Books

Jane Friedman has a helpful post, and a handy infographic, on what she sees as “the key 5 publishing paths, their value to authors, the potential pitfalls, and examples of each.” Here are the five paths: Traditional publishing: where you query and submit to agents and editors in an effort to land a contract that pays an advance and royalties (and typically involves nationwide bookstore distribution). Partnership publishing: one might consider this the evolution of traditional publishing, where authors are positioned more as partners, receive higher royalties, but usually no advance. Fully-assisted publishing: the old “vanity” self-publishing model, where you write a check and get your book published without lifting a finger. I don’t recommend this, but it’s still a significant part of the self-publishing market, now dominated by Author Solutions. Do-it-yourself (DIY) publishing with a distributor: while this applies to either print or e-books, today this usually involves e-publishing your work (to reduce financial risk and investment involved with print), and using a service provider or distributor to reach all possible online retailers—and/or to provide some level of assistance. Do-it-yourself (DIY) direct publishing: when an author doesn’t put any middlemen between him and the retailer selling his books. Often, this option is combined with #4 above; for example, someone might sell direct through Amazon KDP, and complement it with distribution to all other retailers through Smashwords. This is possible because most distributors and online retailers of e-books work on a nonexclusive basis. For more detail read the blog post or click on the image above for the full size version. (via HuffPost books)

Interviews, Hans Ulrich Obrist (F, 30s, short bleached hair, long grey coat, big sunglasses on in train, L train) http://bit.ly/11I9NPn

For those of you who aren't familiar with this weekly meme, Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read where there’s a great opportunity to meet new bloggers! Q: The #FF is 150 weeks old! And we want to hear from you! What would you change about the hop? What do you like about it? Or just suggest a question to be used for next week! A: Yay for #FF-versary! :) I wouldn't change anything about the hop. I truly enjoy getting to discover new book blogs that lead to new friendships and more book lovin' fun! What do you love about it? :) **NOTE**: For those of you who follow me through Follow Friday make sure to leave your link so that I can follow back! :)

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and other dignitaries attended Chinua Achebe’s funeral. A judge has ruled against three Borders gift-card holders who wanted to file a class-action lawsuit over unredeemed balances, which have a combined worth of over two hundred and ten million dollars across nearly eighteen million cards. Katherine Boo has won the New York Public Library’s 2013 Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism for “Behind the Beautiful Forevers.” Amazon will allow authors of fan fiction to sell their work through a new platform called Kindle Worlds. Filipino officials are not pleased with Dan Brown’s description of Manila as “the gates of hell” in his new novel “Inferno.” (Read Joan Acocella on Dan Brown and Dante.) The Los Angeles Review of Books has published its first print edition. ...read more

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josee Masse Dial 2013, review from library copy This picture book of poetry has a clever twist. The poems can be read backwards or forwards. With different line breaks, punctuation, and intended inflection, the reversed poem becomes something altogether new. Having common fairy tales as the subjects makes it easy for the reader to jump right into the story told in the contrasting verses. For instance On With the Dance captures - so to speak - the twelve dancing princesses: Sleep, soldier. Do not follow this eager pack of princesses. Cloaked by moonlight, steal unseen from the castle, sisters, keeping secrets. No fathers need to know why, night after night, these dancing slippers are always worn out.Or from another perspective:These dancing slippers are always worn out night after night. Why? Fathers need to know. No keeping secrets, sisters. Steal unseen from the castle by moonlight. Cloaked, follow this eager pack of princesses. Do no sleep, soldier.See how differently it reads with the same words? Love these. The illustrations are wonderful too, often combining contrasting colors like blues and oranges. Great poetry for young readers. Poetry Friday is hosted today at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Links to material on Amazon.com contained within this post may be affiliate links for the Amazon Associates program, for which this site may receive a referral fee.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I'll be posting a Memorial Day Crime Fiction list, but in the meantime, I thought I'd update my Barbecue Mysteries list. Let me know any titles I've missed, and I'll add them.So many ways one can murder someone at a barbecue, from the sauce to the skewers to the grill. Here's a short list of Barbecue Mysteries. Let me know if I've forgotten any!Barbecue MysteriesDelicious and Suspicious, Hickory Smoked Homicide, Finger Lickin' Dead by Riley Adams (The Barbeque Mysteries)Several of the recent Dan Rhodes books by Bill CriderMurder at the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival by Gene DavisFinger Lickin' Fifteens by Janet EvanovichThe Politics of Barbecue by Blake FontenayThe Big Barbecue by Dorothy B. HughesThe Sheriff and.. (series) by D. R. Meredith Say Your Sorry by Michael RobothamThe King is Dead by Sarah ShankmanStiffs and Swine by J.B. StanleyRevenge of the Barbecue Queens by Lou Jane TempleBarbecue by A. E.H. Veenman Short Stories: "Gored" by Bill Crider in Murder Most DeliciousYoung Readers: The Barbecue Thief by Starike Want a little chocolate on the barbie this weekend? Check out recipes on my other blog: DyingforChocolate.comS'mores on the Grill Banana Boats Chocolate Barbecue SaucesSpicy Chocolate RubCocoa Spiced Salmon Rub Scharffen Berger Cacoa Nib Rub for Trip Tip

