Taylor Swift Donation

Taylor Swift donated 6,000 books to her hometown library.    "Taylor Swift may not be in her Wyomissing, Pa., hometown this week, but that didn’t stop her from giving back to the residents there. Swift partnered with Scholastic Inc. to donate 6,000 librarian-chosen books to the public library of Reading, Pa., a city close to her hometown that has been hard hit by the economy."

Two things I love about this donation:  the first is the books were 'librarian-chosen'  -- donations are great, but the best donations are those which the libraries/librarians have the opportunity to chose what is needed and best for their community.   And secondly, according to School Library Journal, the average cost of a children's book in 2011 is $21.55 (hardback) and $11.25 (paperback).  Donating 6,000 books  even at wholesale prices is quite a contribution.  Thank you Taylor Swift for thinking of your hometown and libraries.

Curating

Curating seems to be the latest trend for digital readers.  This is new to me, but Scoop it has the scoop on curating.

You can be the 'curator of your favorite topic. 
Create your topic-centric media by collecting gems among relevant
streams Publish it to your favorite social media or to your blog.'

10 best-selling books that were originally rejected

What a great list !   10 best-selling books that were originally rejected.

To think Harry Potter was first rejected -- Rowling "received eight rejection letters before Bloomsbury agreed to print the story."

International Thriller Writers

I may have mentioned this site before, but I really like it.  Mysteries and thrillers are my favorites, so I love hearing news and forthcoming titles.  Checkout the International Thriller Writers site and the Big Thrill webzine.