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 Andersons Make Bid to Buy Books-a-Million (Publishers Weekly), but the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC is investigating to see if the proposed bid undervalues the company’s stock. (CNN Money)
- Amazon had a good 4th quarter (CNBC) but fell short of 2013’s overall operating income despite an increase in sales. (Publishers Weekly)
Worth Reading
- They’re Watching You Read (Francine Prose, New York Review of Books)
- What’s Wrong with Reading Only Half of a Book? (Lincoln Michel, Electric Lit)
- Publishers Know You Didn’t Finish The Goldfinch – What That Means For The Future Of Books (Joseph Bernstein, Buzzfeed)
Literary Losses
Colleen McCullough (via BBC News)
Colleen McCullough, the Australian author of the bestselling The Thornbirds and 24 other novels, died Thursday Jan. 29 at the age of 77. (Obituaries: NPR (written & audio); Washington Post)
Margaret Bloy Graham (via School Library Journal)
Margaret Bloy Graham, illustrateor of the Harry the Dirty Dog books, died Jan. 22, 2015, at the age of 94. She also wrote and illustrated the Benjy books. (Obituary: School Library Journal)
Book & Movie Announcements
- Oyster now has the Harry Potter novels – with house customization (c|net) This is the first time the HP books have been available via a subscription service.
- Richelle Meade closes the Bloodlines saga, looks forward to a standalone fantasy (Publishers Weekly)
- New Salmon Rushdie novel coming in September (Publishers Weekly)
- Don’t look for George R.R. Martin’s sixth book in 2015. However, his publisher will release an illustrated collection of three previously-published Westeros novellas. (The Guardian)
- Water for Elephants to become a musical (Hollywood Reporter)
Really Cool / Just for Fun
Lynda Claassen, director of the U.C. San Diego Special Collections & Archives, shows Dr. Seuss’s creative process using items from his own collection. (Sorry; there’s an ad first.)
Bookish Quote
(Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m already there.)
Kaja
I love your quote of the week – I bet we all feel this way sometimes. I lend my books out, too, to family and friends, and have to keep track of them in a notebook. But I love sharing good books and making recommendations.
Kaja recently posted…My January
Lark_Bookwyrm
I love sharing books too – but not my very favorites; those I’m extremely reluctant to let out of my hands! Instead, I get a copy for the other person – or a copy I can lend out. 🙂
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I’ll have to pass on the link to the Books-A-Million story to Eleanor. She works in if not the first one then one of the first ones. So sad about our literary losses. I was unaware that either had died. I’m 100% sure I’ve read a Colleen McCollough book though I can’t for the life of me remember what it is. Harry the Dirty Dog was a favorite of my husband’s and the Tornado loves the books as well.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Make It Ahead – A Cookbook Review
Lark_Bookwyrm
I never really got into McCullough’s books, though she was very popular back when I was a bookseller/manager in the late 1980s. At the time, I was mostly reading fantasy and mystery. But I loved Harry the Dirty Dog as a child!
Bea @Bea's Book Nook
My house, apartment really, is definitely one book away! 😀
Such a shame about McCullough and Graham; I enjoyed books by both. I see a few articles I missed, no to go read!
Bea @Bea’s Book Nook recently posted…Winning at Reading Begins Today!
Lark_Bookwyrm
I love living surrounded by books – but it’s gotten a bit out of hand here. 🙂