BookExpo America: Barbra Streisand does not like orange.

Posted by Dana on 05.26.2010 at 6:08 pm

The BookExpo America conference in NY started yesterday with pre-conference seminars and the keynote last night.  First let me say Wooo hoooo!!!  I know I’m a book nerd, but this is like the superbowl of books… it is Mecca for book nerds everywhere and I am finally here!  I’ve been wanting to come to BEA since 2003 when I first got into the biz, and seven years later, here I am.

Yesterday was filled with animated discussions about the state of the industry, where eBooks fit in and how the economy has hurt sales.  There were talks on social networking and plenty of FBing and Tweeting going on.  And then there was Barbra.

The keynote address was ticketed and the room was packed.  The publisher did the introductions and out comes Oprah’s friend Gayle King to interview Barbra.  Right behind her is the legend herself Barbra Streisand.  Of course a standing ovation ensues.  And can I just say – it was cool just be in the room with Barbra Streisand.  (I had good seats, too – which didn’t hurt!)

Alas the very private Ms. Streisand was there to talk about her new book MY PASSION FOR DESIGN which comes out this November.  The book is a look at all of the work Barbra has put into designing the multiple homes she has on her California property (and of course the beautiful results).  But the conversation was also personal.   She talked about her childhood and told some stories about her movie making and singing and admits she has some “strong” feelings about color, both positive and negative.

To put it bluntly – Barbra does not like orange, and is not to fond of yellow either (certain yellows, anyway).  Like really.  She means it.  Rumor has it that BEA had special versions of their logo made up that didn’t include the orange just for her.  No, really.

The conversation was intimate – though dare I say a teensy bit boring, and it seemed like Barbra had brought along a bunch of slides that she wanted to show that Gayle never let her get around to.  Which was too bad… that would have been fun.  Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to buy the book.

The good news, I now know what my Mom is getting this holiday season!

PS – We’ll have the book available for pre-sale shortly.  Will keep you posted!

PPS – I think I could’ve given Gayle a run for her money (as an interviewer that is!) and I want to prove it.  I’m trying to get a show all about books picked up for Oprah’s new network.  Your votes can help!  Check it out.

1 Comment » | Tagged Book & Author News, Barbra Streisand, BookExpo America, dana barrett, Gayle King, My Passion for Design

Kids Books Plant the Seeds of Imagination

Posted by admin on 05.13.2010 at 4:38 pm

In honor of Children’s Book Week, today’s guest blogger Lee Welles, author of the Gaia Girls book series, reflects on the books she loved as a girl and how they helped her imagination grow and her understanding of  the world flourish.

“Where do you get your ideas?” It’s the question every author gets asked…repeatedly. Personally, I like to joke around and tell readers there is a store on Market Street in my hometown that is always well stocked with ideas. I also joke that I know the secret location of an enchanted tree that grows good ideas. Authors just have to show up to pick them like ripe fruit. And that’s not too far from the truth. Authors actually get their ideas from unlikely mash-ups of information that is bouncing around between their ears. Those collisions make a noise. A great idea whispers, “What if…”

I’ve had very clear “What if…” moments. I’d like to take full credit; but in truth, many of the more charming aspects of my writing have been rolling around my brain pan for decades. WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams was an 11th-birthday gift. The book introduced me to the idea that one could give consciousness to the natural world without diluting the wonderful reality of it. The intrepid rabbits of that great book didn’t wear coats, or sip tea. They were very real rabbits; and Adams’ writing made me feel as if I’d been privileged to peek into their rabbit world.

I most likely chose an otter to star as a main character in my books because Gavin Maxwell’s RING OF BRIGHT WATER was such a compelling true story enhanced by amazing black and white photographs. I distinctly remember being 12, staring at the photos and wanting desperately to see an otter in real life.

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s LITTLE HOUSE series showed me that enlivening the smallest details of the natural world had the power to transport a reader from dreary winter days in upstate New York, to the waving grasses, insect orchestras and wide skies of the plains. And, as far as I’m concerned, being transported is both the most immediate and longest lasting gift of reading.

