Archive for the ‘Guest Contributors’ Category

Reads for the Holiday Season

The following was written by Bailey Thomas, DailyLit’s Editorial Intern:

For years, my parents made it a habit to read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas with my brother and me before they sent us off to bed on Christmas Eve. Even though there are ten years between the two of us, we loved spending the evening with the family. This is one of the reasons I love holiday literary tradition so much–words continue to bring families together.

Another reason I always loved the holidays while I was in school was that I had a few short but interrupted weeks in which I could read whatever I chose. I was always that person who saved up novels over the semester to read over the break (although I usually picked up more books than I could read in two or three weeks). I guess that’s part of why I got an English degree, right?

As we step into winter, though, it’s easy to let the chill melt away with stories like A Christmas Carol or The Gift of the Magi at your fingertips. Whether you plan to stick with timeless classics like those in our Holiday Reads category or you prefer more contemporary reads, tales of holiday cheer are a great way to keep yourself in the spirit of the season.

Do you have any books you make a habit of reading during the holidays? Or, on the other hand, do you have any books you’ve set aside for the holidays so you’ll have more time to read?

Fabulous Women Series Reaches Top 10 on DailyLit

I’m delighted to announce that the “Fabulous Women Series” has reached the top 10 contemporary series currently read on DailyLit.

Featuring well-known women from Maya Angelou (this week’s “fabulous woman”) to top women business leaders, politicians and even a Miss America, the Fabulous Women Series brings the wit and wisdom of some of the most exciting women in the world today. It’s also edited by the amazing Bonnie St. John (an Olympic ski medalist, amputee, Rhodes Scholar, and even more important, one of the most joyful women I know.)

You can sign up for the “Fabulous Women Series” exclusively on DailyLit.

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DailyLit is the leading publisher of serialized books in digital form. Selected to be the #1 Book Website by the Sunday Times, DailyLit has sent over 35 million book installments. DailyLit’s books and series are all free and feature bestselling and award-winning titles. Installments can be read in fewer than 5 minutes and can be read wherever you receive email, including on any computer, Blackberry, or iPhone.

Today in the Book Channel: A Publishing Insider Pick

Our publishing insider Carl Lennertz returns to the Book Channel today with an excerpt from Freshwater Boys. This collection of short stories that take place in Michigan–near the great freshwater lake, naturally–is a great pick for summer.

And of course, it wouldn’t be Carl if he didn’t also include a chatty introduction for DailyLit readers, with a few tips of his hat to publishers and bookstores who have been doing good work lately. Enjoy!

Sign up for the DailyLit Book Channel for hand-picked recommendations and excerpts from great books like those selected for Oprah’s book club and the newest titles from bestselling authors.

This Week in DailyLit’s Book Channel

This week in DailyLit’s Book Channel we highlighted a new pick from guest curator Gotham Gal. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a look at the surprising ways one woman’s life has transformed modern science and medical care. It’s currently on the New York Times Bestseller list (and author Rebecca Skloot appeared on the Colbert Report last week).

We’ve also got another recommendation from publishing insider Carl Lennertz. First Contact is one of his favorite recent books and he’s heard from booksellers in his network who can’t say enough about their love for the book.

Sign up for the DailyLit Book Channel for hand-picked recommendations and excerpts from great books like those selected for Oprah’s book club and the newest titles from bestselling authors.

Carl Lennertz Now Serving as DailyLit’s Guest Curator

I’m truly thrilled to announce that Carl Lennertz is the new special contributing guest curator of DailyLit’s Book Channel. Carl is known for his impeccable recommendations and offbeat sensibility; he’s a real star in the publishing industry. I’ve been impressed with Carl for years now, ever since we both worked at Random House, and he’d circulate recommendations of books he loved that were published not just by Random House but by all different houses (quite scandalous, at the time, I’m sure). This week we’re featuring his first recommendation for our Book Channel, The Pig Did It.

He’s moved on from Random House since then, but I’ve remained a fan of his ever since. Here’s his current bio:

Carl Lennertz has been in bookselling and publishing since the death of disco, first in bookstores and then joining Random House as a sales rep. He was Marketing Director for Knopf, Pantheon and Vintage, and then Associate Publisher of Little, Brown. In 1999, Lennertz joined the Book Sense (now called IndieBound) campaign, initiating the Book Sense Picks and Bestseller Lists. In 2003, Lennertz returned to publishing as VP/Retail Marketing for HarperCollins. In 2004, Crown published his multi-copy selling memoir entitled Cursed by a Happy Childhood, and has now begun acquiring books for publication by Harper and Perennial, with 7 projects out now or coming. He also teaches the week of marketing each summer at the Denver Publishing Institute and is Harper’s liason with Delphinium Books.

A New Sara Nelson Pick Featured in DailyLit’s Book Channel

In the first installment of 2010 in our Book Channel we’re featuring a new pick from Sara Nelson, former editor of Publishers Weekly, author of the bestselling So Many Books, So Little Time, and the current Books Director for O, the Oprah Magazine. It’s actually not yet available in the U.S., but because we have nice friends we’ve gotten a sneak peek of Sara’s pick this week, The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham. Sara introduces the excerpt by telling us what inspired her to pick up this new biography of the celebrated writer.

Special Guest Contributor Sara Nelson in DailyLit’s Book Channel Today

Today we featured Sara Nelson’s second guest column for the DailyLit Book Channel. Sara, as former editor of Publishers Weekly, author of the bestselling So Many Books, So Little Time, and the current Books Director for O, the Oprah Magazine, knows good books, and this week’s column is no exception. Here she reviews Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s Great White Sharks by Susan Casey and provides an excerpt for you so you can have a taste of the book yourself. (Or, given that the book is about sharks, maybe a “bite” of the book is more appropriate?) Read it here. Enjoy!

Gotham Gal Named Special Guest Contributor to DailyLit’s Book Channel

I am delighted to announce that Gotham Gal is our new special guest contributor on DailyLit’s book channel.  One of the benefits of running a company is that you’re able to tap people whose tastes you respect, with recommendations that you’d take.  In fact, by having Gotham Gal recommend particular books, it saves me the trouble of asking her in private about books that I should read.  Check out her gothamgal.com website if you have a chance; it’s a fun read. You can see her first column for DailyLit’s Book Channel here and sign up for the channel–full of recommendations and excerpts–here.

Sara Nelson Named Special Guest Contributor to DailyLit’s Book Channel.

I’m thrilled to announce that Sara Nelson is our first guest contributor for DailyLit’s Book Channel. Sara is the author of the bestselling So Many Books, So Little Time. From 2005 to 2009, she was editor in chief of Publishers Weekly and is currently the Books Director for O, the Oprah Magazine.

Sara is one of the women I admire most—she’s smart, genuine, and, with her refreshingly direct voice, will be sure to tell you what’s on her mind. She’ll be recommending books we should be reading (or at least know about). Check out her first column here—and receive her series (for free) by signing up for DailyLit’s Book Channel.