The Sad Tale of Shrinking CD Sales: Will Books be Next?

There was a sad little tale in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about the decline in music CD sales. Seems that sales declined for the seventh time in the last eight years. Even more devastating was the fact that sales declined a full 20% over the last year.

The Journal states that the industry has ben decimated by illicit online downloading.

Wait a minute!  I haven't bought a CD in several years but I have legal access to each and every song that I have downloaded in those years. 

It is hard to fathom the stupidity inherent in that statement.  I guess the writer doesn't get out much.  If he did, he would see that there are a whole lot of places that allow you to buy the song of your choice for 99 cents. Perfectly legal and legit -- not illicit in any regard.

I don't know about you but I doubt I will ever buy a packaged CD again.  I mean why?  I have a legal Napster account that lets me listen to (and carry around) almost anything I want for one low monthly subscription fee.  And if I want to burn it on a CD and make my own mix I can buy the song for 99 cents.

Besides, everyone knows, that on every CD there are two or three songs you love, several you tolerate and if you you are really lucky only one or two you hate. 

Back in the good old days, when music came on records, it was too much hassle to get up and risk scratching the vinyl to skip one of those songs you hated.  You just suffered through it. 

Tapes were a little better, but still a hassle.  You could at least fast forward.  And then came CD players and even better CD players with remote control.  Once little press of the button and the song was skipped forever.  You still had to pay for, but at least you didn't have to listen to it.

That was the thing that finally convinced me to replace many of my tapes with CDs.  Mind you, I had replaced records with cassettes -- very costly and was really hesitant to do it all over again with CD.

And finally MP3 downloads.  I actually adopted this technology pretty quickly once I figured out I could subscribe to a service, carry one tiny little device to the gym and hear hundreds of my favorite songs. 

Does it get much better than this?  I can listen to almost anything for my monthly fee and decide what I like. Then I can decide what tracks I like well enough to want on a CD and I can burn them at will. Mostly there aren't many.

Most of the songs I buy and burn to CD are presents for people I love.  People like my friend Laurie who is a technophobe or my mother and her sisters. 

So what does all this have to do with eBooks? 

Well, publishers (and some authors) have a huge level of paranoia about piracy.  All of the hassle with DRM (90% of our support issues are because of DRM issues) are a direct result of this particular paranoia.  I am sure that many of them read the article and saw it as vindication for their position. 

Unfortunately, this particular vindication is patently absurd.

del.icio.us Tags: ebooks,e-books,ebook piracy,DRM,ebook technology

Lady Luck's Map of Vegas eBook edition by Samuel, Barbara

Barbara Samuel is an insightful and graceful author and  Lady Luck's Map of Vegas is an incredible story about love, loss, fear and a road trip.

This is not really a romance so much as it is a quiet family drama that starts slowly and grabs you by the throat.  The first few chapters are choppy as the narrative jumps between India and Eldora.  The styles are very different and the first couple of transitions are jarring.  But as the story builds, the transitions work to move you through the plot.

This novel explores family secrets and how they effect future generations.  What happens when a parent specifically obscures their past?  How important are genetics? What are the ramifications of choices made and roads not taken?  How do you live with the results of the choices made -- especially when they don't necessarily turn out well? 

I suppose I am going to overuse my allotment of cliches about families here, but somehow for this book they seem right.  So here goes:  Love is messy, complex and scary; nothing in life is certain;  relationships and families involve an incredible risk and much forgiveness. 

The synopsis below gives you the story line, but doesn't convey the emotional punch this book delivers. All I can say is grab your Kleenex and settle down to enjoy an incredible road trip.

And as side note (if you aren't up for the story)the book is worth reading just as a guidebook to New Mexico.  Samuel beautifully captures the landscape and the wildness of the west. 

Oh yeah, one more thing, look for Samuel's new book --The Lost Recipe for Happiness which is due out next week.

Here is the publisher synopsis:

A successful Web designer, forty-year-old India has a fabulously hip life in Denver and a sexy Irish lover in New York who jets out to see her on bi-weekly visits. The long-distance romance suits India just fine: Though Jack is the only man who has ever made India feel truly alive, she doesn’t want things to get too serious. But then her father passes away, and India must honor the promise she made to him: to look after her mother when he’s gone.

Suddenly India finds herself back in Colorado Springs with the woman who both intrigues and infuriates her. Eldora is sixty something and exquisitely gorgeous, but her larger-than-life personality can suck the air out of a room. True to form, Eldora throws India a curveball, insisting that they hit the road to look for India’s twin, Gypsy, a brilliant artist who lives a vagabond’s existence in the remote mountain towns of New Mexico. It looks like India can’t avoid her mother’s intensity any longer, especially after she discovers stunning secrets from Eldora’s past.

