2008 October - Better World Books Blog - Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Community Outreach & more

Funds Raised for Global Literacy:

$10,184,799.20

Books Re-Used or Recycled:

63,271,794

Book Review: Vince and Joy by Lisa Jewell

Posted by Dana on 10.22.2008 at 2:49 pm

I have always been a fan of Lisa Jewell, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Remember a few years back (okay more than a few) when Bridget Jones’s Diary hit the big time and we all wanted to read anything British? Well that’s when Lisa Jewell hit it big in the states

Ralph’s Party and Thirty Nothing were really great – and though Ms. Jewell is marketed as chick lit, her characters are very real and likable as well. I think it’s fair to say she got that label because chick lit was all the rage at the time. In fairness, her books should really just be considered contemporary fiction.

Vince & Joy is kind of like a British When Harry Met Sally except that instead of starting out friends, the pair in this story start out as lovers – each others first, in fact. Circumstances separate them and they go on to live their own very normal, very that-could-be-me lives. We experience them over a nearly twenty year period as they live their lives and bump into each other every several years along the way. The supporting cast is well thought out and interesting from the parents to the roommates to the transgender neighbor and the psychic cat.

2 Comments » | Tagged Book Reviews, Bridget Jones, british lit, dana barrett, Lisa Jewell, Vince & Joy, When Harry Met Sally

Poll Wednesday: Books and Movies

Posted by Jack on 10.22.2008 at 12:01 pm

In light of the coming Stephen King pre-order (coming to you via mail soon, if you don’t get it drop me a line at jack [at] betterworld [dot] com) let’s talk books and movies. Can the movie ever eclipse the book? Is the book always better?

Top Ten list coming Friday!

1 Comment » | Tagged Poll Wednesday, books, movies

Show Us Some Love: Scotland Edition

Posted by admin on 10.22.2008 at 11:52 am

Over at business.scotsman.com there’s a glowing report of recently opened Better World UK.

Check it out:

A US-BASED online bookseller which gives a proportion of its turnover to literacy charities has launched its first overseas subsidiary in Scotland.Better World Books (BWB), which was set up in 2001 by a trio of IT graduates in Indiana, has opened a warehouse in Dunfermline and claims it is aiming to become a serious rival to Amazon on both sides of the Atlantic. (continue reading)

2 Comments » | Tagged Show Us Some Love, better world books UK, press, scotland

Biblioburro!

Posted by Jack on 10.21.2008 at 2:23 pm

This is one of the funniest and most awesome things I’ve read in a while.

First of all, just say it to yourself: “Biblioburro.” Fantastic, right? Now for the meaning…

From the New York Times:

1 Comment » | Tagged Uncategorized, biblioburro, colombia, fantastic ideas, libraries

The Great American Book Drive

Posted by admin on 10.21.2008 at 10:33 am

The Great American Book Drive, the largest community based book drive in the US will be in Chicago this weekend. Sponsored by such companies as ZipCar and Whole Foods, the Chicago drive is in partnership with Open Books and will take place at their location at 213 W. Institute Place on October 26th from 10am – 3pm. Flyer explaining the event after the jump. Better World Books is proud to be organizing this event!

1 Comment » | Tagged Uncategorized, boston, chicago, great american book drive

Invisible Children and Better World Books Team Up for “World’s Biggest Book Drive”

Posted by Jack on 10.21.2008 at 10:12 am

ATLANTA, GA – This fall, media-based non-profit Invisible Children will connect students to the overwhelming crisis in Africa in a totally new way – with a documentary told from the perspective of high school students. GO, the first of its kind, is the story of a group of students that traveled into the heart of Africa’s longest-running war. At the end of the 35-minute film, which is being screened in over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada, viewers will be compelled to become a part of the story’s end by getting involved with Invisible Children’s Schools for Schools program.

The international organization created the revolutionary fundraising program in 2006 in response to the need for quality schools in northern Uganda – schools that have been destroyed by displacement, rebel occupation and lack of funding due to the 22-year war. Schools for Schools uses an innovative online social community to help students see where their money is going and connect to different projects, fundraising ideas, and supporters. Within its first year, students rallied together and raised over $3 million.
Read more…

Have your say » | Tagged Impact, Our Partners, Show Us Some Love, africa, Impact, invisible children, Our Partners, the world's biggest book drive, uganda

Show Us Some Love: It’s All Greek to Me Edition

Posted by admin on 10.21.2008 at 9:41 am

Greek Media: Politis loves Better World Books

1 Comment » | Tagged Show Us Some Love, Greece, Politis, press, Show Us Some Love

Rolling out the Red Carpet

Posted by Rudy on 10.20.2008 at 12:00 pm

Here at the Greenhouse, we get a lot of visitors from near and far; and, let me tell you, it never gets old. In fact, it’s one of the things that I enjoy most about being based here in Mishawaka. Among our recent guests were the Ambassador of Malawi to the United States and the Honorable Joe Donnelly of Indiana’s Second Congressional District.

Most recently, we received a visit from our local public television, WNIT, and their awesome program Outdoor Elements. Host Evie Kirkwood, who also serves as the director of our county park system, brought a film crew to tape a segment for the program which will air in Feburary 2009.

We walked our distribution center for about an hour, exploring all of the ways in which our little company in the corn fields has really embraced its sustainbility focused mission. From waste recycling to our co-op garden to our committment to reuse just about everything that we come in contact with (including our shelving and furniture), there was plenty into which to sink our teeth. I’m actually curious to see what will air during the short, 10-minute segment, given that we must have filmed more than 45 minutes worth! I’ll be sure to update you when the segment is available.

1 Comment » | Tagged Dispatches from the Green House, Dispatches from the Green House, indiana, Joe Donnelly, Mishawaka, Rudy Reyes Jr., Visitors, WNIT

Week in Review: October 13-17

Posted by Jack on 10.20.2008 at 11:48 am

What we learned last week:

-Dana digs The Almost Moon
-Chip likes giving out books… but doesn’t get geysers
-Xavier and David spoke at the Social Market Conference, liveblog
-Slate is talking “The Night of the Gun”
-We’re wondering, how do you feel about e-readers?
-Jack wrote for Blog Action Day
-Geoff previews a book about the 50 states
-Sales Support packs 20,000 books for Cambodia. Impact!

Have your say » | Tagged Week In Review, Week In Review

Sales Support Team Bids ‘Adieu et Bon Voyage’ to a Sea Container…

Posted by Rudy on 10.17.2008 at 12:57 pm

What’s a sea container? Well, for us it’s a lot of books. Last month we bid a fond farewell to what amounted to a massive undertaking of love and fun. We hand packed over 20,000 books bound for Cambodia. While it isn’t our first container, nor our last, this one was the first for the new sales support team, who really got to know each other in this little venture. Picture it: nearly 1000 boxes, all those books, 14 hands… well, you get the picture. And, in case you didn’t, here’s one for you.