Pocketbooks

Jean Craighead George, author of 100 books for young people including ‘My Side of the Mountain’, dies aged 92

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:37:21 +0000

Distinguished children’s book author and noted naturalist Jean Craighead George died on May 15. She was 92.

Best known for the Newbery-winning novel Julie of the Wolves (Harper, 1972) and the Newbery Honor title My Side of the Mountain (Dutton, 1959), George penned more than 100 books for young people during a career that began with the publication of Vulpes the Red Fox in 1948.
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Mexican novelist, Carlos Fuentes, dies aged 83

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:30:25 +0000

Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes has passed away at the age of 83, he was the winner of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize and the Latin Literary Prize. President Felipe Calderon wrote on Twitter, “I deeply lament the death of our beloved and admired Carlos Fuentes, a universal Mexican writer.”
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Popular authors increase output, some doubling to two books a year, to meet insatiable ebook demand

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:28:58 +0000

Pity the poor authors in the days of the ebook. Whereas popular authors such as Lisa Scottoline used to produce one book a year, now they are writing two; while others such as Lee Child are churning out short stories in between novels in an attempt to satisfy their fans’ demands for more output, lest the fans get bored waiting for the next work and go off and find a new favorite. Meanwhile, James Patterson is producing a dozen or more books each year, about half of which are co-written.

All this at the same time as the internet has changed readers’ expectations that they’ll be able to hear personally from their favorite authors via blogs, Twitter and Facebook updates.

Would reclusive authors such as J.D. Salinger and Harper Lee be able to gain traction in today’s market? Many publishers say no – that what once would have created an aura of intrigue around an author, is not a viable option in the age of interconnectivity.
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Maurice Sendak dead at 83

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Legendary author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, best known for Where the Wild Things Are, died in Connecticut today. He was 83.

Earlier this year, Bumble-Ardy was published, the first work in 30 years for which Sendak had produced both text and pictures. The final book illustrated and written by Sendak, My Brother’s Book, is scheduled to be published in Feburary 2013.
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Pushing back against ‘Showrooming’, Target will no longer stock Kindles

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Target plans to stop selling Amazon Kindle e-readers and tablets, and has already removed the products from its website.

“This is evidence that Target is getting more serious about Amazon as an enemy rather than a partner,” said analyst Matt Nemer of Wells Fargo. “That’s probably something Target now regrets. It put them behind in the world of multi-channel retail and let a serious competitor learn a lot about their business.”

The New York Times reported that as retailers like Target address the challenge of “showrooming,” carrying Amazon’s Kindle is, as Michael Norris of Simba Information put it, “like Starbucks selling Dunkin’ Donuts gift certificates.”

Showrooming is the term used to describe a shopper who visits a store to check out a product but then purchases the product online from a different retailer – booksellers report that they often see customers buying online while still standing in their store holding the book they are purchasing elsewhere!
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Reader Review: "Chesapeake Blue"

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:11:55 +0000

by Cloggie Downunder (Thirroul NSW Australia): Chesapeake Blue is the fourth of the Chesapeake Bay series by Nora Roberts. It is the story of Seth Quinn, who as a ten-year-old , was bought from his mother (Ray’s estranged daughter, Gloria deLauter) by Ray Quinn and raised by Ray’s adopted sons, Cam, Ethan and Phil. After years of promoting his art around the continent, Seth Quinn wants to come home to St Christopher, to the security of the place he grew up in. When he arrives, he meets Drusilla Whitcomb Banks, granddaughter of a Senator, who has come to St Chris to get away from life in Washington and the stifling demands of her parents. She’s running a flower shop and loving it, and Seth wants to paint her, and more. But everyone has secrets in their past, and Seth’s is insisting on turning up like a bad penny, threatening everything he holds dear. Is there any way someone as sophisticated as Dru can be with someone like Seth with his history? Is Seth underestimating Drusilla’s strength? Has Seth forgotten he is a Quinn, and Quinns stand together? This final chapter in the Chesapeake Bay series will please fans who wanted to know how Seth turned out. Roberts knows how to create characters to love and hate, and a plot that is original. An entertaining read.

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Reader Review: "The Lifeboat"

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:11:55 +0000

by Diane S.: Thirty nine people in one lifeboat adrift for many weeks waiting for rescue, some strong some not. Rogan takes what is a relatively simple plot line and than fills it with moral ambiguities and decisions that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next. Not sure what I think of the main character and narrator Grace, we are filled in on her back story, except to say that I felt she was definitely an opportunist, but above all she is a survivor, not only of the ship sinking and subsequent trial, but in life itself. The language used is insightful and well in keeping in what was going on in the lifeboat. Couldn’t help wondering how I would have acted if found in the same situation as these people. This will make an interesting book for discussion groups as there are many different aspects of this novel that can be discussed.

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Reader Review: "A Land More Kind Than Home"

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:11:55 +0000

by Diane S.: My goodness but this book was fantastic! His use of local color and dialect, his descriptions, his use of the weather to ratchet up the tension, and all this from a first time author. The town midwife, Adelaide, who sees it as her job to protect the children, the sheriff, who has plenty of tragedy in his own life, and the two young boys, Jess, who is in third grade, and his older but mute brother, Christopher. When evil comes to their small Appalachian town in the form of itinerant preacher, Chambliss, events are set in motion that will leave few unscathed. Two boys would pay for their natural curiosity in a way that is out of all proportion to their misdeed. I knew this story drew me in when I found myself wanting to grab one of the characters and tell them not to do it. I felt the tension in the pit of my stomach, like the way one feels before the big drop on a roller coaster. Yet in ends in a note of hope and a looking forward to that I would not have thought possible. Absolutely gripping!

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Reader Review: "The Dovekeepers"

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:11:55 +0000

by Louise J (Canada): I have read a lot of novels about ancient Jerusalem during this era but I must begin this particular review with one word – WOW!! I was completely entranced with Alice Hoffman’s The Dovekeepers which took place during the Roman siege during the first century CE.

The story is told through the voices of four different women: Yael, Revka, Aziza and Shirah. Each of these women had secrets about where they came from, who they are, who their fathers were, and who they love. Each of the women’s stories bound them together throughout the novel emotionally and symbolically. The change in each woman’s story flowed effortlessly and leant to the dynamic retelling of this sad and tragic period in history.

The dramatic end to this story will rip your heart out and leave tear-stains on your pages as you turn them. The title The Dovekeepers has a symbolic meaning throughout the story.

I’ve read a lot of Hoffman’s work and I believe this to be her very best. I believe this will become a classic in the future and a novel that will be talked about in book groups, people’s living rooms, in the news and will be a bestseller. I for sure will be touting the merits of this book to anyone and everyone who will listen. Kudos to you Ms. Hoffman!

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Toni Morrison to be awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:07:00 +0000

Toni Morrison is one of thirteen people to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the USA’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. Other honorees include Madeleine Albright, Bob Dylan, John Glenn and Shimon Peres
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