A New Release I Won’t be Reading

Donald Trump’s newly released book.

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t bought into the notion that America isn’t a great country. There are plenty of problems facing the country, but does he really think he’s got the answers to questions facing the country as a whole, and especially the Oval Office? Because I don’t. And I don’t think any one person has all the answers.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never read political books, and it’s safe to say I won’t be starting with Trump’s.

Are you interested in reading about this crippled America he claims to know how to make great again?

One Last Bit of Twilight News

I wrote last week about the new book in the series in which the genders of most of the characters are swapped. Well I learned something else about the book.

I was bouncing around WordPress for a bit the other day and I came across a review. So I read it. It was not good. It appears that Meyer put in even less work than I expected. The text of the book appears to be the exact same. She didn’t actually rewrite anything. There were a few things that were changed because Meyer figured a guy would see them differently than a girl, but most of the text wasn’t.

I think it’s both arrogant and disrespectful. Because people are buying this book. But it’s not really anything new. Just some stupid names changed. I think I’m forever done discussing Stephenie Meyer after reading this. What do you think?

Pharrell’s new Book is not a Book

Remember a little while back when Pharrell signed a multi book deal? Well the first book is out. And it’s not a book.

I understand that books written for young children usually focus on pictures rather than a million words on each page. But what’s been released looks like the publisher did the least amount of work possible. The book titled Happy after his hit song is nothing we haven’t read or heard. It’s the lyrics to the song spread over maybe 20 pages. With random photos of children to accompany them.

I mean, someone could make a YouTube video and it would come out better than this. Oh well. For once I actually have a problem with a celebrity book. Because there was no effort by anyone to actually write something new.

Am I crazy? What do you think of this new “book” just being the song lyrics?

Another Twilight Book?

Oh man. Yesterday I finally got to reading some blogs and I found out something interesting. There’s going to be a new book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. But she won’t just be adding more to the story. Nope.

It’s a gender swap. Not sure if that’s what it’s called, but basically Bella and Edward will be renamed and switch places. So that Meyer can prove that Bella was just a “human in distress” and not a damsel in distress. I’ll sum up my thoughts: , “Um, why?”.

We know why, of course. Money. For everyone involved. And didn’t E.L. James just do something similar with Grey? She didn’t switch the characters completely, but she did switch perspectives.

Are you looking forward to this new book by Stephenie Meyer?

I Bought my First Writing Book

Not On Writing. But one that looked pretty detailed and informative. I don’t think it’s going to make me Michael Connelly anytime soon, but this is a good sign. Somewhere inside me I’m still thinking about resuming my writing at some point. And maybe this book will help a bit with that. Especially since I know absolutely nothing. I just go with the flow right now. Ha.

I’ve already written about writing books before. So I won’t be asking specifically what you think of them or if they’ve helped you. But don’t you think just about any book with good information would help someone like me?

Would you let Someone Title Your Book?

Ever heard of an author named Christian Platt? No? Me neither. But he’s doing something interesting at the moment. He’s asking people to name his new book. Anyone can submit a title. What’s your incentive? You get a credit in the book and you get $100 worth of books. But not by way of an Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card, he’s giving you his previous books that he says are valued that high.

On the post I only saw eight comments. So I think he might be just as much of a nobody as me. But if you really want people to take this kind of thing seriously, then I’d say there’s gotta be real incentive. And in this case there isn’t.

But back to my original question. Would I do this? No. Not ever. Is it supposed to build hype or give other people the chance to feel “involved” in the process of making this book a reality? I don’t know. But book titles are the first thing people see when they come across your book (unless you’re immensely popular and they only see your name.) Letting just any person do it doesn’t seem like the best decision.

Would you ever let someone else title your next book?

New Donald Trump Biography Rushed to Print

Ugh.

I don’t need to mention any of the ridiculous things he’s said in recent weeks. Because I already wrote about him as a presidential candidate here. But now word has gotten out that a Trump biography originally planned for a January release will reach readers much sooner, in October.

