Jocelyn

Errands

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:10:00 -0500

"Good realistic fiction offers truth through imagination."

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:45:26 -0500

"Good realistic fiction offers truth through imagination."

juliaallison: The books I’m lugging along with me on my...

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:28:59 -0500

juliaallison:

The books I’m lugging along with me on my trip(s)

I love to see what people have on their To-Be-Read list. What’s on yours?

quote-book: kari-shma: every day.. (via polkadotandplaid)

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:27:43 -0500

quote-book:

kari-shma:

every day.. (via polkadotandplaid)

Oprah's New Network: OWN

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:35:53 -0500

Oprah's New Network: OWN

"It had never occurred to me before, but everything in New York is built upon another thing, nothing..."

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:18:49 -0500

““It had never occurred to me before, but everything in New York is built upon another thing, nothing is entirely by itself, each thing as strange as the last, and connected.””

- Colum McCann, LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN

This is what the Huffington Post Book Club looks like. I wonder...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:29:00 -0500

This is what the Huffington Post Book Club looks like. I wonder how popular it will be? Did anyone tune in?

"Don’t you think it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be..."

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:08:00 -0500

““Don’t you think it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”

- Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife)
(via quote-book)

A few weeks back Arianna Huffington over at The Huffington Post...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:06:48 -0500

A few weeks back Arianna Huffington over at The Huffington Post announced the launch of their book club. Their first selection was IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honore. I think the subtitle of this book really says it all and it is fascinating that this was selected to be the inaugural book club selection for a website.

They are having their first *live* discussion about the book today at 3pm (EST). Check it out here.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann won the National Book...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:25:07 -0500

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann won the National Book Award.

“The first great 9/11 novel” - Esquire Magazine

“One of the most electric, profound novels…in years” - NY Times

I’m starting it tonight.

Great Susan Orlean interview.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:40:34 -0500

Great Susan Orlean interview.

Harlequin, the romance publisher famous for starting the careers...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:50:27 -0500

Harlequin, the romance publisher famous for starting the careers of such household names as Nora Roberts and Tess Gerritsen, has teamed up with Author Solutions to create a self-publishing imprint. Harlequin Horizons, the new author subsidized imprint is one of the first in what could be a trend of major publishing houses seeking alternative methods for turning a profit. These new imprints would offer print on demand printing, typesetting, jacket design and basic levels of editing for a fee.

While I’m sure there are many authors who will jump at the chance of having their books printed with an imprint that is closely related to a major publishing house, there are both advantages and disadvantages to going the self-publishing route. The success stories of self-published authors may push many aspiring novelists to take this route, however, it is a very difficult and time-consuming journey. It is a journey that needs to be planned out fully and properly executed in order to give yourself a chance at mainstream potential (hiring an editor for a thorough, complex editing of manuscript, a publicist to help in media placement and review coverage, and acquiring distribution).

We will have to wait and see if more publishing houses follow suit and what kind of attention this results in for the writers involved.

Advice for Authors

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:34:03 -0500

Advice for Authors

"With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?"

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:41:34 -0500

“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?”

- Oscar Wilde

“The choice of photo for the cover of this week’s Newsweek is...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:31:00 -0500

“The choice of photo for the cover of this week’s Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this “news” magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner’s World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness - a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention - even if out of context.” - Sarah Palin

Whether you agree or disagree with Sarah Palin and her policies, I find this cover completely disrespectful and in poor taste. Would we ever see Barack Obama shirtless on the cover of Newsweek? And aren’t journalists supposed to be nonpartisan? When and how did personal opinions come into play in the field of journalism?

How much time do we spend on Facebook?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:15:22 -0500

How much time do we spend on Facebook?

"Whatever big events have recently occurred, sure enough, I’ll see projects that are trying to..."

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:52:00 -0500

“Whatever big events have recently occurred, sure enough, I’ll see projects that are trying to capture that lightning in a book.”

- -Agent Nathan Bransford on the trends he sees in queries.

Bransford wrote last year about a wave of chick lit with heavy protagonists. Sure enough, fast forward one year and that is exactly what we are seeing on the bookshelves.

From the article:

In this brave new ‘chick lit’ world, women realize that weight loss and dieting isn’t the way to happiness. If these new heroines lose weight in the books, they do so incidentally, as a result of finding genuine happiness and fulfillment in more substantial areas of their lives. The ultimate fantasy for most women today is simply accepting themselves, whatever their body weight.

Readers want to hear the truth and, for once, chick lit is giving it to them.

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:17:42 -0500

Readers want to hear the truth and, for once, chick lit is giving it to them.

Do you write in books?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:31:00 -0500

This is something that I think about often when reading. How many people write in their books? Do you scribble notes to yourself, underline important/quote-worthy passages or do you just highlight words or sections? Does it help you better understand the material? Does it make the entire experience more memorable?

My parents collect rare books, so it has always been an unwritten rule around my house that books should be treated with care and respect…however, I have gone to the dark side. I write in books! I underline, I scribble (although I have extremely neat handwriting, so it really can’t be called scribbling), I highlight (yellow is my color of choice). I like my books to look like a version of my own personal diary. I want to always remember what struck me as poignant. I want to be able to revisit my thoughts and perceptions.

So my question is, “Do you write in books?” If you do, I would love to see snapshots of a page out of your book.

Just started this last night and am loving the narrative...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:26:22 -0500

Just started this last night and am loving the narrative non-fiction perspective of chronicling relationships. Reading this book is like listening to your really smart and funny friend recount one flawed relationship after another. Giulia Melucci is not perfect and doesn’t claim to be but her prose is pretty close to perfect.