Oscar’s Reading List: Adaptations Dominate Nominees – Shelf Awareness
Six of the nine best picture nominations for this year’s Academy Awards, which will be presented February 26, are based on books, comprising an impressive reading list in Oscar’s major categories.
Check it out! Read the summaries of the adaptations, such as the author of the book and what the adaptation is nominated for. A note is left at the end, regarding the Harry Potter snub.
Sourcebooks Gives ‘Embrace’ a Big Marketing Push – Publisher’s Weekly – Sally Lodge
In a world where angels seek vengeance and humans are warriors, a teen must choose her destiny in Embrace, the launch title of a fantasy series by debut author Jessica Shirvington. Due in March from Sourcebooks Fire, the novel is supported by a $200,000 marketing budget, the largest the publisher has ever allocated for a young adult book. Sourcebooks doubled the size of the initial marketing campaign due to the enthusiastic reaction to its 4,000-copy ARC mailing to booksellers, librarians, teachers, and book media, a response that Chris Bauerle, director of sales and marketing, describes as “a tidal wave.” What is it about the novel that triggered the early buzz?
Read on to find out why! Normally I would never pick up a paranormal book with a cover like this – seems too stereotypical teeny-bopper – but the summaries and reviews are absolutely stunning.
TOC 2012: Children’s Books Must Exist in Digital and Print – Publisher’s Weekly – Gabe Habash
The “What Works Well Where? Considering Books for Children in Different Formats” session at TOC 2012 stressed the necessary coexistence of digital and traditional books for children, an opinion put forth by Junko Yokota, director of the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books.
I couldn’t agree more! There are some aspects of a print book that are necessary for infants and children in order to adapt to the environment and to learn! In this case, there are things technology cannot touch.
The Beauty of the Printed Book – New York Times – Alice Rawsthorn
Anyone who wishes to be reminded of quite how beguiling old-fashioned books can be should visit “The Printed Book: A Visual History,” an exhibition running through May 13 at the Special Collections department of the University of Amsterdam. Drawn from the university’s book collection, which is among the world’s finest, the exhibition traces the evolution of book design through some of the most compellingly designed books of the last 500 years.
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Even the bibliophiles at Steidl expect e-books to continue to grow, largely at the expense of printed books. For starters, they are incredibly convenient. Just think of the hundreds of e-books you can pack on to a single digital device. They are environmentally responsible: saving trees from being felled to produce paper, and fossil fuel from being burned to transport boxes of books. Interactive books can also dazzle their readers with sound, film clips, animations and data visualizations as well as words and images. And if their readers are puzzled by a word or factual reference, they can check it on the Internet within seconds.
Yet so far, the design of e-books has been disappointing. Most of them look suspiciously as though their publishers have simply shunted their contents from print on to the screen. But some of the newer titles are more promising, largely because their designers have explored the technical and aesthetic possibilities of the new media.
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Yet there is still something very special about an adroitly designed printed book, perhaps because it is so simple and devoid of technological trickery.
Penguins Severs Ties with OverDrive – Publisher’s Weekly – Calvin Reid
Penguin, which only offered backlist e-book titles for library lending, is terminating its contract with OverDrive, the library digital vendor, and starting February 10 will cease to offer any of its e-books or audiobooks to libraries. Penguin is negotiating a “continuance” agreement that will allow libraries that have already purchased Penguin e-books to continue to loan them.
Amazon and Kindle users are effected as well.
ABA Says “No” to Amazon Publishing – Publisher’s Weekly – Judith Rosen
The American Booksellers Association is the latest to weigh in on Amazon’s publishing program following the decision by Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Indigo Books not to carry their titles. Today the organization’s for-profit subsidiary, IndieCommerce, began removing all Amazon titles from its database.
A commenter made a very good point: by isolating Amazon, Amazon could become even more of a powerhouse. And yet, if booksellers embrace Amazon, Amazon could become even more of a powerhouse. Oh, dear.
A Publisher’s Menagerie: Stories Behind Publishers’ Animal Logos – Publishing TrendSetter – Elisabeth Watson
Discover the interesting histories behind the animals and logos to some of your favorite publishing houses!
This idea sprang from a phone conversation overheard a few months ago in the Market Partners International offices, in which one of the partners was reminiscing with an old friend about publishing animals past and present. Although heavy on whimsy, the stories behind these animals are one of those peeks at “vintage” publishing trivia that most of us, deep down, have difficulty getting enough of.
Best Publishing Companies to Work For – Digital Book World – Jeremy Greenfield
If the title didn’t catch you, why are you reading this blog?!
Employees at the best-rated publishing companies like working there because of strong industry brands, good communication between layers of leadership and departments and the learning experiences available.
Companies that make the list include…
Fair Trade: Random House Will Raise Library E-book Prices, But Commits to E-Book Lending – Publisher’s Weekly – Andrew Albanese
Never has a price increase been such good news for libraries. At a meeting with ALA leaders this week in New York, Random House officials said the “terms of sale” for Random House e-books to libraries will change, with a price increase coming. But the publisher reiterated its commitment to library e-book lending, saying they would continue to enable e-book lending of their entire list for both adult and children’s titles, backlist and frontlist, without restriction.
Definitely a fair trade. Continuing on from the article, RH is trying to have all parties benefit: the authors, the readers, the libraries, the publishers. Seems like a good deal for such a touchy subject.
The Greatest Books of All Time, as Voted by 125 Famous Authors – The Atlantic – Maria Popova
The requirements, or setting, for the list:
“If you’re putting together a list of ‘the greatest books,’ you’ll want to do two things: (1) out of kindness, avoid anyone working on a novel; and (2) decide what the word ‘great’ means. The first part is easy, but how about the second? A short list of possible definitions of ‘greatness’ might look like this:
1. ‘Great’ means ‘books that have been greatest for me.’
2. ‘Great’ means ‘books that would be considered great by the most people over time.’
3. ‘Great’ has nothing to do with you or me—or people at all. It involves transcendental concepts like God or the Sublime.
4. ‘Great’? I like Tom Clancy. “
Some of the books that make it include
Several categories too!!! This was really neat. Check it out!
Scribbles & Wanderlust 