| Author |
Message |
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 12:05 pm 
I consider the treasure to be the ideas, plots imagination, but I still have books that I find hard to give up.
I have been donating batches to Friends of the Library.
I guess I love reading more than actual boojs, though I only came to that conclusion after I bought my first Kindle years ago. I didn't think I would like or use it. Wrong.
This bio of Robin Williams is sadder than I thought it would be. I am up to where he lost his second wife and kids (they had two and Zak was a young adult by then) when he relapsed back into heavy drinking and went to rehab.
Then he required heart procedures and his new girlfriend shut the family (his ex wife and son, his estranged wife,son and daughter, his remaining half brother) out. Zak contributed to the book, so we hear how they felt.
I hadn't remembered how many movies he made that were bad choices.. He had a hard time saying no.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 12:49 pm
If you're trying to understand the book market, you have to look at the stats in various formats.
MORE Ebooks are sold than print books (in actual numbers of "books" sold), but they cost less, so they make up less than half of the *dollar* share.
Some of the shift away from ebooks is from online retailers (Amazon), pushing digital prices up. But 80% of what they sell is still digital.
If you look at only the fiction market, however, the dollar sales of ebooks are more than half of the market, in total sales.
Why? Because the cost of textbooks (not always available in digital format) pushes dollar sales of print books way up. Overpriced, in fact.
So, it depends on how you look at the figures. If you are looking at total dollar sales, ebooks make up about 30% of the market.
If you look at total unit sales, it's more like 60%.
If you segment out textbooks, Ebooks win in both categories - units and dollars.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 3:15 pm
I love books in any and all formats, though I've discovered I do better reading Philip Rickman than listening to his books (Man in the Moss I struggled to follow on audio). I use my Kindle the most, though -I'm rarely home to read, so it's lighter and easier. Audiobooks on my phone are always on in the car.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 4:20 pm
Where did you find those stats, Kar? I'm not saying they are incorrect. I'd just like to see the source.
Ebooks certainly have started to shake the traditional publishing industry. It's a bit confusing as it has given indie authors more opportunity.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 5:25 pm
Let me see if I can find it. I research whole bunches of things for my business.
Here ya go:
http://authorearnings.com/report/january-2018-report-us-online-book-sales-q2-q4-2017/
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 8:49 pm
Thanks very much. That's a very interesting article. My understanding was that print sales had held steady for years but I guess that reporting was distorted by the academic text book sales (sorry Ricky).
A bit off-topic but, as I've said many many times, I think it is unconscionable that they keep the prices so high for audio books.
While I use the eBook format for almost all of my reading now, I'd be terribly sad if the brick and mortar stores were to go out of business.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 9:41 pm
Amazon tried to keep prices down but the late Steve Jobs colluded with publishers a the prices jumped. There were two major lawsuits. Despite the fact that I seldom pay full price for an ebook, I received two very nice settlement credits based on my records at Amazon.
And it is stated on most ebooks that the price is set by the publisher. Amazon originally took a loss on some books.
It seems like hardbacks cost more than they used to, Prior to getting a Kindle, I was deep into Barnes & Noble and got discounts. I see the discount stickers on books I still own. I loved hanging at bookstores, but I certainly spent a bunch!
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Friday, January 18, 2019 - 7:01 pm
I just finished the first book of a trilogy. It's "Stars of Fortune" by Nora Roberts. It was good enough that I have ordered books 2 & 3. Should get them in a week or two.
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Friday, January 18, 2019 - 7:31 pm
I've heard it's very good, Heckagirl.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, January 18, 2019 - 10:21 pm
Finished Robin Williams.
Sad that his third wife tried to do a bit of an end run on the family, because Robin had things well set up in terms of who got what and trusts for kids and wives. For only three years she got the house for Life and maintenance but she tried to characterize extensive collections he had amassed for his kids as "odds and ends".
He was being treated for Parkinson's but the autopsy showed that he had Lewy-body Dementia, which explains many of his symptoms.
He was clean and sober at that time, proven in the autopsy.
The book had a good set of pictures.
I am planning the next to be Tia Maria Torres' newly released book, My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir,
(Pit Bulls & Parolees, Villalobos rescue)
For Tia, full price 🐕
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Sunday, January 20, 2019 - 6:37 pm
I'm glad you like the Robin Williams bio - I really liked it too.
I just finished Tana French's first book, In The Wood. It's really long, but it held my interest throughout and the payoff at the end, while it was borderline exasperating, was also quite captivating. I will definitely seek out her other books!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, January 20, 2019 - 6:54 pm
I liked how generous Robin was.. And supportive with friends..
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, January 21, 2019 - 9:38 pm
I spent the day reading the debut novel by Edouard Louis, The End of Eddy, which is correctly classified as an autobiographical novel. I can only assume most of it is based on actual events in his life.
