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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New E-book Bundling Service BitLit Adds Macmillan

The start-up with a free app that allows customers to purchase ebook editions of titles they already own, has added Macmillan to its roster of publishing partners. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meerkat integrates address books, befriends Facebook after Twitter snub

Meerkat is reducing its dependency on Twitter by integrating address books and letting users post live video streams to Facebook.Installing the updated app now brings up an option to enter your phone number and give Meerkat access to your address book, so it can find other people who are using... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book trade turns red for Ed

The book trade has abandoned the Liberal Democrats in favour of Labour and the Green Party in the five years since the last election, according to a poll of voting intentions conducted by The Bookseller. Support for libraries and making Amazon pay a fair share of tax are the issues the trade is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blues book for Fourth Estate

Fourth Estate has acquired on proposal a book about American blues music by Natasha Peskin. Described as "part travel, part memoir and part oral history", A Soft Place to Lay: Stories of the Blues is inspired by Peskin's solo drive across the USA exploring the history of the music. Louise... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What You Should Pick Up on Free Comic Book Day

Want to know what to look out for during today's Free Comic Book Day? We've got you covered. The post What You Should Pick Up on Free Comic Book Day appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Picks: Books of the Week, May 1, 2015

This week: David McCullough on the Wright Brothers, Kate Atkinson's follow-up to "Life After Life," and the definitive biography of Saul Bellow. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kate atkinson #definitive biography #saul bellow


Romania’s Online, English Book Sales on the Rise

In Romania, online sales now account for 20% of the $110 million book market, with interest in ebooks and English-language titles also on the rise. The post Romania’s Online, English Book Sales on the Rise appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of May 4, 2015

Lipman gets to ‘Working’ for William Morrow and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stolper to lead Nielsen Book

Nielsen has promoted Jonathan Stolper to senior vice president and m.d. of Nielsen Book. Stolper will take on the global leadership of Nielsen Book, as current president Jonathan Nowell is stepping down. Stolper, who is currently senior v.p of Nielsen’s US book business, said: “I am thrilled to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gruff Rhys on book award shortlist

Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys is nominated for the Wales Book of the Year award. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Keane leads British Sports Book awards shortlists

Roy Keane and Roddy Doyle's memoir The Second Half leads the nominations for the Cross British Sports Book Awards shortlists, as it competes for three separate prizes. The book, published by Orion, is in the running for autobiography of the year, football book of the year and the outstanding... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tumour memoir wins £30,000 book prize

A memoir written by the wife of an art critic who died of a brain tumour wins a £30,000 prize for new books about medicine, health or illness. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Carroll joins Pedigree Books

Phil Carroll, former head of book buying for Sainsbury's, is joining Pedigree Books Ltd as its interim head of sales. Pedigree Books, sister company to Pedigree Dolls & Toys, publishes annuals, yearbooks, learning and seasonal activity formats for children. Carroll will join the company on... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Leading America’s Newsrooms

Teri Hayt has worked for both large and small news organization during her 35-year career in the publishing industry. She’s worked for Time-Life Books, Inc., the Arizona Daily Star, Sports Illustrated, Newsday, the San Diego Union-Tribune ( ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I Love Myself

The writer Ernest Baker published an essay at the website Four Pins last month describing a drug-addled week he spent orbiting Drake, the hip-hop superstar. Baker is a smart, funny young writer whose work often features himself as the main character. He has attracted a robust and vocal set of... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Russia is calling a book by a holocaust survivor 'Nazi propaganda'

In preparation for Russia's Victory Day celebration, to be held May 9 to commemorate the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany, the country is cracking down on anything displaying the Nazi swastika – including the cover of Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel 'Maus.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dead Good Books creates crime awards

Penguin Random House’s crime community Dead Good Books has created six awards to be presented at this year’s Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival by authors including Lee Child and Val McDermid. Each award has been created in collaboration with the Dead Good Facebook community and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fourth Estate signs blues book by Peskin

Fourth Estate has acquired on proposal a book about American blues music that is “part travel, part memoir and part oral history” by Natasha Peskin. Louise Haines at Fourth Estate signed world English language rights to A Soft Place to Lay: Stories of the Blues from Kirsty McLachlan at DGA Ltd. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can anything challenge 'The Girl on the Train' as the breakout book of 2015?

We're not even halfway through the year, so there's plenty of time for another book to become a success, but 'Train' continues to dominate bestseller lists months after its publication. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wildcard Award: Win a Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Enter to win the Frankfurt Book Fair's 2015 Wildcard Award, a competition for creative companies to win a free, 8-square-meter stand at the world's largest book fair The post Wildcard Award: Win a Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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