Category 7 by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson (Forge)
NPR Publishes Top 100 Thriller List
NPR has published a list of the top 100 "Killer Thrillers." The NPR audience nominated about 600 novels to the poll and cast over 17,000 ballots. Stephen King has six titles in the top 100 list. Below is the top ten. You can see the complete list here.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Shining by Stephen King
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Hunt tor Red October by Tom Clancy
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
William Morrow to Publish Two Novels by Dick Wolf
William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, hasy announced plans to publish two novels by Dick Wolf, the creator and executive producer of Law & Order. The first novel (not yet titled) is a tale in the tradition of The Day of the Jackal and Three Days of the Condor. The plot involves a major terrorist attack planned for New York City over the July 4th weekend.
The two-book deal was acquired by William Morrow Executive Editor, David Highfill. Highfill says, "As he has shown us in the authenticity and freshness of his TV work, Dick Wolf is a master of tightly woven, character-driven American stories that feel like they are happening right in front of you, right now, not last week or last year. He will bring just that sense of heightened immediacy and drama to this new novel."
Jeffrey Deaver Writing Next James Bond Novel
Reuters reports that Author Jeffrey Deaver has been assigned the task of writing the next James Bond novel. Deaver is the author of numerous mystery/thriller novels, including the Lincoln Rhyme series. He should have no problem rising to the challenge.
"I've written about young African-American characters in America, I have written about elderly characters, I've written from the points of view of women ... of serial killers ... and enjoy stepping into their shoes.
"I think it's going to be relatively easy for me to step into the role of Bond and the other characters in the book," added the 60-year-old.
"I am not writing this book as if I were (Bond creator) Ian Fleming. No one can really do that. I am taking the type of story that I generally tell -- a very fast-paced thriller, lots of twists and turns and surprises."
In the Reuters interview, Deaver mentioned the novel should contain elements of good filmmaking. He said, "Stories like this should have elements of good solid filmmaking -- the scenes have to be extremely visual, there should be a crisp, clear, accurate dialogue."
The Bond films have been delayed because of MGM's financial problems, but they will eventually return again. The sooner the better.
Jeffrey Deaver's James Bond novel will be published in May, 2011.
The 2010 Edgar Award winners have been announced by the Mystery Writers of America. The Best Novel award went to John Hart for The Last Child. You can see the list of winners below the list of both winners and nominees here.
Best Novel: The Last Child by John Hart (Minotaur Books)
Simon Tolkien More Comfortable With Tolkien Name Simon Tolkien has long lived in the shadow of his grandfather, J.R.R. Tolkien. Reuters reports that it took Simon Tolkien years before he felt comfortable writing under the Tolkien name and following the footsteps of the author of the Lord of the Rings series. Simon Tolkien feels more at ease now with the release of his second novel, The Inheritance.
Tolkien wrote a novel, which was rejected. He found a publisher for his second effort "Final Witness," published in the United States in 2002.
Now at 51, with the publication of "The Inheritance," he feels he has established himself as an author and is comfortable with his name.
"I feel much more at ease with my grandfather and being the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien," he said. "Before I was writing I was very uncomfortable with it and when Jackson came on the scene I was exceedingly uncomfortable with it."
Simon Tolkien's first novel, Final Witness, was published in 2002. Tolkien says he thinks his grandfather would be pleased with his work.
Tom Clancy has written a new thriller called Dead or Alive. The novel will be publshed by the Penguin Group in the U.S. and U.K. on December 7, 2010.
Clancy's new novel was written in collaboration with U.S. Navy veteran Grant Blackwood.
The novel begins with Jack Ryan, Jr. and his colleagues at the Campus, a secret U.S. counter-terrorism organization, waging an unofficial campaign against terrorists. As Dead or Alive opens, the war on terror is far from won, but winning it doesn't appear to be a priority for President Kealty, Jack Ryan's successor in the Oval Office. The Emir, a sadistic killer and mastermind of a major terrorist group, has eluded capture by the world's armed forces. It will be up to the Jack Ryan, Jr. and the Campus to catch the Emir and bring him in dead or alive...
David Shanks, CEO of Penguin Group (USA), says, "Tom's genius for telling a story with exceptional realism and cutting edge authenticity are his hallmarks as a writer. He has created some of the best known characters in contemporary fiction and has mesmerized tens of millions of readers worldwide with his frighteningly real scenarios. We are very excited to be publishing him again in the fall. In his latest novel, he turns up the tension between U.S. forces and their most lethal rivals."
New J.K. Rowling Book Coming in Not-Too-Distant Future
Author J.K. Rowling read to children from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday. The Washington Postreveals that after her reading she said she is working on a book that will be out in the "not-too-distant future."
Though she said she doesn't plan to write any offshoots of the Potter series, she didn't rule it out "maybe 10 years from now," depending on how she feels. But she told one child she does want to write more books.
"Yes, I do, and I am," Rowling said. "I'm quite sure in the not-too-distant future I will bring out another book."
We already knew J.K. Rowling was busy writing based on a tweet she posted in March. The book is rumored to writing a detective novel.
Top Selling Hardcovers of 2009 Publishers Weekly has published a big list of the top selling books of 2009. Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol sold over 5.5 million copies. Sarah Palin led nonfiction with Going Rogue, which sold over 2.6 million copies. Here are the top in fiction and nonfiction.
Top Selling Fiction Hardcovers of 2009
The Lost Symbol: A Novel by Dan Brown (Doubleday)
The Associate: A Novel by John Grisham (Doubleday)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam/Amy Einhorn)
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown)
Ford County by John Grisham (Doubleday)
Top Selling Nonfiction Hardcovers of 2009
Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin (Harper)
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment by Steve Harvey (Harper)
Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government by Glenn Beck (Threshold)
Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by Mark R. Levin
True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy (Twelve)
We're not sure when author James Patterson sleeps. Well, he's about to be even busier as he tackles the world of comics.
"Comics could reach a much larger audience than they do right now," says Patterson, who often works with co-authors and whose thrillers are frequently at or near the top of USA Today's Best-Selling Books list. "With all of the quality work and talent that's out there, this industry could be so much bigger."
First up for release will be a five-part comic series based on the writer's best-selling young-adult novel Witch & Wizard. The new series, subtitled Shadowland, will be written by Dara Naraghi, with Patterson heavily involved in the story direction. (He is not involved with the artwork.)
The Wizard series launch will be followed in June by a four-issue comic adaptation of Patterson's 2009 book The Murder of King Tut. Alexander Irvine will do the heavy lifting in terms of writing duties.
Patterson says he is excited at the prospect of translating King Tut -- a "non-fiction thriller" that investigates the mysterious death of the Egyptian pharaoh -- into a comic-book format. "We saw the potential there and worked with IDW to expand on it. It's going to be a very interesting series."
Under the agreement, Patterson will also write original comic-book stories. "We're doing an all-new series called Beer Belly and the Fat Boy. I can't get into the details, but it's a lot of fun."
We wonder if the recent claims by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities that King Tut died of malaria will alter plans for the Tut comic? Probably not, given the fact that three esteemed experts interviewed
by the Discovery Channel cast doubt on the Council's findings. In fact one of the experts pretty much says that the Egyptian Council's findings are a load of nonsense -- naturally, he says it in politer terms.
As for the comic, a murder makes for a more interesting story than death by malaria.
