Archive for the ‘Newsletters’ Category

DailyLit News: Feb. 2011 – Love in Your Inbox

Here’s the latest news from DailyLit, in case you missed it in your inbox:

NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER

Love is in the air this month. I’ve got a creative challenge to describe that “lovin’ feeling”. You can find great love lines on DailyLit’s Twitter stream up until Valentine’s Day. And you can show your romantic selves by sending love poems (with your own lovin’ message). I’d also love your help in taking a short survey which will help me offer books on DailyLit that you’ll, well, love. And finally, I’ve just launched another book by one of our beloved authors, Cory Doctorow.
So cheers, to filling your inbox with love.
-Susan

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
Twitter:@susandanziger, @dailylit

TAKE THE DAILYLIT SURVEY

I’ve just launched a short survey that I hope you’ll take. It’ll help me offer books you’ll love — and it’s just 12 questions. You can take it here. Thanks for your help!

CORY DOCTOROW’S WITH A LITTLE HELP

With a Little Help is a neat book of 12 short stories by Cory Doctorow. It’s his “first serious experiment in self-publishing” and includes the story, “Epoch”, which has been nominated for a Hugo Award. You can find the book here.

CREATIVE CHALLENGE: THAT LOVIN’ FEELING

In honor of Valentine’s Day, this month’s creative challenge is to describe, in one sentence, that yummy feeling of being in love. Post your description here. Oh, and while you’re in the mood, this week’s Question of the Week is “With whom would you like to spend Valentine’s Day?” It could be a real or fictional character. Post your sweetheart here.

TWITTER TREATS: GREAT LOVE LINES

For those of you who’ve been following DailyLit on Twitter, I hope you’ve been enjoying our bursts of great love lines. And leading up to the Oscars you’ll be surprised by our daily great film lines. If you’d like to follow DailyLit on Twitter, here we are.

LOVE IN THEIR INBOX

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” Send these poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning or Shakespeare’s Sonnets as a special Valentine’s Day surprise. You can even include your own lovin’ message. Just click the “Gift this Book” tab when signing up for these poems and be sure to set the delivery date to February 14th. Who says you’re not romantic!

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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.

DailyLit News: January 2011

Here’s the latest news from DailyLit in case you missed it in your inbox:

NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER

This is the year for me to shape up — both on the inside and out. I’ve started to hit the gym a few days a week (OK, I suppose I’m down to once or twice a week), and I’ve launched a few courses on DailyLit to help build some more mental muscle. I’m particularly excited about MBA Mondays, which combines lessons I would have learned in business school with real-life examples taught by the celebrated venture capitalist, Fred Wilson. And I’m trying something new: I’ve just launched video courses from the wonderful Khan Academy on biology, algebra, and French history. Now I’m leaving the biology and algebra courses to more daring folks, but that little taste of Napoleon in my inbox is just what I was looking for.
Oooh la la!
-Susan

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger@dailylit.com
Twitter:@susandanziger, @dailylit

MBA MONDAYS

I’ve wanted to feature MBA Mondays for quite a while now, and I’m excited to have finally launched this series. If you haven’t heard of the author, Fred Wilson (he’s been described as a business guru who specializes in technology start-ups), you’re in for a real treat. MBA Mondays is a crash business course (what you would have or should have learned in business school), and given that it’s on DailyLit, you don’t have to wait for Monday to get your next fix. Full disclosure: I know Fred personally, and I can vouch for his being one of the smartest business guys I know.

CREATIVE CHALLENGE: WHAT’S YOUR SENTENCE?

What’s your sentence? It may be: “She taught two generations of children to read” or “He raised four kids who became happy and healthy adults.” Daniel Pink (in his new book, Drive) is the inspiration behind this month’s creative challenge. He explains that creating your sentence is a way to orient your life towards a greater purpose. Seems like a neat challenge. So, what’s your sentence? Post it here.

