News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, giveaways on this and other blogs, and other cool stuff.
This week’s News & Notes is abbreviated, because I’m on vacation.
Books & Ebooks in the News:
- “Washington Post to Be Sold to Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.” You’ve probably already heard about this, since it’s been getting plenty of press. But here’s the WP’s own article on it. And here is an open letter from Bezos to Washington Post staff. (Washington Post) Just to be clear: Amazon isn’t involved in this purchase (for a change); Bezos will own the paper personally. And he’s just buying the paper, its website, and some related local papers, not Slate.
Worth Reading:
- “Is Harry Potter a Feminist Text?” (an essay by hpboy13 on Mugglenet.com). I don’t agree with the author on every point, but overall, s/he makes some good points.
- “How reading habits shape the publishing landscape and what authors and publishers can do to change it“. Jane Litte of Dear Author looks at how and why readers gravitate toward the familiar, which leads authors and publishers to produce more of the same: similar covers, similar tropes (cough, the nearly-obligatory YA love triangle, cough, cough), and similar themes (bad boys and innocent young things; paranormal romance.)
Literary Losses:
Barbara Mertz (a.k.a. Barbara Michaels, Elizabeth Peters), an Egyptologist who delighted fans with a number of popular mystery and romantic suspense/thriller series, died Thursday, Aug. 8, at the age of 85. The mystery community is the poorer for her loss. (The Washington Post; photo courtesy of Dr. Mertz’s website.)
Free & Bargain books:
- Don’t forget the free audiobook downloads from SYNC! You will need to download the Overdrive Media Console to be able to download the audiobooks. Here are this week’s and next week’s titles:
- Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (read by Katherine Kellgren; Brilliance Audio) and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (read by Miriam Margolyes; Bolinda Audio)
- Sold by Patricia McCormick (read by Justine Eyre; Tantor Audio) and Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie (read by Tavia Gilbert; Blackstone Audio)
Awesome lists:
- The Ultimate Backseat Bookshelf — 100 Must-Reads for Kids 9-14 (NPR Books)
- The 25 Best Websites for Literature Lovers (Flavorwire). Thanks to Jennifer Harling at The Relentless Reader for pointing me to this one!
- 95 Young Adult Novels to Read This Summer Instead of Reading ‘Harry Potter’ AGAIN! (Rebecca Eisenberg, Upworthy)
Just for fun:
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| Source: Mary GrandPré / Parker Jordan Fine Art / via: parkerjordanfineart.com |
That’s it for this week! When you read this, I’ll be somewhere between Oklahoma and New Mexico. I’m on vacation for the next four weekends, so News & Notes posts will be a bit haphazard until September.
I’m always on the lookout for interesting articles, lists, and links for News & Notes, so please let me know if you see (or write!) anything that might be good for this feature. You can leave me a comment or send me an email — my address is on the About/Review Policy/Contact page.
Jennifer Hartling
Great link list as always 😀 I hope you’re enjoying your vacation!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thanks, Jennifer! Driving from Virginia to New Mexico in three days was a bit challenging, but we’ve had a great (and busy) time since we got here. This is the first I’ve had time to catch up with the comments!
Bea
I enjoyed many Barbara Michaels books when I was younger, I was sorry to hear of her death.
Happy, and safe, travels!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I’m embarrassed that I haven’t read any of her books, under either pen name, but I’ve heard such good things about them since her death, I’m putting several on my to-read list.
Thanks for the good wishes! We’re safely at our first destination, and enjoying family time as well as short hikes. In a little over a week, we leave for ‘Robin’s college.
kimbacaffeinate
I downloaded overdrive to my phone and am listening to my first audio ever..Enchanted. Thanks 🙂
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Great! I hope you enjoy it. I haven’t listened to that one yet — haven’t even had time to download it yet. That’s on the agenda for today or tomorrow!
Jan
Elizabeth Peters was one of my favorite authors (Barbara Michaels to a lesser extent) when I was a young adult. I still remember reading Crocodile on the Sandbank so many years ago. And I loved the Vicky Bliss books with the mysterious Sir John Smythe. Her books were so much fun to read. I will miss her, but it also sounds like she had a wonderful life.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
It does indeed. I need to read some of her books; somehow I missed them all these years. I knew OF her, but never got around to trying her books. But I’m bumping them up higher on my to-read list now.