Charles Simic A still from Chess Fever (1925), a film by Shakhmatnaya Goryachka When my mother was very old and in a nursing home, she surprised me one day toward the end of her life by asking me if I still wrote poetry. When I blurted out that I still do, she stared at me with incomprehension. I had to repeat what I said, till she sighed and shook her head, probably thinking to herself this son of mine has always been a little nuts. Now that I’m in my seventies, I’m asked that question now and then by people who don’t know me well. Many of them, I suspect, hope to hear me say that…
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Why I Still Write Poetry
nybooks.com: Recent items15 May 2012 | 2:15 pm -
The Best-Read Man in France
The Fine Books Blog14 May 2012 | 9:51 amI'm always glad to have my attention drawn to novels with bookish themes (and here). Recently, another from this genre landed on my desk, The Best-Read Man in France, written by Peter Briscoe, a former academic library administrator at the University of California, Riverside. The main character is Michael Ashe, a Los Angeles-based rare bookseller and a bit of a Casanova, who travels the world buying and selling books, mainly in the area of Mexican-American history. When business begins to dry up, he faces his misgivings about the trade and finds solace in the story of French librarian and… -
Take the Test: How Fast Do You Read?
Flavorwire » Books13 May 2012 | 11:00 amWe stumbled across a rather interesting online test this morning — it’s a measure of how quickly you read, and how this compares the US national average. You probably won’t be surprised to know that, as avid book geeks and voracious readers, Flavorpill reads pretty fast — although we still only manage about 10% the pace of the world speed-reading champion, one Anne Jones (pictured), who can apparently chew through a remarkable 4,700 words a minute. She apparently read the final Harry Potter book in 47 minutes on its release, later reviewing it for UK newspaper The Independent… -
When it Comes to Books, Teachers’ Biggest Concerns [INFOGRAPHIC]
First Book Blog13 May 2012 | 6:00 pmIf you’re a teacher or program leader who works with kids in need, let us know what you think. Leave a comment below, or comment on First Book’s Facebook page. -
Crowdfunding for Bookstores
The Fine Books Blog15 May 2012 | 8:13 amJosh Niesse, (second from left), who we profiled recently for our Bright Young Things series, runs Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia. His bookshop, where he also hosts events such as documentary screenings, is part of a larger building that went up for sale earlier this month. Josh's landlord offered him a deal: if he could raise $8,000 in a narrow window for a down payment, he could stay in his space. Instead of pursuing a traditional loan, Josh turned to "crowdfunding," a new and creative way to finance projects. He launched a funding campaign with Indigogo…
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NYT > Books
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Inside the List
16 May 2012 | 3:06 amOn May 25, fans of Douglas Adams will honor the author’s memory with the annual Towel Day, a nod to Adams’s delirious novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” -
Carlos Fuentes, Mexican Novelist, Dies at 83
15 May 2012 | 11:05 pmMr. Fuentes was Mexico’s elegant public intellectual and grand man of letters whose panoramic novels captured the complicated essence of his country’s history. -
‘The Conflict’ and ‘The New Feminist Agenda’
15 May 2012 | 9:06 pmTwo new books examine the current culture of motherhood: one bemoaning it and the other suggesting what might be done to improve the balance of work and family demands. -
Books of The Times: ‘I Am Forbidden,’ a Novel by Anouk Markovits
15 May 2012 | 8:36 pmTwo Hasidic girls, united as a result of Nazi persecution, pursue opposite paths in this novel by Anouk Markovits. -
Mike McGrady, Known for a Literary Hoax, Dies at 78
15 May 2012 | 3:10 pmAs a Newsday journalist, Mr. McGrady led his colleagues in the creation of “Naked Came the Stranger,” a steamy parody novel.
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Books
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In Writing, Fuentes Shed Light On Poverty, Inequality
15 May 2012 | 11:01 pmCarlos Fuentes, one of the most influential Latin American writers, died Tuesday at a hospital in Mexico City at the age of 83. He was instrumental in bringing Latin American literature to an international audience, and he used his fiction to address what he saw as real world injustices.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Remembering Mexican Writer Carlos Fuentes
15 May 2012 | 4:41 pmRobert Siegel talks to literary critic Alan Cheuse, a writing teacher at George Mason University, about the legacy of Carlos Fuentes. The Mexican writer died Tuesday at the age of 83.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Carlos Fuentes, Legendary Mexican Writer, Dies
15 May 2012 | 2:26 pmFuentes was one of the premiere and most prolific authors in the Spanish language. Along with contemporaries like Gabriel García Márquez, Fuentes shone a global spotlight on Latin American culture.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Send Your Comments For May's 'Backseat Book Club'
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmMelissa Block and Robert Siegel solicit questions and comments for the May edition of "Backseat Book Club." The upcoming book is Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus. Send your thoughts to backseatbookclub@npr.org.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
'Home': Toni Morrison's Taut, Triumphant New Novel
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amToni Morrison's latest novel revisits the story of the prodigal son, as a Korean War veteran returns to his hometown in the pre-civil rights era South. Critic Heller McAlpin says Home is as accessible and visceral as anything Morrison has written.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
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nybooks.com: Recent items
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Why I Still Write Poetry
15 May 2012 | 2:15 pmCharles Simic A still from Chess Fever (1925), a film by Shakhmatnaya Goryachka When my mother was very old and in a nursing home, she surprised me one day toward the end of her life by asking me if I still wrote poetry. When I blurted out that I still do, she stared at me with incomprehension. I had to repeat what I said, till she sighed and shook her head, probably thinking to herself this son of mine has always been a little nuts. Now that I’m in my seventies, I’m asked that question now and then by people who don’t know me well. Many of them, I suspect, hope to hear me say that… -
The Loves of Lena Dunham
15 May 2012 | 10:15 amElaine Blair Girls a television series on HBO created by Lena Dunham Mark Seliger/HBO Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in Girls There are many reasons to love Lena Dunham’s HBO television show Girls, and some of them have nothing to do with sex, but I’m going to begin with the sex scene in the second episode that most critics have mentioned and described with some amount of repugnance or lament. It’s one of the most complicated and intelligent sex scenes I’ve seen. -
In Defense of the New York Public Library
13 May 2012 | 10:15 pmRobert Darnton Anne Day The Rose Main Reading Room at the 42nd Street branch of the New York Public Library; photograph by Anne Day from the new edition of Henry Hope Reed and Francis Morrone’s The New York Public Library: The Architecture and Decoration of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. It is published by Norton. Few buildings in America resonate in the collective imagination as powerfully as the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The marble palace behind the stone lions is seen by many as the soul of the city. For a century it provided limitless… -
Fear and Literature
11 May 2012 | 9:30 amTim Parks Christopher Anderson/Magnum Photos A man driving through Catia, a violent slum in Caracas, Venezuela, 2005 Is the novel a space of intense engagement with the world, of risk and adventure? Or is it a place of refuge, of hanging back from life? The answer will be all too easy if we are living in a country that does not allow certain stories to be told. For Solzhenitsyn writing novels was indeed a serious risk. But in the West? In my last piece in this space I considered the idea that our personalities are formed in communities of origin where one particular polarity of values or… -
The Myth About Marriage
9 May 2012 | 12:30 pmGarry Wills Palazzo Massimo alle Terme A Roman sarcophagus depicting a bride and groom (center), 270-280 CE Why do some people who would recognize gay civil unions oppose gay marriage? Certain religious groups want to deny gays the sacredeness of what they take to be a sacrament. But marriage is no sacrament. Some of my fellow Catholics even think that “true marriage” was instituted by Christ. It wasn’t. Marriage is prescribed in Eden by YHWH (Yahweh) at Genesis 2.24: man and wife shall “become one flesh.” When Jesus is asked about marriage, he simply quotes that passage from…
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Salon.com
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Sacha Baron Cohen’s dark political farce
15 May 2012 | 7:00 pmWhat exactly is Sacha Baron Cohen up to? This question, stupid as it may appear on the surface, has intrigued me ever since "Da Ali G Show" began airing in the United States. It's a stupid question because Baron Cohen is a comedian; as "edgy" or "controversial" as his topics and material may sometimes be, his job is to make people laugh. But most comedians don't try to get laughs by interviewing Pat Buchanan or Boutros Boutros-Ghali ("Boutros Boutros Boutros-Ghali," as Ali G introduced him) under false pretenses, or by leading a group of unsuspecting Arizona nightclubbers in a rousing chorus… -
Mother-daughter sexperts
15 May 2012 | 7:00 pmMost parents loathe talking to their kids about the birds and the bees, let alone pubic hair grooming, faked orgasms and "water sports" -- but most parents are not legendary "sexpert" Susie Bright.Better than talking about these things, she penned an advice column in 2009 with her daughter, Aretha, then 19, for the ladyblog Jezebel. Their answers to questions about everything from porn to Paxil were unflinching but playful, and at times controversial. Now the pair have collected those columns into a new e-book, "Mother/Daughter Sex Advice." Together, they read as an irreverent version of "Our… -
Should I nail the sexy prof?
15 May 2012 | 7:00 pmDear Cary,There is a lecturer in my faculty whom I find devastatingly attractive. I find him so attractive that I have to actively control myself in his presence. I think about him nonstop. I am a graduate student and he is a lecturer. He is probably about double my age, and I am 22. I took one of his classes a few semesters back but won't be in any of his classes in the future. I am sure I have made my attraction as painfully obvious as possible. Should I try to proposition him? What do you think of this sort of age gap? And how do I handle the possible (probable) rejection? I am aware of… -
When text meets art
15 May 2012 | 7:00 pmIn the exhibition "Ecstatic Alphabets/Heaps of Language," which opened on Sunday at the Museum of Modern Art, words are treated as tools and as totems. Gathering text-based work by artists from Marcel Duchamp to Tauba Auerbach alongside contemporary designers like Paul Elliman and Dexter Sinister, the show offers varied takes on how to make meaning out of language, and also how to make a beautiful mess of it—sometimes at the same time.[caption id="attachment_320971" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="A portion of Paul Elliman's Found Fount, at the Museum of Modern Art's… -
Coming soon: Bigger drones
15 May 2012 | 3:51 pmPublic safety agencies can now get expedited permission to fly drones weighing up to 25 pounds in U.S. airspace, according to new rules approved Monday by the Federal Aviation Administration.The size of the craft was the most significant change made by the FAA in responding to a congressional mandate to integrate unmanned aviation vehicles into domestic airspace. In February, Congress passed legislation calling on the FAA to expedite approval for law enforcement and first responder agencies that want to use drones smaller than 4.4 pounds.FAA officials decided to boost the size of the largest…
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book-blog.com
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Friend, Catherine: Sheepish
11 May 2012 | 9:44 amDa Capo, 280 pages1st published: 2011 TWEETABLE REVIEW: 3.5* A pleasant memoir about life, knitting, & middle age on a Minnesota sheep farm. The take-away: buy wool undies. amzn.to/K1XzRP I've scarcely read anything in 2012 due to busyness on various fronts, but I did manage to squeeze in Catherine Friend's memoir Sheepish. The book is a pleasant enough read about the author's life on a farm in Minnesota, where she and her partner Melissa raise sheep and the occasional llama. It is an update on the sheepish goings-on that Friend first wrote about in Hit by a Farm: How I Learned to Stop… -
McCall Smith, Alexander: In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
7 Apr 2012 | 4:38 pmAnchor, 256 pages1st published: 2005 Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana is rather like Andy Griffith's Mayberry, a world that may never have existed in fact, where people are generally decent and where, despite its problems, life is good -- particularly if one is lucky enough to be acquainted with Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It's a world I'm sorry to leave behind whenever I finish one of the books in McCall Smith's series. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, the 6th installment in the series, finds Mma Ramotswe threatened by an unexpected source, for a wholly… -
Maberry, Jonathan: Dead of Night
6 Mar 2012 | 7:47 amSt. Martin's Griffin, 368 pages1st published: 2011 Desdemona Fox is a hard-as-nails small-town cop whose military experience--she saw active duty in Afghanistan--comes in handy during a zombie apocalypse. Dez and her father-figure partner J.T. are the first on the scene at ground zero, a funeral home in Stebbins, PA, where a deadly virus claims its first victim: after an encounter with a not-quite-dead corpse, Doc Hartnup is quickly zombified and lurching around infecting others. The pathogen is 100% infectious and spreads through the transmission of body fluids, which primarily means bites. -
Cumming, Charles: The Spanish Game
8 Feb 2012 | 1:30 pmSt. Martin's, 338 pages1st published: 2008 Charles Cumming's The Spanish Game picks up Alec Milius's story six years after the events covered in A Spy By Nature. Since his career as a spy ended in failure, Alec has been living in exile, feeling guilty about what he's done--though I'm honestly not sure why he feels so guilty about it--and worrying that it might come back to haunt him. When the book opens he's in Madrid, still living as if he's on the job, taking precautions against tails and so on, but it's not clear initially whether he's being sensible or paranoid. I wanted very much to like… -
Cain, Susan: Quiet
5 Feb 2012 | 10:06 amPublisher, 352 pages1st published: 2012 In her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain discusses introversion in the workplace and at home, covering such topics as the "extrovert ideal," which prevails in the U.S. and Europe, and the biology of introversion and extroversion. Cain is an introvert herself--though like many introverts she manages to pass as an extrovert when the situation requires. She thus approaches the subject with great sympathy and understanding. The book is quite readable and interesting, at least to this introvert. I enjoyed in…
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Chronicle Books Blog
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What We’re Watching on TV
15 May 2012 | 7:38 pmWatching TV is fun—and in the Entertainment publishing group, it also counts as “research.” You never know where the next book idea will come from. And there is *so much* good TV out there right now, it’s hard to resist. I’m watching Game of Thrones, passionately. I love watching a good show based on a book that I’ve read. And each one of the GOT episodes is like stand-alone film—such high quality acting, dialog, filming, costumes. Plus, since I’m over 40 and I finished the second book so long ago, I forget all the plot twists. I’m shocked and horrified all over again. I’m… -
Getting Things Done with Mary Kate McDevitt
11 May 2012 | 11:00 amTell us what you think in the comments below and you’ll be eligible to win one of the Carpe Diem journals we’ll reward to three lucky seizers of the day (offer valid in the US and Canada only). Getting things done is so much easier when those things are well-designed. Enter letterer and illustrator Mary Kate McDevitt. Mary Kate never ceases to amaze me. She makes original hand lettering look so darn easy! And now she’ll make all your messy ideas look pretty exceptional, too. She illustrated a journal called Carpe Diem that will help you wrangle all your grand plans in one… -
Chronicle Books HQ, Illustrated
10 May 2012 | 11:43 pmLast week, artist Jason Polan came to San Francisco from New York for the sixth issue of Pop-Up Magazine—the amazing magazine that features stories, documentary films, interviews, photography, facts, and radio LIVE ON STAGE. Back home, Jason keeps busy drawing every person in New York. While Jason was in town, he stopped outside our building to draw its portrait… Christina Amini Executive Editor, Art Publishing -
From the Chronicle Kitchen: The Sugar Cube
9 May 2012 | 7:51 pmFrom personal experience, I know moms love getting cookbooks as gifts for Mother’s Day, so I couldn’t resist featuring The Sugar Cube: 50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet today. If you’ve been lucky enough to visit Kir Jensen’s cart in Portland, Oregon you know that her unique and creative takes on dessert classics are THE BOMB. Regardless of whether you’re a fan already, this acclaimed pastry and dessert creator has made her recipes available to the home cook – including Mom, in case you need a last-minute gift idea! Sample the recipe… -
Dead Mountain: A Russian Mystery
8 May 2012 | 7:22 pmEarlier this year, author and film director Donnie Eichar travelled to Russia to conduct interviews and complete an expedition to the site where a group of nine hikers perished in 1959 under mysterious circumstances. His documentary and nonfiction book, tentatively titled Dead Mountain, will be released next year. The book will be published by Chronicle Books. It’s sometime after midnight, and I’m lying in the back of an old military cargo van on my way to the Northern Ural Mountains in Russia. My journey started over eighteen hours ago (by car, tram, and train) in Yekaterinburg, the…
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Bookslut
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Names and Statistics
6 May 2012 | 5:07 am(broadcast on Sveriges Radio, August 14, 2011) Today, at the moment of writing, it is July 23, 2011. I'm sitting alone in our flat in Malmö writing the manuscript for this summer program. It's raining, the sky is heavy and... -
Wholly Beautiful: Reading The Road to Reality
6 May 2012 | 4:41 amI’ve had this John Cooper Clarke poem running through my head as I clomp around the hot city, all the verses running together and switching order. “The bloody train is bloody late, you bloody wait you bloody wait, you're... -
A Conversation Between Daisy Rockwell and Lorraine Adams
6 May 2012 | 3:16 amBookslut columnist Daisy Rockwell's The Little Book of Terror, a new book of paintings and essays, was published in February by Foxhead Books. Rockwell, a frequent contributor (under the name Lapata) to the blog Chapati Mystery, regularly posts her... -
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
6 May 2012 | 3:09 ammantel hilary bring up the bodies -
Digital Ghosts: The Last American and Dapper John
6 May 2012 | 2:55 amJust before Christmas last year -- according to the LA Weekly -- Christopher Nolan, director of Inception, gathered together some of America's best-known filmmakers for a screening with an "ulterior motive." Nolan wanted to talk to them about how soon...
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Powell's Books: Overview
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Daily Dose for Wed, May 16: Villain's Guide To Better Living (04 Edition)
16 May 2012 | 3:00 amVillain's Guide To Better Living (04 Edition) by Neil Zawacki Reviewed by Caroline from Seattle, Washington. -
Daily Dose for Tue, May 15: Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture (2nd Edition)
15 May 2012 | 3:00 amGaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture (2nd Edition) by Toby Hemenway Reviewed by Sarah from Portland, Oregon. -
Daily Dose for Mon, May 14: The Art of Racing in the Rain
14 May 2012 | 3:00 amThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein Reviewed by K from Portland, Oregon. -
Daily Dose for Sun, May 13: Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds
13 May 2012 | 3:00 amLives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds by Lyndall Gordon Reviewed by Judy from Norman, Oklahoma. -
Daily Dose for Sat, May 12: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel
12 May 2012 | 3:00 amExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel by Jonathan Safran Foer Reviewed by Marybeth from Mesquite, Texas.
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800 CEO Read
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Jack Covert Selects – The Good Food Revolution
10 May 2012 | 5:49 pmTweet The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities by Will Allen, Gotham Books, 272 pages, $26.00, Hardcover, May 2012, ISBN 9781592407101 For an average-sized book, there is a lot within this one. From the title, one might expect sociological research on trends in organic food, or an analysis of a health food business and how they became successful. While it certainly has traces of those things, it is so much more. This book is by and about a man named Will Allen, who grew up around farming, played professional basketball, managed a chain of restaurants, was an… -
Jack Covert Selects – The Reinventors
10 May 2012 | 5:43 pmTweet The Reinventors: How Extraordinary Companies Pursue Radical Continuous Change by Jason Jennings, Portfolio, 256page, $26.95, May 2012, ISBN 9781591844235 The once vital Main Streets of America are all but out of business, boarded up or filled with antique stores shopping the delights and detritus of another era. Jason Jennings visits the main street of his own abandoned hometown at the beginning of The Reinventors to use it as a metaphor for “what will happen to you, your job, and your business unless you become a reinventor completely committed to constant radical change and… -
Jack Covert Selects – How Will You Measure Your Life?
10 May 2012 | 5:38 pmTweet How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth & Karen Dillon, Harper Business, 240 pages, $25.99, Hardcover, May 2012, ISBN 9780062102416 Clayton Christensen is a business theorist who, in 1997, wrote the renowned Innovator’s Dilemma which introduced the idea that most well-established companies are overtaken not by behemoth competitors but by “disruptive” innovations that rise up and cut down giants in part because the giants were oblivious to the threat, and/or unable to invest in new emerging technologies. Christensen is also a dedicated professor… -
LeaveSmarter: Stephen Shapiro
10 May 2012 | 4:09 pmTweetYesterday, Stephen Shapiro was in town for our private LeaveSmarter event, sponsored by BMO Harris/M&I Bank and Whyte Hirschboek Dudek. His talked focused on ideas from his recent book, and 800-CEO-READ Business Book Award winner for 2011, Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition. According to Shapiro, the main problems we have with being innovative, is how we think about things, the kind of questions we ask, and what we already know about the challenges we face. Here’s a clip from his talk that gives examples of this: Following this, Shapiro… -
ChangeThis: Issue 94
9 May 2012 | 4:43 pmTweet Unleashing the Creative Reservoir: The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited by Richard Florida “A new social compact—a Creative Compact—can turn our Creative Economy into a just and Creative Society, in which prosperity is widely shared. While driven and shaped by economic logic, the key institutions and initiatives of the future will be shaped, as they always have, by human agency.” Build This: Your Culturematic Laboratory by Grant McCracken “Ruled by pragmatism and play, your laboratory is fast becoming the place you come to look out into the future. This the bridge from…
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Charles Petzold
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Programming Windows 6th Edition Preview Ebook Coming!
10 May 2012 | 11:40 amIf all goes according to plan, in one week, on May 17, 2012, you will be able to purchase a preview ebook of Programming Windows, 6th edition, for just $10. For that one-time payment of $10, you will also get the second preview ebook a couple months from now, and the final ebook later this fall. ... more ... -
2-4-6-8-10
23 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amIf you've been following my blog, you know that for the past few months I've been working on the 6th edition of Programming Windows, which focuses on writing Metro style applications for Windows 8 using C# and XAML. ... more ... -
A Million Little Programs
2 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amMy programming tutorials tend to have lots of little programs to illustrate particular techniques, so as I've been working on the first several chapters of Programming Windows, 6th edition, here's what the far end of the Windows 8 Start screen soon became: ... more ... -
The Animated Pie Slice in Windows 8
30 Mar 2012 | 11:02 amTwo of my favorite animation classes in the Windows Presentation Foundation are PointAnimationUsingPath and MatrixAnimationUsingPath. Both these animations define a property of type PathGeometry that lets you animate a point along a complex series of connected lines, arcs, and Bezier curves. They even let you obtain a tangent to this line so you can rotate animated objects to be tangent or perpendicular to the path. I used MatrixAnimationUsingPath to move a unicycle around a two-dimensional terrain, and I used PointAnimationUsingPath to make a pie slice animation. ... more ... -
It's All About the Code (and Books About Code)
28 Mar 2012 | 7:02 amThere are many books about programming, but not so many about code. Whereas a program is a work of engineering, code is the underlying metaphysical ideal. We all strive to write great code, solid code, readable code, beautiful code, to understand what makes great code, and even at times to grasp how the code we write relates to the hardware on which it runs. ... more ...
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The Millions
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Salty Gothic: Nick Dybek’s When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man
16 May 2012 | 5:00 am“Certain dank gardens cry aloud for a murder; certain old houses demand to be haunted,” Robert Louis Stevenson once noted, “certain coasts are set apart for ship-wreck.” And so we find ourselves on working class Loyalty Island, the setting for Nick Dybek’s potent coming of age novel, When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man. Cal Bollings was born and raised on this minor peninsula in Washington state, a town small in size, in mentality and imagination, where the local civic monument is a statue of a nameless drowning man, someone to stand in for the living as well as the dead. The… -
Liberty is the air we breathe
15 May 2012 | 3:15 pmThe text of Salman Rushdie’s PEN World Voices lecture on liberty and censorship has been published on the New Yorker‘s website. Related posts: PEN World Voices Begins Attention New Yorkers: The 2010 PEN World Voices Festival kicks... Janie Crawford and Tea Cake on Air To commemorate the book’s 75th anniversary, WNYC and WQXR Radio... The PEN World Voices Line-Up PEN World Voices, the great annual festival of International Literature,... -
The Common’s first year in print!
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmThe Common will be celebrating its first year of publication later this month at NYU’s Carter Journalism institute. The celebrations will include a reading from Stephen O’Connor and a performance by the Dog House Band, aka that literary rock group consisting of Sven Birkerts, James Wood, and other writerly musicians. Related posts: The Novel vs. The Net Sven Birkerts, still working through arguments begun in The Gutenberg... Some links: Penguin Podcast, Lawyers on Google Print, Chicago Literature Penguin Books UK has started a podcast. I’ve added it... Out-of-print Favorites… -
The Declining Agony of Influence
15 May 2012 | 1:15 pmAccording to a study cited in The Guardian, contemporary authors are less likely to be influenced by classic literature than previous generations of writers. Related posts: The Agony and the Agony: Suzanne Rivecca’s Death is Not an Option Something has gone terribly wrong.... My Expanding Sphere of Influence One of the interesting things about being the author of... The Agony and Ecstasy of a TAL Fact Checker Surprising news emerged today about This American Life‘s Mike Daisey... -
Blooms of Darkness wins the Independent Prize for Foreign Fiction
15 May 2012 | 11:12 amAharon Appelfeld, a prolific Israeli novelist, has won the Independent Prize for international fiction for his latest book, Blooms of Darkness. Check out our guide to this year’s award’s shortlist. Related posts: Your Guide to the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Shortlist Umberto Eco’s fifth novel, The Prague Cemetery is the headline choice for... Claudel Wins Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Philippe Claudel’s novel Brodeck’s Report has won the Independent Foreign... Belgian Novelist Paul Verhaeghen wins Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Paul Verhaeghen‘s…
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ReadersRead.com Book Blog
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Charlaine Harris Announces the End of the Sookie Stackhouse Series
14 May 2012 | 7:14 pmBestselling author Charlaine Harris announced on the Facebook page that the Sookie Stackhouse series is finally coming to an end. Charlaine said, "Save the date...the final Sookie Stackhouse book, Dead After After, will be on sale May 2, 2013!" The last book will be the 13th book in the series. Sookie's adventures are the basis of the hit HBO series True Blood which stars Anna Paquin as Sookie, as vampire Eric Northman and Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton. The twelfth Sookie Stackhouse book, Deadlocked, was just released. Photo: Penguin Group Permalink | Recent Headlines | Facebook | Our News… -
Fifty Shades of Grey is Now Amazon.com's Bestselling Book of 2012
12 May 2012 | 6:00 pmWell, that didn't take long. Fifty Shades of Grey has just passed The Hunger Games to become as Amazon's #1 bestselling book of 2012. The list only counts paperback and hardcover books, not ebooks. The second through fourth spots are still held by the three books in The Hunger Games trilogy. For ebooks, The Hunger Games trilogy still takes the top spots. All three books are available for loan for free from Amazon.com for Amazon Prime members. Photo: Random House Permalink | Recent Headlines | Facebook | Our News Feeds -
Tony DiTerlizzi Talks A Hero for WondLa on CNN
9 May 2012 | 2:00 pmA Hero for WondLa is the second book in author Tony DiTerlizzi's Search for WondLa's trilogy. The series follows Eva Nine's adventures on the planet Orbona. Eva discovered she is not the only human in the world in the first book. Eva was rescued by a boy named Hailey who led her to the colony of New Attica, where humans of different shapes and sizes appear to live in peace and harmony. In the new entry in the series, Eva discovers something sinister is going on in the idyllic colony. Both of the book in the series contain artwork that features Augmented Reality. DiTerlizzi talked with CNN's… -
The Art of War Graphic Novel Tells of a Violent Future
7 May 2012 | 3:00 pmHarper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins, has announced it will publish The Art of War: A Graphic Novel on July 31, 2012. The graphic novel was written by Kelly Roman and illustrated by Michael DeWeese. It is edited by Will Hinton. The graphic novel, adapted from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, tells of a violent near-future when financial markets are militarized and China is the dominant economy. The book took six years to write and illustrate, with most of the pages hand-painted on watercolor paper. A 50-page sample of the graphic novel can be read on the book's website. The following book… -
New Library of Congress Book Features Historical Presidential Campaign Posters
5 May 2012 | 9:00 pmPresidential campaign posters are featured in a new book, Presidential Campaign Posters From the Library of Congress. Drawn from the Library's collection of more than 100,000 posters covering a wide variety of subjects, 100 ready-to-frame campaign posters about politicians from Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama are included in the book. Each of the posters is backed with historical commentary and additional artwork from their respective campaigns. Media analyst Brooke Gladstone in the book's preface, "Political art is nothing less than an illustration of the skirmishes and stalemates that…
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Opinions of a Teen Who Reads
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SCAT
12 May 2012 | 7:53 pmAuthor: Carl HiaasenAge range: 12 & upContent: No relationship content, mild cursing, and medium violenceGenre: Reality AdventurePublisher: KnopfWhere to get it: Barnes and NobleSummary: On a class field trip to the Everglades, Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, goes missing. Her students don't know what to do, except be relieved. Until the principal attempts to sell the students the story that Mrs. Starch has been absent do to a "family emergency." All the students buy it except for two. Nick and Marta decide to dig a little deeper. They figure the class… -
Delirium (Delirium #1)
8 May 2012 | 1:48 pmAuthor: Lauren OliverAge range: 13 & upContent: Medium violence, mild cursing, and medium relationship contentGenre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: HarperTeenWhere to get it: Barnes and NobleSummary: They've told Lena that the cure for deliria will make her happy and safe forever. And she's always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, she's met Alex, a mysterious boy who's hiding a major secret. Now, she’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie. Review: This is the first sci-fi… -
On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
22 Apr 2012 | 4:52 pmAuthor: Louise RennisonAge range: 13-15Content: Medium relationship content, mild cursing, and no violenceGenre: Reality DramaWhere to get it: Barnes and NobleSummary: Mishap strikes again in this fabbity-fab-fab sequel to Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. Georgia's little sister, Libby, has been leaving sticky little presents in her bed. Her loyal Scottish wildcat, Angus, is suddenly spending all his time with a pretty little feline next door. Then there's her nose. Will it ever stop growing? But there's always a bright side, and this time it's ultra bright since… -
CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen
21 Apr 2012 | 1:47 pmAuthor: Carl HiaasenAge range: 12 & upContent: No relationship content, mild cursing, and medium violenceGenre: Reality AdventureWhere to get it: Barnes and Noble or TargetSummary: Wahoo Cray's father is an animal wrangler named Mickey, so Wahoo's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle. His father is the unpredictable one. When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his… -
Angus, Thongs, and Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
17 Apr 2012 | 10:38 amAuthor: Louise RennisonAge range: 13-16Content: Medium relationship content, no violence, and mild British cursingWhere to get it: Barnes and NobleSummary: Her dad's got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien - just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia's year just might turn out to be the most fabbitty fab fab ever!Review: I don't…
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Eye on Books
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Frank Deford “Over Time”
15 May 2012 | 11:22 amFor half a century one of America’s most celebrated sports journalists has been Frank Deford, whose unique ability to somehow tell a football or baseball or golf story from an angle no one had seen or thought of before has made him a legend. Starting out in 1962 in a “Mad Men”-like environment at Sports Illustrated, Deford has since moved on to television and radio, but can still tell a tale like nobody else. His new memoir “Over Time” is a rich feast of Deford stories — his own, as well as those of the people he’s covered — that tells as much… -
Victoria Sweet “God’s Hotel”
14 May 2012 | 10:40 amOnce, a long time ago, America had hundreds of hospitals that served their community’s poor — “almshouses,” they were often called. They practiced a kind of medicine virtually unknown in the west today, “slow medicine.” But by the 1990s there was only one such hospital left in the entire country, San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital. That’s where Victoria Sweet thought she was going to spend a couple of months, doctoring patients. She ended up staying twenty years. and her new book “God’s Hotel” is a chronicle of those years. -
Marilu Henner “Total Memory Makeover”
11 May 2012 | 8:33 amMost books on how to improve your memory focus on how to recall names, faces, locker combinations, and the like. Marilu Henner‘s book “Total Memory Makeover” uses an entirely different approach. You may have seen that “60 Minutes” story on people with a rare ability to remember everything, from every day of their lives. Henner is one of those people. . And while you may not have that kind of recall, Henner says you have much greater memory capacity than you think you do. And it’s not just about remembering names, dates, and secret passwords. It’s… -
Max Holland “Leak”
9 May 2012 | 10:53 amFor over thirty years one of the great mysteries in contemporary American politics was the identity of Deep Throat, the shadowy source who helped Bob Woodward of the Washington Post uncover the Watergate scandal. Then, in 2005, former FBI official Mark Felt outed himself as Deep Throat, and was condemned by many, hailed as a hero by many others. But few have explored why Mark Felt did what he did. Indeed, isn’t that at the heart of the question of whether he’s a hero or a villain. In his new book “Leak” Max Holland digs into what motivated Mark Felt, what was in it for… -
Paul French “Midnight in Peking”
7 May 2012 | 11:31 amFor 75 years the grisly and mysterious murder of a beautiful young woman has gone unsolved. Until now, perhaps. It’s 1937 in the Chinese city then known as Peking. The victim is nineteen-year-old Pamela Werner, daughter of a former British consul to China. She has not just been killed, her body has been horribly mutilated. A Chinese detective teams with one from Britain, but they hit a stone wall — and then history takes a tragic turn as Japanese invaders take Peking, and the investigation into Pamela Werner’s murder gets left behind. Now historian and China expert Paul…
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The Book Deal: A Publishing Blog for Writers and Book People
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Launching a successful blog tour
23 Apr 2012 | 3:57 pm“When I was first starting out, I dreamed of being sent on a book tour. I’d travel around the world—at my publisher’ expense, of course—and hit the major bookstores, where I’d do readings and signings for standing-room-only audiences,” says Jackie Morse Kessler, the author of a four-book YA series with Houghton/Graphia: Hunger, Rage, Loss and the upcoming Breath. “Then reality hit. My publisher wasn’t sending me anywhere. If I wanted to do a book tour, it would be out of my own pocket.” Reinventing the book tour Out with the glitz and glam, and in with the blog… -
Book marketing & publicity: Advice from three experts
29 Mar 2012 | 11:47 pmA smart marketing consultant can be the secret weapon in an author’s campaign to market and promote a book. That’s according to Adrienne Biggs, one of three experts interviewed for this post. Since not all authors are experienced or even comfortable selling themselves, professional consultants can help with customized marketing strategies to reach your targeted audience of eager readers. I surveyed three veteran book marketing pros and here’s what they said about the changing world of promotion and publicity. First, their credentials: Cindy Ratzlaff describes herself as a brand… -
The Viagra Diaries: A self-publishing mega success story
27 Mar 2012 | 1:08 am“Barbara Rose Brooker is fearless. The Viagra Diaries does for single seniors what Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the Single Girl and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying did for the women’s sexual revolution in the sixties and seventies.” – Entertainment Tonight It’s a blurb to die for, and well deserved. I’ve known Barbara for more than twenty-five years and worked with her on several books, including The Viagra Diaries. She’s a dynamo, an anatomizing social satirist and commentator with a keen ear and profound empathy for everyone she writes about. She’s been in the… -
Creating a compelling narrative voice
16 Mar 2012 | 8:19 pmHow does an author of memoir or personal narrative transform a naked self into a compelling voice that tells a story readers can’t put down? This question arises frequently in my work as a developmental editor. One of best books on this technique is The Situation and the Story: the Art of Personal Narrative by Vivian Gornick, author of the memoir Fierce Attachments about her struggle to be independent of her mother. In The Situation, Gornick shows how to pull from the raw material of a writer’s life and create a “truth-speaking narrator” to tell the story. I underlined my own copy so… -
Growing a short story into a novel
5 Mar 2012 | 6:19 pmDo you have a short story work-in-progress that just doesn’t want to fit into 10,000 words or 25 pages? Is it bursting at the seams? Does it feel incomplete and frustrating to read? Then you may have a recalcitrant short story that could be transformed into a successful novel. A case in point A writer client of mine, a young author who had already published a collection of short stories, came to me with a new work of about 12,000 words that was giving her a hard time. “I can’t fold in the backstory, and every new scene seems to require more characters and relationships.” Our editorial…
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Personanondata
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Georgia On My Mind: Fair Use, Digital Availability & Reasonable Pricing
14 May 2012 | 9:32 amIn April 2008, three publishers Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Sage, filed suit against Georgia State University (GSU) for copyright infringement. The Publishers charged that university officials had facilitated and encouraged the posting of the publishers' works on university websites and, consequently, made this copyright material available for students without compensation to the publisher. While only three publishers were part of the suit, the case has been closely watched by both sides in the case: The three publishers being generally representative… -
Help the Guy Out
12 May 2012 | 6:29 pmI didn't know this still worked. Dear Friend, How are you today? My name is Mr. Derek Josh Eric, an Executive Auditor and head of computing department here in United Kingdom. This mail is very confidential. I want to transfer Fifteen Million Pounds Sterling (15,000,000.00 GBP), that belongs to my Late client, He is a Director and owner of Petrochemical Service from Australia. He died since 1998 without a will. Base on my investigation, I found out that no one is aware of this account. However, I need your assistance and cooperation towards this. I want you to provide an empty bank account… -
Shining Star of Hong Kong Harbor
11 May 2012 | 12:30 amThis image from September 1969 as the family was in the process of heading from Bangkok to new digs in Auckland, New Zealand. No trip to Hong Kong even now should be complete without at least one trip over the harbor on one of the famous Star ferries. Still ridiculously cheap, it's the only way to take in the city skyline and all the hustle and bustle on the water. I am fairly certain that housing has spread mostly up and over that ridge in the background. Another weekly image from my archive. Click on it to make it larger. In addition to the images I've posted on Flickr and… -
Blog Feed Reset
10 May 2012 | 8:05 amApparently, my feedburner RSS feed went wonky about a month ago and since I don't use the feed I didn't notice. I wondered why a few people mentioned I had been lazy over the past few weeks. Now I know. So, if you are paying attention to this post you will probably also see a month's worth of 'new' blog posts. Here are the posts in summary: MediaWeek (V4, N19): HuffPo's Aggregation Model, Espresso Books, FT on the state of Publishing +More Kabul Chevelle 1973 Corporate Data Strategy and The Chief Data Officer Some Soft Nooky MediaWeek (V4, N18): Cloud Education, Navigating… -
MediaWeek (V4, N19): HuffPo's Aggregation Model, Espresso Books, FT on the state of Publishing +More
7 May 2012 | 6:48 pmFrom the Columbia Journalism Review a long review of how Huff Po came to define the news aggregation 'business' (CJR) Before its purchase by AOL in February 2011, HuffPost was not a property that had produced much in the way of revenue; it had posted a profit only in the year before the sale—the amount has never been disclosed—on a modest $30 million in revenue. Aside from scoops from its estimable Washington bureau, it did little in the way of breaking stories, the industry’s traditional pathway to recognition. Huffington Post, which had mastered search-engine optimization and was…
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Books: Books blog | guardian.co.uk
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Tips, links and suggestions: Our review list and what you are reading
15 May 2012 | 11:23 amStieg Larsson's Expo Files and the novels Gone Girl and HHhH are among the books we're reviewing this week. What you are reading, today?Last week's thread included excited talk about Bring Up the Bodies, a call for more comic books to be covered on the site and the books you are currently reading and what you think of them.SharonE6 says:I'm zipping through my re-read of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and loving it just as much second time round. I'd forgotten how funny it is in places - "Half the world is called Thomas" made me laugh out loud. JonnyGibbings says:Just a suggestion, more comedy… -
Have we fallen out of love with John Updike?
