There have been a number of books published in the last few years that tackle the role that modern mercenary companies such as Blackwater and Dynccorp play on the global stage. The Modern Mercenary by Sean McFate looks at the historical role of mercenaries during the feudal era and how they directly contributed to the formation of national armies. Mercenaries fell out of favor … [Read more...] about Book Review – The Modern Mercenary
E-Book News
New Star Wars Novels will Retell the Original Trilogy
When Disney made the decision to no longer consider the Star Wars Expanded Universe no longer canon, the conclusion was that Disney wanted to sell more books. They have released a ton of new content so far and are in the midst of retelling the entire original trilogy.Disney and Lucasfilm have announced a new set of books aimed at young readers in the 8-12 age group, that … [Read more...] about New Star Wars Novels will Retell the Original Trilogy
Your Child is Not Going to Read this Summer
Bookstores, libraries and publishing companies have all unveiled their summer reading programs which have a singular objective; getting your child to read outside of the classroom. Sadly, there is one major impediment: parents.A new study conducted by the Literacy Trust looked at the reading trends of children in 2014 and found nearly one in four students agreed with the … [Read more...] about Your Child is Not Going to Read this Summer
Data Demonstrates Most Well-Read Cities in the US
In a move that's sure to tick off... well, everyone... Amazon has released another list of cities that purport to have the most well-read populations. There are a few flaws in their data, such as the fact that the list was determined by book sales, not by some factor that actually demonstrates book reading as opposed to book shopping, but overall it was an interesting peek into … [Read more...] about Data Demonstrates Most Well-Read Cities in the US
Major Publishers Are Screwing Readers with High e-book Prices
All five of the largest publishing companies in North America and Europe have negotiated new contracts with booksellers such as Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Google and Kobo. The new pricing strategy is called agency-lite, which mandates these stores sell e-books at a fixed cost. This has directly resulted in e-book prices to increase across the entire board. It is seriously … [Read more...] about Major Publishers Are Screwing Readers with High e-book Prices
E-Book Sales Down 6% in the United States in 2014
Print is making a comeback and e-book sales have decreased. Nielsen Pubtrack data is demonstrating that digital sales have fallen 6% in 2014, which equates to 223 million e-books being sold in the US, down from 240 million units in 2013.Nielsen fetches its data from 30 of the largest publishers in the US, so this is an accurate portrayal of sales from mainstream bestsellers … [Read more...] about E-Book Sales Down 6% in the United States in 2014
The Latest Literary Trend: Hot Dudes Reading
There is a massive new literary trend occurring on Instagram right now, @hotdudesreading. The account has over 572,000 followers and is a celebration of men reading books on the New York subway. What is most surprising about this phenomenon is that they will not publish any pictures of people with e-readers, smartphones or tablets, with a simple hashtag #nokindles.Big … [Read more...] about The Latest Literary Trend: Hot Dudes Reading
The Best Websites to Discover New Books
Casual readers often face challenges when new books come out by authors they love. Sure you can visit the local bookstore every few weeks and check out what is new and notable. Today we look at the best websites that focus on e-book discovery, finding a great new read or simply getting notified when a new book comes out. Some of these companies have been around for a decade, … [Read more...] about The Best Websites to Discover New Books
EL James To Release 50 Shades Book from Christian Grey’s Prospective
The first book in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy was released in March 2012 and by the end of 2014 it had sold over 140 million copies. Bookstores all over North America and the United Kingdom all reported dramatic profits with each new installment of the book. Even University and College bookstores jumped into the fray, pushing textbooks out of the way and setting up kinky … [Read more...] about EL James To Release 50 Shades Book from Christian Grey’s Prospective
IndieReader, Melissa Foster Announce 2015 IRDA Winners at BEA
IndieReader, the ultimate consumer guide to discovering and sharing the latest and greatest in independently published works--which includes titles that are published both by the authors and by smaller publishing houses--has held its IndieReader Discovery Awards for several years now as a mechanism to take the top tier of these worthy books to the next level. The IRDAs have a … [Read more...] about IndieReader, Melissa Foster Announce 2015 IRDA Winners at BEA
The Top Selling e-Books of 2014
The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene was first published in 2012. The book though quickly rose to #1 on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists months before it was even released, because every pre-order would be hand-signed by the author. Due to the runaway success of the film and the blitz marketing campaign Fault in our Stars was the top selling e-book of … [Read more...] about The Top Selling e-Books of 2014
Barnes and Noble Nook Press is Bad for Authors
Barnes and Noble operates a self-publishing program called Nook Press. The second generation platform launched in early 2013 and focuses on getting indie authors to submit their books for inclusion into the Nook bookstore. It is my belief that Nook Press is bad for authors and solely exists to financially gouge them at every opportunity.Last year, the former General … [Read more...] about Barnes and Noble Nook Press is Bad for Authors
George R.R. Martin Won’t Write Game of Thrones Season 6
George R.R. Martin has proclaimed that he will not write any episodes for Game of Thrones Season 6, as he is focusing on completing The Winds of Winter. When it comes to the television show, George has written an episode for seasons 1-4, but skipped season 5. The books are pivotal as the source material that the widely successful Game of Thrones television series is based … [Read more...] about George R.R. Martin Won’t Write Game of Thrones Season 6
Kobo Implements Visa Checkout for e-books and e-readers
Kobo has just signed a deal with Visa Checkout, that allows people to get a few free e-books. If you use this new alternative to Paypal, you will gain $10 in free credit that will allow you get a number of digital titles.The Visa Checkout promotion will run from June 1st to June 20th. When you purchase an e-reader or e-book you will instantly get the $10 credited to your … [Read more...] about Kobo Implements Visa Checkout for e-books and e-readers