According to a sign in the window of the Barnes & Noble at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, the location is closing December 31. The company did not respond to the SF Chronicle, but an employee told the paper, “As far as we know, the rent got raised a little too much for us to deal with.”
Bookstores
Bookselling: Bids for Politics and Prose; Trouble in Minnesota
Politics and Prose co-owner Barbara Meade says the evaluation of bidders to buy the store is focused on six suitors, and the Washington Post says there is a January deadline for bids. A local consortium that includes agent Rafe Sagalyn, along with departy editor of the New Republic Franklin Foer, XM Satellite radio founder Hugh Panero, and Atlantic correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg remains one of the contenders.Washington Post Separately, the Minneapolis Star Tribune looks at the wave of Minnesota stores that have closed recently–the latest are Biermaier’s Books in Minneapolis, “for 60 years among the largest used bookstores in Minnesota,” and […]
Also Closing: Chicklet, and BookArmy
Princeton children’s bookstore Chicklet will close at the end of the month, as their landlord turns the space over to a tenant paying market rent.Princeton Packet In the same week that Figment.com has launched, Harper UK’s book social networking site BookArmy indicates it will close December 21. The Bookseller says an email to site members indicated “the decision has been made to close the site, after facing strong competition from similar sites and fewer advertising opportunities in such a tough economic climate.” The company tells the magazine that staff will be reassigned to their site Authonomy.
Moving to 2011 Lists, the January Indie Next List
#1 Pick: Left Neglected: A Novel, by Lisa GenovaA Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery, by Charles ToddThe Poison Tree: A Novel, by Erin KellyThe Lake of Dreams: A Novel, by Kim EdwardsClara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel, by Susan VreelandBattle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy ChuaBird Cloud: A Memoir, by Annie ProulxThe Radleys: A Novel, by Matt HaigUnless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing, by Roger RosenblattThe Year of the Hare: A Novel, by Arto PaasilinnaGideon’s War: A Novel, by Howard GordonToward the Setting Sun: John Ross, the Cherokees and the […]
Amazon’s New Slippery Slope: Selling Purported WikiLeaks Material As An eBook
Amazon stumbled last month in deciding whether or not to sell a self-published ebook on pedophilia, at first saying “it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable,” but then removing the work without further comment in the face of public and media outcry. The company has already been in the hotseat once this month in connection with the WikiLeaks release of 250,000 classified US foreign relations cables–briefly hosting the site through its web services division, but then removing the material for violating the company’s posted terms of service. Yet Amazon […]
Market Mulls Barnes & Noble & Borders
The market and media are both continuing to speculate on Bill Ackman’s attention-getting theoretical offer finance a purchase of Barnes & Noble and merger with Borders. Barnes & Noble stock jumped sharply in early trading yesterday and gave back some of the gains to finish at $14.69 a share. But they have rallied again today, almost touching the $16 price floated by Ackman about an hour ago. Borders, which is almost a penny stock, rose even more on a percentage basis yesterday on huge volume, but is down for the day today. As we suggested yesterday, the most likely outcome […]