15 May 2012 | 11:02 amThree years after John Updike's death, his reputation appears to be on the wane. But who else can match his deftness and grace?Happy news from across the water. 117 Philadelphia Ave, Shillington, childhood home of John Updike, has been bought by the Updike Society for what seems, to one humbled by the London property market, a snip at $200000. Their plan is to run the house as an "historic site" - restored, presumably, to something like the condition it would have been in when Updike was in residence, and open by appointment to visiting "writers and scholars". All well and good - and… -
Happy Birthday, A Clockwork Orange
14 May 2012 | 11:29 amAnthony Burgess's diabolical tale of juvenile ultraviolence is 50. Five decades on, the novel holds a lofty position as one of pop culture's most influential and enduring pieces of literatureFifty years ago today, Anthony Burgess published his ninth novel, A Clockwork Orange. Reviewing it in the Observer, Kingsley Amis called the book "the curiosity of the day". Five decades later and there is still nothing quite like it.When discussing A Clockwork Orange, many mistakenly confuse the book with Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film and immediately focus on the violence of the story, when really it's the… -
Reader reviews roundup
11 May 2012 | 12:34 pmOpinions is divided, but this week Can Themba and Charles Dickens join Suzanne Collins on the ever-growing to-read pileOpinionsLtd is in two minds about Penguin's collected Can Themba, Requiem for Sophiatown with "roughly half" of the stories falling flat. "But when I imagined apartheid government demolition crews wrecking Themba's Sophiatown while he wrote," OL continues, the book took on a "sense of panic"."Themba's occasional descriptions of Sophiatown's destruction seem distant until you notice the urgency in his style. Did he write with the sounds of bulldozers tearing down his favourite… -
Why Norwich should wear its Unesco literary badge with pride
11 May 2012 | 10:03 amMy home town has just joined the ranks of Edinburgh, Iowa City, Reykjavik, Dublin and Melbourne as a Unesco city of literature. So why Norwich?Thursday's announcement that Norwich has been named a Unesco city of literature provoked jubilation around the city. Or to put it more truthfully, around the Twitter streams of people who live here. I didn't actually leave the house, but the atmosphere was clear enough from all the local writers, journalists, book shop owners and event organisers expressing their happiness in less than 140 characters. There was no doubt that this was a good…
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ReadySteadyBlog
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Faber on Knausgaard
1 May 2012 | 7:35 amMichael Faber recently rather dismissively reviewed Karl Ove Knausgaard's A Death in the Family. The novel has been widely praised elsewhere, and led another reviewer to write: "I started writing reviews in [1996] and had not read an author entirely new to me that I believed was a masterpiece. As I read Karl Ove Knausgaard’s My Struggle, I thought that this is perhaps the closest I will ever get." There is a big difference between Faber's the "bulk of the text, however, consists of mundane family life described in microscopic detail. All the dull stuff that most novelists would omit,… -
'Jew Boy' talk
17 Apr 2012 | 7:03 amOn Thursday May 3, 6-8pm, Tower Hamlets Local History and Archive, Bancroft Road, London E1 4DQ, Ken Worpole will be talking about Jew Boy by Simon Blumenfeld (republished by London Books with an introductory essay by Ken): Simon Blumenfeld's 1935 novel Jew Boy distils poverty and politics in the tumultuous world of the Jewish East End in the 1930s, where boxers mixed with anarchist and communists, and Yiddish actors and poets rubbed shoulders with gamblers and gangsters. All were united in their hatred of fascism and prepared to use force when necessary to defeat it. -
Swedenborg again
16 Apr 2012 | 6:18 pmDuring a recent trip to the London Review Bookshop, I spotted a copy of Iain Sinclair's Blake's London: The Topographic Sublime in a gorgeous, limited edition, little grey hardback. I have mixed feelings about Sinclair's work to say the least, but considerable interest in Blake. And some degree of interest in Swedenborg too... Back in 2006, Richard Lines wrote a lovely piece here on RSB about Swedenborg – Henry Sutton: Poet, Journalist and New Church Man, and he was mentioned on the blog, again in 2006, when Lars Bergquist's definitive biography came out. Nice list here of writers… -
Best European Fiction event: tonight!
9 Apr 2012 | 3:50 amTonight, Monday 9th April, at 7:45pm, London's Southbank Centre will host the UK launch for Best European Fiction 2012: Welsh, Dutch, and German authors will share their stories included in the collection. Duncan Bush, Sanneke van Hassel, and Clemens Meyer will discuss their work with the anthology's editor, Bosnian novelist Aleksandar Hemon, as they confront the issue of what Europe itself means in the 21st century and how the notion of a "European literature" is a continually diversifying concept.For more information, and to purchase tickets to the event, please click here.To read… -
Mieville, and Savage Messiah
5 Apr 2012 | 4:47 amIn his stunning, controversial recent article for the New York Times, author China Mieville describes the London Docklands, the definitive Thatcherite regenerated playground of the rich as “a thuggish and hideous middle-finger-flipped glass-and-steel at the poor of the East End, every night a Moloch's urinal dripping sallow light on the Isle of Dogs”. London is a city being overbuilt for the advantage of someone, but that someone doesn't appear to be the people who make London breathe. As Mieville writes, “Everyone knows there's a catastrophe unfolding, that few can afford to live in…
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Litopia
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Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow
14 May 2012 | 3:57 amHow do you feel about the future? Fifty years ago, most views would probably have been rosily optimistic: our faith in science to solve the most pressing problems was mostly untarnished, and our belief in politicians to take wise and beneficent decisions not quite threadbare. Today, the clouds of doubt assail us from every quarter. Not, though, as far as Bálint Szent-Miklósy is concerned. An unreconstructed optimist, tonight's guest is a distinguished futurist; formerly president of the World Future Society, and the founder of Futurific Leading Indicators Magazine. His forecasts are upbeat… -
Nigel West - Spies, Lies & Chocolate
8 May 2012 | 3:52 amThis special video edition of Litopia After Dark features acclaimed espionage writer and expert, Nigel West. "His information is so precise" writes The Sunday Times "that many people believe he is the unofficial historian of the secret services." Nigel's controversial books invariably hit the headlines. His greatest coup was tracking down the wartime double agent GARBO, who was reported to have died in Africa in 1949. In fact, Nigel traced him to Venezuela, and they then collaborated on the bestseller GARBO. Topics covered include the Profumo affair, the bizarre death of MI6 employee Gareth… -
The Porn Supremacy
5 May 2012 | 4:49 pmIn the week that Microsoft bought a fifth of Barnes & Noble’s digital businesses, and we learned that e-books sales grew 360% in the UK last year, we thought at The Naked Book we’d ignore all that - and focus on 'mummy porn'. Why? Well, it was the public wot did it. Four pence in every pound spent on a book last week went on the adventures of Anastasia Steele and the manipulative billionaire Christian Grey: whose dangerous couplings take place in E L James' Twilight-inspired trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed. The erotic hits are revitalizing a… -
Said The Cabbie To Jeremy Hunt...
30 Apr 2012 | 11:53 amWhat with Leveson, Hunt, Murdoch... to say nothing of a double-dip recession... there's way too much bad news around... so enough already! When life gets excessively glum - it's time for us to dig out Litopia's infamous Ant Game... which is exactly what we've done tonight, for your aural bliss. We're delighted to be joined by Anna Raverat, whose first book Signs of Life is impressing everyone... and Simon Cheshire, too - author of the bestselling Saxby Smart private detective series, and the just-published and highly-recommended You've Got To Read This: A Beginner's Guide To Great Writers And… -
Philip Reeve: Spike & Spook Go To The Moon
28 Apr 2012 | 12:18 pmPhilip Reeve is one of the godfathers of steampunk (although today he's somewhat allergic to that word) with his massively successful Mortal Engines series. One of the most enduringly popular of all YA authors, Philip's fans are everywhere - especially in our chat room tonight, as they bombard him with questions! His most recent book, Goblins, has just been published - and has been snapped up by Hollywood. If you love Philip's books or love steampunk, sci-fi or indeed write it - this show is a classic. Presented by Peter Cox with Dave Bartram and featuring the beguiling Ali Gardiner in the…
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Omnivoracious
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The Inquisitor’s Key: The Shroud of Turin and the Ultimate Game of “What if?”
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pm(Omnivoracious is pleased to present this guest post from Jon Jefferson, the writer behind the New York Times bestselling Jefferson Bass “body farm” novels, for which Jefferson has partnered with forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Bass. Jefferson is a veteran journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and Popular Science, and broadcast on National Public Radio.) The latest Jefferson Bass novel, The Inquisitor’s Key, features series regular Dr. Bill Brockton, but is a bit of a departure. Inside a newly… -
Media Monday - Post Mother's Day Edition
15 May 2012 | 8:01 amAs you might imagine, Mother's Day was on the mind of many reviewers this weekend. Which seems about right. A belated happy Mother's Day to all mothers. And just a general happy day to everyone reading out there. The New York Times In the spirit of Mother's Day, the cover of the Sunday Review features two books about motherhood. As you might suspect, if we're talking motherhood books there are bound to be references to French motherhood. Judith Warner writes in her review, "Just as everyone was getting ready to throw out the Baby Bjorns and start practicing detachment parenting à la… -
"The Art of Intelligence" - A Conversation with Henry A. Crumpton
14 May 2012 | 3:00 pmIf you missed "60 Minutes" last night, then you didn't see the story on Hank Crumpton, which helped to send his new book The Art of Intelligence soaring up our best seller lists. During a twenty-four-year career, Crumpton spent time as the head of the CIA's global covert operations against America's terrorist enemies, including al Qaeda. In the days after 9/11, the CIA tasked him to organize and lead the Afghanistan campaign. As Scott Pelley points out in the "60 Minutes" piece, "he is known to U.S. Presidents, African rebels, and Afghan tribal leaders by just one name: Hank." You can see the… -
Ask Augusten Burroughs: Love After Infidelity--Plus Advice on Growing Up Gay
14 May 2012 | 12:00 pmMemoirist turned self-help strategist Augusten Burroughs continues his guest advice columnist stint here on Omnivoracious--to kick off the release of his latest book, This Is How--with answers to two perplexing questions sent in by his readers: Can love outlast infidelity? And how can a gay guy find his way to the life he wants? Read on... Can a relationship really survive an infidelity? Or will someone in the relationship always be a pumpkin eater? —Anonymous Dear Anonymous, The question really isn’t can a relationship survive infidelity, but rather, should it survive, and do both… -
The Rule of Threes: Expressive Character Design
14 May 2012 | 2:05 amNothing rocks my boat quite like an exquisitely inked character description: just enough to accent their best attributes, but not so much that you can’t see the person for the paint. And nothing impresses me more. Such restraint and precision! Such a vivid vision--brief enough that it hits you like a truck, and nuanced enough that it hints at the secrets left untold. A good character description can, in a handful of words, sketch a persona that feels active, alive, and expressive. It can make you feel as though the character could step off the page. But of course, like with chocolate, sea…
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Fresh Fiction
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Paula Paul | What is a woman?
13 May 2012 | 9:21 amA remarkable woman. A woman you can’t forget. An interesting woman. There’s more to her than meets the eye. Chances are, a woman you’ve heard described by any of those terms was also the object of criticism. A woman who won’t stay in her place subjects herself to disparagement . Catherine The Great, Empress of Russia is no exception. She’s the subject of my historical novel, SIN OF THE EMPRESS.The first time I heard of her, I was in my early twenties and read a scholarly history book that I was called upon to review for a newspaper. Later, I heard all those… -
Catherine Mann | Day of the Military Spouse
11 May 2012 | 10:31 amWow, what are the odds I would have a military romance novel out and a blog to write on the one day a year reserved to honor military spouses? Crazy coincidence! And very cool! For those of you who don’t know, I am a military spouse. My husband served in the USAF as an aviator for over twenty years – nine moves, multiple war deployments, and many, many TDY days away from home. Without question, the role of military spouse is demanding, requiring lots of independence (I’ve snaked more than my fair share of the kids’ Legos out of the toilet.) But I’m… -
Shona Husk | What’s with the wings?
11 May 2012 | 10:30 amI’ve been asked a few times why a Goblin prince would have wings (of course if you read the book you’ll find out:-). To clarify: No, Dai is not an angel, far from it. He’s been a Celtic prince, a Roman slave, a mage, a monk, a scholar, a soldier—never an angel or any other winged creature. Okay, but why does he have wings on the cover? Well, when writing the story they kind of appeared, and once they were there they couldn’t be shaken off and they developed a life of their own—by feeding off Dai and his hatred of Rome. So what are the wings? Excellent question! -
Carly Phillips | Balance in a Contemporary
7 May 2012 | 11:23 pmIt isn’t easy to write a contemporary novel with serious subject matter and still keep it light and moving quickly. I had my work cut out for me with Liza McKnight and Dare Barron because the event that links them in the past is a party where a teenage boy died. That night caused both of their lives to change and ultimately is what brings them together as adults. Dare and Liza want to be good people. They live their lives trying to do the best they can and think about others before themselves, while Liza’s brother, who lied in the past and caused the boy’s death, is… -
Here’s a snapshot of some of the many new releases in YA this week!
7 May 2012 | 11:14 pmNew Releases: ENCHANTED by Alethea Kontis. (Harcourt) It isn’t easy being the overlooked sibling to six older sisters. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, and her new friendship with an enchanted frog. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises. The prince returns intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. She distrusts her mysterious attraction to this…
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YA Books Central Blog
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The YABC Blog is Moving!
15 May 2012 | 10:33 amThat's right, the YABC Blog is moving from this blogspot location to a new home on YABooksCentral.com. This way, all the latest YABC info will be located in one handy place, so you won't have to check two different sites to get all the latest reviews and updates. We'll be posting giveaway news, updates, press releases, author interviews, event notifications, and more on the new blog here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/blog/. To make things easy, you can now subscribe to the blog, to individual posts, and even comment threads to keep up-to-date. How awesome is that? So get… -
Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amEnter the world of King Henry VIII, encountered through the eyes of 15-year-old Katherine Tylney, best friend of the soon-to-be famous Catherine Howard. Gossip, lust, manipulation, and flattery are the keys to the top in this dazzling glimpse into the 15th-century Tudor Court. Click here to read my full review. -
From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amThis book is "The Hangover" for teens and it made me laugh, cry and swoon; sometimes all at once. Kylie and Will are BFF's while Max and Lily are the "beautiful couple". To say these two pairings don't like each other is an understatement of epic proportions, but when Kylie and Max are forced to work together on a final Senior project, a split second decision thrusts them into the adventure of their lives! After an insane 24 hours of drinking, carjacking a vehicle of stolen goods, Kylie and Max wake up in bed, donning matching wedding bands. Wait... WHAT?! They haven't even… -
Thumped by Megan McCafferty
13 May 2012 | 9:23 pmIn the eight and a half months since we left them in Bumped, Harmony and Melody have become the most famous teens in the world, known as The Hotties. As twins who are pregnant with twins, they are swamped with endorsement deals for perfumes and energy bars, hounded by paparazzi, and copied by everyone who follows them on the MiVu. Yet they both are hiding secrets and stand to lose everything if they face up to their lies. Megan McCafferty's sequel, Thumped, will satisfy fans of the series. Click here to read my full review. -
Confectionately Yours #1: Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou
13 May 2012 | 8:00 amIn this new series, life for seventh grader Hayley, is not as sweet as the cupcakes she bakes. Her parents are newly divorced, Mom is out of a job, her BFF is pulling away from her and her 8 year old sister is a few sprinkles shy of a funfetti cupcake. To top it all off, one of the parents at school wants to ban cupcakes, forever! (clearly, this woman is an alien). Together with an unexpected ally, Hayley will fight with all the fondant she can roll out to "Save the Cupcake!". She'll discover that life may not always happen the way we expect it too but that doesn't mean it's wrong,…
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The Horn Book
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Beach towel reads
15 May 2012 | 11:32 amNeed suggestions for beach reading or books to bring to summer camp? Our annual summer reading list is full of our favorites from the last year—perfect for the long Memorial Day weekend coming up. (Road trip? We’ve got audiobook recommendations too!) What books are you saving for your poolside lounging this summer? Let us know in the comments! -
Summer reading recommendations
15 May 2012 | 11:04 amNeed suggestions for beach reading or books to bring to summer camp? We’ve hand-picked some new favorites, all published within the last year, that are ideal for the season. Picture books (Fiction and Nonfiction) Suggested grade level listed with each entry. No Dogs Allowed! written by Linda Ashman; illus. by Kristin Sorra (Sterling) Faced with a restaurant’s “NO DOGS ALLOWED” sign, a boy and his dog sit at a fountain. Soon there’s a crowd of people with pets enjoying the hospitality of a nearby lemonade and ice cream stand. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages. Z… -
Arts + crafts with Ivy + Bean
14 May 2012 | 12:00 pmI’m a big fan of the Ivy + Bean series, so when the Ivy + Bean Button Factory (Chronicle, March) arrived in the office, it made its way to my desk (thanks, Katie!). For $12.99 you get enough materials to make fifteen buttons, featuring illustrations of Ivy and Bean by Sophie Blackall plus such quotable quotes from the books as “Easy-peasy” and “Dang.” The box says that downloadable bonus button designs can be found at the Chronicle Books website, along with a how-to video, neither of which I could track down. My six- and eleven-year-old daughters figured it out, though, and enjoyed… -
Justice League v. Avengers?
13 May 2012 | 9:13 am(art by Hanna Friederichs). We saw The Avengers last night–kinda long and the special effects in the last third of the movie too easily betrayed their origins, but it was diverting. I liked Thor more. As a child, I found the Marvel Comics universe a cooler and harsher place than Superman’s DC world, and on this Mothers’ Day I’m remembering one summer day when the neighborhood mothers made us all costumes so we could have an elaborate Justice League of America pageant. I think I was Green Lantern, probably because no one among the bigger kids wanted him, poor guy. -
If Babies Ran The Horn Book, Part 2 of 4
11 May 2012 | 1:15 pm
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The Fine Books Blog
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Crowdfunding for Bookstores
15 May 2012 | 8:13 amJosh Niesse, (second from left), who we profiled recently for our Bright Young Things series, runs Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia. His bookshop, where he also hosts events such as documentary screenings, is part of a larger building that went up for sale earlier this month. Josh's landlord offered him a deal: if he could raise $8,000 in a narrow window for a down payment, he could stay in his space. Instead of pursuing a traditional loan, Josh turned to "crowdfunding," a new and creative way to finance projects. He launched a funding campaign with Indigogo… -
The Best-Read Man in France
14 May 2012 | 9:51 amI'm always glad to have my attention drawn to novels with bookish themes (and here). Recently, another from this genre landed on my desk, The Best-Read Man in France, written by Peter Briscoe, a former academic library administrator at the University of California, Riverside. The main character is Michael Ashe, a Los Angeles-based rare bookseller and a bit of a Casanova, who travels the world buying and selling books, mainly in the area of Mexican-American history. When business begins to dry up, he faces his misgivings about the trade and finds solace in the story of French librarian and… -
ZH Books
11 May 2012 | 8:20 amCatalogue Review: ZH Books, #2Zhenya Dzhavgova, recently featured on our blog as a 'Bright Young Thing,' specializes in Eastern European literature and Slavic language material. She is based in California and released this second catalogue last month; it has been well received in the trade both for its content and its minimalist black-and-white design (appropriately evocative of the material). ZH offers a fine selection of books on drama, linguistics, and literature, including the first Russian edition of Lolita ($2,800), as well as books of political interest. A 1949 history of the… -
Bright Young Things: Amir Naghib
9 May 2012 | 11:41 pmOur series profiling the next generation of antiquarian booksellers continues today with Amir Naghib, proprietor of Captain Ahab's Rare Books in Miami.NP: How did you get started in rare books?AN: I think the first time I realized that books were special and had value was in my grandfather's study as a child. There were floor-to-ceiling shelves, all of them filled with books on every imaginable subject, and my grandfather was very specific about how important those books were. I made my first rare book purchase while in college (an early jacketed set of The Lord of the Rings… -
Minsky's House of Cards
8 May 2012 | 7:53 pmBook artist Richard Minsky has just announced his latest work, Pop Delusions, a house made out of his own credit cards, Chinese and American paper money, and gold leaf. Look inside and find two editions of Charles Mackay's Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, bound in credit cards. Yes, credit cards, which sounds like quite an impossible task. Minsky used eighty of his own cards, collected over twenty-five years. "It's certainly the least replaceable material I've ever used," he told me. "It was the right material for the book, so I had to."He added, "All the…
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Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
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Caption This Cover: HORROR EDITION
16 May 2012 | 2:35 amI apologize in advance for this cover, as I know you're all going to scream. I tweeted it last week and people were hollering at me on Twitter for hours afterward. Nightmares, twitches and phobias, all awakened by a single romance cover. It's so awful, I'm going to put a second silly cover beneath it to help sooth your ravaged psyche. You ready? Ok, breathe! Breathe again! And look at this guy sniffing a glowing wangsword. Focus on the wangsword before you caption the clown. Breathe in, breathe out. I think "Focus on the wangsword before you… -
The Brenda Novak Auction: Addictive, as Usual
15 May 2012 | 2:56 pmIt's May! My peonies are blooming, the air is flush with good smells and yellow dust, and my blue car is now a strange shade of pollen-coated green. It's also time for the Brenda Novak Auction, which has raised over $1.3 million dollars for a cure for juvenile diabetes. The auction is going on all month - and there are a lot of really neat things to bid on. Let's go shopping! In the Once in a Lifetime Experiences category, there's a two night stay at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Tahoe, and as I write this, the high bid is $165. WHAT? There's 15 days left, but hey, bid early… -
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach - A Guest Review by CarrieS
15 May 2012 | 12:35 amGrade: A Title: Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex Author: Mary Roach Publication Info: W. W. Norton & Company 2009 ISBN: 978-0-393-33479-1 Genre: Nonfiction If you loved Sarah's post entitled, "Where is the Hymen?" you will love Bonk. In Bonk (which for months I've been referring to accidentally as Boink, God knows what that says about me) Mary Roach takes on the subject of what scientists do and don't know about sex, and how they know it. I apologize for the over-abundance of long quotes here, but they are the best way to convey the flavor of the book. … -
WTFlorida? Brevard County Libraries Remove 19 Copies of 50 Shades from Circulation
14 May 2012 | 2:04 pmWTFery of the morning, as reported by Dianna Dilworth on GalleyCat: Brevard County Public Libraries in Florida have pulled their 19 copies of 50 Shades of Grey from the shelves. Why? HuffPo has a quote from Don Walker, a spokesman for the library, who said, "it's semi-porgnographic." The HuffPo article indicated that several other libraries in Florida had refused to purchase copies, but Brevard bought 19, then took them out of circulation, sending notices to the 200 or so people on a waiting list. Library services director Cathy Schweinsberg told Florida Today: Nobody asked us to… -
The Sale of All MacKades
14 May 2012 | 11:47 amHeads up: the Nora Roberts series about the MacKade brothers is $2.99 digitally for a limited time, along with a few other Roberts novels: The Fall of Shane MacKade by Nora Roberts * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S | ARe The Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S | ARe The Heart of Devin MacKade by Nora Roberts * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S | ARe The Pride of Jared MacKade by Nora Roberts * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S | ARe (SBTB Grade: B) Spellbound by Nora Roberts * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S | (Short Story) Unfinished Business by Nora Roberts * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S | ARe…
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WriteBlack
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WriteBlack’s Twitter updates for the week for this week
12 May 2012 | 5:50 amPhoto: tayarijones: [gasp] I want! http://t.co/bhEPE99d # Nice photo of him. RT @GameOfThrones: Peter Dinklage on cover of May issue of @RollingStone. http://t.co/CzCoCkSK Available 5/11. # Photo: funnyordie: This. http://t.co/Eym9Anmj # Powered by Twitter Tools -
WriteBlack’s Twitter updates for the week for this week
5 May 2012 | 5:50 amAnother yawn-worthy NYC-centric 'What I Read' from @theatlanticwire today. What a surprise. Except, not. # Photoset: http://t.co/hJOEEB28 # Photo: andrewscottsnose: http://t.co/kMAE8Ztp # Photo: If aliens ever ask me to take them to Earth’s leader, I’ll take them to Minneapolis. http://t.co/2yFbEB0N # Trufax. MT @alexanderchee: Treating Morrison as less than a major writer within American literature is to misunderstand America, deeply. # @alexanderchee Not if she's not being considered/read in straight-up English classes as part of the pantheon. in reply to alexanderchee #… -
WriteBlack’s Twitter updates for the week for this week
28 Apr 2012 | 5:50 amPhoto: http://t.co/sYreBqNh # Black British Literature since Windrush http://t.co/zgIz8azE # Photoset: slothtanic: So always rebloggable, he is. http://t.co/HxyrJjVo # Photo: selchieproductions: http://t.co/1jitxABN # Just finished: Saladin Ahmed's 'Throne of the Crescent Moon' – As someone who enjoys reading a lot of… http://t.co/GhXO7oyw # Powered by Twitter Tools -
WriteBlack’s Twitter updates for the week for this week
21 Apr 2012 | 5:50 amPhoto: jonubian: http://t.co/CGuyHSMn # Just changed the URL for this tumblr – I don’t spend much time on my old website, http://t.co/PMZv7gA0, so I’ll be… http://t.co/Nf5shIq3 # This, exactly. RT @alexanderchee: What a failure on the fiction Pulitzer judging. # Powered by Twitter Tools -
WriteBlack’s Twitter updates for the week for this week
14 Apr 2012 | 5:50 amPhoto: 18-15n-77-30w: http://t.co/shoYf5CY # Photo: Respect. http://t.co/GC0BadKr # Photo: notesonascandal: Outkast, forever and always http://t.co/F6wixGvr # Photo: sweatbtwn: I never get tired of this photo of two of my literary heroes. http://t.co/dKLSWA0f # @jayfingers Huge fan of ebooks (they're my preference). Maybe I'll wait 'til then! # RT @tayari: In case you're wondering what my new novel is about…. http://t.co/PkkFjepG # Sorry @jayfingers, ended up responding from other account. Anytime. I've blown my book budget for April already, but I'll look…
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London Review of Books
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Michael Wood: ‘Once upon a Time in Anatolia’
9 May 2012 | 6:00 pm -
Ian Jack: Ken Livingstone
9 May 2012 | 6:00 pmOf the two leading rivals for the London mayoralty, Ken Livingstone is much the more difficult to imagine as a child. Nobody, surely, can have that problem with Boris Johnson. The mind’s eye sees Boris as one of Belloc’s Cautionary Tales, a bouncy fellow demanding his tea and laying plans ‘to be/the next Prime Minister but three’. But the mind’s eye can be wrong, and it may be that the reason we can readily conceive Johnson aged seven is that the public persona of Johnson aged 47 is so irrepressibly boys-will-be-boys. -
Wang Hui: The Dismissal of Bo Xilai
9 May 2012 | 6:00 pm‘March 14’ used to be shorthand in China for the 2008 unrest in Tibet; now it stands for the 2012 ‘Chongqing incident’. It is unusual for municipal policy to have national impact, and rarer still for the removal of a city leader to become international news. Some observers have argued that the dismissal of Bo Xilai, the party secretary of Chongqing, is the most important political event in China since 1989. -
Letters
9 May 2012 | 6:00 pmThe letters page from London Review of Books Vol. 34 No. 9 (10 May 2012) -
Rebecca Solnit: In Fukushima
9 May 2012 | 6:00 pmWhen I met him, Otsuchi city administrator Kozo Hirani, a substantial, balding man in a brown pinstripe suit, was on the upper floor of a warren of small-scale temporary buildings that now house the town’s administration. To reach him I had flown to Tokyo, taken a train more than three hundred miles north to Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, then got into a van with seven people from Tokyo’s International University who’d decided to see the disaster zone for themselves and help me while they were at it.
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McSweeney’s
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My Demo Tape Proposal by Matt Garczynski
15 May 2012 | 6:01 amDear Record Executive, I am aware of the immense number of demo EPs you must receive. Knowing that you are a busy person who does not have time to listen to even a fraction of them, I submit this proposal in order to not waste anyone’s time. Please note I have not yet produced these in any musical form. I leave the decision as to whether these tracks should be produced to your discretion. Track 1 Strong Opening Track/Mission Statement An ambient crowd noise gradually yields to a soaring wall of orchestral sound, as if the pit were tuning up before a grand musical show—the final… -
Family Practice: An Occasional Column by “Dr.” Amy Fusselman: On the Four Components of a Child’s Psyche; Plus: a Business Proposal and an Open Call by Amy Fusselman
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amOK, Worldwide Web. Today we are going to just take this parenting situation apart and clean its clock. As you have probably already guessed, my medical expertise is a bit limited. However, my medicalizational advice is top-notch. And today I am going to turn the gigantic, klieg-light power of my fake-doctor brain onto children, so we can finally, at last, know what we are dealing with, with these small humans, who we are supposed to take care of all day long for years on end. Remember that old saw, “Know Thy Enemy?” Well this is sort of like that, except your kid is not your enemy, he/she… -
Monologue: A Frustrated Chief Executive Engineer Addresses His Staff Entirely Composed of Disney Imagineers by Liz Arcury
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amI’ve gathered everyone in the lobby this morning to address some ongoing issues that are difficult to bring up during the day-to-day hustle and bustle. Being hired at Stantec Incorporated means that you are achievers. A lot of civil engineers apply for this firm. You are the special ones. Unfortunately, and I don’t know how this completely bypassed me during the administrative process—I’ll speak with my HR intern Cindy after the meeting—you all are fresh graduates of the exact same system. Now, the Disney Imagineers program was a great experience, I’m sure. I bet you… -
The Being and Nothingness Network: Social Media for Existentialists by Michael H. Rowe
14 May 2012 | 6:01 amHow Do You Begin Your Being and Nothingness Experience? You already have. You were born, and your inheritance is pain. Make sure you are connected to the Internet. Your Being and Nothingness Network Friends List It is empty. It will always be empty. BNN is a social network designed to connect you with people who have not joined—and never will join—the Being and Nothingness Network. Your loneliness is transcendent and almost holy, so do you want to allow pop-up ads from this website? Your browser must support Flash. Your Being and Nothingness Profile Enter your relationship status and the… -
Teddy Wayne’s Unpopular Proverbs: Reciprocity II by Teddy Wayne
14 May 2012 | 6:00 amDo unto others as they would do unto you, except for Chris. He’s going through a really rough patch right now, and it’d be great if you could do unto him a little better than he does unto you, and take the way he does unto you with a grain of salt. Even though you don’t know him too well, I bet he’d appreciate a call. I know, no one calls anymore, but a text wouldn’t carry the same weight. But don’t tell him I told you to call him, or else it won’t mean anything. Why would you be calling him, then? You’re right, we have to come up with a reason. Man, I don’t know. You…
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Podiobooker
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New release! Awaken Your English – Corso d’inglese per italiani by Antonio Libertino
25 Apr 2012 | 4:58 pmHai mai pensato di poter migliorare il tuo inglese mentre impari qualcosa di utile per te stesso? Con Risveglia il tuo inglese! TU: * Fisserai il tuo obiettivo di praticare la lingua * Imparerai come rilassarti volontariamente prima di parlare l’inglese * Ii rilasserai imparando nuove parole e tecniche potenzianti nonche’ l’inglese che le trasmette * ti divertirai con 5 lezioni chiave di allenamento mentale dove il protagonista sei TU! Risveglia il tuo inglese! ti offre: * in questo podcast solo la versione inglese, nel libro testi bilingue in italiano e in inglese * metodi… -
Armand Ptolemy and the Golden Aleph by Mark Jeffrey is COMPLETE!
19 Apr 2012 | 10:10 pmThe final four episodes of Armand Ptolemy and the Golden Aleph by Mark Jeffrey have been posted, making this book complete! -
New release! Mighty Roman Shorts by Jon Sindell
18 Apr 2012 | 2:00 am]The Mighty Roman is a baseball book for today, a funny, freewheeling novel about modern American manhood. It’s a modern Mutiny On The Bounty with baseball bats and pranks. Our Captain Bligh is Roman Meister, a blustery, insecure giant who manages an independent-league baseball team near the California-Mexico border. Commanding but confused, endearing but scary, Roman pushes his multicultural young players to win the championship he needs to advance in pro ball–and validate his very existence, it seems. Roman reveres the fading America of Ted Williams, struggles with the burden of… -
New release! Matcher Rules by Mary Holland
11 Apr 2012 | 2:00 amNovi colony is inhumanly peaceful and John Jerzy has been sent to find out why. Jerzy’s last assignment ended in disaster, his career has stalled, and he plans to unravel this minor mystery the Novians call the Matcher and get a real assignment as soon as possible. Stella has lived on Novi all her life and she’s going to the Matcher to find her affinity group. She sees no reason to change and she plans to live happily ever after. Max Bari wants to change Novi from a backwater colonial planet to an interstellar power, with himself at the helm. All he needs is to fix the Matcher. He… -
Compensating Controls by James Keeling is COMPLETE!
7 Apr 2012 | 10:00 amA few weeks back, the final episode of Compensating Controls by James Keeling was released. In case you missed it, and a thriller deep within the world of computers and code is your thing, check it out. It’s complete at 21 episodes!
