Here are some of my most interesting blog and news reads of the week:

Some Reading Stuff 

If you didn’t hear the news a couple of weeks ago, J.K. Rowling has a new book coming out – but this time it is an adult novel. This week we now know more about it as the publisher has released a book jacket summary. Looks interesting enough, although I have to say that the last line talks of it being “darkly comic” and while I don’t doubt it, the summary doesn’t actually give me that impression. The Casual Vacancy

A Writer’s Digest blogger put out a post called “Why Literary Fiction Isn’t Boring”. I went into the post agreeing (for the most part), then exited it, disagreeing. The way author Jessica Bell describes books that fall into this genre suddenly makes literary fiction sound like work, and while I like a book that makes me think, I don’t think it should be hard to do. A high quality literary fiction novel will still keep me engrossed – not wanting to put the book down for a few days and then “try again”.

Some Publishing Stuff

I loved this timely post by agent Rachelle Gardner – “6 Reasons Authors Still Want Publishers” – for re-iterating more of thoughts about self e-publishing and just my overall desire to go the traditional publishing route if I can.

The BIG news in the publishing world this past week was all about a lawsuit against Apple and a group of big name publishing houses that has to do with “colluding” to force an “agency model” on epublishing and fixing prices for ebooks. In a nutshell, Amazon will be able to sell pretty much any book it wants from any publisher for whatever price it wants. Great for consumers, tough for publishers, and the jury’s still out about the author. If you want the full deal on it all, here is the DoJ document (pdf).

If you want a rambling, but maybe clearer picture (and more entertaining, unless random ALL CAPS on words and expressions make you crazy), author Maureen Johnson has a tumblr post (which I can’t figure out how to directly link to.. so it maybe be down the page a bit) that explains it: “In Which I Attempt to Explain What is Going On with eBooks”

And then author and technology guy Nathan Bransford gives an interesting run-down of why any ebook version of a traditional publishing house still won’t ever be sold for $0.99: Why eBooks Cost So Much 

A Fun Thing

This has been all over the place, so you’ve likely already seen it, but it reminds me so much of my 9-year old, that I can’t help posting it again, because it is sweet. Another 9-year old creates his own DIY arcade… and his one customer makes his dream come true with a flash mob to try them all out. Caine’s Arcade: