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Tags: dominos, publishing video, world record
How to Be a Frugal Reader without Sacrificing a Thing
I love using the phrase “The New Austerity”–although it does for some reason always make me think of my grandparents who lived through the Depression and who reused and recycled everything (and I do mean everything) in ways that today’s environmentally uber-conscious consumers can’t even begin to emulate. My grandmother would serve us snacks on the trays that she bought vegetables on, and one plastic margarine container would last her through a thousand varied uses before she’d even consider tossing it. I think their generation would laugh at us for expecting a pat on the back just because we don’t treat everything as quite as disposable as we did ten years ago.
Still, we all are trying to be less wasteful these days–whether it’s to save money or to save the environment–and as much as I do love me my royalties, I get why people might hesitate to buy a new book that will cost ten to twenty dollars and will, when finished, simply increase the clutter in their shelves.
We’ve written in the past about some options other than buying new, from the obvious (shopping at used bookstores) to the virtuous (using your local library) to the luxurious (getting a Kindle). Recently, though, a “new” way to get your hands on a free book has become very popular: the book swap.
Of course it’s not really new, which is why I put the word in quotations. Women (and I supposed men, but women are much bigger book readers–not to mention better sharers) have been lending each other books forever. There’s the “I love this and think you’ll love it, too” share (you’re expected to give that one back) and the “I didn’t love it, so just keep the copy when you’re done or pass it on to someone else” share and the “I’ll read this while I’m visiting and just leave it here when I’m done” share (a favorite of the older generation). And since sharing always involves a certain amount of tit-for-tat, those who lend and give books usually get that favor returned.
Well, now book swaps have legitimized the whole sharing protocol. In its most casual form, a book swap can just be a group of friends who get together at someone’s house, each bringing some books to spread out on a table where everyone can look at them and then pick something new to bring home. Read the rest of this entry »
Bought your copy yet? Claire and I sitting on the sidelines right now. I’ll buy it before my next trip to DC, I heard it has the addresses of the various locations so I can design my own “Dan Brown tour.” For us, the hubbub surrounding the book is more exciting than reading it. A whole week of Today show segments on just one book and only a select few were chosen to read and review the book. I love how Janet Maslin in the NYT review describes Brown’s ability to use “dashing” as an adjective and a verb in reference to Langdon.
There has been endless discussion on how independent booksellers should market the book since the large discounts given by Amazon and the big box stores can’t be matched. One solution is to pair it with other suggested books, a take off on Amazon’s “if you like The Lost Symbol then you’ll like this book also.” Booksellers were pros at this long before Amazon arrived on the scene and they are suggesting choice second books via Twitter using #buy+brown. Next Chapter Bookshop in Milwaukee will give customers a free copy of The Lost Symbol if they purchase $100 worth of books in one transaction. I would love that deal, I could make a dent on my Christmas list.
My favorite Dan Brown hype is a video by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group showing what it takes to print 5 million copies of a book and keep the plot a secret. Kudos to them for pulling it off!
Tags: Dan Brown, publishing hype, The Lost Symbol, Washington DC
This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW), an annual extravaganza sponsored by Amy Riley of My Friend Amywith the help of many kind elves. For the last several weeks, BBAW accepted nominations for the “best” of several types of bloggers. Voting occurred last week on the finalists and the winners will be revealed this week. Today the real fun begins. Check out the BBAW website for scavenger hunts that race across the blogosphere, all culminating in a prize for some and a chance to look at book blogs for everyone. Articles are posted daily, today there is one from the editor of small press about book bloggers, another from a blogger about reviewing classics, and a third from an author grateful for the impact of book blogs. Moreover, dozens and dozens of book bloggers are giving away prizes in honor of BBAW and Amy’s efforts.
While we’re not officially book bloggers, our mission is to highlight independent bookstores, we talk about books a lot. Plus, Claire and I don’t want to miss out on the fun. Our prize fits both our goal and the secret wish of every reader and book blogger: free money for books. We’ll give a $20 ABA gift card to the winner of our drawing. We’ll be purchasing the gift card from Skylight Books in Los Angeles, but it can be used in hundreds of independent stores across the nation. For those of you without an independent bookstore (consider opening one up!), the gift card can be used at many stores online. Skylight Books assured me that the winner could order a book from them and they would ship it.
How to enter? One entry for leaving the name on an independent bookstsore you love and a second entry for twittering about this giveaway (put @bookstoreK in the twitter so I can find it and/or leave a comment below about the twitter if I won’t know you by your twitter name). Leave your e-mail and the winner will be picked mid-day on September 19th with random.org.
Good luck!
Last spring, I bought my daughter, Kelsey, the finalists for the YA portion of the Indie Choice Book Awards. Her hands-down favorite was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (see a review by Carrie at Books and Movies). She personally convinced so many friends to buy copies that Ms. Collins owes Kelsey lunch next time she’s in Los Angeles. Just mention to Kelsey that The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen won the Indie Choice Book Award to see an instant frown cloud her face.
September 1st was Kelsey’s first day of school, but more importantly, it was the release date for Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. I picked up a carload of girls from school, headed to Diesel, our local bookstore, and followed some very excited girls to the cash register. My deal with Kelsey, I’ll pay for Catching Fire, but you have to write the review. Here it is, Kelsey’s first book review:
Catching Fire picks up a few weeks after Katniss and Peeta win the Hunger Games. These games are a cruel competition among the 12 districts of Panem. In The Hunger Games, two children from each district aged 12 to 18 fight to the death in the arena of the Hunger Games. When Katniss’ little sister Prim is picked to compete as the girl for District 12, Katniss volunteers instead, and against all odds she and Peeta win the games, but not with angering the capitol.
Catching Fire starts when Katniss is back at home. As winners of the Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are forced to tour the districts as a reminder of the impending next round of the annual games, but this time it’s worse than ever. Every 25 years there is a Quarter Quell, Hunger Games with a cruel twist each time for the contestants and the districts. In the first Quarter Quell, the districts had to pick the children who went into the games. For the second Quarter Quell, twice as many people were forced to go into the games, and the next Hunger Games is the third Quarter Quell. When Katniss learns of this Quarter Quell’s twist she realizes that it’s worse than she could have ever imagined.
Katniss hears that she may have created a rebellious spark in the districts by undermining the Hunger Games in how she and Peeta won. During the tour some of the districts aren’t being complacent. Under the shouting of Katniss’ name there’s elation and fury. Katniss is torn between protecting her loved ones and doing what she thinks is right.
Katniss, the girl on fire, has become the fuse of another rebellion and she is Catching Fire.
Claire
Kim
