http://blog.betterworldbooks.com Book reviews, author interviews, industry news and more from the online bookstore with a soul. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:23:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Saturday November 7th is the first annual National Bookstore Day.  We here at Better World Books are proud to support literacy, books and a love of reading in any way we can. Join us and the hundreds of bookstores across the country who are celebrating the day, by browsing the shelves, ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/11/06/national-bookstore-day/ Byron Pitts is a gifted broadcast journalist, an engaging and talented speaker, a published author and force for good. But that wasn't always the case.  As his book STEP OUT ON NOTHING details, Byron started out a skinny kid with the nickname "Pickle" who didn't talk much and was ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/11/03/better-world-books-podcast-byron-pitts/ by Paul "Paco" Miller On October 2nd and 3rd I had the opportunity to represent Better World Books (BWB) in Minneapolis/St. Paul at several events put on by our partner Books For Africa (BFA). Those two days were jammed packed with events that made me find my way around the ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/10/26/my-trip-to-books-for-africa/ Did you ever have one of those days?  The kind where everything comes together and you know you are doing what you are meant to be doing? That's how I felt when I finished reading OUTCASTS UNITED and knew that I would have the opportunity to meet and interview author Warren ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/10/07/better-world-books-podcast-warren-st-john/ It's always great to meet with our partners face to face and to show them around our South Bend, Indiana warehouse so they can really get a feel for what's we're doing. Just last week we had a visit from Shaun Skelton, Executive Director of Visions In Action and Pat Plonski, ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/09/24/our-partners-stop-by-for-a-visit/ I met Mary Kay Andrews for the first time in 2006 when BLUE CHRISTMAS first came out.  She came to my little bookstore to do a signing and could not have been more supportive or gracious.  Already a New York Times bestselling author she could have been a total diva ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/09/21/better-world-books-podcast-mary-kay-andrews/ September has been a very busy month here at Better World Books.  Our warehouse is busy processing and shipping loads of textbooks to all the students gearing up for fall and we have been unplugging ourselves from our computers to get out into the real world and meet some of ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/09/17/better-world-books-at-socap09/ As you undoubtedly know, we are all about literacy here at Better World Books.   But you might ask, why literacy? And what does it mean to promote literacy?  That's why we thought in honor of International Literacy Day we'd share our views on why literacy is so important to us ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/09/08/the-power-of-literacy/ Healthy Child Healthy World is an easy to use guide for creating a safe, green and clean home for your babies and children (even the ones who haven't been born yet - and the ones that are grown up but just act like babies!). Complete with a shopping guide, recipes for ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/08/27/better-world-books-podcast-christopher-gavigan/ Don't forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club.  Discuss the monthly pick with us here on the blog or take it back to your neighborhood book club.  We set you up with everything you need for your meeting.... a synopsis of the book, discussion questions and even ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/08/20/better-world-book-club-the-shadow-of-the-wind/ Talk about a page turner.  Lisa Unger's DIE FOR YOU gets going on page one and never really lets up.   And though it really moves, somehow the characters (especially Isabelle), really come to life and some big issues are tackled.  Lies, secrets, love and family to name a few. I had ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/08/18/better-world-books-podcast-lisa-unger/ He was an ultra-successful door-to-door salesman for Aga stoves. He was an Oxford dropout. He was a chef in a famous French kitchen. He was a spy during WWII. He was a researcher with George Gallup. He was a farmer and an expert on Amish life. He was an advertising ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/08/11/book-review-the-king-of-madison-avenue-by-kenneth-roman/ Meeting Mike Farrell was cool.  There is no other way to say it.  I grew up watching M*A*S*H and felt like I already knew him.  This feeling was only amplified by reading his very personal and heartfelt memoir JUST CALL ME MIKE. So when I saw Mike heading across the ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/08/07/better-world-books-podcast-mike-farrell/ Greg Palast is a character.  And I mean that in the best possible way.  This is a guy you want at your dinner parties.  Sadly, I don't actually have dinner parties - but if I did, Greg Palast would always get an invite.  From his signature hat to his biting ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/08/03/better-world-books-podcast-greg-palast/ When the American Archives Series books came to the ARC department, many of them had missing boards and other issues compromising their structural integrity.  They also smelled of the ancient organic dust that accompanies old leather bound books, reminding me that I was due for a Tetanus booster shot.  That ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/31/antiquarian-ramblings-a-diamond-in-the-rough/ Today's Recipe: Movie About a Book About a Blog About Two People Who Cook and Have Never Met Ingredients: 2 Incredibly Talented Actresses (specifically Meryl Streep and Amy Adams) 1 Stanley Tucci playing the role of Julia's husband Paul. 3 cups of direction by Nora Ephron 1 large dollop of another book (My Life in ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/30/books-on-the-big-screen-julie-julia/ (Update 8-11-2009: Congratulations to @rotemu, our first place winner! Enjoy your Year of Books!) (Update 8-12-2009: Congratulations to our 2nd place winners: @whendrinksmix, @gabbytmb, @45thParallelism, @Calig_Kela, @fartsyarts, @TsarLeo, @Nimue23, @kinfolknews, and @ygor!) The Year of Books contest begins today!  Here's how to enter: Follow @BWBooks on Twitter. Tweet this (Click here or copy & ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/29/win-free-books-for-a-year/ Michael Malone is the best award winning, New York Times bestselling author you've never heard of. His latest novel, THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SKY, is a rare combination of page turning adventure and deeply complex writing. And it should be -- he spent 10 years ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/24/better-world-books-podcast-michael-malone/ When you meet Ann Brashares you can see immediately that she is the perfect person to write for young adults.  Though she has three kids of her own she seems to have held onto a sweetness and openness that you sense when you meet her and feel when you read ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/16/better-world-books-podcast-ann-brashares/ Don't forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club.  We pick a new book each month that you can discuss with us here on the blog or take it back to your neighborhood book club.  