WRB

Ford County: Stories
~ John Grisham
“Ford County is the best writing that John Grisham has ever done. Grisham has always had a rare gift for breaking hearts when he invokes unforgettable images of the broken, hopeless South. Some of the stories are hilarious, and Grisham’s gift of humour has never found a showcase like this. One of these stories should find its way into the anthologies of the best short stories of 2009. It might not happen, but I for one think the stories in Ford County are that damned good.”

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Curious about what it takes to design a cool eye-catching book cover? Try six hours and some serious Photoshop skills. Lauren Panepinto of Orbit Books condensed all her hard work on a Victorian/Steampunk novel cover into a fascinating two-minute clip.

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In the emerging world of e-books, many consumers assume it is only logical that publishers are saving vast amounts by not having to print or distribute paper books, leaving room to pass along those savings to their customers.

The Economics of Producing a Book

Room for Debate: Does the Brain Like E-Books?
Publishers largely agree, which is why in negotiations with Apple, five of the six largest publishers of trade books have said they would price most digital editions of new fiction and nonfiction books from $12.99 to $14.99 on the forthcoming iPad tablet — significantly lower than the average $26 price for a hardcover book.

But publishers also say consumers exaggerate the savings and have developed unrealistic expectations about how low the prices of e-books can go. Yes, they say, printing costs may vanish, but a raft of expenses that apply to all books, like overhead, marketing and royalties, are still in effect.

All of which raises the question: Just how much does it actually cost to produce a printed book versus a digital one?

Read more …

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This

is an online exploration of the intellectual, cultural, and political history of reading as reflected in the historical holdings of the Harvard Libraries. For Internet users worldwide, Reading provides unparalleled digital access to a significant selection of unique source materials:

and you can see the details here …

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What do we, as a nation, care about books? How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
— Sesame and Lilies. Lect i, Of Kings’ Treasuries
John RUSKIN (1819-1900)

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Gregg Sapp names the top 35 sci-tech titles from astronomy to zoology in LJ’s annual roundup. » » »

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Free ebook

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

This is a collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903-1904.- This was the first Holmes collection since 1893, when Holmes had “died” in “The Adventure of the Final Problem”.-

- Having published The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901-1902 (although setting it before Holmes’ death) Doyle came under intense pressure to revive his famous character.

Email me now and I’ll send you the link …

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‘Tis the good reader that makes the good book; in every book he finds passages which seem to be confidences or sides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear; the profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader; the profound thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until it is discovered by an equal mind and heart.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Ayn Rand and the World She Made

~ Anne C. Heller

Anne C. Heller has written a riveting, massively researched biography of the self styled ‘radical for capitalism’ Ayn Rand. “A thoroughly absorbing account of the passion, ferocity, ambition, and humanity.”

More here …

Buy the book here

… or from  Amazon

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Joe Sherry at the Adventures in Reading blog has compiled a list of best reads of the previous decade. (I admire his memory!) It is an interesting list. He admits to reading fantasy and sci fi, but the reading here includes some fascinating reads.

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