Top Ten Fridays: Better World Books

Posted by Jack on 12.19.2008 at 12:23 pm

The following is a different kind of list. These are my Top Ten favorite things about Better World Books:

10. Feeling Connected – Through the wonders of Facebook it’s so easy to know what’s going on in the company. At 200+ people we’re right on the fringe, but it’s still like middle school where you know everyone–or at least have heard a slightly incriminating story about them–and thus are comfortable wishing anyone a happy birthday (even at the UK office!), new birth (to Casey and Justin’s newborn!), marriage (way to go Dustin!), or holidays (everyone!).

9. The Employee Discount – I would be bankrupt if it weren’t for the sweet discount that we get for being the loyal horde that is BWB employees. It’s just that simple.

8. Customer Service – Have you ever had a problem with an order? If you’re one of the few who have you’ve encountered our studly team of CS rockstars, you know that they’re a rare kind. They don’t just want to talk to you, they won’t rest Read more…

12 Comments » | Tagged Uncategorized, happy holidays!, on my soapbox

Paging Authors Podcast: Herve Kempf

Posted by Dana on 12.18.2008 at 5:17 pm

Paging Authors with Dana Barrett is a weekly podcast in which our lovely and talented Ms. Barrett sits down with your favorite bestselling authors as well as up and coming literary stars.

Join Dana for a chat with French journalist Hervé Kempf about his book How the Rich are Destroying the Earth. Since 1988 Mr. Kemp has specialized in environmental and ecological reporting. He created the environmental magazine Reporterre, and has written for scientific and economic newspapers. He is the Environmental Editor at Le Monde, the most influential French newspaper, where and covers ecological topics, notably climate change and biodiversity. Le Monde now Read more…

Herve Kempf [ 14:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1027)

3 Comments » | Tagged Author Podcast, Uncategorized, herve kempf, how the rich are destroying the world, journalism, le monde

Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Gone Rogue

Posted by admin on 12.18.2008 at 12:30 pm

This summer my girlfriend was all a-twitter (not the social media site) about the Twilight Series. Being that I’m the grumpiest reader in all the land, I ignored it. She even told me of a manuscript that was leaked that she was excitedly reading as an addition to the series. Now that Twilight has done so well I did some inspection, and here’s what I found…

On her site, Stephanie admits that the manuscript, Midnight Sun, is an incomplete version of her next project. This book tells the same story as Twilight (the first book) but from the perspective of the vampire, Edward.

Stephanie goes on to say:

I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. I think it Read more…

33 Comments » | Tagged Uncategorized, midnight sun, publishing issues, stephanie meyer, Twilight

Book Review: Twilight

Posted by Dana on 12.18.2008 at 12:01 pm

You’re either thinking to yourself…”Wow, she’s the last female on earth to read this book,” or “Are grown-ups really reading this stuff?” or maybe “Why didn’t she just go and see the movie?” All legitimate questions I assure you. Here are my answers (or maybe excuses). I got this one right off my teenage daughter’s bookshelf, (where I will also be going to get the rest of the series – now that I’m hooked). I’m a procrastinator by nature, so I think that’s why I waited until now to read it. Having heard about the book from not only my daughter, but two of my girlfriends, one in her 30s and the other over 50, I knew I had to see what the buzz was about. So there, that answers the “are grown-ups reading this?” question. I’m also kind of a stickler for reading the book before I see the movie, which I have not seen yet. So that answers that question.

Now you want to know if you should read it, right? You should. If for no other reason than to know what kids today are up to–not that they’re hanging out with vampires, but you know what I mean. The book is long, at almost 500 pages, but like Harry Potter it’s a fast read. I’m not saying this is the most literary book you’ll ever read but it is fun. Stephenie Meyer’s take on the vampires is a new slant with some good and some not so good. Her writing is very visual so you can really picture the characters and the locations. She also has a very good grasp on Bella the teenage girl that is the main character. The book is written in the first person and for the most part Bella is believable. She experiences the kind of devastating fully committed love in that special way teenagers do.

There is also a great baseball scene in the book that reminded me of the Quidditch matches in Harry Potter and that I am very much looking forward to seeing in the movie.

If you’re worried about it being gory or too much for your teenager or pre-teen, I wouldn’t worry about it. There’s very little violence in the book and surprisingly very little blood.

There’s some good set up in the story for book two, New Moon – so if you like this one, which I think you will, you’ll most likely have to read on.

