Buzz Worthy News
An author says that Libraries are no longer relevant before he sneaks in, steals all their books and cancels reading, Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson have a catfight, John Green is hanging with the President… OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! More movies of your favourite books are coming, Harry Potter gets a facelift and much, much more.
Buzz Worthy News is Cuddlebuggery’s weekly news post bringing you all the best information about the book and blogging world, particularly for the venn diagram of people who overlap between the two. For new releases and cover reveals of all the best Young Adult fiction, check out our Sunday post: How New Titles.
Book News
Libraries Are No Longer Relevant – Says Rich Old White Man
Terry Deary reached out to the world to inform them of what all wealthy people have known about since they realized they could afford books: Libraries serve no purpose. And since they say so, I guess it must be true. Deary wants to make it clear that it’s not like he wants to hunt libraries down, stab them seventeen times in the chest and watch their bodies burn. Nor is he the actualized embodiment of a literary Grinch. He’s just being practical, folks.
“I’m not attacking libraries, I’m attacking the concept behind libraries, which is no longer relevant,” Deary told the Guardian, pointing out that the original Public Libraries Act, which gave rise to the first free public libraries in the UK, was passed in 1850. “Because it’s been 150 years, we’ve got this idea that we’ve got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers. This is not the Victorian age, when we wanted to allow the impoverished access to literature. We pay for compulsory schooling to do that.”
Julia Donaldson was among a cacophony of authors and industry professionals to roll their eyes, flip their hair and tell Deary to shut the fuck up.
“In reality, libraries are the places where our readers and book-buyers are created. Without the huge choice of books which libraries provide, children are not going to discover their favourite authors, and will not then be asking for books for their birthdays or buying them when they are adults with their own money.”-SOURCE
So true. I spent a great deal of my childhood in a library. So did my husband. Our local library isn’t just about giving away a free product, as Deary would put it. They hold story times to help literacy and book exposure to poor young kids, moms and bubs sessions, host author events, provide invaluable service to the community, help foster reader tastes. I could go on and on. I, and most of the people I grew up with would have been severely disadvantaged without a library.
Governments around the world did not form libraries with the sole intention of institutionally thieving from authors. That was only ONE of their intentions, duh! You know what’s great about libraries? They mean rich people aren’t the only ones who get to escape from this Deary/dreary (ha!) world into an infinite landscape of mind-opening learning and imaginative adventure. It means poor people also get to engage in a lifelong passion for learning while still being able to eat. It’s, like, pretty much the only good thing governments ever collectively decided to do AND YOU WANT TO SHUT THAT DOWN?!
Good job, sunshine. Why don’t you just go punch poor kids in the face and steal their pocket change to console yourself while you’re at it?
Author Catfight! Quick! Before the Teachers Bust it Up!
Everyone knows that, publicly, authors tend to get along or at least politely ignore each other. So we’re all absorbed by even the slightest hint that there’s a competitive, snarky edge to their professional interactions. Such delight came this week in the form of competingly awesome inscriptions written in The Wise Man’s Fear and The Way of the Kings by authors Patrick Rothfuss and Branden Sanderson. Whilst it all was probably hilarious, friendly horseplay, I for one choose to see it as a marvelous opportunity to spread salacious gossip.
In Rothfuss’ book, The Wise Man’s Fear, Rothfuss wrote:
“More majestic than The Way of Kings.”
This prompted Sanderson to sign a copy of The Way of Kings with:
“1000% less sex with random goddesses than Wise Man’s Fear.”
Now, no matter how much this is probably playful banter between two similarly situated adults having friendly jabs at each other, surely I’m not the only one hoping that behind the screen they’re like:
Alas, a full fledged battle didn’t break out as the tit-for-tat ended with Rothfuss writing “Well played, Sanderson…. Well played….” on Facebook.
John Green and President Obama Hang Out. Shoot the Breeze.
So on a completely normal Thursday for John Green, he will be hanging out with President Barrack Obama on Google+.
Yup. And, I mean, Steph and I aren’t angry about this. We are totally fine.
You didn’t think to ask us, Green? You know what totally adorkable Obama fangirls we are and you’re just going to go hangout without us? DUDE! I thought we were friends! I thought you were cool. You should also know that you could have made Steph’s life-long dream of having Obama tell her “Don’t Forget To be Awesome” come true. I guess she’ll just have to wait a little longer for that.
Okay. Okay. Okay. We’re willing to forgive you on account of the fact that you have no idea of who we are and have never heard of us before. Also on account of that time I photoshopped a crown on your head and called you the King of Teen. That was fun.
Still. I am so jelly, dude! You can see J-Green’s video about it here.
