A charming French novel about an old-school publisher trying to get to grips with the digital ageAt more than one point in this novel I found myself asking: could this be any more French? Early on we meet a character described thus: “She used to be incredibly good-looking and now at thirtysomething she is creditably handsome.” Sorry? What the narrator, an ageing male publisher, looks like, or how creditably or uncreditably good-looking he is, we don’t find out. Another woman leaves the room “in a wiggle of buttock” – I dropped my annotating pencil when I read that line. “Artichokes require a degree of elegance” – there’s another drop of essence of Gallic for you.But there is more to Dear Reader, and what kept me going was that one of the subjects exercising our narrator is the issue of electronic readers – Kindles or, as our hero Robert Dubois has it, the “dear reader” of the title. This book is an elegy for a dying world: that of the printed book and, that death’s darker corollary, the reader who is still interested in, or has the attention span for, the long-form narrative. (I always thought these things were arranged better in France, with no Net Book Agreement and tax breaks for bookshops, but apparently not.) In the world of Dear Reader, there has been a general collapse of cultural understanding: the interns point out to Dubois the remarkable coincidence that the publishing house they have landed in has the same name as him. Meanwhile, Dubois cannot quite get to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Uli Beutter Cohen likes to bake, read Tarot cards, call her mother in Germany and spend time with book lovers on the train. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-12-31 10:00:14 UTC ]
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There were too many worthy books, but I had too little time — and, alas, too many excuses. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-28 13:00:00 UTC ]
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For the second consecutive week, unit sales of print books last week fell compared to 2020. Sales dropped 2% compared to the week ended December 19, 2020, after declining 12.2% in the prior week at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Year-to-date performance in the American book market is looking likely to converge with that of 202 at 8 percent, NPD Books reports. The post NPD Projects US Print Book Unit Sales 17 Percent Above 2019 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-12-14 02:53:50 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books dipped 0.2% last week compared to the week ended December 5, 2020, ending a long string of weekly sales growth. Only adult fiction and young adult fiction had sales increases over last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Critic Michael Dirda’s picks include ‘Dear Highlights,’ ‘A Ray Bradbury Compendium’ and ‘American Christmas Stories’ Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-08 17:32:50 UTC ]
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In her essay collection “These Precious Days,” the novelist and bookstore owner explores friendship, marriage and mortality. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-11-19 15:41:34 UTC ]
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Gains in all categories led to a 11.7% increase in unit sales of print books last week over the week ended November 14, 2020, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. It was the second consecutive week of double-digit sales increases compared to 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-11-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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With 26bn views – and the ability to influence global sales – the social media app’s reading corner #BookTok is not as niche as it seemsFifteen seconds is all you need. Point your phone camera to a shelf and hold up your favourite book, or three. Add a trending soundtrack, a caption, a couple of... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-11-16 16:30:13 UTC ]
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Richard Osman has won the Readers' Choice award at the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards for his record-breaking debut The Thursday Murder Club (Viking). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-09 20:44:40 UTC ]
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In another indication that consumers may be doing their holiday shopping early, unit sales of print books rose 12% last week over 2020. All major categories had increases. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-11-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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These photos from a giant used book fair prove that romance novels are the best, and romance readers have the most fun. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-02 10:39:00 UTC ]
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Paul McCartney’s The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, edited by Paul Muldoon (Allen Lane), was one of the critics' most reviewed books this week. The book was mentioned in the Observer, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Times, Irish Times, Washington Post and the New Yorker. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-02 02:24:55 UTC ]
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Publisher Saqi Books is working with the Reading Agency to provide samples of its new title, Rise, to less confident and reluctant readers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-25 18:43:56 UTC ]
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The New York Times Book Review first appeared on Oct. 10, 1896, but its roots can be traced back to its very first issue of The Times on Sept. 18, 1851. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-22 11:33:55 UTC ]
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What did the Book Review look like in 1896, in 1916, in 1962? Scroll down to see what it looked like — and how it changed — through the decades. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-21 15:11:48 UTC ]
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The best-seller lists as we know them today have their roots in the Aug. 9, 1942, issue — but the Book Review has been tracking sales for much longer than that. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-21 14:55:10 UTC ]
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A small gain in adult nonfiction and more fiction increases led to a 2.7% increase in unit sales of print books last week over the comparable week last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Schiff’s “Midnight in Washington” is that rare memoir by a politician that actually has something to say. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-19 18:00:03 UTC ]
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In his memoir “Unprotected,” Billy Porter recounts his lifelong struggle to heal the deep wounds buried under the sheen of his charismatic presence. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-19 09:00:04 UTC ]
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