Thirty years ago, Eldora regaled her twin girls with glamorous stories about her days as a Las Vegas showgirl– stories of martinis and music at the Sahara, back when Frank and Sammy ruled the town. But the story of how she really ended up in Sin City, and the unsavory life she’d run from with her daughters in tow, is full of details she’s never seen fit to share–until now.
As mother and daughter sail down Route 66, the very road Eldora drove those many years ago, looking for Gypsy, while passing motels, diners, and souvenir shops, Eldora must relive a lifetime of memories that have tormented her before she can put them to rest once and for all. . . .

Award-winning author Barbara Samuel brings us a heartfelt story of second chances and unexpected detours. As two women come to terms with themselves and each other, the past unravels and the future spreads out before them like the open road.

del.icio.us Tags: ebooks,e-books,ebook review,samuel,Lady Luck's map of Vegas,Lost Recipe for Happiness,fiction,ebooks about fictions

Happy New Year

GoodBye 2008!

I can't say I am sorry to be making the last post for 2008.  It has been an amazing year with terrific highs and lows. 

So, what is in store for 2009?  I checked my crystal ball and evidently it is broken since everything is cloudy.  Oh come on, it's a joke. . .

There are, however a couple of things that seem intuitively obvious to me: 

• Digital books will become increasingly popular and the percentage of books sold this way will double (from 1% to at least 3%)
• By January, 2010 the iPhone will up a more popular reading device than the Kindle

As additional "proof" for my predictions you only need to look at an article in the Huffington Post.  It shows that five of the six most popular Christmas morning Google searches were iPhone, iTunes, and iPod Touch-driven. All six are:

1. iTunes.com
2. iTunes download
3. iTunes store
4. stores open on Christmas day
5. www.itunes.com downloads
6. iTunes gift card"

Add to that that TechCrunch is reporting rumors about a 7 inch - 9 inch iPod screen due out next fall. 

I want one of these!

So, Goodbye 2008 (and pretty much good riddance!) and Hello 2009!

del.icio.us Tags: iphone,toch ipod,kindle ebook,iphone for books,ebook readers,digial reading

eReaders -- Have you considered a "Netbook?"

 

Last week Stacey Higginbotham wrote an interesting blog piece on notebook computing and what that might mean for the electronics industry.

She notes that notebook PC sales have overtaken the sales of desktop type machines.  This is the direct result of WiFi and the almost ubiquitous access to the Internet.

This is of interest to me, because Henri needs a new eBook reader.  It's time. . .

I figured that it would be a great Christmas present, so I started looking very closely at all the eReaders -- Kindle (never), Sony, Cybooks, Irex, BeBook and a few others. 

From my perspective the best available option is the Irex.  It has a touch screen, is able to connect by WiFi to the Internet and allows you to make notes and annotations.  It reads protected Mobipocket files and unprotected PDF.  All in all, contrary to my first opinion, it has turned out to be a great machine.  Or at least it is until you check out the price -- $700!!!

Well, let me think!  Here is a pretty much single use device that costs more than a fully powered, big screen laptop.  Too rich for my blood!

But the laptop thought triggered an idea.

I have been hearing about netbooks so decided to check them out.  Acer makes one called the Aspire One.  It sells at Costco for $349.00.  This is a fully functional Windows XP notebook with 1 GB of RAM, a160GB hard drive that is net ready and weighs about 2 pounds.  And it has a great screen with brilliant colors.

Heck, with that capacity, it is a lot more robust than a couple of the laptops we have laying around. 

Because it has the XP operating system it can read protected Mobipocket, PDF and Microsoft reader eBooks.  Because it is net ready you really don't need to buy an software.  All you need to do is access email and Google Docs are you are ready to go.

Of course, if you want to work offline, you can always load Star Office (for free) and have a fully functioning road machine. 

Sony and Cybook readers are in the same price range and do a whole let less. 

Rumor has it that Dell and a couple of other companies are getting ready to introduce lighter, faster, cheaper models next year.

I would love to finish this piece by telling you that I bought Henri a net book and we are both very happy. But that is not what really happened.  What really happened is that I put off the decision and the purchase for a couple of months.

And Henri, lucky man, got a new shirt. . . .

 

del.icio.us Tags: ebook,e-book,ebook readers,ereading,netbook

Gail Fraser's Lumby eBooks

 

Got the holiday blues?  Looking for tradition and a simpler time?  Well Gail Fraser' has created exactly what you want.  All you need to do is take a trip to Lumby.

The Lumby stories are the perfect antidote for busy holidays.  You get to sit in your chair (preferably by a roaring fire) and travel to a far away town where neighbors are neighborly, problems are neatly solved and life is simple. 

