books need to get better
18 Sep 2010 4 Comments
in Book, Library, Literature, Reading Tags: Books, MadQuote, Reading
“I think that books need to get better. Publishers need to explore ways to continue to add value to the books they make. In some instances that might mean returning to some of the design values of the past, in which a book was designed to help enhance the vision of the author and to reflect the beauty and the import of what the author was trying to say.”
–Allan Kornblum, founder of Minneapolis-based Coffee House Press, an award-winning, nonprofit literary publisher dedicated to innovation in the craft of writing and preservation of the tradition of book arts.
Source: The Business of Books: Behind the Scenes at Coffee House Press and Narrative by Paulette Beete
NEA Arts Magazine, 2010 Number 1
As an avid reader, my search for the next good read is unending. I have to agree with Kornblum that “books need to get better” in both format and content if they are to maintain their appeal. Alternate media have become highly competitive: e-books, movies, television, and social media. While some value book design highly, I’m more into content and language, the beauty of the written word, plot and characterization. Some recent reads:
The Inspector Rutledge series. Only recently discovered, these well-written books are the product of a mother and son writing team. Well-written and intelligent, the protagonist is a British WWI veteran, haunted by the ghost of a soldier killed in the war, a constant hidden voice and critic. Surprisingly, the concept works well.
The Temeraire series. I discovered this series via a free offer from Amazon for my Kindle. The offer probably back-fired; instead of buying further Kindle books in the series from Amazon, I turned to my local library for author Naomi Novik’s books. A historical fantasy series set in the Napoleonic era where armies battle with flaming dragons, this alternate history series is imaginative and spellbinding. The value added: an engaging premise that the author makes to work.
Finally, for the WWII buff, there is the Billy Boyle World War II mystery series. Author James R. Benn has created an engaging character, Billy Boyle, a former Boston cop now a soldier during WWII, who’s Uncle Ike embroils him in crime investigations that span the WWII battlefield. An easy read, Benn’s interesting plots and engaging characters raise more profound questions concerning the use of force as a political tool.
Enjoy.
~MadDad
Sep 28, 2010 @ 04:49:55
M&S
Your take on wether books are good or not..is all dependant on your choice….i read biographies and personal journey stories…..books can be written better sometimes….but sometimes the down in the mud type style gives you a feeling of you being there…wow i actually disagreed with your post this time hmmm..zman sends
Oct 03, 2010 @ 20:31:50
Bios can be interesting, last one I read was of Thaddeus Kosciusko, very enlightening. Can a good book be judged by its cover, its contents, both? I’m attracted to a well-designed book cover, have favorite publishers like Baen, like a good story line, characterization, etc.
Oct 01, 2010 @ 07:45:36
I have a recommendation for book improvement. Publishers, please SELECT THE RIGHT FONT for printing! Often I’ve wanted to read a classic and have turned away from it because it was printed with some antiquated, crappy font. Pick good fonts, add white space, use good paper, look to covers of the past which worked. Now when I browse the bookstore, I see many covers that look like they were created by the same graphic designer. That turns me off.
Oct 03, 2010 @ 20:46:12
Font & type size are important, perhaps less so now that there are so many choices, easily obtained.
I’ve been using Century Gothic at work recently.
http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/i-am-helvetica/