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 ]
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Coutts wins Wellcome Book Prize

Marion Coutts has won the Wellcome Book Prize 2015 with The Iceberg (Atlantic Books). Bill Bryson, chair of the prize judges, said the book was “painful to read, but beautifully expressed”. Coutts’ husband, art critic Tom Lubbock, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008, and died in 2011.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 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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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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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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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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Virgin Books signs history of The Who

Virgin Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, has acquired the official history of rock band The Who. Editorial director Lorna Russell bought world rights from Robert Rosenberg at Trinifold Management. She said: “The Who is one of greatest bands the world has ever seen. They shaped the story... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Picture book nonsense from Eric Carle

Puffin is to publish a new picture book by The Very Hungry Caterpillar author Eric Carle. The Nonsense Show will celebrate surrealism, and will be published in October to coincide with US publication. Jo Hanks, editorial director at Puffin, bought UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bluebird buys happiness book by Google's Mo

Pan Macmillan has pre-empted a book by the v.p. of business innovation at Google [X], the company behind Google Glass and the self-driving car. Carole Tonkinson bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Solve For Happy: Engineering Your Path to Uncovering the Joy Inside by Mo Gawdat, who likes to be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookings deadline for Bookseller Industry Awards

Table and seat bookings for The Bookseller Industry Awards will close in one week’s time (Tuesday 5th May 2015 at 5pm). There are a very few tables and seats left for the event, which takes place at the Hilton Park Lane on May 11th. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Courtney Love sued by journalist

Courtney Love is sued by a music journalist who worked on her yet to be published memoir. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crowdfunding as a Source of Book Marketing Power

More than money, crowdfunding offers valuable feedback to authors, as they learn the fundamentals of speaking directly to readers, argues Deborah Emin. The post Crowdfunding as a Source of Book Marketing Power appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair Announces Incheon EduContent Fair 2015

The city of Incheon and the Frankfurt Book Fair will organize the Incheon EduContent Fair on November 12-15, 2015, to focus on education in Asia The post Frankfurt Book Fair Announces Incheon EduContent Fair 2015 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How the book trade will be voting

The Bookseller is conducting a survey into the book trade's opinions on the May 7th general election. Share your views with our quick, five-question survey on your voting intentions and how this year's election affects the book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maine Coast Book Shop on the Block

Founded in 1964, the store now occupies 6,000 square feet in Lincoln Hall, an historic storefront in the town. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Marketing Today: It’s Not B2B or B2C, But E2E

Publishers need to focusing on developing fans for books, not merely marketing them, argues Lance Fensterman, founder of ReedPop and producer of BookCon. The post Book Marketing Today: It’s Not B2B or B2C, But E2E appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cereal Café book to Ebury

Ebury Press has signed a gift book from the founders of the Cereal Killer Café, twins Gary and Alan Keery. The brothers opened the café, which specialises in breakfast cereal, in London's Brick Lane last year, making newspaper headlines following a Channel 4 interview which questioned the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Courage Books Publisher Donald H. McGee, 76

Donald H. McGee, former president and publisher of Courage Books, an imprint of Running Press passed away in Sarasota, Fla. on April 20. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Books Take Center Stage

Strong juvenile book sales and a commitment to education led the American Booksellers Association to launch a separate conference for children’s booksellers nearly five years ago, following its merger with the Association of Booksellers for Children. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week 2015 will center on young adult titles

'These are the books that speak most immediately to young people, dealing with many of the difficult issues that arise in their own lives, or in the lives of their friends,' Judith Platt, chair of the Banned Books Week national committee, said of challenged YA books. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catalonia Celebrates Biggest Book-Giving Holiday of the Year

April 23, Dia de Sant Jordi, the Catalan festival dedicated to books and roses, accounts for 5–8% of annual book sales in Catalonia. The post Catalonia Celebrates Biggest Book-Giving Holiday of the Year appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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