Book News: The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkein
Rediscovered Book to Be Published
Exciting news for Tolkein fans: A newly rediscovered book by J.R.R. Tolkein will be published soon called The Story of Kullervo. According to The Reading Room, the international version will be released in October 2015 but the U.S. version won't be released until next spring. When I looked it up on Amazon's UK website, it said the laydown date is August 27.
Among the details given by The Reading Room, it says, "The new story takes place in the same universe as The Silmarillion and, therefore, the entire Lord of the Rings saga."
Amazon.co.uk lists the hard cover book at £11.89, with shipping and handling to the U.S. at just under £7.00. At today's conversion rate, that comes out to just under $29.00.
(c) 2015. Alan Eggleston. All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label book news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book news. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2015
Monday, December 05, 2011
Book Editors and Literary Agents on Twitter
If you're a writer, here are a couple of resources that might help you.
From GalleyCat ("The FirstWord on the Book Publishing Industry"):
Sometimes, following the right person or people on Twitter can make all the difference in the world.
From GalleyCat ("The FirstWord on the Book Publishing Industry"):
Sometimes, following the right person or people on Twitter can make all the difference in the world.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Twain Autobiography Re-released Unedited for Brand
Mark Twain Autobiography Re-releases November 15
Did you read the article in this weekend's New York Times about the new Autobiography of Mark Twain? It's worth your reading (available online) if you haven't.
Twain (Samuel Clements) recorded the material in 1910, then had it heavily edited to protect his image at the time. He hoped that in time it could be re-released in its original form to show the real Twain, in an era when he could be viewed as himself without degrading his brand or his family. Today is that time.
Twain fans and history mavens should be delighted. This is as close as we will be so long after Twain's passing to get to know the real Mark Twain and his times.
Alan Eggleston
Writer and editor, business bookseller, leisure bookseller
Follow me on Twitter: @booksville or @a_copywriter
Did you read the article in this weekend's New York Times about the new Autobiography of Mark Twain? It's worth your reading (available online) if you haven't.
Twain (Samuel Clements) recorded the material in 1910, then had it heavily edited to protect his image at the time. He hoped that in time it could be re-released in its original form to show the real Twain, in an era when he could be viewed as himself without degrading his brand or his family. Today is that time.
Twain fans and history mavens should be delighted. This is as close as we will be so long after Twain's passing to get to know the real Mark Twain and his times.
Alan Eggleston
Writer and editor, business bookseller, leisure bookseller
Follow me on Twitter: @booksville or @a_copywriter
Friday, July 09, 2010
"Sex Dungeon for Sale!" Rates a Movie
Patrick Wensink's "Sex Dungeon for Sale!" Is Now a Film
By Alan Eggleston, writer and editor, business bookseller, leisure bookseller
Back in November, I wrote a review of Patrick Wensink's new book, "Sex Dungeon for Sale!" Seems this well received humor title has also attracted the attention of some filmmakers. Says Patrick, "I thought you would also get a kick out of this. Some filmmakers took the title story of my book and made a hilarious film." Courtesy of the author, here's "Sex Dungeon for Sale!" Let us know what you think.
Follow me on Twitter: @booksville
By Alan Eggleston, writer and editor, business bookseller, leisure bookseller
Back in November, I wrote a review of Patrick Wensink's new book, "Sex Dungeon for Sale!" Seems this well received humor title has also attracted the attention of some filmmakers. Says Patrick, "I thought you would also get a kick out of this. Some filmmakers took the title story of my book and made a hilarious film." Courtesy of the author, here's "Sex Dungeon for Sale!" Let us know what you think.
Follow me on Twitter: @booksville
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Author Christoper Moore News II
Author Christopher Moore Returns to the Stage
By Alan Eggleston, writer and editor, business book seller, leisure book seller
In an e-mail to fans, humorist author Christopher Moore announced Wednesday, June 29, that he would be returning to the stage to do another live reading.
Said Moore, "By popular demand, I'm doing another dramatic reading of Fool with my commentary in San Francisco on July 24th.
"I’ll be on stage at the Brava Theater in San Francisco with a group of actors from the American Conservatory Theater, there will be readings from Fool, King Lear, I’ll tell stories and lies, take questions, and sign books.
"All proceeds benefit LitQuake, San Francisco." (LitQuake is San Francisco's literary festival.)