During Children’s Book Week, I like to imagine that as a child reads, elements of story are likely rolling around and finding a place to settle. Like a seed, an image or a notion, or a particular approach to writing will gently lie in the dark, nourished by other life experiences. The more books…the more seeds!

And who knows what fruit such seeds will bear? One day—possibly decades down the road when the world is in even more need of creative minds and new solutions—that notation will push from the ground and the reader will say, “What if…”

– Lee Welles,eco-author
Gaia Girls Book Series
www.gaiagirls.com
Follow Lee on Twitter! www.twitter.com/GaiaGirl
Blog at www.gaiagirls.com/blog

1 Comment » | Tagged Uncategorized

Better World Books Podcast: Holly LeCraw

Posted by Dana on 05.12.2010 at 4:00 pm

Holly LeCraw is the real life hero of book nerds everywhere.  Her dad founded Oxford Books in Atlanta and she grew up with her nose in a book.  Now she’s a writer herself and her brand new book THE SWIMMING POOL is really making waves (pun fully intended).

Though it may look like a beach book, it’s really much more than that.  THE SWIMMING POOL is at the surface (yup – I’m punning again) about a young man who falls in love with a woman who was once his late father’s mistress.  But the book also includes an unsolved murder, postpartum depression, and a pivotal cocktail party around (you guessed it) a swimming pool.  Alas, that still doesn’t cover it entirely.  After talking with Holly in depth (ha ha ha), I’d say the book is really about the choices we make either because of or in spite of the people we care deeply about.

When Holly and I sat down to chat we hit it off right away.  It turns out we have a few things in common and got to laughing pretty easily.  You’ll appreciate Holly’s insight into her work and her totally cringe-worthy pun towards the end!

Like this interview?  Subscribe today!

Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now?  Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast?  Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast@betterworldbooks.com.

– Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

Interview with Holly LeCraw [ 22:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3391)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Author Interview, Holly LeCraw, Oxford Books, The Swimming Pool

Children’s Book Week 2010

Posted by Dana on 05.11.2010 at 11:11 am

For almost a century, Children’s Book Week has been celebrated nationally in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs, private homes — and of course online.  Well, the online part is a little more recent… but you get the idea!

This year Better World Books is making it easy for you to put books in the hands of the kids you love while helping put books in the hands of kids who need them!

Check our 5 for 10 sale – where you can get 5 used kids books for $10 bucks!

And every purchase at BetterWorldBooks.com helps fund literacy projects for kids around the world including the donation of kids’ books by the truckload to families in need.

I couldn’t have lived without books when I was a kid (or now for that matter).   My favorite when I was little was Go, Dog. Go!.  Then later I really loved The Secret Garden.  My copy was well worn, I can tell you that!

What were your favorites when you were little?

2 Comments » | Tagged Company News, Children's Book Week, Go Dog Go, Sale, The Secret Garden

Are you a Last Minute Larry or Procrastinating Polly?

Posted by admin on 05.07.2010 at 3:55 pm

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.

Of course we should be appreciating Mom year ’round, but just in case you got busy or have been a little remiss, now is the time to do it.

I don’t know about you but my mom is hard to buy for.  She’s reached a point in her life where if she wants or needs something she buys it, which doesn’t leave much on her wish list for us gift givers to choose from.  So of course, about a month before Mother’s Day I start racking my brain and reflecting on what Mom might like and how I can truly show my appreciation for all she has done.  And I know my daughter is doing the same thing for me.  (I know because she keeps saying “Mom, what do you want for Mother’s Day?” and when I say “large amounts of cash” she just rolls her eyes… so I don’t think that’s what I’m getting.)

But I digress.

As a mom I can tell you that what we really want is a big hug and some sign that we’re appreciated and that’s it.  It doesn’t matter what it costs, it matters that you thought about us.  And that’s the great thing about books as gifts.  Whether your mom is a reader or a chef or a gardener, there’s a book for her.  If she knits or plays poker or rides a Harley there’s a book for her.

