![]() ![]() According to a February Bookscan report, found in Publishing Perspectives, although GN sales remain strong, they slowed down in the first six weeks of 2023, down 13% from 2022, with juvenile comics declining for the first time in more than a decade. And, lest we forget, graphic novels count as books.Īll this comes amidst a general slowdown for comics and graphic novel sales earlier this year. ![]() The resiliency of the book market seems counter intuitive given the end of homebound pandemic reading…but a book is a remarkably sturdy platform for entertainment. As we reported earlier, indie bookstores are among the most recession proof businesses. Sales in 2023 were $1.60 billion, up from $1.40 billion in the first two months of 2022.Ĭircana figures show book sales as slat, for the same period, but it’s a hopeful sign that book sales won’t be completely tanked by whatever economic upheaval we’re going through right now. The combination of the two strong months resulted in a 14.3% rise in bookstore sales in the first two months of 2023 over the comparable period in 2022. The February increase followed a nearly 16% sales jump in January sales. Census Bureau, February bookstore sales increased 10.7% over last year, rising to $609 According to preliminary figures from the U.S. ![]()
0 Comments
![]() Print and digital subscriptions are available as part of our Dark Matter membership program. ![]() Every original fiction story is also adapted eventually for audio, both as an ad-free MP3 download and as part of our new streamable podcast, which is currently available for free on all major podcast providers. ![]() Most issues include 1-2 author interview with industry-leading novelists or other creatives, and past issues have even included short 4-page comics, serialized fiction, and dark sci-fi and horror poetry. Every issue boasts at least eight original stories, two art features, and one reprint story for a minimum of 40k words and 130 pages of content, fully illustrated and printed in full-color on thick, premium-quality paper. Dark Matter Magazine promises to bring you the best in dark science fiction and horror for seven issues per year in print and digital. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() He takes her out on a date to try to convince her further. In order to take care of matters, he warns Rose-the young, innocent, and highly observant restaurant waitress who saw Spicer-to forget about what she has seen. Pinkie killed Hale in revenge for Hale's involvement in the death of Kite, the former leader of Pinkie's gang and a father figure to him.ĭue to a poorly considered move by Spicer, a member of Pinkie's gang, Pinkie fears that their alibi may be compromised. Hoping that he will be safe if he is with someone else, he attaches himself to Ida Arnold, an affable middle-aged entertainer who becomes fond of the man, and who, nevertheless, is killed by the seventeen-year-old gangster Pinkie Brown. Charles Hale, a journalist, is working in Brighton distributing cards and prizes as part of a game organized by his newspaper when he realizes that a mob there is trying to murder him. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() No doubt Asher will tie up this loose end in later novels, but it remains neglected entirely from the fourth book and the character seemed to have little, if nothing at all to do with the overall storyline. Similarly there are problems with additional characters added to the mix, such as the "knight" who is searching for his figurative dragon, who ultimately has little impact on the story. Presumably Asher caught on to this as the fourth book "Polity Agent" finally provides us with some answers to this flagging mystery. The characters have yet to become stale after three novels, particularly the dracomen and the massive, Delphic entity Dragon itself.įrustratingly, the most mysterious character of the series remains a flat non-entity Horace Blegg, who is deliberately kept as an enigma, features more as an annoyance now than an intriguing sub-plot. ![]() Here we see a step away from technological threats toward organic threats, and interesting change in direction for the series that keeps things fresh. It is a well thought out thriller constructed around the resurgence of an ancient technology, a feature of Asher's Polity world that has been hinted at earlier in the series. Thankfully this isn't just a piece of mindless action for the fans, like many cash-in sequels. Asher is as on form as ever with his to-the-point, indomitable style as he resurrects the fan favourite. ![]() Brilliant! The fantastic murderous android from "Gridlinked" returns amidst shadows of mystery and splashes of blood. ![]() ![]() The story is filled with highlights and breaks. I decided to change up a scene, and that’s what I’ve been working on for the past week or so. ![]() I’m currently in a revision phase for this chapter right now. This will include any and all work(s) in progress (WIP) be they creative writing, essays/analyses, or reviews of any type. A weekly post updated every Sunday discussing my current writing projects and where I stand with them. I might change my mind about it once I have the time to think about the stories more, but that’s my initial perspective (and also why I don’t often rate books as soon as I finish them). It was an interesting collection of stories about “misbehaving” women, which is why I’m sad I didn’t love it, because that’s my aesthetic. I didn’t hate it obviously, but I didn’t love it.