Life definitely has a positive outlook for John Green these days. Josh Boone is being predicted as the director for The Fault in Our Stars movie while Shailene Woodley was confirmed for the role of Hazel Grace. Nice, nice nice.
Publishing
Father Has Given Permission: Random and Penguin Can Probably Wed
In case you didn’t know, Random House and Penguin books met, dined, danced and then finally, the question was popped. Now the happy day approaches where we all get to give congratulations to the happy couple. There’s still a few roadblocks in the way before Romeo and Juliet can be together, but one of those roadblocks was overcome today when the DOJ dropped its investigation.
“The proposed merger is currently under review by the European Commission, the Canadian Competition Bureau and various other antitrust authorities around the world. Pearson and Bertelsmann continue to expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2013, after all necessary approvals have been received. Following completion, Bertelsmann will own 53% and Pearson 47% of Penguin Random House. It will encompass all of Random House and Penguin Group’s publishing units in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, as well as Penguin’s operations in China and Random House’s publishers in Spain and Latin America.”
I know we’re all hoping that those crazy kids will work it out.
Entertainment
Selection TV Drama Continues
CW really wants to make The Selection work, but the attempts so far have been cursed by fate. CURSE YOU FATE!
.
.
.
Is what I would be saying if I actually cared about The Selection becoming a TV show whatsoever. Still, it’s fun to report all the gossip each week. This time the gossip is saucy. Almost the entire cast appears to have been dumped from the show.
Sean Patrick Thomas is reportedly the only actor to actually keep his role in the TV drama. This saddens me greatly, because I actually like him and think he’s a great actor. Aimee Teegarden, Ethen Peck and William Moseley will not be in the show after all, with Aimee having been confirmed for another CW show titled Oxygen.
The Producer Gods Heard Your Plea – Shadow and Bone is Going To Be A Movie
I’m so excited. All my favourite stuff is getting turned into movies! And now Shadow and Bone has landed a writer and is on its way to possibly becoming a movie.
“Christopher Kyle is in negotiations to adapt Shadow and Bone, DreamWorks’ adaptation of the YA fantasy from Leigh Bardugo.
Harry Potter producer David Heyman is producing as is Jeffrey Clifford (Up in the Air).”
“Kyle, repped by ICM Partners and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, penned K-19: Widowmaker and co-wrote The Weight of Water, both of which were directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and worked on Oliver Stone’s Alexander, which starred Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie.”
New Covers for Harry Potter
You know, for one of the most famous series of books published in the last 100 years, they have some pretty hilariously bad covers. Case in point:
Now Scholastic has decided to rerelease them with new covers. I just guess I’d kind of hoped for something… better.
“On Wednesday, J.K. Rowling’s American publisher, Scholastic, unveiled a new cover for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first of seven new covers that will appear on paperback editions of the series in September.
The new covers, each focusing on a scene from that novel, are designed by Kazu Kibuishi, author and illustrator of the graphic novel series Amulet. Their release will mark the 15th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Why does no one come to me to design their covers?! WHY?!
Alexandra Ray
AHHHH SHADOW AND BONE MOVIE! My life will be complete (not really, but close). I’m going to be really shallow for a second and say they better cast some ridiculously hot men… who, you know, can also act. Of course.
Fangs4Fantasy
Poor people are presuming to read! HOW VERY DARE THEY!
The uppity masses are getting above themselves with this literacy nonsense! Who’s
going to clean out my chimneys with all these poor children spending their time
reading, I want to know?
Yet supporters of libraries are the ones with Victorian attitudes?
Libraries give us the option of books, they give us a
chance to try an author before putting money down for a load of drek. Libraries
gives us the variety and the sheer joy of reading (unlike compulsory schooling
which did its very best to make me hate and despise reading with an endless
list of dreadfully dull “classics”)
“CW really wants to make The Selection work, but the
attempts so far have been cursed by fate. CURSE YOU FATE!”
And lo, proof that there is a god. Or that Loki’s on my side
cynicalsapphire
Douchebag hates libraries: Bahahahaha, that is the best title ever. Seriously, that guy is such a bitch. Guess what, Deary! I will never ever buy one of your books. I almost want to go read them at the library, just to piss you off. Also, compulsory schooling? Really. Does he know that, in the US at least, most of the fiction texts aren’t provided by the school? People pay for those books out of pocket or….get them from the library. So FUCK OFF. Plus, if I want to read a book by an author I’m unfamiliar with, if I can’t find a free copy at the library or a copy at Goodwill, I’m not going to read it. Rarely will I pay 10+ dollars for some book I might hate.
Rothfuss vs. Sanderson: Bahahaha, that’s awesome.
John Green and Obama: They’re totes besties now. Like Steph could ever forget to be awesome!
Random Penguin!
