Around the Word

Last week, Suzi LeVine became the first US Ambassador to be sworn in using a kindle. An eBook edition of the US constitution was used.

Neil Gaiman is next to lead the WSJ book club with 13 Clocks, "a 1950 fairy tale by the late humor writer James Thurber." You can purchase it here, or, better yet, follow Gaiman's own advice: "I don't think that anything matches the experience of going into a good independent bookshop."

After 32 years of working with Penguin, Norman Lidofsky will be retiring at the end of 2014 as the Penguin Random House President, Director of paperback sales. More information here.

The Fault in Our Stars movie took in $48.2 million its opening weekend. One reason this is so impressive is that only $30 million was spent on marketing—half of what studios generally spend. Instead, they've put their efforts into social media, engaging with the fans directly. Looking for more novels in the same light? Vulture rounds up 7 books reminiscent of John Green’s bestseller.

Around the Word

Alternative design for Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House finally releases their official logo this week, and reactions have definitely varied. In the aftermath, Publishers Weekly published an alternative design that readers voted on after holding a contest when the merger was first announced.

The Hachette/Amazon dispute  continues as authors such as John Green, J.K Rowling, James Patterson, Malcom Gladwell, and even Stephen Colbert  speak out against Amazon. Missed out on all the news regarding the disagreement? LA Times breaks it down in 13 easy steps.

Amy Einhorn leaves the imprint she founded at Penguin Random House and joins Macmillion’s Flatiron Books imprint as senior VP and publisher. Originally a non-fiction imprint, Einhorn will be bringing her literary and commercial fiction background along with a staff of fiction editors to Flatiron Books.

Maya Angelou’s Memorial service will be broadcast live from Wake Forest University where she has taught since 1982. Tune in June 7, 2014 at 10 a.m. to watch.

Around the Word

Merger Mania
The long-awaited Penguin / Random House merger is complete. Penguin issued a statement, saying, "Today, Penguin Random House becomes the first truly global trade book publisher." They didn't use any of the quirky new names many were hoping they would (Penguin House! Random Penguin!), but they do have a spiffy new website. Publishers Weekly released an article with information about which employees will be moving where, and what the structure of the new company will look like. Publishing Perspectives' Dennis Abrams interviewed industry insiders on the merger and what it will mean for all of us.

The Kids are All Right
Lots of great new YA books have been appearing on the shelves in time for summer. Check out Book Riot’s Ultimate Guide to YA Summer Reading for a list of books that stand out from the crowd. Publishing Perspectives takes a look at an interesting new trend in in books for young adults: the "home-grown series." Simon & Schuster's children's division pioneered this movement, which involves "editors creating story arcs and characters in-house and then finding authors and illustrators to put the ideas into books." If even a YA novel is too heavy for your poolside reading, try the digital comic Lil’ Gotham, which is great for older readers as well. Kelly Thompson talks about the merits of the comic on Lit Reactor.

Book Art / Art Books
Comic books like Lil’ Gotham aren’t the only example of what great things can happen when art and literature combine. In a series of stunning photographs, photojournalist Steve McCurry captures readers and their books all around the world. Russian-born artist Ekaterina Panikanova takes a different tack, painting directly onto the pages of old books to create beautiful, textured paintings. Some authors combine the spheres of painting and reading in a less literal way, as seen in this Lit Reactor piece on five painters who are also authors.