NEW: VIDEO COURSES ON FRENCH HISTORY, ALGEBRA, AND BIOLOGY

Curious about biology? Want to learn about Napoleon? Need a refresher on algebra? Now’s your chance. The Khan Academy created these amazing video courses that will get your mental juices flowing. Set your schedule to receive a video (via a link) once or twice a week, sit back, and learn something new.

TWITTER TREATS

If you haven’t been following DailyLit on Twitter, each day in January I’ve featured a great first line from a novel. And in February, you’ll be treated to some lovely Valentine tweets that may make you swoon (I promise, not too soppy!) You can follow DailyLit on Twitter here.

FEATURED FEATURE: MAKE INSTALLMENTS LONGER

You may not have noticed that you can change the length of your book installments to make them twice or four times longer than the normal length. So if you’re an avid reader — or really want to get through that tome of War and Peace this year — just go to the “Manage the books you’re reading” page once you’ve logged in to DailyLit or click the “Manage all your settings” link at the bottom of any book installment. You’ll be devouring those books in no time.

READER SPOTLIGHT: FAMILY FUN WITH GRANDMA JAN

I thought I’d highlight a reader (or in this case, group of readers) this month. I noticed in our forums that a family of three aunts, their kids and even “Grandma Jan” started reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm all together via DailyLit. Looks like they’re having a blast (with snarky comments flying all around). So, if you’re looking for a way to bring family and friends together, DailyLit books and our forums may just do the trick.

DailyLit News: October 2010

I’m just now sending out DailyLit’s October newsletter. In case you miss it in your inbox, here it is — fresh off the presses! :)

Newsletter October 2010

CONTENTS
· Note from the Founder
· Fabulous Women Series
· Featured Scary Reads
· New: Banned Books Category
· Reader Challenge: 50 Word Fright
· Big Read: The Scarlet Letter
· Books from our Sponsor

NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER

It’s about time we celebrated women and their amazing accomplishments. With our brand new Fabulous Women Series (available only on DailyLit), you’ll have access to the wise and wonderful words of Maya Angelou, a fortune 500 CEO and other fabulous women who’ll enlighten, entertain and inspire you each week. We’ve also been celebrating the freedom of reading here at DailyLit by creating a special Banned Books Category that features books that have been banned through the ages. And — not to mix women, freedom and fright — but I thought I’d highlight some scary reads to get you in the spirit (so to speak!) of Hallowe’en. Oh, and I wanted to thank our sponsor, Greenleaf Book Group, for supporting this month’s newsletter (you can find some of our sponsor’s books down below).
Cheers — to fabulous women, freedom and fright!

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan[at]dailylit[dot]com
Twitter: @susandanziger, @dailylit
www.dailylit.com

FABULOUS WOMEN SERIES

Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by extraordinary women who challenge your mind, entertain your senses, and expand your horizons? Each week the fabulous Bonnie St. John (author, Olympic ski medalist, amputee, Rhodes Scholar and mother) will introduce you to her favorite author friends, celebrities she’s spent time with, and her own personal “she-roes”. You’ll be inspired by the words of Maya Angelou, Condoleezza Rice, an unusual Miss America and a Fortune 500 CEO, not to mention some “just plain women friends,” the kind who are always there to get you through tough times. You can start mingling with these wise and wonderful women in our Fabulous Women Series by signing up here.

FEATURED SCARY READS

Send a chill up your in-box just in time for Hallowe’en with one of these scary reads:

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (3 parts)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (84 parts)
Dracula by Bram Stoker (176 parts)
You can find other scary reads in our Horror category.

