Category Archives: Book Talk

The Blookers

Lulu.com has announced this year’s shortlist. Fifteen books total. Six fiction, six nonfiction and three comics titles. I didn’t know that web-comic sites were eligible. I’m going to have to pick up a copy of a Lulu book someday to see if they really are just as good as books vetted by publishing pros. Though the panel of judges this year seem to know a lot about content and power blogging.

I guess I’ve just been brainwashed, but I really do like knowing that someone has edited and thoughtfully published the book I’m considering buying and not just formatted a bunch of ramblings. But then I haven’t read one, so I could be way off base. We’ll just have to see who wins this year.

Back in the saddle!

It’s been too long since I posted and I’m fighting the urge to just spew forth a link dump here. Too many good blogs out there mentioning too many good things.

So I’ll kick off my official a-few-days-of-catch-up with my not-so literate review of Bill Bryson’s latest book, which I just finished.

War and New Piece

Every year, Tolstoy’s War and Peace makes it as one of the top-ten best novels every written. So what does publisher Harper Collins want to do to honor this distinction? Put the 1500 page classic on a diet and change the ending, of course!

That’s right, the new edition coming out this year will be half as long and characters who were previously killed will live and others that lived will die. Why?

Harper Collins says…

Continue reading War and New Piece

Two places at once

The Birmingham Public Library has posted its first show on YouTube. You can view the video here, from their blog. It’s the epsiode promoting Alabama Bound and discussing a book on Miles College and drama titled Mayor Todd.

The YouTube video has a couple of weird edits and lasts around six minutes. Unless I’m mistaken, this is the same show that airs on public access here in the ‘ham. Which is pretty cool if you miss it on TV.

Props to the BPL crew for doing this. I hope they keep it up!