Review by Alex Shephard Graduation is supposed to signify an end and a beginning, the transition between the ivory tower and the “real world.” But in The Marriage Plot, his first novel since Middlesex won the Pulitzer Prize almost a decade ago, Jeffrey Eugenides follows three newly-minted graduates to question the idea of a clean break between these two periods. In the process, he renders familiar insecurities, frustrations, and transformations into the most convincing and authentic portrait of post-graduate life in recent memory. Like the thousands of students who are receiving their diplomas in June 1982, the trio of students […]
Archives for May 2011
Eisler’s Next John Rain Novel to Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer
At our Publishers Launch Conference Wednesday afternoon, Barry Eisler announced that, rather than self-publishing, his next John Rain novel THE DETACHMENT will be published by Amazon’s new mystery/thriller imprint Thomas & Mercer in both digital and print formats. “What Amazon has offered is everything that was so great to me about self publishing on the one hand, but everything you want from traditional publishing,” including marketing and distribution. “I get the best of both worlds,” he added. Amazon is also paying Eisler an advance, one “that was comparable to what St. Martin’s was offering in the deal I ultimately decided didn’t […]
Buzz Reviews: The Boy in the Suitcase, by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis
Review by Sarah Weinman The Scandinavian crime boom, which started with Henning Mankell and exploded thanks to Stieg Larsson, shows no sign of abating. Jo Nesbo’s now bestselling authors, James Patterson folded Liza Marklund into his team of co-writers, and publishers are pinning high hopes this summer and fall on books from Jussi Adler-Olsen, Lars Kepler, and Mons Kallentoft, among (so) many others. But the sleeper of the bunch, and among the best crime novels of the year, comes from the collaborative alchemy of internationally bestselling fantasy writer Lene Kaaberbol and children’s book author Agnete Friis, scooped up by Soho […]
People, Etc.
Wendy Wolf has been named vp, associate publisher of Viking, where she has worked since 1994. She will continue as editorial director of non-fiction as well. Keith Richards’ LIFE (Hachette Audio) won Audiobook of the Year at the 2011 Audies, given out last night by the Audio Publishers Association. Full List Ned Beauman, Stephen Kelman, and Anjali Joseph were shortlisted for the 2011 Desmond Elliot Prize for first novel published in the UK. The winner will be announced on June 23. Starting this month, AudioGO has partnered with Soho Press to release up to 12 audiobook titles a year from […]
Amazon Wants You To Know It Has a New Kindle, Too
With Kobo and Barnes & Noble having announced actual new models of ereaders, Amazon announced a new offer of their own on Tuesday night. For people who need their “special offers” on the go, now there’s a Kindle 3G version priced at $164. Kindle director Jay Marine said in the release that the 3G Special Offers, ready to ship on the day of the announcement, was created “in response to customer requests.” Among the forthcoming offers is “$1 for a Kindle book, choose from thousands of books including Water for Elephants and the Hunger Games trilogy.” In other Amazon news, the company […]
Yes, It’s A Panel On the Future of eBooks
A BEA panel convened by Google and moderated by Google Books executive Tom Turvey joined the many forums looking at “the future of ebooks.” Take this as a selection of the most provocative or interesting soundbites rather than an end-to-end chronicle of the panel: Evan Schnittman from Bloomsbury asserted that what’s selling in ebooks is what’s selling in print, which “is exposing that publishing does not know how to market ebooks yet.” He added, “let’s be honest, we’ve never marketed backlist before.”As Perseus Books Group ceo David Steinberger put it, “digital is very good for hunters, not so good for gatherers.” Later […]