News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, and other cool stuff
Book News
- The first chapter of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman was released on Friday morning. It’s printed in full at both The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian; you can read it on either site. The chapter has garnered mixed reactions (Publishers Weekly.)
- The 2015 Locus Awards for best science fiction and fantasy were announced on 6/27. Winners in the novel categories include Anne Leckie (science fiction), Katherine Addison (fantasy), and Joe Abercrombie (YA). You can see a full list of winners and finalists at io9.
- Authors Guild Slams ‘Inadequate’ E-book Royalty. Ebook royalties from traditional publishers are usually 25%, as opposed to the 50% (on average) earned on print books. (Publishers Weekly)
- Amazon charged with ‘Big Brother’ tactics over customer reviews. (The Guardian) Apparently, Amazon monitors social networks and removes/refuses reviews by people who “know” the author, and that policy is being challenged as unfair by a petition on Change.org. The Amazon policy troubles me as a blogger, since many of us follow and even interact with our favorite authors on multiple social media sites.
- New Texas textbooks de-emphasize slavery as the main issue in the Civil War. (Washington Post) Revisionist history, anyone?
- Google doodles increase an author’s popularity. (GalleyCat)
Worth Reading
- You’re probably using the wrong dictionary. James Somers makes a strong case for the original Webster’s (through 1913.)
- I’ve Read Books: A Tale of Tracking My Reading (Emma Nichols, BookRiot)
- So You Want to Try Fanfiction, Part One: Where to Start (Jessica Pryde, BookRiot)
For Writers & Bloggers
- Hank Green on How to Get Good at Everything… especially writing. (Vlogbrothers; above)
- Blogging Tip: How To Write a Book Review, Part IV: What is “Good Writing”? (Daniela Ark, Blog for readers, writers and bloggers)
Book & Movie Announcements
- Tamora Pierce announced a title for the Tortall companion: A Spy’s Guide to Tortall: From the Desk of George Cooper. What fun!
- James Bond comic book series planned by Dynamite Entertainment. Warren Ellis will write the series, with Jason Masters doing the artwork. (Hollywood Reporter)
Awesome Lists
- Romance for Younger Readers – YA with romantic themes but without “intense kissing/more than kissing scenes” (Fizzle Reads) http://fizzlereads.tumblr.com/post/122855351339/romance-for-younger-readers
- The Best Books of 2015 So Far – at least according to the writers of BookRiot. It’s a nicely eclectic and surprisingly long list.
- Cool Maps of Fictional Places, most of them fantasy worlds. (BookRiot)
- The Star Trek Lit-verse Reading Guide is an extensive list of many of the over 2000(!) Star-Trek-related novels, short stories, and comic books that have been published over the decades since the original series first aired. In addition, it tries to link the books which reference one another. Bookmark this site if you’re a Star Trek fan!
Really Cool / Just for Fun
Reading vs. Everything Else (EpicReads)
- Extremely Accurate Charts for Book Nerds (Epic Reads)
- Reading Habits Based on Hogwarts Houses (BookRiot). Apparently I’m a Gryvenpuff. Or a Huffinclaw. Or a Ravledor. Or whatever you would call a combo of all three non-Slytherin houses, anyway. (BookRiot)
Bookish Quote
That’s all for this week!
Jan
I like the quote by Ursula LeGuin, Lark! Lots of good links this week. I’ll have to look at the Star Trek link. I have a whole box of Star Trek books and probably all are going to our library!
The Texas textbook controversy is very troubling. We all want to see history from our own viewpoint. But a history book should be telling us both sides of an issue and the nuances so we can learn to think for ourselves.
Jan recently posted…Review: No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
Lark_Bookwyrm
Glad you enjoyed the quote and the links! Like you, I’m troubled by the Texas textbook issue, particularly since the historical record – including a major speech given by the Confederate vice-president a week before the war began – clearly indicates that slavery was central to the South’s decision to break from the Union.
Jan
Yes, it’s pretty hard to pretend slavery didn’t happen or didn’t have anything to do with the Civil War.
Jan recently posted…Review: To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell
Lark_Bookwyrm
Exactly.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I absolutely love that chart! That definitely mirrors how I feel about days without reading. As usual interesting and thought provoking links today!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Heroes are My Weakness – Review
Lark_Bookwyrm
I like that one too! There are a whole lot more reader nerd charts if you follow the link.
Selah @ A Bibliophile's Style
I was not even a little surprised that I read like a Ravenclaw. The charts and LeGuin quote are perfect!
Selah @ A Bibliophile’s Style recently posted…20 Books of Summer Mini Reviews, Part 2
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Selah! No, I’m not surprised either. 🙂
Stormi
Interesting news! I will have to check some of this stuff out. 🙂
Stormi recently posted…The Week In Review #45
Lark_Bookwyrm
Have fun! 🙂
Bea @Bea's Book Nook
I wish I could say that the Texas textbooks problem surprises me but it doesn’t. Some days I feel like they’re from another planet. Part of the problem is that they are huge buyer of textbooks and are able to demand that textbook companies revise books to suit Texans. Scary!
The Star Trek site looks like fun; I could lose a good many hours on there. 😀
Bea @Bea’s Book Nook recently posted…Bea Reviews Gaming the System by Laura K. Curtis
Lark_Bookwyrm
Yes to both your comments! The Star Trek site looks really dangerous. 😉