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The Bookshop Blog
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How On Earth Do Writers Write
11 May 2012 | 12:51 pmMy usual state of affairs after the ferrets and dogs wreak havoc I mean, how do they find the time, the solitude, the quiet? Do they have little cells hidden behind walls only accessible by pulling the candlestick on the mantle for a door to slide open? Or, do they banish family to outer Mongolia during the long hours typing away? I know the now famous story of how Mary Higgins Clark faced horrible tragedy, her husband dying of a heart attack in front of her, and her mother-in-law upon seeing her son, collapsing and suffering the same fate. But Clark had tons of children to feed, so every… -
When The Need To Read Dissipates
10 May 2012 | 10:17 pmThe gradual or sudden lack of desire to pick up a book and read occurs frequently to me. There’s no discernible reason for it. One day I’m finishing an exciting thriller, the next I can’t find the interest to open my favorite author’s latest book. No specific time of the year, week, or day indicates a dry spell. I may be reading one book a week, or three, the amount of books devoured has no relevance to the empty feeling I get when I can’t summon enough enthusiasm to turn the next page. In an effort to bridge the probable dead book zone, I’ll choose one book after another,… -
Higgelty Pigglety Pop! Maurice Sendak Follows Jennie to the Castle Yonder
8 May 2012 | 1:55 pmby Jas Faulkner Admitted or not, sometimes trapped deep beneath layers of intellectual noise is the part of us that wants to don a wolf suit and run wild, unfettered by the concerns of real life. The men and women who create those special places are our real life magic makers. Even if we know they are just human beings like the rest of us, we still want them to be something more. After all, they’re the engineers of our childish delight. They provide the inspiration for our many hopes and dreams before waking life and guidance counselors come along to squash them flat. Somehow, this… -
The Most Expensive Books
7 May 2012 | 1:45 pmInsect book I receive e-mails from ABE.com, from time to time, regarding various fun book subjects, but one I never bothered clicking on is their monthly roundup of most expensive books. I suppose I didn’t think it was worth my attention, seeing as I couldn’t afford whatever it was that sold. But, bored, my curiosity finally piqued, I perused their page. What I found was very interesting, in that I’ve read none of them, other than many of Shakespeare’s plays, and most I’ve never heard of. To my surprise, the top money earner, at $30,00o is Die Verwandlung…
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Issues in Publishing
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The Book Industry is Dead, Long Live the Book Customer
30 Apr 2012 | 9:24 pmMicrosoft's partnership with Barnes & Noble is probably welcome news in many publishers boardrooms. After all, this represents the hope that someone can loosen Amazon's grip on reading public and hence loosen the grip on those that supply that content.But does anyone really think that Microsoft is getting into the book game because they care about books? (Thanks to John Cutcher for that question). Their lack of caring about the industry and their being out of touch with the needs/wants of the end consumer is what caused their previous failures here. No, if anything, Microsoft… -
The End of an Era
17 Nov 2011 | 7:19 pmCongratulations to Don Collins on his retirement from the University of Chicago Press!I don't even know how many years Don has been involved in University Press Publishing, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was more than 40 years. I do know that since 1986, Don has been at the University of Chicago Press.Given the direction to 'make it work or shut it down', Don is best known for taking the university's distribution center (CDC) from a single client to 102 distribution clients today. However, I dare say that everyone in university press publishing has an opinion about Don. To call him a… -
Our Challenge is Disruption itself
15 Nov 2011 | 9:51 amWhen I was a young aspiring baseball player, my Dad would hit me ground balls so that I could learn to field them. Whenever I'd botch one because I was caught on my heels, he would yell, "Play the Ball, don't let the Ball Play You!"In essence, he meant that when the ball was coming toward me that I should charge forward and meet the challenge rather than simply wait for it to come and potentially overwhelm me. This advice has served me well in many aspects of my life, and it seems good advice for our embattled publishing industry.After seeing Brian O'Leary give his talk about Abundance at the… -
Learn to be a Reader Again
20 Jun 2011 | 1:51 pmLast week, Don Linn, wrote a couple of very practical blog posts entitled "What Men (and Women) Talk About When They Talk About Publishing". In those posts, Don advises how best to focus management attention and move organizations forward during these early days of ebooks.Don has hit the nail directly on the head with his posts, but from my perspective, there is still a piece missing. While Don has laid out "what" publishing executives should focus on, I have a few tips on "how" they should start to do it. In offering these tips, I must acknowledge that these come from some very savvy… -
Ebook Files and Metadata need to travel together
14 Apr 2011 | 12:13 pmAt the London Book Fair this week, I found myself talking to several publishers about the topic of ebook content distribution and metadata distribution. On at least four occasions I repeated: "I don't care who does it, but the same company that distributes your files, should distribute your ebook metadata". Full disclosure: we at Firebrand Technologies distribute ebook content and metadata for publishers. So, of course, we would love for publishers to use us for both metadata distribution and file distribution. However, it's also true that it is a lose-lose-lose situation when a publisher…
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Berkeley Heights Public Library Book Blog
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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
14 May 2012 | 8:31 amThis atmospheric fantasy novel for adults is thin on plot and character but rich in setting: a monochromatic circus that travels all over the world and opens at midnight. The two protagonists, Marco and Celia, are both called magicians, but they are obviously performing something deeper than sleight-of-hand. As young students, their teachers - both practitioners of rival theories of magic - magically bound them together in a future duel, with the circus for a chessboard.The book's video trailer describes some of the pleasures of the Night Circus tents, which are a feast for the senses and the… -
Business Appreciation Night at the Library
11 May 2012 | 11:03 amThe library held a business appreciation night last night. Attendees included Lori Cicali of Allstate Insurance, Jennifer Critelli and Diane Wilverding of Berkeley Heights Nursing and Rehab, Jim DiMaio of Derco Office Solutions, Marcella Gencarelli of Hilltop Community Bank, Etya Novik of Respira Salt Wellness Center, Julianne Simmons of Investors Bank, Mike Shapiro of the Alternative Press, and Midge Vicendese of Berkeley Hardware. Stephanie Bakos, the library director, presented Pam Steiner of the Rotary Club a certificate of appreciation. The Rotary Club raised funds for the library's new… -
The Circumlocution Office
10 May 2012 | 9:50 amThe Circumlocution Office invented by Charles Dickens in Little Dorrit, is described in Chapter Ten,"The Circumlocution Office was (as everybody knows without being told) the most important Department under Government. No public business of any kind could possibly be done at any time without the acquiescence of the Circumlocution Office. Its finger was in the largest public pie, and in the smallest public tart. It was equally impossible to do the plainest right and to undo the plainest wrong without the express authority of the Circumlocution Office. If another Gunpowder Plot had been… -
Civil War Living History: the 43d NY Volunteer Infantry's Visit
9 May 2012 | 2:29 pmThe 43d New York Volunteer Infantry set up a Sibley tent behind the library this past Saturday afternoon and presented a Civil War Living History program. The 43d is a nonprofit, educational reenactment and living history organization that has participated in programs across the eastern United States. Patrons who stopped by got to see period uniforms, tents and weapons. The most exciting part of the program was the musket firing. They shot blanks, of course! Read more about it, and check out the photo of the musket firing, at TheAlternativePress. -
Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
8 May 2012 | 10:25 amThe library had a wait list for Game Change when it came out in 2010 and the buzz at the library was that it was full of juicy details about John Edwards - his affair with Rielle Hunter and reports of megalomania. More people were checking out the book again this March when HBO released the movie version, and this time the focus turned to a different failed vice-presidential candidate: Sarah Palin. The movie covers the last quarter of the book and Palin suffers without the attention the book paid to the nuttiness of other candidates and their loved ones. I just finished the…
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Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 Blog
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Another Missed Opportunity for Rich Content
14 May 2012 | 9:57 amI recently finished reading a terrific ebook. It's about the 1975 World Series between the Reds and the Red Sox and the title is Game Six. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed reading Game Six there was something missing. I remember watching that series, just like I watched every postseason baseball game growing up. The image of Carlton Fisk willing his game winning drive to stay fair is iconic. I can almost see Luis Tiant's herky-jerky windup and Bernie Carbo hitting that earlier homerun to tie the game up. I say "almost" though, because 1975 was a long time ago and my… -
B&N's Nook with GlowLight: Why I Still Use an eInk eReader
7 May 2012 | 9:17 amMy new eInk reader, B&N's Nook with GlowLight, arrived last Thursday. I'm winding down my use of a Kindle Touch and wanted to move to another ebook retailer's platform going forward. This, of course, is a major headache since I've already bought dozens of DRM-protected ebooks from Amazon. I figure I'll read the last couple I bought on my Kindle and all future purchases will be from B&N...until some other device catches my eye. :-) So what do I think of the Nook with GlowLight? It's just like my Kindle Touch, but with a built-in light. That pretty much… -
B&N and Microsoft: Why It's Not About Ebooks
30 Apr 2012 | 5:45 pmMicrosoft's $300 million investment in B&N's digital business is about more than ebooks. Much more. Or at least I hope so. Success in this venture will not be measured by sales of ebooks. Microsoft should instead use this as an opportunity to create an end-to-end consumer experience that rivals Apple's and has the advertising income potential to make Google jealous. But how will that happen by investing in the distant #2 player in the ereader space? Microsoft has spent billions over the years as it repositions itself from the makers of Windows and Office into a much broader… -
BookAnd: A Social, Virtual Bookstore
30 Apr 2012 | 10:38 amI must be more of a visual person than I'd like to admit. After all, I use Goodreads to store and share my book reviews/recommendations but I don't use it much to discover what my friends recommend. My behavior is largely because Goodreads is a list-based service and it doesn't offer an immersive experience. Don't take that the wrong way though...I still like Goodreads! I've also heard plenty of skeptics who say reading/books and social don't mix, reading is a solitary activity, etc. That's true at times, but when it comes to discoverability there's no… -
What if DRM Goes Away?
23 Apr 2012 | 10:27 amTOC Latin America was held last Friday in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. Kat Meyer, my O'Reilly colleague, and Holger Volland did a terrific job producing the event. As is so often the case with great conferences, part of the value is spending time with speakers and other attendees in between sessions and at dinner gatherings Last Thursday night I was fortunate enough to have dinner with Kat, Holger and a number of other TOC Latin America speakers. We discussed a number of interesting topics but my favorite one was asking each person this question: What happens if DRM goes away…
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本気モードで自分磨き
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ミスチルベストが1位2位に！
15 May 2012 | 7:49 amミスチルっていうと古くからある人気のロックバンドですよね。 私も最初の頃の歌とかスキでした。 キムタクが出ていたドラマの主題歌やイノセントワールド等。本当にいい曲ばかりですよね。 やはり名曲というのはいつまでも心に残るもので、何か一つにおさめておきたい所です。 音楽の力って偉大で、今でもやっぱり音楽に癒されています。 でも桜井さんが脳の病気になってしまって、あまり無理したら駄目だよって思う。… -
ホテル火災の実態
14 May 2012 | 8:00 amホテル火災って、昔ホテルニュージャパンが火災に遭ったという記事を見たことがある。 その頃、私はまだ小さくてあまり記憶にないけど、大災害だったらしいよね。 火事で逃げようとして、ホテルのベッドシーツを上手く結びあわせてそれで下に降りて助かったという人もいて。 そう考えるとほんと怖い話だなあと思う。… -
東電夏のボーナス見送り
11 May 2012 | 8:09 am東電は夏のボーナスを見送ることにしたんだとか。 それは当然と言えば当然なのだろうな。 ボーナスを払っているような事態ではないと思うし。 天下の東電と言われたのに、こんなことがあるなんて思いもよらなかったな。 私の親の同級生の旦那様は、東電で退職金をがっぽがっぽもらったというし。 今年金暮らしみたいだけど、その年金もどうなるか分からないよね。ほんと。 にしてもすごいなあ。みんな。… -
またもや竜巻？
10 May 2012 | 8:00 amまたもや竜巻情報が出ました。 そういうのは嫌だなあと思っていても、この時期は天気が不安定みたいです。 なので又竜巻が起こる可能性が高いのです。 とは言ってもなかなか難しいですよね。 どう予防していいものかどうか。 だって急に竜巻の進路が変わる可能性もあるし、どこへ進むのかなんて誰にもわからないわけで。 そう考えるとほんとどうしたらいいのかなんて分かりません。… -
布袋＆今井、イギリス移住
9 May 2012 | 3:25 amロックミュージシャンと歌手とのビックな夫婦であるこの二人。 何でもイギリスに移住するそうです。 確か子供さんもいましたよね。一家で外国で暮らすなんて素敵ですね。 最近ちょっと流行っているのかなあ？こういうスタイルが。 お金があるから出来ることなのでしょうけど、日本のちまちました環境よりも外国の広大な環境の方が私も合っているかもしれませんね。…
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First Book Blog
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When it Comes to Books, Teachers’ Biggest Concerns [INFOGRAPHIC]
13 May 2012 | 6:00 pmIf you’re a teacher or program leader who works with kids in need, let us know what you think. Leave a comment below, or comment on First Book’s Facebook page. -
First Book Volunteers in Action: Trumbull County’s Edible Books
11 May 2012 | 10:36 amThere is no question that we love delicious food and a great book. So, it comes as no surprise that one of our favorite First Book volunteer fundraisers is First Book-Trumbull County’s annual Edible Book Art Festival fundraising event. For the past three years, participants have been challenged to create an art piece out of 100% edible material representing a classic or current children’s book, and festival attendees make a donation to vote on their favorite entries. Yummy! This delicious fundraiser raised hundreds of dollars that funded grants that provide books for local children… -
Give a Bouquet of Books this Mother’s Day
3 May 2012 | 11:00 amOur moms are often the first people to teach us how to read and our first “librarians”. That’s why First Book loves moms and we LOVE celebrating all of the wonderful moms in our lives on Mother’s Day. Every year, millions of us purchase a bouquet of flowers to honor the mothers in our lives. This year, why not celebrate her with a bouquet of books? Make a donation to First Book in the name of a special mom in your life, and send her an e-card to let her know you were thinking about her. We’ll use your donation to continue providing new books for children in need. -
One Million Books in Just Ten Days: The Final Reckoning
26 Apr 2012 | 9:16 amRecently, First Book promised to distribute one million brand-new books to kids in need across the country in just ten days. Those ten days are up, and we are as good as our word. Better, even … altogether we distributed a little over 1.2 million books to the schools and programs in our national network. Woot! 25,000 of those books went to kids at Title I schools across Montana. Heather Denny, a Title I specialist in Montana who was instrumental in helping First Book distribute the books at a statewide conference of Title I teachers, emailed us this morning to tell us how excited her… -
It’s Raining Books in Milwaukee
25 Apr 2012 | 2:09 pmLast week First Book distributed close to 1 million books in Seattle, Washington and Minneapolis, Minnesota. This week, we have a team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin distributing 420,000 books to programs and schools that serve kids in need. Of those 420,000 books, more than 100,000 will be distributed locally throughout the Southeastern Wisconsin area. To make this distribution possible, New Threads of Hope is donating warehouse space and assistance with logistics, and M&I employees are serving as volunteers, assisting with the packing, shipping and pick up of books throughout the week.
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Publishing Talk
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The Publishing Talk Guide to Blogging
14 May 2012 | 3:53 pmThe next Publishing Talk Guide is coming soon! And this one is all about the most essential starting point for your social media marketing: blogging. The ebook will explain how to use blogging to: build an online platform for yourself use blogging to promote your books use blogging to get a book deal. You will learn how to: get started with WordPress use plugins and widgets find topics to write about automatically tweet your blog promote your blog go on a blog tour and much more! The Publishing Talk Guide to Blogging is a comprehensive guide to promoting your writing and your books online. -
London Book Fair Digital Minds Conference 2012 – Live Blog
15 Apr 2012 | 5:00 amWelcome to the London Book Fair Digital Minds Conference live blog! I’ll be updating every 5 minutes or so, so keep refreshing the page to see the latest action from the conference. Join the discussion by commenting below, or by adding #digiconf12 to your tweets. Are you ready? Let’s get digital! All aboard the QE2! The conference centre rather than the cruise ship, sadly. Keynote: The Future of Creative Media – Jim Griffin 10:05 – Conference Chair Evan Schnitmann (Bloomsbury) introduces Jim Griffin’s (OneHouse LLC) keynote We’re living in a time of… -
London Book Fair Tweetup 2012
9 Mar 2012 | 8:51 amIs that the sound of champagne corks popping? Did someone say ‘cocktails and canapés’? For the third year running, Publishing Talk is pleased to be hosting the official London Book Fair Tweetup! Come and mix and mingle with the publishing Twitterati. And if you can’t join us live, follow along with the Twitter hashtag #LBFtweetup. Your fellow Twittery publishers, authors, agents and other book trade folk will be gathering on on Tuesday 17th April 2012 at: 5.00pm – 6.00pm: The Children’s Innovation Bar inside the Earls Court exhibition centre 6.00pm onwards: Mango… -
Amanda Hocking, the writer who made millions by self-publishing online
30 Jan 2012 | 10:08 amBy Ed Pilkington on guardian.co.uk: In internet-savvy circles [Amanda Hocking] has been embraced as a figurehead of the digital publishing revolution that is seen as blowing up the traditional book world – or “legacy publishing” as its detractors call it – and replacing it with the ebook, where direct contact between author and reader, free of the mediation of agent and publishing house, is but a few clicks away. There is certainly something to that argument. The arrival of Hocking onto the Kindle bestseller lists in barely over a year is symptomatic of a profound shift in… -
How much does a 99c ebook cost on Amazon?
30 Nov 2011 | 3:52 pmBy Mark on thewritersguidetoepublishing.com No, it’s not a trick question. Fact is, Amazon may not be selling your 99c ebook for 99c. It may well be selling your 99c ebook for $3.50, and pocketing most of the difference. For those of you lucky enough to have strong sales from the US market it’s perhaps not something you’ve ever given a thought to. And when you look at the six million Kindlefires expected to be sold over the Holidays, plus all the nooks, it’s really not something you need worry about. Sellers with a strong US base can expect a bonanza this Christmas season for sure.
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University of Nebraska Press
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UNP books in the media
11 May 2012 | 10:31 amBaseball books, Double No-Hit: Johnny Vander Meer’s Historic Night Under the Lights by James W. Johnson was mentioned on Red Reporter and Connie Mack: The Turbulent &Triumphant Years, 1915-1931 by Norman Macht was reviewed on Tampa Bay Online’s blog by Sports Bookie Bob D’Angelo. The Equalizer featured Tim Grainey's Beyond Bend it Like Beckham and Tracy Crow’s storytelling in Eyes Right was called “impeccable” by Publisher’s Weekly. Ellen Cassedy (author of We Are Here) interviewed Julija Šukys on VilNews about her book Epistolophilia. Atlas of the Great Plains by… -
IPPY winner
4 May 2012 | 10:27 amThe 2012 IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards) results are in! Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, & Assassination During the 1934 Tour of Japan by Robert K. Fitts won the silver medal in the Sports/Fitness/Recreation category. See the complete list of winners here. Congrats Rob! -
Happy May Day!
1 May 2012 | 1:35 pmAdditional sales start today for Mother's Day and Jewish American Heritage Month! Find a gift for Mother's Day and save 25 percent on Eyes Right by Tracy Crow and This Is Not the Ivy League by Mary Clearman Blew. Act fast, offer ends May 11! Celebrate Jewish American Heritage month! Ellen Cassedy's We Are Here and Norman H. Finkelstein's American Jewish History are 25 percent off. Sale ends May 31. -
Pot Farm in Daily Beast
30 Apr 2012 | 1:30 pmOn the Daily Beast, Andrew Sullivan blogged about Pot Farm by Matthew Gavin Frank. Check out "The Perils of A Pot Farm" here. -
UNP authors on the Web
27 Apr 2012 | 10:00 amThe 40th Anniversary of Title IX and the XXX Olympics in London this summer prompted writers to take a look at the history, culture and role of women and sports in the Spring edition of On The Issues Magazine. Authors Rachel Toor and Tim Grainey were among them. Read Toor's "Nine Titles Thinking About Title IX" here and Grainey's "The Rise and Fall and Possible Rise of Women's Pro Soccer" here.
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The Penguin Blog
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Doing Dickens – Part 9
24 Apr 2012 | 8:40 amThat’s it. Dickens has broken me. Not because Dombey and Son, the ninth in our attempt to read all of his novels, was too long, or too hard, but because it is so utterly, utterly heartbreaking. Why is this novel not more famous or popular? Why? I’m baffled. It’s GREAT. During our readathon my unscientific calculation of a book’s quality has been the number of page corners I’ve turned over (sorry, yes, I’m a folder) because I’d found something amazing. By the end of Dombey I’d not only cried twice, but the book had virtually doubled in size from my fevered page-wrecking. -
Conversations with A Twist
16 Apr 2012 | 10:21 amOliver Twist is Cityread’s Dickens novel for April. London’s libraries launch the first ever Cityread London in partnership with Penguin Classics, focusing on Oliver Twist as part of Dickens 2012. Over 300 Cityread events will take place throughout April, across all 33 London boroughs, bringing Oliver Twist to life in libraries, cinemas and museums. From afternoon tea and Dickens at Kensington Palace, to Hip Hop Dickens workshops in libraries, there’s something for readers of all ages. You can take part in Cityread London by asking at your local library or visiting the Cityread Facebook… -
Jennifer McVeigh talks about the research behind her novel, The Fever Tree
11 Apr 2012 | 4:39 amThe Fever Tree took me down a rabbit warren of research - a world of dust, diamonds and disease. I began with an idea: what was life like for the British on the diamond fields of South Africa? Who were the men and women who went out there? What kind of lives did they lead? And what moral codes were they bound by? My journey started in the British Library, reading books on the history of South Africa in the 19th Century. These were wonderful for giving me a general overview of the period - the politics of the time, and the people who were in power - but they couldn't bring that world to… -
Doing Dickens – Part 8
6 Mar 2012 | 7:18 amWe made it! With Martin Chuzzlewit we have officially reached the peak of our Dickens mountain – 8 books down and 8 to go – and it’s downhill all the way from now on (in a good way, obviously). Unfortunately, Martin Chuzzlewit had a strange effect on our little group as we found ourselves wondering if, perhaps, it was all becoming a bit too much? Were we drowning under a weight of apple-cheeked urchins? Were we (whisper it) Dickensed out? Luckily a crisis was averted with a week’s extension, and we concluded that we still love Dickens (phew) but Chuzzlewit is definitely not our… -
Say hello to our little friend...
29 Feb 2012 | 9:57 amHearing about an exciting new novel is up there with hearing that your favourite band have got a new tour coming up, or that Mad Men have finally got a new series planned. You want to pass judgement on the cover, to find out what the critics say, to see how it stacks up against the writer’s previous book. You want to find out more about the writer, you want to discuss the plot with your friends and see which characters you love and hate. Hell, you want to see if you can get your hands on an early copy and read it before anyone else. Enter onthestrand.tumblr.com, the new blog from Penguin…
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Pub Rants
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Why 50 Shades of Grey Makes Agent Lives Harder
10 May 2012 | 7:51 pmSTATUS: The appointment schedule is firming up! Get ready for some posts on what editors will be looking for in 2012.What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? THIS IS IT by Kenny LogginsIt's pretty simple. We agents go to conferences and really drive home the fact that writers need to master their craft. Wow us with masterfully written opening pages. Stop butchering the English language. Then a work comes along and blows that advice out of the water. Readers have called 50 Shades of Grey any number of things: campy, fun, spirited, hilarious, worth the money, a fast read.But well written… -
Fridays With Agent Kristin: Episode 7 - What is A Plot Catalyst?
4 May 2012 | 5:42 pmSTATUS: TGIF! I actually had a great work week. Yes, I need to read some stuff over the weekend but I'm feeling almost caught up. This means I'm forgetting something huge I'm sure. What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? YELLOW by ColdplayOkay, so I taped this segment a couple of weeks ago. I'm particularly fond of how I start with "good morning."Oh well, the content is still good. In honor of the first video webinar I did (which tackled how to craft the query letter pitch paragraph in your novel), I thought I'd give some tips for those who couldn't attend. When I teach writers… -
A Sad But Celebratory Day!
2 May 2012 | 5:56 pmSTATUS: Mixed day! I feel like I'm still catching up on emails. What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? REALIZE by Colbie CaillatIt had to happen eventually. Today Jamie Ford is not on the New York Times bestseller list--ending our phenomenal run of 130 consecutive weeks on the list. That is two and half years without dropping off. Wow. Just wow. Maybe I shouldn't be having a blog entry announcing this fact but you know what, Jamie? It's an incredible achievement no matter how I talk about it. So I raise a glass of champagne to you and your wonderful debut novel: Hotel On The Corner Of… -
The Concern Is Perhaps Premature
1 May 2012 | 8:08 pmSTATUS: All my Texas blog readers, Kristin Callihan's FIRELIGHT is going to be included in the romance round-up on Good Morning Texas tomorrow, Wed. May 2. Station WFAA-TV channel 8. It's the ABC affiliate in Dallas/Fort Worth. How cool is that. I wish I could tune in. What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? DOMINO DANCING by Pet Shop BoysWhen I was at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference last week, I had a writer rush up to me in a panic to ask a question. She was incredibly worried that she had not established her social media platform for her novel yet. If her release date was in 4… -
Why Don't We Take on Any Old Thing If We Think It Will Sell?
28 Apr 2012 | 1:28 pmSTATUS: Will I or will I not catch this cold? Verdict is still out although I stayed home the last two days hoping that would tilt it in favor of the "will not."What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? AIN'T NO SUNSHINE by Bill WithersSelling a book is not the same as selling a widget--at least for me (although I do know any number of agents who treat it that way and take on a whole lot of projects, throw them out there on submission, and hope maybe 2 out of 5 will stick). On Facebook I mentioned that I had recently seen a sale for a project that I read all the way through but in the end…
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Kate's Book Blog
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Talking About Adrienne Rich on the Radio
30 Apr 2012 | 10:47 pmEarlier this month, I had the pleasure of discussing the life and work of poet and activist Adrienne Rich with Michael Enright on CBC Radio's The Sunday Edition. You can listen to the segment, excerpted from the CBC podcast of the show, by clicking on the player below. I have continued to read and reread Rich's awe-inspiring body of work in the intervening weeks, and I expect I'll post some reflections on particular poems and essays, and more broadly on her intertwining of poetry and politics, here soon. -
L.M. Montgomery's Toronto Stomping Grounds
6 Apr 2012 | 3:57 pmI had a lovely walk along the Humber River today. The snapshots below were all taken within a mile or so of L.M. Montgomery's Toronto house and, knowing how much she loved to walk among trees and beside water, I imagine that the places they depict were once her stomping grounds. -
I may have gotten carried away at the book sale today...
24 Sep 2011 | 6:50 pmThe only authors whose books I was specifically looking for were Louis Auchincloss (a lawyer-writer about whose work I intend to write a paper) and Charles de Lint (a fantasy writer whose novels and short stories about the fictional city of Newford I’ve recently fallen head-over-heels for), and I did well on both counts: The House of the Prophet and Fellow Passengers by the former; and Tapping the Dream Tree, Muse and Reverie, and Spirits in the Wires by the latter.While I was searching the “A” section for Auchincloss, I stumbled upon a pair of Chinua Achebe novels of which I already… -
International Crime Fiction: Shamini Flint’s Inspector Singh Series
24 Aug 2011 | 9:58 pm(cross-posted from law.arts.culture)“International crime fiction” can be an unhelpful label, given how often people use it simply to denote the crime fiction of any country other than their own, so as to indicate border crossing by readers rather than sleuths. But it is an apt one for Shamini Flint’s series featuring Inspector Singh whose investigations cut a wide swath across Southeast Asia. Inspector Singh is a detective in the Singapore police force, but it seems that his superiors are keen to take advantage of any opportunity to send him on distant, unpalatable assignments. In the… -
The Lawyers of Children's Literature
14 Jul 2011 | 9:52 pm(cross-posted from law.arts.culture)I recently reconnected with a childhood friend on Facebook, and she reminded me that, at the age of ten, I was already telling anyone who asked that I was going to be a lawyer when I grew up. As it turns out, I became a law professor, but I remain a paid-up (albeit non-practicing) member of the Saskatchewan Bar, so mission accomplished, more or less. The focus of this post, though, is not the attainment of the goal but what inspired it. Where did I get the idea that a lawyer was a thing to be, and what sort of work did I envision a lawyer doing?There are…
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800 CEO Read
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Jack Covert Selects – The Good Food Revolution
10 May 2012 | 5:49 pmTweet The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities by Will Allen, Gotham Books, 272 pages, $26.00, Hardcover, May 2012, ISBN 9781592407101 For an average-sized book, there is a lot within this one. From the title, one might expect sociological research on trends in organic food, or an analysis of a health food business and how they became successful. While it certainly has traces of those things, it is so much more. This book is by and about a man named Will Allen, who grew up around farming, played professional basketball, managed a chain of restaurants, was an… -
Jack Covert Selects – The Reinventors
10 May 2012 | 5:43 pmTweet The Reinventors: How Extraordinary Companies Pursue Radical Continuous Change by Jason Jennings, Portfolio, 256page, $26.95, May 2012, ISBN 9781591844235 The once vital Main Streets of America are all but out of business, boarded up or filled with antique stores shopping the delights and detritus of another era. Jason Jennings visits the main street of his own abandoned hometown at the beginning of The Reinventors to use it as a metaphor for “what will happen to you, your job, and your business unless you become a reinventor completely committed to constant radical change and… -
Jack Covert Selects – How Will You Measure Your Life?
10 May 2012 | 5:38 pmTweet How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth & Karen Dillon, Harper Business, 240 pages, $25.99, Hardcover, May 2012, ISBN 9780062102416 Clayton Christensen is a business theorist who, in 1997, wrote the renowned Innovator’s Dilemma which introduced the idea that most well-established companies are overtaken not by behemoth competitors but by “disruptive” innovations that rise up and cut down giants in part because the giants were oblivious to the threat, and/or unable to invest in new emerging technologies. Christensen is also a dedicated professor… -
LeaveSmarter: Stephen Shapiro
10 May 2012 | 4:09 pmTweetYesterday, Stephen Shapiro was in town for our private LeaveSmarter event, sponsored by BMO Harris/M&I Bank and Whyte Hirschboek Dudek. His talked focused on ideas from his recent book, and 800-CEO-READ Business Book Award winner for 2011, Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition. According to Shapiro, the main problems we have with being innovative, is how we think about things, the kind of questions we ask, and what we already know about the challenges we face. Here’s a clip from his talk that gives examples of this: Following this, Shapiro… -
ChangeThis: Issue 94
9 May 2012 | 4:43 pmTweet Unleashing the Creative Reservoir: The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited by Richard Florida “A new social compact—a Creative Compact—can turn our Creative Economy into a just and Creative Society, in which prosperity is widely shared. While driven and shaped by economic logic, the key institutions and initiatives of the future will be shaped, as they always have, by human agency.” Build This: Your Culturematic Laboratory by Grant McCracken “Ruled by pragmatism and play, your laboratory is fast becoming the place you come to look out into the future. This the bridge from…
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Duffbert's Random Musings
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Book Review - Squeezed: Rear-Ended by American Politics by J. C. Bourque
6 May 2012 | 8:52 pmI generally steer clear of political books... mostly because I'm fed up with *both* sides. Political humor is still OK, however. And if both sides are being skewered, so much the better. I was asked if I was interested in reading and reviewing Squeezed: Rear-Ended by American Politics by J. C. Bourque, and the premise was enough to get me hooked. And the premise is? Ultra-conservatives and ultra-liberals are both the same, in that they are convinced that they have all the answers, and *you* need to buy into their logic or else you're an uninformed idiot. -
Book Review - The Developer's Code - What Real Programmers Do by Ka Wai Cheung
6 May 2012 | 4:09 pmI like books that gather a number of essays and thoughts about technology (in this case, software development) and bundle them in a single volume so I can contemplate what it is I do as a profession. The Developer's Code - What Real Programmers Do by Ka Wai Cheung (published by Pragmatic Bookshelf) fits that description perfectly. I've often said that one or two gems from a book like this can make it an excellent buy. For me, this one met and surpassed that criteria. None of the essays here (52 in total) are technical in nature. You won't learn a new way to code… -
Book Review - Illusion by Frank Peretti
6 May 2012 | 9:58 amFrank Peretti is an interesting author who writes in a genre not overly populated... Christian supernatural thrillers. Yeah, it's an odd combination, but Peretti makes it work, and very well at that. Illusion is his latest novel, and I forgot how much I like getting lost in his books. Illusion mixes magic and hi-tech science fiction with a touch of romance for a story that left me wondering how everything was going to play out. The basic story line... Dane and Mandy Collins were the grand couple of magic. Married for 40 years, they were deeply in love, and their skill… -
Book Review - You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins
28 Apr 2012 | 6:21 pmIt used to be that to become a writer, you had to hope that you could convince the gatekeepers to let you pass. Publishers held all the cards, and your only option was to play the game their way (or not play at all). Those days are gone... Jeff Goins is a great example of someone who has figured out the new rules and freedoms that exist when it comes to being a writer. He shares his insights as well as dishing out plenty of encouragement in his new e-book You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One). What I found is that I'm much closer to "being a writer" than I… -
Book Review - V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
22 Apr 2012 | 5:02 pmSeems like forever since Sue Grafton published an installment in her alphabet series with Kinsey Millhone. That wait ended when I picked up V is for Vengeance from the library. Actually, the gap between this and U is for Undertow was good, as I was getting a bit burned out on Millhone. The stories weren't having the same appeal as earlier efforts, and reading them seemed like more of an effort to keep up instead of a pleasure. V revives some of that pleasure once again, and this was well worth reading. Millhone gets sucked into a case without even trying. She happens…
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Three Percent - Article
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A Book You Should Read: "The Little Red Guard" by Wenguang Huang
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmTwo of my friends have memoirs coming out this spring (the other being Gideon Lewis-Kraus’s A Sense of Direction), which is a sort of interesting phenomenon. I don’t typically read a lot of memoirs, but when it’s someone you know? . . . That’s extra intriguing. I don’t know either Gideon or Wen all that well, yet I know them well enough to know that I really like them and am curious to find out more about their lives, both in the events that shaped them and the way they write and share their take on these events. So this week, I took a couple nights to get sucked… -
New Podcasts to Listen To
15 May 2012 | 12:19 pmI just received email notification that the third episode of That Other Word, the podcast from American University of Paris’s Center for Writers and Translators and the Center for the Art of Translation is now online. This particular episode features a discussion between Daniel Medin and Scott Esposito about W.G. Sebald’s Across the Land and the Water: Selected Poems 1964-2001 and Robert Walser’s The Walk, and includes a special interview with Three Percent hero Benjamin Moser. On a related note, Ed Nawotka of Publishing Perspectives was praising the latest Monocle podcast… -
Latest Review: "The Secret of Evil" by Roberto Bolaño
14 May 2012 | 5:00 pmThe latest addition to our Reviews Section is a piece by Jeremy Garber on Roberto Bolaño’s The Secret of Evil, which is translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews and Natasha Wimmer, and was recently released by New Directions. Jeremy Garber is a used book buyer for a large independent bookstore. (And a GoodReads friend, which is where I first came across his reviews.) His work has appeared in The Oregonian, the Oregon Historical Quarterly and on Powells.com. And continuing our baseball theme, it’s worth noting that Jeremy is an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan. Here’s the… -
PEN World Voices 2012 and Beyond
14 May 2012 | 11:00 amSo, as with years past, Publishing Perspectives asked me to write up something about this year’s PEN World Voices Festival. I did so, but unlike years past, I wasn’t as effusively complimentary . . . I feel bad criticizing PEN WV because the festival has been such a huge boon for book culture over the years and because it was thanks to WV that Umberto Eco and Salman Rushdie spoke here in Rochester back in 2008. That said, no one can rest on their laurels, and after the past couple festivals, I think it’s worth taking a more critical look so that the festival can move forward… -
Three Percent Podcast #37: No Offense
11 May 2012 | 1:28 pmTom and I were on fire during this week’s podcast, talking about the PEN World Voices Festival and some interesting questions we were asked in an interview for the Picador Book Room Tumblr. While talking about PEN WV, what is learned about a location from reading a book set there, what’s lost and/or gained in translation, we (meaning mostly me) tear into a number of things.
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HBR.org
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Gender Balance is an Investor Issue Too
16 May 2012 | 4:59 amPeople get awfully excited about quotas. So do countries. After Norway's lead in 2008, gender quotas on corporate boards have been rolling out in a whole series of countries: Spain, then France, the Netherlands, even Italy voted them in. EU Commissioner Viviane Reding is pushing hard, and if she has her say, and if companies continue to make so little progress unassisted, quotas are likely to become an EU reality within the next few years. Managers in Anglo-Saxon countries hate the idea. And perhaps there's a better alternative: harness the power of investors. New York City's public pension… -
Collaboration by Difference
15 May 2012 | 2:11 pmCathy Davidson, Duke University professor and HASTAC cofounder, shares new ways to collaborate, share, and learn, which make teams more productive. -
Your Company's "Obituary" Can Shape Its Future
15 May 2012 | 1:26 pmIf you've spent any amount of time in executive retreats or leadership off-sites, you've probably been asked to participate in a familiar evaluation of your career and impact. "Take twenty minutes," a facilitator will say, "and write your professional obituary. What legacy did you leave? What contribution did you make? What might colleagues remember about you?" At one level, it's a strange (and slightly morbid) exercise. At another level, it serves a worthwhile purpose — encouraging leaders to see themselves the way their colleagues see them, to evaluate their long-term impact from the… -
Leaving a Mark That Matters
15 May 2012 | 1:25 pmThe other day, I finally tackled a long-overdue task: reviewing a stack of VHS tapes to see what was on them and whether it was worth digitizing. Amidst the usual detritus (Patriots games and Saturday Night Live episodes of yore), I found an unexpected discovery: a tape of the 1993 lesbian and gay march on Washington. Replaying those clips, I realized the difference two decades has wrought — not just in the acceptance of gays and lesbians in the workplace, but even more so in our ability to create and access information that matters, and the responsibility that entails for every… -
Are Your Employees Drivers or Victims of Process Innovations?