We even set you up with everything you need for your meeting.... a ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/15/better-world-book-club-artofracing/ We are so proud to be working with the National Center for Family Literacy on a new national award for libraries. The Better World Books/NCFL Libraries and Families Award is three $10,000 grants that will be given to three different library recipients each year to help enhance family programming already under ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/11/libraries-families-award/ I got the chance to sit down with Laura Flanders recently at the Green Festival in Seattle.  This is a busy, smart woman who knows how to talk and knows what she is talking about.  After all that's what she does for a living. In addition to being an author, Laura ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/08/better-world-books-podcast-laura-flanders/ Just learned Better World Books will be featured repeatedly on CNN today and this weekend. Check it out during the shows that air at one of these times (all times are EDT). Please pass it on! CNN-U.S. Thursday 2-Jul: 8:00a, 12:00p, 2:00p Saturday 4-Jul: 7:00p, 10:00p, 1:00a Sunday 5-Jul: 6:00a CNN HLN ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/07/02/better-world-books-on-cnn-today-2-jul-saturday-4-jul-and-sunday-5-jul/ As an avid reader and frequent list maker, I adore books about books (mmmm, Book Lust).  If you are looking for a reference for yourself or a gift for a well read friend, I suggest Between the Covers, The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures. Between the Covers, The ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/26/book-review-hop-into-bed-with-the-book-babes/ John Perkins is the real deal.  A former economic hit man, he was actually part of the problem he describes in THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE.  But Perkins didn't like what he saw happening and chose not to be a part of it anymore.  He literally risked ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/23/better-world-books-podcast-john-perkins/ Don't forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club.  We pick a new book each month that you can discuss with us here on the blog or take back to your neighborhood book club.  We even set you up with everything you need for your meeting.... a synopsis ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/19/accidental-bestseller/ Last week, our own Xavier Helgesen sat down with Cris Valerio at Bloomberg TV to talk about our company, our mission and how the whole thing got started.  Check it out! http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/17/did-you-catch-us-on-bloomberg-tv/ Great news!  As you probably already know, promoting literacy has always been woven into the fabric of our business.  Now we're delighted to announce we've given an ownership stake to our non-profit literacy partners.   Yup...we've granted Incentive Stock Options to these partners - as far as we know, a first ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/16/we-found-a-new-way-to-support-our-non-profit-literacy-partners/ Matthew Pearl barely looks old enough to have written one book, let alone three incredibly well researched national and international bestsellers.   But he has...and he got some impressive degrees while doing it.  A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, Matthew actually started writing his first novel, THE ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/12/better-world-books-podcast-matthew-pearl/ One of my favorite things about working for Better World Books is the amazing people I get to meet from across the country who share Better World Books' vision to keep books out of landfills and support global literacy. Last month, I had the privilege of meeting Kristin Putchinski ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/08/our-partners-ellen-cherry-invisible-children/ Atlanta traffic almost got in the way of my interview with Laura Lippman about her new book LIFE SENTENCES.  She was scheduled to be at my office at 5PM, but had to be across town for a signing event at 7Pm that same day.  When she saw the traffic, she ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/06/05/better-world-books-podcast-laura-lippman/ Don't forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club Newsletter.  Our monthly book club email includes a synopsis of the book, discussion questions and even a great recipe.  You can sign up by going to manage subscriptions now. You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/28/better-world-book-club-ella-minnow-pea/ So the summer movie blockbuster season is here.  This past weekend after some  Memorial Day shopping, my daughter and I  hit the movie theater to see Angels & Demons. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think the movie was better than the book.  Don't ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/28/books-on-the-big-screen-angels-demons/ Jodi Picoult came by my office on a Wednesday afternoon while she was in Atlanta for her book tour.  And while I've had the pleasure of interviewing NY Times bestselling authors before, I'm definitely not as cool as I should be and  I was nervous. I mean, after all Jodi Picoult ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/20/better-world-books-podcast-jodi-picoult/ Susan Rebecca White packed the house for the BOUND SOUTH launch party back in February.  She did a talk and signing at the Margaret Mitchell House here in Atlanta, which is of course, where all the big name authors go when they are here in town.  So now you're thinking ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/14/better-world-books-podcast-susan-rebecca-white/ Brooklyn Public Library and Better World Books host the Great American Book Drive on the Plaza at Central Library on Saturday, May 16th from 10AM-3PM. An untold number of used books rest on shelves, under beds and stacked in offices across the country. The Great American Book Drive is a book-by-book, ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/14/great-american-book-drive-this-weekend-in-brooklyn/ Before a recent trip to Savannah, Georgia, I was asked the same question each time I mentioned the city: "Have you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?"  I wondered why so many people found this book to be synonymous with Savannah and decided I'd better check it ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/13/book-review-midnight-in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil/ It is because of you -- all of you -- our amazing customers, book drive organizers, librarians, fans and friends that we were voted THE MOST PROMISING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR by Business Week. We are so proud of what your support has been able to do for our Non-Profit partners.  So far ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/07/we-cant-thank-you-enough/ So I guess now I'm a veteran of the Green Festivals having now been to 3 of them.  DC last November, Seattle in March and now Denver this past weekend. This was the first year the festival was held in Denver and though the weather wasn't great on Saturday it cleared ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/05/07/denver-green-festival/ If you're a huge Jodi Picoult fan - you surely already know that MY SISTER'S KEEPER is about to be a feature film starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Alec Baldwin. The story is about a young girl who sues her parents for emancipation because she no longer wants to be ... http://blog.betterworldbooks.com/2009/04/27/books-on-the-big-screen-my-sisters-keeper/