It's been a very long wait for Janet Evanovich fans. But finally the Stephanie Plum movie appears to be a go. Reese Witherspoon was attached to the project for three years, but that deal never came together. Now Katherine Heigl has stepped in as the bounty hunter with an attitude in One For the Money. Varietyreports:
Reese Witherspoon was previously attached to take on the role, but the project has been dormant for several years. Heigl's interest has put the project back on the fast track, with Andrea Giannetti overseeing for the studio. Col[umbia] and Lakeshore will next look to attach a director.
Lakeshore's Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi are producing "One for the Money" with Wendy Finerman ("The Devil Wears Prada").
Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith penned the screenplay, and Liz Brixius has been brought onboard to do a polish.
In addition to her continuing gig on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," Heigl has upcoming film roles in "Killers" for Lionsgate and "Life as We Know It" for Warner Bros.
Katherine Heigl? That's a surprise, but the more we think about it the more we like it. She certainly can do the attitude part and we think she can do action. So far Janet Evanovich hasn't given a detailed comment about the casting: she announced it on her website and noted that she's not involved with the casting. No other casting choices have been mentioned yet (the film doesn't even have a director) and we're waiting anxiously to to hear who the male leads will be.
Robert B. Parker Dead at 77
Robert B. Parker, the bestselling author of the Spenser detective novels has died suddenly at his home of a heart attack. He was 77 years old and was found at his desk, working on a new book.
The New York Times reports:
Robert B. Parker, the best-selling mystery writer who created Spenser, a tough, glib, Boston private detective who was the hero of nearly 40 novels, died on Monday at home in Cambridge, Mass. He was 77.
The cause was a heart attack, said his agent of 37 years, Helen Brann. She said Mr. Parker had been thought to be in splendid health, and that he died at his desk, working on a book. He wrote every single day, she said.
We send our condolences to his family and friends during this sad time.
Kirkus Staff Will Be Gone By End of Year Publisher's Weeklyreports that Kirkus Revies staff will all be gone by the end of the year. The book review service is being closed by its owner Nielson. Nielson is also closing Editor and Publisher.
Although it is unclear when the last issue of Kirkus Reviews will be published, the staff for the prepub book review will be gone by the end of the year, a spokesperson for parent company Nielsen Business Media said. On Thursday morning, Nielsen announced that Kirkus, along with Editor & Publisher, will cease operations while the company sells its core business-to-business magazines to the newly formed investment group e5 Global Media Holdings. There are no plans to run online Kirkus reviews or a strategy to try to keep the Kirkus brand alive. It is also uncertain what Nielsen will do with the Kirkus review archive. A total of 18 people worked at Kirkus and E&P.
Nielson is also closing Editor and Publisher, which will also throw all those employees out of work. The company is selling eight other publications, including The Hollywood Reporter. But so far it is retaining The Bookseller.
Doubleday announced Tuesday that hardcover, audio and e-book sales for The Lost Symbol topped 2 million copies for its first week of release in the United States, Britain and Canada. The total is "well over" 2 million for English-language editions worldwide, according to Doubleday spokeswoman Suzanne Herz, who declined to offer a specific number.
Doubleday announced Tuesday that hardcover, audio and e-book sales for The Lost Symbol topped 2 million copies for its first week of release in the United States, Britain and Canada. The total is "well over" 2 million for English-language editions worldwide, according to Doubleday spokeswoman Suzanne Herz, who declined to offer a specific number.
Herz did say that around 5%, or 100,000 copies, of The Lost Symbol were sold as e-books. Doubleday released the digital edition at the same time as the hardcover despite industry worries that e-sales might take away business from the more expensive paper text.
Amazon.com reported last week that first-day sales for The Lost Symbol were higher on its Kindle e-reader than in hard cover. E-books, a fast-growing portion of an otherwise slow market, have been estimated at anywhere between 1% to 5% of total sales.
The results are an all-time high for Random House, Inc. The Lost Symbol has now outsold Bill Clinton's memoir which was released in 2004. Of course, nothing compares to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which sold a whopping 8 million copies.
The Lost Symbol Breaks Sales Records
Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is breaking
sales records already: it has sold over one million copies in its first day of release. The e-book version for the Kindle is the top seller at Amazon.com.
Suzanne Herz of Knopf Doubleday says that this kind of fervent response was absolutely what the publisher expected. "There is no comparison," she said, between The Lost Symbol's success and the early sales of Brown's other novels. Anticipating massive demand, the publisher had to go back to press immediately prior to release in order to print an additional 600,000 copies (bringing the total number to 5.6 million).
According to Carolyn Brown, spokeswoman for Barnes & Noble, the book exploded past previous first-day records. "No other adult fiction title even comes close."
Brown's sequel to his massively successful 2003 hit, The Da Vinci Code, a cultural symbol in its own right, finds his popular protagonist Robert Langdon back in the United States, returned from his two-book European vacation, and faced with another series of cryptic clues and shadowy goings-on. Fans are clearly excited at the prospect of another go-round with their favorite (likely by default) Harvard symbologist. Like one of Brown's beloved ambigrams, whether read backwards or forwards, this spells major success for the author.
Publishers have been worried that the simultaneous sale of the ebook version would cannibalize print sales, but that doesn't seem to have happened in this case. It sounds like just about every Kindle owner ordered The Lost Symbol.
Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon.com to Oppose Google Book Settlement
The Google Book Settlement is now facing even more objections. In addition to a class action suit filed in Manhattan by attorney and author Scott Grant, Google is now facing much bigger foes. Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon.com have all teamed up to object to the settlement.
Peter Brantley, a director at coalition co-founder Internet Archive said the group, whose members will be formally disclosed in the next couple of weeks, is being co-led by Gary Reback, a Silicon Valley lawyer involved in the Department of Justice's antitrust investigation against Microsoft Corp. last decade. Microsoft, Amazon.com Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have agreed to join the group. Mr. Reback did not reply to requests for comment.
Microsoft and Yahoo confirmed their participation. Amazon declined to comment.
The coalition is the latest sign that Google's rapid ascent has made it a prime target for competitors, just as Microsoft was reviled as the industry's bully in the 1990s.
*****
The U.S. Justice Department and state attorneys general are continuing to investigate the settlement and have been discussing their concerns with Google, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers. The Justice Department sent the U.S. District Court reviewing the agreement a letter last month saying that it was investigating the agreement. The court gave the Justice Department until Sept. 18 to submit any concerns in writing.
But some of Google's close commercial rivals have held their fire publicly, while sharing their views with regulators.
Aha, so that's what's been going on. Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo have actually been very upset by the deal all along. But instead of going to the press, they went to the Justice Department. Interesting.
Google defended the settlement in a statement, saying: "The Google Books settlement is injecting more competition into the digital books space, so it's understandable why our competitors might fight hard to prevent more competition."
Ebook of The Lost Symbol to be Released Simultaneously With Hardcover The New York Timesreports that the ebook version of Dan Brown's upcoming novel, The Lost Symbol will be released at the same time the hardback is released. Doubleday said earlier this year that it was still considering the timing of the ebook.
In an email message this morning, Suzanne Herz, a spokeswoman for Knopf Doubleday, said, "Now that all of our security and logistical issues surrounding the e-book of The Lost Symbol have been resolved, the e-book will be released simultaneously with the hardcover on September 15."
The publishing industry is worried that ebooks, which cost around $10, will cannibalize the sale of hardcover books, which retail for close to $35 in some cases. But Doubleday feels it has the security issues under control and is moving forward with the simultaneous release. It is planning on printing 5 million copies of the hardcover.
ABC to Publish Novel Tie-in For Hit Show Castle ABC is going to publish a book to go with the second season of Castle. In the series Nathan Fillion plays bestselling mystery author Richard Castle. The first chapter of a mystery novel titled Heat Wave written by the fictional author Richard Castle will debut on ABC's website in August. The Hollywood Reporterreports that ABC will publish a chapter of the book each week and then publish the full novel in September.
