Book clubs in America: Why do we love them so much?

A casual observer of the book-club scene could be fooled into thinking that this summer was a hard one for the nation's leisure readers. Late in spring, Oprah's club shuttered, stranding publishers in what promises to be a long shoal of short print runs and offering the rest of us one literary arbiter fewer to love or hate. Borders, which ran a sort of book group of its own, shut down stores, too, after creditors refused a buyout offer from a book-club mega-company. Could reading groups be losing their sway in our culture? On one hand, this is a reasonable question; on the other, it's like asking whether the United States should worry about being out-powered by Belgium. More than 5 million adults are thought to be in reading groups, not counting online clubs, and a number of those adults have a noticeable missionary bent: If Oprah didn't get you onboard, there's a good chance that your neighbor with a Thursday group will have you marking up Love in the Time of Cholera before summer is through.[more ...] Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2011-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #buyout offer #reading groups #good chance

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Goldsboro Books to expand in June

Goldsboro Books is to expand in June, increasing its size by a third. The high-profile independent bookshop, founded in 1999, is currently based at 23–25 Cecil Court in the heart of London’s theatre district. It will expand into the adjacent premises, at 27 Cecil Court, in June. David Headley,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: 'Fault in Our Stars' Top 2014 E-book Seller

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars was the top-selling ebook in 2014, according to data just released by PubTrack Digital, a unit of Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john green #top-selling ebook #pubtrack digital #nielsen bookscan


Momentum Drives Social Media Book Promotions

Momentum is designed to be a turnkey subscription service that allows publishers to create social unlock book promotions--ask fans to tweet or post in return for cool stuff--and then track fan engagement and behavior afterwards. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: 10 Books to Grab at BEA

With so many galleys flooding the BEA show floor, it’s hard to know which ones to choose. Here are 10 of our favorites, with excerpts from PW reviews. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Does Diversity Matter in Book Reviewing?

Yesterday afternoon at the Center for Fiction in midtown, NBCC board member Walton Muyumba led a conversation about racial and gender representation in book reviewing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book reviewing


Korean Kid’s Poem About Eating Mom Prompts Pulped Book

South Korean publisher Chulganil is recalling copies of a book of children's writing that features a poem by a 10-year-old about matricide. The post Korean Kid’s Poem About Eating Mom Prompts Pulped Book appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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America's Test Kitchen Goes Small with 100 Essential Recipes

America's Test Kitchen hopes to give home chefs a better option than the "excess" of online recipes with its big Christmas book, '100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair Invests in IPR License

The Frankfurt Book Fair has invested in IPR License, a global rights platform for the book publishing industry, and will promote the online rights business to a global audience. The post Frankfurt Book Fair Invests in IPR License appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Skyhorse Starts Investigative Book Imprint

Skyhorse Publishing and David Talbot, founder of Salon, are teaming to launch a new imprint, Hot Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books Inc. to Open in Silicon Valley, New Owners for Mystery Lovers

The California mini-chain will add its 12th location in July 2016 in Santa Clara. In Pittsburgh, Natalie Sacco and Trevor Thomas purchased the Raven Award-winning mystery bookshop. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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International Hot Book Properties: Week of May 25, 2015

A Christopher Nolan-esque Argentinean thriller, two literary Spanish novels, a Finnish YA series, and more are making waves in the global rights scene this week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meek's privatisation book wins Orwell Prize

James Meek's Private Island (Verso Books) has won the Orwell Prize for books, which celebrates political writing. Meek was announced as the winner of the annual prize at a ceremony at the University of Westminster yesterday (21st May). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of May 25, 2015

Vicky Beeching sells a memoir, Running Press lands a coloring book/journal, Harper signs Swedish series about a senior citizen crime spree, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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China at BEA 2015: The E-book Market in China

Digital reading technology has been widely embraced by the Chinese reading public. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 52-Storey Treehouse comes out on top at Australian book industry awards

Bestselling children’s fantasy series recognised, David Walsh beats Julia Gillard to biography prize, while fiction winner Brooke Davis also picks up new writer award, established in honour of publisher Matt RichellA children’s book has taken home the top prize for the first time in Australia’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top prize #bestselling children #biography prize #writer award #matt richell


PW Picks: Books of the Week, May 25, 2015

This week: a brain surgeon's memoir, Robert McCammon's latest, and a page-turning mystery set in the Arctic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Portfolio signs Feminist Fight Club

Portfolio has acquired a book by Lean In employee Jessica Bennett. Editor Zoe Bohm acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Feminist Fight Club in a pre-empt from Rachel Clements at Abner Stein on behalf of the Ross Yoon Agency for publication in May 2016. North American rights were acquired by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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China at BEA 2015: Chinese Interest in American Books Remains Strong

Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs—the only authorized biography of the Apple founder—went on sale in China at 10:05 a.m. Beijing Time on Oct. 24, 2011. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chelsea Clinton pens book to inspire tweens

Penguin Random House UK will this autumn publish a children’s book by Chelsea Clinton about the challenges the world is facing, and what young people are doing to combat these changes. It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! is aimed at young people aged 10-14 and addresses... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #autumn publish #chelsea clinton #food insecurity #gender equality


How Google Designed An E-Book Font For Any Screen

Say hello to Literata, Google's font designed exclusively for longer reads.In January of 2014, a Pew study showed that nearly a third of American adults had read an ebook in the last year, and 50% of adults owned some kind of tablet or e-reading device. Many of these readers are using the wide... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #american adults #e-reading device #wide variety #android devices