NEW: BANNED BOOKS CATEGORY

Check out our new Banned Books category where you can find DailyLit books that have been banned through the ages. Here are some of the highlights (and thanks to minocris and G Muge Ucar for suggesting this new category):

The Bible (22 to 56 parts, depending on Book/Gospel)
The Call of the Wild by Jack London (37 parts)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (28 parts)
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (423 parts—but don’t worry, it’s a short poem each day)

READER CHALLENGE: 50 WORD FRIGHT

To get in the mood for Hallowe’en, this month’s Reader Challenge is frighteningly simple: in exactly 50 words (no more, no less), tell the creepiest, scariest, most chilling story you can possibly imagine. And remember, you don’t need blood and guts to make it scary! Enter your 50 Word Fright here.

BIG READ: THE SCARLET LETTER

Since we’re celebrating women, freedom of reading and scary reads, I thought The Scarlet Letter would make an ideal Big Read (particularly since I’ve always wanted to read it). It’s been banned for being pornographic and obscene and features Hester Prynne, a woman who’s made to wear the letter A for adultery to mark her as a sinner after she had an affair that led to a child (sounds pretty scary to me—being marked with an A, that is). Read it here.

BOOKS FROM OUR SPONSOR

Thanks again to Greenleaf Book Group for being this month’s sponsor of our newsletter. Here are some books published by our sponsor. Although they’re not available on DailyLit, they’ve been hand-picked by our sponsor for DailyLit readers.

SAND IN MY EYES by Christine Lemmon
A novel framed within a novel, Sand In My Eyes is both a story about the tension between motherhood and personal dreams, as well as a story about women across generations inspiring one another to let beauty persist despite ugly circumstances. Sand In My Eyes was selected as a finalist in the fiction category of the 2010 National Indie Excellence Awards. Find here on Amazon.
IN THE BELLY OF JONAH by Sandra Brannan
The puzzle of a window cut into a girl’s body leads to a serial killer with an artistic bent in this thrilling mystery set in a Colorado mining community. Sandra’s debut mystery, part of a planned series of nine, was nominated by independent booksellers as an Indie Notable title. Find here on Amazon
WAR WITH PIGEONS by Tae Kim
“If you are reading this letter it could only mean that I’m dead and I suspect the circumstances of my death were less than natural,” begins the letter from Simon to his dear friend Peter. This debut novel from writer Tae Kim is a tribute to the tradition of storytelling, using prose that is entertaining and sensually romantic at times, heart-wrenching and poignantly riveting at others, but always passionate and beautifully written. Find here on Amazon.
NINETEENTH STREET NW by Rex Ghosh
A financial 9-11? Could financial crises be exploited by terrorists? Nineteenth Street NW is a stunning new thriller that lays bare the all-too-real risk of a modern-day financial crash. Find here on Amazon.
THOSE WHO DARE by Phil Ward
The first in a series of heavily researched World War II novels about hit-and-run raids against Hitler’s war machine by British forces–under the command of an unconventional US Army officer. “Ward is a Vietnam veteran of the United States Army Rangers, a force descended from the British Commandos, and his meticulous attention to military and historical detail honors both. This novel is the first in a planned series of five books.” (ForeWord Reviews) Find here on Amazon.
CEMETERY OF DREAMS by S. Mostofi
In this fast-paced thriller, an American-educated Iranian struggles to save his family from the chaos of the Islamic Revolution. With Iranian domestic turmoil once again making headlines, Cemetery of Dreams gives the reader an alternative perspective on the American hostage rescue mission and an insider’s view into the social currents that continue to fracture one of the most influential players in the Middle East. Find here on Amazon.
HAWKMOON by Nancy Williams
A compelling saga of lawless adventure and unforeseen love on the frontier of the American West. Nancy is an award-winning author for historical fiction, and Hawkmoon is her second novel with a screenplay already in the works by a Canadian film company. Find here on Amazon.

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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 2 minutes and can be read wherever you receive email, including on any computer, Blackberry, or iPhone.

DailyLit News: Summer Starts

Note from the CEO
School’s out for the summer! The kids are thrilled, and although it’s been years since I’ve taken my last final exam, I’m as excited as they are. Now we just need to bust out the sunscreen and head to the water. Hope you all have a great beginning of summer!