15 May 2012 | 12:19 pmTo stay competitive, organizations need to continually find opportunities for innovation in key processes such as customer service and product development, and adoption of a new process almost always requires the implementation of new information technology. In his 1990 classic HBR article "Reengineering Work: Don't Automate, Obliterate," Michael Hammer argued that IT must drive radical process innovation. Unfortunately, this creates two problems. First, as Hammer argued, these large investments in new IT systems tend to deliver disappointing results, largely because companies tend to use…
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Books on the Nightstand
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BOTNS #180: Revisiting Re-reading
15 May 2012 | 9:28 pmThe Concord Free Press and their wonderful publishing program; Re-reading, do you do it? Do you have time to do it?; Michael sheepishly admits that he still hasn’t read Waiting for Sunrise, the new novel from William Boyd, and Ann recommends Trapeze by Simon Mawer No, Really – It’s Free! Concord Free Press is a wonderful publisher that has just published its seventh book, Round Mountain by Castle Freeman, Jr. Here’s the catch, (don’t worry, it’s a good catch) the book is free. As in zero dollars. Concord Free Press publishes 3,000 copies of a book, then… -
BOTNS Podcast #179: Fifty Shades of Book Snobbery
8 May 2012 | 7:33 pmAnnouncing our Booktopia:Santa Cruz author lineup, book snobbery, The Man Who Planted Trees, and a new novel from Toni Morrison. (Apologies for the less-than-stellar sound this week. Our recording conditions were less than optimal.) Booktopia Past and Future: We’re finally back, recovered from the glory that was Booktopia Vermont. Thank you to all BOTNS listeners who joined us in a magical, bookish weekend. Extra-special thanks to our lovely authors, whom I now all count as friends. Today we announce our author lineup for Booktopia:Santa Cruz, happening in October. This event is sold… -
BOTNS #178: BooktopiaVT – Sara J. Henry and Richard Mason
1 May 2012 | 9:00 pmThis week we present two more of the talks from our BooktopiaVT Celebration of Authors: Sara J. Henry, author of Learning to Swim, and Richard Mason, author of History of a Pleasure Seeker. Congratulations to Sara J. Henry, whose novel Learning to Swim won two awards last week: the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Sara lovingly relates the story of her childhood spent in a room full of books and a typewriter; the perfect breeding ground for a writer! Richard Mason had such a great time in Vermont that he asked if he could join us in Oxford as well. The fact… -
BOTNS #177: BooktopiaVT – Bill Landay and Leslie Maitland
24 Apr 2012 | 8:20 pmWe’ve just returned from Booktopia Vermont, a weekend filled with readers, authors, and wonderful bookish conversation! Here we present the talks given by Bill Landay, author of Defending Jacob, and Leslie Maitland, author of Crossing the Borders of Time. Live from Booktopia! We are pleased to present the talks given by Bill Landay and Leslie Maitland at this past weekend’s Booktopia event in Vermont. There were many interesting discussions about Defending Jacob, and the motivations of the characters, discussions that were somewhat hard to have since not everyone in the room had… -
BOTNS #176: Book Jackets Uncovered
17 Apr 2012 | 10:07 pmThe New York Times takes on young adult fiction; Some cool links for those of you who are fascinated by book jacket design, and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Literary Debate in the New York Times We’ve been fascinated by the New York Times website feature “Room for Debate,” especially when they tackle literary topics. One topic was book blurbs, and recently they took on the topic “The Power of Young Adult Fiction.” There was a hue and cry from the blogosphere when columnist Joel Stein…
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Omnivoracious
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The Inquisitor’s Key: The Shroud of Turin and the Ultimate Game of “What if?”
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pm(Omnivoracious is pleased to present this guest post from Jon Jefferson, the writer behind the New York Times bestselling Jefferson Bass “body farm” novels, for which Jefferson has partnered with forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Bass. Jefferson is a veteran journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and Popular Science, and broadcast on National Public Radio.) The latest Jefferson Bass novel, The Inquisitor’s Key, features series regular Dr. Bill Brockton, but is a bit of a departure. Inside a newly… -
Media Monday - Post Mother's Day Edition
15 May 2012 | 8:01 amAs you might imagine, Mother's Day was on the mind of many reviewers this weekend. Which seems about right. A belated happy Mother's Day to all mothers. And just a general happy day to everyone reading out there. The New York Times In the spirit of Mother's Day, the cover of the Sunday Review features two books about motherhood. As you might suspect, if we're talking motherhood books there are bound to be references to French motherhood. Judith Warner writes in her review, "Just as everyone was getting ready to throw out the Baby Bjorns and start practicing detachment parenting à la… -
"The Art of Intelligence" - A Conversation with Henry A. Crumpton
14 May 2012 | 3:00 pmIf you missed "60 Minutes" last night, then you didn't see the story on Hank Crumpton, which helped to send his new book The Art of Intelligence soaring up our best seller lists. During a twenty-four-year career, Crumpton spent time as the head of the CIA's global covert operations against America's terrorist enemies, including al Qaeda. In the days after 9/11, the CIA tasked him to organize and lead the Afghanistan campaign. As Scott Pelley points out in the "60 Minutes" piece, "he is known to U.S. Presidents, African rebels, and Afghan tribal leaders by just one name: Hank." You can see the… -
Ask Augusten Burroughs: Love After Infidelity--Plus Advice on Growing Up Gay
14 May 2012 | 12:00 pmMemoirist turned self-help strategist Augusten Burroughs continues his guest advice columnist stint here on Omnivoracious--to kick off the release of his latest book, This Is How--with answers to two perplexing questions sent in by his readers: Can love outlast infidelity? And how can a gay guy find his way to the life he wants? Read on... Can a relationship really survive an infidelity? Or will someone in the relationship always be a pumpkin eater? —Anonymous Dear Anonymous, The question really isn’t can a relationship survive infidelity, but rather, should it survive, and do both… -
The Rule of Threes: Expressive Character Design
14 May 2012 | 2:05 amNothing rocks my boat quite like an exquisitely inked character description: just enough to accent their best attributes, but not so much that you can’t see the person for the paint. And nothing impresses me more. Such restraint and precision! Such a vivid vision--brief enough that it hits you like a truck, and nuanced enough that it hints at the secrets left untold. A good character description can, in a handful of words, sketch a persona that feels active, alive, and expressive. It can make you feel as though the character could step off the page. But of course, like with chocolate, sea…
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GalleyCat
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How A Book Is Born: INFOGRAPHIC
15 May 2012 | 9:10 pmPublishing house Weldon Owen created an infographic called “How a Book is Born,” tracing the path of a book from idea to final product. We’ve embedded the whole infographic below–all book professionals can learn from this image which shows how a book is conceptualized, pitched, picked up, written, edited and who gets drunk along the way. Check it out: “Here’s the heartwarming, only slightly messy, and roughly 74 percent accurate story of how an idea churns through the publishing process just like—as a publisher we once knew put it—a rat travels through an anaconda. -
Carlos Fuentes Has Died
15 May 2012 | 3:23 pmNovelist Carlos Fuentes has passed away. Mexican president Felipe Calderonshared the sad news on Twitter. The great author had won the Miguel de Cervantes Prize and the Latin Literary Prize. In July, Dalkey Archive Press will publish his novel, Vlad. They also published his books Terra Nostra, Where the Air Is Clear, and Distant Relations. Here is an excerpt from his novel, Inez: “We shall have nothing to say in regard to our own death.” For a long time this sentence had been going around and around in the aged maestro’s head. He did not dare write it down. He was afraid… -
This Week on the mediabistro.com Job Board: TASCHEN, Apress, Angry Robot Books
15 May 2012 | 12:39 pmThis week, TASCHEN is hiring a public relations manager, while Apress needs a managing coordinating editor. Angry Robot Books is on the hunt for a U.S. sales and marketing manager, and Guideposts is seeking an editor of series fiction. Get all the details below, and find more just-posted publishing gigs on mediabistro.com. Public Relations Manager TASCHEN (New York, NY) Managing Coordinating Editor Apress (New York, NY) U.S. Sales and Marketing Manager Angry Robot Books (New York, NY) Editor, Series Fiction Guideposts (New York, NY) Digital Marketing Associate RosettaBooks (New York, NY) For… -
Apple & Publishers’ Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Denied
15 May 2012 | 12:23 pmU.S. District Court judge Denise Cote has denied both Apple’s and publishers’ move to dismiss a civil class action suit that alleges Apple and major publishers colluded to set eBook prices. Follow this PDF link to download a copy of the 56-page decision. Hagens Berman managing partner Steve Berman is the lead counsel in the class action suit against Apple and publishers. He had this statement: “We look forward to uncovering additional evidence in the discovery phase of this litigation … We litigated this case because we strongly believe that consumers were harmed by… -
Karen Russell Wins NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award
15 May 2012 | 11:41 amThe New York Public Library revealed that Karen Russell is the winner of the 2012 Young Lions Fiction Award for her debut novel, Swamplandia! The award includes a $10,000. This award recognizes an American writer 35-years-old or younger for publishing a novel or a short story collection. Russell (pictured, via) has published a novel and a short story collection (St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves). Here’s more from the announcement: “The judges—Alvaro Enrigue, A.M. Homes and Adam Levin—chose Russell’s debut novel Swamplandia! from among five works of fiction.
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The Writing Life
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When You Need to Create a Press Release
16 May 2012 | 12:47 amMany writers have never written a press release. They figure that's something their book publisher handles or something they can delegate to someone else. In the normal course of events, your book publisher will prepare a press release for the book. This release is focused on the content of your book and a mixture of information about you as the author and the unique marketing position of your new book. It's a one time event then the publicity person moves on to another book. There are almost limitless opportunities to promote your events, your forthcoming workshops, your new products and… -
Stop the Cycle of Unfinished Projects
9 May 2012 | 8:53 amIn the world of publishing (where I have lived for the last 20+ years), I see many writers with uncompleted projects. They are enthused about a particular idea or concept yet never persist to get it into print. They need the tool set in Craig Copeland's FINISH WHAT YOU START. As Copeland writes in the preface,"The Power Principles will work for anyone at any level of success. It doesn't matter if you're new or already well on your way to creating success in your life now. The steps are not hard to practice. In fact, you'll find you only need a very small portion of your day to practice them… -
Get Global Book Proposal Help
7 May 2012 | 10:37 amWhat is a topic or subject that you have a lot of passion? I've found passion will carry you forward to help others in this area. For many years, one of my passions has been to help would-be authors create excellent book proposals. As a long-term writer, I knew editors and agents read proposals—not manuscripts. I had written two proposals which garnered six-figure advances from traditional publishers. While I had read a number of writers book proposals at conferences, I didn't see the full onslaught of the unsolicited submissions until I worked as an acquisitions editor. As an… -
Never Say Never
3 May 2012 | 1:25 pmIf you haven’t said it, I don’t doubt that you’ve thought the words: “I will never ______.” Some of my professional writer friends proclaimed about blogging: “I will never blog because you are simply giving away your writing craft for free. Why should I give away my storytelling when I can sell it to a magazine or be writing a book?” I’ve heard other writers say, “I will never do a work made for hire. There is no reason to give away all of my rights to a publisher.” They have committed to never signing that type of agreement. Other writers have an aversion to… -
If You Build It & They Don’t Come
1 May 2012 | 9:09 amYears ago when I launched my first website, I worked hard at all of the details of this site—the functionality, the appearance and the contents. I was convinced this website would sell tons of books and generate terrific amounts of new writing business. I was stuck in fantasy and not reality because it did not happen. I often meet unpublished authors who are convinced a website or lots of activity on Facebook is the single answer to sell many books. They have fallen into this trap of believing the line from the movie Field of Dreams, that if they build it, the people will come. Today I’m…
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The Kindle Reader
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Exit, Reading
9 May 2012 | 11:28 amOn November 30, 2007, shortly after Amazon announced the release of the first Kindle, I began writing The Kindle Reader blog. Since then I have updated it on a regular basis - no vacations, no time off. I hope that during that time regular readers have found at least one or two books they've enjoyed mightily - books that have even changed their lives for the better. Now it is time for me to move on to new life adventures and maybe even take time to read more of the books I have on my personal reading list. To those Kindle readers who have accompanied me on this reading adventure and to those… -
A Week of Entertainment: Kindle Books Reviewed in Entertainment Weekly's May 4th Issue
6 May 2012 | 8:24 amEach week Entertainment Weekly reviews a small selection of popular new books. Titles available for the Kindle reviewed in the May 4th issue include: Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama, by Alison Bechdel. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print length: 304 p. Available only for the Kindle Fire and Kindle for Android. GRAPHIC MEMOIR. EW's slant: "The flaw of most memoirs is that the author, whether because of a lack of skill or maturity or humor, gets lost in a tunnel. Bechdel's triumph is not just that she's emerged from her tunnel, with weary but clear eyes, but that she's brought her mother… -
Kindle Genre Watch: New in Fantasy and Science Fiction
4 May 2012 | 8:15 amSpend less time searching for good books and more time reading them as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Store so you don't have to. Outstanding new releases in fantasy and science fiction include: Fantasy Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers. William Morrow, 2012. Print Length: 533 p. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (15 reviews). Text-to-Speech: Enabled. "London, winter of 1862, Adelaide McKee, a former prostitute, arrives on the doorstep of veterinarian John Crawford, a man she met once seven years earlier. Their brief meeting produced a child who, until now, had been… -
Books They're Talking About: Kindle Books in the Media
2 May 2012 | 9:34 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 NBC's Today Show (Apr 24) and on NPR's Diane Rehm Show (Apr 26): Prague Winter, by Madeleine Albright. Harper Collins, 2012. Print Length: 480 p. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (16 reviews). Text-to-Speech: Enabled. "Before Madeleine Albright turned… -
What People Magazine is Reading This Week (May 7th Issue)
30 Apr 2012 | 9:20 amFor those Kindle readers who, like me, read for entertainment, scanning the book reviews in People magazine is good way to check out new people-related books - celebrity bios, popular novels, absorbing nonfiction - just hitting bookstore shelves. Featured in the May 7th issue of People: Waiting for Sunrise, by William Boyd. Harper, 2012. Print Length: 373 p. NOVEL. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (47 reviews). People's slant: "...effortlessly combines historical detail with a sexy, galloping narrative that proves irresistible." - Helen Rogan. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. "Vienna. 1913. It is…
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Storytellers Unplugged
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Thomas Sullivan: BREAST-FED BRAINS vs. NOITANIGAMI
15 May 2012 | 5:00 pmThink back. Way back. Lying-in-your-bassinet back. What kind of formula were you raised on? No-no…I don’t mean breast milk/formula. I mean how was your life orchestrated? Dr. Spock baby? Schedules/organization/chaos/mommy-was-on-Valium? Meat and potatoes lifestyle? (Dunno…I’ve repressed all that)? The answer is very important to your imagination and creativity. No question, creativity can either be given wings or pushed off a cliff while we are still in the cradle – creatle. True, hardwiring is major. By nature a few of us will never find our way out of… -
Do u c wot ic?
11 May 2012 | 9:26 pmif u cn read this ur less likely 2 bcum a gd writer. I don’t mean that for people who can translate it in their minds, but rather those who see the above statement and immediately recognize what it says: “If you can read this, you are less likely to become a good writer.” Textspeak is not English. It is a language similar to and rooted in English, but that is where the association ends. It is a variant form of English utilized by those who are inhibited by speed or character availability limits. Call it textspeak, SMS, Lingo or any other term, but it is not English… -
5 Undying Myths About Published Writers And Their Eerie Powers
9 May 2012 | 2:23 am“What’s that, you say? Please send you my six volumes of unpublished gothic poetry? I’d be delighted!” To the unpublished writer — and maybe there’s another level here we’ll call underpublished — life on the other side of the divide can seem like a place of rarefied air. This can lead to some erroneous assumptions about what writers farther down the path can actually do for someone still at the trailhead. I doubt I know a single veteran writer who didn’t, at some early point, reach out to touch some of that mojo and see if a little might rub off. I certainly did. Most… -
The Invisible
4 May 2012 | 3:47 amThis is a “reprint” of a “lost” post (you’ll notice on the list of my posts that there’s about a year’s worth of stuff that never made the transition to the new blog). Don’t know if the references are still available (for instance, Nick Kaufman’s post, but you should google him and check out his new site and friend him on facebook and read his stuff, anyway), but I think it’s still relevant. Even if you read it before, you probably won’t remember it from years ago, so it’ll still be as new to you as to the rest of you… -
A Room With a View
2 May 2012 | 11:32 amLast month, I went hiking off into the desert and completely forgot what day it was. By the time I realized I’d missed my April Storyteller’s post, I was a good fifty feet into the black depths of a dusty mine and at least thirty or more miles from the spot where the last lone bar on my husband’s iphone weakly bled away. There was absolutely nothing to be done about the missed deadline and yet, for a split second, I twisted around and looked back at the little hole of white sunshine that was the opening of the mine. It was no bigger than…
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Paulo Coelho's Blog
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In search of my island
16 May 2012 | 5:20 amWhen I wrote The Zahir, the main character says: writing is getting lost at sea. It’s discovering your own untold story and trying to share it with others. It’s realizing, when you show it to people you have never seen, what is in your own soul. In the book, a famous writer on spiritual matters, [...] -
Hangout G+ 15/05/2012 (Portugues)
15 May 2012 | 3:52 pm -
Four topics about fear
15 May 2012 | 3:45 amby Chandresh Bhardwaj The origin of fear lies in the unknown. Be it the darkness, ghosts, weather calamities or whatever is unknown to the man is feared the most. If you are walking in darkness, you are afraid to go ahead, fearing what will come next. However, as the light appears, the fear tends to [...] -
10 SEC READING: The intelligent servant
12 May 2012 | 8:01 pmEM PORTUGUES Y ESPANOL AQUI > O empregado inteligente / el empleado inteligente When he was staying at an air base in Africa, author Saint-Exupéry passed the hat among his friends because a Moroccan servant wanted to return to his home town. He managed to collect a thousand francs. One of the pilots flew the [...] -
Twicam, 12 mayo 2012
11 May 2012 | 6:26 pm
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Advanced Fiction Writing Blog
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Values, Ambitions, and Goals for Your Character
9 May 2012 | 12:24 pmHow much can your lead character change over the course of a novel? Can his values, ambitions, and goals change — or should they remain locked in place? Beka posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: Hey Randy I’ve got a question I’m hoping you can help me with. I’m reading through your “Writing Fiction for Dummies” book and am having trouble understanding the whole “values - ambition - goal” thing. I understand what each of these mean in regards to character development, and I can come up with a good set of… -
Writing in the Point of View of a Five Year Old
2 May 2012 | 3:11 pmHow do you write in the point of view of a small child in a novel for adults? Derrick posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: I’m working on a story that begins with a five-year-old girl lost in the woods, and I’m trying to use third person limited POV. People I’ve shown this to (critique partners and such) have commented that the language I use in these scenes is “too advanced” for such a young girl. For example, if she’s walking through the forest past the magnificent trees, but her vocabulary wouldn’t include… -
Managing Stage Directions In Your Novel
25 Apr 2012 | 12:26 pmHow do you handle “stage directions” when writing your novel? Is there one rule that always works, or is it more complicated than that? Davalynn posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: I have followed your blog and newsletter for several years and have learned a great deal. In your recent blog post about managing interior monologue, I locked in on one of your comments in the rewrite: “Eliminated the stage direction about walking across the room, which isnít all that interesting.” Exactly. I’d like to hear more of your thoughts… -
How To Do Interior Monologue In Fiction Writing
18 Apr 2012 | 11:46 amHow do you correctly go inside the head of your lead character when writing a scene in your novel? David posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: As always, thanks for your time. The question on your last blog post about “Camera Management” brought to mind a similar question. How should one format a switch from POV camera angle to POV inner monologue? Do you put the inner monologue in to italics? Does it need it’s own stanza/paragraph/line? An example I’m having trouble with is below: Paul walked across the room and picked the neatly… -
Managing the Camera While Writing Your Novel
12 Apr 2012 | 1:06 pmHow do you manage the “camera” when writing scenes in your novel? Or do you even have to think about that? Dane posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page: Hi Randy, Do you recommend any sources that help to teach ‘camera’ patterns for staging scenes? For example, within 3rd person pov, starting the view from a distance about the environment, then moving closer in, and finally focusing on some important details? To illustrate, if we lock the pov into 3rd person, then we were to fasten a ‘very flexible’ rubberband to the camera.
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ReadersRead.com Book Blog
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Charlaine Harris Announces the End of the Sookie Stackhouse Series
14 May 2012 | 7:14 pmBestselling author Charlaine Harris announced on the Facebook page that the Sookie Stackhouse series is finally coming to an end. Charlaine said, "Save the date...the final Sookie Stackhouse book, Dead After After, will be on sale May 2, 2013!" The last book will be the 13th book in the series. Sookie's adventures are the basis of the hit HBO series True Blood which stars Anna Paquin as Sookie, as vampire Eric Northman and Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton. The twelfth Sookie Stackhouse book, Deadlocked, was just released. Photo: Penguin Group Permalink | Recent Headlines | Facebook | Our News… -
Fifty Shades of Grey is Now Amazon.com's Bestselling Book of 2012
12 May 2012 | 6:00 pmWell, that didn't take long. Fifty Shades of Grey has just passed The Hunger Games to become as Amazon's #1 bestselling book of 2012. The list only counts paperback and hardcover books, not ebooks. The second through fourth spots are still held by the three books in The Hunger Games trilogy. For ebooks, The Hunger Games trilogy still takes the top spots. All three books are available for loan for free from Amazon.com for Amazon Prime members. Photo: Random House Permalink | Recent Headlines | Facebook | Our News Feeds -
Tony DiTerlizzi Talks A Hero for WondLa on CNN
9 May 2012 | 2:00 pmA Hero for WondLa is the second book in author Tony DiTerlizzi's Search for WondLa's trilogy. The series follows Eva Nine's adventures on the planet Orbona. Eva discovered she is not the only human in the world in the first book. Eva was rescued by a boy named Hailey who led her to the colony of New Attica, where humans of different shapes and sizes appear to live in peace and harmony. In the new entry in the series, Eva discovers something sinister is going on in the idyllic colony. Both of the book in the series contain artwork that features Augmented Reality. DiTerlizzi talked with CNN's… -
The Art of War Graphic Novel Tells of a Violent Future
7 May 2012 | 3:00 pmHarper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins, has announced it will publish The Art of War: A Graphic Novel on July 31, 2012. The graphic novel was written by Kelly Roman and illustrated by Michael DeWeese. It is edited by Will Hinton. The graphic novel, adapted from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, tells of a violent near-future when financial markets are militarized and China is the dominant economy. The book took six years to write and illustrate, with most of the pages hand-painted on watercolor paper. A 50-page sample of the graphic novel can be read on the book's website. The following book… -
New Library of Congress Book Features Historical Presidential Campaign Posters
5 May 2012 | 9:00 pmPresidential campaign posters are featured in a new book, Presidential Campaign Posters From the Library of Congress. Drawn from the Library's collection of more than 100,000 posters covering a wide variety of subjects, 100 ready-to-frame campaign posters about politicians from Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama are included in the book. Each of the posters is backed with historical commentary and additional artwork from their respective campaigns. Media analyst Brooke Gladstone in the book's preface, "Political art is nothing less than an illustration of the skirmishes and stalemates that…
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Laptop Repair | Laptop Repair and Upgrade
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Nationwide Laptop Data Recovery Services by Creative IT USA
11 May 2012 | 10:07 amNationwide Laptop Data Recovery Services by Creative IT USA Creative IT USA offers professional laptop data recovery services to recover your valuable personal or business data from your damaged laptop hard drives. We can efficiently recover your data regardless of the issue, whether it is a physical or logical failure. We support laptops from all leading brands including Apple Mac, Acer, Dell, Sony, Panasonic, HP, Toshiba, Samsung, Fujitsu, Asus, Gateway, IBM and Alienware. As one of the leading laptop repair and data recovery service providers in California, Creative IT has the expertise to… -
Computerrepairs.tv offer Computer and Laptop Repairs Nationwide
9 May 2012 | 3:18 pmComputerrepairs.tv is offering a computer repair service for people on a budget in the Los Angeles surrounding counties. We will provide an accurate quote and take payment once repairs are completed. We have started to focus our repairs on HP motherboard repairs. Here are the following series we do dm1, dm3, dm4, dv2, dv3, dv4, dv5, dv6, dv7, dv8, dv1000, dv2000, dv3000, dv4000, dv5000, dv6000, dv8000, dv9000, dx6000, g4, g6, g7, n, tx1000, tx2000, xf, xh, xt, xu, xz, zd7000, zd8000, ze1000, ze2000, ze4000, ze5000, zt1000, zt3000, zu1000, zv5000, zv6000 and zx5000. We offer a… -
HP Laptop Repair | Creative IT USA HP Laptop Repair and Upgrade
26 Apr 2012 | 10:09 amNationwide HP Laptop Repair and Upgrade Services in USA Creative IT USA, a provider of reliable laptop repair services in California, announces its specialized nationwide HP laptop repair service and upgrade solutions. The specialized services by Creative IT include HP laptop repair, hardware replacement and upgrade and maintenance services at the most affordable rates. HP Laptop Repair Creative IT recognizes the requirement for keeping your system up-to-date in today’s fast technological environment. The professionals at Creative IT provide quick and reasonably priced notebook repair… -
Data Recovery Service in Valencia CA
24 Apr 2012 | 7:06 amCreative IT USA is know offering data recovery in USA visit our website http://www.creativeitusa.com/laptop-data-recovery.htm Call us on 213-986-4855 -
Creative IT new Office
24 Apr 2012 | 7:02 amCreative IT USA is now open vist www.creativeitusa.com
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Joanna Campbell Slan
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Remembering My Mother
11 May 2012 | 10:23 amMy sisters often send me photos of my mother's grave after they add new flowers. I appreciate the fact that my sisters are tending Mom's grave, but I hate those pictures, and I haven't found a way to tell Jane and Margaret my feelings until now. See, I don't want to remember my mother by visiting her grave. Yes, we picked a lovely spot in Port Salerno with a view of the water. Yes, it's an Episcopal church's graveyard, which would have pleased her. True, my sisters did a wonderful job of designing Mom's stone, including the ascending dove image, one just like the one she always wore on a… -
Lucky 13 -- Thirteen Kindle Reads FREE Only on April 13!
11 Apr 2012 | 10:40 amBy Joanna Campbell SlanTo celebrate the release of Ready, Scrap, Shoot, the fifth book in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery series (aka “Scrap-n-Craft Mystery series”), I wanted to do something really special. Something fun, something extra for my fans. So I’ve joined together with a dozen other mystery writers, and we’re turning Friday the 13th into a lucky day for anyone who loves to read. Yep, today you can download thirteen great reads for free on Kindle.One of the reads is a short story featuring my protagonist, Kiki Lowenstein. I named it “Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion,”… -
Keep It Spare and Lean: An Interview with Chris Grabenstein
9 Jan 2012 | 3:25 pmNote: Chris Grabenstein will be one of the Guests of Honor at Sleuthfest, March 1 - 3, 2012. He's the author of the John Ceepak series, for which he won the Anthony Award for "Best First Mystery." JCS: Chris, I know that unlike most authors, you didn’t just get a wild idea and start writing. Before you started your Cepak series, you studied James Patterson’s success. What sorts of decisions did you make? How have they worked for you? (I recall you talking about the titles that were all of the same ilk.)CG: Well, sometimes, I just get a wild idea and start writing. However, when… -
How to Protect Your Library--Books Are Meant to be Loved
28 Dec 2011 | 10:09 amReading to my dogs. Note the "red eyes." Sigh. Am I really demonic?In this Sunday's New York Times, someone wrote into the Social Q's column with a question that illustrates life as we know it. Seems that "Anonymous in Vermont" had a calamity during the annual Christmas party. Thirty adults and 30 kids were in attendance. Unfortunately, one of the kids puked on Anonymous's e-reader--and ruined it. Now Anonymous wants to know, should he/she ask the parents of Up-Chuck to replace the e-reader?Since our world seems to be dividing into two camps, those who love e-readers… -
An Interview with Julie James: 'My Writing Process Is My Own'
2 Dec 2011 | 7:54 amMy guest--Julie James.Note: Each year I conduct interviews with famous authors who will be guests at various conferences. Julie will be appearing at Love Is Murder, Feb. 3-5, 2011, in Chicago.)1. Julie, you were an attorney before you went into writing novels full-time. What is it about training as an attorney that seems to make for such fantastic authors? What did you learn in your work as a lawyer that you still use when you write today?A. Maybe all us lawyers write simply to escape our day jobs? Kidding! (Mostly.) I think it’s a couple things. First, as a lawyer, you write a lot. Second,…
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Living 2 Read
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Smart Girl
14 May 2012 | 1:54 pmI don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I've always been an admirer of Tina Fey. I read an excerpt from her autobiography Bossypants in the New Yorker, and it was so smart and funny that I went to my friendly local library and checked it out. Fey started her career at Saturday Night Live as a comedy writer, and she's got the chops.She has Nora Ephron's talent for witty self-deprecation, but mixed in with hilarious stories about her awkward adolescence, her ill-fated honeymoon cruise and her insecurities about motherhood, are doses of honest and practical advice about succeeding in a… -
A Suggestion from Maureen
27 Apr 2012 | 10:19 amNPR book critic Maureen Corrigan was describing a scene in her local bookstore where she overheard a conversation between two women who were looking for “a new British novelist”. She didn't interrupt, despite having a good suggestion, namely author Peter Cameron, an American who spent part of his childhood in England. (Maureen, if you're ever next to me in a bookstore, go ahead and jump in.)Cameron's latest novel is set in 1950's England, but if not for the presence of electricity and automobiles it could have been a century earlier. Coral Glynn, ayoung private duty nurse who is "rather… -
When In Doubt
20 Apr 2012 | 4:37 pmWhen in doubt, try Irish. That's my general rule when I'm looking for something to read. I'm a sucker for Irish authors. I can hear the accent as I read the words. I love the names of the locales – Enniskerry, Youghal, Clonskeagh – and I like to roll the characters names around in my mouth – Aileen, Fiona, Fiachra.In Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltzthe Irish voice belongs to married woman Gina Moynihan as she narrates her affair with Séan—himself married and a father. Gina isn't exactly an unreliable narrator, but she certainly doesn't attempt to be a sympathetic one. The affair… -
What is it that history teaches us?
9 Apr 2012 | 11:40 pmDoes it help us hear the cries of the past? "The Warmth of Other Suns" is a beautifully written, stunningly researched account of the migration of 6 million black Americans from the south to northern and western cities between 1915-1970. They fled Jim Crow laws, lynchings, violence and exploitation and streamed into major cities, emptying the south of its agricultural labor.This history comes alive through the stories of three individuals: Mississippi sharecropper Ida Mae Gladney, who left for Chicago in 1937, educated activist George Starling, who fled Florida for Harlem in 1945, and surgeon… -
Truth in Journalism
30 Mar 2012 | 8:28 pmTruth isn't just stranger than fiction; it's far more powerful and moving. At least that's how I felt after reading Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity. Boo, formerly a Washington Post journalist and now a New Yorker staff writer, lives part of each year in Mumbai with her Indian husband. Determined to present a portrait of slum life more nuanced than that of “Slumdog Millionaire”, she spent three years in Annawadi, a squatter settlement of three thousand people crammed into and around 335 huts, located next to a lake of sewage in the…
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RobAroundBooks
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Short Story Review: Baking Blind by Melanie Whipman
15 May 2012 | 11:00 amStory Title: ‘Baking Blind’ by Melanie Whipman. Collection/Anthology?: Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology 4 (Bristol Review of Books) Briefly: Naive and somewhat blinded by a romantic notion of Britain (a love fostered by her father, an English-language teacher), sixteen-year-old Laima leaves Lithuania to take up a job in England. It soon becomes clear however – to the reader at least – that she isn’t in the UK to work in the job that she thought she was. Afterthoughts: This is exactly what a short story should be – clear, precise and affecting. There are… -
Aharon Appelfeld wins Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2012
15 May 2012 | 6:17 amThe winner of this year’s Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was announced last night as Aharon Appelfeld, with his Holocaust novel, Blooms of Darkness (Alma Books); translated from the Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green. Appelfeld’s novel, which is based loosely on his own experiences of the Holocaust as a boy, was the overall winner in a shortlist of six titles which included great Italian novelist, Umberto Eco and Yan Lianke’s banned-in-China novel, Dream of Ding Village (Constable and Robinson). Aharon Appelfeld, who at eighty-years-old becomes the oldest winner of the… -
Short Story Review: Brown Bag by Safia Shah
14 May 2012 | 11:00 amStory Title: ‘Brown Bag’ by Safia Shah. Collection/Anthology?: Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology 4 (Bristol Review of Books) Briefly: With her Mum dead and her ashes lying in an urn, Jennifer reflects on her mother’s passing and on incidental memories from the past. Afterthoughts: A short and sharp and very English story from Casablanca-based Safia Shah, that captures something of the zeitgeist of our modern, Internet-focused age. The storytelling is adequate throughout, but the real triumph comes right at the end, where it’s sudden and completely unexpected. Rating:… -
Afterthoughts: Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry
14 May 2012 | 6:15 amIn a Nutshell: Dark Lies the Island is easily as good as Barry’s debut collection There Are Little Kingdoms, and in some respects – mainly in terms of maturity – it’s even better. I may have been worried going into this one thinking that I may have set my expectations too high, but I needn’t have been concerned because I came out the other side of Dark Lies the Island with the reinforced belief that Kevin Barry is one of the greatest short story writers living today. If you don’t read Dark Lies the Island then you’ll be missing out on a definitive… -
Short story review: Berlin Arkonaplatz – My Lesbian Summer by Kevin Barry
14 May 2012 | 6:00 amStory Title: Berlin Arkonaplatz – My Lesbian Summer by Kevin Barry Collection/Anthology?: Dark Lies the Island (Jonathan Cape) Briefly: Young Irish writer Patrick arrives in Berlin one summer, and shares an apartment with a lesbian Slavic fashion photographer called Silvija. Afterthoughts: This story is full of sexually depraved characters – Bohemian deviants who seek to shock – but despite being crammed with so many strong personalities, Berlin Arkonaplatz – My Lesbian Summer didn’t really appeal to me all that much. However, the story does have a redeeming quality, in…
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The Millions
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Salty Gothic: Nick Dybek’s When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man
16 May 2012 | 5:00 am“Certain dank gardens cry aloud for a murder; certain old houses demand to be haunted,” Robert Louis Stevenson once noted, “certain coasts are set apart for ship-wreck.” And so we find ourselves on working class Loyalty Island, the setting for Nick Dybek’s potent coming of age novel, When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man. Cal Bollings was born and raised on this minor peninsula in Washington state, a town small in size, in mentality and imagination, where the local civic monument is a statue of a nameless drowning man, someone to stand in for the living as well as the dead. The… -
Liberty is the air we breathe
15 May 2012 | 3:15 pmThe text of Salman Rushdie’s PEN World Voices lecture on liberty and censorship has been published on the New Yorker‘s website. Related posts: PEN World Voices Begins Attention New Yorkers: The 2010 PEN World Voices Festival kicks... Janie Crawford and Tea Cake on Air To commemorate the book’s 75th anniversary, WNYC and WQXR Radio... The PEN World Voices Line-Up PEN World Voices, the great annual festival of International Literature,... -
The Common’s first year in print!
