Bookstores, On the Web

Today Show Talks Bookstores

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Here is a quick 3-minute Today Show segment (I saw mentioned on the Travel Between the Pages blog) about bookstores this holiday season. Not much here other than I am always glad when media folks are talking about bookstores and books.

Two thoughts: one, the publicity team at B&N all need raises this year. I’ve never seen a blitz like they did in 2024. The mainstream media folks ate up every crumb. And two, what do we have to do to get a new bookstore movie to replace You’ve Got Mail? So many news stories use it as a point of reference. It seems like 99% (not based on real data) of newly released movies are all redos or sequels… why not this one?

Bookshops are not just great for your community, visiting bookshops while traveling is a great way to get to know a place you are visiting. Bookstore Tourism should be a thing! Seeing what books are offered up front and scanning through the Staff Picks shelves always offer lots of insights. And books make pretty dang good souvenirs.

Book Talk

NonFiction November 2024 Week 5

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We made it! It’s been a full month of book and Nonfiction November blog reading, and it’s been a blast. I’ve enjoyed the conversations and am looking forward to checking out some of the new books that were mentioned.

The prompt for this final week is posted on ReaderBuzz and says:

Week 5 (11/25-11/29) New To My TBR:  It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book!

I have a pretty good track record of actually reading the books I find interesting every Nonfiction November. So I am hoping to start chipping away at these new-to-me titles next year. Here is what has been added to my TBR list:

Germinal cover

I found this one over on Readerbuzz and while it sounds like kind of a depressing slow-burn of a story – I am intrigued by the setting and time period. I think it will fit nicely in my TBR pile this winter season.

The Rights of Nature cover

I love the idea of this book… what if nature had the same rights, within the legal system, as people and corporations do? The impact of this is fun to think about and worth exploring. I nature has rights then it deserves protections just as people, pets and places of business do. I was glad I read about this one over on Unsolicited Feedback.

Hitler's first 100 Days cover

It feels like there are lessons to be learned here. It’s important to understand how a whole country can fall under the spell of someone like Hitler. It’s frightening to think that the Nazi’s didn’t take power – they were voted in and given it. Then things got really bad as they fought to preserve and expand it. Again, not a cheerful read, but one I’m thankful was mentioned on Maphead’s Book Blog.

What Do I Know? cover

I saw this over on Literary Potpourri and knew it had to go on my Michel De Montaigne shelf. I have no idea why I am so intrigued by Montaigne and the centuries-long interest in his writings, but it’s all equal parts comforting and thought provoking for me. I’m looking forward to this one.

One of the sneakiest (and fun) parts of every Nonfiction November is the week focused on Book Pairings. This is where folks are encouraged to share nonfiction and fiction books that are linked in some way. So it’s great to walk away from every annual event with a few more fiction reads as well. Here are a couple of fiction reads that I found interesting:

The Reader's Room cover

I am a sucker for ‘books about books’. Words and Peace mentioned this one. Here’s a snippet from the book’s main description: “When the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers’ room is convinced it’s something special. But when the shortlist is announced, there’s a problem for editor Violaine Lepage: she has no idea of the author’s identity. As the police begin to investigate a series of murders strangely reminiscent of those recounted in the book…” Fun!

Only the Astronauts cover

I found Dovey’s Blood Kin to be worthwhile and well written. So I’m looking forward to this collection of short stories that was shared over on the This Reading Life blog. I don’t know much about collection, but the fact that Dovey wrote it and that cover are enough to get me to pick it up. Fingers crossed!

The final week of Nonfiction November is always a fun one to click through all of the shared posts to see what other folks found interesting. I always seem to stumble upon one or two titles I missed earlier in the month.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and thank you for stopping by this little corner of the internet. See y’all next November!

Bookstore Travels

Indie Bob Spot interview

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USA Today posted a short video interview with the creative and constantly traveling blogger behind The Indie Bob Spot. Basically he travels the country looking for independent bookshops.

I’ve been a fan of Bob Manson’s ever since I stumbled across his fun site showing off all the sights around indie bookstores – inside and out. Bob has a wonderful spirit and sense of purpose helping shine a spotlight on all the cool independent bookstores that we never hear of.

I also like to keep up with Bob’s reading list as he seems to be a well read guy. I had no idea he was a retired teacher or was from Iowa. If you like indie bookshops then you will find a kindred spirit in this interview hosted by Dana Taylor.

Book Talk

Nonfiction November 2024 Week 3

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It’s week three of Nonfiction November 2024! This week is hosted by Liz, who blogs at Adventures in reading, running and working from home. She’s a fun blogger I started keeping up with after a #NonficNov a few years ago. 

This week’s prompt is:

Week 3 (11/11-11/15) Book Pairings: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title.

This year, I’m picking a couple of news-related reads. How people consume and where they get their facts is super important in this social media-soaked era. It’s not very fun, I have to admit. So, I am pairing a relaxed read on how best to think about the news with a fun, classic newspaper book.

First up is my nonfiction pick , News: A User’s Manual, by Alain de Botton. I am a big fan of Alain de Botton and the way he tries to make intentional and philosphical thinking an everyday thing for normal folks like myself.

In News , he does this by breaking down the major types of news that distract or stress us all out. Whether it’s politics, Economics, or celebrity sleaze, his framework offers a clear way of surfing through each day’s headlines while showing impact it has on all of us as a whole.

And for the fiction side of this week’s bookish coin, I am offering up an oldie that was first published in 1938 in England. Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop has a list of quirky characters, an easy plot and is dripping in dry humor and satiric wit that you’d expect from Evelyn Waugh.

The story follows William Boot as a “sort of” reporter for the Daily Beast, which is a fictional daily newspaper where Boot is mistakenly identified for another well known writer with the same last name. Boot, with zero skill and full of dread, falls into a real “scoop” when he lands the story of a lifetime. I have to admit that the story didn’t end the way I thought it would, but it was good fun.

Here are my posts from Week Two and Week One of Nonfiction November 2024, if you’re interested. Be sure to click through to Adventures in reading, running and working from home if you’d like to see all of the other pairings.

Books, Publishing and Birmingham