Authors, Book Talk

Reviewing the reviewers

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Rumors and stories have been circulating over the past couple of years about the “top book reviewers” at Amazon.com. I’ve read everything from Amazon secretly pays the top reviewers to theorizing the reviewers don’t actually read any of the books (their number one reviewer has reviewed 45 books a week over the past couple of years…. hmmmmm).

But Slate.com has posted the first account (that I have seen) written by a new author. Hallberg noticed that his unknown book first review was by Amazon’s #7 reviewer, 66-year-old Grady Harp. Though nothing revolutionary is reveales it’s still a pretty interesting read.

Authors, Birmingham, Book Talk

Local author interview

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Wade, of wadeonbirmingham.com fame, has posted an insightful interview with Birmingham author Kim Sunée. She’s making the rounds promoting her new book Trail of Crumbs. It’s worth a  look. Plus, Wade went the extra step and rounded up links to mp3 files and other stories about Sunée.

Book Talk, Media, New Releases

So is it collectible?

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Word on the street is that one of the supposed top selling non-fiction titles on the market is going to be allowed to “die on the vine”. That is, no new copies are being printed and the distributor is asking for all the books out there to be returned to the warehouse. The folks at Galleycat have been keeping up with this pretty well (though they aren’t naming names).

I’m assuming it’s the new New York Times #1 Bestseller Tom Cruise biography (groan) which I really care nothing about. Which is exactly why it’d be worth picking up, if it’s going to be seen as scarce in the near future, I wouldn’t mind parting with it. Last week, shipments were blocked to Australia and a couple of other parts of the world. Which is why I’m guessing it’s the one being pulled. Evidently Cruise has some pretty powerful lawyer type friends.

I’ve only seen this book in two stores here in Birmingham. I wonder if it’d be worth “investing” in… or if it’s just going to be seen as the pulp that it is? Or am I being suckered by some sly marketing scheme?

Of course, I could be way of course, in which case I’d have a perfectly good copy of Tom Cruise for sale–cheap!

On the Web

They are just asking for it

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The Chronicle of Higher Education is a hosting a design contest. One where they are asking folks to design the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Can you imagine the submissions they are going to get?

Of course, the winning design has no impact on the actual library, but the winner does get an iPod Touch. All entries must be penned on the back of an envelope, which is only slighty larger than the napkins I’m used to sketching on. I envision some serious censoring going on when building their web gallery for us all to vote on.

{via So Many Books}

Books, Publishing and Birmingham