The network will post the first half of the book, a chapter a week, for 10 weeks. The full novel will be published Sept. 29 by Disney sister company Hyperion. The story apparently is a stand-alone mystery with cross-over elements to the on-screen story.
The network teamed with Hyperion for 2006's "Lost" tie-in "Bad Twin" and "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer," which tied in to the ABC miniseries "Rose Red." Both sold quite well. The real author of "Heat Wave" is not being unveiled.
It sounds like a smart tie-in for ABC. Fans of the show would probably buy a book by Richard Castle.
Bestselling Irish author Michael Scott amps up the excitement
in this third book in a projected six book series about the
legendary Alchemyst Nicholas Flamel and American twins Josh and
Sophie, who are the twins of legend with the power to save or
destroy the world. In The Sorceress Sophie and Josh must master
more of the elemental magics and defeat John Dee and the Archon
Cerunnos. They hope to continue their training with Gilgamesh,
the immortal king, who knows all the magic in the world, but
cannot use it. Jumping from Paris to London to the island of
Alcatraz near San Francisco, this is a fantastic entry in a
series that keeps getting better.
Nobody does scientific adventure like bestselling author James Rollins.
Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force returns with their most
exciting mission yet. Three bizarre murders around the world
send Pierce and the two women in his life into a race against
time to solve a riddle going back centuries, to a ghastly
crime against humanity hidden within a cryptic medieval codex.
The first piece of the puzzle is discovered inside a mummified
corpse buried in an English peat bog -- a gruesome secret that
threatens America and the world. This is the perfect summer
read for fans of Indiana Jones and the books of Dan Brown.
Jack Reacher returns in Lee Child's unstoppable thriller which
begins with a simple ride on a subway in New York City. Reacher's
military training tells him that he's sitting across from a
suicide bomber: every one of the Israeli counterintelligence
behavior indicators are there. But what if he's wrong? The
incident puts him on a trail of deadly terrorists and at the
center of dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Dr. David A. Kessler is a former FDA Commissioner and in
his new book he charges that the food industry has colluded
in creating modern processed foods that people literally
cannot resist. He says that conditioned hypereating is a
biological challenge, not a character flaw. It is not a matter
of willpower, it is a result of being conditioned
to eat certain types of food which trigger irresistible
cravings. He promotes a plan to help avoid the food industry's
lures and reduce people's cravings for junk food.
Michael Connelly Signs Five Book Deal WIth Little, Brown Publishers Weeklyreports that Little, Brown has signed a new five-book deal with bestselling author Michael Connelly. PW says Little, Brown publisher Michael Pietsch cut the deal with Philip Spitzer.
Connelly's current novel, The Scarecrow, is garnering rave reviews from ciritics. You can see some of the reviews here, here, here and here. The setting for the novel is a dying newspaper, which is something journalists today are all too familiar with.
Michael Connelly's next book, Nine Dragons, will be released in October.
2009 Edgar Award Winners
The winners of the 2009 Edgar Awards - annual awards given by Mystery Writers of America - have been announced. Here's the list of winners.
Book Espresso Machine Launches in London
A new Book Espresso Machine launched
in London Friday. The machine will print any of 500,000 books for you in five minutes.
It's not elegant and it's not sexy – it looks like a large photocopier – but the Espresso Book Machine is being billed as the biggest change for the literary world since Gutenberg invented the printing press more than 500 years ago and made the mass production of books possible. Launching today at Blackwell's Charing Cross Road branch in London, the machine prints and binds books on demand in five minutes, while customers wait.
Signalling the end, says Blackwell, to the frustration of being told by a bookseller that a title is out of print, or not in stock, the Espresso offers access to almost half a million books, from a facsimile of Lewis Carroll's original manuscript for Alice in Wonderland to Mrs Beeton's Book of Needlework. Blackwell hopes to increase this to over a million titles by the end of the summer – the equivalent of 23.6 miles of shelf space, or over 50 bookshops rolled into one. The majority of these books are currently out-of-copyright works, but Blackwell is working with publishers throughout the UK to increase access to in-copyright writings, and says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Alas, the machine does not serve you an espresso while you wait, which we think is most disappointing.
Two Michael Crichton Books to be Published Posthumously
Two new Michael Crichton books will be published
posthumously. Harper Collins made the announcement:
The first, Pirate Latitudes, will be published on November 24, 2009; the second, as yet untitled, will be published in Fall 2010.
Pirate Latitudes is an adventure story about piracy in the New World. Set in 1665, when Jamaica was a British colony holding out against Spanish dominance, the story centers on a plan hatched by the island's governor and a notorious pirate called Hunter to raid a Spanish treasure galleon. Fast-moving and suspenseful, Pirate Latitudes is a historical classic from one of America's best-loved authors. The novel was discovered amongst Crichton's files and was written contemporaneously with Next, published in 2006.
Jonathan Burnham, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Harper, says, Pirate Latitudes is a fantastically enjoyable and light-hearted adventure yarn about pirates and profiteers in 17th century Jamaica. It is deeply researched and full of lively historical detail, and it shows Crichton going back to the territory he explored in novels such as The Great Train Robbery - old-fashioned entertainment, with a twist."
In Fall 2010, Harper will publish his latest techno thriller which explores the outer edges of new science and technology in the way that only Michael Crichton knew how. The new novel will be based on the development of Crichton's narrative on notes and files. "It is some consolation to the millions of Crichton fans out there that two or possibly more works are in the offing, and that the amazing legacy he has left behind him will be reinvigorated by these new novels" adds Burnham.
Michael Crichton was born in 1942 and died in November 2008. His bestselling novels include State of Fear, Prey, The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park and Timeline. He was also the creator of ER.
There's no word yet as to who will be completing Crichton's last techno-thriller.
ABA Announces Layoffs
The recession has American Booksellers Association ("ABA"). The ABA announced that it is laying
off staff and implementing other cost-cutting measures.
In another sign of the economic times, the ABA announced that it is taking various steps, among them reducing its staff and instituting a hiring freeze, to scale back operating costs. The decisions, which came out of the ABA board meeting last week in Salt Lake City, will result in a 12% staff reduction (equivalent to at least five full-time positions) through attrition; suspending contributions to employees' 401(k) and SEP plans; and eliminating all discretionary travel and discretionary spending. The ABA also intends to deliver educational programs electronically, through webinars and other "web-based communication." The cutbacks have also led to the cancellation of the group's spring forum schedule and a revamping of employees' medical benefits.
Gayle Shanks, the president of the ABA also announced that the cost savings will allow the organization to cut membership fees by 50% in 2009. The goal is to help as many bookstores weather the recession as possible.
Ron Howard Says Dan Brown Finished Writing The Solomon Key Director Ron Howard said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Dan Brown had finished writing the third Robert Langdon novel. However, Reuters reports that a Doubleday spokesperson would only say that Brown is "making great progress."
Celebrity television show "Entertainment Tonight" said movie director Ron Howard told the program in an interview that Brown has completed his third book based on the fictional, mystery-solving Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.
Howard made the 2006 film adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code" with Tom Hanks playing Langdon.
But late in the day, a spokeswoman for Brown's publisher Doubleday, would say only that Brown "is making great progress," stopping short of a full confirmation or denial.
"We do not yet have a title or publication date to share," added spokeswoman Suzanne Herz. Doubleday is a unit of Bertelsmann AG.
