Library’s site gets face lift

Posted by trav in Birmingham, News      1 comment

Jul
26

The JCLC has a new look to their site and user interface. The update looks great! What is interesting though is they have added “social networking” type functions. So people can now rate books they like, etc. According to the blog post, users will eventually be able to write reviews and make suggestions and such.

The coolness that is our local library system seems to be part of a trend, too.

Social Scene

Posted by trav in On the Web      No comments

Jul
26

Publisher’s Weekly has a short article on the three leading “book social networking sites“. (via fadetheory).

Let me say up front, that I am an avid LibraryThinger and that I really think the PW article does a disservice to the reader…

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Just in time…

Posted by trav in Birmingham, Book Reviews, Book Talk      No comments

Jul
23

Now that Summer is half over and school starts in just two weeks… Birmingham’s local Black and White city paper has released its Summer Reading issue.

Better get cramming!

Just a big ‘ol mob scene

Posted by trav in Birmingham, Book Talk, Bookstores, Events, New Releases      No comments

Jul
21

I drove around town a little this evening taking in all the Potter Pandemonium. I’m always amazed at how many people come out for these releases. But I was no where near as excited as Line # 72 (pictured below) at Barnes and Noble at the Summit.

He came walking out of that store whooping it up like he’d just won the lottery. And what was funny was…

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Pop-up Pages

Posted by trav in On the Web      1 comment

Jul
20

Here is one for all of you “book arts” types. It’s a music video that uses a pop-up book for 90% of the video. I don’t know how hard it is to make a pop-up book, but this is pretty fun stuff to watch. (via Book Patrol)

Un-clear cutting

Posted by trav in Groups      No comments

Jul
20

There’s a new service designed to ease all of our green guilt. You can pay to have trees planted in accordance to how many books you own. Best I can tell they encourage an easy one tree planted per one book owned ratio (at about a dollar per tree).

It’s also neat that they plant the trees around the world (places that actually need them). (via Bookninja)

Reading 5 books a day

Posted by trav in Book Reviews, Book Talk, On the Web      1 comment

Jul
20

According to this cool article/interview, Amazon’s most prolific customer reviewer has posted 12,000 reviews in 7 years. That’s unbelievable and a lot of folks in the industry have been taking note. Though an English professor interviewed for the article admits that she has, on occassion, read 5 books in a day!

I don’t think I can drink enough coffee to get me to that pace.

Boon for BookTV

Posted by trav in Book Talk, Media, On the Web      No comments

Jul
19

Book TV has updated and improved their site. It’s loaded with video, audio, calendars, etc. It really is a much improved experience. Kudos to the folks behind the scenes. It’s fun poking around all of the interviews and appearances. Of course, please feel free to ignore anything that might reinforce stereotypes about my beloved Birmingham and the South.

Speaking of video, the mystery has been solved…

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Plenty of pretty Penguins

Posted by trav in Book Covers, On the Web      No comments

Jul
19

I just had to share this gallery of Penguin paperbacks. Pretty cool! It’d be a fun collection to have.
I ran across that link over at Veer’s The Skinny.

New Chabon

Posted by trav in Authors, New Releases, Upcoming Titles      2 comments

Jul
11

I just saw in Bookmarks magazine where Michael Chabon has another new book coming out
?! I haven’t even read about the Yiddish policeman yet. The magazine said August of this year, but Amazon has it listed for October.

I’ve been told that the new book is a collection of short stories he’s done and has not been a hit with reviewers and pre-release folks. But I reserve the right to make that call myself and am looking forward to it!