Aug
20
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/2775210/Obama-mum-over-book-of-secrets
Well at least the movie has been, lol. Personally I loved the Nation Treasure movies so cannot wait for the third instalement. Actually I can’t wait for anything Nicholas Cage is involved with. He is by far one of my favorite actors. Matchstick Men being one of my favorites of all times.
Okay, so I know this interview was on the cutesy side and not really about books but I liked it. I like the fact that President Obama can joke along with interviewers. It is down to earth and I like a president that I can relate to in some way. Sorry, I’m not trying to push political views in any way.
Personally I love the idea that there is some kind of secret diary that presidents have been keeping for years. Do you think it exist?
Posted in News/Current Issues book of secrets nicholas cage obama
Aug
19
http://econsultancy.com/blog/4467-marvel-takes-to-the-itunes-store-with-spider-woman-motion-comic
Welcome to the future of comics. Well sort of. As the world goes more and more digital it makes sense that comic companies would find a way to catch up.
The new format is called motion comics. From what I’ve gathered it is a combination of actual comics, animation, and voice over. There is a preview of one at the bottom of the link. It actually looks pretty cool from that preview. It sort of reminds me of anime but in a more americanized drawing style.
I found the article interesting since it was pointing out this is not meant in anyway to replace comics. It is meant to stimpulate comics sells. It makes total sense to me. Just look at how much movies do for the sell of comics or books. Even television shows do the same thing. This is giving another median for people to get interested in something they might not have before.
Do you agree that this could be a great way to stimpulate comic sales? Do you think you would watch these motion comics?
Posted in News/Current Issues book news comic news comics motion comics
Aug
18
http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/53623097.html
Alright so this peice of news stuck out to me since I love reading about young author making it. I would have loved to publish a book in my teens but well, those day are long past. Hopefully, with lots of pushing myself, I might be able to just barely make the under 25 mark. Well hopefully at least be involved with the process of publishing a book while I’m still under 25.
Anyways, I ended up looking more into what exactly Amazon Encore is. Basically it is a program to re-release books that have been looked over. They are going to look at reviews of books that do not have high sales number. If customer reviews are great, they are going to hype the book up through Encore.
I think this is actually a cool idea. It is giving readers the power to actually end of helping authors they love. Write a good review and maybe you can help that author get more exposure.
For the author I think this would be a cool. Putting a book out there is a huge gamble on what makes it and what doesn’t. Maybe a few people do absolutely love it but it just doesn’t pick up mainstream. If those few people loving your book eventually gives you a second chance to make it, that is awesome.
The first book to be picked up on Encore is Legacy by Cayla Kluver. She was only 14 when she wrote the book that her mother published.
What do you think about the idea of Amazon Encore?
Posted in News/Current Issues amazon amazon encore book news cayla kluver legacy
Aug
17
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/08/17/atwood-book-tour.html?ref=rss
I absolutely love when one form of art inspires others. I find it such a cool concept. For example of my favorite band is Meg and Dia and a large number of their songs were inspired by books. I’ve read so many interviews of them where they say they were finishing a book, cry, completely overcome with emotions so they poured them into a song.
The article I found today seems to be pushing the idea of something being inspired by something else even further. Margaret Atwood not only is touring for her new book but has made an hour long play to go with it that will also include music. It sounds so different and interesting.
It looks like it is coming to Seattle so I might consider going if work lets me. It is only a discussing and signing in Seattle though which is sad. I would rather see the whole production. It would be cool to hear Atwood talk though.
What do you think about Atwoods book tour?
Posted in News/Current Issues book news book tour margaret atwood Meg and Dia music
Aug
15
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=126752253&blogId=505313466
Yet another Hollywood star is releasing a novel. This time it is Amber Tamblyn. It was be a poetry and prose book about, you guessed it, Hollywood.
I actually was unaware she has published quite a few things. There was two small books that she self-released with a limited about of copies. Then in 2006 she published a book with her current publisher. Has anyone else read any of these?
Usually poety isn’t too much my thing but I think this is interesting since it is taking on a theme that is somewhat contemporary. I mean lots of poets write about nature and the human expirence and that kind of stuff but I can’t think of anyone off hand that has written a book based completely on something like the entertainment business.
