Looking for a good read during these times?
Dresden is a super book, not just about the WW2 dramatic bombing, it is that, but also about the impact on the real people on the ground. The obliteration of a beautiful city and the people who lived there.
McKay comes at it differently with real human stories that make it unput downable. So well written it really brings a whole new dimension to war.
And we read a lot of war books....but this one is a true stand out. Max Hastings, perhaps the greatest war writer of them all, said,
'Powerful . . . there is rage in his ink. McKay's book grips by its passion and originality. Some 25,000 people perished in the firestorm that raged through the city. I have never seen it better described' Max Hastings, Sunday Times
It's for everyone too - it's not a 'manly' war book but a great insight into devastation and how people cope. Smashing read that takes the mind off things.
The American Association of Publishers, have reported that E-Books now account for nearly a quarter of all US book Sales (23%).
From 9% in 2009, it's pretty terrific growth and really interestingly, there's been a growth in books in general. Like ITunes has brought more music sales, so too has EBooks.
So instead of the Internet decimating Books and Music as predicted, it has brought a new life to them. Simply, the ease of access online has meant more people can buy more easily and they do.
At the time, the music industry particularly, instead of jumping onboard the download revolution, spent millions trying to stop it through law. When they should have encouraged it.
Interesting too that these stats on Ebooks show a real growth in children's/teen books which probably means, more younger people are reading - no bad thing.
EBooks are a real success - if you haven't yet got a Kindle, go get one now. You'll resist it at first and then fall in love with it. Stunning piece of kit.
New writers will be encouraged by these numbers too. It's all in all, great news for literacy (if that's how you spell it).
I'm big into books.
And what I like about digital books and ebooks is that they've actually brought in more readers. Like Itunes have delivered more music sales.
And at the time, you'll remember that it was thought that ebooks would kill reading and itunes would kill music, when exactly the opposite has happened. The web has been the saviour of the music business as it turns out.
Ebooks have also allowed virtual libraries where you "rent" a book (exactly as you do in a traditional library) and then after a time, it's deleted from your device.
So the idea of students to make the New York Subway into a virtual library, is a cool one. After all, it's exactly the time when people want to read in transit. Through Ads in the trains, which look like bookshelves, they list a series of book titles, "best sellers". When a user scans the title with their smartphone.....
.....they get the first 10 pages for free as a sample. just enough to read on that commute.
Then they're reminded that the rest of the book is available for free, at the New York Public Library complete with GPS map as to how to get there.
Lovely, lovely idea, called 'The Underground Library'.
Still in concept phase, it deserves to be heard. And read.
