There are a couple Big Book Things happening this week and next. We'll let Auntie MJ explain the first one:
It's #rockthedrop day! Gonna scatter some of my books around NYC if youz wants them.
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) April 17, 2014
If you don't know what #rockthedrop is, THIS IS WHAT IT IS--> http://t.co/x2PJkSxEpG
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) April 17, 2014
Stephen and Matt can take the second:
Pls become a Community Book Giver on next Wednesday's World Book Night. I have signed up. It's simple & important. https://t.co/nofk55irtY
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) April 16, 2014
Still time to be a community book giver on @WorldBookNight. Anyone can take part, giving ANY book they choose. Give! http://t.co/ytv6Zq2z2k
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) April 15, 2014
Are you participating in either Rock the Drop or World Book Night?
Oh, speaking of books around the world... I was recently on vacation in Italy, and I found their book stores to be fascinating. First of all, there were so many of them! I bumped into book stores inside train stations, on the corner of major plazas, facing beautiful river banks, even outdoors under ancient porticos...
I guess online stores and e-readers haven't taken over everywhere.
(Sorry one is blurry! But you get the idea, right?)
I also found the book covers pretty interesting. They were SO different from their American counterparts. There was a lot of photography, and a lot of white. (Sort of evident in the blurry photo.)
Here are a couple YA favorites as examples...
Then there are the covers that are sort of different, but sort of the same...
Isn't it interesting how Suzanne Collins' MG series was given a cover that looks so much like the Hunger Games' mockingjay symbol?
Speaking of which, there are some covers that apparently need no translation:
What do you think about foreign edition covers? Do you like them better? Do you collect them? Do you think books should have the same covers everywhere?
Hope you had a fun vacation! Italy seems like such a cool place to visit. I don't collect international editions because I'm poor, but I do find the differences interesting because they represent different cultural definitions of "beauty". Also, never heard about those book events and they seem cool!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I LOVE that Harry Potter cover!
ReplyDeleteI've been doing the same thing with covers lately - I'm studying until the end of May in England, and am now in Portugal, was in Ireland, and have France and Italy in May, and I've already been taking tons of pictures of books and their covers - I love seeing the differences.