Tickets through http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/116373
Moore closed with this encouraging suggestion:
"There are no shows planned for other cities right now, so please to write to ask. I could happen, but I have a book to finish."
Not a paid endorsement, not a paid review.
...
Are you a Christopher Moore fan? What's your favorite Moore book? Follow me on Twitter: @Booksville
By Alan Eggleston, writer and editor, business book seller, leisure book seller
In an e-mail to fans, humorist author Christopher Moore announced Wednesday, June 29, that he would be returning to the stage to do another live reading.
Said Moore, "By popular demand, I'm doing another dramatic reading of Fool with my commentary in San Francisco on July 24th.
"I’ll be on stage at the Brava Theater in San Francisco with a group of actors from the American Conservatory Theater, there will be readings from Fool, King Lear, I’ll tell stories and lies, take questions, and sign books.
"All proceeds benefit LitQuake, San Francisco." (LitQuake is San Francisco's literary festival.)
Tickets through http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/116373
Moore closed with this encouraging suggestion:
"There are no shows planned for other cities right now, so please to write to ask. I could happen, but I have a book to finish."
Not a paid endorsement, not a paid review.
...
Are you a Christopher Moore fan? What's your favorite Moore book? Follow me on Twitter: @Booksville
...
Prepare by reading Fool, if you haven't already(commission may be paid for purchase)Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Update: Patrick Wensink's Coloring Content
Patrick Wensink: Help Him Pick a Coloring Contest Winner!
Vote for best and you could win something cool -- rules here! Hurry, ends December 17. (Winner Update: Congratulations to Kate from Chicago.)
Nicely played, Patrick.
Disclosures. No remuneration paid for author update. Commissions may be paid on purchase through book link.
Follow me on Twitter: @BizBooksPlus or @AlanEggleston
Sunday, February 17, 2008
LAS - New computer "disorder" from Microtrends author Penn?
By Alan Eggleston, Writer, Editor, Bookseller
Did you know that you may be a member of an untapped new microtrend group? If you spend hours on your computer reading or doing research or playing on Facebook, you could suffer from LAS -- Long Attention Span!
This is according to Mark Penn, lead author of the book Microtrends. He's also a political consultant for Senator Hillary Clinton and was the marketing consultant who identified the microtrend group called Soccer Moms critical to re-electing President Bill Clinton in 1996.
I watched with fascination this morning as Mark Penn discussed Microtrends at his book signing at a New York City bookstore on Booktv (CSPAN2). Among the microtrends he mentions were "impressionable elites" and the increasing abundance of "lefties," meaning "southpaws" or people who are left-hand dominant. Penn also said that we are all familiar with the microtrend of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder or those who suffer from short attention spans), but that with each microtrend there is usually a corresponding microtrend and that for ADD there is LAS -- Long Attention Span.
A group of people for whom LAS may be an effect are people who spend hours on their computers. Is that you -- and me?
His point was that science and medicine and marketing are addressing ADD, but they haven't yet acknowledged LAS. The group who do, says Penn, are often 10 years or so behind. Take the car market. Most people who buy cars today are women, a trend about 10 to 15 years old. Yet car dealerships are focused on the male shopper. So look for marketers to start selling you for your LAS addictions like computer time, books, and television time in about 10 to 15 years.
You can read more about Microtrends and Mark Penn and co-author E. Kinney Zalesne on their Web site. The book has gotten mixed reviews, but the trends are fascinating to read.
Did you know that you may be a member of an untapped new microtrend group? If you spend hours on your computer reading or doing research or playing on Facebook, you could suffer from LAS -- Long Attention Span!
This is according to Mark Penn, lead author of the book Microtrends. He's also a political consultant for Senator Hillary Clinton and was the marketing consultant who identified the microtrend group called Soccer Moms critical to re-electing President Bill Clinton in 1996.
I watched with fascination this morning as Mark Penn discussed Microtrends at his book signing at a New York City bookstore on Booktv (CSPAN2). Among the microtrends he mentions were "impressionable elites" and the increasing abundance of "lefties," meaning "southpaws" or people who are left-hand dominant. Penn also said that we are all familiar with the microtrend of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder or those who suffer from short attention spans), but that with each microtrend there is usually a corresponding microtrend and that for ADD there is LAS -- Long Attention Span.
