More readers are using cell phones and PDAs to read e-books, and
e-book sales in the second quarter more than doubled to $8.1 million
compared to the same period in 2006, according to today's New York Times.
In another sign of growing consumer acceptance, e-book bestsellers are
no longer dominated by SF novels "and other titles favored by men," the
Times wrote. Lately the lists "are led by romance and women's fiction."
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Yesterday shares of Borders Group rose 6.9% to $15.77 on volume of
3.1 million shares, more than double the usual volume and on a day the
Dow Jones Industrials rose just 0.3%.
A likely cause: in recent days, according to Seeking Alpha,
Spencer Capital indicated in an SEC filing that it had increased its
stake in the company to 7.9% (a little more than 4.6 million shares)
from the 6.8% stake disclosed last month, and SAC Capital now has a
5.1% "passive" stake in Borders.
In a July SEC filing, Spencer Capital said, "In late June 2007,
representatives of the Filers had conversations with the chief
financial officer of the Company concerning the business of the
Company. The Filers intend to seek to engage in further discussions
with members of the board of directors or management of the Company and
to discuss with them the business of the Company. Based on discussions
with these or any other representatives of the Company, the Filers may
formulate plans or proposals with respect to the Company."
Citadel and Pershing Square Capital also have significant stakes in Borders.
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More on diversity among SF writers: Tobias Buckell, who considers
himself multi-racial although "I'm one white looking dude," addresses
the issue on his blog.
"I jokingly have been called 'an undercover brother,' " he writes. "Vin Diesel calls
people like me 'shadow people,' neither one race nor the either due to
circumstances and self-identity, and considers himself one, yet another
reason for my close attention to his career."
Buckell, author of Ragamuffin and Crystal Rain (both
published by Tor Books), had recently received e-mails from people
suspicious that he might be "a poser" wanting "the 'advantages' of
being hip and multi-racial."
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In honor of Newbery Medalist and Geisel Honoree Kate DiCamillo,
Candlewick Press has established a grant called Light the Way: Outreach
to the Underserved that will reward libraries that have developed "innovative approaches to
engaging traditionally underserved populations."
The grant will be made by the Association for Library Service to
Children's Library Service to Special Population Children and Their
Caregivers Committee. DiCamillo is the author of, among other titles, Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
"When I was a child from a broken home in search of comfort, librarians
handed me a book," DiCamillo said in a statement. "I am proud to join
with ALSC today in this ongoing effort to put books into the hands of
children who need the books, the light, the most."
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Sometimes all is not well that ends well. According to Bloomberg News,
"William Hill Plc, a London-based bookmaker, will pay out on a number
of bets on the fate of Harry Potter because of an 'ambiguous ending' to
the seventh and final novel about the boy wizard. The bookmaker repaid
50,000 pounds ($101,060) in wagers and a further 40,000 pounds to fans
who either bet that he died, killed himself or was killed by his
nemesis Lord Voldemort."
The wagers on HP7's conclusion were the
first the bookmaker had ever taken on the ending of a book. "Three
employees at the bookmaker read the novel by J.K. Rowling and failed to
agree on the ending," said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams. "Now we
have to hope that Rowling doesn't bring out another Harry Potter book
in the next two years. We have already taken 12,500 pounds on that
bet.''
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Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort? Non.
Not yet, anyway. The Guardian
reported that a 16-year-old boy "was detained in Aix-en-Provence in
southern France after he posted the unauthorised translation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the Internet." The official French version will not be published until late October.