Based on Tamblyn’s choices of roles to take on, I think her poetry will probably be pretty interesting. She tend to take on stuff that is a challenge.
Do you think you will check out Tamblyn’s book? Do you enjoy poetry books in general?
Sorry this is so short. Working all night then again right in the morning as usual. Video hopefully up this weekend. It is going to be a crazy weekend for me so I hope I can get to actually uploading it.
Posted in News/Current Issues amber tamblyn book news hollywood poetry
Aug
13
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090813/ap_on_re_us/us_college_textbook_rentals
Finally something that sounds like a win-win for students and publishers alike. An company is going to start providing textbooks for rent to college students at huge discounts.
Obviously this is great for students. Speaking from my own experience, textbook can run close to or over $100 on average. I’m referring mostly to the books I had to purchase in community college. By the time I went on to Portland State, I was an english major so I didn’t have to buy textbooks anymore. It was mostly novels and anthologies so they ran anywhere between $5 and $40. Plus I could get a lot of them used at Powells. Anyways, my associates degree was very expensive to get because of all the books I need. Even trading them in I barely got 25% back. A lot of the times there was new versions so the one I had bought could not be bought back. This company is saying they are offering books at 40-70% off. That is so much less than I ended up paying total for my books. It would have saved me hundreds of dollars a semester. Heck, I probably could have paid for my whole first semmester at PSU with the money I saved.
The reason why this would benefit book publishers is because they can continue to make money off of books. Correct me if I am wrong, but when the school stores buy back than later sale books, the markup does not go to the publisher. Even if the book is only used for one year, say four semmesters, they would be making a profit each time it is rented. That has to be more than just the profit they make the very first time.
Look at it this way, say the book cost $100 if the student just buys it. If it is rented at even the whole 70% off that is still $30 a semmester. That would be $120 made total over the year. If they do it even at 50% off it would become a total of $200 made. Students save $50 and the companies make an extra $100. Makes perfect sense to me.
Do you think this is a good idea? Do you think it is the future of college textbooks?
Posted in News/Current Issues book news college powells rent textbooks
Aug
12
Okay so this is kind of a cool story I came across…
http://www.njherald.com/story/news/13SPARTABOOK-web
Basically the school in Sparta, New Jersey assigned one book to everyone in the school to read over the summer. It was “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls which was previously a best selling memior. Well not only did the students all pick it up but tons of members of the community have over the summer.
How cool is that? I loved the part of the article that talked about how people were discussing it at the post office. I flashed to this very Star Hollow from Gilmore Girls type town where there is this huge sense of community. Having reading being a common bond is so cool. I bet the school officials that decided on the book never imagine it would turn into a city wide sensation.
Even more than that, the idea started by an English teacher has expanded to a project called A Tale For One City. Here is the link I found for that.
http://ataleforonecitysparta.blogspot.com
Residents who are interested can comment on the blog. There has also been two city events scheduled where people can discuss the book. I can’t get over how awesome this is. I’m assuming it will be something that continues.
I hope more cities start doing this. Obviously a large city would have lots of trouble doing this but small towns could do this.
If your city held a city wide book reading event would you participate?
Posted in News/Current Issues a tale for one city book news new jersey sparta
Aug
11
EVERYONE please check this website out and vote.
http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/whatbook/index.php
Okay so while looking for today’s news I came across this super awesome campaign going on right now with First Book. Until the end of next month, they are getting people to vote on what book got them completely hooked on reading. Not only that but they want you to select a state and that state will get a donation of 50,000 books to low-income kids.
So cool right? Please go check it out and vote. Donate if you can!
So what book got you hooked? Three come to mind for me. Katie the Kitten was my first favorite. I memorized the entire thing when I was like two or something like that. I still remember most of that.
I also remember absolutely loving The Brocoli Tapes. It was about cats too. Does anyone else remember that book? I think there was a second one too.
My very favorite though, which will be the one I submit, is A Kind of Thief by Vivien Alcock. It is the story of a girl whose father gives her a baggage claim ticket right before he is arrested. It turns out to be a briefcase. She doesn’t know what it is but fears it is the money he might have stolen. I believe I bought it at a book fair at my school in fourth grade. I love love love that book. I have read it so many times and even today it is still great.
Posted in News/Current Issues a kind of thief book news first book vivien alcock vote