A group of people for whom LAS may be an effect are people who spend hours on their computers. Is that you -- and me?
His point was that science and medicine and marketing are addressing ADD, but they haven't yet acknowledged LAS. The group who do, says Penn, are often 10 years or so behind. Take the car market. Most people who buy cars today are women, a trend about 10 to 15 years old. Yet car dealerships are focused on the male shopper. So look for marketers to start selling you for your LAS addictions like computer time, books, and television time in about 10 to 15 years.
You can read more about Microtrends and Mark Penn and co-author E. Kinney Zalesne on their Web site. The book has gotten mixed reviews, but the trends are fascinating to read.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Can the Graphic Novel Make The Bible More Relevant to Youth?
The latest attempt to keep The Bible relevant comes to book stores via the graphic novel. Its latest incarnation comes in the form of Manga by Ajinbayo Akinsiku titled "The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation," in which Jesus Christ is presented as "a samurai stranger come to town rather than the gentle, blue-eyed Christ of hollywood blockbusters and illustrated Bibles," says an article in The New York Times.
Says the article, "In a blurb for the Manga Bible, which is published by Doubleday, the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, is quoted as saying, 'It will convey the shock and freshness of the Bible in a unique way.'"
This isn't a first for Bibles. The Bible publishing industry has always looked for new ways to bring the Word of God to new audiences in fresh and engaging new ways. Sometimes it's in the language, sometimes it's in the art. Sometimes it's simply in making it available to the masses.
Read more about this remarkable new work in "The Bible as Graphic Novel, With a Samurai Stranger Called Christ" in the Business section of Sunday's The New York Times.
Says the article, "In a blurb for the Manga Bible, which is published by Doubleday, the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, is quoted as saying, 'It will convey the shock and freshness of the Bible in a unique way.'"
This isn't a first for Bibles. The Bible publishing industry has always looked for new ways to bring the Word of God to new audiences in fresh and engaging new ways. Sometimes it's in the language, sometimes it's in the art. Sometimes it's simply in making it available to the masses.
Read more about this remarkable new work in "The Bible as Graphic Novel, With a Samurai Stranger Called Christ" in the Business section of Sunday's The New York Times.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Preview That HarperCollins Book Online Soon!
Look for electronic versions of books published by HarperCollins to appear online for free for one month. According to a story in Sunday's The New York Times, the idea is to allow prospective shoppers the opportunity to browse books like they would in a book store, only of course to do so on the Web.
This is an interesting experiment for a publisher. I purchase a lot of books online and I would love to be able to "leaf" through a book first, although nothing in the article says whether the pages will be exact reproductions of what you'll see in hard copy. I often select a few interior pages at random and read a few paragraphs to get a flavor for the writing, dialogue, characterizations, and so on, before I buy. This will make buying online a lot easier.
You might wonder if people won't be tempted to just read online instead of buy. The article says the books will be available online only for a limited time, which may make that impractical. Furthermore, the online page is a lot harder on the eyes than is the paper page. I think reading a lengthy book online will be very taxing over time. This can work!
Beginning Monday, you will be able to visit the Harper Collins Web site and peruse the following books:
Read more of the good news in HarperCollins Will Post Free Books on the Web in the Business section of The New York Times.
This is an interesting experiment for a publisher. I purchase a lot of books online and I would love to be able to "leaf" through a book first, although nothing in the article says whether the pages will be exact reproductions of what you'll see in hard copy. I often select a few interior pages at random and read a few paragraphs to get a flavor for the writing, dialogue, characterizations, and so on, before I buy. This will make buying online a lot easier.
You might wonder if people won't be tempted to just read online instead of buy. The article says the books will be available online only for a limited time, which may make that impractical. Furthermore, the online page is a lot harder on the eyes than is the paper page. I think reading a lengthy book online will be very taxing over time. This can work!
Beginning Monday, you will be able to visit the Harper Collins Web site and peruse the following books:
- The Witch of Portobello, by Paulo Coelho
- Mission: Cook! My Life, My Recipes and Making the Impossible Easy, Mr. Irvine
- I Dream in Blue: Life, Death and the New York Giants, Roger Director
- The Undecided Voter’s Guide to the Next President: Who the Candidates Are, Where They Come from and How You Can Choose, Mark Halperin
- Warriors: Into the Wild, the (1st volume in a children’s series), Erin Hunter
Read more of the good news in HarperCollins Will Post Free Books on the Web in the Business section of The New York Times.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Your Cell Phone Can Call, Text, Take Photos, and … Now … Order Books?
