• Free Sherlock Holmes Audiobooks – mediabistro.com: GalleyCat
  "Just in time for the holiday release of a new Sherlock Holmes adaptation, AudioFile magazine will give readers a free collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories on audiobooks."

  It's that time of year — the freebies just keep coming. Take advantage of them before the holiday spirit wear off and we're all back to being Grinches again.

• The Nabokov Collection: Observatory: Design Observer
  "Every so often, a dream project lands on your desk. Here's one: redesign Vladimir Nabokov's book covers. All twenty-one of them. Let me rephrase. Every so often the most daunting project of your entire life arrives on your desk…."

  Check out the slide show.

• The Nabokov Collection: Observatory: Design Observer
  "Every so often, a dream project lands on your desk. Here's one: redesign Vladimir Nabokov's book covers. All twenty-one of them. Let me rephrase. Every so often the most daunting project of your entire life arrives on your desk…."

  Check out the slide show.

• Free Download of A Confederacy of Dunces | Open Culture
  "Audible is currently running a nice deal. Get a free download of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. Details here. You can also download pretty much any audiobook you want from Audible, with no strings attached. Info on that here."

  Ho ho ho!

• not the end of the book world – bookforum.com / blog
  "A review of A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers, and the Digital Revolution by Dennis Baron."

  My review at Internet Review of Books gets a mention at Bookforum. Woot!

• Publishing's Brightest Moments in 2009 – mediabistro.com: GalleyCat
  "Even while the recession rocked the country in 2009, GalleyCat covered many encouraging and innovative developments in the publishing industry."

  The counterpart to yesterday's Darkest Moments in 2009. Featuring Twilight, Dan Brown, and Twitter. Not so bright as all that, really.

• The 2010 Tournament of Books Long List by ToB Staff – The Morning News
  "For the first time in the Tournament’s six years, we are releasing our long list; the shortlist—the list of the 16 contenders for the Rooster—will appear in January, as well as the team roster of 2010’s judges. But since the culmination of this year’s Tournament, so many Rooster fans wrote in and asked to see the full list of books that were considered for the brackets, we decided to open the secret bunker doors and let in the light on next year’s contenders."

  Woot!

• Publishing's Darkest Moments in 2009 – mediabistro.com: GalleyCat
  "…this GalleyCat editor compiled a temporary list of the worst moments in publishing in 2009. A best moments in publishing list will follow, but we are looking for more suggestions for the final year-end round-up of publishing news. What do you think were the darkest moments for publishing this year?"

• The Atlantic is Publishing Two Stories a Month — But Only for the Kindle | Wet Asphalt
  "Apparently, Atlantic has started buying short fiction again twice a month for release on the Internet, which would be wonderful, except it's exclusively for the Kindle. What's worse, according to the New York Times, "Although the authors may at some point obtain the rights to republish the stories as part of a collection or in another magazine, the stories cannot appear in any other e-reader format." So it can NEVER be available for a device other than the Kindle? You know, the short story audience is small enough without putting extra barriers in the way."

  Amen!

• Old Books, Chemistry, and the Science of Smellology
  "In AC's review of a recent Analytical Chemistry paper, Material Degradomics: On the Smell of Old Books, Charles Schmidt writes: "Leaf through an old book and one of the first things you'll notice is a distinctive musty odor–the product of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paper seeping into the air. This familiar scent speaks volumes about a book's condition. As a book ages, the composition of its VOC emissions changes characteristically. Volatile compounds that account for an old book's smell also supply clues to its condition."