YER A LIZARD HARRY. Love that. It may be the best.
tigerlilyrachel
That library argument is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read. Not all of us are mega rich and can afford to buy books all the time. While I do purchase some books, 90% of what I read is from the library. I’m a college student with very little money. The library is a lifesaver for me. And I’m pretty sure my use of the library is not at the expense of anyone. If I love a book, I promote the heck out of it. If it’s not a the library, I probably won’t read it. I’m pretty sure that’s helping the industry more than hurting it. And heaven forbid people want to read! There are a lot worse things people could be off doing. Ugh. *eye roll*
Kate C.
tigerlilyrachel I don’t understand why he can’t just think of it like author’s doing pro bono work. I mean, giving back to the community who made you what you are isn’t such a bad thing. I honestly think libraries are a HUGE factor in readers and publishing being what it is today!
Bookie565
The library thing makes me so angry! Libraries always need to be around. Stupid people.
And yay about Shadow and Bone! I will be first in line to see the movie.
Kate C.
I’m floored right now. There is an author somewhere that DOESN’T like libraries? Weird. I think most of us writers got our start by reading in libraries. My parents had 8 kids, mmmkay? It’s not like they had piles of money laying around to buy books, even secondhand ones. And I grew up with a rural library, so our school library was CRAP! And they didn’t let you read any young adult books, which I was pretty much reading in third grade. I mean, my library let me have the adult library card, which meant that I was reading Anne McCaffrey, David Brin and Mercedes Lackey when most kids were still reading CS Lewis for the first time. Deary, you sir, ARE ON MY LIST!
Even now that I can afford books, I can’t buy ALL of them. And that is what I want to read… ALL OF THEM! Not to mention introducing my kids to the concept of going to a place that lets you check out a stack of books at a time. My kids love the library and that makes me so happy! If I could write and donate a million dollars worth of books to libraries, I would. That is how strongly I believe in their importance. Truth.
Rothfuss is so funny. I really need to read his books. They’re on my to-read list, but I can see that this is fate’s way of telling me to take the plunge.
Hanging with a president would be pretty cool, I’ll grant you that, but my secret wish has always been to hang with Jon Stewart. LOVE LOVE LOVE him. He is my secret nerdy girl crush. So smart and funny and timely. My husband thinks I have truly strange taste in men because I also have a huge crush on Peter Dinklage. But have you HEARD his voice? So deep and sexy.
ashowerofsparks
How could anyone hate libraries?! I mean they’re not just for reading books. People go there for tutoring, research papers, use their computers, community events, after school programs etc… They’re one of the main centers in a community. Who the hell does this guy think he is? The Victorian Era? Really? Um no.
<IMG SRC=”http://25.media.tumblr.com/4d343538ed4856d3224369047a03db66/tumblr_mg4fweTFVi1qgwgfao8_250.gif”>
Kara_M
I don’t know why no one comes to you, Kat. Your covers are awesome. No one out there is a better cover designer than Kat Kennedy!!
AM Gray
Neil Gaiman talked about Terry Deary’s comments and he mentioned that in the UK authors EARN royalties from library loans… but of course, I can’t find the link… dammit… but it pretty much negates what Dreary said.
Personally, I read the entire children’s section of my local library twice and had to get a written note from my mother to let me borrow from the adults section. Could not have survived without it.
Bookish_Belle
@AM Gray Australian authors also earn from library loans.
Bookish_Belle
Hating libraries is worse than hating puppies.
Kamla L,
OMG!!! What I wouldn’t give to have those actual copies of Rothfuss’ and Sanderson’s books!!!!
Really , really…anything short of….AwHell, I don’t have a short of:)
Heartless_Lyn
So on a completely normal Thursday for John Green, he will be hanging out with President Barrack Obama on Google+: Well, we have reached the height of our existence.
Are they still trying to make the piece of crap book The Selection into a show? Gag me.
Laurens Loquacious Lit
Your library response was amazingly awesome and so spot on. It makes me happy to know that people don’t think my career is a waste of time and stealing their money.
Lisa FicTalk
Libraries are cool. Fuck Dreary.
The author catfight between Rothfuss and Sanderson was hilarious. I, too, was kinda hoping that in the background it would have been something reminiscent to Brad’s “I HATE YOU” gif. Le sigh.
I must say that the news about The Selection does not surprise me. I honestly didn’t see that going anywhere. Also, I have to say that I actually saw a copy of TS in my bookstore here! and I may have given it the stink-eye, however, it was at the back of the bookshelf out of sight so THANKS to whoever did that! 😀
mariya
To hell with that politician; I swear, some of them aren’t happy unless people are starving and deprived of everything. “Entitlements” that word makes me so angry when I hear it.
So awesome that they are making a movie of Shadow & Bone – I can’t wait to watch it.