Books Are Like Ships
“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea.” - Roald Dahl
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Publishers Weekly: Best New Books for the Week of August 5, 2013
This week: a coming of age book on the high seas, a must-read crime novel, and a boy who hasn't spoken in over one year. Plus: an absorbing biography of Charles Manson.
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Stories That Jump Off The Page: See Stunning Art Made From Books
They stalk books with X-Acto knives, tiny sandblasters, glue, paint, scissor, and a shared obsession for giving new form to old things. The resulting sculptures, as pictured in the upcoming Art Made From Books: Altered, Sculpted, Carved and Transformed (Chronicle Books), extend the shelf life for phone books, encyclopedias, pulp fiction and fairy tales. Instead of winding up in the landfill, ink-on-paper artifacts can now be rejiggered as astonishing text objects that have nothing to do with words.
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E-Books Strain Relations Beween Libraries, Publishing Houses
E-books have strained the relations between libraries and the major publishing houses. Libraries say they're being cut out of the market because publishers are afraid they could lose money selling e-books to libraries. After much negotiation, the publishers are experimenting with new ways of doing business. But some libraries are already looking to bypass the high prices and restrictions that publishers place on e-books.
Welcome to Thug Notes, your main hookup for classical literature summary and analysis. I'm your host, Sparky Sweets, PhD. Join me each week for a new episode.
Jane Austen Bank Note Earns Huzzahs and Nitpicking
The news that Jane Austen would become only the third woman, besides Queen Elizabeth II, to appear on a British bank note drew almost as many huzzahs this week as the birth of the royal baby.
Philippa Gregory: How I Write
by Noah Charney Jul 24, 2013 4:45 AM EDT
Philippa Gregory, whose series of novels based on the Wars of the Roses has been adapted into the BBC television drama The White Queen, which will premiere in the U.S. next month, talks about her approach to historical fiction and what she knows about screenwriting. Her latest book in the series is The White Princess.
Here's how Amazon self-destructs
If Amazon puts bookstores out of business, it will destroy the main way readers learn about new books to buy
By Evan Hughes
Why Barnes & Noble Is Good for Amazon
Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
A Barnes & Noble bookstore in Los Angeles. The company’s retail stores and Web site generated pretax earnings of $374.2 million in its most recent fiscal year.
"Bookstores offer discoverability, not just the latest Dan Brown or Carl Hiaasen book on the front table, but sometimes treasures deep in the stacks, a long tail of midlist authors and specialty books. Even as the book business consolidates, the physical object displayed in an actual place will continue to be an important part of the ecosystem."
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Jane Austen's First Editions - How Bindings Affect Value
Adam Douglas, Senior Specialist in Early Literature at Peter Harrington introduces a selection of Jane Austen's first editions and explains how bindings affect value.
As Competition Wanes, Amazon Cuts Back Discounts
As Competition Wanes, Amazon Cuts Back Discounts
Jim Hollock’s first book, a true-crime tale set in Pennsylvania, got strong reviews and decent sales when it appeared in 2011. Now “Born to Lose” is losing momentum — yet Amazon, to the writer’s intense frustration, has increased the price by nearly a third.
“At this point, people need an inducement,” said Mr. Hollock, a retired corrections official. “But instead of lowering the price, Amazon is raising it.”
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