Wednesday Book News: 5 Links For Your Morning Coffee Break (Blog Edition!)
Good morning, book people! I can’t believe how sunny it is this morning–could Spring really be heading our way? I hope so! And not just because it’s pretty and I detest the cold, but because my poor kidlet has his first ear infection, and could really use some extended strollin’ time by the river. There’s nothing quite like sauntering along the Charles chatting to the geese and picking wild irises with a snuggly kidlet.
Lots of things I’m reading today, so let’s get started!
First, an oldie (in internet time) but a goodie–Henry Sene Yee, the Creative director at Picador, walks us through the design of a book cover. The cover in question? Wesley Stace’s Charles Jessold, Considered As A Murderer. It’s a striking design, so head on over to learn how it came to be.
Over at Forever Young Adult, a drinking game to make the I Am Number Four movie more bearable. I haven’t seen the flick yet, but a drinking game in lieu of a movie review? Hmm…
Also at FYA, a return to Avonlea (see what I did there? And I’ve only had four hours sleep!) with a review of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne’s House of Dreams, in which Gilbert & Anne finally get it together. Definitely worth reading if you’ve ever been irritated by heroines giving up their dreams and settling down. (Also, I loved this book.) Thanks to @MelanieCordova, YA reader extraordinaire, for the tip off to FYA.
Getting back to covers–Melissa Walker, one of the totally awesome Readergirlz has the inside scoop on the cover design for Gwendolyn Heasley’s Where I Belong, which drops later this month.
The Shelf Elf (I <3 her header elf!) has a most excellent, thoughtful review of Gennifer Choldenko’s No Passengers Beyond This Point.
I’ll be back later with a giveaway, and a few thoughts on award shortlists, as promised in Monday’s edition of the Coffee Break.
Have you read I Am Number Four yet? Seen the movie? Bought the t-shirt? What are you reading this morning?
Read MoreFriday Book News (Bookstore Edition!): 10 Links For Your Morning Coffee Break
Good morning, book people! Signs of spring are peeking out of the snow in Cambridge and we’re crazy happy about it because it means…Playgrounds! Long walks by the river! Outdoor runs! Clean sidewalks!
A few bits and pieces this morning. First up, author Sherry Lewis on when to use dialogue and when to skip it. (via Christy Frazier)
US Borders isn’t the only Borders chain to be suffering. The Australian company, bought by Pacific Equity Partners, the parent company of another book chain, Angus and Roberston, in June 2008. They’re now owned by Red Group Retail and, as of yesterday, both Borders and A&R are in administration. In 2009, UK Borders went into administration, too.
The Australian has a so-so (I wish it were longer!) look at the Australian book industry and protectionism. Not sure how I feel about this one. Thoughts?
The Guardian reports that Waterstone’s books in the UK is also closing branches after a slow Christmas season. The Big G is also running an interesting piece by a former Waterstone’s boss on why the stores are worth saving and a quick overview of the all three book chain collapses.
Also at the Guardian, YA author Anna Pereara on why hard truths are not too difficult for teen readers.
The WSJ tells us why, despite the Borders filing, reading isn’t dead.
And finally, cartoonist and illustrator Patricia Storms gives Martin Amis a makeover.
Do you still go to bookstores? And what are you reading this morning?
Read MoreMonday Book News: 5 Links for your Morning Coffee Break
Good morning, and happy Valentine’s Day! It’s rather bleak in Boston right now, but love doesn’t care about the cool grey skies or a dusting of snow does it?
There’s a lot going on in the book world this week. First up, the NYT’s David Carr has a piece on the Huff Po AOL merger and the free content model so much new media is built on:
The Huffington Post, social networks and traditional media may all seem like different animals, but as advertising, the mother’s milk of all media, flows toward social and amateur media, low-cost and no-cost content is becoming the norm.
The story isn’t directly linked to the publishing industry, but Carr’s comments should be a warning to writers across the board–short form content and aggregation may not seem like they’re worth much, but they’re the first step toward lower paid longform work, book deals and more. As Carr says:
It’s less about the diminution of authority and expertise, although there is that, and more about the growing perception that content is a commodity, and one that can be had for the price of zero.
Keeping up with the Huff Po theme, Felix Salmon over at Reuters writes about why the NYT will lose to Huff Po. Again, this isn’t directly book related, but the comparison between the NYT & Huffington Post sites is definitely worth a look for any writer trying to build a promo platform or get their brand out there.
Short and sweet, the Josef and Elizabeth Fritzl case, so not exactly light reading ), but Donoghue’s essay (and book!) could provide some insight into the line between YA, kidlit, and the so-called serious literary novel.
PW reports that Marc Jacobs is entering the bookstore game with new(ish) BookMarc stores.
“Fashion is about a lifestyle. Anything can be fashion,” says long-term MJ partner Robert Duffy. The stores–much like Borders & B&N–also sell other MJ merchandise, including notepads, journals, and book clutches.
Is Borders filing for bankruptcy this week? No one knows yet, but here’s Michael J. De La Merced and Julie Bosman at NYT’s Deal Book take last Friday.
Update, 8:55 am: a better piece on Borders’ bankruptcy rumors at the WSJ.
Later today, I’ll be back with pics from two trips to Borders over the past few days. It’s not looking good.
Read MoreFriday Book News: 5 Links For Your Morning Coffee Break
Good morning, beautiful people! Thursdays are my scheduled day off, and I spent most of Mir’s nap time reading. Here are the highlights.
USA Today’s Bob Minzesheimer has takes an in-depth look at the future of small bookstores. Many of his interviewees are very optimistic, and also support the community and service model I talked about last week.
The Guardian has the skinny on World Book Night and why indie booksellers are upset. What do you think of the UK’s World Book Night event? Would you help give away one million free books? Do you know 48 people who’d like the same book?
School Library Journal has an excellent piece on raising digital natives and how kids may be more likely to focus solely on answers. Not sure I agree with it all, but it’s definitely a worthwhile read, especially if your kids are very plugged in.
The Book Smugglers have a very thorough review of JM McDermott’s Never Knew Another, another novel unnamed characters. (Others include Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Haruki Murakami’s A Wild Sheep Chase.) Update: Much as I’d love to be, I’m not a time traveler–I read this one this morning.
And finally, better late than never, the folks at io9 tell writers how to get their books on the Kindle. Useful stuff!
I’ll be back with another blog post later, following up to my negative book reviews post on Tuesday.
What are you reading and writing this morning?
Image credit: mtsofan, via Flickr
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