Today’s cell phones can do a thousand things it seems, including now quickly order books. That is, if you order through ShopText. According to Publishers Weekly, “The Manhattan company ShopText, founded in 2005, lets people buy products instantly using SMS (i.e., Short Message Service, or cellphone text message), and has just started selling books.”
It’s actually a little more complicated than that. Here’s the scenario as explained by blogger DigitalSolid: “You’re paging through a magazine or newspaper, or you encounter an out-of-home ad (even, perhaps, a digital billboard), and you decide you simply must have that product. You type a six-digit short code into your cell phone, send the number a text message with a keyword, and after a verifying second text is received and replied to, your product has been ordered.”
Imagine sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or on the commuter ride home and you remember you want to order a book you saw in an ad. You don’t have to wait to get to the bookstore or go online to find it, you simply take out your cell phone and send a text message. And, of course, it applies to more than books: music, artwork, all kinds of cool merchandise and impulse buys. It’s even an easy way to donate to charities!
This is just the beginning. My bet is, some day we will even be able to text message the milk and bread for pick up on the way home or -- in the best of all worlds -- pick up on the doorstep as we arrive home!
It’s actually a little more complicated than that. Here’s the scenario as explained by blogger DigitalSolid: “You’re paging through a magazine or newspaper, or you encounter an out-of-home ad (even, perhaps, a digital billboard), and you decide you simply must have that product. You type a six-digit short code into your cell phone, send the number a text message with a keyword, and after a verifying second text is received and replied to, your product has been ordered.”
Imagine sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or on the commuter ride home and you remember you want to order a book you saw in an ad. You don’t have to wait to get to the bookstore or go online to find it, you simply take out your cell phone and send a text message. And, of course, it applies to more than books: music, artwork, all kinds of cool merchandise and impulse buys. It’s even an easy way to donate to charities!
This is just the beginning. My bet is, some day we will even be able to text message the milk and bread for pick up on the way home or -- in the best of all worlds -- pick up on the doorstep as we arrive home!
Where Would the Book Be Without Its Jacket?
Where would the groom be without his tuxedo jacket? Where would the book be without its cover jacket? In the same straights I’m afraid: just a guy with a shirt and tie, just a book with a cover and spine. That’s why jackets are important, both to grooms and books! That’s why a new weblog on Publishers Weekly is worth a read.
Called Jackets Required, this blog is a weekly column by Fwis, a design group that critiques book jacket design. The articles are short and pithy, but they offer a designer’s perspective on the artistic side of jacket design. If you’ve ever wondered what thought goes into creating a book jacket, this column will give you some interesting insights. And like any good blog, there’s a place for comments, so you can add your two cents or ask your daunting question to people who should have an educated opinion.
Why should you care? Think about how many books you’ve picked up off the display table because of what you saw on the jacket. Think about the ones you didn’t pick up. What made the difference? Maybe Jackets Required will discuss it and you can say, “Yeah, I thought so, too.”
This week’s Jackets Required column is on the book Loving Frank: A Novel.
One of Fwis’s project websites is called Covers and its tagline reads: “Covers is dedicated to the appreciation of book cover design.” They feature other articles including one on bookshelves that caught my attention. Those are some pretty wicked looking bookshelves! Take a look.
Called Jackets Required, this blog is a weekly column by Fwis, a design group that critiques book jacket design. The articles are short and pithy, but they offer a designer’s perspective on the artistic side of jacket design. If you’ve ever wondered what thought goes into creating a book jacket, this column will give you some interesting insights. And like any good blog, there’s a place for comments, so you can add your two cents or ask your daunting question to people who should have an educated opinion.
Why should you care? Think about how many books you’ve picked up off the display table because of what you saw on the jacket. Think about the ones you didn’t pick up. What made the difference? Maybe Jackets Required will discuss it and you can say, “Yeah, I thought so, too.”
This week’s Jackets Required column is on the book Loving Frank: A Novel.
