Breaking news on authors, publishers, and book-related topics

Almost half of 6-8 year olds read daily. Only a quarter of 15-17 year olds do.

May 20 2014: A new report by Common Sense Media based on a number of different studies concludes that US reading rates drop precipitously from childhood to the tween and teenage years: "One study documents a drop from 48% of 6- to 8-year-olds down to 24% of 15- to 17-year-olds who ...

Full Story

Amazon continues to delay availability of Hachette books that are readily available elsewhere

May 15 2014: While Amazon continues to play a bookish version of the childhood game Keep-Away with certain Hachette titles (including Little Brown and Grand Central titles), other booksellers in the U.S. are quite happy to step in and showcase their own ability to fill the retail ...

Full Story

First ever California Book Day - a triumph!

May 05 2014: If there were any doubts that the inaugural California Bookstore Day would succeed, they were dissolved by noon on Saturday, May 3 by the loud and clear praise from participating indies that echoed from San Diego to Fort Bragg and all points in between...

Full Story

News Corp/Harper Collins buying Harlequin

May 02 2014: News Corp. is buying Harlequin Enterprises from Torstar Corporation for $415 million in cash and will make it a division of HarperCollins. Harlequin's headquarters will remain in Toronto, as will the offices of HarperCollins Canada.

Full Story

Ordinary Grace & Ketchup Clouds among this year's Edgar Award winners

May 01 2014: The 2014 Edgar Award winners have been announced:. Click the link at the bottom more more information on six of the winners, including full length reviews and backstories of three of the books:

• Edgar Award for Best Novel: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger 
  ...

Full Story

Attempt to ban book backfires with 700 copies given away in the community

Apr 28 2014: Earlier this year, the local school board in Meridian, Idaho, removed Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from the 10th grade curriculum following complaints by some parents.

Hundreds of students signed a petition to have the book ...

Full Story

World Book Night Today!

Apr 23 2014: Today is World Book Night - in the USA 29,000 givers are handing out 580,000 free books in the hopes of reaching people who are not normally readers, both adults and younger readers. The event, which originated in the UK, takes place on April 23 which is the birthday of...

Full Story

Colorado House passes sales tax fairness law. Bill now with Senate for consideration.

Apr 18 2014: On Monday, the Colorado House of Representatives passed the Marketplace Fairness & Small Business Protection Act (HB 1269), which "clarifies Colorado's sales tax laws to note that remote retailers that maintain a warehouse in the state, or that have online affiliates ...

Full Story