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger [at] dailylit [dot] com

Summer Big Read: Huckleberry Finn
What better way to launch the summer than with Mark Twain’s classic summer story of fun along the Mississippi? Join us in reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—for the first time or the umpteenth. Find it here.

Reader Challenge: 10 Word Summer Memories
We all have favorite memories of warm, lazy days of summer: an afternoon on a sunbleached dock, a family vacation, a runny ice cream cone at the county fair. We’re challenging you to share your favorite summer memory in just 10 words. Share your mini summer moments in our Reader Challenge Forum.

Readers’ Summer Reading List
We asked what you were planning on reading this summer, and you responded with a wonderfully diverse list. Here’s a sampling (and there’s still time to add your own list here):

The Sookie Stackhouse books—erinpayton
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. This is for 9th grade Honors English—spectrekitty
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson and Shanghai Girls by Lisa See—Moengey
Anna Karenina; The Great Gatsby; Catch 22; Moby Dick; The Count of Monte Cristo; A Tale of Two Cities; Dracula; 1984—digiworks8
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri—lolabean
The Crucible by Arthur Miller—hoelisha
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro—sdhomecare
War and Peace and American Prometheus—Ichasson

DailyLit’s Book Channel
Check out our book channel for recipes from Emeril’s latest book, Farm to Fork, which shows you how to use organic and locally-grown produce just in time for summer harvests. There’s also Heartbroken Open, an inspirational memoir about the woman who learns to live after her husband (author of “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Stuff”) unexpectedly dies. And there’s Critical Care, a powerful, touching look at a hospital’s cancer ward through the eyes of a nurse. You can find these excerpts (made available courtesy of HarperStudio), and other bestselling, award-winning picks in our Book Channel.

Classic Shorts
With all this talk of summer reading we wanted to remind you about Classic Shorts: Eight Stories for Summer, a great collection curated by our friends at Poets & Writers. These shorts from literary masters—Tolstoy, Fitzgerald, Chekhov, Poe, and more—are ideal for getting some “serious” reading done without facing the 663 installments of War and Peace. Find Classic Shorts here. (Oh, and if you’re feeling inspired, War and Peace is here.)

DailyLit News: May 2010

Note from the CEO
My ten year old daughter told me this morning that she thinks life is passing by too quickly. I don’t think I had such mature thoughts at that age, but with the school year quickly winding down and summer fast approaching, I know what she means. In fact, this month marks DailyLit’s official 3rd birthday (in start-up years, I’d say that makes us 21). Although it has flown by all too quickly, we have lots to celebrate: we’ve been named the #1 Book Website by the Sunday Times, we’ve sent over 25 million book installments, and, most importantly, I hope we’ve been able to bring you great authors, stories, and inspiration you can continue to enjoy each day.

Cheers—to a very happy birthday, DailyLit!

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger [at] dailylit [dot] com

Bestselling Heroes For My Son by Brad Meltzer
When his first son was born bestselling author Brad Meltzer set out to create a list of people whose courage and achievements would inspire his son: Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Jim Henson, Mohammed Ali (52 heroes in all). You can discover and share the lives of those who have changed our world in this bestselling collection of stories. Thanks to our sponsor, HarperStudio, you can read them all here.

Reader Challenge: Your Own Hero
Inspired by the bestselling book, Heroes For My Son, this month’s Reader Challenge encourages you to share your own hero. In 50 words or fewer, tell us why this person means so much to you. We’ll select our three favorites, each of whom will receive a signed copy of Heroes For My Son. Be sure to post your hero in our Reader Challenge Forum by Sunday, June 6th at 11:59pm EST to be considered.

Big Read: Robin Hood
With a reimagined version of “Robin Hood” hitting theaters this month—and judging from the previews this Robin Hood will not be wearing tights—we decided to revisit Sherwood Forest for our Big Read. Check out Chapter One—”How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw”—here.

