hardcover, or even a paperback, and too lazy to get a library card. Guys like the one from Julie Bosman‘s NY Times article, and this guy, and this guy. Even before we break into the eBooks discussion, think about everything else that reading is supposed to contend with these days — movies, video games, television, and the internet. And now that there’s competition even within the “book” medium, it’s no wonder that Barnes and Noble is closing a four-level shop (for those of… -
8 Must-Visit Author Memorials and Museums
1 Sep 2010 | 9:05 amWe found out last week that the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will open this fall in the author’s native Indianapolis. Vonnegut suffered several brain injuries that ultimately led to his death on April 11, 2007. It is fitting that his memorial be a library, as the AP article points out, because he so loved to be surrounded by books. His three children were quick to approve the plans and help celebrate their father’s immense body of work. Among the library’s artifacts are Vonnegut’s Purple Heart, a replica of his writing space (complete with typewriter), and a set of… -
Psychological Pop Quiz: Are You Having a Suburban, American Breakdown?
31 Aug 2010 | 11:35 amJonathan Franzen’s Freedom delivers the same jolt of expertly wielded misery that made his break-out novel The Corrections such a success. The Time magazine-anointed author‘s latest take on the disorder known as the modern family is masterfully crafted, while forcing its readers to confront the sorrowful skeletons in their own closets. Freedom‘s study of a familial meltdown at the hands of infidelity, depression, and alcoholism sure ain’t pretty, but it’s chock full of unsettling reflections that echo of familiar dysfunction. And it’s with this in mind, that we… -
Meet Kevin Keller: Archie’s First Openly Gay Character
31 Aug 2010 | 10:06 amWith tomorrow’s release of Veronica #202 the world meets Archie Comics’ first openly gay character: Kevin Keller. According to The Daily Beast, bringing a gay student to Riverdale High School is “a sign of changing attitudes toward homosexuality.” But we’re not so sure. Archie artist Dan Parent told them that Kevin is “well-dressed” not “too flamboyant.” In other words, the kind of gay teen who shouldn’t ruffle the feathers of more conservative Americans — and absolutely nothing like the tiny fringe-wearing illustration that… -
Q&A with Cartoonist Julia Wertz, Author of Drinking at the Movies
31 Aug 2010 | 8:03 amCartoonist Julia Wertz — whose name your probably recognize as the creator of online cult comic The Fart Party — is going through a quarter-life crisis in her first full-length graphic memoir, Drinking at the Movies. The situation is only intensified by an unplanned move from the Bay Area to New York City, and a proclivity for both getting herself fired and drinking way too much whiskey for someone so tiny. After the jump we chat with Wertz about her creative process, her unique sense of humor, and her favorite spot in New York. Drinking at the Movies has its share of serious moments. Is…
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Jungla.
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Why I will not buy the new Amazon Kindle for travelling
29 Aug 2010 | 5:33 amThe only argument I have heard for swapping my books for an ereader is that you can carry a massive amount of books on a Kindle that is simply not possible with printed books. I will now destroy that argument with the simple premise that you only read one book at a time. Argument: “But I travel a lot, and books are heavy.” Reality: A short paperback novel will take at least five hours to read. At 200 grams (the new kindle is 247 grams), that’s five hours of reading for less weight than a Kindle (Kindle’s don’t make you read faster, after all). A five-hundred page… -
Why I write
28 Aug 2010 | 8:50 amHave you ever asked yourself why you write? Where your motivation to sit at a desk and think up stories comes from? Have you ever asked yourself whether the impulses which drive you to write are positive or negative? And whether your motivation might be reflected in the writing you produce? George Orwell isolated four motivations for writing. They were his personal reasons, but they will be universal amongst the majority of writers. 1) Sheer egoism. A desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on the grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood. It… -
The six greatest Apocalypse novels (and the worst)
22 Aug 2010 | 12:34 pmApocalyptic novels tap into an unnerving and secret desire readers have for the complete annihilation of humanity. There are few authors who have the skill to create these bleak and terrifying worlds, but below are six of the best apocalypse novels reviewed on Jungla.co.uk. 6. Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood Seen through the eyes of an unwilling protagonist caught up in a psychotic friendship, this is more than a dystopian science-fiction novel. It’s disturbing and visionary in equal measure. Questions where consumerism, self-gratification and technology may be leading humanity. -
Victor Hugo and the house which speaks for the dead
17 Aug 2010 | 11:19 amFrench Realist author Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Toilers of the Sea, lived in exile in Guernsey from 1856 to 1870. Hugo was thrown out of France for his Republican views in a stormy period between the Second and Third Republics. Cosette by Émile Bayard, original book cover for Les Misérables, Victor Hugo Guernsey is only a few miles off the French coast, and his country’s coastline is visible from the little room on the top floor where Hugo used to sleep and write. Hugo wrote standing up in front of a long window, waking at 6am and… -
Breakdown costs and revenue of a digital ebook compared to a printed book
10 Aug 2010 | 10:30 amThe cost and revenue breakdown on the sale and retail price of an ebook compared to a printed book, a graphic courtesy of Shane Snow Apart from creepy thumbs, this picture demonstrates that a large chunk of the retailer’s profit and author’s revenue are going to disappear with the growth of ebooks. This makes sense, given that the product itself, the book, will cease to exist in any form. Breakdown costs of publishing an ebook compared to a print book I wonder whether that $13 is currently all profit for the print book retailer though, given that it hasn’t been considered in…
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Ebook Market Watch
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Official Twitter app updated for iPad
2 Sep 2010 | 11:14 amWith the release of Twitter as a universal app that now includes iPad support (read the official announcement here) I feel confident that the reports of the death of 3rd party Twitter applications have been greatly exaggerated. … View full post on ipad – Google Blog Search -
NYConvergence: NY Publishers Condé Nast, Time Inc. Make iPad Moves
2 Sep 2010 | 7:46 amTwo NY magazine publishers made some iPad moves recently. Condé Nast ‘s The New Yorker made some changes so that users of the Apple iPad Safari browser are automatically recognized when they come in from the iPad, letting them access… View full post on publishers ipad – Google Blog Search -
PDF to ePub Converter: Best convert PDF to ePub eBook Converter …
2 Sep 2010 | 7:43 amDoremisoft PDF to ePub Converter is assuredly the simplest and efficientest assistant for eBook reader owners to convert PDF document to ePub for having a more pleasant experience of reading eBooks on Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble nook, … View full post on epub – Google Blog Search -
Free Software Downloads – 4Easysoft ePub to iPad Transfer – System …
2 Sep 2010 | 7:43 amIt can help users to transfer ePub to iPad and export ePub files from iPad. View full post on epub – Google Blog Search -
iPads Finally Shipping Within 24 Hours
2 Sep 2010 | 7:41 amiPads Finally Shipping Within 24 Hours The iPad shortages that delayed the devices international roll-out by a month are finally over. Nearly 6 months after the iPad went on sale, supply has finally caught up with demand. Read more on AllThingsD Online via Yahoo! Finance