Written when he was 19, it focuses on his growing-up years in an industrial town in northern France where gay people are rarely seen and ruthlessly harassed and vilified. The book is only 192 pages and I was grateful for that because it was VERY DIFFICULT to read the relentless abuse (physical and psychological) that's heaped upon the gay youngster protagonist, Eddy. It reminded me of Tara Westover's (non-fictional) Educated -- I'm pretty sure very little of Mr. Louis's story is fiction. He's one of the most celebrated young European writers (he's now 26) and his follow-up novel, also autobiographical, The History of Violence, is supposed to be even better.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, January 26, 2019 - 3:06 am
Finished Tia's book.. what a life. Trainer of horses, big cats, wolves, dogs, army, police academy, country singer, dog trainer for movies and videos and of course the pit bull rescue.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, January 26, 2019 - 4:08 pm
Now that I’m a Liane Moriarty fan, I naturally had to track down a copy of her debut, Three Wishes. I finished it this morning and loved it. It’s going to be fun seeing her writing get bettter with successive book she’s released. I really love her writing style!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, January 26, 2019 - 6:59 pm
I am reading a book of Tiger Woods.. His father was a cheater on the first wife and kids, then met Kultida while deployed to Thailand and didn't bother to say he was married.
Got a divorce I Juarez (which was invalid), presented that to his wife, married Kultida, which was bigamy until eventually his first wife divorced him.
He continued his cheating ways.
Tiger would sit in a highchair in the garage for hours, watching Earl drive good balls into a net.
His mom taught him reading and math before he went to kindergarten.
He wasn't allowed any after school activities but golf, from kindergarten forward. He wanted to play soccer, but no.
What a role model...
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, January 26, 2019 - 9:13 pm
On tv at 2, lessons, getting free lessons, free clubs.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 9:19 am
I am finally getting my books out of storage! We are buying some new bookcases and I can put them on display. We don't have much room in this little house but I have found a way. I am going to cull through them because I really don't need to keep them all with the amount I keep getting, so I will be giving a good amount away. Too bad none of you live close enough! I am not going all Marie Kondo though. 30 is not enough books to keep.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 9:30 am
It will be nice to have your books out, Mamie.
I knew Woods had played from a young age but I had no idea that his father was so draconian.
I’m happy to hear you liked Three Wishes, Ric. Now I’m really looking forward to reading more of her books.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 2:58 pm
At two, Tiger was going on tv.
His mom was a helicopter or tiger mom.
He was being recruited by Stanford while still in junior high.
He had excellent coaching but no choice. Highly intelligent and able to use the coaching. His mother taught him that winning was everything.
I am not that far into the Book but they opened with Carl's ashes being buried between his parents and that the grave is unmarked.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 6:03 pm
Mamie, how thrilling! Have fun filling up the new bookcases. Yay!
Jim, I hope you'll like Moriarty's books, as you read them, in the way I expect to like them myself.
I spent the weekend reading Willy Vlautin's second novel, Northline, and it was excellent. A tad depressing, but not overly so. The story's lead character had lots of problems and it left me feeling very nervous of what her outcome would ultimately be. Though Vlautin's stories are dark, they also have an underlying element of optimism that compels you to cheer for the troubled protagonist to overcome a seemingly endless supply of obstacles to happiness.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 9:58 pm
30? Yeah that is nothing.
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Chewpito
Member
01-03-2004
| Thursday, January 31, 2019 - 10:42 am
Well you all have been quiet, I come to this thread not so much to write but to get idea's for me, I do audio books due to arthritic hands.
I am almost finished with, Kristin Hanna's 'The great alone', and then I finished 'Educated' right before that.
about a month ago I came across one that I just loved, 'The life and times of Persimmon Wilson', Nancy Peacock.. Lots of sorrows, but I enjoyed it and may listen again.
I came across one at my library called 'Sutton', by J.R. Moehringer. He was a famous bank robber way back in the early 1900's, Willie Sutton. I actually really enjoyed it a lot. I listened to it twice' just to catch anything I may have missed.
I also wanted to thanks for all the suggestions, I listen to 3 of the Moriarty books and loved them.
'Hotel on the corner of Biter and sweet' was quite good, Jamie Ford.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Friday, February 01, 2019 - 12:26 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Chewpito! We love having you share -- please do so as frequently as possible.
This morning I finished Parker Posey's You're on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir. I remember her very first appearance on "As The World Turns" which I watched zealously during the years she played Tess. I loved her instantly and was so glad to see her career blossom over the years as violently as it has.
The memoir has some great chapters, especially the ones where she recounts her experiences working with Woody Allen and Christopher Guest. Other chapters, though, are head-scratchers and had it not been for the Allen and Guest chapters, I have a feeling I would've given the overall book a negative rating. I'm more inclined to call the whole thing clumsy and that you should only read it if she's in your top three celebrity loves of all time.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, February 01, 2019 - 2:00 pm
I am still reading about Tiger and he has definitely dropped off any list of favorites for me at the point I have reached in the Book (engaged to Elin).
His parents molded him to be cold, arrogant and a user of people, but he maintained those characteristics himself. All sorts of freebies, terrible tipper, cutting people for any perceived slight. Pretty sad.
His mother taught him that winning wasn't enough, he must beat and crush his opponents.
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