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmThe Common will be celebrating its first year of publication later this month at NYU’s Carter Journalism institute. The celebrations will include a reading from Stephen O’Connor and a performance by the Dog House Band, aka that literary rock group consisting of Sven Birkerts, James Wood, and other writerly musicians. Related posts: The Novel vs. The Net Sven Birkerts, still working through arguments begun in The Gutenberg... Some links: Penguin Podcast, Lawyers on Google Print, Chicago Literature Penguin Books UK has started a podcast. I’ve added it... Out-of-print Favorites… -
The Declining Agony of Influence
15 May 2012 | 1:15 pmAccording to a study cited in The Guardian, contemporary authors are less likely to be influenced by classic literature than previous generations of writers. Related posts: The Agony and the Agony: Suzanne Rivecca’s Death is Not an Option Something has gone terribly wrong.... My Expanding Sphere of Influence One of the interesting things about being the author of... The Agony and Ecstasy of a TAL Fact Checker Surprising news emerged today about This American Life‘s Mike Daisey... -
Blooms of Darkness wins the Independent Prize for Foreign Fiction
15 May 2012 | 11:12 amAharon Appelfeld, a prolific Israeli novelist, has won the Independent Prize for international fiction for his latest book, Blooms of Darkness. Check out our guide to this year’s award’s shortlist. Related posts: Your Guide to the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Shortlist Umberto Eco’s fifth novel, The Prague Cemetery is the headline choice for... Claudel Wins Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Philippe Claudel’s novel Brodeck’s Report has won the Independent Foreign... Belgian Novelist Paul Verhaeghen wins Independent Foreign Fiction Prize Paul Verhaeghen‘s…
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Thrillers, Horror, and Comics
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Buffy Takes the Long Way Home
12 May 2012 | 9:55 am“The thing about changing the world . . . Once you do it, the world’s all different.” TITLE: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON EIGHT: THE LONG WAY HOME WRITER: by Joss Whedon ARTISTS: by Georges Jeanty (Pencils) Paul Lee (Guest Pencils) Andy Owens (Inks) Dave Stewart (colors) SERIES: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Eight: The Long Way Home Vol. 1 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Eight comics #1-5 PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Books GENRE: Graphic Novel (collection), Horror, Humor, Fiction DESCRIPTORS: Saving the World, Demonic Invasion, Military, Magic, Revenge, Torture, Underground… -
28 Days Later: The Aftermath
28 Apr 2012 | 8:12 am“Glad to do whatever I can to contribute to the horror show.” Steve Niles presents three stories that takes place before the movie 28 Days Later and the last one which takes place between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Elements of the first three stories come together in the fourth. Remember, if you are interested in this graphic novel or the movies, click the mouse on the book cover or movie titles to order it from your local CLEVNET library. TITLE: 28 DAYS LATER: THE AFTERMATH WRITER: by Steve Niles ARTISTS: by Dennis Calero, Deigo Olmos, Nat Jones and Ken Branch SERIES: 28… -
Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things
14 Apr 2012 | 1:59 pm“Poor soft-headed child. Eaten’ll be a blessin’ for her.” Courtney Crumrin is forced to move in with her creepy Uncle Aloysius. What she finds, however, is the key to her heritage. TITLE: COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE NIGHT THINGS WRITER: by Ted Naifeh ARTISTS: by Ted Naifeh SERIES: Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things Mini-series #1-4 PUBLISHER: Oni Press CHARACTERS: Courtney Crumrin, A girl in middle school who discovers she could be a witch. Courtney Crumrin Parents, Courtney’s parents aspire to climb the social ladder and are as vapid as humanly possible. Uncle… -
An Updated Frankenstein Graphic Novel: The Coffin
29 Mar 2012 | 10:32 am“By encasing a living subject in a body cast of our polymer at the moment of death we have been able to trap the life force inside this cast, or coffin, as we call it.” In life, Dr. Ashar Ahmad was dedicated only to his science. Now encased in one of his own coffins at the moment of death, Dr. Ahmad has a chance to redeem his life, or let his soul slip away to Hell. Remember, click the mouse on the book covers to order these books from the Heights Library system webcatalog. TITLE: THE COFFIN WRITER: by Phil Hester ARTIST: by Mike Huddleston SERIES: The Coffin Mini-series #1-4… -
A Graphic Novel of Obsession: The Night Bookmobile
23 Feb 2012 | 10:13 am“In fact, the books seemed to belong to many different libraries. I wondered if Mr. Openshaw was running around stealing books from all these places and putting them in his Winnebago.” One night Alexandra encounters the Night Bookmobile and the librarian Robert Openshaw which would drastically alter her life forever. Remember, click the mouse on the book covers to order these books from the Heights Library system webcatalog. TITLE: THE NIGHT BOOKMOBILE WRITER: by Audrey Niffenegger ART: by Audrey Niffenegger PUBLISHER: Abrams Comicarts LENGTH: Book: 40pp. GENRE: Graphic Novel,…
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Jacket Copy
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Carlos Fuentes, 83, has died
15 May 2012 | 8:40 pmRenowned Spanish-language novelist Carlos Fuentes died Tuesday in Mexico City at age 83, authorities announced. Fuentes was a prolific, politically engaged writer, best known in the U.S. for books including “The Death of Artemio Cruz,” “Aura,” “Terra Nostra,” “The Good Conscience” and “The Old Gringo,” which was made into a film starring Gregory Peck. In an interview published Monday in the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Fuentes said he had just completed a new novel, titled "Federico on His Balcony." In that interview, Fuentes said, "My system of youth is… -
Stay e-gold, Ponyboy: 'The Outsiders' becomes an e-book
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmThis year marks the 45th anniversary of the publication of S.E. Hinton's book "The Outsiders." To celebrate, Penguin is releasing the story of the boys from the wrong side of the tracks for the first time as an e-book. Hinton began writing the book while she was still a high school student in Tulsa, Okla."It was the year I was 16 and a junior in high school that I did the majority of the work (that was the year I made a D in creative writing)," she said in an interview on a website dedicated to "The Outsiders" book and film. "One day, a friend of mine… -
Mike McGrady, the man behind sexy, '60s literary hoax, has died
15 May 2012 | 11:20 amMike McGrady, a cigar-smoking, hard-drinking reporter who rallied his Newsday colleagues to write 1969's suburban sexcapade "Naked Came the Stranger" under a pseudonym, has died. He was 78. Published as the supposedly true-life tales of a highly sexed suburban housewife, the book was attributed to Penelope Ashe, who turned out to be a wholly invented character. Like J.T. Leroy after her, Ashe was represented publicly by an actual human -- Billie Young, McGrady's sister-in-law -- who had nothing to do with the text. That book had been written by McGrady and others on the… -
What we're reading: book news, copyrights and ephemera
14 May 2012 | 7:04 pmA 350-page ruling was delivered late Friday in the Cambridge University Press et. al. v. Patton case, known colloquially as the Georgia State University e-reserves copyright case. The ruling, which scholars and universities had been waiting a year for, is mixed, leaving both parties -- libraries advocating for fair use on one side and publishers on the other -- with reason to be pleased. Or to be displeased. Observers suggests an appeal is likely. (Scholarly Communications at Duke University, Publishers Weekly) The New York Public Library announced its 2012-13 Cullman Center fellows in April,… -
Authors in town this week: Benjamin Busch, Erik Larson and Pico Iyer
14 May 2012 | 1:45 pmBenjamin Busch has an interesting resume. He’s an actor -- he played Anthony Colicchio on the HBO series “The Wire,” appearing in the final three seasons of the show -- and also a photographer, former Marine Corps officer and writer. The son of novelist Frederick Busch, he was raised in upstate New York and went to Vassar College. An item in the New Yorker recently noted that his parents had protested the Vietnam War and Benjamin confounded them by joining the Marines after graduating. He served two tours of duty in Iraq with the 4th Light Armored…
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Buzz, Balls & Hype
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Looking for Answers
12 May 2012 | 12:19 pmThere are a lot of people debating the pros and cons of the DOJ suit. That’s not what this post is. I have a question that has come out of what I’ve been reading on other sites, blogs and articles and would like to ask it here and open up the floor for comments because I am really confused about this one issue and feel like I'm missing something. I both self publish and traditionally publish. But for the purposes of this post I’m speaking here as a self published author only! Many self published authors are saying the Agency model is not in the interest of authors but rather… -
5 Stages of Grief by Katharine Weber
25 Mar 2012 | 11:37 amExchange the goals depending on your genre and this by Katharine Weber is great! STAIRCASE WRITING - Katharine Weber's Writing Journal: A WRITER’S FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF AT AWP -
Guest Post: Meet and Greet the Award Winning Authors at the London Book Fair
15 Mar 2012 | 9:20 pmSpringtime brings in the arrival of the much anticipated London Book Fair 2012. The literary buzz is that the readers and writers will be joined together under one roof at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, The London Book Fair has been attracting world-wide spectators and lovers of the written word for 41 years. The 2012 Exhibitor directory professes over 1900 participants thus far. The London Book Fair 2012 is a well-respected event for promising new comers, established authors, publishers and their audiences. The book fair opens its doors promptly at 9AM on April 16th up through April 18th. -
The Book of Lost Fragrances: A Novel of Suspense
13 Mar 2012 | 4:21 amThe Book of Lost Fragrances is out today and I do hope you'll buy a copy. Publisher’s Weekly named it one of spring's 10 best suspense books and called it a “deliciously sensual novel of paranormal suspense.” It’s an Indie Next Pick for March. A Starbucks Book Club pick and a Pulpwood Queens pick for this summer. Heres' what some early reviews and readers have said... and here's a link to buy the book at the store of your choice. "The historical data and the liberal sprinkling of invented historical detail mesh together like an ancient puzzle with the… -
Guest Post: Celebrate the Written Word at the Upcoming Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
11 Mar 2012 | 9:19 pmLos Angeles is many things to many people but seems to carry a torch with the written word. For the 17th year in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times, the occasion is simply titled as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books to be held at the University of Southern California (USC). The complete schedule has yet to be released, but promises to be just as exciting as 2011. 1,140,000 people turned out to celebrate the sounds of text hosted by more than 200 international exhibitors and authors. The annual literary gathering is open to the public and considered one of the country’s largest…
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my mind on books
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Links for 2012-05-15 [del.icio.us]
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amReview - The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Psychology - Metapsychology Online Reviews ROROTOKO : Brian Boyd On his book Why Lyrics Last : Cutting-Edge Intellectual Interviews -
$0.99 kindle ebook: ‘Lectures on Alchemy’ by Terence McKenna
13 May 2012 | 2:16 am$0.99 kindle ebook: Lectures on Alchemy by Terence McKenna amazon.com/gp/product/B00… via @amazon — Debbie A Foster (@mymindonbooks) May 12, 2012 -
Links for 2012-05-10 [del.icio.us]
11 May 2012 | 2:00 amBooks on Philosophy like Freakonomics for Economics? : reddit.com An updated recommended reading list. Any thoughts or suggestions? : philosophy - reddit.com -
new book – ‘The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity’ by Paul J. Zak
10 May 2012 | 2:26 pmThe Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity by Paul J. Zak (Dutton Adult, 2012) (kindle ed.) (amazon.co.uk – 24 May) Book description from the publisher: A Revolution in the Science of Good and Evil Why do some people give freely while others are cold hearted? Why do some people cheat and steal while [...] -
Links for 2012-05-09 [del.icio.us]
10 May 2012 | 2:00 amCan a Sense of Purpose Slow Alzheimer's? - Lane Wallace - Health - The Atlantic
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Boomerang Books Blog for the latest Australian book news and reviews
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Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amThe Tide family has fallen apart. It’s been 10 years since a sudden tragedy transformed the lives of Helen, Richard, Dora and Cassie, but no-one has been able to move on. When Dora discovers she is pregnant, she realises that in order to build a future she will need to confront the past. But this won’t be easy as each of her family members offers a different version of the truth. This is a very readable debut from UK-born, Sydney-based writer Hannah Richell, which attracted a bidding war and multiple translation deals. While some readers may dislike the way Richell repeatedly signposts… -
Running Dogs by Ruby Murray
15 May 2012 | 4:00 pmDiana is an Australian aid worker, writing reports for a disaster relief organisation bereft of the kind of disaster that grabs attention. She reconnects with her illusive friend Petra in Jakarta and a story of power, corruption and loss unfolds, as Diana becomes embroiled in the lives of siblings Petra, Paul and Isaak. The siblings are haunted by the past, as the narrative weaves the sad circumstances of their childhood in with present day revelations. In a city where they are chauffeured to school through streets teeming with protestors and then home to an austere marble mansion, where they… -
Promise by Tony Cavanaugh
15 May 2012 | 12:00 amIt was a pleasure to read this debut from Australian film and television writer and producer Tony Cavanaugh. Promise is a sharply written and well-plotted crime novel, with mostly clear characterisations and the occasional flash of wit and even wisdom. It also evokes an excellent sense of place, reminiscent of Peter Corris’ ‘Cliff Hardy’ novels. The story is set in and around Noosa and the Sunshine Coast where a serial killer is on the loose and hunting teenage girls. Ex-homicide cop Darian Richards has moved up from Victoria to seek a quiet life. This is obviously not to be. The novel… -
The Mountain by Drusilla Modjeska
14 May 2012 | 4:00 pmThe mountain, the dominant image of Drusilla Modjeska’s ambitious new novel, is an imaginary peak in Australia’s nearest neighbour, Papua New Guinea. A young, recently wed Dutch photographer, Rika, and her English ethnologist husband Leonard arrive in PNG at the end of the 1960s, when the Melanesian country is still under Australian colonial rule. He is to study the remote tribal community of the mountain, and she is along for the ride. Finding herself quickly abandoned, however, Rika is drawn to an educated young Papua New Guinean, Aaron, and a lifelong love affair with him and his… -
Ditmar Awards ballot announced
11 May 2012 | 4:03 pmThe shortlisted works for the Ditmar Awards ballot has been announced and voting has commenced. Shortlisted works include: Best Novel The Shattered City (Tansy Rayner Roberts, HarperVoyager) Burn Bright (Marianne de Pierres, Random House) Mistification, Kaaron Warren (Angry Robot) The Courier’s New Bicycle (Kim Westwood, HarperVoyager) Debris: The Veiled Worlds 1 (Jo Anderton, Angry Robot) Best Novella or Novelette ‘The Sleeping and the Dead’ by Cat Sparks, in Ishtar (Gilgamesh Press) ‘Above’ by Stephanie Campisi, in Above/Below (Twelfth Planet Press)…
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Reading Copy Book Blog
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Christopher Walken Reads “Where the Wild Things Are”
15 May 2012 | 4:22 pmCurmudgeonly grump and marvelously imaginative author Maurice Sendak died a week ago today. I came across this again today and thought it was worth a revisit…. Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are, as ready by Christopher Walken*. Makes me laugh every time. “The kid is kind of a jerk. I think that’s the point you’re supposed to get.” And now, let the wild rumpus start! *okay, or an excellent impersonator. Still super. -
Introducing the Pages & Proofs book blog
15 May 2012 | 2:46 pmReading Copy has a sister. AbeBooks has just launched a new blog called Pages & Proofs for our AbeBooks.co.uk site, which serves our British customers. I’m handling most of the blogging on Pages & Proofs and I promise to make it the same but different to Reading Copy. It will be the same in that it will be very readable and never dull. It will be the same in that we are addressing everything that catches our eye from the book world with a special focus on used and rare books. It will be different in that it won’t be a carbon copy of Reading Copy. There will be lots of news… -
Mike McGrady AKA Penelope Ashe 1934-2012
15 May 2012 | 2:08 pmFormer Newsday columnist Mike McGrady has died of pneumonia. McGrady was most famous as being the leader of a group of 24 prominent journalists (19 men, 5 women), who in 1966 set out to prove that the minds and tastes of the American people, when it came to culture consumption, had become tasteless and vulgar. They went about it in a very creative way – by writing and publishing an intentionally bad book, Naked Came the Stranger, full of lewd, ridiculous over-the-top sex (there are sex scenes involving a rabbi, a shetland pony and many more unlikely characters) under the pseudonym… -
39 Books for a John Buchan Collection
15 May 2012 | 1:04 pmWe have a guest writer today – bookseller Peter Thackeray describes the legacy of the author who helped launch the espionage fiction genre with The Thirty-Nine Steps. John Buchan published more than 25 novels and yet he had a remarkable life away from writing that included being a Member of Parliament and Governor-General of Canada. Read the Whole Article. -
Orhan Pamuk Museum of Innocence now open in Istanbul
15 May 2012 | 12:01 pmIn 2008 Orhan Pamuk published The Museum of Innocence, a book about a wealthy businessman , Kemal, who becomes infatuated with a lower class shop girl, Füsun, who is 12 years his junior. Despite Füsun being the love of his life Kemal refuses to give up his relationship with his fiancée to be with her, instead opting to obsessively collect artifacts associated with Füsun and his time with her; and with these artifacts he builds a museum. Now, you can visit that museum yourself. Last month Pamuk cut the ribbon on an actual Museum of Innocence which is based on the book and features the…
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The Contemporary Reader
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The Dark Wind from My Future: A Review of The Stranger by Albert Camus
30 Apr 2012 | 6:54 amEver get that blurred vision during a hazy, warm summer's day, when the air is thick with humidity then all you can see is the clear sky with no trace of clouds, and the road is a strip of hot air forming a translucent mirage, and for some strange reason, the sun keeps on getting in your eye and you just can't think straight? That's what I felt when I read The Stranger by Albert Camus. Even -
The Limits of Culture and Tradition: A Review of All The Flowers In Shanghai
23 Apr 2012 | 8:43 amWhenever I chance upon reading historical fiction, and the story is centered on a woman's plight, it gives me a sense of honor to read a special kind of bravery and steadfastness in the midst of oppression or chaos. This is because most of the historical fiction I read has a basis in the lives led by women during the most uncertain times, and that somehow, at some point, it is a reflection of -
“Frankenstein”: Why You Should Read This Classic
13 Apr 2012 | 6:50 pmDaughter to the famous British writer and woman’s activist Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley managed to produce one of the most famous and well-discussed novel, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.”As bearing witness to the great scientific upheaval that help give rise to the Industrial Revolution, Shelley managed to use the influence of science to explore the dangerous nature of the -
Early April Reads
12 Apr 2012 | 8:21 pmOn queue for this month, I have: The Stranger - Albert Camus (borrowed from the Reader's Circle - Finished!) Gossip - Beth Gutcheson (sent by HarperCollins to me for review - Finished) Lumayo Ka Man Sa Akin - Bob Ong (bought at a local bookstore) The Crazed - Ha Jin (from a garage sale I got) IQ84 - Haruki Murakami (from Mike's holiday gifts, this is such a big book but I'm not complaining. -
This Is The Cue to Stop Marchin'
2 Apr 2012 | 9:54 amSome of the highlights of the final string of fun days before April bucks the trend... I finished All The Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson that Thursday, and I could say it was a pretty fast read, since starting it and blogging about it last Monday and worrying if I could juggle my books. Turns out this novel was easy to read, it was like eating mooncakes or something. I opened the novel
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About.com Bestsellers
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Paperback Pick: Silver Sparrow
15 May 2012 | 7:43 pmSilver Sparrow by Tayari Jones is the story of a man with two families. One knows about the other family, the other doesn't. One of the lesser discussed gems of 2011, Silver Sparrow is a quick and moving read. Read a complete review and book club questions on Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones Cover Photo Courtesy Algonquin -
The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger
13 May 2012 | 7:01 pmNell Freudenberger's novel about an international marriage that is arranged over the Internet explores the emotional and everyday adjustments to marriage, which are amplified by the difference in cultures. Read a complete review of The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger The Newlyweds Book Club Discussion Questions Cover Photo Courtesy Knopf -
Paperback Pick: State of Wonder
10 May 2012 | 7:41 pmState of Wonder by Ann Patchett was one of the big books of 2011. Is it a good paperback to throw in your beach bag? We have the scoop in this review. Cover Photo Courtesy Harper -
Paperback Pick: In the Garden of Beasts
9 May 2012 | 9:40 amIn In the Garden of Beasts, historian Erik Larson writes about William Dodd and his family. Dodd was ambassador to Germany just before the outbreak of World War II. Read a complete review of In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson In the Garden of Beasts Book Club Discussion Questions Cover Photo Courtesy Crown -
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
6 May 2012 | 7:49 pmBehind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo was released early this year to much critical praise. Indeed, Boo's account of life in a Mumbai slum over several years is one of the stand outs of the year so far. Find out more about why this nonfiction narrative is a must read. Behind the Beautiful Forevers Book Review Behind the Beautiful Forevers Book Club Discussion Questions Cover Photo Courtesy Random House
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The Creative Penn
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Who Says Your Writing Dreams Have To Be Sensible Or Realistic?
14 May 2012 | 1:12 amI have big dreams as a writer, and as an entrepreneur. But I often try to squash those dreams down because they feel too egocentric or too ambitious or too unreasonable. Not sensible at all. And I have always been a sensible girl, taking everything very seriously! I try to be practical and pragmatic and realistic. But today I read this passage from the brilliant Julia Cameron in The Sound of Paper, an excellent book to dip into for creative inspiration. “A great deal of the time we dismiss our longings on the grounds that they aren’t reasonable – and often they… -
On Writing Fiction: The Magic Moment
11 May 2012 | 3:04 pmThere’s a magic moment when the story suddenly emerges from the writing. For me, that happened the other day when it seemed that all the stars aligned and synchronicity blazed and I was writing in the flow, and the story came to life. This post originally appeared on my fiction blog J.F.Penn.com [Text below the short video] Let me explain a little more. Mosaic of the Ark of the Covenant at the Grand Lodge of England Exodus is my third novel and is based around a hunt for the Ark of the Covenant as the Middle East counts down to a religious war. I’ve been researching the Ark and possible… -
Is It Worth Being An Author? Truly?
9 May 2012 | 1:10 amIt’s much harder to write a book than people think. Because the words never come out the way they sounded in your head. And it takes a long time to get those words out. Many people want to write a book, but most of them give up because it’s too hard. Today’s guest blogger Dr John Yeoman poses one of the question that all writers fear … are the rewards really worth the hard work and endless rejections? The reward: creating a world Here’s a dangerous game. A long time ago, I went to a literary festival and asked a newly successful novelist before an audience of her… -
Secrets Of Amazon MetaData From #1 Amazon Bestseller Mark Edwards
6 May 2012 | 1:05 amThe runaway successes we see in the Amazon charts often have years of work behind them. In this interview, I chat with Mark Edwards whose Amazon #1 bestsellers with Louise Voss got them a 6 figure book deal, but only after years of hard work. Mark also gives some tips on how he used the Product Description metadata effectively. Mark Edwards is co-author of thriller novels ‘Killing Cupid’ and ‘Catch Your Death’ with Louise Voss. He is British and is also a copywriter and marketing director. In this podcast, you will learn: How Mark got into writing and how he finally… -
The Secrets To Ebook Publishing Success. A Must-Read For Authors.
4 May 2012 | 1:10 amI’ve been a fan of Mark Coker and Smashwords for years now, and Mark continues to deliver value to authors through his distribution platform but also through sharing his vast knowledge of digital publishing. Free ebook: The Secrets To Ebook Publishing Success He has just released a free book ‘The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success” which contains a serious number of tips that will help you make your work better, as well as some amazing insights into successful authors who publish through Smashwords. I learned heaps from the book. It really is well worth your time whether…
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www.publetariat.com
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How Amanda Palmer Built An Army Of Supporters: Connecting Each And Every Day, Person By Person
15 May 2012 | 8:00 pmThis post originally appeared on techdirt on 5/4/12. Following the massive success of her Kickstarter experiment, we asked Amanda Palmer if she wanted to write a quick guest post about why she thought the offering was so successful. Here's what came back, including a bonus bit from Sean Francis, who has helped Amanda for years on the tech/social side of things. read more -
When Publishing Goes Wrong...Starring Undead Press
15 May 2012 | 8:00 pmThis post, by Mandy DeGeit, originally appeared on her blog on 5/14/12. You all know I’ve been ranting about my first ever publication coming out for the last little while… “She makes me smile” was picked up by Undead Press (Anthony Giangregorio) to be published in their anthology called Cavalcade of Terror and the book was released May 1st 2012. [Publetariat Editor's note: strong language after the jump] read more -
How Do Daily Ebooks Sold Figure into Amazon and Barnes and Noble Sales Rankings? Theresa Ragan Has The Scoop!
14 May 2012 | 8:00 pmThis post, by D.D. Scott and Theresa Ragan originally appeared on The Writer's Guide to E-Publishing on 5/14/12. Happy Monday, WG2E-Land!!! Gosh, I sooo wish I’d come across this superfab scoop when I’d first started out in Indie Epublishing, but since I came across it this past week, I just had to share it with y’all!!! read more -
Plan a Book Launch Party for an Ebook
14 May 2012 | 8:00 pmRecently an author asked me "How do you stage an in-person book launch with a novel that's published as an ebook? How do you autograph a computer screen?" Here are some suggestions for doing a live book launch event for an ebook: read more
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WritersDigest.com
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Writing Scenes: Stepping Forward, Falling Back
15 May 2012 | 7:09 pmAuthor of The Breakout Novelist, Donald Maass, discusses writing scenes in today’s tip of the day. He explains the importance of setting goals for each scene with an example from George R.R. Martin’s book, A Storm of Swords. Most instruction in writing scenes begins with this sound advice: Send your character into the scene with a goal. Well, duh. You would be surprised, though, how many middle scenes in how many manuscripts seem to have no particular reason for a character to go somewhere, see someone, find something out, or avoid something. What do they want? Working that out is… -
How I Got My Agent: Gretchen Berg
15 May 2012 | 1:54 pm“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we’ll talk specifics. GIVEAWAY: Gretchen is excited to give away a free copy of her book to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Gretchen Berg is an… -
Why Are You Digging That Hole?
15 May 2012 | 3:00 amYou’ve been outside digging a large hole for several hours when you realize that you can’t recall why you are digging it. Retrace your steps to try to discover your motivation. Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below. Want more creative writing prompts? Consider: The Writer’s Book of Matches -
Writers Conference Spotlight: 2012 Crested Butte Writers Conference (Colorado, June 22-24, 2012)
14 May 2012 | 6:37 pmI am very excited to instruct at the 2012 Crested Butte Writers Conference. It’s held in the beautiful town of Crested Butte, CO, from June 22-24, 2012. The event is described as “a small conference designed to be friendly and cozy with the caliber of a large conference.” DETAILS This event is held from June 22-24, 2012 — nestled in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado. It’s an intimate event in a beautiful location. WHO WILL BE THERE? You can see all the instructors online. There are four literary agents in attendance taking pitches: 1. -
All Marketing is a Felt Need
14 May 2012 | 11:48 amBy Rob Eagar In my work as a marketing consultant, I’ve met numerous authors who work in academic circles, such as counselors, professors, pastors, and specialty book publishers. A common problem among these scholastic groups is the tendency to believe that their marketing should be exempt from the need to answer the consumers’ primary question, “What’s in it for me?” Appealing to a person’s felt need is viewed as stooping to a lower level of commerce. They maintain that focusing on logic, displaying didactic descriptions of their content, and listing pedantic…
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Better World Books Blog - Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Community Outreach & more
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The Healing Power of Books and Writing
14 May 2012 | 8:03 amGuest post by budding author Malcolm McLoughlin Books have always been a haven for me. The twists and turns, highs and lows of great tales have held my imagination since the first time I read Hansel and Gretel. When my own life started to unravel through a mixture of alcoholism and the diagnosis of my daughters Autism, I found solace in books. An authors ability to transpose the readers to another world is one of the greatest gifts that can be given and received. Its a reciprocal and intimate exchange. In dealing with my own demons I decided that writing was a way to heal old wounds and lay a… -
The Top 10 Children’s Books of All Time (Plus Maurice Sendak and Teacher Appreciation Week)
10 May 2012 | 7:32 amIn honor of Children’s Book Week, we asked our Facebook and Twitter friends to share and vote on their all-time favorite children’s books. And the winners are… 10. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 9. Love You Forever by Robert M (a regular best-seller on Better World Books) 8. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie 7. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson 6. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis 5. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 3. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco… -
Top 25 Sellers on BWB in April
8 May 2012 | 7:18 amDid you contribute to this list by buying any of these books from us in April? We’d love for you to share a review of the books on this list you’ve read by commenting below. Do any of the titles that made the top seller list surprise you? 25. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 24. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry 23. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines 22. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy – Book III) by Suzanne Collins 21. A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer 20. The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success by Beverly Y. Langford 19. The Help by Kathryn… -
Why Miss Plus America Loves True Crime Books
3 May 2012 | 8:02 amGuest post from Miss Plus America ELITE, Spruce Dickerson Over the years, books have given me insight into the realities of the world. Take true crime stories for instance. Reading true-to-life criminal biographies is so very fascinating because evil is so far-fetched to me. I mean, how can someone cut up a person’s body, store the pieces in the freezer, and then cook and eat them? This absolutely captivates my curiosity, as my mind struggles to make sense of it. Reading these stories has helped deepen the compassion in my heart for sick, wounded, and lost souls. It helps me to… -
Win $300 for Your Campus Organization!
2 May 2012 | 9:58 amWe just launched an exciting contest to honor our 10 year anniversary of the first ever Better World Books campus book drive in May of 2002. To learn more about how Better World Books began, check out the full story on our site here. Here’s everything you need to know to enter and vote on the contest: WHAT How would your campus organization use $300? Let us know in 50 words or less what kind of service project you would use it for. (Anything from helping build a Habitat for Humanity house to shipping books to Africa. Sorry… massive house parties do not count as service projects.)…
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JetPak Studio
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This week's 15 minute sketch challenge..."Happy to be here"
15 May 2012 | 11:19 pmHaving all the beautiful sun and hot temps over the weekend and into this week, I didn't stay at home much or concentrate on anything other then spending time in the sunshine, riding my bike and kayaking almost every day. So, today was the first time I had to catch up on a few things... like the sketch challenge, which reflects the last few days of great sunshine! Hope you dig: "Happy to be here"-MC -
Brand new Doodle... "An ideal mind"
13 May 2012 | 1:21 pmA brand new doodle for May 2012... I've a got a few more to post soon... peace. -MC -
New Abstract for May 2012..."Stormy Pinkness"
13 May 2012 | 12:13 pmGot me a couple of new Abstracts this weekend. Here's one of them: "Stormy Pinkness" Hope you dig! -MC -
Today's 15 minute sketch challenge..."Jumpy"
5 May 2012 | 6:17 pmIt's spring and things are a poppin' all over the place. I've got two art shows to put up and a conference in Rhode Island to consider… not to mention all the work that needs to be done at Amazon and the graphic novel that I've been working on for the last 4 years. And as if that weren't enough… I'm speaking to the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators this coming Tuesday… with band practice on Sunday and a going away brunch for me friend Jamie. Sheesh… out of breath…. All that came to mind while coming up with this sketch for today's 15 minute sketch challenge. -
New Abstract for May 2012... "Heart of the country"
5 May 2012 | 2:08 amFinally got around to doing some new abstracts.. this is the first of the lot... -MC
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The Reader's Advisor Online Blog
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RA Run Down
13 May 2012 | 10:47 amThe 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. TRY THE FREE RA DATABASE based on Libraries Unlimited’s print Genreflecting Advisory series. Give it a whirl and let us know how you like it. We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment on any of our posts, or contact us at raoblog@lu.com. Also check out our free newsletter with more in-depth articles at Reader’s Advisor News. By Cindy Orr and Sarah Statz… -
Summer Books 2012
13 May 2012 | 7:56 amCurriki: 2012 Summer Book Lists for Tweens and Teens PolicyMic: 10 Must Read Books for Summer Austin American-Statesman: Summer Reading for Kids eSchoolNews: 10 Books for High School Summer Reading Columbus Dispatch: Books Ahoy! The Express Tribune: 10 Books to Reread this Summer Word and Film: The Thinking Person’s 2012 Summer Movie Preview The Tennessean: Sizzling Summer Books The Book Case: 20 Summer Standouts Seattle Times: 75 Movies to Watch this Summer USA Today: Summer Diet Books Eater.com: Summer 2012 Food and Cookbook Titles Anderson Cooper: Five Book Recommendations for Summer… -
New, Noteworthy, and No-Brainer
10 May 2012 | 9:00 amTo be published week of May 14 – May 20, 2012 MONDAY NONFICTION Crumpton, Henry A. – The Art of Intelligence – 9781594203343 Sykes, Bryan – DNA USA – 9780871404121 TUESDAY FICTION Baker, Jo – The Undertow – 9780307957092 Berry, Steve – The Columbus Affair – 9780345526519 Carey, Peter – The Chemistry of Tears – 9780307592712 James, Tania – Aerogrammes – 9780307268914 Johnson, Craig – As the Crow Flies (Walt Longmire series, #8) – 9780670023516 Leveen, Lois – The Secrets of Mary Bowser (TradePaper)… -
Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012
8 May 2012 | 1:02 pmChildren’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, who won the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the picture book Where the Wild Things Are (and who wrote numerous other picture books and works), has died at age 83. Bookmark to: -
RA Run Down
6 May 2012 | 3:59 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. TRY THE FREE RA DATABASE based on Libraries Unlimited’s print Genreflecting Advisory series. Give it a whirl and let us know how you like it. We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment on any of our posts, or contact us at raoblog@lu.com. Also check out our free newsletter with more in-depth articles at Reader’s Advisor News. By Cindy Orr and Sarah Statz…
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The Bat Segundo Show
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Robert A. Caro (BSS #455)
15 May 2012 | 8:47 amRobert A. Caro is most recently the author of The Passage of Power. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Expressing his determination to keep the forward thrust of America began with notable historians. Author: Robert A. Caro Subjects Discussed: Lyndon B. Johnson as a great reader of men, Horace Busby, Johnson talking with people until he got what he wanted, Johnson’s misread of John F. Kennedy, the 1960 Presidential Election and Johnson’s self-sabotage streak in seeking the nomination, Emmett Till and Autherine Lucy, passing the 1957 Civil Rights Act, Jack Kennedy’s use of television,… -
Stewart O’Nan II (BSS #454)
3 May 2012 | 9:13 amStewart O’Nan is most recently the author of The Odds. He previously appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #161. You can also read our lengthy conversation by email in 2011. This 2012 talk was recorded before a live audience at McNally Jackson. My gratitude to Michele Filgate, Langan Kingsley, Holly Watson, and, of course, Stewart O’Nan for their help in putting this event together. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Inexplicably hungering for Wendy’s hamburgers. Author: Stewart O’Nan Subjects Discussed: [forthcoming later this afternoon] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: Niagara… -
Annalena McAfee (BSS #453)
2 May 2012 | 12:32 pmAnnalena McAfee is most recently the author of The Spoiler. [PROGRAM NOTE: In the first few minutes of the conversation, one of the microphones decided to blow out. And while Our Correspondent was equipped with two microphones, the microphone that blew out wasn't the one on Our Correspondent's voice, but the one that was on the author's voice. Ms. McAffee's words can be detected during this program, but if her voice sounds like it's coming out of a small radiator, well, you now know why. Many apologies for the low quality to Ms. McAfee and to our listeners. We have done our best in… -
Eric Kandel (BSS #452)
1 May 2012 | 11:17 pmEric Kandel is most recently the author of The Age of Insight and was the 2000 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Checking his brain in for artistic purposes. Author: Eric Kandel Subjects Discussed: The interdisciplinary possibilities in Vienna 1900, Gustav Klimt, Berta Zuckerkandl, how Rokitansky’s leadership at the Vienna School of Medicine influenced Freud and numerous others, Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, how the beholder plays into artistic representation, Semir Zeki and the Kanizsa triangle, how the brain distinguishes between artists… -
Jeanette Winterson (BSS #451)
30 Apr 2012 | 7:08 amJeanette Winterson is most recently the author of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? Condition of Mr. Segundo: Reconsidering the ever-shifting happy/normal life spectrum. Author: Jeanette Winterson Subjects Discussed: How the brain spins around, getting two marriage proposals, sleeping in a brothel in Los Angeles, people who copulate in corridors, “part fact part fiction” as a cover story, Winterson’s obligations to the facts, how a new life can be found in the form of a book, a life ending that nobody wants, how literature allows an intervention into that fateful…
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A Bookshelf Monstrosity
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Libraries in the News
13 May 2012 | 10:11 amImagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. -Albert Einstein 10 ways Maurice Sendak defined your childhood Josh Wolk writes: “The brilliant and hauntingly mischievous works of Maurice Sendak, who died May 8 at 83, are as universal a staple of early childhood as a pacifier or a tantrum. One of our great intergenerational commonalities is the sense memory of sitting either on a parent’s lap or paging through the illustrations on a bedroom floor, both… -
What I'm Reading: Because of Winn-Dixie
8 Apr 2012 | 9:32 amBecause of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press, 2000 “It's hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” Summary in a Sentence: Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie. Read it if... you're in need of something homey and comforting, or if you want to read a great 'dog' book that doesn't end sadly! 5 stars. Read The Reviews: Maw Books | The Novel World | Reading Rants -
Mini Reviews: Kitchen Counter Cooking School, Ramona Forever, and The Kitchen House
6 Apr 2012 | 12:54 pmThe Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn Viking, 2011 Summary in a Sentence: Writer Kathleen Flinn, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, shares stories and lessons to inspire home cooks. Read it if... you like to cook but often don't due to lack of confidence or lack of knowledge about which knife to use. 5 stars. Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary HarperCollins, 1984 Summary in a Sentence: A lot happens during Ramona's year in third grade, highlighted by the arrival of Howie's rich uncle, a change in her after-school situation, a surprise wedding, a death and a new arrival… -
Libraries in the News
1 Apr 2012 | 6:00 amWhen I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to destroy itself. -Isaac Asimov Librarian Twitter Bingo Joe Hardenbrook writes: “You ever think, ‘Wow those librarians are always tweeting about the same thing’? Well, now you can play a game: It’s called Librarian Twitter Bingo. Every time you see a librarian tweet about one of these topics (right), cross it off. When you get a whole row, yell ‘Bingo!’ P.S. I myself could probably cross off at least 13 of these boxes with my own tweets.”... Mr. -
Mini Reviews: Confederates in the Attic, A Thousand Lives, and Malaria Dreams
25 Mar 2012 | 10:26 pmConfederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz Vintage, 1998 Non-Fiction (History) Summary in a Sentence: Tony Horwitz, a former war correspondent, tells of his journeys to Civil War battlefields and the colorful people he meets along the way. Read it if... you've ever noticed that the 'War Between the States' continues to live in so many issues still with us, or if you're simply a fan of good narrative non-fiction. 5 stars. A Thousand Lives by Julia Scheeres Free Press, 2011 Non-Fiction (Religion) Summary in a Sentence: Presents an account of how Jim Jones' followers who started out seeking a…
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Minnesota Reads
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‘Catching Fire’ is Slow to Light
15 May 2012 | 10:00 amHow much did you like The Hunger Games? The extent to which you’ll enjoy Catching Fire hinges on your answer to that question. The second novel in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy about the dystopian world of flinty heroine Katniss Everdeen retains much of what was good about the first book and adds one or two new facets, but it also introduces some unwelcome new elements. Catching Fire sets Katniss on the journey of finding out that the world of Panem, a country that has rebuilt itself from a small-scale apocalypse through violent suppression of dissent, is larger than the 1984-esque Capitol… -
This one was a life-changer
14 May 2012 | 10:02 amIf you care at all about Rock & Roll or Pop music you should read Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music. If you ever subscribed to Spin or Rolling Stone you should read Out of the Vinyl Deeps. If you ever searched for most of your adult-life for a smart, female perspective on being a Rock & Roll fan and all but gave up on it, you should read this book. To say Out of the Vinyl Deeps changed my life sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not. I don’t listen to music the same way after reading Ellen Willis. And I definitely don’t read music criticism the same… -
Life as We Knew It
11 May 2012 | 10:00 amSusan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It scared the hell out of me. I am woefully unprepared for a natural disaster. Do you have bottled water just sitting around in case our water is compromised? How about canned food, do you have some disgusting canned green beans hidden behind your stashes of cheap Easter candy? And how are you going to heat your house when a simple flick of the switch won’t work anymore? What about tampons, ladies? Do you have enough to last you a year? Or batteries for flashlights? Or aspirin? I swear to god Pfeffer is going to turn me into a hoarder. What scared me… -
The Song of Achilles
10 May 2012 | 10:00 amThe bodice-ripper gets a gay makeover in Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles and, for the most part, the transformation works. The bulk of the novel coasts on the slow-to-consummate attraction between Patroclus, an exiled weakling of a prince, and Achilles, the great fighter who is destined to become a hero in the Trojan War. They become sworn companions – nudge nudge, wink wink – and Miller dedicates a great part of her novel to descriptions of Achilles’ flawless beauty, Patroclus’ forbidden hunger for the beguiling half-mortal legend-in-waiting and passages about limbs gliding… -
The Scorch Trials
9 May 2012 | 10:00 amThe last time we saw the Gladers in The Maze Runner they were being rescued and promised that the worst was over, but it all seemed very creepy. Like your skin is so soft it would make me a nice coat kind of creepy. Mere pages into James Dashner’s The Scorch Trials the Gladers are told they have another test to complete. They need to leave their shelter, brave the brutal climate outside, and travel many miles within two weeks or they will die. They’re also told that a second group of kids will be trying to do the same thing. It may seem easy to just travel miles, but since these Gladers…
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About.com Contemporary Literature
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Swamplandia wins New York Public Library’s 2012 Young Lions Award
15 May 2012 | 6:47 amKaren Russell won the New York Public Library's 2012 Young Lions Fiction award last night for Swamplandia, her debut novel about an average, everyday family and their alligator-wrestling theme park ...Read Full Post -
The New Republic by Lionel Shriver
14 May 2012 | 1:56 amWritten in 1998 and published this year, Lionel Shriver's The New Republic is a surprisingly timely and insightful satire hitched to the old quip, "What if they threw a war and know one came?" Shriver's reporter protagonist, Edgar E. Kellogg travels on assignment to the Southern tip of Portugal to cover a fictitious terrorist group and, while there, finds something else entirely....Read Full Post -
Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012
8 May 2012 | 9:40 amAward-winning author and illustrator Maurice Sendak died of a stroke today at the age of 83. Most widely known for Where the Wild Things Are, which he both wrote and illustrated and for which he won the Caldecott Medal in 1964, Sendak both wrote and illustrated numerous other works including In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981)....Read Full Post -
Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway
7 May 2012 | 12:11 amA clockmaker by the name of Joe Spork teams up with an octogenarian secret agent to do battle with a murderous Asian drug lord and a rogue sect of Ruskinite monks while a doomsday device ticks inexorably toward the world's end. In Angelmaker, Nick Harkaway has crafted an intricate and hilarious send-up of the British spy novel....Read Full Post -
These are your kids on books.
