Off The Shelves: Book Clubs

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 18:25:19 GMT

Reading Group Book Suggestions for 2003-2004 are .... Reading Group Book Suggestions for 2003-2004 are online at Book Sense 76. [WPL: waterboro lib blog]

Sat, 08 Feb 2003 17:12:58 GMT

Publisher sets record price for new Harry Potter novel

James Nimmo passed along An AP Story that says The new "Harry Potter" book, still five months from publication, has apparently already set a record: The highest priced new children's novel in history.
Scholastic Children's Books, the U.S. publisher of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," announced Thursday a suggested retail price of $29.99.

[LISNews.com]

Mon, 14 Oct 2002 19:49:06 GMT

Library Book Clubs Should Be So Lucky.

The Book Club that Has Met for 58 Years

"Since Eleanor Roosevelt was First Lady. When few women of means worked outside the home. Before television, before the end of World War II, before the United Nations. When 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' and 'A Bell for Adano' were bestsellers.

That's how long the ladies of the First Friday book club have been meeting to formally discuss books -- 58 years.

So long that two founders are astonished to find themselves in their mid-90s. The other three founders have passed away, as have many of the early members. They have been replaced with women whom founder Sylvia Howard jokingly refers to as 'young chicks in their 70s and 80s.'

They can't find paperwork to document when the group formed, but Howard is quite certain it was 1944....

This isn't the kind of book group in which everyone reads the book (or at least is supposed to) and gets together to discuss the author's message and metaphors. Rather, this is a form popular with an older generation, in which one member reads a book, prepares a written report and reads it to the assembled group.

Most of the 18 First Friday members have a specialty. Shirley Zimmerman is an expert on family social policy. Dory Rose knows art. Miriam Karlins delves into mental disabilities. And Sylvia Howard's specialty, explains Dory Rose loudly to attract Howard's attention, is sex books.

That did get her attention. 'That's the only time I get any sex,' she countered dryly....

After her half-hour presentation, Friedman handed out song lyrics. She had typed them on her old Smith Corona electric typewriter, which died mid-task. She had attempted what she calls 'percussion maintenance' -- hitting or kicking a machine on the fritz -- but that wasn't effective this time. No matter. The copies were legible enough. The song lyrics included 'They Can't Take That Away from Me' by George Gershwin and 'The Ladies Who Lunch' by Stephen Sondheim. She asked members to read aloud the songs.

Some couldn't help but sing along. 'Now you understand why we're a reading group, not a singing group,' said Miriam Karlins." [StarTribune.com, via The Obscure Store & Reading Room]

[The Shifted Librarian]

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 20:49:00 GMT

The next 'Harry Potter' -- from Germany?

Book has sold 50,000 copies in UK
Friday, September 27, 2002 Posted: 12:47 PM EDT (1647 GMT)

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- In black cloak and mask, the Thief Lord leads his band of young pickpockets through the streets of Venice, Italy.

They steal but also search for the key that animates a mythical merry-go-round that, for those who ride it, restores youth to adults and makes children grow up.

The plot of this new book by German author Cornelia Funke could have all the ingredients to become the next Harry Potter -- at least its publishers are banking on it.

From CNN

Mon, 23 Sep 2002 19:31:40 GMT

These readers are eager to pass the book [LISNews.com]

Another Story on BookCrossing.com, a virtual book club aimed at turning the whole world into a lending library.
Here's the idea: Take a book you've read, register it at the BookCrossing site, slap a special identifying label inside the cover, and leave the book in a public place. When someone finds it and logs on to the Web site using the book's BookCrossing ID number, you get notified by e-mail.

Thu, 19 Sep 2002 17:41:47 GMT

Book Clubs and Women.

Book Clubs and Women:

The Chicago Tribune has this article that looks at the social issues surrounding book clubs and women, entitled "Book Groupies."

[Chi Lib Rocks!]

You can use the login and password to the left to register at the Chicago Tribune site.

Wed, 18 Sep 2002 17:27:06 GMT

Here's another book club

Now even Martha Stewart is jumping onto the book c ....

Now even Martha Stewart is jumping onto the book club bandwagon.

Martha Stewart Living will debut "Martha's Favorite Books," a weekly segment airing every Tuesday featuring interviews with authors of a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books. Titles selected for "Martha's Favorite Books" are drawn from Martha's own library as well as recommendations from the editorial staff, friends, and family. In addition to quality literature about food, cooking, collecting, and gardening -- staples of the Martha Stewart Living lifestyle -- "Martha's Favorite Books" will expand to encompass fiction such as Life of Pi by Yann Martel and Everything is Illuminated by first-time author Jonathan Safran Foer, as well as celebrated new books from established best-selling authors including Oliver Sacks, whose latest work is Oaxaca Journal.

Well, she might as well. [LibraryNotes - News and Interesting Stuff from the World of Library and Information Science Contact Sandy Wilton Weblog LibraryNotes Current]

Tue, 17 Sep 2002 17:06:31 GMT

This is a great site for book club members or students to find out about authors.

- "Here you can find out about all your favorite a .... - "Here you can find out about all your favorite authors, and prize winners, and lots more about the creaters of the best literature."

"Find an author and read all about them and their most famous books, and other less well known works, their dates of birth, selected bibliography and biographies."

"Every month we highlight an author and keep up to date with the shortlists of the big literary prizes."

"With over 500 authors on our books, we hope to provide you with an easy and compelling way to learn about books and their authors with our simple to use author index and our guide to the literary prizes that dominate the world of books." (via Black Stump) [Library Stuff - Updated daily by Steven M. Cohen]

Off The Shelves: Book Clubs

The next 'Harry Potter' -- from Germany?

Book has sold 50,000 copies in UKFriday, September 27, 2002 Posted: 12:47 PM EDT (1647 GMT)

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- In black cloak and mask, the Thief Lord leads his band of young pickpockets through the streets of Venice, Italy.

Book has sold 50,000 copies in UK
Friday, September 27, 2002 Posted: 12:47 PM EDT (1647 GMT)