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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London Book Fair 2015: Decoding the Spanish Language Market

The Spanish language market is not the easiest one to break into. This highlights the importance of cultivating partnerships with international publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Introducing Our Reviews of Absurd Self-Published E-Books

When “Kindle Cover Disasters” debuted on Tumblr earlier this year, the Internet ROFLMFAO’d at the truly heinous designs: cheap clipart, effects reminiscent of early Print Shop, clashing pastels, Photoshopping by palsied hands, and fonts so troubling you find yourself celebrating the relative... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scarthin Books raises over £10,000 for repairs

Derbyshire bookshop Scarthin Books has raised more than £10,000 in an appeal to fund urgent structural repairs. Proprietor Dave Mitchell said an engineer has told him he needs to install four steel columns to support 1,000 feet of bookshelves, and has turned to Crowdfunder because he would... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Clinton Cash: controversial book promises fresh criticism for Hillary Clinton

Exposé published by Murdoch-owned HarperCollins claims State Department gave favourable treatment to those who donated to her family foundationA mudslinging, Murdoch-approved bestseller-in-the-making is ready to provide conservatives with their most potent fodder yet to cast the Clinton family... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Doerr, Kertzer Win 2015 Pulitzer Book Prizes

Anthony Doerr (fiction), David I. Kertzer (biography) and Gregory Pardlo (poetry) are among the winners of the 2015 Pulitzer Prizes for Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Love to Talk About "Trust," But What Do They Mean?

Trust is currency when it comes to media. Facing the specter of a tough ad market, many top publishers fall back on “trust” as a differentiator — and excuse for higher ad rates.   “We consider ourselves mo ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One Book’s Translation Journey From Spanish to English

A panel at the London Book Fair discussed the path a collection of Mexican author Juan Villoro’s essays took to be translated from Spanish to English. The post One Book’s Translation Journey From Spanish to English appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Cookbook Love Story: PW Talks to the ‘Honey & Co.’ Husband and Wife Duo

The owners of London's Honey & Co. on food, what makes a good cookbook, and plans for bringing their own cookbook stateside. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Personalised picture book becomes runaway bestseller

After winning the highest-ever valuation on BBCTV’s Dragon’s Den, The Little Girl (or Boy) Who Lost Her (or His) Name – designed for individual children – sells 500,000 copiesDavid Cadji-Newby used to get an email alert every time a copy of his personalised picture book was bought from his... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Book Prize 2015: Let The Reading Begin!

167 titles have been submitted in for this year’s selection process of the German Book Prize 2015. The jury will announce the shortlist in August 2015. The post German Book Prize 2015: Let The Reading Begin! appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair’s Evolution Reflects Publishing’s “New Ecology”

The London Book Fair has evolved to reflect the 'new ecology' of publishing and shift in confidence, says Faber's Stephen Page. The post London Book Fair’s Evolution Reflects Publishing’s “New Ecology” appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair's latest deal highlights

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Gwyn Jones warns on 'internecine' book wars

The shift to social reading is “liable to consign the traditional publisher and many a writer to decline and defeat in the Civil War for Books”, Philip Gwyn Jones is to say today (16th April), with the reader becoming the prize. In a speech at the London Book Fair this afternoon, Gwyn Jones... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alma Books to launch new children's and YA list

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chattel House Books Is Newest Datalore Effort

In her more than 25 years in the bookselling business in Barbados, there isn’t much that Beverly Smith-Hinkson hasn’t done. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Picks: Books of the Week, April 20, 2015

This week, Toni Morrison's new novel, the story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway, and Montmartre at the beginning of modernism. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Radio Times launches book-centric festival

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Hotline Brings Tailored Book Recs to Canada

PRH's U.S. division successfully launched the program in December 2014, and received 32,000 page views and 3,600 requests for recommendations during its first month alone. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ig Plans Series on Books That Inspired Writers to Write

We all know how certain books, read at key moments in our lives, remain memorable and influential for years afterward. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top 10 most complained about books include Perks of Being a Wallflower, Kite Runner

Gay penguins, alien lovers and a cartoonist growing up on an Indian reservation are among the subjects of the books Americans are most keen to see banned from library shelves. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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