Book News, In Brief

The Millions Book Blog claims that 2009's numerous notable new releases have made it "a great year for readers," then raises the ante, promising 'the best is yet to come'.


Judging by Main Street, Falmouth's less-than-stellar retail sales this past 4th of July weekend, the NYTimes' round-up of mortgage crisis book reviews seems like a pertinent piece to plug.


Semi-related -- as it was one of our Top 10 Most Annoying Customer Questions from the 4th of July Weekend -- The Bookshop Blog asks, "Does Your Bookshop Have A Firm Pricing Policy?" (Note to penny-pinchers hoping for a sympathetic post: This ain't it.)


Just when I was starting to think that controversy was the key to big book sales, South Carolina governor Mark Sanford looses his book deal due to his headline-making extra-martial affair. So what will this conservative approach to Conservative's book contracts mean for the Sarah Palin memoir(s)? The polar opposite, apparently. According to MediaBistro.com, less than 24 hours after the Alaskan governor's surreal resignation speech, HarperCollins director of publicity Tina Andreadis was quoted as crowing, "We think the book will be huge. Even though she's stepping down, people will want to hear her story. This is her opportunity to tell her own story her own way."


And now a couple of quick follow-ups to news stories mentioned here in the past few weeks:

Remember that 'anonymously written' YA series that James Frey was publicly shopping around last week? It sold to HarperCollins.


Remember J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye copyright suit? He won. Publication of the un-official follow-up has been banned in the U.S.A.