Crazy Busy Beautiful by Carmindy
On the hit show “What Not To Wear” makeup artist Carmindy gives makeover subjects the finishing touches that, as anyone who’s seen the show can attest, make all the difference. Her new book, Crazy Busy Beautiful, shares the beauty tips that make her clients look so good—and we’ve got a taste, courtesy of our sponsor HarperStudio. Find it here.

Finally, to get us all in the mood for summer, here’s a poem by Emily Dickinson:

A something in a summer’s Day

A something in a summer’s Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer’s noon—
A depth—an Azure—a perfume—
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer’s night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see—

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle—shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me—

The wizard fingers never rest—
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed—

Still rears the East her amber Flag—
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red—

So looking on—the night—the morn
Conclude the wonder gay—
And I meet, coming thro’ the dews
Another summer’s Day!

DailyLit News: April 2010

Note from the CEO

With the weather warming up, we decided to shape up and change the look of our installments so they fit neatly onto your mobile phone. Of course, there’s no form over substance with DailyLit. This month, we’re featuring a star-studded line-up with stories and inspiration from Sam Shephard; Tom Peters; and O, The Oprah Magazine. And we’re launching a new Sci Fi Channel with help from bestselling author Cory Doctorow and major sci fi publishers. If poetry’s your thing, don’t forget that it’s Poetry Month—there’s still time to sign up for daily poems from Knopf featuring John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and Sapphire. Oh, and don’t forget that you have until the end of this month to sign up for Berlitz’s Spanish Lessons. And then, it’s adios!

-Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger@dailylit.com

Thought we’d bring a little movie glamour this month to our Big Read (actually, three little reads). We’ll be featuring three short vignettes by movie star/author Sam Shepard. In case you’re not familiar with his written work, don’t worry, Shepard, the author, is the real deal—in fact, a Pulitzer Prize-winning real deal. Enjoy them here.

Tom Peters: The Little Big Things

Back by popular demand, management guru Tom Peters returns to DailyLit with his latest book The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence. Inspire yourself daily with tips, anecdotes, and advice—all in the pursuit of excellence. The entire book is available on DailyLit thanks to our sponsor, HarperStudio. Find it here.

Words that Matter from O, the Oprah Magazine

Words that Matter gathers some of the most inspired ideas and quotations to appear in O, the Oprah Magazine over the last decade. You’ll find insights from Maya Angelou, Eckhart Tolle, Alice Walker, Elie Wiesel, Suze Orman and dozens of others on love, friendship, gratitude, success, money and beyond. We’ve got a free taste for you, courtesy of HarperStudio. Find it here.

Reader Challenge: Your Words that Matter

We’re feeling inspired by Oprah’s words and want to know which words you live by. In just one sentence share the advice you’d like to pass on—to your children, your best friends, your family. We’ll choose three of our favorites to win a copy of Words That Matter. Make sure to post your inspirational quote in our Reader Challenge Forum no later than Friday, April 30th at 11:59pm EST to be considered.

New on DailyLit: Sci Fi Channel

Our new Sci Fi Channel is where you can discover up and coming science fiction writers, read recommendations from folks in-the-know, and enjoy excerpts from newly released sci fi books delivered right to your inbox—and it’s all on us. We’re kicking off the channel with a collection of short stories from Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, excerpts from Tor Books, and recommendations from Cory Doctorow. Find them here.

Last Chance for Berlitz Spanish Lessons

You only have have until May 1st to sign up for our exclusive Berlitz Spanish Lessons. If you’re not on board by then it’s hasta la vista, baby. Find them here.

DailyLit’s New Look

DailyLit has gotten a facelift! In order to make reading easier on mobile devices, we’ve changed the look of our installments. Hope you like our new look.