5 Comments » | Tagged Book Reviews, harry potter, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight, Vampires

Poll Wednesday: Airport Bookstore

Posted by admin on 12.17.2008 at 2:32 pm

With so many people flying out somewhere for Christmas, this is a pretty straightforward question:  do you ever buy books from the bookstore in the airport?

3 Comments » | Tagged Poll Wednesday, airport, book buying

Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky on: Lord of the Rings

Posted by Jack on 12.16.2008 at 5:18 pm

Even for those (or perhaps, most of all for those) who love an author with great scholarship and social critique, such as Howard Zinn or Noam Chomsky, the oft pedantic writing can become tiresome.  In times like those, I turn to McSweeney’s, where this spoof post brilliantly brings in both Zinn and Chomsky’s stylings while talking humorously about the awesomeness that is “The Lord of the Rings.”  

An excerpt for your reading pleasure:

CHOMSKY: Or pathways deprived of giant spiders. And what is Gandalf’s long-term solution to the crisis of the divided peoples of Middle Earth? To install a puppet king of questionable provenance while the Elves continue their slow withdrawal back to the West? Meanwhile, a couple of drunkard Hobbits stagger toward a volcano while carrying a worthless ring. Gandalf is venal, he is calculating, he is ruthless, but he is not stupid.

Read more…

1 Comment » | Tagged Uncategorized, great writing, hilarious posts, howard zinn, lord of the rings, noam chomsky

Infinity Bookshelf

Posted by admin on 12.15.2008 at 4:37 pm

OK, so this one isn’t as accessible as some of our other selections, but you have to admit it’s pretty awesome.  Mind you, it doesn’t ACTUALLY hold an infinite amount of books, but it should handle your average person’s (and all of their friends’) collections just fine.

Hmmm… gotta add this to my Christmas list…

2 Comments » | Tagged Uncategorized, book storage, bookshelves

Week in Review: December 8-12

Posted by Jack on 12.15.2008 at 11:41 am

What you missed while you were foiling a robbery with pepperoni

-Jack talked book industry, and about the Nobel Prize
-Dana chatted with Governor Madeleine Kunin
-We want you to “get selfish”.
-We wanted to know, is it ok to give a used book as a present?
-WalkSudan showed us why we should keep getting books to Africa
-We found an awesome way to store your growing collection 
-Better World Book Club is here!
-Jack bemoaned the vernacular, and the poll proved him wrong
-We took a peek at the Top 10 Green Books

Have your say » | Tagged Week In Review

Inherit the Land

Posted by King on 12.15.2008 at 10:36 am

Inherit the Land, by Gene Stowe (non-fiction)

Last month marked a historic time in our nation as we elected our first black president. It was amazing to see the emotion on children’s faces truly filled with hope, that  anyone could become president someday.

As we celebrate this important moment in our history, it is important to remember the victories that occurred along this long road to breaking down racial barriers.

Gene Stowe’s Inherit the land tells of the south in the early 1900’s, when it was common place for white mobs to ignore the laws of the land and routinely beat and torture blacks. Yes, slavery was over, but white America was far from accepting blacks as their equals.

Stowe’s book tells of the Ross Sisters, white women who dared to be different, showing everyone love and compassion, regardless of skin color.  They  took a black family in with them and lived with them like  one family. When the last Ross sister passed away in 1920, they left their entire estate to the black family that had been living with them. This decision outraged the local community, and several of the Ross’ cousins came forth to file lawsuit against the will.

Amazingly enough, the will was upheld, showing that even in these dark times, there was hope for a brighter future.

Inherit the land is a great read, a good tribute to the heroes that have been fighting civil right battles in America years ago that helped pave the way to our historic election this year.

1 Comment » | Tagged Book Reviews, gene stowe, inherit the land

Flabbergasted: Compliments and Cards

Posted by Chip on 12.15.2008 at 10:33 am

At the Atlanta office of Better World Books, we decided to exchange anonymous compliments to each other on index cards. What better way to raise office morale then an index card telling you that you are super. As soon as I heard of this plan, I had flashbacks of Valentines Day in elementary school. I remember creating a valentine mailbox that best represented me out of a brown paper bag and watching it get filled with valentines.

Sure the teacher made us give everyone a valentine but it still felt good when that special someone in the class Read more…

2 Comments » | Tagged Flabbergasted