The New York Times had an interesting article last week essentially contending that Bret Easton Ellis' controversial American Psycho has turned out to be prescient of our current climate. Patrick Bateman, Ellis' first-person narrator is filled with bloodlust, is materialistic (well, of course he is, this was written in the 80's), and, surprise!, obsessed with a certain Donald J. Trump.
James Patterson has recently announced that he wants to make more money put books into the hands of people who have abandoned reading by introducing Book Shots which will be published by Little, Brown. These will be books of no more than 150 pages, costing less than $5 a piece, plot driven and, eventually, sold in nontraditional locations. Patterson will write some of the novellas, his team will write others and he will handpick the rest. What are your thoughts about this? I'm kind of for anything that puts books in people's hands.
Writer Ann Patchett is co-owner of a book store in Nashville, called Parnassus, which has just started sending a book mobile around town to food truck rallies, farmer's markets, and outside restaurants. Parnassus on Wheels has it's own web page and Twitter, updating readers as to where they can find the van as it moves about. I'd be so excited if I found a book mobile to explore when I was at the farmer's market! "In Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus is the home of literature, learning, music, and, I think, a few other valuable things," said Patchett, explaining the name of the bookstore.
Have you been keeping up with The Morning News' Tournament of Books? Care of Care's Books and Pies has been working her way through all of the books and I'm thoroughly enjoying reading her opinions of the books in the running.
Also, in case you missed it, the Once Upon A Time challenge, hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings, has begun. I'm looking forward to getting back to my fairy tales!
Writer Ann Patchett is co-owner of a book store in Nashville, called Parnassus, which has just started sending a book mobile around town to food truck rallies, farmer's markets, and outside restaurants. Parnassus on Wheels has it's own web page and Twitter, updating readers as to where they can find the van as it moves about. I'd be so excited if I found a book mobile to explore when I was at the farmer's market! "In Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus is the home of literature, learning, music, and, I think, a few other valuable things," said Patchett, explaining the name of the bookstore.
I loved American Psycho and can definitely see what that article is talking about. I'm with you, anything that puts books in people's hands is a good thing. Especially kids. I have a friend and her son is currently devastated because he broke his cell phone. He is eager for it get fixed, so he can have it back in his hands. He said he would "die" if he didn't have his phone soon. Talk about melodramatic. I'm thinking, he needs a book in hands not a cell phone. Of course, I don't have kids, so who knows - maybe mine would be playing with a cell phone instead of reading a book, too. Either way, if Patterson wants to make more money buy putting out cheaper books for people to buy - I'm for it. Anything to push books on to people. I saw the Parnassus article, too. I think its so cool they have a bus now!I would love something like near where I live. How cool would that be?!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely need to get a book in that boy's hands! I'm glad my kids didn't have phones when they were young, although I would have taken them as soon as they walked in the door. Maybe I'd have let them have the phone for an hour a night but only after they did their homework and some reading.
DeleteInteresting concept - Book Shots. Do you think they'd kind of be like the old, Harlequin romance series where the books are short and quick? I would love to come across a book mobile!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that's what they will be like.
DeleteBook Trucks at Food Truck sites!? awesome.
ReplyDelete