DailyLit News: March 2010

Note from the CEO
How many of you are like me, running around like crazy each day, trying to fit in work, family, and (gasp) a little fun? I’m hoping our daily installments help provide that brief respite to make your life a little richer or at least a bit more fun. You can escape down the rabbit hole with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (this month’s Big Read). Or check out essays from single mother Lisa Kogan, the Writer at Large for O, The Oprah Magazine, who writes about ambivalent men, lunch meat, and scary superstores. And if you ever have time to enjoy a movie (or just want to be in the know), you can read daily reviews from Leonard Maltin’s 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen. Oh, and come join the countdown to Poetry Month with poems by John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Sapphire, and others.

As always, I’d love to hear any suggestions you have. You can write them in our forums or feel free to write directly to me. In the meantime, cheers—to enjoying life to its fullest!

Susan Danziger
Founder/CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger[at]dailylit[dot]com

Countdown to Poetry Month with Updike, Oates and Sapphire
To celebrate April as poetry month (just around the corner), we’ve teamed up with Knopf to launch a Poem-A-Day collection featuring such bestselling authors as John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and Sapphire. Sign up here and join the countdown now.

Essays by Lisa Kogan, Writer at Large for O, The Oprah Magazine
Someone Will Be With You Shortly: Author Lisa Kogan writes for O, The Oprah Magazine, and in her new book discusses everything from her life as a single mother in New York City to her quest for the perfect tomato. She’s nostalgic for that time when you had to walk across a room to change channels and for when there was no such thing as a spy satellite capable of spotting a pre-cancerous mole on your inner thigh. Check out her essays here, compliments of our sponsor, HarperStudio.

Leonard Maltin’s 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen
Discover hidden movie gems or throw around film trivia at your next dinner party. Here’s a taste from reviewer Leonard Maltin who dug up the best movies adapted from books: “The films I’ve chosen are ‘The Door in the Floor’ (from John Irving’s A Widow for One Year) starring Jeff Bridges; ‘Thumbsucker’ (from the novel by Walter Kirn, who also wrote Up in the Air); and ‘The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio’ (from the memoir by Terry Ryan).” You can read more about each of these films here. And get a daily series, compliments of HarperStudio, here.

Big Read: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
You may have heard of a little movie called “Alice in Wonderland” which was just released. Before you see it, read the original on DailyLit, which we’re making this month’s Big Read. Check out Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland here.

Reader challenge: Before I die…
Not to be grim or overly dramatic, but I thought this month we could focus on one of the more important questions in life—that is, what does each of us want to do before we die? Inspired by the same question I saw posted on 5th Avenue (related to the launch of an MTV show, “The Buried Life”—and no, it’s not a sponsor), I thought it was important enough to ask our readers. So, in no more than 10 words, tell us: what do you want to do before you die? Post your life wishes in our Reader Challenge Forum.

DailyLit on Tumblr
We’re excited to announce that we’re bringing DailyLit to Tumblr. In case you haven’t heard of it, Tumblr is an innovative blogging platform that allows readers to follow certain blogs (also called Tumblogs) and reblog posts to share with friends. We’re offering Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; The Art of War; Emily Dickinson’s Poems as our first, what should we call them? Tumblogbooks? Tumblooks? Well, anyway, the countdown begins now, and the books begin on Tuesday, March 30th.

New in our Book Channel
This month we’re welcoming a new guest curator to the Book Channel: Carl Lennertz. He’s a real star in the publishing industry, and I’ve been a big fan of his for years. We’ve also included The Help, featured on The Today Show’s list of “10 Must-Read Books for Spring;” a collection of new Sherlock Holmes adventures; a dazzling debut novel selected by DailyLit staffer Maggie; sensational novelist Joshua Ferris’s latest; and New York Times bestseller You Are Not a Gadget. To start receiving these recommendations sign up now for our Book Channel.

DailyLit News: February 2010

Note from the CEO
I love snow days! I’m holed up in my house, kids outside sleigh-riding (no wonder it’s peaceful!), with time for myself—a real treat! Speaking of which, we have some real treats in store for you this month. We’ve got a short story from Alice Munroe’s new collection that everyone’s been raving about, and we’ve just launched a Berlitz French series, which follows on the heels of last month’s popular Berlitz Spanish course. Oh, and for you SAT-takers, check out our new Kaplan SAT series. Uh oh. Kids just got home. There goes that peace and quiet!