3 May 2012 | 6:19 pmRidiculously awesome poster courtesy of the non-profit reading advocacy group Burning Through Pages. You can donate to them.
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Flavorwire » Books
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Amazon Reveals the Most Well-Read Cities in America
15 May 2012 | 1:30 pmThis morning, Amazon unveiled its second annual list of the Most Well-Read Cities in America — at least if we’re taking “well-read” to mean “buys a lot of stuff from Amazon,” that is. According to the press release, ”the ranking was determined by compiling sales data of all book, magazine and newspaper sales in both print and Kindle format since June 1, 2011, on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents.” So, that’s a rather loose definition of “well-read,” but we’re not going to judge. Some fun… -
Two-Typewriter Homes: Famous Literary Roommates
15 May 2012 | 10:00 amRecently, The Rumpus dug up a great article from a 1998 edition of the LA Times, wherein Saul Bellow describes living with Ralph Ellison in a grand old house in upstate New York. Inspired by this pairing, we decided to poke around to try and find out which other famous writers have lived together, whether before they became famous, while scribbling away, or as established authors living the high life. Just to be clear — we’re not counting famous literary couples (or at least not constant ones, anyway). That’d just be too easy. Click through to read about a few literary… -
Literary Mixtape: Lady Chatterley
14 May 2012 | 3:00 pmIf you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading… -
Take the Test: How Fast Do You Read?
13 May 2012 | 11:00 amWe stumbled across a rather interesting online test this morning — it’s a measure of how quickly you read, and how this compares the US national average. You probably won’t be surprised to know that, as avid book geeks and voracious readers, Flavorpill reads pretty fast — although we still only manage about 10% the pace of the world speed-reading champion, one Anne Jones (pictured), who can apparently chew through a remarkable 4,700 words a minute. She apparently read the final Harry Potter book in 47 minutes on its release, later reviewing it for UK newspaper The Independent… -
10 Books That Should Be Challenged Instead of ’50 Shades of Grey’
13 May 2012 | 10:00 amEvery year, we hear about the hugely depressing spectacle of books being challenged and removed from American libraries and schools because someone out there objects to their content (usually on the grounds of depictions of people enjoying themselves in bed.) This week it was hugely successful erotic novel 50 Shades of Grey, which has been removed from the shelves of libraries in parts of Florida for its depictions of, y’know, people having sex. Absurd as the whole situation is, it did get us thinking about some books that are far more deserving of being removed from library shelves…
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Book Marketing Bestsellers: Book Promotion Blog
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Promo Day 2012: A Book Promotion Event
13 May 2012 | 2:02 amWhat is Promo Day 2012?Promo Day is a free online international event for people in the writing industry. A whole day dedicated to promoting, networking and learning.As Promo Day is an entirely virtual event there are no travel or accommodation expenses and people from all over the world can take part. Virtual attendees can ask questions during the workshops in the forum, promote their writing, and network with other attendees and presenters - all from the comfort of their own computer.When is Promo Day?This year's event takes place on Saturday, May 19th, all day.Where does Promo Day take… -
Author Success Story: Getting Local Publicity for Memoirs
12 May 2012 | 7:09 amGuest post by Dennis FoleyMay 1st was the official release of my new book, The Drunkard's Son, a Chicago Story. About six weeks before the release date, I contacted a number of newspaper columnists and radio hosts in the Chicago area to gauge their interest in the book. Two media people who I had interviews with about seven years ago when my first book came out asked for copies of the new book and for interviews.As a result, columnist Mark Brown of the Chicago Sun-Times ran an article in the Sunday paper on April 29th and Rick Kogan of WGN-Radio had me on for a half-hour interview on the same… -
Six Figure List Building Web Summit
10 May 2012 | 6:21 amAs part of her upcoming Six Figure List Building Web Summit, Kathleen Gage has put together an amazing line up of experts to share their best strategies on building your customer and prospect lists.In addition to the 14 experts teaching the best of the best with list building, Kathleen is giving a 3-part live training webinar on how to create profitable telesummits. This alone is great stuff.Imagine the power behind knowing how to build a powerhouse list and creating telesummits for your market. The combination of the two is incredibly powerful.There's just one thing, this program with the… -
The Wall Street Journal Reports: 10 Ebook Novels in One Year
8 May 2012 | 2:14 amGlenn Beck is getting a lot of publicity on his new plan to publish a 10-book series of novels as ebooks. Watch this Wall Street Journal TV report:Notice how the media expect him to make a ton of money via ebook publishing because of his publisher platform.The beginning of the story in the Wall Street Journal:Two years ago, while on vacation, talk-show host Glenn Beck read all six books in Chris Stewart's series The Great and Terrible. In its good-versus-evil story line he saw a metaphor for the current state of the world.Now Mr. Beck's publishing imprint is having the books rewritten and… -
Walt Disney on Laughter, Imagination, and Dreams
7 May 2012 | 6:43 amLaughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever. - Walt Disney
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Pixel of Ink
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[Hot Deal] The Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts – Save 57%
15 May 2012 | 2:45 pmThe Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts Genre: Romance Ten years after disappearing from Antietam, Maryland, the bad boy has returned. Cleaned up and successful nowand still dangerously good-looking, Rafe MacKade sets the town on fire, and tongues wagging. Lovely newcomer Regan Jones is intrigued what kind of man could cause this sort of talk? She’ s just about to find out… The Return of Rafe MacKade is Book #1 in The MacKade Brothers Series, and right now all 4 books in the series are on sale! The order for the The MacKade Brothers Series is as follows: Book #1: The Return… -
5 Tuesday Evening Free Kindle Books
15 May 2012 | 2:42 pmReady for a few more great reads? Then here are 5 Free Kindle Books you will want to checkout tonight! >> Did you see all of the great Kindle ebook deals today? Make sure you didn’t miss any: Click Here and grab them while they last! Though free at time of posting, prices may change at any time. Please verify that the “Kindle Price” is $0.00. If you see a price for “Prime Members” or “read for free”, then the book is NOT free any longer. For non-U.S. readers, Kindle content availability and pricing will vary. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Romantic Suspense,… -
Mid-Tuesday Round Up: 5 More Freebies
15 May 2012 | 12:29 pmHere is a collection of 5 Free Kindle Books you will want to snap up! Did you know we post over a dozen free books every day? Make sure you don’t miss another deal: Click Here to get our Daily Email updates! Though free at time of posting, prices may change at any time. Please verify that the “Kindle Price” is $0.00. If you see a price for “Prime Members” or “read for free”, then the book is NOT free any longer. For non-U.S. readers, Kindle content availability and pricing will vary. Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance Breath of Air by Katie… -
[Save 92%] Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man
15 May 2012 | 11:01 amAct Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey Genre: Advice & How-to Steve Harvey, the host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show, can’t count the number of impressive women he’s met over the years, whether it’s through the “Strawberry Letters” segment of his program or while on tour for his comedy shows. These are women who can run a small business, keep a household with three kids in tiptop shape, and chair a church group all at the same time. Yet when it comes to relationships, they can’t figure out what makes men tick. Why? -
Tuesday Morning: 5 Free Kindle Books
15 May 2012 | 9:17 amFor even more of the best Free & Bargain eBooks, be sure to check Pixel of Ink throughout the day, more are on the way! Though free at time of posting, prices may change at any time. Please verify that the “Kindle Price” is $0.00. If you see a price for “Prime Members” or “read for free”, then the book is NOT free any longer. For non-U.S. readers, Kindle content availability and pricing will vary. Genre: Legal Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Technothriller Chrysalis by Richard Romanus FREE on Kindle Chrysalis tells the story of seventeen year old Maria…
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THE FIRE WIRE
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Trailer For ABC’s 666 Park Avenue
16 May 2012 | 3:00 amAt the ominous address of 666 Park Avenue coming this fall to ABC, anything you desire can be yours. Everyone has needs, desires and ambition. For the residents of The Drake, these will all be met, courtesy of the building’s mysterious owner, Gavin Doran (Terry O’Quinn). But every Faustian contract comes with a price. When Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor) and Henry Martin (Dave Annable), an idealistic young couple from the Midwest, are offered the opportunity to manage the historic building, they not only fall prey to the machinations of Doran and his mysterious wife, Olivia… -
The Art of Avengers Book Signing At Nucleus Gallery On May 20, 2012
16 May 2012 | 3:00 amA group of artists from the Avenger’s film will be joining Nucleus Gallery for a book signing and artist panel. The featured artists are: Fabian Lacey, Jim Mitchell, Paul Ozzimo, Nathan Schroeder and Jane Wu. They’ll be showcasing some never-before-seen art from the Avengers and discussing their involvement with the film. Admission is FREE 12 pm – 1 pm (Panel) 1 pm – 1:30 pm (Q and A) 1:30 pm – 3 pm (book signing) 210 East Main Street Alhambra, CA 91801 626-458-7482 -
Tron & Tron Legacy Posters By Martin Ansin To Go On Sale Wednesday, May 16
15 May 2012 | 11:29 pmA very small number of Martin Ansin’s Tron and Tron Legacy poster sets will be sold tomorrow. The regular versions are 24″ x 36″ screenprints, have AP editions of 37, and will cost $150/set. The variants have AP editions of 22 and will cost $200/set. These go up tomorrow (Wednesday, May 16th) at a random time. Visit Postersandtoys.com. -
Heritage Auctions Selling The Original Art To The Cover of Spider-Man #1 By Todd McFarlane
15 May 2012 | 6:01 pmHeritage Auctions is selling the original art to the cover of Spider-Man #1 by Todd McFarlane, on behalf of its owner Martin Shamus, father of Wizard Magazine’s Gareb and Steven Shamus. In 1990, there was no bigger star in comic art than Todd McFarlane, and his “spin” on your friendly neighborhood wall crawler garnered tons of media and fan attention. Not since the days of Steve Ditko had Spider-Man looked so cool. This cover appeared when Marvel launched its record-smashing premiere of the new title Spider-Man, in multiple variations, following McFarlane’s acclaimed run as… -
Man Candles
15 May 2012 | 10:03 amYankee Candle has introduced a limited-edition collection of scents inspired by and created for men. The company’s limited-edition Man Candles collection features four fragrances: Man Town, a masculine blend of spices, woods and musk; First Down, a combination of orange, patchouli, vetiver and leather; Riding Mower, which features the scent of freshly cut grass; and 2 x 4, featuring the scents of freshly planed wood and sawdust. “We wanted to develop a collection of scents that men could strongly identify with,” Yankee Candle SVP brand, design and innovation Hope Margala…
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BubbleCow
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Promote Your Book On Our Blog For FREE!
13 May 2012 | 2:12 amWe are keen to give self-published writers a chance to promote their book and share their knowledge. Just fill out this online form. -
Has The Internet Made You Into A Pretend Writer?
3 May 2012 | 4:03 amHowTheLightGetsIn, the world’s largest philosophy and music festival, is back in the glorious setting of Hay. It takes place in the first ten days of June including both the postponed May and Jubilee bank holidays. 410 events, 6 stages, 165 speakers, 10 days, 150 bands. And I’ll be there on June 7, talking on this panel: ‘Six Billion Authors in Search of an Audience’ (Caroline Smailes, Ewan Morrison, Scott Pack. Gabriel Gbadamosi chairs) In an age of self publishing and writers’ workshops, the idea that we all have a novel inside of us has become commonplace. But how… -
Are You A Freelance Copy Editor?
29 Mar 2012 | 4:40 pmWe are currently looking for an experienced and qualified freelance copy editor to work with the BubbleCow editing team. It is essential that you have a solid copy editing track record and are comfortable working with fiction and non-fiction titles. Fill out my online form. -
The Secret Of Writing A Novel With 11 Different Endings
19 Mar 2012 | 2:38 amWhen BubbleCow co-founder and all star editor Caroline Smailes wrote her first novel In Search Of Adam many readers really didn’t like the ending. I am not talking about a mild annoyance, I am talking about people throwing the book in the bin, tearing out pages and even emailing Caroline to ask for their money back. I joke you not! You see, Caroline left the ending of the book open. It was not clear if the main character lived or died, it was really up to the reader to decide. When I asked her why she wrote an ending that left so much to the reader she said: I have always been experimental… -
A Quick Guide For Self-Publishers Worried About eBook Formats
12 Mar 2012 | 3:00 pmAre you considering self-publishing your own ebook? If yes, then this is article is all for you. If no, well this post is probably a waste of your time and it’s best you stop reading now… Still with me? Good. OK – let’s just define Self-Publish a little more clearly. This article is for writers who intend to sell their book in digital formats. In short this means via Amazon or Apple onto eReaders such as the Kindle or iPad. The goal of this article is to explain a little about the technical aspects of creating ebooks. It’s not a full-blown technical guide. It has been written to…
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Book Marketing Strategies and Tips For Authors
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Make Your Mark at a Book Industry Trade Show By Steve Piacente
25 Apr 2012 | 9:30 amOur guest today is Steve Piacente, author of Bella and its forthcoming prequel, Bootlicker. He has been a news and sports writer and is now the deputy communications director at a federal agency in Washington, D.C. He also teaches journalism classes at American University. In today's post, Steve will discuss how to have a successful book industry trade show appearance. Steve is also hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, May 2nd called, 10 Ways to Shine at a Book Industry Trade Show. To read more about this webinar and to sign up now, visit http://bit.ly/tradshowz2 Make Your Mark at a Book… -
The Secret To Overnight Book Marketing Success By Jim F. Kukral
9 Apr 2012 | 6:00 amSince I've archived the blog, it's continued to get healthy traffic. I've also received requests from authors and book marketing experts who expressed interest in providing guest posts. I've decided to continue to publish guest posts as they come in. If you'd like to submit a post to this blog, check out the Guest Post FAQs page of the blog. Today, author and CEO of the book marketing agency Digital Book Launch, Jim F. Kukral, will discuss the secret to overnight book marketing success. Be sure to check out the links to his books and his websites throughout the post. The Secret To… -
Over 500 Post From Great Authors And Experts
19 Jan 2012 | 11:24 pmThree years ago, I started Marketing Tips For Authors and I have met a ton of wonderful authors, authors-to-be, and book marketing experts. I have had the privilege of inviting talented authors to submit guest posts. Some were best selling authors like Jerry Jenkins (Do-It-Yourself Marketing), others were authors who had their first book pending publication. I also had a number of talented book marketing experts freely share their knowledge. They wrote on things like how to sell more book, how to use social media in your book marketing plan, and a host of other evergreen articles that still… -
eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around By James Moushon
6 Oct 2011 | 9:51 amToday, we have a treat as our guest author. James Moushon is an author and a pioneer in the e-publishing world. I found him through his blog and numerous guest articles and was thrilled when he agreed to share his knowledge on e-book publishing with us. When you are finished with this post, make sure you take a look at his other online writing. eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around By James Moushon To eBook authors, marketing can be a daunting task. Whether you're an indie publisher or you are using a traditional publisher, the marketing is usually left up to you. It is a digital… -
The new phone book is here! By Christopher Hudson
30 Sep 2011 | 8:54 amWe have a treat today with a new guest post by author Christopher Hudson. He will be discussing the problem that all authors face when they add their name to the big list of published authors. Undoubtedly, millions of authors find themselves in this situation. It's going to be interesting to see the comments as authors share their experience with this and how they all deal with it. The new phone book is here! By Christopher Hudson When Steve Martin's character in the movie, The Jerk, see's his name in the new phone book, he exclaims, 'I'm somebody.' That's exactly what I said when I…
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The Truth About Lies
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Don't waste my time
14 May 2012 | 5:00 pmTime equals life; therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life. – Alan LakeinTime is precious. I say that and it reads like a cliché. Time is valuable but most people aren’t willing to pay us a fraction of what our time is worth. I know what the government says the average wage is—currently that would be about £26,000 per annum—but I’ve never earned anything like that. In fact when I was on £15K I thought that was good money, about £7.70 per hour before taxes. So what is you spare time worth?I am going to die. Not soon. At least I hope… -
Magnus Opum
9 May 2012 | 4:30 pmEvery writer of modern fantasy was influenced by Tolkien to some degree. He was the premiere fantasy writer of the last century, and all of us writing today owe him a huge debt. – Terry Brooks If you enjoyed JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit there’s a good chance that you’ll enjoy Jonathan Gould’s Magnus Opum. Or not. I guess it all depends on how passionate you were over The Hobbit. Some readers are a bit precious about Tolkien’s work and parodies like The Wobbit and Bored of the Ringsdon’t sit well with them. I was probably about fourteen when I first read the book and I’d no sooner… -
Drowning in chocolate: an apology ... eventually
4 May 2012 | 5:00 pmWhat is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare? W H Davies (‘Leisure’) I am not someone one would generally think to call an optimist. Introverted, melancholic individuals are not generally prone to expressing an overly positive view of life even if, on the whole, they hold one. Even the most introverted and melancholic individual will, however, most likely, fall in love at some time during their life and at that that time—if only at that time—they get a whiff of what optimists must feel every day. It doesn’t matter how hopeless their situation is, how… -
Verruca Music
29 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pmof course i could have used the traditional ovine sleep induction method but frankly the sheer effort required to imagine two thousand five hundred and eighty four sheep shambling over a rickety old gate was beyond the poor old bonce and enough to make the heart sink and god knows the heart did sink — Stuart Estell, Verruca Music There are a lot of new books appearing at the moment. A lot. I don’t think people are writing more. People have always written and will continue to write long after typing has completely replaced handwriting. It’s just there are more people and, with the advent… -
Aggie and Shuggie 33
24 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pmMaggie: [Knock Knock Knock]Ma! Da! Get up. Aggie: [Throwing the bedroom door open] Whit is it, hen? Is it yer gran? Huff we bin burgled? Hus the doag swallayed the remote agin? Maggie: Naw. Nuhin like tha. This! [Holds up her laptop] Huff ye seen this? Aggie: Whit hen? Maggie: Unca Jim’s hud a wan star refyoo. Aggie: A whit? Yoo are yankin ma chain. Do noat joke aboot stuff like tha. Maggie: Ah’m no jokin ma. Wan star! Wan! Aggie: Ssssssh. Keep yer voice doon. Yer’ll wake yer faither. If e gets t’hear news like tha afore is second cuppa coffee e’ll go ballistic. Maggie: Ah know…
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Silk Spun
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In which there is “Troll 2″, or, man, I just couldn’t stop laughing
2 May 2012 | 9:21 pmI cannot imagine anyone actually caring if they are spoiled for “Troll 2″, but just in case: SPOILERS So, here are some facts about this film, taken from its Wikipedia article, in case you are unfamiliar: Although produced under the title Goblins, United States distributors were skeptical about the film’s ability to succeed as a standalone picture and renamed it Troll 2 in an attempt to market it as a sequel to the 1986 Empire Pictures film Troll. The two films, however, have no connection, and no trolls are actually depicted in Troll 2. The plot concerns a family pursued by… -
In which I have a boring mind and bad taste in television
25 Apr 2012 | 9:31 pmReading other people’s blogs makes me think about how I never say anything particularly meaningful with my own. As I think I have said before, when I began, this was not intended to be just a space to write about what I read. That’s just what it became because that’s all I feel comfortable writing about publicly. I am not comfortable saying here is a thing, and here is how that thing makes me feel, unless that thing is a book or a film or a song or an article. The Internet is very unkind and unforgiving and I feel like things that are personally meaningful to me should be… -
In which there is “Psyche in a Dress”
10 Apr 2012 | 1:47 pmI love Francesca Lia Block. “Witch Baby”, “The Hanged Man”, “The Rose and the Beast”, they all have a very special place in my heart and I will carry their stories with me throughout the rest of my life. I love the way FLB uses words, the magic she spins from them. My very favorite thing about reading is when an author writes something and you find it and say yes, this is what I have always wished I knew how to say, when they give you the voice you couldn’t quite find on your own. This is primarily what FLB did for me. But, sometimes, I read one of… -
In which Adrienne rich has died, but the beauty of her words never will
29 Mar 2012 | 1:30 amIt has been all over Twitter and Facebook tonight that Adrienne Rich has died. I am happy to know people who care about this and find it worthy of reporting. For me, not so much mourning a death as mourning the loss of a life. There are some people who seem to drip with poetry, and when you read their words you just know that this is what they were meant to do, what they were made for. Adrienne Rich was one of these people. She was in good company, I think, the very best. I am reminded of a line from “Dead Poets Society”, which everyone who knows me could tell you is my all-time… -
In which there are more words than anyone is ever likely to read about “American Gods”
7 Mar 2012 | 11:48 pmHERE THERE ARE MANY SPOILERS, BOTH SPECIFIC AND VAGUE I imagine that whenever someone reads “American Gods” for the first time, Neil Gaiman sits back and cackles happily to himself. I certainly would, if I were him. Because this is a book filled with brain explosions and shocked gasps and head-scratching confusion and every single time you think you’ve figured something out, it turns out to be the opposite, or not quite the opposite but some bizarre mutation of what you thought that puts everything into an entirely new light. His ability to do this is fascinating to me; I…
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Free Book Reviews
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Free Books
5 May 2012 | 12:04 pmIf you have a book or know of one that is available on Amazon for free please list it here. Book Title Description When free promotion ends. Link to download. If you do not have one available on Amazon but you have it available elsewhere you can leave the same information. Birthright What if the next stage of evolution was caused by the oversight of man and what if that oversight was a simple medical mistake? Raine Donnelly is born three months premature by emergency surgery after his critically injured mother is admitted to the hospital, having been the victim of a drunk driver though her… -
Book Review: Sins of the Father by RJ Palmer
2 May 2012 | 10:47 amDescription From Amazon Bowen is an orphaned child in feudal England whose first appearance in this novel is having been bound hands and feet and whipped mercilessly by the monks in a monastery in an excess of bloodlust. He’s realistically of an indeterminate age but no more than about seven years old and the monks are very sadistic. He’s punished repeatedly for any number of minor and inconsequential infractions. Bowen’s father and mother and sister are dead. His sister was the victim of a brutal rape in which she became pregnant and died shortly after giving birth though she had been… -
New Indie Chicks Blog - Now go Check it Out
1 May 2012 | 12:42 pmGathered by Cheryl Shireman, the Indie Chicks are a group of women writers who enjoy supporting and encouraging other women writers. We have all published in various ways – independently, with traditional publishers, or by combining both methods. No matter how published, we have one thing in common – a love of writing and an independent spirit. In our ranks, you will find much-acclaimed bestsellers and also a few writers who are just starting out. We live in various parts of the world and come from a variety of backgrounds. Originally, we gathered together to create one anthology. The… -
RJ Palmer offers new book (Sins of the Father) free for a week
30 Apr 2012 | 1:53 pmRJ Palmer pens her second book. Get it free for the next week on Smashwords with coupon code VQ43C with this link https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/157017. The book shall be available on Amazon and elsewhere in the next few days to a week. SPOILER ALERT Bowen is an orphaned child in feudal England whose first appearance in this novel is having been bound hands and feet and whipped mercilessly by the monks in a monastery in an excess of bloodlust. He’s realistically of an indeterminate age but no more than about seven years old and the monks are very sadistic. He’s punished repeatedly… -
What does Easter mean to you?
8 Apr 2012 | 12:20 pmA cry uttered by Jesus Christ while dying on the cross, preserved in the original Aramaic: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Father, now the sun is risen, I thank thee for thy silent strength, given me in my hour of despair, when the darkness seemed to smother, and the tears I selfishly shed for my own pain and trivial troubles shut out the light, and I rendered myself alone. Father, now thy son is risen, I thank thee for allowing one so much greater than I thine only begotten, flesh of thy flesh, to complete a task so wonderful and terrible by leaving him necessarily alone.
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Book Marketing Strategies and Tips For Authors
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Make Your Mark at a Book Industry Trade Show By Steve Piacente
25 Apr 2012 | 9:30 amOur guest today is Steve Piacente, author of Bella and its forthcoming prequel, Bootlicker. He has been a news and sports writer and is now the deputy communications director at a federal agency in Washington, D.C. He also teaches journalism classes at American University. In today's post, Steve will discuss how to have a successful book industry trade show appearance. Steve is also hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, May 2nd called, 10 Ways to Shine at a Book Industry Trade Show. To read more about this webinar and to sign up now, visit http://bit.ly/tradshowz2 Make Your Mark at a Book… -
The Secret To Overnight Book Marketing Success By Jim F. Kukral
9 Apr 2012 | 6:00 amSince I've archived the blog, it's continued to get healthy traffic. I've also received requests from authors and book marketing experts who expressed interest in providing guest posts. I've decided to continue to publish guest posts as they come in. If you'd like to submit a post to this blog, check out the Guest Post FAQs page of the blog. Today, author and CEO of the book marketing agency Digital Book Launch, Jim F. Kukral, will discuss the secret to overnight book marketing success. Be sure to check out the links to his books and his websites throughout the post. The Secret To… -
Over 500 Post From Great Authors And Experts
19 Jan 2012 | 11:24 pmThree years ago, I started Marketing Tips For Authors and I have met a ton of wonderful authors, authors-to-be, and book marketing experts. I have had the privilege of inviting talented authors to submit guest posts. Some were best selling authors like Jerry Jenkins (Do-It-Yourself Marketing), others were authors who had their first book pending publication. I also had a number of talented book marketing experts freely share their knowledge. They wrote on things like how to sell more book, how to use social media in your book marketing plan, and a host of other evergreen articles that still… -
eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around By James Moushon
6 Oct 2011 | 9:51 amToday, we have a treat as our guest author. James Moushon is an author and a pioneer in the e-publishing world. I found him through his blog and numerous guest articles and was thrilled when he agreed to share his knowledge on e-book publishing with us. When you are finished with this post, make sure you take a look at his other online writing. eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around By James Moushon To eBook authors, marketing can be a daunting task. Whether you're an indie publisher or you are using a traditional publisher, the marketing is usually left up to you. It is a digital… -
The new phone book is here! By Christopher Hudson
30 Sep 2011 | 8:54 amWe have a treat today with a new guest post by author Christopher Hudson. He will be discussing the problem that all authors face when they add their name to the big list of published authors. Undoubtedly, millions of authors find themselves in this situation. It's going to be interesting to see the comments as authors share their experience with this and how they all deal with it. The new phone book is here! By Christopher Hudson When Steve Martin's character in the movie, The Jerk, see's his name in the new phone book, he exclaims, 'I'm somebody.' That's exactly what I said when I…
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The Book Designer
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7 Ways to Mine Blog Posts into Publishable Gold
16 May 2012 | 2:01 amby Nina Amir (@NinaAmir) I wrote about Nina last April when I published Blogging and Books: 4 Questions from Nina Amir. We I have a common interest in helping authors use their blogs to produce books, and this article shows just how much thought Nina has put into this subject. Enjoy it, I know I did. Most bloggers simply blog. Day in and day out, they write their posts and publish them in Cyberspace. They produce a lot of content, but as one post after another pile up in front of the last, the older ones get lost in a deep dark blog hole. There they remain. If you are like most bloggers, you… -
Book Design: Have You Checked Your Margins?
14 May 2012 | 2:01 amI just finished judging half the entries in the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA) annual Book Awards competition. This contest is open to members of BAIPA, an organization that includes many self-publishers but also small independent presses, professionals in the book industry and others. Overall, the books from indie publishers were quite good, and that wasn’t much of a surprise since they usually hire professionals or have professional publishing experience themselves. And some of the self-published books were also well done and had obviously been well thought out. -
e-Book Cover Design Awards, April 2012
13 May 2012 | 2:01 amWelcome to this edition of the e-Book Cover Design Awards. This edition is for submissions during April, 2012. Here’s what we received: 82 covers in the Fiction category 11 covers in the Nonfiction category Award Winners and Listing I’ve added comments (JF: ) to many of the entries, but not all. Thanks to everyone who participated. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think, too. Now, without any further ado, here are the winners of this month’s e-Book Cover Design Award. e-Book Cover Design Award Winner for April 2012 in…
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Novelicious - The Female Fiction and Chick Lit Blog
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Liz Fenwick's Top Tips for Writers
16 May 2012 | 5:14 amLiz Fenwick's debut Novel is out now. It's called The Cornish House. 1. Write what you know. It saves time. When I began writing fiction seriously in 2004, I only had the school hours, which with doing everything else that a full-time mother has to do, equalled two hours a day. I’d try and scrape more time by using the waiting period at the school pick up working in the car. My first novel wasn’t a great work of literature, but it was a complete novel and it proved to me that I could do it. 2. Read. Reading is necessary for every writer. You learn what’s good and bad and you… -
Novelicious Chats to... Sinead Moriarty
16 May 2012 | 3:10 amSinead's latest book is Me And My Sisters and it's out now. 1. Can you tell us a little about your average writing day? With three small children I try to write when they are in school. So from Monday to Thursday I write from 9 until 3. I use my time as wisely as I can. I really have to make it work for me. I try to write a book a year, so I switch my phone off, avoid Google, ignore the doorbell and write! 2. When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration? The beauty of writing is that you lose yourself in your work. It’s such a luxury as a mother to… -
What An Agent Wants: Week 8 - How important is platform for aspiring writers?
15 May 2012 | 6:27 amWe are asking our esteemed agent panel a question a week over ten weeks and publishing the answers right here for you guys. It's week eight and we are asking... How important do you think platform is for aspiring writers? A lot of people feel like they can’t get a look in without being a celebrity, A-list blogger or royal family relation. What would you say to that? Madeleine Milburn of the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency I think these are increasingly important for writers of non-fiction but not for fiction. However, it takes time to build up your profile as a fiction… -
Undiscovered Showcase Entry #9 - Occupied by Neal Doran
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amThe ninth entry of our Top 20 Undiscovered Shortlist is Occupied by Neal Doran. We encourage comment and critique on each entry but any offensive remarks or spam will be removed. Remember your favourite entry because you'll get the chance to vote after all twenty excerpts have been posted! Over to Neal Doran... OCCUPIED (BLURB) Rebecca and James are pregnant. As Rebecca’s head fills with dreams of ice-cream and pregnancy yoga, and James actually looks forward to nursery shopping at IKEA, they thought reports of a first grandchild would be the biggest surprise of Christmas. Rebecca’s dad… -
The Secret Dreamworld of an Aspiring Author by Anna Bell - Making The Same Mistakes
15 May 2012 | 4:25 amLike many aspiring authors I’ve been reading the Novelicious feature ‘What an Agent Wants’ with an eagle eye. I was cringing my way through reading ‘What are the five most common mistakes you find in Manuscript submissions’ – of course I’d made a few of them. What grabbed my attention most in the post wasn’t what the agents said, it was one of the comments below. Someone had posted that they couldn’t believe that people still made those mistakes. It is an extremely valid point and one that got me wondering: why do writers make the same mistakes, even though we know they…
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Reading with Tequila
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Shattered Dreams by Ellie James
11 May 2012 | 10:00 amShattered Dreams by Ellie James 2011, St. Martin's Griffin Series: Book 1 of Midnight Dragonfly Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late. Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too… -
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
10 May 2012 | 10:00 amStruck by Jennifer Bosworth 2012, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Series: Book 1 of Struck Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling… -
Destined by Aprilynne Pike
9 May 2012 | 10:00 amDestined by Aprilynne Pike 2012, HarperTeen Series: Book 4 of Wings Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series. Why read: Received for review What impressed me: I loved the sheer magnitude of Destined. The… -
What Should I Read This Month? May 2012
4 May 2012 | 10:00 amWelcome to "What Should I Read This Month?" Every year I sign up for way too many challenges, list all the books I've been dying to read and then inevitably have to give up on some of them for lack of time. These polls let you tell me which of the selections I should definitely not miss. Last month The Dead Tossed Waves won with 44% of the vote. This month's potential reads are: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say. As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of… -
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
2 May 2012 | 10:00 amSweet Evil by Wendy Higgins 2012, HarperTeen Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil. Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the…
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Blkosiner's YA and Teen Book Blog
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Review: Shield the Heart by T.K. Richardson
15 May 2012 | 7:55 amShield the Heart by T.K. RichardsonWhat if the battle was in your heart?Lilly’s gift of reading the heart seemed like a curse, but when she discovered her gift was linked to an old, Russian prophecy it changed everything. What she never questioned, though, was her own heart.When the prophecy pulls Lilly back to Russia and demands to be fulfilled she is torn between love and loyalty. She must make the most difficult decision of her life and choose between the two. But Lilly’s decision is farther reaching than even she is willing to acknowledge. It stretches from East to West - from the… -
$50 Amazon Gift Card from Laurisa White Reyes author of The Rock of Ivanore
15 May 2012 | 7:30 amThe Rock of IvanoreThe annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, a task that will determine the future of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn't tell them what the Rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the illusive Rock. If he succeeds, he will live a life of honor; if he fails, he will live a life of menial… -
Music Guest Post by Karen Schreck author of While He Was Away
14 May 2012 | 6:57 amWhile He Was Away by Karen SchreckThis is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say. "The right thing."He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next. All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the… -
IMMB 5/13
13 May 2012 | 7:18 amIMMB was started by Kristi at The Story Siren. I use it to showcase books I receive and as a social aspect for the blog. To sign up and find out more hereWhat I got:First Comes LoveSource: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Currently ReadingKacvinsky, KatieWhen You Were MineReview HereSource netgalleySerle, RebeccaThe Hunt (The Hunt, #1)source:netgalleyreview HEREFukuda, AndrewDefiance (Defiance, #1)Source: HarperteenPin It -
Book Giveaway: Victory on the Homefront and author interview with DS Grier
12 May 2012 | 9:04 pmVictory on the Homefront by DS GrierIt’s 1943 and eleven-year-old Les MacGregor is thinking of running away. He’s sick of his parents, who are always fighting, and his three horrible brothers—perfect James, bitter Charlie, and annoying Johnny—the youngest, and a total pest.With his parents focused on their problems, Les has plenty of time on his own to do what he wants. After being ostracized thanks to the school bully, Les spends time dissecting a dead cat in his secret science lab, scaling the attic roof, and tapping phone lines, which seems like a great idea until the FBI comes…
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The Official BookBuzzr Blog
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Why Isn’t My Website Enough For Mobile Phone Users?