Reviewed by Alysia George There is a sad, shameful chapter of American history that I knew nothing about until reading Christine Baker Kline’s novel, Orphan Train. Less than 100 years ago, orphaned children were herded onto trains and taken as far west as it took to get them adopted. At each stop they were treated as commodities, and handed over to just about anyone who was willing to take them. Adoption was not necessary, just a roof, food, and schooling. Since no one was closely monitored, even these basic essentials were more theoretical than anything. Unless they were cute little babies, the children were typically chosen by their new guardians for their strength and abilities. Essentially, they were free labor and household help. It was a time of great widespread hardship in this country, so poverty was a normal state for many. Therefore, the children were often given over to despicable living conditions, with the attitude that it had to be better than living in an orphanage or on the streets. Orphan Train chronicles two parallel stories, one of a modern day teenager in the year 2011, and another of a Depression era young girl beginning in the year 1929. One is experiencing the trials and tribulations of the foster care system, and the other is a rider of an orphan train. When 17-year old Molly meets a rich old lady, Vivian, she cannot imagine that they will have anything in common. Before long it becomes clear that they are kindred spirits and an unlikely friendship is formed. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, Orphan Train is the story of a lonesome way of life, not just for Molly and Vivian, but for thousands of other children who have endured (and continue to endure) similar hardships. Some children are lucky and find themselves in loving homes, treated as family. Others are not so lucky, and although they may (or may not) be safe and cared for on the surface, they may not feel loved or feel truly a part of a family. They may feel that they have been chosen for a home based on what they can bring to that home (today, payment for foster parents), and sadly, in many cases that is the ugly truth. While conditions may have improved, and safeguards are in place that were not there in the days of the orphan trains, the experiences of the children are not so different. Rating: ★★★★★ Alysia lives in Metro Detroit with her husband and four children. She writes about family life, parenting issues, and other things of interest to her on her blog, Michigal. Review copy was provided free of any obligation by William Morrow Paperbacks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received. Pin It

… Anecdotal Evidence: `An Immense Elaboration'. Perhaps because I spent the first eight years of my life surrounded by factories and warehouses and train yards, I love paintings of industrial scenes. There is a very nice just about where I am sitting. I am also very fond of Sheeler, who was a Philadelphian and worked for many ears just outside of Doylestown. Patrick says that Sheeler "seems to have absorbed the lessons of abstraction in order to do something else." I think that's true. I also think it's necessary. Form is abstract and must be mastered in order that the form of life can be properly depicted. It is not, however, an end in itself.

In The Guardian, Sam Leith reviews Holy Sh*t: A History of Swearing, a new book by Melissa Mohr. In it, Mohr argues that swearing just ain’t what it ****ing used to be, man. Related posts: The Kindle World Apropos of Mark O’Connell‘s contemplation of the Kindle is this... The Historian, His Wife, Her Venom, His Rivals At The Guardian, the intriguing case of historian Orlando Figes... Who doesn’t love to hit happy hour after work? Christine Sismondo believes bars deserve more credit for “produc[ing] a...

Today is the final day of my Indie/New Adult feature where I share my thoughts on some titles that have been published recently in the New Adult category. I've read so many it was just easier to do mini-reviews and bunch them together. Hopefully you have enjoyed the feature and have found several books you'd like to read. My most surprising finding with these was that most of the New Adult books we see as popular, were not my absolute favorites. Most of my 5 star reviews (which posted Monday) are more obscure titles that haven't had as much success. It really shows me that books shouldn't be judged by covers or blurbs. Some really can end up surprising you. I can't imagine the past year without having read these Indie titles. My advice would be DO NOT shut Indie books out. I'm thrilled to see that Indie authors are now having so much success and I do believe this has opened up doors for bloggers to be more accepting of these titles :) The books featured today got a 3 star rating from me. They may not have been favorites but they were still enjoyable. The Wild Ones by M. Leighton Add to Goodreads This book is about Camille and Trick. Camille is from a well-off family and Trick is not. He works for her dad but she can't help but notice how hot he is. Trust me, she mentions it a lot. Trick was okay in this book but Camille was annoying as heck. Her internal ramblings about Trick's hotness was just too much. The plot is a little too dramatic during some parts. Other parts bored me a bit. I felt that with a little more work this could have been much more well-rounded and enjoyable. I know Michelle has had huge success with her books, which is great, but this one just didn't grab me as much as I would have liked. Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt Add to Goodreads I really liked this book cover and that's what originally made me want to read it. The story itself, however, was a bit disappointing. There is a crap-ton of cursing in this book. I'm an adult so it's not like they are new words to me but it was just too much. I don't need to read the F word a million times. It just made the characters seem immature. Deo was an okay character but Whitley didn't grab me. Her backstory was important and heart-breaking but I just never really felt bad for her. There was something missing and the story just never really took off for me. Lots of potential but the characters and language really brought it down. The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith Add to Goodreads I was really interested in this story in the beginning. I wanted to know the mystery behind Luca and I did enjoy reading about Ariel and how they were somehow connected, due to her past. This book does have quite a few surprises and twists. I would say that the first half was much better than the second. Once I stopped reading for a while I realized I had no desire to pick it back up. It took me a while to actually jump back in and see what happened. I'm not sure why that was. I even skipped a few parts towards the end. But I wouldn't count this one out. I'm a hard sale on science fiction titles so it could have just been me. I do plan to see what else this author writes in the future. Bound Together by Eliza Jane Add to Goodreads Such a cute cover and the summary really made this book seem interesting. It starts out with Zoey trying to escape her homelife. She takes care of her siblings and has a lot of stress on her plate. I enjoyed the whole set up to this story. I felt bad for Zoey and couldn't imagine being seventeen in that situation. She goes on a class trip and has a friends-with-benefits relationship with Matt, even though they never get along. Zoey really uses him for the affection she's missing, then she throws him away after she's done. It hurts Matt a lot. I think the way Zoey treated Matt was really the downside of this book to me. I didn't understand why she was so mean but the