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REVIEW DIRECT December 2012 Edition It's been a great year for book publishing. We have a compelling selection of titles for your perusal - take a look at this month's title listings, and let us know what you think! http://www2.dmpemail5.com/jenkins/dsc/collateral/RD_1212.pdf That Was the Year That Was by Amy Shamroe As you may have noticed, every month I begin articles with a quote relevant to the topic of the column. Writers, especially, speak truths which seem to be timeless. This month, I offer a retrospect of some of the year’s more interesting stories headlined by literary quotes. January 2012 “The first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.” -George Bernard Shaw After the holiday recess, Congress decided to tackle piracy. SOPA- Stop Piracy Online Act- was proposed to give law enforcement the ability to shut down websites deemed to be in violation of anti-piracy laws. Proponents objected to the broad scope and far reach of the bill. For example, an entire blogging site could be shut down because a single user violated pirated material. On January 18th, Wikipedia (English), Reddit, and thousands of other sites went black by shutting down service for the day in protest. On January 20th, the House Judiciary Committee shelved the bill and it has not been heard from since. February 2012 “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” -William Shakespeare February 6, 2012 marked the official Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. For over 60 years she has reigned over the United Kingdom and sixteen sovereign states, acting as Head of State through very changing times. She is the longest serving British monarch in history, save Queen Victoria. The two queens are also the only monarchs to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee (George III missed the distinction by four days). The Queen has been traveling the world all year in celebration. March 2012 “When one with honeyed words but evil mind/Persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.” -Euripides Russia experienced a bit of history repeating. On March 4th, Vladimir Putin was elected President of Russia, an office he held until Constitutionally being term-limited out. He served as Prime Minister until he was termed out of that position as well. Despite massive protests by citizens who viewed this move as Soviet-style governance, the election was not contested. April 2012 “It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.” -Henry James There are historical events that live beyond the immediate tragedy of a moment and resonate through time. The sinking of the Titanic has captured the imagination since the fateful day of April 15,1912. The events of that night have served as the basis for Broadway musicals, blockbuster movies, and scores of books over the years. The recent pop-culture phenomenon Downton Abbey even began with news of the tragedy and the loss of a family member, which launched the plot of the first season. One hundred years on, people still feel connected and the memory still inspires. May 2012 “A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.” -Oscar Wilde On May 9th, Mark Rothko's red, yellow sold for $86.9 million dollars- a new record for contemporary art. The sale came on the heels of the record selling $119.9 million dollar sale of one of Edvard Munch’s The Scream a week earlier. Some experts believe these recent records at the auction block are due to high demand and low supply of fine art, which right now is seen as a safe investment in this economy. June 2012 “I’ve never worked a day in my life. I’ve never worked a day in my life. The joy of writing has propelled me from day to day and year to year. I want you to envy me, my joy. Get out of here tonight and say: ‘Am I being joyful?’ And if you’ve got a writer’s block, you can cure it this evening by stopping whatever you’re writing and doing something else. You picked the wrong subject.” -Ray Bradbury No one can speak better about Ray Bradbury than Ray Bradbury. He died on June 5th at the age of 91. His influence on sci-fi is undeniable and he was a major influence on many of today’s most renowned writers and will undoubtedly continue to influence generations to come. July 2012 “The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.” -Frank Herbert When CERN scientists began work with the Large Hadron Collider to isolate the Higgs boson in 2008, science became really cool- in an indie way. Scientists involved in the project were celebrities in some circles, even getting invited on popular talk shows around the world. In July CERN announced two blind studies validated the existence of the particle. August 2012 “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear” -George Orwell Members of Pussy Riot, a female punk group protesting Putin’s Presidential election, were arrested for a demonstration at Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Public support was in favor of the dissidents, but they were convicted in a trial many said was reminiscent of Soviet show trials. In August, the three women were sentenced to two years, a punishment that met with condemnation by the international community and many in Russia itself. September 2012 “Union gives strength.” -Aesop For the first time in decades, a massive teacher’s union strike took center stage on the national scene as teachers from the third largest district in the nation shut down the city’s school district. The Chicago Teacher’s Union strike lasted a week before compromise was reached between the City of Chicago and the Teacher’s Union. Key issues were linking student testing to performance reviews, tenure, and class sizes. October 2012 “Bravery never goes out of fashion” -William Makepeace Thackeray In 2009, Malala Yousafzai blogged for the BBC (using a pseudonym) about life under the Taliban in her region of Pakistan. A year later, a documentary was made about her as Pakistani troops fought to regain the region. On October 9th, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head and neck for her continued campaign advocating education for women. Defying the odds, she survived the shooting and has vowed to continue her fight. November 2012 “I know nothing grander, better exercise, better digestion, more positive proof of the past, the triumphant result of faith in humankind, than a well-contested American national election” -Walt Whitman After what felt like years, factoring in the run up to the primaries through the general election, Americans reelected President Barack Obama. Florida took a few days to work out their votes, but the Electoral College had already been decided. December 2012 “So that, in the end, there was no end.” -Patrick White I had intended to pose to you, readers, what you thought was December’s biggest event. In light of what happened in Newtown, CT last week there really is no question. This month, I end with a simple wish to you all for a safe, happy holiday season with your families. ************ Amy Shamroe is the Director of the Traverse City Children’s Book Festival and Book Awards Coordinator with Jenkins Group. You can read book reviews and more book musings at her blog, Some of My Best Friends... http://someofmybestfriends.wordpress.com/ ************ Don't forget to check out this month's Review Direct titles here: http://www2.dmpemail5.com/jenkins/dsc/collateral/RD_1212.pdf We want to make Review Direct work for you. Let us know what you like about the features and design of Review Direct, and also whether you have any further suggestions. Contact me, Kim Hornyak, at khornyak@bookpublishing.com. Kim Hornyak, Director of Book Marketing Jenkins Group, Inc. 1129 Woodmere Avenue, Suite B Traverse City, MI 49686 231-933-0445, ext 1013 khornyak@bookpublishing.com www.bookpublishing.com Our intent is to keep you informed. If you wish to no longer receive messages from Jenkins Group and Review Direct, simply click on the following link to change your preferences. To change your subscription preferences, please visit http://www2.dmpemail5.com/jenkins/main/index.php?action=unsubscribe&id=4893&viewers_email=library@ottawa.edu