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Borders Shuts Down

Having bought many of my books in small book shops and my audio books online from Simply Audiobooks, it surprises me that the book retail giant, Borders, has not found a solution to its bankruptcy problems. If a small book shop can stay open through this turbulent economy I find it hard to believe that Borders can’t.

Starting as early as this Friday, nearly 400 of the company’s stores will be closed and its 10,700 employees laid off, all due to the major shift in a new era of increasing e-book readership. That being said, you won’t be checking into Borders to pick up George R.R. Martin’s new book, A Dance with Dragons .

But there needs to be something said for paperback books in general, although readership continues to increase with e-books, it’s just not the same for me, flipping the pages, smelling a new printed book, seeing how many pages are left till the next chapter! It’s unfortunate that major bookstores are forced to shut down because of this. Is the paper era really dying? What’s next, city newspapers shutting down?

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New Book Releases This Week!

It’s okay to get giddy this week! Especially with so many new books hitting the bookshelves. For all those fans of George R.R. Martin’s, the time has come, as A Dance with Dragons is released today. If you’re a Bachelor addict, Jennifer Weiner has a new book out, Then Came You. If you have been following the Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater, Book 3 titled Forever is also available this week! Between us, I wouldn’t miss this, as it’s the thrilling conclusion to the #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy. If you haven’t picked this series up yet, check out Shiver and Linger first.

And it doesn’t end there.

Catch the #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen’s new book Quinn available July 12th, and explore the darkest corners of the human heart.

Another bestselling author, Alex Kava is also releasing her new thriller titled Hotwire: A Maggie O’Dell Novel about Special Agent Maggie O’Dell who investigates the death of three teenagers, only to find herself in a conspiracy.

If you’re the type of reader who enjoys some fantasy and has a thing for the Twilight Saga, you might want to get your ears on this one. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan is released this week!

Keep an eye and ear out for these great new titles this week!

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Soon George R.R. Martin fans….Soon.

Okay if I had to pick out one buzz book this summer, I would easily have say it’s George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons. It’s the book everyone seems to be waiting for or at least any fan who loves fantasy novels is waiting for. But who can blame these fans for badgering Martin on his website for a new novel, I mean it’s been six years since A Feast for Crows was released. I can understand why fans are so antsy to get their hands on this new one.

Now, for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, don’t worry. Although I would love to write a short synopsis on this popular series but to be honest, the plot is far too complex even to give you an idea of this masterpiece. However, I can tell you this, if you’ve been watching A Game of Thrones on cable TV, you’ll have a better understanding of what Martin’s work is all about.

As for A Dance with Dragons, it doesn’t release until July 12, but it’s already No. 3 on the amazon.com’s bestseller list. Sounds like an audio book I’m going to have to add to my bookshelf right away!

I’m a big non-fiction buff. Give me some true crime, a dictionary, anything on Afghanistan and I’ll be locked in my room, not to be seen for days. I like to mix it up on occasion with a good fiction book, but I don’t often venture out of those genres. Sure, I see lots of members renting and downloading Sci-Fi, Romance, and Suspense titles that look interesting, but I still tend to stick to what I know I like.

So, when a friend recently coerced me into reading a fantasy book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. And when I googled the author and saw that he looked like a New England fisherman, I had my doubts. But, I sucked it up and hoped for the best.

The book, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin is the first of 7 planned novels in the series A Song of Ice and Fire . It’s set in a medieval-ish era and I am addicted.

I just finished the second book and haven’t gotten the 3rd yet and I miss it. Like I’d miss my right arm if it wasn’t there. It’s the kind of book where I will skip supper and crawl into bed at 5 so I can spend the night reading. The kind of book that I want to make people read so we can pretend to be princesses, or knights, or princess knights. And we would talk about dragonglass and Valyrian steel, how ‘Winter is coming’ and when, for the love of gods old and new, is someone going to kill Joffrey and Cersei?

So, read the books and let’s talk. I need someone to discuss the fate of the Seven Kingdoms with.