We look forward to reading The Solomon Key whenever it becomes available. It has been over five years since The Da Vinci Code was released. In the meantime there's Angels & Demons which will be in theatres this May.
Grisham Close to Ebook Deal
John Grisham is one of the few bestselling authors whose books are not available in ebook form. But all that is about to change as Grisham is close to closing a deal with Random House to put all his books in electronic form, including the format for the Kindle.
"There was a period when John and I felt it was a good idea to watch the world of e-books evolve before diving in," said David Gernert, Mr. Grisham's longtime literary agent. "Now that it's a more mature marketplace, he will be available very soon in all digital formats."
Earlier this week, Amazon introduced an updated version of the Kindle. Although many current best-sellers are available for $9.99 on the Kindle, Mr. Grisham's newest novel, "The Associate," a legal thriller that ranks No. 1 on The Wall Street Journal list of fiction best-sellers, isn't for sale.
A spokeswoman for Random House declined to comment except to say, "We would be thrilled by the opportunity to publish all of John Grisham's books in e-book format." Mr. Grisham's hardcover titles are published by Random House's Doubleday imprint, his paperbacks are published by Random House's Dell imprint and his audiobooks are published by Random House's audio unit.
Albert N. Greco, a professor at the Fordham Graduate School of Business who studies the book industry, said there weren't any reliable consumer revenue figures for e-books. But they are widely considered one of the fastest-growing segments of the book-publishing business at a time when the industry is being crippled by the recession.
Now that Amazon has launched the new Kindle, ebook sales will continue to grow. Grisham is smart to get on board the ebook train.
British Author John Mortimer Dead at 85
Bestselling British author John Mortimer, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey has died. He was 85.
Mortimer's family said he died early in the morning at his home in the Chiltern Hills northwest of London, with his wife and children at his side. They did not disclose the cause of death.
Mortimer combined a career as a lawyer with a large literary output that included dozens of screen and stage plays and radio dramas.
His most famous creation was Horace Rumpole, a cigar-smoking, wine-loving barrister who appeared in a TV series and a string of novels and stories.
Tony Lacey, Mortimer's editor at publisher Viking, said it's hard to think he's gone.
2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominees
Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has announced the nominees for 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. This year is also the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. Here are the nominees for the Best Novel and Best First Novel categories.
Current Book Giveaways
The new book giveaways co-sponsored with our sister site, WritersWrite.com,
include:
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection DVD Box Set.
Fans of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective
who solves crimes using his little grey cells, will adore this
fabulous boxed set of the BBC series which starred the brilliant
David Suchet.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books,
3rd Edition by Harold D. Underdown (Alpha Books)
A Silent Ocean Away by DeVa Gantt (Avon), a breathtaking
saga of an extraordinary American family.
Roads to Quoz: An American Mosey
by William Least Heat-Moon, an ingenious and mirthful exploration
of small-town America. (Little, Brown)
**The new (optional) Book Giveaway Question is:
"It's time once again for our annual New Year's Resolutions.
But instead of thinking of New Year's Resolutions for yourself
(how boring!), why not think up some for other people? What New
Year's Resolutions would you make for anyone in the public eye
(e.g., pop stars, paparazzi, professional athletes, politicians,
actors, authors, television programming decision-makers, book
publishers etc.)? What would you like to see any of these people
change about themselves or their policies (if they are decision-
makers for the country) in 2009?"
There's no entry fee of any kind and all email addresses are kept strictly confidential. Winners are selected monthly from a
random draw. The entry form for the Book Giveaways can be found here.
Stephen King Talks Best Books of 2008 Stephen King has shared with Entertainment Weekly his ten favorite books of 2008. In the Entertainment Weekly magazine King's list is probably all nicely laid out on one page but online EW has annoyingly seperated into ten parts as the online version of magazines so often do. You can find it here. Some of King's picks include Kate Atkinson's When Will There Be Good News?, Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Good Guy by Dean Koontz. King's also reading all of Robert Goddard's mystery/suspense novels.
I discovered Goddard, a British mystery/suspense novelist, last year, almost by accident. In Pale Battalions, his second novel, was the first book I read on my new Kindle. Since then I've read eight more and have about seven to go. I'll parcel them out, because they're too good to gulp. There are missing heirs, stolen fortunes, mistaken identities, raffish con men, hot sex, and cold-blooded murder.
Stephen King also says that The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III is "terrifying, unputdownable, and the best novel so far about 9/11."
The Christian Science Monitor has also published King's top ten list is an easier to read layout.
Random House Expands Ebook Offerings
Random House has announced
plans to expand its ebook library.
Random House has announced plans to add 6,000 backlist titles to its current e-book library. With these additions, Random House will have nearly 15,000 titles available in the digital format. (The house, which is the biggest trade publisher in the world, is already one of the largest e-book publishers.) Random will also, for the first time, make its entire catalog of both new and existing titles, available in the emerging standard format for the industry, e-Pub.
Among the titles being digitzed, which include those from the children's and adult divisions, are books by Philip K. Dick, Harlan Coben, Louis L'Amour, John Updike, Mary Pope Osborne and Barbara Park. Markus Dohle, chairman and CEO of Random, said the publisher is "making significant investments in the digital future" with moves such as this one.
The digital movement has been much slower than many in the industry expected. But with the advent of the Kindle and the Sony ebook reader, finally ebooks are starting to take off.
Now if they could just solve the lithium ion battery life problem, we'd be all set. We are so tired of lining up all our devices at night to charge them up for the next day. Cell phone, laptop, blackberry -- it's like a little row of electronic soldiers getting rested for the day ahead. We want portable batteries that last for a month at a time. Or more.
Dutton Buys Digi-Novel for Millions
Publisher Dutton has paid millions
for a digi-novel by Anthony Zuiker, the creator of the CSI tv series. The series is three books with a companion website to promote interactivity.
Zuiker's chapters will close with codes that readers can use online to unlock "motion picture footage" that continues the storyline from the book. The deal, for world rights, was made by president and publisher of Dutton, Brian Tart, with a littany of players: Dan Strone, CEO of Trident Media, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Morris Yorn and Barnes & Levine and CAA.
Zuiker's story, of a government investigator named Steve Dark who goes rogue after his family is murdered by a drug kingpin, will, as Dutton noted, "move from books to film to the web with ease." Although the house called the deal "unprecedented in the publishing industry," it mimics, on some level, what Scholatsic is trying to achieve with its much-hyped multimedia project, The 39 Clues.
In addition to online film clips, the multimedia effort will include a web-based community portal with different characters and more spin-off storylines. According to Dutton, the portal will be a place readers can "consume countless ancillary levels of story enrichment." Tart said the best way to think of Zuiker's forthcoming work, slated to launch in fall 2009, is as "storytelling 2.0."
It's an interesting concept. Television and book fans already flock to the web to read more about their favorite stories and characters, so it's a natural progression for storytelling.
The Last Oracle by James Rollins (William Morrow), the spine-
tingling new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author
of Black Order and Map of Bones.
This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosely (Little, Brown),
the must-have writing guide from the bestselling author of the
Easy Rawlins and Fearless Jones mystery series.
Don't Make Me Choose Between You and My Shoes by
Dixie Cash (Avon), the hilarious new chick lit novel about two
Texas female private investigators/hairdressers that head for
New York City in search of some fun and some fabulous shoes.
The Write Type: Discover Your True Writer's Identity and
Create a Customized Writing Plan by Karen E. Peterson, Ph.D.
(Adamas Media)
**The new (optional) Book Giveaway Question is:
"U.S. swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps eats
12,000 calories a day and trains five hours a day. A typical
breakfast for him consists of three fried-egg sandwiches loaded
with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.
