Friday News Roundup, March 12, 2010

Here are some book related stories that have been in the news this week:
USA Today has an interview with Nicholas Sparks and Miley Cyrus about their new movie, The Last Song. In the interview, Miley confesses that she’s never read the book and Sparks compares his books to Hemingway’s. Seriously. (USA Today)
In other tweener news, Hillary Duff has signed a deal to write a new YA fiction series about a young female photojournalist. (MTV)
NPR has an interview with Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and Doris Kearns Goodwin about what they call “literary monster mashups.” (On Point Radio)
Speaking of literary monster mashups, Pop Candy has a sneak peek of the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies graphic novel. (Pop Candy)
Amazon experienced a glitch last weekend that resulted in many graphic novels being sold for only a fraction of their normal price. Sales [...]

Read More »

What the Heck is a Vook?

I consider myself both a bibliophile and a technophile but up until a few days ago, I had never heard of a vook. And just what the heck is a vook, you ask? Created by Vook.com, it’s a video-book hybrid that integrates video and hyperlinks into a book. You can read/watch on your laptop using a web-based application or on your iPhone using the Vook app.
Last week, Vook released Anne Rice’s 1984 short-story The Master of the Rampling Gate. She’s by far the biggest name author to release a story in this format and I think Vook is hoping to capitalize on the popularity of vampire fiction. For a limited time it’s only .99 (instead of 4.99), so I decided to give it a try. Since I frequently use the Kindle for iPhone app, I decided to buy the Vook iPhone app [...]

Read More »

THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY by Marian Keyes

THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY by Marian Keyes Review (4.5 out of 5 Stars)

The Brightest Star in the Sky
by Marian Keyes
Release Date: January 21, 2010
Publisher: Viking Adult
Pages: 480
Source: Purchased
Buy on Amazon
I always look forward to a new book from Marian Keyes and her latest, The Brightest Star in the Sky, was no different. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book, which tells the story of the residents of 66 Star Street in Dublin. Uncharacteristically for Keyes, there’s a supernatural twist as the story is narrated by a mysterious being that can see into each apartment. On the ground floor we have Matt and Maeve, a young married couple who are in love but seem to be hiding a big secret. Jemima, a wise old woman with a huge dog, lives on the second floor. Next are Andrei and Jan, two [...]

Read More »

Upcoming Book Releases March 2010

House Rules by Jodi Picoult
March 2, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
They tell me I’m lucky to have a son who’s so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there’s a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn’t know how.
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject — in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, [...]

Read More »

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 8 ISSUE 32 by Joss Whedon

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 8, ISSUE 32, TWILIGHT – CHAPTER ONE: BUFFY HAS F#@$ING SUPERPOWERS by Joss Whedon Review (5 out of 5 Stars)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #32
by Joss Whedon
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Pencils: Georges Jeanty
Inks: Andy Owens
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Release Date: February 2, 2010
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Pages: 40
Source: Purchased
I haven’t reviewed a graphic novel for Daemon’s Books before, but issue 32 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just so awesome that I couldn’t resist. It’s the first issue written by Brad Meltzer and the first in the Twilight arc, a four-issue arc in which we will finally learn the identity of the mysterious big bad of Season 8. The big reveal will take place in the next issue, though it’s been nearly impossible to avoid the spoilers so I think most of us already know who it is. For now though it’s still a secret [...]

Read More »

Friday News Roundup, February 26, 2010

Angelina Jolie is going to play Kay Scarpetta in the movie based on Patricia Cornwell’s novels. (LA Times)
Geek Sugar asks if ebooks should cost as much as regular books. I vote no! (Geek Sugar)
In 1940, a couple met and fell in love all thanks to a stolen library book. (South Coast Today)
I just discovered CoverSpy, a blog that posts what books New Yorkers are reading on the subway. (CoverSpy)
Sonya Sones’s One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies will remain in a Wisconsin middle school despite one parent’s attempt to censor it. I haven’t read the book, but that has to be the best title ever. (American Libraries)
An author writes about his experiences self-publishing his own books. (Huffington Post)
Here’s an interview with Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. (On the Media)
The [...]

Read More »

Six-Word Memoirs

Have you heard of the concept of the six-word memoir? I heard about it on NPR and the idea is to distill your life story down to only six words. Smith magazine has published several books of collected six-word memoirs, and the latest is called It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure (you can buy it on Amazon). Here are some of my favorites (from NPR):
James Frey: So would you believe me anyway?
Becki Lee: Found on Craigslist: table, apartment, fiance.
Kathleen E. Whitlock: I picked passion. Now I’m poor.
Neil Patrick Harris: Barney, Doogie, average names elude me.
Ha! Aren’t these fun? For mine, I went with a literary theme: So many books left to read.
So what’s your six-word memoir? Feel free to leave it in the comments!

Read More »

THE PARIS VENDETTA by Steve Berry

THE PARIS VENDETTA by Steve Berry Review (3.5 out of 5 Stars)

The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry
Release Date: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 432
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon
The Paris Vendetta is Steve Berry’s fifth book featuring bookshop owner and ex-Justice Department field agent, Cotton Malone. Fresh off his recent case involving his father, Malone gets roped into helping his good friend Henrik Thorvaldsen seek revenge on the man who killed his son. As you may remember, Malone killed the gunmen who shot diplomat Cai Thorvaldsen in Mexico City, but Henrik is after the man who hired them, Lord Ashby. Besides being responsible for Cai’s death, Ashby is a busy guy: he’s part of a group trying to manipulate the world economy for profit, he has ties to a terrorist planning to bomb Paris, and he’s on a quest to find Napoleon’s alleged hidden treasure. Whew! [...]

Read More »

Friday News Roundup, February 19, 2010

The estate of a deceased British author is suing J. K. Rowling for plagiarism, claiming Harry Potter was copied from “Willy the Wizard.” (USA Today)
Kim Harrison blogs about urban fantasy versus romance and the death of a main character. (Bitten by Books)
Several authors, including J. R. Ward, discuss paranormal romance. (io9)
James Cameron is writing a novel that’s a prequel to Avatar. (AV Club)
This really made me laugh: “I Think R. L. Stine is Phoning It In” (College Humor)
Snooki, from the reality show Jersey Shore, claims she is currently reading her first book ever, ‘Dear John’ by Nicholas Sparks. You’ve got be kidding me. (Huffington Post)
The top 250 most borrowed library books in the UK. James Patterson seems to be just as popular there as he is here. (Guardian)
A new study finds that women prefer gory true crime novels more than men. (Tres Sugar)
The [...]

Read More »

Winter Olympics Books for Fans of All Ages

The 2010 Winter Olympics are currently taking place in Vancouver and will continue until February 28. If you or your kids want to read more about the games, here are a few books you may be interested in:
The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition by David Wallechinsky
(Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
From speed skating to snowboarding, bobsleigh to ice hockey, this encyclopedia book gives the medals tables, timings, distances, and scores of every event, and provides vital information on rules and scoring systems. But much more than a statistical compendium, the book also offers a wealth of Winter Olympic history, anecdote, and lore, bringing alive the most dramatic moments from the Games and celebrating the many extraordinary individuals who have competed. It covers each event, Games by Games, from the four skating events which first featured in the 1908 London Olympics to freestyle skiing and curling—including discontinued [...]

Read More »