Susan Danziger
CEO/Founder, DailyLit
sdanziger@dailylit.com

Alice Munro: Our Big Read
Writer Alice Munro won the 2009 Man Booker Prize for her lifetime body of work, and people are over the moon about her latest short story collection, Too Much Happiness. We’re excited to feature one of her short stories (”Fiction”) as this month’s Big Read. Life, love and writing all intertwine in one woman’s life. Read it here.

New! Berlitz Essential French (and Spanish)
Given the amazing response we had from the launch of Berlitz Spanish Lessons, we’ve teamed up with Berlitz again to offer Berlitz Essential French. And while we’re at it, we’re offering Berlitz Essential Spanish too. Both series feature bite-sized lessons in vocabulary perfect for travelers (or at least arm-chair travelers), from culture to transportation and accommodations. Read Essential French here and Essential Spanish here. (And if you missed our exclusive Berlitz Spanish Lessons, you can find those here.)

Kaplan SAT Prep
Taking the SATs or have a friend who’s due? We’ve got a daily course for that extra little something—and it’s all on us! Read it here.

Reader Challenge: Love Bites
We heard about this challenge on Twitter and thought it would be a fun Reader Challenge for February. Tell a love story (your own or make one up) in 140 characters or fewer—that is, the length of a single tweet or short sentence. We’ll choose five winners who will each receive a copy of Us: Americans Talk About Love, a collection of folks talking about love. Post your love bites in our Reader Challenge Forum by 11:59pm EST on Sunday, March 7th to be included in the contest.

New Detective Story
We know from our recent survey that Laurel Dewey’s heroine, Detective Jane Perry, has become a reader favorite, so we’re excited to launch the fifth and final piece of original fiction featuring the detective, Promissory Payback. And if you missed the first four pieces, you can find them here.

Our Book Channel
Our Book Channel brings you excerpts from books hand-selected by DailyLit staff and those in the know in the book industry. We’ve recently featured the 2009 Man Book Prize winner for fiction; a new novel that O, the Oprah Magazine called “mesmerizing;” and the #1 New York Times bestselling Happiness Project. What’s up next? It’s a surprise, of course, but count on more bestsellers, award-winners, and buzzed-about titles—the ones everyone will be talking about. Sign up for our Book Channel here.

And, finally, thought you’d enjoy this love sonnet from Shakespeare (I’ve always heard the first line but never really read it myself):

XVIII
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimm’d:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

From Sonnets by William Shakespeare.

DailyLit News: January 2010

Note from the CEO

I’ve been thrilled by your enthusiastic response to DailyLit and how much you appreciate our making all our books and stories free. Now it’s time to share the love. Tell 5 friends about DailyLit—pass on the word at dinner, forward installments to your colleagues, or mention DailyLit to moms at pick up. You can also now use your address book to invite your friends to read along or publish to your Facebook page. Thanks for spreading the word!

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger@dailylit.com

Berlitz Spanish Lessons

Ever wanted to learn Spanish? Enjoy our daily, complimentary Spanish course created exclusively for DailyLit by Berlitz. Available only through May 1st. Read it here.

DailyLit’s Big Read

January is the month of Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, so in his honor this month’s Big Read is his short story “Murders in the Rue Morgue.” It’s the world’s first-ever detective fiction—without Poe’s Auguste Dupin there might never have been a Sherlock Holmes. Read it here.

Reader Challenge

It’s a brand new decade, full of possibilities and hope. This month’s reader challenge taps into that optimism. Complete this sentence: “What I wish for the world in 2010 is….” And remember, one complete sentence only! Share your wishes for the world—literary, political, imaginary, whatever—in our Reader Challenge Forum.