He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelet,
a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with
powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes. If you were
an Olympic swimmer forced to eat that much, what would you
have for breakfast? What about dinner? In this hypothetical
exercise, you will never gain an ounce, have any adverse
health effects, you're pretty much always hungry and your
sponsors are paying your food bills."
There's no entry fee of any kind and all email addresses are kept strictly confidential. Winners are selected monthly from a
random draw. The entry form for the Book Giveaways can be found here.
Daniel Silva Plays by the Moscow Rules
Journalist and bestselling author Daniel Silva talks to MSNBC's David Gregory about his fantastic new thriller, Moscow Rules. We just finished the book -- it's an absolute must-read this summer. Brilliant art restorer and sometime Israeli spy Gabriel Allon heads to the New Russia to stop a terrorist attack against the West. Along the way, we learn quite a bit about the supposedly defunct KGB's stranglehold in this so-called "democracy." Take a look:
Larry Block Visits Craig Ferguson
Larry Block appeared on the Craig Fersguson show to talk about his new book, Hit and Run (William Morrow). The book features the continuing adventures of Keller, the hit man you love to love. Well, we love him anyways. We feel he's really a good guy, even though he kills people for money. That, of course, is how you know Larry is such an exceptional writer. Because we actually don't approve of murder at all.
Reviewing Child 44 by Tom Robb Smith
Everyone knows that the younger generation has embraced the technological revolution. They blog, they twitter, they plurk, they post -- sometimes wildly inappropriate -- videos on YouTube. Well, one enterprising young woman who calls herself amanduh111112 (let's call her Amanda instead, shall we?) decided to post a serious book review on YouTube. Her review of Child 44 by Tom Robb Smith is enthusiastic and sincere. She tells us it's a thriller. And that the many characters are kind of confusing, although she thinks that in a proper thriller, the characters are supposed to be kind of confusing.
She does warn about the graphic violence and tells readers to "censor themselves" if the gore bothers them. She doesn't mention the setting or the plot, but a quick bit of research that the book is a police procedural set in Stalinist USSR in 1953, which will appeal to those that enjoyed the excellent Gorky Park. It appears that Amanda's enthusiasm is well-deserved:
Publisher's Weekly gives it a starred review. But Amanda's review is more fun to watch.
A Birthday Book For the Prince of Wales
Prince Charles is getting a fabulous gift: a book will be published in honor of his 60th birthday which will be contributed to by some of the top authors of today. J.K. Rowling will be contributing to the project.
Reps for JKR have now confirmed to TLC that there will indeed be an extract of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows contained in this new book, along with two new illustrations of the story from author and artist Quentin Blake. Along with the contribution from Jo, others such as Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson are contributing to the birthday book for The Prince of Wales, with new material due from Philip Ardagh and Anthony Horowitz. In addition to the new illustrations from Quentin Blake, other artists contributing are Axel Scheffler, Posy Simmonds and Emily Gravett. The Birthday Book will be published on November 6, with all proceeds to benefit The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts, a charity which”provides schoolchildren with opportunities to visit theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries."
We think it's a marvelous idea that will raise lots of money. And it's not like Prince Charles really needs anything material: this is the kind of gift that will really be appreciated.
Denzel Washington Attached to The Matarese Circle
Denzel Washington is attached
to the film version of The Matarese Circle, the bestselling thriller by Robert Ludlum. After the success of the Bourne Identity and subsequent film starring Matt Damon, studio execs are looking for another top spy franchise.
The project, "The Matarese Circle," revolves around two secret agents -- an American and a Russian -- who must work together to fight a mysterious group of killers known as the Matarese. The twist: The agents, Bradley Scofield and Vasili Taleniekov, have been nemeses for years, with each responsible for killing someone close to the other. According to those familiar with the pitch, Washington would play Scofield.
Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, the scribes behind Lionsgate's "3:10 to Yuma" and upcoming Universal tentpole "Wanted," are attached as writers. Veteran producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler are on board as producers.
Nearly all the major studios have heard at least a version of the pitch, with several thought to be keenly interested; however, no deal had been struck.
After decades during which the late Ludlum's novels failed to gain big screen traction, the thriller novelist is now hot in Hollywood. Universal's "Bourne" series, based on his globehopping Cold War novels and with Damon as the title character, has earned more than $900 million worldwide.
We think Denzel is a perfect lead for this project. Because he's starting to freak us out with how amazing he is at playing really bad guys. Think Training Day and American Gangster. We're ready to see Denzel as a world-class spy. Time to hit the gym!
Judging Your Date By His Taste In Books
The New York Times examines
the role that one's reading taste plays in dating. Mostly the article regales us with stories of of those who dumped prospective partners whose reading taste
wasn't highbrow enough.
At least since Dante's Paolo and Francesca fell in love over tales of Lancelot, literary taste has been a good shorthand for gauging compatibility. These days, thanks to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, listing your favorite books and authors is a crucial, if risky, part of self-branding. When it comes to online dating, even casual references can turn into deal breakers. Sussing out a date's taste in books is "actually a pretty good way -- as a sort of first pass -- of getting a sense of someone," said Anna Fels, a Manhattan psychiatrist and the author of Necessary Dreams: Ambition in Women's Changing Lives. "It's a bit of a Rorschach test." To Fels (who happens to be married to the literary publisher and writer James Atlas), reading habits can be a rough indicator of other qualities. "It tells something about ... their level of intellectual curiosity, what their style is," Fels said. "It speaks to class, educational level."
Naming a favorite book or author can be fraught. Go too low, and you risk looking dumb. Go too high, and you risk looking like a bore -- or a phony. "Manhattan dating is a highly competitive, ruthlessly selective sport," Augusten Burroughs, the author of Running With Scissors and other vivid memoirs, said. "Generally, if a guy had read a book in the last year, or ever, that was good enough." The author recalled a date with one Michael, a "robust blond from Germany." As he walked to meet him outside Dean & DeLuca, "I saw, to my horror, an artfully worn, older-than-me copy of Proust by Samuel Beckett." That, Burroughs claims, was a deal breaker. "If there existed a more hackneyed, achingly obvious method of telegraphing one's education, literary standards and general intelligence, I couldn't imagine it."
An "artfully worn" copy of Proust is apparently the death knell for a blind date. If you want to snag a second date with a member of the literati, by all means, leave the Beckett at home. In any event, showing up for a blind date with a book in hand is remarkably odd behavior.
Current Book Giveaways The new book giveaways sponsored by our sister sites, ReadersRead.com and WritersWrite.com, include:
The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands (Avon), the funny,
sexy story of a woman who never intended to wind up being
the only vampire in a small town.
The Alpine Traitor by Mary Daheim (Ballantine), the
charming new Emma Lord mystery.
What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman (HarperCollins),
the gripping crime novel that won the Quill Award.
Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer
Can Afford to Ignore by Elizabeth Lyon (Penguin).
**The new (optional) Book Giveaway Question is:
"Lately there has been a rash of bestselling and critically
praised memoirs that turned out to be total fiction. Some of the
latest fake memoir stories included a man who vastly exaggerated
his tale of drug addiction (A Million Little Pieces by James
Frey), a wealthy white Valley Girl who wrote that she was a
biracial gangbanger in Los Angeles (Love and Consequences by
Margaret B. Jones) , and a woman who pretended that she was
adopted by wolves in the forest who helped her escape the Nazis
during World War II (Misha: A Memoir of the Holocaust Years
by Misha Defonseca). The one thing these stories all had in common
was their wild, unusual storylines that made them fun to read.