7 May 2012 | 8:30 amGuest Expert: Aggie Villanueva A common misconception is that smartphone users can browse websites as easily as computers. Most mobile users will not browse your website, and it’s because they cannot browse it successfully. Everything on the web is made for viewing on computers, not in any way created to be browsed by mobile devices. Most of the time a smartphone user on your site can’t even perform the simple task of signing up for your newsletter, viewing a video or listening to an audio message because computer programing languages so often cannot be read by smartphones. But apps… -
The Book Marketing Technology Week in Review April 28 to May 4
5 May 2012 | 8:37 amNotable blog posts, articles and happenings on the web this week: Joanna Penn has put together a quick summary of Mark Coker’s ebook – ‘The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success’. The book is worth a quick read and the best part is that it is currently available free. Download the PDF version here. Microsoft has committed to invest 605 Million dollars in Barnes and Noble’s Nook venture in a bid to capture a share of the fast growing ebook (and Amazon Kindle) market. Fantasy writer Ed Robertson has been comparing the Amazon Kindle ranks of ” tons and tons of… -
How to Be a Best Seller on Amazon: An Interview with Multi-Category Best Selling Author Judy Powell
4 May 2012 | 8:37 amToday we’re pleased to present an interview with best-selling author Judy Powell. Judy came on to our radar when she recently subscribed for a BookBuzzr Author Pro Plus account. We were able to connect with her and request her to do this interview. Judy Powell is a writer and marketing consultant who lives in Ontario, Canada. Her works are diverse, featuring romance novels set in Jamaica, Chicago and New York, a historical novel focusing on Jamaican culture and history, and non-fiction essays which have appeared in anthologies. Judy’s Caribbean romance, Hot Summer, placed second in the… -
Expert Interview: Aggie Villanueva Author of ‘Amazon Categories Create Best Sellers’
2 May 2012 | 9:47 amHave you ever wished that your book broke into a best seller list on Amazon? Aggie Villanueva has written a book that gives you tips and ideas to use the categories feature on Amazon in order to break into a best seller list. We reached out to Aggie in order to get her to share some of her learning with the BookBuzzr author community. The interview follows: Hello Aggie! Can you tell us a little about yourself? Hello Vikram. Thank you so much for having me. I am so enjoying this little virtual visit. My writing related bio is easy because it’s below, so I’ll tell you a little about the… -
The New Summer Theme from BookBuzzr Can Help You Sell More Books
30 Apr 2012 | 6:58 amAah summer! Rolling waves. Warm sands. Tall cool drinks. And a great book to read! Inspired by such a vision, we’ve created a new landing page widget theme which you can use for your book this summer. And judging by the fact that several authors have installed the theme on their blogs and websites even before we made this announcement it seems that this theme will be liked by many authors. Check out the ‘Summer’ theme below: How this theme can help you sell more books: As you may know, a landing page widget is designed to catch the attention of your site or blog visitors…
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Reading with Tequila
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Shattered Dreams by Ellie James
11 May 2012 | 10:00 amShattered Dreams by Ellie James 2011, St. Martin's Griffin Series: Book 1 of Midnight Dragonfly Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late. Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too… -
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
10 May 2012 | 10:00 amStruck by Jennifer Bosworth 2012, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Series: Book 1 of Struck Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling… -
Destined by Aprilynne Pike
9 May 2012 | 10:00 amDestined by Aprilynne Pike 2012, HarperTeen Series: Book 4 of Wings Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series. Why read: Received for review What impressed me: I loved the sheer magnitude of Destined. The… -
What Should I Read This Month? May 2012
4 May 2012 | 10:00 amWelcome to "What Should I Read This Month?" Every year I sign up for way too many challenges, list all the books I've been dying to read and then inevitably have to give up on some of them for lack of time. These polls let you tell me which of the selections I should definitely not miss. Last month The Dead Tossed Waves won with 44% of the vote. This month's potential reads are: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say. As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of… -
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
2 May 2012 | 10:00 amSweet Evil by Wendy Higgins 2012, HarperTeen Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Rating Synopsis: What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil. Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the…
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Book Bags and Cat Naps
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Guest post: Writers and Agents; a Dysfunctional Relationship – Erica Manfred
14 May 2012 | 10:13 pmI’m delighted to welcome Erica Manfred to the blog today to share a guest post. I have also reviewed Erica’s new novel, Interview with a Jewish Vampire.Guest post: Writers and Agents; a Dysfunctional RelationshipLike many writers, I didn’t set out to be an Indie author. I wanted to get a big advance from a major publisher, be interviewed on the Today Show, be reviewed in the New York Times, see my name on stacks of books at Barnes and Noble, and wind up with a bestseller. Such was not my fate, unfortunately.I will backtrack a bit here. I’m a professional writer with… -
Book Review: Interview with a Jewish Vampire – Erica Manfred
14 May 2012 | 9:58 pmToday’s review is of Interview with a Jewish Vampire, a very funny and entertaining novel by Erica Manfred. About the bookInterview with a Jewish Vampire, Erica Manfred, ISBN: 0971096813Source: I received a copy in exchange for my fair and honest reviewThe last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expected when she signed up for JDate was to fall in love with a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish. She learns that back in the nineteenth century… -
Guest post: Gadgets For Bookworms
14 May 2012 | 7:51 pmAre you (or someone you know) a voracious reader? I know I am. Whether you like the feel of pages in your hand, or the heft of a tablet, this is the 21st century – and most lifelong readers I know are also…well, huge dorks.With all the technology at hand, there are bound to be gadgets and gizmos that we all want, have or could find quite helpful. I’ve put together a list of some of my favorites.TabletThis is a pretty easy one, but if you’re a reader and don’t have a tablet, you can be missing out on a very handy device. Mind you, I am one of those people that… -
Inspire Me Monday: May 14th – Cat tag cloud
14 May 2012 | 3:17 pm‘Inspire Me Monday’ is a weekly creative blog hop run by The Paper Princess at Create with Joy. The prompt question: What’s Inspiring You This Week? I’ve been playing about with Tagxedo a little recently and I love the amazing word clouds you can make – everything from a shooting star shape to a bird!I decided to ‘Tagxedo’ my Twitter feed and this was the result:Inspired this week? Leave me a comment and let me know what by! -
Guest post: The “What If?” Factor: The Endless Possibilities of Writing Sci-Fi – Tiana Warner
11 May 2012 | 9:47 pmToday I’m very pleased to have author Tiana Warner guest posting about the possibilities writing sci-fi opens up. Tiana is the author of The Infinite Knowledge of J.T. Badgley.Guest post: The “What If?” Factor: The Endless Possibilities of Writing Sci-FiWhat if our planet’s gravitational pull began to diminish? What if the sun started to burn out? What if we found the God particle?One of the most alluring forces of the Sci-Fi genre is a writer’s opportunity to create an entirely new universe. The world you invent is completely your own, and you can do whatever…
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Vampire Book Club
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Alpha Showdown 2012 Round 3: Lothaire vs. Cat
16 May 2012 | 12:01 amRound three of Alpha Showdown 2012 brings together our first vampire-on-vampire match. The ancient villain (and now quasi hero) Lothaire from Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series against the Red Reaper, Cat, from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Both have enhanced vampire skills. Hell, Cat sometimes has a heartbeat. Who is quick enough to stake the other? Your votes decide. Also, a quick housekeeping note: The Alpha Showdown is all about fun and finding new books. Support your favorite character to the fullest, but in doing so please do not tear down the other… -
Alpha Showdown 2012 Round 2: Charles Cornick vs. King Dorian
15 May 2012 | 12:01 amWe just don’t see werewolves and faerie kings duke it out often enough. Luckily, we’ve pitted the dangerous and possessive werewolf Charles Cornick against the powerful, creative and quick King Dorian in Round 2 of the Alpha Showdown 2012. Read the pitches, then make the call. Who should advance to the next round in the Alpha Showdown? The poll at the end of this post will be open for two days. Remember, alphas don’t share titles. Your votes decide who advances in the Alpha Showdown 2012. ROUND 2: CHARLES CORNICK vs. KING DORIAN Charles Cornick You know him from: Alpha and… -
Alpha Showdown 2012 Round 1: Bones vs. Rachel Morgan
14 May 2012 | 12:01 amIt’s officially time for Alpha Showdown 2012! We’ve pulled together 16 of the most kickass characters from urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels and with your votes placed them into a NCAA-style bracket. Only one will be named champion. Round one brings together a master vampire known for being ruthless with everyone except his wife and a witch who is not to be trifled with (she does have vampires, fairies and demons around her all the time). Read the pitches, then make the call. Who should advance to the next round in the Alpha Showdown? The poll at the end of this post… -
Early Review: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen
11 May 2012 | 8:22 amDark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) Michelle Rowen Published: May 22, 2012 (Harlequin Teen) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars I have to give it up to Michelle Rowen; she can make waiting for a single kiss the hottest thing ever. The majority of the novel has protagonist Samantha doing everything she can to keep from kissing people. It is the desire and the danger that lies with a potential kiss that will keep you turning the pages of Dark Kiss. Samantha has been turned into a gray. She has no idea what this means, because the boy she’s crushed on forever… -
Book Bits: Karen Mahoney, Karina Cooper, Stacia Kane, Kim Harrison, J.A. Saare
10 May 2012 | 12:01 amThanks to everyone who provided feedback and suggestions on yesterday’s captcha-related post. I am going to look into utilizing additional spam filters before considering bringing back captcha. Also, did you know Alpha Showdown 2012 starts on Monday? It does. And it will be epic. Have you started placing your bets? Excerpt from Karen Mahoney I enjoyed The Iron Witch and The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney, and now she’s shared a brief, spoiler-free excerpt from the upcoming The Stone Demon, the third book in the Iron Witch Trilogy. Have you started this series? If so, did the snippet…
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LATINA BOOK CLUB
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REVIEW: FROM THIS WICKED PATCH OF DUST by Sergio Troncoso
7 May 2012 | 11:17 amFROM THIS WICKED PATCH OF DUSTby Sergio TroncosoThe University of Arizona Press (2011) Sergio Troncoso has written a wonderful, heart-warming, universal tale of a family. This story can be about any American family and their struggle to work, pay bills, raise children, save them from the streets, get them through college, and live long enough to see their grandchildren.What’s fascinating about FROM THIS WICKED PATCH OF DUST is that we have not one hero, but a whole family’s worth – Pilar, the mother, who wants to get away from her past and start anew in… -
LATINO BOOKS INTO MOVIE AWARDS
3 May 2012 | 11:37 amThe Latina Book Club congratulates ALL the winners. We look forward to seeing you at the movies! From Latino Literacy Now's press release: The second edition of the Latino Books Into Movies Awards were held on April 21st at the University of Southern California as part of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. The awards were presented from the HOY Stage during the very active weekend of book related activities. The judges for these awards are film industry professionals: Producers, Directors, Screenwriters, and Film Financiers. The judges were Ruben Arvizu, Kevin Bender,… -
BOOK OF THE MONTH: TO SELENA, WITH LOVE by Chris Perez
1 May 2012 | 7:26 am“There were plenty of reasons for me to fall in love with Selena. She was a talented, sensual dancer and singer, and a compelling entertainer….I was attracted to that woman I saw onstage. But I fell in love with the real Selena, the woman who laughed hysterically while riding speedboats, was determined to beat every guy in the band at video games, and wore jeans and sneakers and a baseball hat on the bus.“Selena had a huge talent and sang like an angel. But she also worked tirelessly; doing every promotional opportunity that came her way. She made fans and reporters feel like… -
MAS ALLA DE LA JUSTICIA (BEYOND JUSTICE) by Maria de Lourdes Victoria
26 Apr 2012 | 2:00 amNOTE: This book is written in Spanish. My Spanish reading skills are rusty so a review is not possible, but I can still help promote this new exciting award-winning Latino author. Below please find a summary of Maria de Lourdes Victoria's book and her personal bio. As always, Read Latino!MAS ALLA DE LA JUSTICIA(BEYOND JUSTICE)by Maria de Lourdes VictoriaSUMMARY: Melanie is a detective at the public defenders’ office in the city of Seattle. Her job is to investigate crimes allegedly perpetrated by the people the agency represents. -
Q&A with Reyna Aldrete author of MESSENGERS FROM A NEW WORLD
23 Apr 2012 | 12:48 amReyna Aldrete is of Mexican descent. She is a self-taught painter and writer. Reyna began making contact with her subconscious through dreams. This connection helped clarify her spiritual growth, which she expresses through her paintings and now her books. MESSENGERS FROM A NEW WORLD is Reyna’s first book. She wrote and illustrated it herself. It’s a short book and a quick read. The paintings lend the text authenticity and vibrancy. In MESSENGERS, a young Maria de los Angeles finds ways to interpret the messages that her Guardian Angel sends her through nature’s messengers.
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21tiger [新代老虎] books. biz. asia.
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“What Makes your Brain Happy and Why you Should do the Opposite” The Guide to Getting away from Self Help Books
2 May 2012 | 10:08 amOkay, a bit on the nose there. Recently I have been very busy with a new project. But I finally finished this, er, brainy book by David DiSalvo. As always, I’m confounded and fascinated by the paradox of the mind–how are we addicted to things that are bad for us, and what science might suggest we do about it. If you’ve ever explored psychology you know how quickly it bumps into philosophy. And here’s why this is so difficult: Psychology is innately inaccurate. How do you measure the brain’s behaviour? How do you measure satisfaction? How do you measure… -
“Tapworthy” The Evolution of Stupidly Simple Software Design
17 Feb 2012 | 9:31 amIt’s generally believed that the first known ‘PC’ on the market was called the Altair 8800–the one Bill Gates and his buddies famously giggled excitedly over, as they flew down to Albequerque, New Mexico, to get their humble software to run on the thing. The Altair was not meant for human beings to use; it was meant for computer geeks to tinker with. It did very little–okay it did nothing. Still, it was exciting enough that the company that sold the Altair, MITS, couldn’t handle all the demand. Suddenly, a metal box with a few blinking lights was selling… -
“Unstoppable Confidence” Because You Can Never have Too Much of It.
29 Jan 2012 | 8:46 amMy recent curiosity with Neuro Linguistic Programming has led me to another book on the subject, this one focusing primarily on confidence. What’s the difference between confident people and shy people? Usually the difference between optimism and pessimism. Both groups of people are pretty attached to what they think is a certain outcome. The confident people are attached and expecting a great outcome, the shy people are expecting a terrible outcome. Why? Probably because through the course of their 15-20 years on this planet, they had few bumps and bruises. They may have been picked on… -
“Frogs into Princes” Understanding the Magic that Happens When We Talk
7 Jan 2012 | 12:18 amYou may have heard of NLP, but if you haven’t it’s not your fault: Neuro Linguistic Programming (fittingly) has been simmering below the surface of the public consciousness for a few decades now. NLP is the study of how our minds use, interpret and process language and thought. This seemingly geeky subject turns out to be incredibly fun and useful, if you can figure it out. Using NLP in your day to day life effectively is kinda like the ‘stop the bullets in mid-air’ scene in The Matrix. Yes, I’m talking about hypnosis. Buckle up. To start, I found the title… -
“Borderless Economics”: World Peace, Nirvana and other Economic Models
21 Dec 2011 | 9:12 amAuthor @TheEconomist The thing that you have to understand about Economists is that they’re generally an optimistic bunch, but they’re really annoyed by the complications of…reality. They love models: models are perfect and simple. Because they omit externalities and oddities, they work perfectly. The simplest of models involve but two variables: wine and cheese, money and time, socks and shoes, and so on. As you progress further in your studies of the dismal science, you must heartbreakingly accept that in the real world, there is almost no application for a two-variable…
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Better World Books Blog - Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Community Outreach & more
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The Healing Power of Books and Writing
14 May 2012 | 8:03 amGuest post by budding author Malcolm McLoughlin Books have always been a haven for me. The twists and turns, highs and lows of great tales have held my imagination since the first time I read Hansel and Gretel. When my own life started to unravel through a mixture of alcoholism and the diagnosis of my daughters Autism, I found solace in books. An authors ability to transpose the readers to another world is one of the greatest gifts that can be given and received. Its a reciprocal and intimate exchange. In dealing with my own demons I decided that writing was a way to heal old wounds and lay a… -
The Top 10 Children’s Books of All Time (Plus Maurice Sendak and Teacher Appreciation Week)
10 May 2012 | 7:32 amIn honor of Children’s Book Week, we asked our Facebook and Twitter friends to share and vote on their all-time favorite children’s books. And the winners are… 10. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 9. Love You Forever by Robert M (a regular best-seller on Better World Books) 8. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie 7. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson 6. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis 5. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 3. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco… -
Top 25 Sellers on BWB in April
8 May 2012 | 7:18 amDid you contribute to this list by buying any of these books from us in April? We’d love for you to share a review of the books on this list you’ve read by commenting below. Do any of the titles that made the top seller list surprise you? 25. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 24. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry 23. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines 22. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy – Book III) by Suzanne Collins 21. A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer 20. The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success by Beverly Y. Langford 19. The Help by Kathryn… -
Why Miss Plus America Loves True Crime Books
3 May 2012 | 8:02 amGuest post from Miss Plus America ELITE, Spruce Dickerson Over the years, books have given me insight into the realities of the world. Take true crime stories for instance. Reading true-to-life criminal biographies is so very fascinating because evil is so far-fetched to me. I mean, how can someone cut up a person’s body, store the pieces in the freezer, and then cook and eat them? This absolutely captivates my curiosity, as my mind struggles to make sense of it. Reading these stories has helped deepen the compassion in my heart for sick, wounded, and lost souls. It helps me to… -
Win $300 for Your Campus Organization!
2 May 2012 | 9:58 amWe just launched an exciting contest to honor our 10 year anniversary of the first ever Better World Books campus book drive in May of 2002. To learn more about how Better World Books began, check out the full story on our site here. Here’s everything you need to know to enter and vote on the contest: WHAT How would your campus organization use $300? Let us know in 50 words or less what kind of service project you would use it for. (Anything from helping build a Habitat for Humanity house to shipping books to Africa. Sorry… massive house parties do not count as service projects.)…
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KID BOOK RATINGS
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The Legend Of Ninja Cowboy Bear
15 May 2012 | 8:57 pmHello, ladies. Look at that cover image down below. Now back to me. Now back at the cover. Now back to me. I'm on a horse THREE PROSHilary Leung will blow your mind with her superb illustrations and the vibrant colors she chose Any opportunity to teach my son the concept of rock/paper/scissors this early in life is an opportunity I will seize -- modifying it with an even more awesome take on the concept is icing on the cakeWe played Ninja/Cowboy/Bear for roughly thirty minutes before bed tonight and it was just as fun the last time as it was the… -
Old MacDonald
12 May 2012 | 10:45 pmE-I-E-I-Oh-No. THREE PROSIn a world where things become outdated in roughly six months, it's nice to have a few classics on hand for sentimental saps like myself The green text on the white background is easy on the eyes and breaks out in line with the cadence we all know and (maybe) loveI never really thought about how easy it is to make a book from a recognizable song, but thumbing through this has given me some ideasTHREE CONS Wow, those last two pages Rosemary Wells put in there were essentially her way of saying "you know what, rather than putting some real effort… -
Colors, Numbers, Letters
9 May 2012 | 10:55 pmI'm starting to think these all-in-one books are all marketing and no meat. THREE PROSDespite what I said above, there is something to be said for having these concepts fit easily in the palm of your hand The closing color page (where all of the different mice play together) is cute and could be ambitiously viewed as an early nod to racial harmonyHaving the green mouse pull a four-leaf clover in a field of regular clovers shows what Leo Lionni could have done elsewhere with a little more effortTHREE CONS There are wordless books that make you excited to provide your own… -
Mon Cirque
8 May 2012 | 9:27 pmI don't know why it's taken me so long to find a French language book to review. Apologies to the roughly 300 million speakers who have been ignored by KBR until now! THREE PROSTourbillon serves up a visual feast to the normally sedate board book category, what with its 3D cover and perfectly placed cutouts There's something cool about what essentially amounts to a black-and-white book being splashed with so much colorOnce again exposed just how little French my wife knows after seven years of instruction -- any token way to make myself feel (falsely) superior… -
Fly Away Home
7 May 2012 | 10:58 pmFamily. Check. Planes. Check. Homelessness. Huh? THREE PROSI never knew just how many people lived in the airport until I read this -- by my count there were at least eleven in here -- so...um...yeah Had I looked at the cover more closely, I would have noticed the depressed look on the face of the dad and might have known to stay the heck away -- I guess we have to give illustrator Ronald Himler credit for thatDoes have a positive message at the very end about never giving up and believing your situation will get better no matter how dire it may…
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Publishing Perspectives
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What is Your Favorite Novel About Publishing?
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amBy Edward Nawotka Today’s feature store looks at former Penguin Canada CEO and publishing star David Davidar’s Ithaca, a roman à clef about the publishing business. Though our reviewer, Vinutha Mallya found the books to be uneven and less-than-revealing, you can’t fault Davidar for one thing: he is, as the old cliche goes, writing about what he knows. Writers have often been tempted to write about the book business and the publishing world, with mixed results. We’ve had everything from The Devil Wears Prada to James Michener’s The Novel to murder mysteries (too numerous to… -
These Ithacas: On David Davidar’s “Publishing Tell-All”
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amBy Vinutha Mallya When the poster boy of Indian publishing wrote a novel about the publishing industry, expectations were bound to be high. “Ithaca is a thrilling account of international publishing,” says the blurb on the front flap of David Davidar’s book, Ithaca (Fourth Estate, 2011). The book’s title invokes the poem of the same name, by renowned Greek poet C.P. Cavafy, which addresses Odysseus during his ten-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. In this 274-page tome, the story of Litmus, an indie publishing house in London trying to stay afloat when “sweeping… -
Building a More Patriotic Nation: Regnery Announces Children’s Imprint
15 May 2012 | 9:00 pmBy Dennis Abrams “We are very determined not to make them political or partisan, but to make them positive and inspiring and to give kids a fun way to learn about American history.” Regnery Publishing’s website boasts, “When the Henry Regnery Company first opened its doors in 1947, its mission was to contribute to the rebuilding of Western civilization after World War II, publishing serious works of cultural recovery, including, as it turned out, establishing and sustaining the postwar conservative intellectual movement in America.” Now Regnery has announced an extension… -
In The News: Children’s Choice Awards, Sendak Mourned, HP for AMZN
15 May 2012 | 8:55 pmBy Dennis Abrams Kids Award Their Favorite Authors The 93rd annual Children’s Book Week got off to a rousing start with the announcement of the fifth annual Children’s Choice Book Awards in New York City on May 7th. The awards program is based on Children’s Choices, a joint project of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the Children’s Book Council since 1975. Publishers submit hundreds of titles to be evaluated and voted on by over 10,000 children. Throughout the school year, five review teams located in different regions of the United States work with their local… -
Beth Kephart on Discovering Her Passion for YA Literature
15 May 2012 | 8:48 pmAuthor Beth Kephart will speak on May 31st at PP’s Children’s Publishing Conference about what it takes to create books that connect with children and parents. More about this conference » By Dennis Abrams “I believe we have a responsibility when we write for young adults to provide something new and brilliant.” Teacher. Critic. Memoirist. Poet. National Book Award finalist. Author of such acclaimed YA novels as House of Dance, Undercover, You Are My Only and the soon-to-be-published Small Damages, which just received a starred review from PW. Beth Kephart’s entire…
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Quill & Quire
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Email reveals Steve Jobs’ involvement in agency pricing negotiations
15 May 2012 | 4:45 pmSeventeen more U.S. states, including New York, have joined the class action lawsuit against Apple, Macmillan, and Penguin, accused of allegedly colluding to raise the price of ebooks. Unlike the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation, the 31 states involved are seeking monetary compensation for consumers, who, according to the amended complaint, “paid over $100 million in overcharges.” New information, previously redacted from the DoJ lawsuit, has also been revealed about Steve Jobs’ role in the negotiations with the five big publishers involved (Hachette,… -
Open Book puts literary events on the map with new app
15 May 2012 | 11:32 amDo you have a hard time keeping track of all the literary events taking place in Toronto and across Ontario? If you own an iPhone, Open Book: Toronto and Open Book: Ontario may have a solution. The Open Book App, which launched last month in time for the busy spring book-launch season, ties in to the extensive events listings compiled by the pair of Web magazines. It also provides details on dozens of Ontario literary landmarks, including bookstores and literary plaques (known as “bookmarks”). Using geolocation technology, the app offers directions to events and other points of… -
Book links roundup: Cohen donates to Canadian arts, Sookie Stackhouse series comes to an end, and more
15 May 2012 | 11:21 amLeonard Cohen donates $50K Glenn Gould Prize to Canada Council for the Arts Charlaine Harris announces end of Sookie Stackhouse series Kirk Douglas, Capote make ebook debuts Russian writers lead protest march A Clockwork Orange turns 50 Titan Books to publish Olly Moss’s Silhouettes from Popular Culture Study shows decline in influence of classic literature on writers In the e-reader era, writing a book a year is plenty -
BookNet bestsellers: Canadian fiction
14 May 2012 | 4:42 pmWomen authors writing across a number of genres dominate this week’s bestsellers list of Canadian fiction. For the two weeks ending May 6, 2012: 1. Alone in the Classroom, Elizabeth Hay (McClelland & Stewart, $22 pa, 9780771037979) 2. The Headmaster’s Wager, Vincent Lam (Doubleday Canada, $32.95 cl, 9780385661454) 3. The Accident, Linwood Barclay (Seal Books, $11.99 mm, 9781400026395) 4. Why Men Lie, Linden MacIntyre (Random House Canada, $32 cl, 9780307360861) 5. Irma Voth, Miriam Toews (Vintage Canada, $22 pa, 9780307400697) 6. Daughters Who Walk This Path, Yejide Kilanko… -
Canada Post introduces Franklin the Turtle stamps
14 May 2012 | 4:35 pmKids Can Press president Lisa Lyons, Franklin author Pauletter Bourgeois and illustrator Brenda Clark, and Canada Post's Alice Lafferty flank Franklin the Turtle at his stamp series launch in Toronto (Photo: Stephanie Lake, Canadian Press/courtesy of Kids Can Press) Canada Post has cemented Franklin the Turtle’s status as a Canadian kidlit icon by unveiling a series of stamps featuring the hero in a half-shell. The four stamps depicting scenes from Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark’s books, published by Kids Can Press, are part of a series commemorating Canadian…
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eclectic / eccentric
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A Note to You
12 May 2012 | 5:00 amObviously, I have been rather absent these past four months, posting irregularly, commenting rarely. The arrival of my little Madinut really threw me for a loop, and I haven't had the hours and hours of reading and blogging time I so very much under-appreciated prior to the whole baby thing. My little nutter is not a long-napper, rarely sleeping for more than 20 minutes at a time during the day, and when she's awake, I'm playing with her, walking with her, talking with her, and in general entertaining her ADD self. I did want to drop you all a line (all of you still reading anyway) and let… -
House of Books
7 May 2012 | 6:00 amI just adore this picture. I love the inside-outside hoopla going on here. Too freaking cool. And I found this picture on the same site... How cute is that!?!?! Link to where I saw these pictures -
Book Review: Boneshaker
4 May 2012 | 6:00 amTitle: Boneshaker Author: Cherie Priest Publisher/Year: Source/Format: Bought / nookbook Date Finished: 17 April 2012 Book # 24 Series Reviews: This is the first Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid The Short and Sweet of It Leviticus Blue built a machine to expedite drilling for gold in Alaska, but he jumped the gun and used the "Boneshaker" to poke around in subterranean Seattle. His little underground adventure collapses a few banks and releases a pocket of gas which introduces a new plague. The blight gas kills those who breathe it; some of the dead become rotters (aka zombies). To combat… -
Book Review: Fifty Shades of Kinky Fuckery
2 May 2012 | 12:16 pmTitle: Fifty Shades Trilogy Author: E.L. James Publisher/Year: Vintage Books / 2011 Source/Format: Bought / nookbook Date Finished: 2 May 2012 Book # 25, 26, 27, and 28 Series Reviews: They're all here Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid The Short and Sweet of It Anastasia Steele's life changes when she interviews the enigmatic Christian Grey, a billionaire businessman with eccentric sexual preferences. Driven by a need to control the world around him, Christian is flustered by Ana's resistance to his domineering personality. A Bit of a Ramble Originally, James wrote Twilight fan fiction where… -
Book Review: The Monument
26 Apr 2012 | 5:17 amTitle: The Monument Author: Gary Paulsen Publisher/Year: Yearling / 1993 Source/Format: Shelves / Print Date Finished: 28 March 2012 Book # 18 Buy | Borrow | Accept | Avoid The Short and Sweet of It Mick Strum has been commissioned to design a memorial for a small Kansas town, but in order to do so, he roams the town, drawing people, places, and animals to figure out what sort of memorial will work for everyone. In the process, he teaches a young girl, Rocky, how to be an artist, and he teaches the town to look at themselves honestly. A Bit of a Ramble My description is a bit disingenuous; it…
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The Goddess Blogs
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The Spectacular 1970s
16 May 2012 | 4:51 amI was in high school and college and graduate school for the entire decade of the 1970s and let me tell you, most movies and TV shows of today get it very wrong. Naturally, I’m talking about the fashions/home decor/hair styles/make-up. You know, the stuff I live for. Sorority Sisters, that wonderful book of mine [...] -
My Daily Must-Haves
15 May 2012 | 3:35 amI’m a power-napper. I’ve been one since way back. I never “taught” myself to do it; I just did it. In college, I couldn’t function without my afternoon 10-20 minute nap. When I was pregnant, I actually chose an hour lunchtime (my company did flex time), so I could dash home, wolf down lunch, and [...] -
Game of Thrones
14 May 2012 | 2:06 amI have a new obsession. I’ve had it for awhile, now – since I watched the first episode of “Game of Thrones” on HBO. What a bunch of conniving, back-biting, side-stabbing sons of…guns these people are. But at the same time, it’s just awesome to watch. There are quotes aplenty that I love, like “when [...] -
FROS reveals a magic equation with Chris Capaldi
13 May 2012 | 3:25 amAdd THIS: To a swig of THIS: To a pinch of THIS: And stir it with THIS: While ogling THIS: While typing on THIS: And you get THIS: THE TAMING OF A SCOTTISH PRINCESS, COMING MAY 22nd! -
Baby, It’s Fun Contest Saturday
12 May 2012 | 3:35 amHappy Saturday! How could we pass up the chance to play “Caption This Picture” with such an expressive face? So FOUR random captions will be chosen as winners – each getting one book. Up for grabs: Any Man of Mine from Rachel Gibson Chasing Perfect from Susan Mallery Blue Moon from Lori Handeland A Most [...]
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Reading Revels
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Final Book Trailer for Lauren Kate’s Rapture
15 May 2012 | 2:57 pmFINALLY! The full length book trailer for Lauren Kate’s Rapture has been released! We’ve got to say, it looks pretty amazing. Ok. Exact words were: “Whoa!” “Now, that’s a nice trailer.” “OHHHHHH!! I can’t wait for it to be released!” “Epic!!!!!” Now you know you want to check it out too. So…on behalf of everyone … -
Today’s Book Releases: 05/15/2012
15 May 2012 | 11:00 amToday's book releases include Immortal Hearts by Ellen Schreiber and Gilt by Katherine Longshore. To learn more about these great new books read more. -
Review “Naked Heat” (Nikki Heat #2) by Richard Castle
11 May 2012 | 12:35 pmWhere do you start when your murder victim is a gossip columnist whom everyone in New York City wants dead? In the follow up to the series debut Heat Wave, NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat must...Read More. -
Today’s Book Releases: 05/08/2012
8 May 2012 | 12:00 pmToday's book releases include City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare and Ladies in Waiting by Laura Sullivan. To learn more about these great new books read more. -
Review “The Lucky One” by Nicholas Sparks
3 May 2012 | 12:00 pmThree tours in Iraq. Twelve IED explosions. One picture. Young Marine Logan Thibault managed to survive some dangerous missions during his time in Iraq. Upon his discovery of a photograph...Read More
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BOOKVISIONS
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The Anxious Gardener's Book of Answers by Teri Dunn Chace
12 May 2012 | 7:14 pmIf you are planting your first garden or perhaps have just had your first garden disaster, this is the book to find out where things went wrong. As much as I would like to stick a few plants in the ground, scatter some seeds, and come back to a bountiful garden, it doesn’t work that way. There are planting times, weeds, pests, and a variety of problems that can occur. The Anxious Gardener’s Book of Answers is written question and answer style with topics covering most of the important aspects of good garden care. The book covers proper planting times and depths,… -
The Desperate Christian by Leigh Crane-Freeman
11 May 2012 | 3:47 pmThere is a problem within today's churches that in many cases causes them to go stagnant. Christians can get discouraged, unattached to the church, and desperate. Leigh Crane-Freeman helps the reader get back on the right track. She encourages the reader to focus more on who you are through Christ and less on what you do.The book is well referenced with end notes at the end of each chapter and loaded with scripture as a guide. It is divided into two parts. In the first, she lets the Christian know that they are not alone in feeling a spiritual void from the church and explains some of the… -
Shooting Crows at Dawn by David Grace
5 May 2012 | 5:35 pmJubal Dark has been a tough common-sense sheriff for 20 years and is facing down a re-election that is not going well. In fact, he full expects to lose. Although Dark has caught his share of criminals, there is a hostile attitude in town concerning three escaped killers and an unsolved murder cold case of a young girl.The characters are all believable. Dark is a very likeable character as a widower and father of an adult daughter. Holly Sharps is a crime scene tech working for Texas Ranger Buck Nevis. Buck allows her to make coffee, file, and pick up his dry cleaning. … -
Simple Shortcut Recipes by Gooseberry Patch
27 Apr 2012 | 4:36 pmI love my Gooseberry Patch recipe books because they are of sturdy construction with attractive pages and easy to follow country-style recipes. They are also packed with special hints and tips about foods, recipes, and décor. I always feel like I am getting a little something extra with the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks.Simple Shortcut Recipes is a welcome addition to my collection with more than 225 recipes that uses shortcuts to make easy dinners for busy cooks. The first recipe I tried in this book was Busy-Day Beef with three ingredients and a Crock-pot. It was… -
Called to Controversy by Ruth Rosen
24 Apr 2012 | 6:58 pmThe emotional introduction to this book was so shocking that I gasped when I read it. I recently read a fiction book that made clear the Jewish author’s hatred of the Jews for Jesus, so I was intrigued and wanted to read this book all the more.I had heard of the Jews for Jesus group over the years, but really didn’t know much about them. It was not at all what I expected. Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s they were an unconventional ministry that was very much like the “Jesus Movement” at the time. This biography of Moishe Rosen by his daughter is direct,…
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Assisting Authors
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Adding Facebook Apps for Author Pages
14 May 2012 | 5:12 pmThe apps on the app-strip that I explained in the previous post are actually buttons that link to custom pages that you can create to make your Facebook Time Line Author Page interesting and exciting. The following are the pages that I would suggest you have:A welcome page that includes a give-away of some kind if they like the page. I give away an ebook, Promote Your Book on Amazon if people like my page and fill out my opt in form. My email distribution site sends the eBook to people who fill out my form. I also have this form on my website. Your blog or website.Your Amazon… -
An Overview of Facebook’s Timeline Page and Apps
7 May 2012 | 5:25 pmJoanne Barnes is a Facebook Guru and owner of http://www. socialmedianetwork.com She has a fantastic video explaining Facebook”s Administration Panel. When you go through the video, you will be able to follow the steps in yesterday’s blog. Be sure to put the video on full screen so you can see what she is talking about. There is a lot to it, so I would set up each section that she explains before moving on to the next section. If you have any questions or don’t understand something, please comment below so I can help.For those of you who are overwhelmed by what… -
Facebook Time Line: App Strip
5 May 2012 | 6:06 pmNow that your Facebook Author Page Timeline cover is up (hopefully), it is time to work on the next section right under the cover called the Apps Strip. We will discuss the strip from left to right.The first section is called the About section. Not only is it a description, but here you can put a call to action to get fans to like your page. To enter your About section, make sure your admin panel is up. The admin panel is the section above your Timeline cover. If you can’t see it, there is a button top right that is labeled Admin Panel. Click on it. Once it is up, click on… -
Creative Facebook Timeline Covers
23 Apr 2012 | 7:06 pmI was browsing on http://www.slideshare.com and ran across this wonderful collection of Facebook timeline covers. I thought this would be a graat addition to yesterday’s post. It will give you some more ideas for your timeline covers. This presentation was created and generously shared by by Consonaute Social Media.Enjoy!61 Beautiful & Inspirational Timeline Cover on Facebook View more presentations from Consonaute -
How To: Facebook Timeline Author Pages
22 Apr 2012 | 3:10 pmI am having a lot of fun creating Facebook Timeline Pages. I have posted before how important Author pages are to promoting your books. In the next few posts, I am going to go through in small segments, how to set up Facebook’s new timeline format to best sell your books. Today you will learn how to create a timeline cover.If you do not have an Author Page here are a tutorial on how to initially set up the page :http://www.learnfacebookpages.com/ui.html. When you set it up, make sure you name it correctly because you won’t be able to change the name. Use your author…
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Market Your Book
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Website Wednesday: Rick Riordan
9 May 2012 | 12:15 pmRick Riordan is an author of young adult fantasy and adult mystery novels. His novel The Lightning Thief was released as a movie in 2010. The author is a former middle-school teacher who wrote award-winning adult mysteries. Then he started telling The Lightning Thief to his son as bedtime stories, and the book became a [...] -
Five Ways to Sell More Books at No or Low Cost
5 May 2012 | 7:00 pmGuest post by Margaret Jules It doesn’t take more than some effective and well-executed marketing strategies to sell more and more of your self-published books at no or low cost. In order to make your fans and readers find you in a jiffy, you ought to make your presence felt wherever these people are. You [...] -
Website Wednesday: Tom Snethen
2 May 2012 | 7:29 amI’ve let Website Wednesday lapse for a while as I caught up some client work, so let me tell you a little about what I’ve been working on. Tom Snethen is a retired chemist who has written a satirical thriller set in the chemical industry. Now, you don’t run across many novels set in the [...] -
Fight Writer’s Block with an Imaginary Book Review
27 Apr 2012 | 7:38 amStuck. Every writer has felt it. Staring at the empty page (screen), waiting for words to arrive from that magic place to fill the emptiness, and — nothing. Well, maybe something, but random, unacceptable, a firehose of junk that has nothing to do with the topic. The condition has different causes and different names: writer’s [...] -
How Target Marketing Transforms Your Fiction Writing
13 Apr 2012 | 11:21 amA guest post of mine on target marketing for fiction writers just went live on Larry Brooks’ site Storyfix. You may remember that Storyfix.com was one of my first Website Wednesday sites. Besides having a very effective website, Larry is an editor and teacher I’ve learned a lot from over the years.
