Big deals signed for study of a 19th-century family of killers, Hell’s Half-Acre, and Murder Isn’t Easy, a mortician’s take on Agatha Christie’s forensics The spectre of true crime was stalking the aisles at this year’s London book fair, with publishers snapping up investigations into past evils in the wake of successes in podcasting and television such as Dirty John, Serial and The Teacher’s Pet.Offers were flying in for former Waterstones bookseller Susan Jonusas’s first book Hell’s Half-Acre, a study of the the Bender family of serial killers in Kansas in 1873. Jonusas, 24, left Waterstones in December to write full-time. “Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town were 11 bodies in varying states of decay. Further investigation revealed a well containing remains of even more victims. The number of people murdered was estimated at 20,” said Jonusas’s literary agency. “The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders were capable of operating ‘a human slaughter pen’ appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and what became of them when they fled from the law is a mystery that has remained unsolved to this day.” UK rights are still being finalised, with Viking snapping it up for a six-figure deal in the US. Agent Georgina Capel, who was fielding offers for the book, said: “I suspect the true-crime podcast thing is driving the current interest.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sainsbury’s and Blackwell’s have reported positive book sales over the Christmas period, with Pete Selby, head of books at the supermarket, saying that gift purchases are now "shifting" from other entertainment to books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The print book market has posted growth in value for the third year running, with 2017 inching up 0.09% on 2016. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books rose 1.9% in 2017 at outlets that report to NDP BookScan. Units sold hit 687.2 million, up from 674.1 million in 2016. Since 2013, print unit sales are up 10.8%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A thunderous contemporary YA novel by a former teacher tackles some extreme issues with compelling dialogue and a lightness of touch, finds Fiona Noble. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2017 year-end holiday season book sales patterns reported in both major English-language markets looked good at the end, but getting there wasn't a lot of fun. And what lies ahead may be rougher for bookstores. The post Trends in UK, US Holiday Book Sales: Late Buys and E-Commerce appeared... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Bowie's son, director and screenwriter Duncan Jones, has launched a book club in tribute to his late father. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has paid tribute to the late American crime writer Sue Grafton as "a giant in her field" and "an amazing author" who "cared about her readers first and last". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As the Midwest chain liquidates its inventory, it is fielding requests about its 45 locations from potential buyers who are considering turning the now-available sites into indie bookstores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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By buying Disney books, sending in reading-related photos, and reading from the Disney app, consumers can contribute to Disney Publishing's book donations to First Book. The post Disney Publishing Opens Sixth Annual Campaign for First Book appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former US president Barack Obama has named British author Naomi Alderman’s The Power as one of his favourite books of 2017. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Though we've named our best books of 2017, we all have our personal favorites, and not all of them are from 2017. These are the best books we read this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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By all accounts, the Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” was a huge success in 2017. Counterintuitively, the Margaret Atwood novel it was based on has been a constant on bestseller lists. Hadn’t people gotten the story from watching the show? Apparently not. In fact, this was the case for a number... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The BBC adaptation of Misha Glenny’s book is more than a Bond audition for Norton, with globe-spanning scope that manages to hit the markMcMafia recap – series one, episode oneMcMafia. Sounds like a bad sketch, but it isn’t. It is, the press release assures us, “a groundbreaking international... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US mystery writer Sue Grafton, creator of the Alphabet series of novels featuring PI Kinsey Millhone, has died at the age of 77. She had been suffering from cancer. Pan Macmillan publisher Jeremy Trevathan told The Bookseller: "Sue Grafton was one of the bedrock authors of the Pan Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While women dominate the charts, it’s been the year of the comeback kings: Philip Pullman, Jamie Oliver, Margaret Atwood …Last year JK Rowling reclaimed the No 1 spot in the bestseller charts by returning from mundane reality to the Potterverse (with the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This is the perfect read for this time of year when we're still happy to escape into a good book at the beach or under a shade tree and take the time to savour, in this instance, the leisurely revelation of the people who live in Gabriel's Bay. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2017-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dexter creator Jeff Lindsay sells two titles in a new series to Dutton, Harlequin buys a debut YA fantasy, Library of America picks up an anthology of essays about Peanuts, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The authors of the bestselling, crowd-funded children's book “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” are facing calls to remove Aung San Suu Kyi from future editions. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and Myanmar’s head of government has come under fire for her silence and inaction regarding the... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-12-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We review more than 8,000 books per year, and these were the 10 most-read reviews of books published in 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I know there are some people done with their holiday shopping; I am not one of them. If you, like me, still have some gifts to get, this newsletter may be able to help you. (Your friends and family like books, right?) I’m L.A. Times books editor Carolyn Kellogg with this week’s newsletter. YOUR... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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