My first printed issue of Publisher's Weekly came in my mailbox this week. It is a thicker booklet comparing to the New Yorker, bounded by staples and printed on rather strong coated paper, which instantly gave me the impression that it was not a regular magazine. I did a quick examination of its content and realized that it is more for promotional use than for recreational use, consisting of mostly book advertisements and several short articles (they are really short). In this issue, they seemed to be focusing on the library market, inviting a few librarians to talk about their roles in book selection for the libraries they serve in. It is a topic I rarely hear about because librarians, in my understanding, usually practice their power behind the stage. But it makes sense that the library market matters a ton for publishers since it is a market that has a guaranteed demand for books. Drawing upon the above observations, Publisher's Weekly seems to be a reference book for publishers, listing out all the new arrivals in the field while helping them promote their new products to their fellow workers in the industry. It is market-driven, aiming for audiences that are somewhat professional in the publishing industry. Somehow it reminds me of the periodic pamphlets IKEA passed out to its members.
Other than that, I had been reading The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain this week, partly because I had checked it out from BPL for so long and it was at the end of the term of my second renewal. I started the intro about a month ago and it was nicely written, but since it is so long it kind of distracted me from reading the actual content. So when I started it this week I skipped the intro and went right to the beginning of the story. I am not sure if Cain is a Southerner, but his style of writing obviously is, because it consists of dialogues I've had a hard time getting used to. There are hardly any descriptions and very poor character development, yet that's what makes it an incredibly easy read (other than the dialogue). The story is conversation-driven, which sometimes makes it hard for me to tell who is speaking. Since it is a short story, it is fast-paced and action-packed, which adds more to its readability, resulting in me picking it up for a study break and ended up devouring it instead of my required readings (sorry Thoreau and Defoe). The author's way of story-telling is so picturesque that reading it is like watching a movie in one's head. The book is considered an important figure in the genre of crime novels, and some believe that its plot is based on a true crime. Taking an excerpt from its Wikipedia page, "the novel's mix of sexuality and violence was startling in its time and caused it to be banned in Boston" (I am glad now I get to check it out from a library in Boston). I've seen quite a few negative reviews of it on Amazon, but overall it is a pleasant read and I can't wait to read more.
Before I end this post...
I went to BPL today to renew several books (including The Postman Always Rings Twice), and the first thing I saw as I entered the building was their "Blind Date with a Book" stand, an event I had seen on their website but had not been able to witness. The books involved are a regular 3-week loan and can be renewed twice online. And you don't have to rewrap them when u bring them back, which is another bonus! It is like an idea that is designed exactly for people like me, with its brown paper wraps and clear descriptions (and the stickers which I can save as souvenirs). Words cannot express how much I appreciate this and whichever genius that has come up with this brilliant idea. I highly recommend all of you guys to try it out you won't regret it!!!!
BTW the two mysterious books I checked out look like this:
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