So give mom a hug, say thanks and get her a gift certificate from Better World Books.  You’ll have it on time and if  you just include a little note like the one below, she’ll know you’re paying attention to her and you really do care:

Note to Mom

Dear Ma (or Mom or Mamma or other endearment used to indicate the woman who gave birth to you) –

Happy Mother’s Day!  Better World Books has an amazing selection of books about FILL IN MOM’S TOPIC OF INTEREST HERE.  So I got you this gift certificate so you could pick out exactly what you want.  And did you know that Better World Books is environmentally friendly and works to improve world literacy?  So, as you can see, all that work to make me a better person has paid off!

Thanks Mom and I love you.

Love,

Joe (Unless your name is not Joe.  In that case  you should write your name here).

One last tip (and this is important)…  DO NOT suggest a book for mom that would make her think you think she’s less than perfect.  In other words, no books on getting organized or losing weight or investing wisely.  She can buy those later.  Are  you with me?  This is her day so let her feel fabulous.

1 Comment » | Tagged Uncategorized, Gift Certificates, Mother's Day, Procastinating

Maryland Passes Benefit Corporation Legislation

Posted by John on 05.06.2010 at 10:00 am

As a triple bottom-line company and a B Corporation, we’re excited to let you know about recent progress in the social enterprise movement. On April 13, the state of Maryland signed into law a bill designating a new kind of company that creates social benefit and shareholder value.

This is kind of a big deal for Better World Books and companies like ours. Previously, there had not been a legal framework specifically designed for social enterprise – you either had to be a for-profit company, legally beholden to maximizing shareholder value, or a non-profit organization.  Now there is a legal framework for companies that  do well by doing good and who strive to generate both social and shareholder returns.

B Lab (the certifying body for B Corporations) had this to say:

“This was a historic day that recognized the growing movement of entrepreneurs, investors, consumers, employees, and communities that are harnessing the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.  The legislation could not have passed without the concrete example and the leadership of nearly 300 Certified B Corporations that are speaking with collective voice about doing business in a different way.”

Similar legislation is working its way through in several states. You can learn more about this trend on the B-Corporation blog.

3 Comments » | Tagged Company News, Impact, b corporation, Social Enterprise

Better World Books Podcast: Norris Church Mailer

Posted by admin on 05.05.2010 at 3:20 pm

Norris Church Mailer is a real person.  That may seem like an odd way to start a blog post but her memoir and her life could be the stuff of great fiction.  A beautiful girl, a much older famous man, his former wives, his large brood of children, a modeling career, famous friends, attendance at historical events, and the list goes on.  But what makes A TICKET TO THE CIRCUS so readable is that it’s real and Norris doesn’t hold back.

She shares the good, the bad and the ugly.  There were affairs, there were arguments, there was sickness and death – but there was also love and family and art and humor.  After reading  A TICKET TO THE CIRCUS, meeting Norris was like meeting someone I’ve always known.  She was unapologetic about her life choices (as she should be) not in the least bit braggy and totally brave.  She admits her health is not good (she’s living with a cancer that should’ve killed her years ago) and yet she is still living her life to the fullest.  Read more…

Better World Books Author Podcast [ 19:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (754)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, A Ticket to the Circus, dana barrett, Norris Church Mailer, podcast

Books on the Big Screen: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Posted by Dana on 05.03.2010 at 2:15 pm

Most of the time when I write about a book being made into a movie I am comparing Hollywood’s interpretation to the author’s.  This time it’s a little different.  THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO has been made into a movie, but not in Hollywood.  The movie, which is in theaters now, is Swedish (as of course was the book) and it’s a whole different ballgame than the Hollywood razzle dazzle.

The movie is long and a bit graphic, but that’s not the part that’s so un-Hollywood. It’s the casting that was really different from how Hollywood does it. The characters actually look the way they are described in the book. Like real people. They’re not Hollywood buff. No one appeared to have any Botox in their foreheads and there were attractive women that were actually over 40 and looked it. Yay for Sweden. Hollywood should take a lesson.

In addition to that, it’s a really good movie. Very true to the book, wonderfully acted and directed. Of course, Hollywood also has the rights so it should be interesting to see how the American version differs not just from the book, but from this Swedish film adaptation. Stay tuned… Read more…

6 Comments » | Tagged Books on the Big Screen, Dear John, eat pray love, The Blind Side, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Last Song