Here’s what caught our eye in the book world this week, in no particular order:
A little book by a science fiction writer came out this week, something called A Dance with Dragons. I think the author’s name is George R. R. Martin or something. According to the New York Times it gave brick-and-mortar bookstores a huge boost in sales this week. So I guess it’s kind of a big deal. Oh wait, let me see that sales sheet again? God bless you, George R. R. Martin.
An unpublished Jane Austen manuscript titled The Watsons sold for $1.6 million dollars at auction. I hear the ebook version should only run you about five hundred grand.
Charlaine Harris announced she will end her bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series.
Amazon filed a petition to overturn the California law that will require it to pay sales tax (this is a good write up of the situation from our friends over at MobyLives.) The New York Times also has a piece on the online retailer’s legal move.
Nick Cave, that dark minister of song (Oh, Deanna!) is using his star power to fight library cuts and closures in the UK. (And here’s a little something extra for the librarians, a video of students and faculty from the University of Washington Information School getting their library groove on to Lady Gaga. It’s not new, but it’s awesome.)
The L. A. Times has a clarifying piece today on what’s going on with Borders, which is up for liquidation/dissolution/take over.
The final Harry Potter movie debuted. (Do not fear, J. K. Rowling is hard at work on something new.) Many are proclaiming this the end of an era, much to the relief of some journalists who have run out of angles to cover the boy wizard. (And for those of you who might be Harry Pottered out, Flavorwire has a great round-up of Potter parodies.)
The Jersey Shore’s Snooki will publish a second novel. Favorite piece of wisdom from her first novel, A Shore Thing: Ex-boyfriends at hook-up parties only cause problems. Don’t invite them. (Seriously, look it up, it’s in there. You can also learn how to give your hair the famous Snooki bump, and start a successful spray-on tan business. Not that I read the whole thing. I perused.)
That’s what we got. Enjoy the weekend. Read a book.
BookPeople 