These books are not my usual "cup of tea."  Too cute and too cheery for me.  But I got sucked in and I have to admit they were much more enjoyable than I ever would have thought.

I'd write more, but I need to get back to Lumby's Bounty and find out how it all ends.

This is recommended holiday reading and I know from personal experience that it really does block the background noise of cranky, over sugared kids.

Enjoy!

Nestled in the Northwest is a quaint little town that its quirky residents are proud to call home. With charming shops lining its one main thoroughfare, Lumby is home to the oldest apple tree in the county and the smallest bank in the state. And though it's hours from the nearest big city, readers will always find Lumby close to their hearts

del.icio.us Tags: ebook,e-books,ebook reviews,lumby,fraser

eBook Discounts for December 23, 2008

It is Christmas time and Gigi is feeling generous. This week we are offering a 20% discount on these titles -- and believe it or not; these are the most popular in the last week. To get this great discount; use coupon code 8Xmas9 at checkout.

In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier (Adobe Reader) eBook edition by White, Thomas Have humans been sharing the planet with other intelligent life for millions of years without realizing it? This timely and important book considers the answers and implications, and encourages humans to reconsider our treatment of the species with which we share the earth. . . In this thought-provoking account, White relies on his more than fifteen year journey to understand the nature of dolphins More Info List Price : $90.00 Your price $68.40 (Using your 10% discount and $3.60 points in eBook Reward points)

The Christmas Sweater eBook Edition by Beck, Glenn If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You? #1 New York Times bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love. More Info List Price : $17.99 Your price $12.30 (Using your 10% discount and $ .65 iin eBook Reward points)

Younger You (Mobipocket) eBook edition by Braverman, Eric R. MD. Break the aging code and feel 15 years younger from the inside out In the constant battle to stay young and feel fit. Many even risk elective surgical procedures just to look young again. But you dont need surgery, pricey cosmetics, or starvation to look and feel 15 years younger. The secret. . . More Info List Price : $24.95 Your price $18.96 (Using your 10% discount and $1.00n eBook Reward points)

Charlemagne Pursuit eBook edition by Berry, Steve As a child, former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone was told his father died in a submarine disaster in the North Atlantic, but now he wants the full story and asks his ex-boss, Stephanie Nelle, to secure the military files. What he learns stuns him: His father’s sub was a secret nuclear vessel lost on a highly classified mission beneath the ice shelves of Antarctica. More Info List Price : $24.95 Your price $17.45 (Using your 10% discount and $ .92 in eBook Reward points)

Wind Engineering: A Handbook for Structural Engineers (Adobe Reader) eBook edition by Liu, Henry Wind – a powerful and often destructive force, which can instantly and profoundly alter the skyline or the shoreline of our communities. Structural engineers must be aware of its effects when designing buildings that have to weather its force. This volume provides wind engineering information that will lead to the proper understanding of present and future building codes More Info List Price : $63.00 Your price $47.88 (Using your 10% discount and $2.52 in eBook Reward points)

Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us

"Of course, I've Read that Book!" or Readers Lie

Shocking news last week!

According to a BBC poll 46% of men and 33% of women admit to lying about what they have read. In other words about 40% of the population would rather impress you than tell the truth about their reading habits.

Seems men want to appear intellectual or romantic and women want to make a good first impression.  Men are impressed by women who read news sites and women are impressed by men who read Shakespeare.  Hmmmm!

Of course this brings up a question for me.  What do you do about those books that you just can't make your self finish?  You know, the ones you bought, read the first (and possibly the last chapter) and then quit.  Does that count as having read it?

This is my dilemma:  Is it necessary to read every word of a book to consider it read?  Does skimming count?

Did I really read A Thousand Splendid Suns?  I read the first three chapters, skimmed the middle and read the last chapter. . . I wanted to read it; but somehow I just couldn't make myself do it. My mind kept wandering.

Does it count that I picked up The Forgotten Man and after a couple of chapters found it too depressing to keep going on?

I mean, I really wanted to like My Jesus Year.  But unfortunately Benyamin Cohen is no A. J. Jacobs. And no matter how much I would like it to be, My Jesus Year is no substitute for The Year of Living Biblically.  I actually made it about half way through; did I read it?

Then of course there is the problem of memory.  As a life long prodigious reader, I would be hard put tell you exactly what I have read or not read.

And finally, there is the movie adaptation thing. . . Did I read The Hours or do I just remember the movie?  Actually this is one I know.  I read the first couple of chapters and threw the book in the trash in disgust.  Turns out, however, that I loved the movie.  Can I say I read it?

No matter how you answer these questions, the fact remains that the desire to look good will always trump the thirst for knowledge.  Always has, always will.  And not all books or writers are equal.  For every great best seller there is one that is "literary" and boring. And face it, some books make better movies than books.