One of Fwis’s project websites is called Covers and its tagline reads: “Covers is dedicated to the appreciation of book cover design.” They feature other articles including one on bookshelves that caught my attention. Those are some pretty wicked looking bookshelves! Take a look.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Fall Book Festivals Coming Soon
Publisher’s Weekly just published their fall book festival schedule saying, “Fall’s coming, and so are book festivals around the country which will celebrate authors, community, creativity and literacy.” They’re a great time to see what’s new in books and speak with some of the authors. The article includes a list of 42 locations including city, dates, website information, and contacts for publishers and booksellers. Here are just a few of the earliest sites:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival
Atlanta, Georgia – Aug. 31 to Sept. 2
Central Coast Book and Author Festival
San Luis Obispo, California – Sept. 8
Montana Festival of the Book
Missoula, Montana – Sept. 13 to 15
Wyoming Book Festival
Cheyenne, Wyoming – Sept. 15
Brooklyn Book Festival
Brooklyn, New York – Sept. 16
Fall for the Book Literary Festival
Fairfax, Virginia – Sept. 23 to 28
West Texas Book & Music Festival
Abilene, Texas – Sept. 25 to 29
Baltimore Book Festival
Baltimore, Maryland – Sept. 28 to 30
Georgia Literary Festival
Blue Ridge, Georgia – Sept. 28 to 30
South Dakota Festival of Books
Deadwood, South Dakota – Sept. 28 to 30
National Book Festival
Washington, D.C. – Sept. 29
Santa Barbara Book & Author Festival
Santa Barbara, California – Sept. 29
The Latino Book & Family Festivals
Houston, Texas – Sept. 29 to 20
Los Angeles, California – Oct. 12 to 14
Chicago, Illinois – Nov. 10 to 11
Orange County Children's Book Festival
Costa Mesa, California – Sept. 29 to 30
West Hollywood Book Fair
Los Angeles, California – Sept. 30
See the Publishers Weekly article for the rest of the locations and festival details.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Two More Translations of War and Peace Coming This Fall
Just what the world needs, two more translations of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace! According to Publishers Weekly (PW) there are already at least a dozen English translations, and “Just last year, Viking published a translation by Anthony Briggs that PW called ‘the most readable version on the market.’" Now Ecco (Harper Collins) will publish a version coming out September 4 and Knopf (Random House) will publish another one coming out October 16.
Why add two more to the confusing list of tomes? Says PW, “Ecco is calling its edition, translated by Andrew Bromfield, War and Peace: Original Version. It is essentially Tolstoy's first draft. Knopf contends that Ecco’s version is not the finished classic readers know. Ecco maintains its edition is more reader-friendly than Knopf's, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, because it is shorter and more ‘narrative.’"
Really now, how can one choose a version to read? That's just too many choices without an educated speculation or someone's highly educated recommendation. I wouldn't know which to read, which represents a lot of pages to get bogged down in if I've made a poor choice. What's the value in adding two more volumes? Anyone knowledgeable enough about these two authors to know what they add to the story that already exists on War and Peace?
Why add two more to the confusing list of tomes? Says PW, “Ecco is calling its edition, translated by Andrew Bromfield, War and Peace: Original Version. It is essentially Tolstoy's first draft. Knopf contends that Ecco’s version is not the finished classic readers know. Ecco maintains its edition is more reader-friendly than Knopf's, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, because it is shorter and more ‘narrative.’"
Really now, how can one choose a version to read? That's just too many choices without an educated speculation or someone's highly educated recommendation. I wouldn't know which to read, which represents a lot of pages to get bogged down in if I've made a poor choice. What's the value in adding two more volumes? Anyone knowledgeable enough about these two authors to know what they add to the story that already exists on War and Peace?
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Amazon’s Second-Quarter Earnings More Than Tripled!
Just when you thought pre-selling 1.6 million Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows books was as good as the news gets for online retailer Amazon.com, along comes second quarter earnings figures.
According to MSNBC.com today, “Amazon.com Inc.’s second-quarter profit more than tripled, boosted by strong sales of books, music and electronics worldwide. Earnings for the three months ended June 30 climbed to $78 million, or 19 cents per share, from $22 million, or 5 cents per share during the same period last year, the company said Tuesday.”
