National Book Critics Circle Awards

March 10, 2011

The winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards have just been announced: Fiction: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad Finalists: Jonathan Franzen, Freedom David Grossman, To the End of the Land, tr. by Jessica Cohen Hans Keilson, Comedy in a Minor Key, tr. by Damion Searls Paul Murray, Skippy Dies


Interface of Technology and Books— Where Are We Headed?

March 10, 2011

Lately much has been written about the various aspects of the gains of e-books on the traditional print market and how publishing and consuming books will continue to change. We are riding the wave of this new technology in a manner similar to that of the past when the VCR, cell phone, PC, etc., all […]


An Interview with Suzanne Clores

March 9, 2011

Suzanne Clores has good reason to celebrate.  A Chicago-based writer and editor who has taught at both DePaul and Northwestern Universities, she recently marked the ten-year publication anniversary of her book Memoirs of a Spiritual Outsider with its Kindle-edition release.  In Spiritual Outsider, Clores undertakes an enlightening exploration of Wicca, Shamanism, Yoga, Vodou, Sufism, and Buddhism on her quest to fill a […]


Final Part of Jean Auel Series To Be Released 3/29

March 9, 2011

Jean Auel‘s series the Earth’s Children has been phenomenally beloved, selling an astounding 45 million copies worldwide. In “The Land of Painted Caves,” Ayla is training to be a spirit healer in the Zelandonii clan of her mate, Jondalar. While studying a cave painting Ayla seems to invent art appreciation. After confronting a romantic rival, […]


Clinton Writes Preface to Spy Novel

March 8, 2011

Former president Bill Clinton has returned to the world of intrigue- he’s written an introduction to his friend Thomas Caplan’s new book, “The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen.” The story is about keeping nuclear weapons out of the wrong hands. Shira S.


An Interview with Christine Sneed

March 7, 2011

Christine Sneed is a local author clearly hitting her stride.  This past November the DePaul University professor published her debut short story collection Portraits of A Few of the People I’ve Made Cry to glowing reviews after first claiming the 2009 Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction.  Praised by Booklist as “an exceptionally smart” collection written with a […]


Romance Arrives in E-book Form

March 7, 2011

Avon, publisher of romances, has announced that as of next week Avon Impulse will be available online. Interesting to note that Avon is a part of HarperCollins, which has been creating its own heat with the unpopular limits on e-book check outs. Shira S.


The Limit: 26 Downloads

March 6, 2011

Libraries are facing many financial challenges these days, and here’s one more that is being instigated by publisher Harper Collins starting Monday, March 7th. Downloadable ebooks purchased from them will be limited to a total of twenty six downloads (i.e., checkouts). After that, the title is gone from the library’s database until  a new “copy” is purchased. It seems to […]


A Few Recent Stories for Teens and Parents

March 6, 2011

Here’s some recent book news which may interest teens or parents of kids- 1) HarperCollins is starting a new promotional program offering a contest with a signed copy of Justin Bieber‘s “First Step 2 Forever” as a prize. The website, known as Bookperk, advertises inside access to the world of publishing. 2) This article in […]


An Interview with Pamela Ferdinand

March 5, 2011

Pamela Ferdinand is an award-winning journalist who covered breaking news for The Boston Globe, Miami Herald, and Washington Post for over a decade.  She is a former adjunct journalism professor at Boston University, has written on wide-ranging topics for The Economist and National Geographic News, and most recently, co-authored the empowering memoir Three Wishes: A True Story of Good Friends, […]


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