A writer from New Zealand named Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) once said, "The pleasure of all reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books."

"Each time we re-read a book we get more out of it because we put more into it; a different person is reading it, and therefore it is a different book."

"Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends."

"The oldest books are only just out to those who have not read them."

"What we become depends on what we read after all the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is the collection of books." -Thomas Carlyle

Legal Action in the Book Industry:

On June 23rd, a district court judge denied the plaintiffs' request in the suit against Oregon's minors' access law that would have blocked enforcement of the law until the trial is completed. The judge set the trial for October 3rd, 2008. The Minor Access Law makes it a felony to allow any minor under 13 to view or purchase a "sexually explicit" work. The plaintiff's are 6 Oregon area booksellers, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) in addition to a few other related organizations/groups. The groups filing the suit were disappointed in the judge's decision to leave the block in place until the trial is held, but they were glad the trial was given an early date.

The scheduled trial will judge the constitutionality of the statute that blocks the display and sale of books and magazines that plaintiffs reiterate are "protected by the first amendment."

For more information visit the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE).

Online Destinations for Those Who Love Books and Reading!

There are more and more websites popping up that cater to readers! Here are a few of our favorites:

LibraryThing.com: This site encourages users to input their personal library with reviews of books they've read. It is particularly useful for discovering new titles that you'll like by accessing other users' libraries that have similar reading tastes. You can also easily look up specific works by title and author. And from the publisher's perspective they've got a great early reader review program (and it's free of charge for the initial year or so which is an extra bonus!)

Shelfari.com: Another great site about books with some fun and interesting features for readers. It's easy to meet other readers with similar likes and dislikes and it's just as easy to stay anonymous and just read through the online discussions to get an idea of what you'd like to read next (and what you really DON'T want to read next!) And they've been doing a bit of revamping! We're looking forward to checking it out again soon!

BookSprouts.com: This is an online book club site. While the "book club" function could be incorporated into the more extensive sites, for some the simpler the better. This particular site is a new addition to the crowd and looks like it might be a great choice for those who are looking to arrange a reading group online (or even for those who want to arrange for some easy communication between the members of a longstanding reading group that meets monthly or bi-monthly, etc.) Check it out. It's got easy to use nomination and voting features to ensure that everyone in the group is as involved as they want to be and up to date on the latest info!

This is just a tiny portion of the huge mass of sites available to the avid reader online. Get out there and discover the site that accommodates your specific needs today!

Watch for Reviews of LJW Titles

Review copies of LJW Publishing's two upcoming releases have been sent out so you can be on the lookout for reviews of both 21st Century Advertising for New Home Builders and Meeting Lizzy. The books have been sent out to the big book reviewers in the publishing industry (both print and online publications), but LJW Publishing is just as excited to hear back from early reader review programs. Early reader review programs select random readers in the book's target market and provide them with copies prior to the actual publication date in exchange for reader reviews. It should be interesting! Watch for reviews from readers at LibraryThing.com and FlamingNet.com.