Amazon announced this morning a textbook trade-in program that lets students get a quote online for used books, print a pre-paid shipping label, and return those books for credits against Amazon purchases.Announcement Two independent booksellers announced closings: Lee Booksellers in Lincoln, NB is closing after 30 years in business as their lease expires and co-owners Linda Hillegass and husband Jim McKee prepare to retire. “The big effect the economy has had is that we can’t sell the store,” Hillegass said. “We did try to sell the store, and it didn’t work.” Also closing is Ormond Beach, FL’s The Bookstore Cafe […]
Judge Dismisses Meyer Infringement Cast
In a California Federal Court, Judge Otis D. Wright II carefully read and compared Stephenie Meyer’s BREAKING DAWN and Jordan Scott’s THE NOCTURNE and dismissed Scott’s case alleging copyright infringement. As Judge Wright summarized, “plaintiff simply argues that the works are similar in three particular respects: the marriage sequence, consummation of the marriage on a beach, and the childbirth.” In comparing the works, he finds that “the plots and themes in the subject books have little in common,” “the settings and characters in the two works are vastly different,” oh and also, “the characters are similarly different.” While both books […]
Announcements: BEA to Focus on Spain, and More
Spain and Spanish publishing will be the focus of BEA’s Global Market Forum program in 2010. Programs will include a day of educational sessions, and BEA is “seeking cooperation with numerous literary and cultural institutions in New York City to provide programming which extends beyond the convention center and will be open to the public.” They say they are in discussions with the 92nd St. Y, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, and others. The Ministry of Culture of Spain, the Federation of Spanish Publishers and the Spanish Trade Commission are partners in the Spanish exhibition. Separately, […]
Once Again, Google Books Judge Denies Motion–This Time from Amazon
As predicted, Amazon’s effort to have the amended settlement thrown out was denied by Judge Denny Chin. He assures in his ruling that “the many nuances of the amended settlement agreement will be considered after the fairness hearing is held on February 18.” And Amazon is welcome to “set forth its arguments in its objections” as part of that process. He also throws them a small bone, saying that if they need to “refer to their prior objections now to present ‘cohesive and accurate’ filings” though may so do without incurring his wrath. (Earlier, he said that new objections could […]
NYT Book Review's Top 10, Plus CSM Fiction Picks and Amazon's Consensus Mash-Up
Take three Michiko Kakutani picks, two Janet Maslin favorites (Richard Holmes made PW’s top 10 as well), and none from Dwight Garner’s list (or the National Book Awards, or Amazon’s 10 Best, or…) and you have the NYT Book Review’s ten best of the year: FictionBOTH WAYS IS THE ONLY WAY I WANT IT, By Maile MeloyCHRONIC CITY, By Jonathan LethemA GATE AT THE STAIRS, By Lorrie Moore [K]HALF BROKE HORSES: A True-Life Novel, By Jeannette WallsA SHORT HISTORY OF WOMEN, By Kate Walbert NonfictionTHE AGE OF WONDER: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science, By […]
Gray Friday
With the official opening of the holiday shopping season, bookstores are seeing a lift though total sales were well below last year’s holiday kick-off. In outlets monitored by Nielsen BookScan, book sales for the week (through last Saturday) were 15.396 million units–a three percent increase over the prior week, but 9 percent lower than the same Thanksgiving-week from 2008, which registered sales of 16.857 million units.