  Mmmm — chemistry! Via Twitter

Coming to New Dominion Bookshop:

Walker Lamond will present selections from and sign copies of his new book

Rules for My Unborn Son

Saturday, December 19 at 3:30 PM

“Inspiration and laughter for sons and dads alike.” —Wired

“Someone get this man a column in Esquire.” —Urban Daddy

“My new favorite blog.” —Sam Reich, CollegeHumor.com

“Sound wisdom … enough meat to evoke chuckles of recognition. It’s a nice, happy read, and you might just learn something.” -About.com

Based on Walker Lamond’s highly praised and popular blog, Rules for My Unborn Son is a collection of traditional, humorous, and urbane fatherly advice for boys. From the sartorial (“If you are tempted to wear a cowboy hat, resist”) to the practical (“Keep a copy of your letters. It makes it easier for your biographer”) to even a couple of sure-fire hangover cures (“There is no better remedy than a dip in the ocean”), the book of rules and accompanying quotations is quite simply an instruction manual for becoming a Good Man—industrious, thoughtful, charming, and of course, well-dressed.

Rules for My Unborn Son began simply as writer and filmmaker Lamond’s personal blog, intended “to preserve the lessons my father had taught me, and perhaps add my spin on what makes a Good Man,” he explains. “I hoped to have a son of my own one day, so I thought it best to write it all down before the before the mayhem of actual fatherhood made me too soft or too sanctimonious, and most importantly, before my own childhood was too distant in the rear view mirror.” It became a father-to-be’s promise to his future son “To get some things straight before I get old and uncool.”

• If you choose to wear a tie, commit. Button your top button.
• Stand up to bullies. You’ll only have to do it once.
• If you attend a late after-party, have an exit strategy
• Keep a well-stocked bar
• Thank the bus driver
• Girls like boys who shower
• Don’t spit

Hip and witty with a decidedly traditionalist flavor, Rules for My Unborn Son is meant to evoke simpler times when Father knew best and a suitable answer to “Why?” was “Because I said so.”

Walker Lamond is a writer and television producer. His documentaries have appeared on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, TruTV, and HBO, and he has written for numerous publications including Stop Smiling magazine, Valet, Babble, and Asylum. Lamond is a 1997 graduate of the University of Virginia. He once lived above Miller’s on the Downtown Mall. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and their son, who arrived shortly after the completion of this book.

Looks like more excitement is in store from WordSmith Poetry Jam:

Mark your event calenders and invite all your friends

The next WordSmith Poetry Jam will be on Wednesday, December 16th.

• Location: Random Row Books (315 West Main Street). It’s on the corner of Main and McIntire across from Greyhound.
• Time: 7-10pm – Open Mic Sign Up Starts at 7pm. Show Starts at 7:30pm.
• Cost: Just $5

Expect some of Charlottesville’s most dynamic poets and spoken word artists all night. We will also have soulful selections from Lester Jackson & Naughty Dynamic and the Design.
This month’s feature is upcoming actress and poet Sabrina Gilbert. Sabrina has performed at college conferences, venues and theaters along the east coast and in the Midwest. In 2008 she became the Grand Slam Champion of Slam Richmond’s 2008 team, making her the first woman to do so! She also helped start Lyric Ave in 2003, which today is the largest poetry show on the east coast (consistently serving an audience of over 800 people). Her debut album ‘Come Get Me’ took her colleagues by storm with it’s electrifying tracks and powerful messages!!! Sabrina is currently on a 2009 tour (that started in the U.S. and will extend to the Canada and Europe) while writing her first book (to release in the winter of 2009/2010) and preparing for the world premiere of the play ‘Great George’ which is scheduled to run in early 2010.

December Reading Club

Sea of Poppies by
Amitav Ghosh

From The Guardian:

This terrific novel, the first volume in a projected trilogy, unfolds in north India and the Bay of Bengal in 1838 on the eve of the British attack on the Chinese ports known as the first opium war. In Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh assembles from different corners of the world sailors, marines and passengers for the Ibis, a slaving schooner now converted to the transport of coolies and opium. In bringing his troupe of characters to Calcutta and into the open water, Ghosh provides the reader with all manner of stories, and equips himself with the personnel to man and navigate an old-fashioned literary three-decker.

Come aboard with us in December for Sea of Poppies. Registration is free. Discussion begins December 11.