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 Agatha Award Nominees for 2015 have been announced. (Malice Domestic) The Agathas are awarded to the best traditional mysteries (i.e., no explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or excessive gore.) Categories include Contemporary, Historical, First Novel, Nonfiction, Short Story, and Children’s/YA. The page also includes the nominees and winners from 010-2014, and a link to a list of winners from 1998-2009.
- A mall CEO’s statement alleging Amazon planned to build 300-400 bookstores has been backtracked, but not before major financial news outlets reported it, sending B&N stock tumbling. (USA Today) But Publishers Weekly reports that Amazon is looking for booksellers in the San Diego area.
- Harlequin Teen and Seventeen magazine teaming to launch new fiction imprint. The first title is by Melissa de la Cruz. (Publishers Weekly)
- McDonald’s Serves Books with Happy Meals from Feb. 2 through 15. The program is in partnership with Reading Is Fundamental. (Los Angeles Times)
Worth Reading
- What Makes Great Detective Fiction, According to T. S. Eliot (New Yorker)
- Jim C. Hines on Representation and the Seeds of Possibility (Suvudu)
- What apps next? Publishers and developers embrace ‘unprintable’ fiction (The Guardian)
Book & Movie Announcements
Iko character sketch by Douglas Holgate (courtesy of Macmillan, via Washington Post)
- Marissa Meyer will write a Lunar Chronicles graphic-novel duology, set after the events of Winter, and illustrated by Douglas Holgate (Washington Post) The series will be titles Wires and Nerves, and will be about Iko “… along with a brand-new villain, and maybe a certain Lunar guard as well,” according to Meyer’s blog post.
- Check out the Fantastic Beasts behind-the-scenes trailer!
Bookish Quote
That’s it for this week!
Rita @ View From My Home
I really enjoyed skimming through all the past years’ Agatha Nominees and Jim C. Hines’ article was spot-on wonderful. What a great talent– I must get one of his titles soon.
Rita @ View From My Home recently posted…January Month in Review
Lark_Bookwyrm
The Agatha lists are fun and rather useful for finding new authors, too. And I love Hines — he’s not only a good storyteller with a heck of an imagination, he’s also a Really Good Person.
Jan @ Notes from a Readerholic
I’ve been meaning to go and see what got nominated for the Agatha this year, Lark. So thanks for the reminder. And I love the quote! Hope you have a good week.
Jan @ Notes from a Readerholic recently posted…Sunday Post: Feb 7
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Jan — you too!
Bea @Bea's Book Nook
I love that McDonald’s is giving out books with Happy Meals; I hope they continue it. I need to check out the Agatha list, not that I need more books to read. 😀
Bea @Bea’s Book Nook recently posted…Short & Sweet: Bea Reviews The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin
Lark_Bookwyrm
So much better than cheaply-made toys, I agree. And that Agatha list is dangerous! (In the nicest way, of course.)