The survival of the Australian bookshop

Are we looking at the end of the Australian bookshop as we know it?

In the last few weeks yet more have closed their doors. At last count more than a dozen shops, including the Angus & Robertson stores in Gympie in Queensland and the Adelaide city store, with more expected. The closures follow the Red Group of companies putting Angus & Robertson and the Australian branch of the multinational Borders bookstores into voluntary administration.

Many reasons have been given including the Red Group's business practices, the impact of parallel imports, high wages and rent, the e-book revolution, the global financial crisis and the state of the Australian dollar; even the selling of books in supermarkets.

But another key contribution is the growing trend towards buying cheap books online. The US based Amazon company is well known but more recently the British based Book Depository has become popular.

listen here => http://bit.ly/fuLP2a

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Harry Potter and the electronic book set to net JK Rowling £100m

He is more comfortable with platform 9¾ than the electronic devices of the muggle world, but, despite that, Harry Potter is about to go digital - and potentially earn JK Rowling a further £100 million.  => http://bit.ly/hjb5Ua

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These are not sexy, angsty vampires, and they are not old-school, evil Nosferatus, either

The Passage

by Justin Cronin

Cronin is a remarkable storyteller. He doesn't shy away from identifying his "virals" as vampires. But, these are not sexy, angsty vampires (you won’t be seeing "Team Babcock" t-shirts any time soon), and they are not old-school, evil Nosferatus, either. These are a creation all Cronin's own--hairless, insectile, glow-in-the-dark mutations who are inextricably linked to their makers and the one girl who could destroy them all. A huge departure from Cronin's first two novels, The Passage is a grand mashup of literary and supernatural, a stunning beginning to a trilogy that is sure to dazzle readers of both genres. --Daphne Durham

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Beautiful book from Australian children’s illustrator – All Through the Night

"All Through The Night" takes us on a magical journey of awe and wonder through the dreamland of a young boy and his favourite toy train on their way to the morning.

THE BOOK:

All Through the Night
by Dean Jones

Darkness is falling, and weary children everywhere are snuggling under their sheets. A small boy lays his head against his pillow and wakes to find himself rocking and rolling along through the night, onwards towards the morning. Soar with him beneath the stars in a magical journey on the midnight express.

Read more here => http://bit.ly/ecTAVO

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212 degree service

Someone once said, "Life is like a game of tennis. The player who serves well seldom loses." The same can be said for any business on the planet. There are many books written about service, however, this one keeps it simple. 212º Service presents 10 simple, but engaging rules of service that can be read by every member of your team in less than 30 minutes.
This book is written specifically for businesses and is all about creating a service culture. In case you are not familiar with the 212º concept, here it is in a nutshell:
At 211º water is hot. At 212º, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. The one extra degree makes the difference. This simple analogy reflects the ultimate definition of excellence. Because it's the one extra degree of effort, in business and life, that can separate the good from the great.
This book is written with real life examples that will have your team coming up with ideas that apply specifically to your industry.
Click here to get all the details and look inside the book
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Ten of the Best – Irish authors

It's St Patrick's Day on Thursday, and with a hat tip to my Irish heritage and a love of Irish whimsy, I have created a list of "Ten of the Best Irish Authors". Do you agree, or would you have put in someone else?

http://bit.ly/f81Npe

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For your children’s book club – a new slant on an old fairy tale

The Goose Girl

by Shannon Hale

She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother.

More about the book, discussion notes, excerpt, and where to buy the book => http://bit.ly/e321wJ

The Future of Publishing?

A number of people have asked me what I think the publishing world will look like when the dust has settled on the current revolution, and last weekend I was invited to participate in a think tank on how to promote books in a changing industry. There have been a lot of posts about print vs e-books. There’s also been a lot of hand-wringing about piracy, and of publishing going the way of the music industry. But very few people are seeing this for the opportunity it is.

=> http://bit.ly/f3Mm6L

Has your teenager caught up with The Maze Runner yet?

maze_runnerThe Maze Runner is by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Read more ...

Watch the book trailer video

play the game

Read an excerpt

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Interview with Ita Buttrose: Etiquette and High Tea

High Tea Society spoke with Australian journalist and businesswoman Ita Buttrose, on the eve of the launch of her book “A Guide to Australian Etiquette”. We talked about table manners, social media and high tea.
Ita’s five tips for table manners: http://bit.ly/eOTHzR