![]() ![]() The book's real achievement is to take readers to an important and neglected period of British and south Asian history, and to make their trip their not just informative but colourful' - Jason Burke, Observer 'Dalrymple has been at the forefront of the new wave of popular history, consistently producing work that engages with a wider audience through writerly craft, an emphasis on characters and their agency, evocative description of place and time, and the inclusion of long-neglected perspectives. Dalrymple shines a forensic light on the knotty historical relationship between commercial and imperial power' - John McAleer, Evening Standard The Anarchy explodes myths that have accreted around the history of the Company like barnacles on the hulls of its ships. ![]() 'A tour de force' - Anne de Courcy, Telegraph 'An energetic pageturner that marches from the counting house on to the battlefield, exploding patriotic myths along the way' - Maya Jasanoff, Guardian ![]() ![]() After all, he’s been hiding his attraction to the man for years, and maybe with some Christmas magic, he can help Gideon see what is right under his nose. Killing two birds with one stone, he can cheer up Gideon and possibly steal a kiss under the mistletoe. Rowan hiring his boss for a trip back to his moms’ place for Christmas sounded like a good idea at the time. ![]() When Rowan hires him for a wintery break in Maine, it seems like a safe choice until his PA’s meddling family shows him something entirely new: Love. The prospect of a Christmas on his own is better than having to face either of them. ![]() Gideon is too old to be fought over at Christmas by divorced parents who should know better. A snowy cabin with one bed? That’s only the first step toward Gideon falling in love. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A good ending is essential in any mystery or crime thriller: it should ease up on tension, answer questions, and tidy up loose ends. Does the author ratchet up the suspense? Did you find yourself anxious-quickly turning pages to learn what happened? A what point does the suspense start to build? Where does it climax.then perhaps start rising again?ħ. Do they feel forced and gratuitous-inserted merely to extend the story?Ħ.Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense?.Talk about the twists & turns-those surprising plot developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray. Good crime writers also tease us with red-herrings-false clues-to purposely lead readers astray? Does your author try to throw you off track? If so, were you tripped up?ĥ. How skillful was the author in burying them?Ĥ. Did you pick them out, or were you.clueless? Once you've finished the book, go back to locate the clues hidden in plain sight. Good crime writers embed hidden clues in plain sight, slipping them in casually, almost in passing. What do you know.and when do you know it? At what point in the book do you begin to piece together what happened?ģ. ![]() Are they fully developed and emotionally complex? Or are they flat, one-dimensional heroes and villains?Ģ. Describe their personalities and motivations. Talk about the characters, both good and bad. We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available in the meantime, please use our GENERIC MYSTERY QUESTIONS to start a discussion for CAMINO WINDS … then take off on your own:ġ. ![]() ![]() There were a couple of moments where I felt the story slowed down but it quickly bounced back to all angst and action. Second books in trilogies often can be just fillers until the big conclusion in the final book but this was very much not the case here. I was over the Moon when I got the ARC from Netgalley. ![]() I was completely blown away by Only a Monster so it’s sequel immediately became one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. Vanessa Len’s stunning Only a Monster trilogy continues with this second instalment, a thrilling journey where a secret past threatens to unravel everyone's future. Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself. When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in. Only Joan remembers that a greater and more dangerous enemy is still out there. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick.īut her success has come at a terrible cost. ![]() These Violent Delights meets This Savage Song in this sequel to the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster from Vanessa Len that New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber called "mind-bending, heart wrenching, and unputdownable!”ĭespite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. ![]() ![]() KW Commercial - Division of Keller Williams responsible for brokering commercial real estate. ![]() ![]() Luxury Homes by Keller Williams - Luxury Homes by Keller Williams is the company's luxury real estate arm. They have sold more than a million books worldwide. The company published the nationally bestselling Millionaire Real Estate series and The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. KellerINK - KellerINK is the publishing arm of Keller Williams Realty, responsible for the publishing of instructional and inspirational business books with a specialty in real estate. Keller Williams Worldwide - Keller Williams Worldwide is responsible for the company's global franchising and expansion. ![]() 5000 company and has been recognized as one of the highest rated real estate companies by numerous publications, including Entrepreneur Magazine and Forbes. Founded in 1983 by Gary Keller and Joe Williams, it grew from a single office in Austin to approximately 700 offices and as of November 2016 with over 150,000 associates worldwide. It is the largest real estate franchise by agent count in the World, and one of the largest privately held global residential real estate brokerages. Keller Williams Realty is an American international real estate franchise with headquarters in Austin, Texas. ![]() |