Harper Collins make a daily feature of their backlist – Here’s a nifty idea from Harper Collins – a new website that focuses solely on titles from their back catalogue. Simply called BACK•LIST the new site will, in their own words, “feature an “older” book a day based on news, holidays, an author’s birthday, or a whim.” I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
White is for Witching Animated – So there I am getting through my latest read – White is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi at a fair pace (and finding it quite readable), when Picador’s latest newsletter (online version) drops into my mailbox with a pointer to the book’s official website. Aside from a nice looking site there’s a great animated short created by Julia Pott in promotion of the book, and it’s well worth a look!
Dick’s 100 Years, 100 Novels, One List – Prompted by the release in 1998 of the Modern Library’s list of the best 100 English-language novels (a list which was featured on RobAroundBooks in October last year), Dick Meyer, Editorial Director for Digital Media over at the NPR, started to compile a personal ‘counter list’ with the help of his wife. That list never saw the light of day, but over the years Dick fiddled and played around with it, while always harbouring the urge of posting it one day for public consumption. That day came today when Dick put up his own rundown on what he considers to be the best post-1900, 100 best English-language novels.
So why am I ‘book biting’ Dick’s list? Well firstly I like Dick’s story, and I like how he makes no apology for the fact that his list is mainly ‘medium-brow, male and parochial’ (his actual words are “Tough. It’s my list.” 
)). Secondly it’s a nice list. Nothing too unusual from the norm, but a nicely considered list all the same. Hopefully, like me you’ll find a title or two in there to add to your own reading list.
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