SubscribeWelcome to Books Bulletin, our mostly-regular collection of wacky, weird and/or wonderful news from the book and publishing world.
Did you save your Lewis Carroll when you were a kid? You may have earned yourself a year at Harvard: this first edition Alice in Wonderland sold for $40k. A copy that had been given to the little girl that inspired Carroll to write the story was going to sell for $140,000 but never made it to auction.
Authors everywhere breathe a sigh of relief: Kirkus Reviews has joined the growing list of defunct publications. “There are no plans to run online Kirkus reviews or a strategy to try to keep the Kirkus brand alive. It is also uncertain what Nielsen will do with the Kirkus review archive. A total of 18 people worked at Kirkus and E&P.”
When I read this article, the ad immediately below it was for a book called But Who Will Bell the Cats?– which proudly proclaimed “Young readers will pore over this one again and again. –Kirkus Reviews.”
Publishers Weekly apologizes for racist “Afro Picks!” cover. If you missed this controversy, read up and prepare to have your trust in America’s progressiveness subdued.
Aspiring writers take note: try not to entertain belligerent delusions or notify the FBI over negative Amazon reviews. Candace Sams goes ballistic while in the guise of Amazon poster Niteflyr One. Gems include:
“”Even the lion has to defend himself against flies.”
“Why not go after ST. Nick since you’re all in such a festive mood.”
“I leave it to you – dear readers – to decide whether authors should be allowed to try and make a living…or if reviewers such as Taylor should be allowed to run amok across Amazon deciding who might or might not get another contract for new work.”
Neil Gaiman takes note of the nonsense and shakes his Wise Writerly Guru head.
Has the Catholic Church blocked potential sequels to The Golden Compass? Star Sam Eilliot certainly thinks so.
And here’s to innovation: one journalist’s favorite newly-coined words of the decade.
Enjoy the weekend!
