July 19, 2012 On the Shelf Erotic Classics, Christian Colleges, Dealbreakers By Sadie Stein Yup: e-books outsold hard copies in 2011. Out of the mouths of babes: a six-year-old judges classics by their covers. Speaking of classics: a British publisher adds sex scenes to them. Erotic rewrites include Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Written a great opener? Call the first graf hotline. The C. S. Lewis Foundation plans to open a college based on his Christian teachings. Dealbreaker books . [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
July 18, 2012 On the Shelf Drama, Tantrums, and Bird-Watching By Sadie Stein High drama at the Oxford American. What exactly is going on? A (very) strong month for booksellers.The beach-read effect? A list of writers who throw tantrums. The great Larry McMurtry book sale. An American Writers Museum? “But the thing that bugs me most about Jonathan Franzen is that he’s becoming the public face of bird-watching.” [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
July 17, 2012 On the Shelf Wharton Erotica, Peculiar Pulp, Encyclopedia Brown By Sadie Stein Encyclopedia Brown author Donald J. Sobol has died at 87. When Edith Wharton penned erotica. 8-bit illustrations of short stories’ opening lines. Peculiar pulp art. “Don’t deny the change. Direct it wisely.” How best to employ libraries. [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
July 16, 2012 On the Shelf Jane Austen, The Video Game; Katniss, the Baby. By Sadie Stein Quoth the Daily News, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single individual in possession of a Facebook account must be in want of social interaction.” Meet Jane Austen’s Rogues and Romance. Oh, and Jane’s ring sold for a bundle. How to write a cookbook. Grammatical shockers in history. The evolution of the Arabian Nights. The good news: baby names in 2012 are heavily influenced by literature. The bad news (for the babies): the literature is Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games. [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
July 12, 2012 On the Shelf Sacred Texts, Caravaggio, and Some Pigs By Sadie Stein Yes, the Vatican is publishing e-books. So is Judy Blume. Amazon pulls a book allegedly containing a hundred previously undiscovered Caravaggios after scholars question its legitimacy. Meanwhile, the Codex Calixtinus, a twelfth-century manuscript that disappeared last year, has been recovered. Happy birthday, E. B. White. Here are some piglets. [tweetbutton] [facebook_ilike]
July 11, 2012 On the Shelf Potter, Proust, and Papa By Sadie Stein Many happy returns, M. Proust. Many happy returns, Ms. Munro! Beatrix Potter illustrations go on the block. Listen to William Faulkner read his 1954 Nobel acceptance speech. Finding the Great New Jersey Novel. A Hemingway-themed vacation.