Am I surprised by this? Of course not. He’s in the headlines right now. I bet the publisher (Thomas Dunne) would have released it this coming week if it could have been done. I’m not faulting anyone for this decision. It’s just a little surprising to me to see how many people are actually interested in this guy. Granted, many of those people are just waiting to see what idiotic thing he says next. But still.

So this new book will come out a few months early and be a surefire bestseller. Nothing surprising there. But it’s just a biography. It has nothing to do with what’s going on at the moment in the GOP presidential race, except for a release date. Oh well. Donald Trump is taking over our lives. Ha! No.

Do you have any interest in this new biography of Trump? You already know my answer to the question.

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On this day in 2014 I published Ever Been to an Author Signing?.

 

Another Dr. Seuss Book is out Today

Dr. Seuss died in 1991. Seven new books have been published under his name since his death. The difference between this situation and what’s going on with Harper Lee is there is no controversy surrounding the release of his books after his death. It probably helps that he’s probably more popular now than he was during his lifetime.

What Pet Should I Get? is his newest book to be released posthumously. If you’re questioning my above statement about his popularity, then let me tell you a fun fact. This new book is currently the top selling book on Amazon. That’s right. It’s outselling Go Set a Watchman.

The main reason I’m writing this today is to talk about his popularity rather than his new book. Is there anyone in America who doesn’t at least know his name? I’ve stated on here several times that I’ve never actually read one of his books, but I could probably name 5+ just off the top of my head. And I’m not the only one. I read from a reputable source that he’s sold more than 450 million books since his death. I mean, holy shit. Wow. That number is simply ridiculous. I’m not sure there’s another author out there who could sell that many books in the first 25 years after his or her death. And there will be even more books forthcoming.

What I want to ask y’all is why you think he’s managed to remain so popular in the two and a half decades since his death. Sure there are some authors who will always sell books no matter how long it’s been since their death, but he’s basically outselling all living authors right now besides the handful of mega bestsellers! How? Someone enlighten me because I’m really curious.

You can view the Amazon product page for the new book here.

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On this day in 2014 I published United Way’s Reading Together Program.

 

Go Set a Watchman is Finally Here

I remember the day earlier this year when it was announced that a new book would be forthcoming from Harper Lee. I remember because I basically broke the news to my readers. I saw a tweet that morning and posted on here shortly thereafter. But I also remember there being controversy surrounding this new book immediately.

How was it ACTUALLY discovered? Could Harper Lee even sign off on its publication at her age and mental state? How does this book relate to To Kill a Mockingbird? All these questions and so many more that have not really been answered in the months since that day.

Y’all know I don’t read book reviews. I don’t like them. I’m not interested in them. And I don’t typically care what any other person thinks about particular books. But I’ve made an exception to my own rule several times in recent days. I’ve wanted to see what professional reviewers were thinking of Lee’s new book. I imagine many of you have done the same. I’ll share all of my thoughts with y’all once I read the book because I don’t want to alter your thoughts or expectations about it before you even get a chance to read it.

What are your expectations for Go Set a Watchman?

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On this day in 2014 I published Take me to the Library.

 

Ted Cruz Blasts The New York Times for Bestseller List Omission

There’s a book missing from The New York Times most recent nonfiction bestseller list, according to Ted Cruz. His book. Which he claims should have placed high on the list. But the paper has stuck by its list and by its methodology for coming up with the bestsellers. Their methodology is largely a secret as they do not just look at overall sales numbers like other publications.

But Cruz has said the omission is because the paper is against him politically. I think he should probably do a little research before making a statement like that. I mean, does he think the paper is more in line with Bill O’Reilly? Anyway, I don’t see why this matters. I’m sure Ted Cruz has sold and will sell plenty of books. Ted Cruz is a presidential “candidate” and I think he should be worrying about more important things than The New York Times bestseller list.

I’m from Texas and I don’t see Ted Cruz as having any chance at the White House in 2016, but he definitely won’t be moving into the the Oval Office if things like this are near the top of his list of importance. But I’ve come to expect him to worry about all the wrong things during his time in public office, so this really doesn’t surprise me at all.

Do you care at all that Ted Cruz was left off the most prominent bestseller list in the country? I most certainly do not.

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On this day in 2014 I published Saturday Selects: Guys.