There’s nothing new about used book stores. There’s also nothing new about young, passionate readers like myself selling off old books to make more room on their overflowing bookshelves. But given the hurting economy and people pinching more pennies than ever before, could buying/selling used books really be hurting the publishing industry?

Consider this: When you buy a used book, neither the publisher or the author receives a dime from the transaction. Not surprising, right? As more people shun new, shiny books from the bookstore in order to buy a used copy from a friend or amateur bookseller, it’s easy to see how this can be a problem for the publishing industry.

I came across this article in the New York Times, which talks about used books becoming more of a burden, even as the number of used books being sold has swelled:

They get their books from friends, yard sales, recycling centers, their own shelves. castoffs (I just bought a book from a guy whose online handle was Clif Is Emptying His Closet). Some list them for as little as a penny, although most aim for at least a buck. This growing market is achieving an aggregate mass that is starting to prove problematic for publishers, new bookstores and secondhand bookstores.

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I talk a lot about the benefits and virtues of ebooks and other digital media on this blog, almost to the point of obsession. However, too often I fail to mention that I still love good old fashion print books. It doesn’t matter if it’s a mass market paperback, or a newly released hardcover, or even a trade paperback – they all offer the promise of an entertaining story and maybe the chance to learn something.

There is something else that print books offer, that if you read the New York Times Books Section today, you probably will know what I’m talking about: The things left in books. I came across this interesting essay about various objects found in books, usually by workers at used book stores:

I speak of any of those bizarre objects — scissors, a used Q-tip, a bullet, a baby’s tooth, drugs, pornography and 40 $1,000 bills — that have been discovered by the employees of secondhand bookstores, according to The Wall Street Journal and Abebooks.com. Mystery surrounds these deposits like darkness.

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Sometimes people propose ideas that just make you shake your head and wonder: "What are they thinking?" Strangely enough, a lot of these ideas come from our own government (sarcasm!).

The state of New York has proposed one such idea: Tax ebooks and other digital content. I heard about this idea before, then read about it today on this post over at the Teleread blog. The consequences of such a tax could be devastating to the budding ebook market:

The New York insanity, if enacted into law, could lead to more taxes of this ilk in other states and add to expenses for small e-booksellers. It could even encourage piracy by jacking up costs for legitimate buyers.

Both points made in the above quote are pretty scary. First, once one state enacts a stupid law like this, others are sure to follow in a domino-like effect. Second, the tax will force prices to rise on all digital content, which will probably lead to more problems with piracy.

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As excited as I get about electronic books and all things digital, not everyone feels the same way. When I talk to fellow bookworms, especially those who are middle-aged or so, they merely shrug off ebooks and make up some silly excuse that the screens are too small or they can’t imagine reading so much on a screen (yet they have no problems reading emails, articles, blogs, etc on their computers).

So when I read all these different articles about the Amazon Kindle, and whether the iPhone is a "Kindle-killer" or whether or not the Sony Reader will surpass the Kindle in sales, I secretly think that the Kindle’s biggest competitor is still the print book.

Ebook lovers still have a lot of work to do in convincing skeptics that ebooks aren’t just some elitist alternative to traditional publishing, rather, ebooks are the future of traditional publishing. Yes, ebooks take a little getting used to and publishers cannot yet agree on a standardized format, but that’s just the nature of emerging technology.

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I’m usually not one to predict bad news, but things don’t look good for Borders. Even with their 50% discount promotion (read the PW story here), I’m not sure how much longer after the holidays the second largest retail bookstore chain will last.

My reasoning? The larger-than-usual discount Borders is offering is, as many people see, one final desperate attempt to drive customers to their stores in hopes of regaining even a little financial stability. Or maybe it’s a discrete attempt to get rid of inventory before closing their doors for good. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands and think about this stuff too much and my prediction is way off base.

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When I conjure up images of book groups, I think of a few highbrows sitting around a warm fireplace in very polite discussion of either classic literature, or contemporary literature (but NEVER popular lit). I don’t associate book groups with any sort of nastiness, at least, not until I read this article from NYT. The article says, in part:

Yes, it’s a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections — or the other members? Breaking up isn’t so hard to do when it means freedom from inane critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit and even worse chardonnay.

After reading the above quote, it seems like book groups should just be festering with problems like infighting and backstabbing. And let’s not forget that literature encompasses a lot of issues, especially the “hot button” issues like politics and religion. So when you get a group of people together to talk about a book, that deals with these issues (and many more), there are bound to be disagreements.

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I managed to get ahold of an advance copy of the book The Miracles of Prato: A Novel (aff link) by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz, and thought it would be fun to do a sort of "mini review". The book won’t be released until January 2009, so hopefully this review is far enough in advance for you to decide whether or not it should be on your new year reading list.

If I were to take an art history class, or even a class on basic Catholic theology, I’m sure The Miracles of Prato would fit right into the reading material of either class. Within the first three chapters, I was immediately given a lesson on life in an Italian convent during the Renaissance. The art lessons were sporadic throughout the novel, but admittedly much more interesting than the nuances of Catholic life.

Despite the novel’s penchant for "lecturing" about the above topics, it provides a backdrop for a clever story. A Catholic Monk, Fra. Filippo who works for a convent performing Mass, confession and other religious services, is also a painter who has several commissions, including one for the infamous Medici family. Filippo is a typical tragic character – caught between his religious devotion and the trappings of a hedonistic life that includes drinking and womanizing.

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Almost two weeks ago I pondered the pros and cons of both the library and bookstore in this post. Each have their distinct advantages and disadvantages.

But given the dire state the economy is in, libraries are making a comeback (at least, that’s what anecdotal evidence suggests). I came across this interesting post about that very topic, and this particular quote really jumped out at me:

There may have been a time when we wondered if libraries still mattered but that question appears to have been answered. Librarians have been creative and smart about learning new ways to meet public needs.

During times of economic prosperity, when jobs are plentiful and people have extra money to burn (remember those days?), going to the library seems like an odd notion when you can just run to your local bookstore and buy a new copy of whatever book you’re interested in.

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Ah, the title of this post is music to my ears! Given the bad shape the economy is in, and how most publishers are feeling the pinch as much as anyone (see Publishers continue to struggle in down economy), this is the kind of post that makes my day.

Keeping with the spirit of the holidays, Bleak House Books is giving away free books from its publishing catalog, and is also including books from their sister company Intrigue Press. Here’s a blurb from their blog:

It’s our way of saying thanks for all of the support we’ve received over the last few years. So go ahead and grab a book for yourself or as a holiday gift for somebody else. You just pay the shipping and handling, we’ll throw the book in for free.

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2008 is nearing an end with rapid speed. For those of you who love lists, then the New York Times has a good one for you! They published their annual 100 Notable Books of 2008 list recently. I browsed through the list and was happy to see that I have read a handful of book that they picked. But I also felt embarrassed because I didn’t read as many as I thought I would have. There are so many books I want to read, but there’s never enough time!

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