(Some people think that the wild storylines should have tipped
off publishers that the books were fiction). Have these
scandals made you more skeptical about reading autobiographies
and memoirs? If you were going to write your fake memoir, who
would you pretend to be? What bizarre life experiences would
you pretend to have had? Do you think you could fool a book
publisher (or Oprah) into believing your story was true?"
There's no entry fee of any kind and all email addresses are kept strictly confidential. Winners are selected monthly from a random draw. The entry form for the Book Giveaways can be found here.
David Levien Talks Suspense
Novelist David Levien discusses his latest suspense novel, City of the Sun, with the Wall Street Journal's Bob Hughes in the video below. USA Todaysays the book "radiates anguish" - it deals with a child who disappears while running his paper delivery route.
Levien also discusses his transition from screenwriter to novelist. Levien was the co-screenwriter of Ocean's Thirteen and Runaway Jury.
Levien would like to see the book made into the film but he admits the film will have to be pared down compared to the book. Levien says he is is playing another crime novel with PI Frank Behr.
Audible Shareholders Unhappy About Sale to Amazon. Shareholders of Audible.com are quite unhappy
about the company's proposed sale to Amazon.com for only $11.50 a share.
Shareholders of Audible.com are making noise about the company's proposed $300 million sale to Amazon.com.
Red Oak Partners, a New York City hedge fund that owns 1.4 percent of Audible shares, denounced the proposed $11.50 per share sale in a letter dated March 6 to the chief executive of Audible, calling the terms "inadequate" and "below fair value."
The critique from portfolio manager David Sandberg follows the filing of a class-action lawsuit February 20 in the Superior Court of New Jersey that charged six of Audible's directors with breaching their fiduciary duties with the aid of Amazon.
In trading Friday afternoon, shares of Amazon.com gained $.18, or .3 percent, to $62.92, while Audible edged up $.01, or .1 percent, to $11.47.
In the letter addressed to Audible Chief Executive Donald Katz, Mr. Sandberg called a valuation analysis by investment bank Allen & Company "flawed."
From March through July 2007, Allen & Company offered Audible to a dozen potential suitors for $12.50 per share. In a later analysis, however, Allen trimmed its assessment of Audible's worth to $11.50. Amazon, which last year introduced its Kindle digital book reader, announced the Audible acquisition in January.
Mr. Sandberg said Allen & Company trimmed Audible's valuation "despite a year in which Audible grew its revenues by 34 percent and added $0.50 per share in cash to its balance sheet.
The Red Oak letter also questioned the $2.62 million fee charged by Allen & Company.
Nearly 20% of Audible's revenue comes from the sale of content through the iTunes online store. The contract with iTunes runs through 2010 and the company says its sales are booming.
Regardless of the sharedholders' unhappiness, the deal is likely to be approved.
New DVD Picks: Becoming Jane and Gone Baby Gone
Now out on DVD are two great movies: Becoming Jane and Gone Baby Gone. Becoming Jane is a marvelous look at Jane Austen's life. The film explores her romance with a penniless Irishman (who in real life later became a very famous judge who wrote quite wistfully about his friendship with Ms. Austen). But Jane's family was very poor and the Irish lawyer had to make a good living to take care of his family back home. Anne Hathaway shines as Jane and James McAvoy is delightful as the charming Tom Lefray. The story is funny, imaginative and thoroughly entertaining.
A totally different kind of film is Gone Baby Gone, which is based on the bestselling novel by Dennis Lehane. Ben Affleck made his directing debut and it's clear he has a great future in the director's chair. Two young private detectives (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) are hired to find a missing little girl. The performances are outstanding, especially Casey Affleck's. This is a gripping crime drama that fans of Dennis Lehane shouldn't miss. The DVD offers lots of bonus features, including an extended ending, behind the scenes clips and commentary by Ben Affleck.
Our sister site, Shopping Blog, is giving away a set of the two films. You can enter the giveaway here.
Novelist Phyllis A. Whitney Dies at Age 104
Novelist Phyllis A. Whitney, the author of numerous romantic suspense novels, has died at age 104. Whitney wrote her last novel, Amethyst Dreams, in 1997 but she had been writing her autobiography according to the AP story.
Whitney died last Friday in a Charlottesville hospital, not far from her home in Nelson County, her son-in-law, Ed Pearson, said Thursday.
Whitney wrote more than 75 books, including three textbooks, and had about a hundred short stories published since the 1940s.
"I've slowed down in that I only write one book a year," she said in a 1989 interview with The Associated Press, when she was 85. "A writer is what I am."
Whitney's last novel, "Amethyst Dreams," was published in 1997. She began working on her autobiography at 102.
Phyllis Whitney won the Edgar Allan Poe Award twice for her juvenile mystery fiction. She was named the Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1988. The New York Times also has an obituary for Phyllis Whitney. You can find more information about her books and her full biography here on her website.
The Real Kay Scarpetta Is Retiring
The woman who was the inspiration for Patricia Cornwell's famous character,
Kay Scarpetta, has retired
at the age of 66. Virginia's chief medical examiner, Dr. Marcella Fierro, gave an interview to the young author who then went on to write many bestsellers starring fictional medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. The two became friends over the years.
Fierro, whose last day was Monday, worked on some of the nation's most notorious crimes, including the Virginia Tech massacre and Richmond's Southside Strangler killings. And though she would never admit it, many would argue she was the catalyst for the explosion of forensic-science TV shows, movies and books.
In 1984, Cornwell, then an aspiring writer, got an appointment with Fierro to ask questions about what a medical examiner does. Fierro became the inspiration for Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the heroine of what would prove to be a string of best-selling thrillers for Cornwell.
"I would not be where I am today in my life were it not for Dr. Fierro," Cornwell says.
Kay Scarpetta is chief medical examiner of Virginia, at least in Cornwell's earlier novels. But aside from their jobs and penchant for Italian food, Fierro sees little resemblance between her and the fictional doctor.
"Kay is blond, blue-eyed and 115 pounds," she says dryly. "I've never been blond, I have brown eyes, and I haven't weighed 115 pounds since I was 12."
Cornwell sees a stronger connection.
"What she does have in common with Marcella is this amazing database between her ears, a tremendous compassion for the victims, and she will fight to the death for them," Cornwell says. "She has always been a tremendous advocate for those who can no longer speak for themselves."
*****
Fierro, who has been married to her college sweetheart for 41 years, favors romantic comedies, thinks the CBS series "Numb3rs" is "the cat's meow," and devours thrillers. She is indifferent toward the "CSI" series. And she can't tolerate violent movies or TV shows.
"I cannot find a shooting or a stabbing entertaining. I simply can't," she says. "My frame of reference — absolutely wrong for gore."
It's hard to imagine that the hard-boiled medical examiner can't even sit through a play or movie that has violence in it, but that's what Patricia Cornwell says about her longtime friend. Dr. Fiero may be retired, but she will live on in Cornwell's books.
Minnesota Tops Most Literate Cities List
The new list
of America's most literate cities is out: the citizens of Minneapolis and Seattle are the most well-read.
The survey focused on 69 U.S. cities with populations of 250,000 or above. Jack Miller of Central Connecticut State University chose six key indicators to rank literacy. These included newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment and Internet resources.
Overall, the top 10 most literate (and wired) cities included:
Some cities that didn't make it to the overall top 10, however, did strut their stuff in one of the six key literacy indicators. For instance, while Newark, N.J., was the 49th most literate city overall, it shared the top spot for newspaper circulation with Washington, D.C.
