It finally approached 50 degrees in Boston this weekend, bookworms, so it’s only a matter of time before I’m reading outside in the gorgeous spring weather.
- This week, the American Booksellers Association announced the finalists of the Indies Choice Book Awards. The categories include adult fiction, adult nonfiction, young adult, middle grade readers and picture books. A lot of the usual suspects showed up on the list, including Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, Libba Bray’s Going Bovine and the popular second book in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire.
- In other book awards news, the finalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award were announced this week as well. The award honors the best work of fiction by an American citizen in a calendar year. Finalists include Serhman Alexie, Barbara Kingsolver and Colson Whitehead. The award will be announced on March 23rd.
- That’s one letter he probably won’t throw away. Galley Cat reports that Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi received a fan letter from El Presidente himself, Barack Obama. Martel posted part of the letter on his website, which details the Presidents love of the book and the experience of reading it with his daughters. Martel was, needless to say, quite pleased.
- While American independent bookstores struggle to stay vital in a bad economy and with megastore competitors, France has come up with a novel way of ensuring that indie stores stay open. In Paris, the government is buying the stores and then renting them back to the proprietors at a reduced rent rate. The plan allows indie bookstores, especially the specialty stores, continue to thrive while making sure the citizens of Paris always have access to the books they want.
- And now, the fun news. Jane Austen Today posted this fabulous fan-made video, using the audio of the Pride and Prejudice movie trailer, with images and scenes from famous Disney and animated movies. The result is quirky, charming and fun. It’s a must-watch for any Jane fan.
- In honor of the Oscars, which will air tonight on ABC, the Huffington Post has a slideshow that looks at the books behind the movies. If you need a quick refresher before the big event starts, check it out.
Enjoy the week!
