Apparently the good people of San Jose are not very good at returning their library books on time – or at paying up when they return books late. According to the San Jose Mercury News, San Jose Library patrons owe an incredible $6.8 million in unpaid overdue fines. One reason for that eye-popping figure: the San Jose City Council raised library fines in 2009 to help libraries avoid closures during the recession. Politicians hoped to keep libraries open by having patrons pay steeper fines. But instead of paying more, many patrons stopped paying entirely. Of course, avoiding library fines means avoiding …
Pat Conroy, the bestselling author of books like The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, has passed away at the age of 70. Conroy rose to literary fame for his memoirs and semi-autobiographical fiction, both of which drew on his traumatic childhood. Pat Conroy was born and raised in the lowlands of South Carolina, where he suffered through a terrible upbringing. Conroy was raised by a sadistic father who beat his sons and wife. A military man, Conroy’s father also forced his children to participate in deranged military-style drills. Conroy’s mother taught her son to lie about this abuse, but she …
Men are quicker to judge a book they’re reading than women are, according to Jellybooks, a reading analytics startup. The company’s studies show that men and women abandon books at equal rates – but that men do so earlier on. In order to get to this conclusion, Jellybooks used a bit of JavaScript in eBooks that measured reading habits of volunteers. By breaking down that data, Jellybooks experts were able to determine that men, on average, stopped reading books at an earlier point than women did. This suggests that men are quicker to decide whether they like a book. Interestingly, the study …
Amazon became one of the world’s most successful companies by encouraging readers to shop online, rather than in traditional bookstores. Now, the online retail giant is going old-school. After the success of its Seattle brick-and-mortar store, Amazon is planning to open a new physical location in San Diego. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, which broke the story earlier this week, Amazon’s arrival in San Diego had been rumored for months – ever since job postings and other hints began to emerge. Now, the secret is out: the company has officially announced the new store, and the store’s future location is covered with a …
2016 is shaping up to be a big year for Harry Potter fans. We are already geared up for a new play, book, and movie (not to mention two sequel films in the years to come) – and now, Pottermore has announced that fans will also get a new series of stories from the Harry Potter universe. Penned by J.K. Rowling herself, the series Magic in North America will cover everything from Native American legends to the Salem witch trials. The new series was announced on Pottermore and through Entertainment Weekly, which posted a preview video on its Facebook page. Check out the full preview …
