Web site for fictional characters is a marketing ploy too far says Linda Jones…CLICK HERE to read article and share your thoughts with APOOO.  After reading the article, I was like…’hmmm…I should care because.’

Free Books Anyone?  Authors/publishers are giving away e-books of novels to get readers to tap into the author and hopefully coming back and purchase future books.  Here’s a couple of books currently available…

Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery

The Reincarnationist by MJ Rose

These are great marketing tools for authors…but as a reader, if you enjoy these genres, would you download free copies of these books?

Toni Morrison to read upcoming release, A Mercy, on NPR, CLICK HERE for more details.  Has anyone ever heard Ms. Morrison read one of her novels?  If you have, you know what a joy she is to listen to.  If you haven’t, then you’re missing a treat and should check her out on NPR.

Are you a Harry Potter reader, if so, what type?  CLICK HERE to find out.  My son is a hufflepuff.  I guess I’m a Ravenclaw.  I’ve read all the books but I never rushed out to get them for me…I did for my son and then read them after he finished.

I found a great quiz called What’s Your Reading Personality over at Book Browse. Here’s what it said about my reading personality.

Your responses showed you fitting equally into all four reading personalities:

Involved Reader: You don’t just love to read books, you love to read about books. For you, half the fun of reading is the thrill of the chase – discovering new books and authors, and discussing your finds with others.
Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you’d like – so you’re very particular about the books you choose.
Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin.
Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You’re open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

To find out what type of reading personality you have, CLICK HERE and please share your personality in the comments section.

Urban Fiction Getting a Little Respect…From the Streets to Libraries, CLICK HERE for more details.

Harriett Klausner Dethroned?–No, not quite.  Although for years, many have questioned how one woman could read and review seven books a date.  So much so that some voted against Klausner’s reviews on amazon because they didn’t believe that was working alone and earned the title of #1 amazon review. Amazon recently changed the way it ranks reviewers and Klausner fell from #1 to #442 under the new system.  But, amazon didn’t totally kick Klausner to the curve…under the Classic rating system she’s still #1.  To find out more about amazon’s new rating system, CLICK HERE.

APOOO Book Notes, Harriett Klausner is #442 is a post from: APOOO

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Top Novelist feels pressure to dumb down

Baby It’s Going to Be Cold Outside in Book Publishing–Fewer books, bigger deals, no room for debuts? I mentioned earlier this month that it appeared that fewer books were coming down the pipeline.  Most folks attributed it to the time of year…yes fewer books generally come out during the fall/early winter…but I believe that a conscious decision has been made to publish less books..at least for mid-list and debut authors.  This articles bears out my thoughts.

Between Here and the Best Sellers List–Has anyone heard of Between Here and April by Deborah Kogan?  This book received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly (PW) and the publisher is taking a page out of indie bookstores strategyhandbook by handselling this novel.  So far they’ve produced 20K books and gone back to press three times.  I guess the handselling is working…I wonder what would happen if publishers did this for all new releases.

In case you haven’t heard, The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize.

The White Tiger, a tale of two Indias, tells the story of Balram, the son of a rickshaw puller in the heartlands, one of the “faceless” poor left behind by the country’s recent economic boom.

It charts his journey from working in a teashop to entrepreneurial success.

CRS (Cant’ Remember Sheyt) Scientists say the Internet Beats Books for Improving the Mature Mind…hmmm considering how much time I spend online I should be a rocket scientist by now…lol.

Most Worth Talking About Books–50 books made the list…how many have you read?  Hmmm if folks are talking about these books how come I haven’t heard of any of these…who are the folks who are taking about these titles…lol.

Kindle Anyone…If you’re looking for an electronic book readers…and the amazon Kindle has been on your wish list for sometime…guess what…Oprah is now touting it as one of her favorite gadgets and as such amazon is offering it at $50 less or $309.  The offer is valid for about another week or through November 1st. CLICK HERE for more details.  In other news, amazon reported that third quarter growth was lower than anticipated and the Kindle will remain unchanged for 2008.

Has anyone noticed the plethora of celebrity memoirs/non-fiction titles currently in the market…a few that come to mind include:

The Legs are the Last to Go by Diahann Carroll

Deconstructing Sammy by Matt Birkbeck, CLICK HERE to read Angelia’s review.

Keep the Faith by Faith Evans, CLICK HERE to read Sharel’s review.

Let’s Talk About Pep by Sandy Denton

Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

Here’s the Story by Maureen McCormick–sounds like this one is no-holds barred…McCormick tells all.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Do you enjoy reading books about the lives of celebrities?

Have you read any new celebrity releases which were not named about?  If so, please list your titles in the comment section.

APOOO Book Notes, October 26th, 2008 (A) is a post from: APOOO

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