Plano, Texas, ranking 51st on the overall most-literate-city list, came in second for educational attainment. The education ranking included two factors: the percentage of the city's adult population with a high school diploma or higher and those with a bachelor's degree or higher.
How did your city stand up to the competition? Even if it did poorly, you can still consider yourself a beacon of literacy in an illiterate town.
Walter Mosley Signs With Riverhead
Bestselling author Walter Mosley has signed a new three book deal with Riverhead Books. Two of the books will be part of a new mystery series Mr. Mosley is launching that will feature Leonid McGill, an African-American private investigator based in contemporary New York City. The character was first introduced by Mr. Mosley in his short story, "Karma," which was included in the Best American Mystery Stories of 2006 anthology. The first book in the series will be published in hardcover in 2009. NAL will publish the title in paperback version in 2010. The author will also write a literary novel for Riverhead.
Sean McDonald said of the deal: "I've long thought of Walter Mosley as one of the great American writers. His work is consistently provocative and exciting, delivered with a style and power that is uniquely his own. I'm absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him."
Geoffrey Kloske said, "We feel privileged to be launching a brand new series by such an internationally revered author. And we're very excited that he has decided to join the ranks of Riverhead's award-winning, bestselling family of writers."
Walter Mosley said, "I'm very happy that Geoffrey, Sean, and their excellent team have agreed to take me and my work on. It feels like a perfect fit and I'm looking forward to delving into the writing and the work that comes after the writing. I have every expectation that this will be a revelatory and deeply satisfying journey."
Walter Mosley is the author of twenty-seven critically acclaimed books and his work has been translated into twenty-three languages. His popular mysteries featuring Easy Rawlins began with Devil in a Blue Dress, which was
made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Jennifer Beals.
Coming Soon Books Updated
The Reader's Roundup section on readersread.com has been updated. The Reader's Roundup includes lists of new hardcover releases and lists of upcoming books that can be pre-ordered.
Here is a list of some of the upcoming titles:
Dragon Harper by Anne McCaffrey, Todd J. McCaffrey (December)
The Appeal by John Grisham (January)
The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky (January)
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography by Andrew Morton (Januar)
Unboxing the Kindle
Robert Scoble was so excited to receive his new Amazon Kindle ebook reader that he videotaped the exciting unboxing. The Kindle reviews seem to be falling into two camps: 1) the hardcore tech peeps who don't like it because they prefer a multi-use device that functions as an ebook/phone/pda/computer/espresso maker and 2) the hardcore readers who love it because it does one thing and does it very well -- allow you to instantly buy books from Amazon.com using your existing account and be able to carry around hundreds of books with you when you're on the go.
You can find out more about the Kindle (or buy one) at
Amazon.com. They are really selling out; they are now on backorder until December 6th so you might want to hurry if it's part of your holiday shopping plans.
The Kindle Has Landed
The Kindle has landed. It's finally here -- the Kindle has landed. Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com kept a veil of secrecy around the much-hyped ebook reader until the official launch. The ebook reader, which we earlier described here, retails for $399. It uses electronic ink, like the Sony ebook reader, which is very easy to read. The biggest selling point is that your purchase price also buys you free wireless connectivity to Amazon.com: you have the largest selection of books online right at your fingertips. You can buy and download a new book in minutes, and all the books cost $9.99 or less.
A number of bestselling authors have been trying out the device and are giving it rave reviews. We haven't tried it out yet, but we were quite impressed with bestselling author Neil Gaiman's (Stardust, American Gods, Sandman) incredibly positive review. Neil loves his technology and he wouldn't say it was great if it wasn't. See his video
here. See the new Kindle and read all the specs
here.
Oprah Goes Medieval Oprah has chosen a very interesting book for her new Book Club Selection:
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (New American Library). The writer of thrillers writes out of his normal genre to tackle the political and social issues of Medieval Europe. The focus of the book is the building of great cathedral. Here's what Publisher's Weekly said about the title:
Follett's depiction of the precarious balance of power between monarchy and religion in the Middle Ages, and of the effects of social upheavals and the forces of nature (storms, famines) on political events; his ability to convey the fine points of architecture so that the cathedral becomes clearly visualized in the reader's mind; and above all, his portrayals of the enduring human emotions of ambition, greed, bravery, dedication, revenge and love, result in a highly engrossing narrative. Manipulating a complex plot in which the characters interact against a broad canvas of medieval life, Follett has written a novel that entertains, instructs and satisfies on a grand scale.
You can read an excerpt, get a reading guide, send Ken Follett an email and much more at Oprah.com. You can see a list of Oprah's past picks here.
Borders Puts TV Screens In Stores
Borders Books has decided to install
giant television screens in the stores which will feature ads and book-related news. This is going to be a real shocker to people who enjoy the relative quiet of their favorite bookstore.
A new strategy at Borders will reinforce the message that its stores are not just about books: the company has been installing 37-inch flat-screen televisions to show original programming, advertisements, news and weather.
George L. Jones, the chief executive of the Borders Group, said each store would have two screens. The broadcast service, called Borders TV, has arrived in nearly 60 stores and is scheduled to reach an additional 250 stores by the end of February.
The screens are "not designed to be intrusive," Mr. Jones said. Rather, he said, they are "part of a master plan to create content that will do several things for us," like directing traffic to the Borders Web site and paving the way to more cross-promotional deals with large media companies.
Will literary-minded customers bristle at the intrusion, or will the screens be welcomed as fun? Mr. Jones has a firm opinion: at Borders, "you browse, buy a latte, read a magazine. It's entertaining." The televisions are “another way that we can bring knowledge and entertainment," he said.
We say thumbs down to putting the giant screen televisions in bookstores. When they implement this misguided plan, the stores will seem like airport waiting rooms which always have CNN on a loop. We like a quiet bookstore and certainly don't want to be "entertained" in any way. Color us unhappy.
Nora Roberts' Angels Fall Named Book of the Year
Nora Roberts'
Angels Fallwon the Book of the Year Award at the 2007 Quill Book Awards.
Nora Roberts' Angels Fall (Putnam) was named Book of the Year by readers (as well as winner in the Romance category) at the 2007 Quill Book Awards, held October 22 in New York City at the spectacular Jazz at Lincoln Center theater. Quills were awarded in 19 categories, plus Book of the Year and Variety’s Blockbuster Book to Film Award, which went to the Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum. The Quills also honored David Halberstam posthumously with a Platinum Quill.
Kicking off the awards ceremony, The Colbert Report's Stephen Colbert lamented the loss of the oral tradition, took a swing at the National Book Awards, and wondered why the Quills were "being televised instead of novelized." Presenters included Joan Allen, a star of the Bourne films and a supporter of First Book, which gives books to children from low-income families, footballer Tiki Barber, actress Brooke Shields, and novelist Mary Higgins Clark. Also on hand was Bourne Ultimatum screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who directed the recently acclaimed film Michael Clayton. With winners named in advance, many more authors were on hand, including Amy Sedaris, who took the Humor category for I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence (Warner), and Laura Lippman, whose What the Dead Know (Morrow) received the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller prize.
Congratulations, Nora! The Quills will be broadcast on NBC on October 27, 2007, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Celebrate Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week starts tomorrow, Saturday, September 29th. Here are the American Library Association's suggestions for how to celebrate:
Join the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, and the Newberry Library in Pioneer Plaza, at Michigan Ave. and the Chicago River, on Saturday, September 29, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., for the Banned Books Week Read-Out! Local Chicago celebrities join several acclaimed authors to read passages from their favorite banned and "challenged" books. Authors scheduled to appear include Chris Crutcher, Robie Harris, Carolyn Mackler, Peter Parnell, and Justin Richardson.