The Book Standard today quoted Amazon.com founder and CEO explaining, "Our strong revenue growth this quarter was fueled by low prices and the added convenience of Amazon Prime. More and more customers are taking advantage of Amazon Prime and we're pleased with the acceleration in subscriber growth this quarter." They have more details on the earnings figures, too.
Second quarter earnings don’t take into account the phenomenal sales of the final Harry Potter book, which actually occurred in the third quarter and are expected to bring in approximately $3 billion in sales.
Amazon.com seems to be doing everything right. Although I’ve heard grumblings from some quarters that Amazon’s service isn’t always on par with the local bookstore, I’ve never had anything to complain about. Used properly and intelligently they are like any online retailer that allows you to maximize the searching and shopping power of the Internet and home delivery of products you don’t need immediately. When I know what I want and I don’t need it right at that moment, I order it on Amazon.com. Or if I don’t know what I want but I know what to search for, I find it on Amazon.com. Where I find most value in the local bookstore is browsing or putting my hands on something now. Plus, the valuable assistance of an experienced bookseller helping me find something in his or her section.
Of course, if you’ve had a bad experience with Amazon, you can always order on one of the multiple other online bookstores: Alibris, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powell Books, etc. They all give you the power to be your own bookseller.
According to MSNBC.com today, “Amazon.com Inc.’s second-quarter profit more than tripled, boosted by strong sales of books, music and electronics worldwide. Earnings for the three months ended June 30 climbed to $78 million, or 19 cents per share, from $22 million, or 5 cents per share during the same period last year, the company said Tuesday.”
The Book Standard today quoted Amazon.com founder and CEO explaining, "Our strong revenue growth this quarter was fueled by low prices and the added convenience of Amazon Prime. More and more customers are taking advantage of Amazon Prime and we're pleased with the acceleration in subscriber growth this quarter." They have more details on the earnings figures, too.
Second quarter earnings don’t take into account the phenomenal sales of the final Harry Potter book, which actually occurred in the third quarter and are expected to bring in approximately $3 billion in sales.
Amazon.com seems to be doing everything right. Although I’ve heard grumblings from some quarters that Amazon’s service isn’t always on par with the local bookstore, I’ve never had anything to complain about. Used properly and intelligently they are like any online retailer that allows you to maximize the searching and shopping power of the Internet and home delivery of products you don’t need immediately. When I know what I want and I don’t need it right at that moment, I order it on Amazon.com. Or if I don’t know what I want but I know what to search for, I find it on Amazon.com. Where I find most value in the local bookstore is browsing or putting my hands on something now. Plus, the valuable assistance of an experienced bookseller helping me find something in his or her section.
Of course, if you’ve had a bad experience with Amazon, you can always order on one of the multiple other online bookstores: Alibris, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powell Books, etc. They all give you the power to be your own bookseller.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Potter Book and Audio Set Sales Records
Sales of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set records on both sides of the Atlantic this past weekend. According to Publishers Weekly, publisher Scholastic sold 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours in the U.S., while Bloomsbury sold 2.65 million copies in the U.K. in the first 24 hours. The audio version also set a record in the U.S. selling an estimated 225,000 copies, a 40% increase over Half-Blood Prince.
Independent booksellers in the U.S. reported brisk sales, with scattered reports of sell-outs! Apparently Scholastic limited the number of books that independents could order based on past Potter sales. The independent I frequent had a smallish display left for sale Saturday morning after a busy event Friday night, although tickets are sold for the Friday night event, from which book distribution are dependent, are sold well in advance. This independent actually is one of four stores, and I don't know how many copies the other three stores have on-hand.
Independent booksellers in the U.S. reported brisk sales, with scattered reports of sell-outs! Apparently Scholastic limited the number of books that independents could order based on past Potter sales. The independent I frequent had a smallish display left for sale Saturday morning after a busy event Friday night, although tickets are sold for the Friday night event, from which book distribution are dependent, are sold well in advance. This independent actually is one of four stores, and I don't know how many copies the other three stores have on-hand.
Potter Pages Magically Disappear?
Better skip ahead in your Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at least to make sure pages aren’t missing. Publisher’s Weekly reports some copies of the newly released book in Vermont were missing pages 643-674. Some copies in New York skipped from page 642 to 707 to 730, then went back to page 675 and then to the end. Ah, what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to … uh … kill Harry Potter to return to power through arrogant displays of … oh, it was just a printing error!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Potter Doesn't Turn Fans into Faithful Readers?