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Book Dirt
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5 Strangely Specific Self-Published Book Titles
18 Apr 2012 | 10:04 amThe Guardian recently announced the recipient and finalists in the 2012 Diagram prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. While the winner, Cooking with Poo, clearly won for its ability to provoke juvenile laughter, most of the other top contenders were humorous in a different way, namely, being specific to a level that seems almost absurd. While I’m sure both Mr Andoh's Pennine Diary: Memoirs of a Japanese Chicken Sexer in 1935 Hebden Bridge and Estonian Sock Patterns All Around the World have audiences in the high dozens, the niche-ness of them is worthy of a couple of giggles and a… -
Quotable: Ensalivated Books, Multiple Exclamation Marks and More
19 Mar 2012 | 12:29 pmWe can’t have our noses stuck in a book all the time. Sometimes we like to stick our noses in the internet, too. Here are some recent book-related blurbs I found while poking around the web’s best book blogs and sites that enlightened, entertained, or possibly even both. While you’re busy sticking your own nose in things, pay a visit to the articles from which these excerpts hail. Every one is recommended.Sara Levine buys punctuation marks in bulk. “A book is not company. We engage with it, argue with it, carry it around in our pockets and minds, are haunted by memories of it… -
Paintings of bookshelves: Almost as lovely as the real thing
26 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pmRecently I watched an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents called “Premonition.” There were plenty of reasons for my attention to be held --not the least of which was a pretty young Chloris Leachman in an early role-- but what stole my focus in one scene was something not meant to steal it away: a painting of a bookshelf. It was a simple painting, especially as seen on black and white film, but as a person who feels at sea unless surrounded by books, I was fascinated. On the show’s set it was placed above a wealthy man’s bed --a spot that would normally be bookless. Attempt… -
Who Wrote Dante’s Inferno? Booksellers Really Wish You Knew.
29 Jan 2012 | 5:39 pmDante wants to know: Who wrote my Inferno?Anyone who works in a bookstore or library is used to the mangled titles. In between giving directions to the bathroom (the number one bookstore request of all time), we keep a poker face while fielding inquiries about The Count of Monte Crisco and How to Kill a Mockingbird. It’s easy not to crack, mostly because of how often the same twisted titles get repeated.What never ceases to boggle the mind, though, is the number one non-bathroom question customers ask over and over again.Who wrote Dante’s Inferno?No joke, it’s something bookstore… -
All Roads Lead to Book Dirt: Baby Beatnik Edition
27 Jan 2012 | 8:36 amBook Dirt: for all your baby beatnik needs, apparently.One of the unexpectedly hilarious perks of blogging comes from checking blog statistics. There among the page view numbers and traffic maps, I can also see which search terms led people my way.In the case of Book Dirt, plenty of the folks who happened across my articles found them while entering the search terms “old books,” which means I must be doing something right. Sometimes, though, the search terms that led readers to Book Dirt are downright confounding, leading me to scratch my head and wonder, “What on Earth were they…
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But What Are They Eating?
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Toastworthy Teens - Kendall Ronzano
15 May 2012 | 8:18 amKendall Ronzano, Nerd Girl Homes The house 16-year-old Kendall Ronzano is building may be tiny, but her heart is tremendous. The California teen is channeling her life-long love of building into the construction of a 117 sq. ft. Lusby model portable home. Kendall, deeply affected by both the homelessness she sees in her own town as well as the global destruction that has taken the homes of so many in recent years, plans to either donate the completed house to a deserving recipient, or to raffle it off and donate the proceeds to charity. She credits her parents for having… -
XVI - Julia Karr
11 May 2012 | 7:46 amOne of my favorite parts of dystopian/utopian literature is reading what writers think food will be like in the future – which familiar items will stand the test of time and which will disappear from our palates. In the future Nina Oberon’s living in, one of the “evolutions” of civilization (as we commonly see in this genre) is the loss of free will. So much so, in fact, that, for Nina, turning 16 means the loss of personal freedom rather than the gaining of it, because the milestone birthday now comes with a mandatory XVI tattoo declaring her age…and sexual availability. Of… -
Toastworthy Teens: James Konopka and Nick Mead
7 May 2012 | 8:14 pmJames Konopka and Nick Mead, Great SportsHigh school rowers James Konopka and Nick Mead of Philadelphia began their under-17 doubles race with a medal-contending start…and then just as easily turned around and gave it up. Behind them, another duo had capsized and were struggling in the icy water, which, as Nick noted, “was cold and I’m sure their limbs were going numb. They were yelling ‘help’ and one of the kids didn’t appear as if he could swim too well.”And good samaritanism wasn’t enough for the 16-year-old great sports; after waiting with the capsized pair (who were… -
Children's Book Week GIVEAWAY HOP
6 May 2012 | 7:14 pmThis hop, organized by KidLitFrenzy, Classic Children's Books, Mymcbooks, and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, features over 100 (!) participating blogs offering book-related giveaways! We're all linked up together so you can hop easily from one giveaway to another; see the full list here: Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop.Winner here at BWATE? gets a Signed Copy of either: "Solid" (Solid Series Book #1) or "Settling" (Solid #2)To enter to win, just follow this blog and leave a comment/question, along with a way to contact you.Optional Extra Entries:+1 Follow on Twitter+1 Like Solid Series… -
Please Welcome Guest Blogger Steph Bowe, Author of Girl Saves Boy
3 May 2012 | 7:15 pmIlike food. A lot. And as much as I try and write characters that are radically different from me, inevitably parts of myself end up creeping in. One character will share my shyness, another will tell bad jokes that sound a lot like mine and pretty much all of them will really, really enjoy food. All of the important events of their lives seem to occur with the backdrop of a Chinese restaurant, or a fish and chip shop, or eating Tim Tams in a pillow fort. No, really. I think they might need to hand themselves over to Overeaters Anonymous. (Luckily no one seems to put on weight with all this…
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Packabook
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Immerse Yourself in French Lavender with ‘The Lantern’
3 May 2012 | 6:27 amI am delighted to introduce you to a new, regular series here on the Packabook blog which, for lack of a wittier title, I am calling ‘What to Read – What to Do’. Sometimes I just like to tell it how it is! The idea is that I will take one book, give you a brief description, and then suggest one thing you can do related to the novel. The posts will be fairly short and sweet, but hopefully they will provide you with some great travel ideas. Fiction gives us so many amazing opportunities to explore the world, and each of these posts will reveal one more tiny aspect of that… -
Simon Mawer’s Glass Room opens to the public…
5 Mar 2012 | 12:00 am“The Glass Room remained indifferent, of course. Plain, balanced, perfect; and indifferent. Architecture should have no politics, Rainer von Abt said. A building just is.” – The Glass Room p100 When the Tugendhat family from Brno in Czechoslovakia decided to commission architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to design their new home in 1928, they had no idea that his creation would come to reflect their country’s turbulent history and politics, being passed from their own hands, to those of the Nazis, the Russians and eventually the Czech authorities – until one day being deemed… -
Books set in London – Walking the streets with Oliver Twist
27 Nov 2011 | 4:24 amI have had a bit of a revelation. I have been living in London for around eight years now, and somehow, without realising it, I have fallen out of wonder with it. How can that be? London is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, full of history, great architecture and an absolute wealth of stories. But after years of commuting to the office, cramming onto trains and buses with millions of others, and collapsing gratefully at home at the end of the working week, I have forgotten how wonderful it is to get out and explore. And yet here I am, urging you to explore all these wonderful… -
Exploring Ko Phi Phi with John Shors and his novel Cross Currents
5 Nov 2011 | 12:54 amJohn Shors is the author of the Thailand-set novel Cross Currents, which tells of a family who own a small resort on the beautiful island of Ko Phi Phi Don off the coast of Phuket. The family are struggling to make ends meet, and things are about to get a whole lot tougher, given that the book starts in the week before the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 when thousands of Ko Phi Phi residents lost their lives. You can read more about the book itself here. This is Shors’s fifth novel – the others being set in places as diverse as Vietnam and India, and he delights in making the… -
Books set in Thailand – World Party Reading Challenge
2 Nov 2011 | 6:08 amI have found Thailand one of the most challenging of our World Challenge countries, because in general the literature about this beautiful, friendly country is very different from that of others in the region. When it comes to countries like Japan or China for example, there is a multitude of books to choose from which explore issues such as family life, the position of women, aspects of history etc – all subjects I am passionate about. But when it comes to Thailand, the novels available tend to fall into two categories. The first are books about Bangkok crime – such as John…
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Robert Fay
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Marveling at Naguib Mahfouz Again
25 Apr 2012 | 7:15 pmThis past weekend I happened to dip into a book of stories by Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz and read his story/novella “The Beggar.” It was a reminder of why I’d been so astounded years ago when I’d read the first two books of his Cairo Trilogy. Here was a writer, I realized, who can go toe-to-toe with someone like Charles Dickens. I can’t recommend the story enough; I have it in an Anchor Books edition with two other stories/novellas: “The Thief and The Dogs” and “Autumn Quail.” On the surface it is the story of an Egyptian man, in this case a 45-year-old Cairo… -
Los Angeles Review of Books Debuts New Site
18 Apr 2012 | 5:16 pmThe Los Angeles Review of Books has finally debuted their new website. It is an impressive collection of essays, reviews and interviews. Well worth visiting several times a week. -
Leo Tolstoy, Fiction and Truth
7 Apr 2012 | 6:59 pmThe line between truth and fiction is becoming more tenuous with the rise of “creative nonfiction” and the continued popularity of the memoir. The debate over where and how to draw the line intensified recently with the publication of the book The Lifespan of a Fact by the creative nonfiction evangelist John D’Agata with Jim Fingal. D’Agata has admitted to changing facts in the interest of the larger story and his personal artistic vision. Lee Gutkind in an article on D’Agata’s book in the Los Angeles Review of Books writes: “And so it goes: a constant struggle between the… -
Like Me on Facebook
5 Apr 2012 | 11:06 amLike me on Facebook–or else. www.facebook.com/WriterRobertFay -
Send Up of Literary Hipsters
4 Apr 2012 | 11:04 amHere is a funny promo clip for the IFC series Portlandia titled “Did You Read?” that pokes fun at literary hipsters trying to outdo each with references to articles in Mcsweeney’s, The New Yorker, Mother Jones, etc.
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Andy Straka
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Fiction Is Good For You
10 May 2012 | 3:28 pmI love it! Friend and fellow writer Charlotte Crystal forwarded a great article from a recent boston.com that nicely summarizes ongoing research into the personal and societal benefits of reading fiction. In a nutshell, as the novelist George Elliot so succinctly put it, one of the many purposes of fiction is “to enlarge men’s sympathies.” No matter what your perspective, empathy for others is almost always a good thing. In fact, as the piece points out, fiction often has a greater impact on people’s behavior and perceptions about the world than non-fiction since… -
Jerry West: Living Legend
17 Apr 2012 | 11:57 amI wrote my first “book” in 8th grade English class. Bound between purple construction paper covers, it came complete with glossy paper photos cut and pasted from popular magazines. (This was before the personal computer when “cut and paste” was still a literal term.) The title of my literary masterpiece? Jerry West: The Eternal Quest. Jerry West, for those who may not be familiar, starred for many years in the NBA (He is the silhouetted player in the NBA logo) and went on to lead the Los Angeles Lakers for decades as General Manager, orchestrating the world championship teams that… -
Glide Does TV
20 Mar 2012 | 12:50 pmAndy and his Harris Hawk “Glide” are interviewed about the Virginia Festival of the Book. -
All Things Book
16 Mar 2012 | 12:14 pmNext week marks the arrival of the 18th annual Virginia Festival of the Book. It has been my good fortune to be involved with the festival for the last ten years. I’ll be around again this year, especially on Saturday the 24th. Here are a few places you’ll be able to find me: Monday, March 19, TV appearance during 5 PM Newscast WCAV-TV CBS 19 to talk about upcoming festival. Tuesday, March 20 — 5-6:30 PM – Pre-Festival Book Signing with fellow authors Deborah Prum, Fran Canon Slayton, Jennifer Elvgren, and Jenny Gardiner Signature Medical Spa (3350 Berkmar Drive,… -
The Writer Flies Alone
24 Feb 2012 | 5:36 pmTomorrow, I’ll be speaking at Christopher Newport University as part of their 31st annual Writers’ Conference. I can hardly wait. In the afternoon, I get to be part of a panel with fellow mystery authors Steve Hamilton, Donna Andrews, and Brad Parks. In the morning I’ll be speaking about “The Spirit of the Hawk in Fact and Fiction,” accompanied by my new Harris Hawk “Glide.” Since many in the audience will be writers or aspiring writers, I thought I’d resurrect a blog post I wrote especially for writers that was originally posted a couple of…
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The Browser | FiveBooks
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Julia Lovell on the Opium War
16 May 2012 | 2:02 amThe 19th century opium war marked the clash of the world’s great empires of the age – Britain and China. The historian says its legacy of Chinese humiliation is still felt keenly in BeijingRead full interview -
Robert Lacey on the Queen
15 May 2012 | 1:23 amWikimedia CommonsAs the Diamond Jubilee approaches, royal biographer Robert Lacey considers the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, her family history, and her ambivalent relationship with Princess DianaRead full interview -
Mary King on the Equestrian Life
14 May 2012 | 1:34 amJDB Photos on FlickrThe world championship winning horse rider, who will represent Great Britain in the Olympics, tells us what it takes to succeed in her sportRead full interview -
Simon Johnson on Why Economic History Matters
11 May 2012 | 1:55 amHistory contains useful warnings and lessons. And, says the former IMF chief economist, today's economic policymakers would do well to heed themRead full interview -
Stuart Clark on Astronomers
10 May 2012 | 1:15 amXanadu Observatory. The Veil NebulaCan’t tell your nebula from your black hole? The New Scientist writer introduces us to some of the wonders of the universe and tells the stories of astronomers who discovered themRead full interview
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BookLeverage - Leveraging Books for Success
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7 Ways to Make Your Job Your Calling
25 Apr 2012 | 3:32 pmIs your job the dream job you imagined growing up? What if you could make changes that could turn your job into your calling? Try these 7 simple steps to begin the process of making 9 to 5 the best part of your day. I’m in the middle of Shawn Achor’s The Happiness Advantage and came across a very interesting concept called “work orientations”. Achor explains that Yale psychologist Amy Wrzesniewski posits we have three orientations when it comes to our work: Job, Career or Calling. A Job or Career are what most people have, whereas a Calling is finding your… -
Crucial Concept – Creativity
18 Apr 2012 | 4:32 pmDo you ever wish you were more creative? How good would it feel to be the person in the room who came up with the breakthrough idea or the innovative way to tackle a problem? Or have you resigned yourself as someone who lacks the creative gene? I believe like most skills creativity is learned and while we may never achieve historical levels of creativity like Einstein, Newton or Edison, wouldn’t a couple of good or great ideas every so often be something to strive for? In order to learn all that I can on creativity I am reading David Kord Murray’s Borrowing Brilliance, an… -
Time Management Tuesday – 4/17/12
17 Apr 2012 | 2:51 pmWe ended last week’s post discussing habits – both how they form and how they work. For an in-depth analysis of this topic pick up Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. He does an excellent job of describing the power of habits and how they rule much of what we do everyday. This week I will offer some tips on habits that will make us better time managers and more productive at work everyday. If you recall the cue-routine-reward loop that makes up habits from last weeks post, you can see that we have two opportunities. One, we can change existing habits that work… -
Crucial Concept – The Ten Minute Rule
16 Apr 2012 | 12:56 pmWhile reading Kelly McGonigal’s excellent The Willpower Instinct this weekend I came across a crucial concept that I want to share with you today. In chapter seven, “Putting the Future on Sale: The Economics of Instant Gratification” McGonigal discusses the value of the ten minute rule: either waiting ten minutes for a reward or working on something for ten minutes to overcome procrastination. In the first case (waiting for a reward or exercising willpower) if you give yourself ten minutes and ask yourself at the end of that time period whether you still want the… -
Book Review – Choke by Sian Beilock
11 Apr 2012 | 3:10 pmDo you want to ace the big test, make the game winning shot or close the biggest deal of your career? Or does the fear of failing when it matters most hold sway over your thoughts everywhere from the classroom, the playing field and the boardroom? Either way, Sian Beilock’s Choke will show you not only why we choke under pressure, but more importantly what we can do to steel ourselves and prepare to succeed when it’s crunch time. Based on research from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, sport science and human performance, Beilock presents the latest research to help readers…
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The New Podler Review of Books
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Just Before the Dawn by Bonnie Kozek
1 May 2012 | 10:00 amHoney McGuinness is an addict. Booze, cigarettes, drugs, industrial chemicals, sex. You name it. Honey's addictions aren't the result of a spoiled brat living off of Daddy's credit card. No, Honey earned hers the old fashioned way: a horrible childhood. Her mother committed suicide and her father sexually abused her. The girl's got a hole in her heart that nothing but love can fill. Unfortunately, the world Honey lives in seems to be fresh out of love. In the first Honey McGuinness book, Threshold, she set out to solve a friend's murder. I didn't read the book but I tried to learn as much as… -
Barnes & Noble Gets Support From Microsoft
30 Apr 2012 | 9:49 amWhile the future of Barnes & Noble's bookstores may be uncertain, the company has helped to ensure its place in the e-reader marketplace by partnering with Microsoft. Microsoft is investing $300 million in Barnes & Noble's Nook digital book business (full article). "As part of the move, there will be a Nook application included in the new Windows 8, which is scheduled to have a release preview in early June. Later this year, computers and tablets with Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system are expected to go on sale." This is a complete 180 in Microsoft and B&N's relationship. -
The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu
25 Apr 2012 | 12:19 pmMeet Vimbai. She is a young single mother working as a hairdresser. That's a book right there. Add to it that The Hairdresser of Harare takes place in Zimbabwe, a culture turned upside-down and anarchic. Inflation is so bad, cash is a nuisance; it takes a brick of notes to buy a loaf of bread. Sugar is available through shady black marketers. Armed gangs roam the streets with impunity. People who don't like the government lie low. Caucasians are fair game. Most people find solace in religion. The culture's attitudes towards gay people is pretty much pre-Stonewall. Vimbai is one of the star… -
Door Jam Novels in Fantasy/Sci-fi
14 Apr 2012 | 12:07 pmIn a recent email conversation with fellow author David Drazul, I mentioned that I'd grown tired of large fantasy/sci-fi "door jam" novels (books so big they could prop open a heavy door) due mainly to their emphasis on minutiae world-building over fast pacing. When I think back to what I've read over the last year, books three and four of Steven Erikson's Malazan series are the only door jam novels I finished. Erikson is a brilliant writer, but by the time I reached the middle of each book, even his work had me antsy for the end.I'd love to read Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings, as I've… -
The Godhead Machine by Thomas Carpenter
10 Apr 2012 | 12:09 pmThe Godhead Machine is the second novel in Thomas Carpenter's Digital Sea series. In the first novel, we followed Zel Aurora across the planet as she sought the cure for her daughter's illness while evading capture by her former employer, the mysterious Djed. Two years have passed. Zel's still on the run, though she tries to give her unappreciative adolescent daughter a normal life. An old foe, who she thought was dead, has resurfaced and is hunting her down. Running out of options, she joins the Wiki, but finds that the accompanying reality binder comes with its own perils.The Wiki is an…
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Any New Books?
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This week’s new books in Romance
15 May 2012 | 1:27 pmHere are this week’s new releases for the category ‘Romance’. ★ Our Staff Pick ★ Overseas Stores: USA | UK | Canada | Italy | Kindle By Beatriz Williams ISBN: 0399157646 Publisher: Putnam Adult Publication date: May 10, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $8.49 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook Emmaus Stores: USA | UK | Canada By Alessandro Baricco ISBN: 1936365596 Publisher: McSweeney’s Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $13.59 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook Born of Silence Stores: USA | UK | Canada | Italy |… -
This week’s new books in Sci-Fi and Fantasy
15 May 2012 | 1:04 pmHere are this week’s new releases for the category ‘Sci-Fi and Fantasy’. ★ Our Staff Pick ★ Railsea Stores: USA | Canada | Italy | Kindle | UK Kindle By China Mieville ISBN: 0345524527 Publisher: Del Rey Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $11.41 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook Code Name Verity Stores: USA | Italy | Kindle | UK Kindle By Elizabeth Wein ISBN: 1423152190 Publisher: Hyperion Book CH Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $10.19 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook Into the Unknown:… -
This week’s new books in Outdoors and Nature
15 May 2012 | 1:04 pmHere are this week’s new releases for the category ‘Outdoors and Nature’. ★ Our Staff Pick ★ A Life Without Limits: A World Champion’s Journey Stores: USA | Canada | Italy | Kindle By Chrissie Wellington ISBN: 1455505579 Publisher: Center Street Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $13.38 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook Swell: A Year of Waves Stores: USA | UK | Canada | Italy By Evan Slater ISBN: 1452105936 Publisher: Chronicle Books Publication date: May 9, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $18.00 Share this book… -
This week’s new books in Nonfiction
15 May 2012 | 1:04 pmHere are this week’s new releases for the category ‘Nonfiction’. ★ Our Staff Pick ★ In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire Stores: USA | Canada | Kindle By Tom Holland ISBN: 0385531354 Publisher: Doubleday Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $19.56 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA’s Clandestine Service Stores: USA | UK | Canada | Kindle By Henry A. Crumpton ISBN: 1594203342 Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The Publication… -
This week’s new books in Mystery and Thrillers
15 May 2012 | 1:03 pmHere are this week’s new releases for the category ‘Mystery and Thrillers’. ★ Our Staff Pick ★ Stolen Prey Stores: USA | UK | Canada | Kindle | UK Kindle By John Sandford ISBN: 0399157689 Publisher: Putnam Adult Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $13.65 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook Theodore Boone: The Accused Stores: USA | UK | Kindle | UK Kindle By John Grisham ISBN: 0525425764 Publisher: Dutton Juvenile Publication date: May 15, 2012 Binding: Hardcover Estimated price: $10.06 Share this book on Twitter | Facebook The…
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Country Bookshelf
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Launching Today: Allergies, and Awesome You #giveaway
8 May 2012 | 2:11 amDo you have a child with allergies? Can you imagine life allergy free? The AmazingAllergist will show you how! Allergies, and Awesome You: Believe You Can Get There Too! This book, through a life story of an allergic child, will empower you and your children. Allergies, and Awesome You” is a part of the AmazingAllergist’s Awesome Series that empowers allergic children to live and lead great lives, allergy-free. It is a by-product of the author’s extensive medical knowledge, vast experiences as an allergy specialist, and the desire to make a difference, one allergic child at a time. -
Celebrating Children's Book Week
6 May 2012 | 10:23 pmChildren’s Book Week, the national celebration of reading for youth kicks off May 7th. This week long observance (administered by Every Child A Reader and sponsored by the Children’s Book Council) honors the life-changing potential of a book, especially during a young person’s formative years. Here are four terrific ideas Better World Books, a literacy fund-raising organization, suggests for celebrate for Children’s Book Week (and all year long!): Buy a book from BetterWorldBooks.com. With every book purchased, they donate a book to someone who needs it. The vast majority of donations… -
Muffin Tin Chef
3 May 2012 | 9:57 pmI've made mini-cheesecakes, snack cakes, and of course muffins in a muffin tin before and never knew how much I was missing out on! The Muffin Tin Chef cookbook opened my eyes (and kitchen) to a whole new world of appetizers, entrees, and snacks - all baked in a mini or regular size muffin pan. So clever and so easy to follow. Muffin Tin Chef: 101 Savory Snacks, Adorable Appetizers, Enticing Entrees and Delicious Desserts by Matt Kadey features everything from Peach-Stuffed French Toast to Lasagna Rolls and Spinach Pesto Bacon Pizza (yes, pizza!) The first recipe I took a stab at making… -
Unconquered ~ Kindle Giveaway!
30 Apr 2012 | 10:59 pmThe Saga of Cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, and Mickey Gilley... In 1935 and early 1936, three cousins were born into tight-knit families in Ferriday, Louisiana. Rare piano talent, strong parental relationships, the Pentecostal church, family struggle, and a variety of musical influences worked together to produce men who changed twentieth-century music and culture. The individual stories of these three cousins illustrate their varied paths from small-town America to a world stage. Woven together, the collective story becomes even more compelling and amazing. UNCONQUERED is a story… -
Amazing Landscape Carvings from Books
29 Apr 2012 | 5:56 pmThough I'm a huge fan of the written word and treasure all of my books, I do enjoy seeing out-of-use books repurposed in a positive way. And it's easy to fall in love with the amazing landscape carvings by Guy Laramee. View more of his gallery and learn about his artistic journey at http://www.guylaramee.com/
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A BookLover's Diary
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[Friday Links] Makers of 'Vampires Suck' Taking On a Parody Derived from 'The Hunger Games'
11 May 2012 | 2:08 pmThe draft for The Fault in Our Stars script has been completed, from the writers of (500) Days of Summer. Wyck Godfrey to produce.All 7 Harry Potter ebooks are headed to the Kindle Owners' Lending Library (available June 19), joining more than 145,000 ebooks that Amazon Prime members can borrow for free.Fifty Shades of Grey becomes Amazon's #1 bestselling book of 2012 (in print) after The Hunger Games held the spot for most of the year. The Hunger Games trilogy still takes the top in ebook sales.Rick Riordan brought Greek, Roman… -
Read the First Chapter of 'Fifty Shades of Grey'
10 May 2012 | 12:59 amUnless you've been living under a rock (I do sometimes) then you know perfectly well the hype that surrounds E.L James' risque Fifty Shades trilogy - from a top spot on The New York Times best-seller list to a movie deal - Ian Somerhalder, of course, is a top pick among fans for the role of Christian. Though, when is he not a fan favorite for most roles? Seriously. According to the AP, Fifty Shades is getting banned in public libraries in Wisconsin, Georgia and Florida for being "too steamy or too poorly written," with other states expected to do the same.If you've been curious about the hype… -
[Review] The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
8 May 2012 | 5:49 pm“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. A dangerous Thisby tradition where riders attempt to keep their aggressive, blood-thirsty water horses under control long enough to make it to the finish line. That’s if they survive the weeks of training first, where the riders try to tame their water horses enough to hopefully go in a straight line and not be pulled into the temptation of the salty sea. Many horses are known to jump off cliffs because the pull of the ocean is so strong. … -
First Photo of Ethan and Lena from 'Beautiful Creatures'
4 May 2012 | 4:43 pmEntertainment Weekly offers a first look at Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena (Alice Englert) from the screen adaptation of Beautiful Creatures. Beautiful Creatures is based on the first book in the Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and is slated for release on February 15, 2013.The lackluster synopsis currently on IMDb:A supernatural drama centered on a local teenager and the mysterious new girl in town who uncover dark secrets about their respective families. -
[Friday Links] 'The Graveyard Book' has a Director
4 May 2012 | 4:22 pmStars greenlights Treasure Island prequel series which will be executive produced by Michael Bay.AMC picks up Low Winter Sun, an adaptation of the British Gothic murder mystery series.Kellan Lutz (Twilight) will play Tarzan in Constantin's fully animated film.The release of Snow White and the Hunstman is still a month away, but the studio is already throwing around the word "sequel"Disney's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book will be directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline).The Seventh Son, based on Joseph Delaney's novel, was originally going to hit…
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The Virginia Woolf Blog
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Virginia Woolf’s Last Day
14 May 2012 | 9:16 amOn the day Virginia Woolf committed suicide, Friday March 28th 1941, Leonard had tried to keep Virginia occupied, knowing that she wasn’t well and needed to keep busy. Yet, though he feared she was headed for another mental breakdown and … Continue reading → -
Virginia Woolf Had Teeth Pulled to Cure Her Mental Illness
2 May 2012 | 3:30 pmVirginia Woolf’s psychiatrist, George Savage, subscribed to a common medical theory in the 1920s known as “focal infection theory” which was the belief that mental illness and other health problems were caused by infections in the teeth. Savage suspected Virginia’s … Continue reading → -
Virginia Woolf’s Last Diary Entry
18 Apr 2012 | 3:43 pmVirginia Woolf’s last diary entry, written the day before her suicide, gives us a glimpse into her state of mind around the time of her death. What’s striking about the entry, though, isn’t what she says but what she doesn’t … Continue reading → -
Vanessa Bell’s Reaction to Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West’s Affair
9 Apr 2012 | 8:44 amWhen Virginia Woolf finally confessed her lesbian affair with Vita Sackville-West to her sister, Vanessa Bell, in April of 1929, her response was more curious than surprised. Virginia described the amusing moment in a letter to Vita a few days … Continue reading → -
Lytton Strachey’s Failed Marriage Proposal to Virginia Woolf
3 Apr 2012 | 8:52 amLytton Strachey was a writer, member of the Bloomsbury group and close friend to Virginia Woolf. Although he was homosexual, Strachey wanted to be married, possibly to avoid being identified as gay or to increase his social status, and thought … Continue reading →
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Liter8 Ideas
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What do you want to see on the blog?
11 May 2012 | 10:11 amAlright, I wished to post a quick update on the blog. I’m currently writing my ebook for the blog, and am not able to post our normal content. However, I don’t write for my own entertainment; I write for your Enlightenment. So, what kind of content would you like to see written here on the [...]Liter8 Ideas -
Does Belief in God affect your ability to Critically think?
30 Apr 2012 | 7:12 pmI do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei In our most recent journals and intellectual communities, there has been this set of ideas established that are destroying all we know of [...]Liter8 Ideas -
The Fallacy Poster
26 Apr 2012 | 9:32 amHere’s a poster that I absolutely love; it promotes a strong sense of the problem of fallacies, and which ones are prevalent today. Check it out. (Thanks to Boing Boing for the linkLiter8 Ideas -
NLP and the 3 Soul-Stirring questions: A review of the course
20 Apr 2012 | 3:47 pmI recently dug around the internet one day, and found an odd little website called http://Inlpcenter.com. As a site, they offer their services for leading others into a method of personal development psychology that they call NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming). NLP focuses on the connections between neurological, linguistic, and experiential processing that people have. While [...]Liter8 Ideas -
How safe is Humanity from Loneliness?
20 Apr 2012 | 8:46 amIt has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. ~Albert Einstein I love technology. The whizzing, the beeping, the flashing and the whirring. It’s such an exciting medium for me, that we have total freedom and opportunity ready for us to perform, explore, and live. But are we using it well? This [...]Liter8 Ideas
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Armida Books
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Falling in love with our next FREE Kindle
16 May 2012 | 3:54 amOur next free Kindle tells a story that everyone who has been in love or still is, will read in one go! “The Closing” by Stella K is an extraordinary novel about men and women, love and adventure, law and crime, life and death, money and… well, everything that simply has no material value. The book is Armida Publications’ latest release and came out the 8th of May 2012. Tomorrow, on Thursday the 17th of May, you will have the ultimate chance to get this Kindle for 0,00$! This promotion lasts 24 hours and in order to come up with more free Kindles in the future, we… -
FREE Kindle – One woman fighting for peace and the freedom to love
15 May 2012 | 4:36 amDear Kindle-readers! The Kindle version of the novel “Chrysalis” by Richard Romanus is now available to you for 0,00$!!! This offer lasts 24 hours (15th of May 2012) and we would love to hear your opinion on the book once you’ve read it, so please leave a small comment on Amazon! Your feedback will help us giving out more FREE-Kindles in the future! “Chrysalis” by Richard Romanus is one of those novels that combine so many precious aspects of modern literature that an accurate book description seems nearly impossible. Regarding the plot of the book, “Chrysalis” tells the… -
Tomorrow’s FREE Kindle
14 May 2012 | 6:18 amHere we are again with our second FREE Kindle of our little promotional series! Tomorrow, the 15th of May 2012, is reserved for “Chrysalis” by Hollywood star Richard Romanus. This brilliant novel narrates the adventure of one woman, fighting for peace and the freedom to love. “Chrysalis” is a captivating tale of a family and its country, in masterfully crafted prose. Seventeen-year-old Maria Christina Triantafyllou lives in Metsovo, a small mountain village in Greece, where women are judged according to their physical strength. Tall, thin, gangly, and extremely… -
FREE Kindle du jour!
11 May 2012 | 12:27 pmGuys, here it is! Our first free Kindle of our promotional series. Get “The Secret of the Elements” by Christos Tsotsos TODAY for 0,00$! We are looking forward to reading your Amazon review once you’ve read this humorous, experimental novel about religion and humanity. Discover the secret of immortality and the joy of exploring parallel universes by accompanying Barto, the hero of “The Secret of the Elements”, on his unforgettable and extraordinary journey through space and time! We hope you enjoy this gift and the next FREE Kindles that will be available to you… -
Friday’s FREE Kindle – How to play chess with the devil… (a novel)
10 May 2012 | 7:35 amDear friends and Kindle readers! With great pleasure we would like to announce that on Friday the 11th of May, you will be able to get the Kindle version of our bestselling novel “The Secret of the Elements” by Christos Tsotsos for FREE! Our Friday’s Free Kindle tells the story of an atheist avant-garde composer, who has to negotiate with the devil on his grandmother’s soul sale. The 99-year-old woman managed to do the unthinkable and tricked the devil when she sold him her soul. In order for the transaction to be completed, the devil has to negotiate with the keeper of…
