As 2014 approaches, I think about what I would like to see happen in the world of books. I know they often say, “Be careful what you wish for,” but here are my wishes for the coming year.
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Staying Alive in a Digital World: A Talk with an Indie Bookstore Owner
All book-lovers know the digital revolution is having an impact on independent bookstores. Except for Barnes & Noble, the chains are gone. Fewer and fewer independent bookstores have survived the onslaught of online retailing. I thought it would be illuminating to talk with Annie Philbrick, co-owner of the Bank Square Bookstore, an independent business located in Mystic Connecticut.
Despite enormous competition from online retailers, and though the store was closed for weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Bank Square Book Store has remained a vital resource for book lovers in the community. Annie provides insight about her strategies for surviving, and, in fact, thriving, and talks about the state of retail book-selling today.
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The Violent LIfe of a Crime-Thriller Writer
As an author of crime-thriller fiction, I’ve occasionally been asked about violence in my novels. Typical questions range from, why is so much violence in your books? to another, more personal one: Is violence part of your personality or is it totally contrived for your novels?
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What Will Santa Put In Your Cyber-Stocking?
For anyone who ever celebrated Christmas, one of the great pleasures on Christmas morning was emptying the stocking. Though the racy bicycle or beautiful dollhouse beneath the tree was a cause for celebration, there was nothing quite as enjoyable as dumping the stocking’s contents and reveling in all the trinkets Santa had left. Pouring forth might have been a Duncan yo-yo, or a Smurf, a set of jacks, a pink Spalding ball, an egg of Silly Putty, and other unexpected delights.
That was then; this is now.
Today, we have Cyber-Stockings, and you’re never too old to download gifts on Christmas morning. This year, Amazon will sell to Santa, its e-books, which can be delivered as gifts for a Kindle owner to enjoy. So, your cyber-stocking can be filled with good books to read throughout the year.
I wonder if Santa will put a virtual candy cane in the cyber-stocking, too.
Mark Rubinstein,
Author, “Mad Dog House”
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