Remember the story when the Harry Potter books first became popular that they were turning children into more faithful readers? Turns out that may be urban legend. According to an article in The New York Times on July 11, “as the series draws to a much-lamented close, federal statistics show that the percentage of youngsters who read for fun continues to drop significantly as children get older, at almost exactly the same rate as before Harry Potter came along.” What turns kids into good readers isn’t one good series of stories – that’s actually called fandom or hero worship. No, what turns kids – or adults – into good readers is the love of good stories in general: Good plots, imaginative settings, worthy themes, memorable characters, and brilliant storytelling. It was silly to expect one series of books to turn children into readers as if by … well … magic.
Children become sustained readers when they move beyond Harry Potter – to discover other series with equally compelling characters and well written narratives, to find suspenseful adventures or interesting biographies or compelling histories or spellbinding fantasies. We can encourage and nurture the trend if we remove the distractions and interruptions, like blaring TVs, incessant iPods, and spellbinding Xboxes and give words on pages a chance to sink in and do their “magic.” It’s when that magic has a chance to grab hold of the imagination and the child is given the chance to manipulate it him or her self that the child embraces reading long term.
Children become sustained readers when they move beyond Harry Potter – to discover other series with equally compelling characters and well written narratives, to find suspenseful adventures or interesting biographies or compelling histories or spellbinding fantasies. We can encourage and nurture the trend if we remove the distractions and interruptions, like blaring TVs, incessant iPods, and spellbinding Xboxes and give words on pages a chance to sink in and do their “magic.” It’s when that magic has a chance to grab hold of the imagination and the child is given the chance to manipulate it him or her self that the child embraces reading long term.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Alexander Dumas' Lost "The Last Cavalier" Coming in October
If you’re an Alexander Dumas fan revel in the news. A lost work rediscovered and published in France in 2005 is coming to the United States in October, according to Publishers Weekly (PW). According to PW, “The Last Cavalier was found at the National Library in Paris two years ago by longtime Dumas scholar Claude Schopp.” PW further said, “The novel, which he said is very much in the vein of classic Dumas—it’s a revenge story set during the Napoleonic era.” The initial first printing by publisher Pegasus Books is set at 10,000. 752 pages.
Amazon.com lists The Last Cavalier as available September 12, 2007, but you can pre-order now. The description is quite exciting.
Amazon.com lists The Last Cavalier as available September 12, 2007, but you can pre-order now. The description is quite exciting.
Book Recommendation: Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar
I’ve only read the introduction and the first few pages of chapter 1, and I can already tell you, Ya gotta read Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar… by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein.
What attracted me to this smallish book was the crazy title, which immediately caught my eye from the new books table at my local bookstore. What got me to buy the book was the mixture of jokes and philosophies that produced them. Yeah, jokes aren’t just about being funny, they’re about ideas and attitudes and points of view. This book looks at the two together, as its subtitle explains: “Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes.” It’s a trip for your mind through your funny bone.
I’ll give a fuller review when I have finished the book, but I wanted to give you a heads up on what looks to me like a good summer read, an easy way to expand your mind while having a good time.
By the way, this week it’s number 13 on the New York Times Bestsellers list!
What attracted me to this smallish book was the crazy title, which immediately caught my eye from the new books table at my local bookstore. What got me to buy the book was the mixture of jokes and philosophies that produced them. Yeah, jokes aren’t just about being funny, they’re about ideas and attitudes and points of view. This book looks at the two together, as its subtitle explains: “Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes.” It’s a trip for your mind through your funny bone.
I’ll give a fuller review when I have finished the book, but I wanted to give you a heads up on what looks to me like a good summer read, an easy way to expand your mind while having a good time.
By the way, this week it’s number 13 on the New York Times Bestsellers list!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat Is Releasing in Paperback
Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat is releasing in trade paperback on July 24, according to Publisher’s Weekly. It’s actually the second revision of the very popular book since its debut in April 2005. Why buy the paperback version? Besides being popular with anyone not willing to pay for the hardcover version, the paperback has been updated. Says PW, “The new edition offers two new chapters, one covering the spread of disinformation via the Web, and the second about the use of the Internet for activism. There’s a new 35-page conclusion and, promises the publisher, all the statistics are revised.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)