Having noted a steady stream of award winners and “best of 2013” lists, it’s time to launch our annual tracking of the consensus “Best of the Best of” books of the year. By aggregating lists from all over rather than reflecting one set of critics’ or judges’ picks, we’re able to derive terrific lists that reflect a much broader consensus. (You can revisit previous years’ lists at Bookateria, including the top fiction and nonfiction from 2012.) We have already logged selections from 24 different sources so far this season (spanning booksellers, newspapers, magazines, major awards and more), and so far […]
Archives for December 2013
People, Etc.
Gina Rizzo has joined Harper Children’s as senior publicist. She was a publicist at Tarcher/Penguin. Gillian Flynn‘s GONE GIRL will finally be published in paperback by Broadway Books on April 22, 2014. Crown says the novel, whose adaptation to film will be released next fall, has sold more than 4 million copies in hardcover and ebook in the US and an additional 2 million copies internationally. Osprey Publishing has acquired British Wildlife Publishing. The company produces field guildes and books on British natural history along with two magazines. Founders Andrew Branson and Anne Branson will leave the business, and the unit […]
The Goodreads Choice Winners, and More
In the latest “Best of 2013” lists, Goodreads.com announced the winners of their Goodreads Choice Awards, based on close to 2 million online “votes.” The biggest adult vote-getters were Neil Gaiman (with roughly 43,500) and Malala Yousafzai (with almost 33,000 votes), while YA winner Veronica Roth garnered over 36,000 votes and middle grade winner Rick Riordan received almost 43,000. Among the 20 winners: Fiction: And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini Mystery & Thriller: Inferno, Dan Brown Historical Fiction: Life After Life, Kate Atkinson Fantasy: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman Science Fiction: MaddAddam, Margaret Atwood Horror: Doctor Sleep, Stephen King Memoir & Autobiography: I Am […]
France’s Second Largest Bookstore Chain Files for Bankruptcy
The quickly deteriorating situation at France’s Chapitre bookstore chain has led the subsidiary of Najafi-owned Actissia to file for bankruptcy. The group employees 1,200 people at 57 stores across France. In recent weeks, the country’s largest bookseller Fnac had indicated some interest in acquiring up to 20 of Chapitre’s stores in medium-sized cities where Fnac does not have a presence. A number of publishers had stopped shipping to Chapitre after the parent company announced in early October it would sell off the stores (or close them in no buyers could be found).
Amazon Unveils Hopes for Delivery Drones
Amazon ceo Jeff Bezos attracted attention for a Sunday night appearance on 60 Minutes, where he introduced the world to the company’s prototype “octocopters”: small “Prime Air” delivery drones they hope to deploy. A promotional video from Amazon describes it as “something the team has been working on in our next generation R&D lab. The goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers’ hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles. Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules […]
The President’s Book Purchases
Once again, President Obama included a bookstore shopping spree as part of his commemoration of the American Express-created Small Business Saturday. This time he and his daughters visited Politics & Prose, where he spent approximately 30 speaking with customers and purchasing the following books. He said they were selected to cover readers of all ages, “from 5 to 52” (his own age). According to the White House, President Obama bought: The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Carson McCullers Red Sparrow, Jason Matthews The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Buddha […]