And -- just so you know -- I almost never write reviews of books I haven't read.

del.icio.us Tags: books,e-books,eBooks,book reviews,book news

Under Reported eBooks -- eBooks I have Read This Year but Haven't Reviewed

This morning I looked through the past book review postings on the site.  From the reviews posted you would think that about the only things I read are Romances, Biographies and Literary Fiction.  It would be a fair evaluation, although not exactly accurate. 

There are a number of books that I have read, but for various reasons have not reviewed.  For example, I don't know how to review a Mystery without giving away the plot.  Or (for another example) I try to stay away from political controversy so I never review books about politics or current events. 

Then there are the books that are either so bad I can't finish them, or the ones I struggle to finish because. . . well, just because.  I almost never review those either.  I mean what's the point; after all I want you to read the books I write about.

Which brings me to the point. . .listed below are some of the books I have read this year and not reviewed.  I am going to confine it to only the ones I have enjoyed.  Maybe one of these days I will post a list of the ones I couldn't finish. . . .

 Musicophilia by Sacks, Oliver

First of all I am a huge fan of Oliver Sacks and his work so this was a natural.  Added to the fact that I come from a family of musicians and music is a big part of our family culture.  Sacks explores the connection between the brain and music. 

Outliers by Gladwell, Malcolm

This was a fascinating study on intelligent people and how raw intelligence may actually be overrated.  It is also a study of how culture, environment, education and personality interplay with intelligence.  The stories are enthralling.  This was a book I read in fits and starts over several weeks. 

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Goodwin, Doris Kearns

Kerns is another favorite author.  Several years ago I did a reading project: I read at least one book about each of the US Presidents.  I wish that this book had been around then. But it is good reading now!

T is for Trespass by Grafton, Sue

I have read very one of Grafton's novels and am always anxious to get my hands on the latest one.  Now, however, I am starting to get worried since we are up to T;  are there really only six left?  Oh no!  Grafton is a master at building and holding tension and hasn't written a bunk one yet.  If you haven't read her books -- do yourself a favor and start one today!

DownHill Lie by Carl Hiaasen

I'm not a golfer, a golf watcher or even a Tiger Woods fan, but this take on golfing had me laughing out loud. . . 

 

 

So, there you have it.  A few of the other books I have enjoyed this year and highly recommend.

del.icio.us Tags: Musicophilia,Outliers,Team of Rivals,T is for Trespass,Downhill Like,Sacks,Gladwell,Goodwin,Grafton,Hiaasen

eBook Discounts for December 17, 2008

I tried to find a thread to these selections; something about brains but I couldn't get it to work. No matter. . . these are books to enjoy! This week the coupon code is B2J8G -- your key to savings.

My Storke of Inslight eBook edition by Taylor, Ph.D., Jill Bolte brain scientist's journey from a debilitating stroke to full recovery becomes an inspiring exploration of human consciousness and its possibilities . . . fascinating journey into the mechanics of the human mind, My Stroke of Insight is both a valuable recovery guide for anyone touched by a brain injury, and an emotionally stirring testimony that deep internal peace truly is accessible to anyone, at any time. More Info List Price : $24.95 Your price $19.20 (Using your 10% discount and $1.01 points in eBook Reward points)

The Pagan Stone eBook Edition by: Roberts, Nora From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Blood Brothers and The Hollow—the conclusion to the electrifying trilogy of three men and three women who join forces—and hearts—to battle the ultimate evil. More Info List Price : $7.99 Your price $6.15 (Using your 10% discount and $ .32 iin eBook Reward points)

Inside Steve's Brain eBook edition by Kahney, Leander Inside Steve's Brain cuts through the cult of personality that surrounds Jobs to unearth the secrets to his unbelievable results. It reveals the real Steve Jobs-not his heart or his famous temper, but his mind. So what's really inside Steve's brain? More Info List Price : 23.95 Your price $20.48 (Using your 10% discount and 1.08 in eBook Reward points)

Scarpetta eBook edition by Cornwell, Patricia From America¿s #1 bestselling crime writers comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel. Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta accepts an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital¿s psychiatric prison ward. More Info List Price : $27.95 Your price $25.16 (Using your 10% discount and $1.26 in eBook Reward points)

C++ Without Fear (Mobipocket) eBook edition by Overland, Brian If you've always wanted to learn how to program a computer, or to learn the popular C++ programming language, here's the perfect book and CD to get you started. You'll find everything you need patiently explained and clearly illustrated, from general programming concepts and techniques to the particulars of the C++ language. In no time, you'll be writing your own programs! More Info List Price : $23.99 Your price $20.51 (Using your 10% discount and $1.08 in eBook Reward points)

Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us