New Feature: Invite a Friend

Don’t go it alone—invite your friends to join you. Now, when you start reading a book on DailyLit, you’ll be able to instantly publish what you’re reading to Facebook, Yahoo, and other sites. And if you open up your address book, you can invite any number of friends to join in one big read-along.

New Short Fiction from Laurel Dewey

Laurel Dewey’s compelling heroine Detective Jane Perry returns in this fourth original piece of short fiction. Here Jane investigates a suspicious death and uncovers secrets she could never have imagined. Read it here. (And find three other pieces by Laurel Dewey here.)

Make 2010 the Year of The Book

Always wanted to read Anna Karenina? Moby Dick? Pride and Prejudice? Make this the year that you finally tackle The Book—you know, one major classic you ought to have read at some point in your life. Take it one day and one installment at a time—you can do it! Check out our Classics for inspiration.

Your DailyLit Story

Thanks to everyone who took our reader survey last month—we loved reading your feedback (and your kind words about DailyLit). We’d like to feature stories about your experience with DailyLit and what you’ve been able to accomplish so if you have a story to share, please email us at support@dailylit.com.

DailyLit News: December 2009

Note from the CEO
DailyLit is now 100% free! That’s right. You heard me. It’s a new era for DailyLit—we’ve ditched the books for pay but will keep our focus on offering you the highest quality books and stories. And with the holidays upon us, remember, you can send any DailyLit book or story (maybe one with a holiday theme?) as a fun free gift to your friends (with your own personalized message in each installment). And if you go away, you can temporarily suspend your book and have it automatically resume for when you get back.
Happy Holidays!

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
sdanziger[at]dailylit[dot]com

DailyLit: Now 100% FREE
We’ve been listening to our readers, and it’s clear that you most appreciate the books we’ve made available for free. So starting now, every book, story and series featured on DailyLit will be 100% free. We’ll be relying on sponsors to help support DailyLit so let us know of any sponsors who may be interested at sponsor[at]dailylit[dot]com. And please pass it on—DailyLit books are now 100% FREE!

New! Book Channel
DailyLit Selects—our series of excerpts from new and noteworthy books—is becoming DailyLit’s Book Channel. We’ll be featuring pieces from special guest contributor Sara Nelson, author of the bestselling So Many Books, So Little Time (and former editor in chief of Publishers Weekly, currently the Books Director for O, the Oprah Magazine). And we’ve also got book recommendations from “Gotham Gal”, hailed as the “woman around town.” All free, of course. Read it.

DailyLit’s Big Read: A Christmas Carol
The choice for this month’s Big Read is a natural. Join us in celebrating the season by reading Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Need I say it? It’s FREE. Read it.

New Reads (All Free!)
—The Book of the Shepherd: Just in time for the holidays comes The Book of the Shepherd, a parable for modern minds that comes “highly recommended for anyone interested in personal spirituality.” Read it.
—New story by Laurel Dewey: In Anonymous, the third original Jane Perry story, the heroine encounters a woman with a harrowing story to tell—and a mystery that runs far deeper than Jane at first realizes. Read it. (Missed the first two Jane Perry stories? Find them here.)

Reader Challenge—Guest Judge Anne Rice
With the holidays upon us and angels getting their wings in re-runs of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” this month’s creative challenge centers around angels. In exactly 50 words, tell a story of an encounter with an angel. Anne Rice, whose book Angel Time recently debuted, will be our guest judge this month. She’ll select her three favorites, each of whom will win a signed copy of Angel Time. Post your encounters in our Reader Challenge Forum no later than 11:59pm EST on December 31st.

Take Our Survey (you could win advance copy of major novel)
We need your help in supporting our move to be 100% free. Please take our short reader survey, which will help us attract new books and sponsors to our site. To sweeten the deal, we’ll be giving advance reader copies of internationally best-selling author Henning Mankell’s new book, The Man from Beijing, to five people who complete the survey. Take the survey.

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