AAR Staff Top 10 Favorites – Anne's Picks
My first thought when I heard about this was “Eek! Only ten?” These picks are in no particular order, and some make no sense when I look at them. But these were the books I often…
Random Penguins, Part Deux
Last November, I blogged about the possible Random House and Penguin Books merger. Or rather, the merger between German conglomerate Bertelsmann (the owner of Random House) and the parent company of Penguin (the British company Pearson)….
Cheap EBooks: Bane, Boon, or Bust for Readers?
If you follow eBook news, you know it’s often all about pricing. From complaints about high prices and allegations of collusion on prices to concerns about cheap eBooks, customers are always keeping their eye on the…
Random Penguins? Some Thoughts on the Possible Random House Penguin Merger
Random House was the first publisher’s name I learned to recognize. I didn’t know what a Random was, but I knew what a house was, and I knew Random House was the name on some of…
Amazon to Bid on Dorchester Assets
Just when you think you’ve learned the latest news about Amazon acquiring another company, something new will pop up on-line. In June, we learned that Amazon was acquiring Avalon Books, a “clean” publisher that mostly sells…
Amazon Acquires Avalon Books – What Next?
Unless you’re a librarian, or a reader who checks out lots of genre fiction from your library, Avalon Books has probably flown under your radar. Avalon is a niche publisher specializing in the library market, selling…
Anne AAR | Characters | Heroes | Movies | Television
Dark Shadows
Before we had the tormented Carpathians, and the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not to mention Edward of the Twilight series, many people grew up watching Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows. No doubt the show paved the way…
Was I a "Big Ass" Reader?
Heroes making big assumptions… They’re so common in romance. So much so that they were labeled “Big Ass” heroes” in an ATBF column several years ago. Readers often use shortcut terms like “the Big Miss.” But…
Author Calls for Dorchester Boycott
Dorchester Publishing (publishers of LoveSpell and Leisure Books) is in the news again months after it announced it was no longer publishing mass market paperbacks. The news has gotten even worse for authors and readers. When…
My Bookstore is Stalking Me (And I Like It)
Without realizing it, I reached a tipping point recently. Have you seen those newsletters from booksellers that alert you about books you might be interested in? Last year, I subscribed to a number of those. Imagine…