I spent a good deal of my weekend snowed in, but luckily I had some book news to keep me company. Only five more days until Christmas!
- Homer – the dead guy who wrote “The Odyssey” and “The Illiad,” not the donut-loving guy from The Simpsons – would be so proud. Greek mythology is back! With vampires being (apparently) so last year, 2010 is quickly shaping up to be the year of the Greek gods and goddesses. Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson series will make the leap to the big screen, as will a newly updated version of Clash of the Titans. Now, if only we could figure out a way to get Euripides and Sophocles in on the action…
- Speaking of Hollywood and ideas they steal from literature, nominees were recently announced for a number of movie awards, including the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild awards. Adaptations of literary works are quickly racking up the accolades: Up in the Air (based Walter Kirn’s novel of the same name), Precious (based on the novel Push by Sapphire) and Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child (based, partly on Child’s memoir My Life in France) have all been bestowed with nominations. Unfortunately, we must now wait until January to find out who wins.
- Well, that’s one way to do it. Increasing concerns about the fate of brick-and-mortar bookstores have led some publishers to deliberately delay releasing the e-book version of a new publication. Harper Collins, Hachette Book Group and Simon & Schuster have all said they will delay – in some cases, by several months – the e-book release of a new hardcover, with the hopes that doing so will force consumers to purchase the more expensive hardcover. (E-books are less expensive, partly due to ongoing pricing wars and partly because it doesn’t require ink, paper and binding). Me? I think this is less about actual bookstores and more about publishers holding tightly to their profits.
- The regular publishing industry might be taking a hit, but fanboys everywhere can sleep easy – comic books and graphic novels are thriving. Thanks to some Hollywood love, comics are seeing a resurgence of late, with more specialized comic stores reporting an increase of sales. Reasons vary, but for the most part, fans of the movies and television shows are flocking to pick up the source material. Additionally, more children (especially reluctant readers and boys) choose comics and graphic novels for “fun” reading. So you can bet that Stan Lee is thanking his lucky stars.
- I would be remiss if I didn’t pause for a moment of silence for the death of Kirkus Reviews. For years, Kirkus was the bastion of pre-publication reviews and many times, the review would make or break a book. Starting in 1933, Kirkus would sometimes review as many as 5,000 books a year and, though not generally read by the public, the Kirkus review was a mainstay of libraries and librarians. RIP, Kirkus.
- For those fans of trivia and other simply looking for ways to stay occupied at work, the Chicago Tribune’s ten surprising facts about bestselling books. Consider it an early Christmas gift (unless you don’t like it – in that case, just smile and nod.)
