Window display from Liberty's Dept Store, London. Image via Seriously; June is National Bathroom Reading Month. It is the brainchild of the Bathroom Readers’ Institute, publishers of the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series. With over 10 million books in print they are clearly in a room of their own.Here's their pitch:"Since 1988, the Bathroom Readers’ Institute has led the movement to stand up for those who sit down and read in the bathroom. National Bathroom Reading Month celebrates the 66 percent of Americans who proudly admit to this time-honored pastime."What do the other 34% do? Coming soon: Also on the docket...
The Book Side of Keith Richards
Keith Richards in his library“When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equaliser.” - Keith Richards Who would have thought that Keith Richards upcoming autobiography Life is as much a book about books as it is a book about a life in music. Life, due out in October from Little Brown, will contain much on Richards life with books. The Independent reports, in the cleverly titled piece "It's only books 'n' shelves but I...
A Tour of One: Author Holds Book Signing Over 300 Times at Same Bookstore
Since his first reading at the Udvar-Hazy bookstore in 2008 Robert F. Dorr has returned to sign books 330 more times!Over that time period the the bookstore has sold over 13,000 copies, half of all copies sold.What's the catch? Is Dorr aiming for the Guinness Book of World Records? No, Dorr has simply taken aim at his target audience. The book is Hell Hawks! The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht and the bookstore is affiliated with the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum.A bulls-eye.PW article, Bookstore Sells Half of All Copies of WWII Book.
Separation of Church and Books? Pastor Signs Books Between Services
Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas is arguable the biggest congregation in the nation. The church is housed in the old Compaq Center which used to be the home of the Houston Rockets basketball team. On any given Sunday 40,000 people pack the church to listen to Osteen spew his version of the gospel.With a following like that one would expect Osteen to earn a hefty paycheck from the church but not a single penny of the church's money goes to Osteen. All his money comes from his books. His Wikipedia entry lists him as a best-selling author first...
Over Two Billion Sold: Little Golden Books
The concept was simple enough. To publish a illustrated children's book that was well-made and affordable for the American family. At the time the average price of a children's book was $2-$3.George Duplaix, the then president of the Artists and Writers Guild, Inc., pitched the idea to Simon & Schuster and the Little Golden Books were born.The first 12 titles were published in October, 1942 for 25¢ a piece. The distinctive illustrated gold-foil spine over the stiff pictorial boards set the Little Golden Book apart from the field and ushered in a new era of children's books. Now, 65+ years...