Hugo awards organizers reveal thousands spent on fraudulent votes to help one writer win - The Guardian*

It's good the Hugo awards caught them.

Today, Panzer made a quick trip to The Guardian site. There he found a post about the Hugo awards.

 

According to the post by Sian Cain, the Hugo awards has announced an investigation found hundreds of votes were paid for with thousands of dollars to try and determine the winner at the Hugo awards. There's no names in the post.

Panzer says, "This is very, very bad."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Hugo Awards Fraudulent Votes

 

 

*With a tip of Panzer's kitty fedora to Kevin's Corner for the original news link

J.D. Salinger estate agrees to ebook editions - The Guardian

Mom read that book.

Today as Panzer was relaxing in the sun on the back porch he heard clapping and cheering coming from the Catosphere. Leaving his favorite sunny spot, our traveling kitty hopped in the Panzermobile and headed out. Following all the jocularity took him to The Guardian site. There with a little digging in the posts he discovered one about J.D. Salinger's books.

According to The Guardian post by Sian Cain, J.D. Salinger's estate has agreed to allow his books to be turned into ebooks. J.D. Salinger was the author of Catcher in the Rye among other such famous works. He was also against the internet and digital media. Four of J.D. Salinger's books will be released in the U.S. and U.K. immediately, while others of his works will be scheduled as they are assembled. Apparently, he wrote some works which were never released for publication before. There's a link included to an interview with Salinger's son in a previous post.

Panzer says, "A writer never knows what will happen to their work after they're gone."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the link to read the interview, bring another cup of tea and a muffin.

To read the post tootle over to J.D. Salinger estate

The prince of punching up: why Stephen King rules Twitter - The Guardian

Panzer was tootling around in the Panzermobile in the Catosphere when he suddenly heard chuckling and clapped ahead. Following all the noise took our inquisitive kitty to The Guardian site. With no digging at all he discovered a post about Stephen King was causing all the hoopla.

I've been on Twitter longer than he has.

According to Sian Cain, bestselling horror author Stephen King now rules Twitter. He used his over 5 million Twitter followers to save the book review column in the Portland Press Herald (Maine) newspaper. That's not all. He tweets about what he's watching on TV and movies that he likes and what he's reading that he likes. He says he doesn't tweet about what he doesn't like. He does make one exception mentioned in the post, but you'll have to read the post to find out about it.

Panzer says, "Mom and I follow him on Twitter. He's pretty funny sometimes."

Note: This is a long-short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Stephen King

Mike McCormack wins 100,000 International Dublin literary award with one-sentence novel - The Guardian

Today, while Panzer was cleaning out the Panzermobile he found a post rolled up under the passenger seat. Smoothing it out flat, our fastidious kitty discovered it was a post from The Guardian site about the International Dublin Literary Award.

According to the post by Sian Cain, Irish author Mike McCormack won this year's International Dublin Literary Award. Each year librarians around the world submit their nominations to a group of Irish author-judges. From these submissions the judges choose one book to award the prize to. This year's winner is Solar Bones a one sentence novel. The one sentence is over 200+ pages long. It turns out the novel is about a ghost and author McCormack decided a ghost wouldn't have time for stopping for periods at the end of sentences; therefore, only one sentence.

I really need a nap after reading that.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... One sentence long? Over 200+ pages? Glad I'm not reading it aloud."

Note:This is a long-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea, a muffin and a sugar cookie (biscuit) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to International Dublin Literary Award

Publishers call on Man Booker prize to drop American authors - The Guardian

Panzer had barely entered the Catosphere when he heard booing and hissing coming into the Panzermobile. Following all the hullabaloo took our inquiring kitty to The Guardian site. With no digging at all he found the source of all the bad vibrations in the Catosphere were about the Man Booker prize.

I'm not sure what to think about that.

According to the post by Sian Cain, in 2014 the rules for the Man Booker prize were changed. Thirty publishers have signed a letter asking Man Booker "prize organizers to reverse the change." The letter signers believe American authors will dominate the competition and the prize. The Man Booker Foundation disputes the rules were changed to favor American authors; instead, stressing the new rules allow "authors of any nationality, regardless of geography, to enter the prize providing they are writing in English and published in the U.K."

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty wonders if an American kitty author's book can enter the competition if Amazon publishes his book in English in the U.K.?"

Note: This is a long-medium post. Being a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Man Booker Prize

Ebook sales continue to fall as younger generations drive appetite for print - The Guardian

Panzer's trip into the Catosphere today took our adventuresome kitty to The Guardian site. With just a little digging he found a post about UK ebook sales.

According to the post by Sian Cain, quoting from the Nielsen Book Research UK, ebook sales were down in the U.K. in 2016. Ebook sales fell 4 perceent for the year while physical book sales were up by 2 percent. The increase in print sales in 2016 was due to children's physical book sales. This is the second year of physical book sales increase. The increase in 2015 was due to adult coloring book sales.

Hmm ... Are print books coming back?

Panzer says, "Maybe ebook authors should pay attention to what's happening in the U.K. It just might be spreading."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and one and a half muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Ebook sales

George RR Martin's teenage fan letter to Stan Lee: "A masterpiece with one flaw" - The Guardian

I wouldn't do that.

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard giggling and chortling. Following the laughter took our inquisitive kitty to The Guardian site.  There he found a post about George R. R. Martin, one of his favorite authors.

The post by Sian Cain is about a letter then 16-year-old George R.R. Martin sent to Stan Lee about a 1964 issue of the Fantastic Four Marvel Comics. The letter and the response were published in a subsequent issue. In his letter  Mr. Martin tells Mr. Lee how great the comic is, but then he points out a problem with the plot. Mr. Lee doesn't mince words. He tells the teenager that he is right. There is indeed a plot problem.

Panzer says, "Boy, he was one brave kid to do that."

Note: This is a shortish post. A cup of tea should be enough for today's read.

To read the post, tootle over to George R. R. Martin