Daily Thoughts 9/3/2010 (the Defector, Barnes and Noble, Strand Books)

Photo showing the address as 221B beside the location of the Shelock Homes Museum in London England, October 2007,Original Uploader, Jordan 1972, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:221B_Baker_Street,_London_-_Sherlock_Homes_Museum.jpg




Daily Thoughts 9/3/2010

I have been reading a little more of The Defector by Daniel Silva.  I like how the setting moves between Italy, King Saul Boulevard in Israel, Thames House in London, and the CIA headquarters in Langley.  It gives the book an international feel. The focus is between the russians and the israelis mainly, the other secret services add a little extra diversity to the plot.  I finished reading the book this evening.  It was quite enjoyable.




I added February and March of 2009 to my book review list.  A little bit each day. I also added three of the titles from this list to Goodreads.  It should work well.  A little bit each day.




I am thinking about getting some free business cards with the new url http://www.bookcalendar.net/ on them to see if it makes any difference.  People make lots of claims about how if you have your own domain, more people will come visit your blog.  I find this a little silly.  Seth Godin for example has the word Typepad in his blog http://www/sethgodin.typepad.com .  Personally, I think it is the content, and the name behind the content that matters most.




Another Barnes and Noble Bookstore is closing in Manhattan.  The Lincoln Center stores is a superstore much like the Astor Place Barnes and Noble was.  I think of it being like Walmart abandoning one of their stores.  A superstore moves in and drives out many of the local stores.  The rent goes up and people have less money because there is less money being put into the local economy by the big store.  Then the big store decides to leave.  It is kind of harsh because Barnes and Noble had a strategy of opening next to independent bookstores which drove many out of business.   http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/barnes-noble-to-shutter-lincoln-center-store/?scp=2&sq=barnes&st=cse#preview 




This affirms my idea that the Strand Bookstore will eventually be the only book superstore in Manhattan.  They even expanded this year to two floors.  They are looking in to put in a coffee bar.  I still haven't seen it.   I hope the coffee is good. http://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/shops/n_8001/