Organize your own Banned Books Read-Out! at your school, public library, or favorite bookstore.
Mount these Web badges on your blogs and home pages to help spread the word about BBW.
Join IFAN, the Intellectual Freedom Action Network, a grassroots, ad hoc group of volunteers who have identified themselves as willing to come forward in support of the freedom to read in censorship controversies in their communities.
Dedicate one day's programming on your National Public Radio (NPR) station to Banned Books Week. For example, "Today's programming on [the name of the radio station] is made possible in part by [your name], who is celebrating this Banned Books Week by re-reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings [or another favorite banned or challenged book] or by accomplishing some other activity related to the week.
Borders and Sony Renew Ebook Reader Agreement
Borders has renewed its agreement with Sony regarding the sale and promotion of the Sony Ebook reader. Under the new deal, Borders will continue to sell the Sony Readers, but will expand the number of stores where it is sold to 500 nationwide.
Borders is also going to launch a co-branded online store with support from
Sony that will offer digital ebook downloads. The store will stock more than 20,000 books by authors such as Dean Koontz, Khaled Hosseini
and Michael Connelly. The online store will eventually become part of Borders' revamped website.
"Embracing technology as a path to differentiate Borders is a key part
of our company's strategic plan," said Borders Group Chief Executive
Officer George Jones. "Sony's long history of innovation and pioneering
efforts in establishing the e-book category with the Reader makes them a
great partner. We firmly support the e-book as a format we believe will be
of growing importance to our customers in the future, and this agreement is
a big part of our plans to make Borders a true cross-channel retailer,
fulfilling our mission as a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment."
"Borders is a world-class brand with incredible reach and influence,
and their commitment to e-books is a clear sign the category is moving
beyond the early adopter phase into the mainstream," said Stan Glasgow,
president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics Inc. "We look
forward to working with Borders and the publishing community to broaden the audience by delivering a greater selection of digital content to people who love to read."
If the deal wasn't working, the agreement wouldn't have been renewed. When the Sony Ebook Reader drops in price, we predict sales will go even higher.
One in Four Adults Don't Read Books At All
One in four adults read no books at all, according to a new report. The report discusses book sales, which have essentially remained flat over time.
One in four adults read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and older people were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.
The survey reveals a nation whose book readers, on the whole, can hardly be called ravenous. The typical person claimed to have read four books in the last year - half read more and half read fewer. Excluding those who hadn't read any, the usual number read was seven.
"I just get sleepy when I read," said Richard Bustos of Dallas, a habit with which millions of Americans can doubtless identify. Bustos, a 34-year-old project manager for a telecommunications company, said he had not read any books in the last year and would rather spend time in his backyard pool.
That choice by Bustos and others is reflected in book sales, which have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way indefinitely. Analysts attribute the listlessness to competition from the Internet and other media, the unsteady economy and a well-established industry with limited opportunities for expansion.
When the Gallup Poll asked in 2005 how many books people had at least started - a similar but not directly comparable question - the typical answer was five. That was down from 10 in 1999, but close to the 1990 response of six.
In 2004, a National Endowment for the Arts report titled "Reading at Risk" found only 57 percent of American adults had read a book in 2002, a four percentage point drop in a decade. The study faulted television, movies and the Internet.
Who are the 27 percent of people the AP-Ipsos poll found hadn't read a single book this year? Nearly a third of men and a quarter of women fit that category. They tend to be older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas and less religious.
At the same time, book enthusiasts abound. Many in the survey reported reading dozens of books and said they couldn't do without them.
"I go into another world when I read," said Charlotte Fuller, 64, a retired nurse from Seminole, Fla., who said she read 70 books in the last year. "I read so many sometimes I get the stories mixed up."
Among those who said they had read books, the median figure - with half reading more, half fewer - was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger.
The poll didn't address the Harry Potter phenomenon. So many kids got hooked on reading: we're hopeful that they will continue to find new authors to read now that the series has ended. And as for the people who never read: we just don't get it. How dull is a life without books! We are never without something to read. At the doctor's office, at the beach, in the backyard -- we always have at least a new paperback with us.
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There's no entry fee of any kind and all email addresses are kept strictly confidential. Winners are selected monthly from a random draw. The entry form for the Book Giveaways can be found here.
Sebastian Fault to Write Next James Bond Novel
Bestselling author Sebastian Faulk has been chosen to write an official James Bond novel. The novel is set in 1967.
The book, Devil May Care, will be published next May and is set in 1967, when, Faulks said yesterday, "Bond is damaged, ageing and in a sense it is the return of the gunfighter for one last heroic mission". His own interpretation of the spy, he hinted, would show all the caddishness of Bond's previous incarnations, tempered with just a shade of new-mannish sensitivity.
"He has been widowed and been through a lot of bad things ... He is slightly more vulnerable than any previous Bond but at the same time he is both gallant and highly sexed, if you can be both. Although he is a great seducer, he really does appreciate the girls he seduces and he doesn't actually use them badly."
Faulks is not the first author to have been commissioned by Fleming's estate to resurrect Bond. Kingsley Amis accepted the challenge in 1968 with Colonel Sun, by general consent a failure. He was followed by John Pearson, Fleming's former assistant on the Sunday Times, the novelist John Gardner and the Texan writer Raymond Benson, who wrote the last Bond book, The Man with the Red Tattoo, in 2002.
*****
As for his method of writing, Faulks said he had adopted a suitably devil-may-care attitude. "In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkelling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in late afternoon, then more Martinis and glamorous women. In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkelling."
Simon Tolkien has long lived in the shadow of his grandfather, J.R.R. Tolkien. Reuters 
ABC is going to publish a book to go with the second season of 
Bestselling Irish author Michael Scott amps up the excitement
in this third book in a projected six book series about the
legendary Alchemyst Nicholas Flamel and American twins Josh and
Sophie, who are the twins of legend with the power to save or
destroy the world. In The Sorceress Sophie and Josh must master
more of the elemental magics and defeat John Dee and the Archon
Cerunnos. They hope to continue their training with Gilgamesh,
the immortal king, who knows all the magic in the world, but
cannot use it. Jumping from Paris to London to the island of
Alcatraz near San Francisco, this is a fantastic entry in a
series that keeps getting better.
Publishers Weekly 
Director Ron Howard said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Dan Brown had finished writing the third Robert Langdon novel. However, Reuters 
Stephen King has shared with Entertainment Weekly his ten favorite books of 2008. In the Entertainment Weekly magazine King's list is probably all nicely laid out on one page but online EW has annoyingly seperated into ten parts as the online version of magazines so often do. You can find it 
The new 
Denzel Washington is 
The new 
Shareholders of Audible.com are quite 
Now out on DVD are two great movies: Becoming Jane and Gone Baby Gone. Becoming Jane is a marvelous look at Jane Austen's life. The film explores her romance with a penniless Irishman (who in real life later became a very famous judge who wrote quite wistfully about his friendship with Ms. Austen). But Jane's family was very poor and the Irish lawyer had to make a good living to take care of his family back home. Anne Hathaway shines as Jane and James McAvoy is delightful as the charming Tom Lefray. The story is funny, imaginative and thoroughly entertaining.
It's finally here -- the Kindle has landed. Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com kept a veil of secrecy around the much-hyped ebook reader until the official launch. The ebook reader, which we earlier described 
Oprah has chosen a very interesting book for her new Book Club Selection:
