Let the Best of 2011 Lists Begin!

As we approach December, publications and blogs alike have started sharing their Best of 2011 lists. Here's a quick breakdown of the "best of" lists that I've encountered thus far. Have you found others? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Audiobook
As part of their "Holiday Gift Guide," The New York Times unveiled their "100 Notable Books of 2011." Featuring everything from the bestselling Tiger's Wife and the raunchy House of Holes to the heart-wrenching Blue Nights and the thought-provoking Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness, this list is now an audiobook collection on our website.

AudioFile not only lists the best audiobooks of 2011, but also the best voices, providing a well-rounded celebration of audiobooks. Dividing their selections up by a multitude of genres, including author-read, this lengthy list is also now available as a collection at midwesttapes.com.

CD
While Paste Magazine has shared their 50 Best Albums of 2011 list, Billboard is leaving it in their readers' hands. From Best Newcomer to Most Anticipated Album of 2012, Billboard.com visitors can vote for the best and worst of 2011. Polls close on midnight on December 8, so submit your votes now. Then visit Billboard.com on December 12 to view poll winners.

DVD
Want to know what flicks are fresh? Rotten Tomatoes have organized their Top 100 Movies of 2011 based on their Tomatometer Scores. Films have to have 20 or more critic reviews to be eligible for ranking.

Meanwhile, MovieFone has put together a gallery of their best flicks of 2011 so far. The gallery currently contains 25 films. However, at the end of the year, they'll update it with their final top 50 picks.

Bridesmaids made both these lists, making the film's "consider us" Variety cover even more timely. I know I'm definitely hopeful that this breakthrough comedy shines during awards season.

Hot This Week: November 28

Happy Cyber Monday! How was everyone's Thanksgiving?

This week Harry Potter leaps to the top spot on DVD, while Toronto-native Drake's new album reigns supreme over all the latest holiday albums.

DVD

1. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part II
2. The Change-Up
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Crazy, Stupid, Love.
5. Water for Elephants
6. Cars 2
7. Larry Crowne
8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
9. Horrible Bosses
10. Bad Teacher

CD

1. Drake, Take Care
2. Michael Buble, Christmas
3. Adele, 21
4. Andrea Bocelli, Concerto: One Night in Central Park
5. Justin Bieber, Under the Mistletoe
6. Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2
7. Now That's What I Call Music 40
8. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
9. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
10. Susan Boyle, Someone to Watch Over Me

Fiction Books*

1. 11/22/63, Stephen King
2. The Litigators, John Grisham
3. Zero Day, David Baldacci
4. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks
5. The Christmas Wedding, James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
6. 1Q84, Haruki Murakami
7. The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson
8. Hotel Vendome, Danielle Steel
9. The Snow Angel, Glenn Beck
10. The Prague Cemetery, Umberto Eco

Nonfiction Books*

1. Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
2. Killing Lincoln, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
3. Back to Work, Bill Clinton
4. Jack Kennedy, Chris Matthews
5. No Higher Honor, Condoleezza Rice
6. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
7. Seal Target Geronimo, Chuck Pfarrer
8. Blue Nights, Joan Didion
9. Catherine the Great, Robert K. Massie
10. Boomerang, Michael Lewis

*The New York Times has yet to update their Fiction and Nonfiction lists for this week, so the lists shown in this post are last week's lists. 

Amazon Begins Lending Kindle Books without Libraries

Last month, we reported that Amazon had agreed to allow public libraries to lend e-books for its popular Kindle e-reader. Now Amazon has gone a step further, bypassing libraries and allowing Amazon Prime subscribers to borrow books for their Kindles directly from Amazon. Naturally, this has produced a wide range of reactions.

Users Happy; Authors, Publishers Not So Much
Amazon Prime subscribers who own Kindles, of course, have no reason to be anything other than thrilled with this arrangement. In addition to receiving free two-day shipping on any order and streaming of movies and TV shows, subscribers can now borrow e-books for their Kindles without any increase in the Prime program’s $79 yearly fee.¹ This lending benefit only applies, however, to users who actually own Kindle devices—Kindle apps on other devices are not eligible.²

Others, though, aren’t quite as excited about Amazon’s announcement. Among them are publishers and authors, who seem unsure of how Amazon will compensate them when subscribers borrow their e-book titles.³ This confusion has led each of the “big six” publishing houses to withhold their titles from the lending program, forcing Amazon to draw heavily from titles they’ve published themselves as well as from self-published titles.⁴ Thus, this program may offer exposure to authors and titles that otherwise may have struggled to find it. And if it proves successful, you can expect Amazon and publishers to find some common ground and expand the program.⁴

Effect on Libraries
That being the case, some have wondered what this program will mean for libraries. As with much of the e-book revolution, some are calling this a “death knell” for libraries.⁵ And, as with all those other pronouncements, the kindest thing you can say is that it’s premature. As we already mentioned, without the big six publishers on board, the selection of titles available is very limited. There are currently just 5,463 titles available for borrowing by Prime members.⁶

Also, the Prime subscription currently allows members to borrow just one book per month.⁷ That’s certainly not going to be enough to satisfy hardcore library users. Nor do those pessimistic about libraries’ future consider all the other items, services, and intangibles that public libraries have to offer. Not to mention that using the library is completely free! (Well, as long as you bring your items back on time, that is.)

What Do You Think?
It seems from here that libraries are safe from Amazon’s lending service, but what do you think? Have you heard comments from library users who own Kindles about e-book availability through the library or from Amazon itself? Let us know in the comments section below.

¹ http://www.amazon.com/gp/prime/
² http://mashable.com/2011/11/03/amazonlending-library/
³ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/amazons_lending_library_raises_publisher_and_author_hackles/
⁴ http://www.forbes.com/sites/benzingainsights/2011/11/03/will-amazons-lending-library-help-or-hurt-novelists-and-book-publishers/
⁵ http://staugustine.com/opinions/2011-11-08/letter-e-books-will-challenge-future-public-libraries#.TsaBElZ-SfS
⁶ http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_browse-b_mrr_2?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A618073011&bbn=283155&ie=UTF8&qid=1320670642&rnid=618072011?tag=publishmarket-20
⁷ http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/the-amazon-lending-library-is-not-the-library-apocalypse/

Hot This Week: November 21

Turkey Week kicks off with some hot debuts. Mac Miller takes the top spot on CD. Don't know who Mac Miller is? Stephen King's new book and The Change-Up also debut at number one. Meanwhile, not even Bill Clinton's new release can dethrone Steve Jobs.

DVD

1. The Change-Up
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Crazy, Stupid, Love.
4. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part II
5. Water for Elephants
6. Cars 2
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
8. Horrible Bosses
9. Bad Teacher
10. Green Lantern

CD

1. Mac Miller, Blue Slide Park
2. Michael Buble, Christmas
3. Now That's What I Call Music 40
4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
5. Adele, 21
6. Justin Bieber, Under the Mistletoe
7. Susan Boyle, Someone to Watch Over Me
8. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
9. Romeo Santos, Formula: Vol. 1
10. Il Divo, Wicked Game

Fiction Books

1. 11/22/63, Stephen King
2. The Litigators, John Grisham
3. Zero Day, David Baldacci
4. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks
5. The Christmas Wedding, James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
6. 1Q84, Haruki Murakami
7. The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson
8. Hotel Vendome, Danielle Steel
9. The Snow Angel, Glenn Beck
10. The Prague Cemetery, Umberto Eco

Nonfiction Books

1. Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
2. Killing Lincoln, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
3. Back to Work, Bill Clinton
4. Jack Kennedy, Chris Matthews
5. No Higher Honor, Condoleezza Rice
6. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
7. Seal Target Geronimo, Chuck Pfarrer
8. Blue Nights, Joan Didion
9. Catherine the Great, Robert K. Massie
10. Boomerang, Michael Lewis

Happy Thanksgiving!

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The Joys of Visiting the Library

When you say the word “library,” some people will think only of books. While books are definitely a central part of the experience, frequent visitors know that the library has so much more to offer than that. Truth is the library is many different things to many different people. Let’s take a look at some of the different reasons people love going to the library.

Multimedia offerings. Yes, there are books. And not just physical ink-and-paper books; there are also audiobooks and e-books. There are newspapers and magazines. In addition to all the reading material, there are also DVDs and CDs. Some libraries even offer video games. So wherever your interest lies, you’re sure to find something you like at the library.

Browsing. The library makes it extremely easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can get online, search for the item you want, and reserve it, then just go pick it up. But, as Virginia Tech professor Brian Romans notes, there’s a lot to be said for spending some time just browsing and coming across something completely unexpected.

Cost savings.¹ All the items the library offers are available for checkout. Why pay upwards of $20 for the latest hardback bestseller when you can borrow it from the library? You can also check out an audiobook for a long car trip, see the latest movie release everyone is talking about, and explore new music—all for free! That’s something everyone can get behind, weak economy or not.

Job searching. Speaking of the economy, the library offers plenty of resources to help those looking for work. From books with tips on writing a résumé to computers to write it with, the library is a great asset.

Internet connectivity. If you don’t have a computer or Internet connection at home, or if it’s on the fritz, the library is the place to go. You can use a library computer or, if you just need a connection, most libraries offer WiFi access for your laptop or other device. This wireless signal may even be available near the building when the library is closed.²

Social networking. No, I’m not talking about Facebook and Twitter, but actual face-to-face human interaction. Libraries are community hubs, offering many clubs and activities or meeting spaces for outside groups. It’s a great place to get together with friends or meet new ones.

There are any number of other reasons to love going to the library. Speaking for myself, I visit my local library at least once a week. I love the smell of the books and being surrounded by them. I also enjoy being able to check out music by artists I’m not familiar with. How did you fall in love with the library? What do your patrons rave about? Let us know in the comments section below.

¹ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/56428/eleven_ways_to_save_money_by_going.html?cat=46
² http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20111031/NEWS01/110310318/More-than-just-print-paper

Hot This Week: November 14

The Biebs may have taken over the CD chart, but a slew of new releases couldn't dethrone Captain America on the DVD list or Steve Jobs on Nonfiction. Meanwhile, holiday-themed books are taking over Fiction.

DVD

1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Crazy, Stupid, Love.
3. Water for Elephants
4. Cars 2
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
6. Bad Teacher
7. Horrible Bosses
8. Green Lantern
9. Trespass
10. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

CD

1. Justin Bieber, Under the Mistletoe
2. Wale, Ambition
3. Miranda Lambert, Four the Record
4. Susan Boyle, Someone to Watch Over Me
5. Adele, 21
6. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
7. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
8. Michael Buble, Christmas
9. Tyrese, Open Invitation
10. Kelly Clarkson, Stronger

Fiction Books

1. Zero Day, David Baldacci
2. The Litigators, John Grisham
3. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks
4. Hotel Vendome, Danielle Steel
5. Lost December, Richard Paul Evans
6. 1Q84, Haruki Murakami
7. The Christmas Wedding, James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
8. The Snow Angel, Glenn Beck
9. Out of Oz, Gregory Maguire
10. The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides

Nonfiction Books

1. Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
2. Killing Lincoln, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
3. Jack Kennedy, Chris Matthews
4. Blue Nights, Joan Didion
5. No Higher Honor, Condoleezza Rice
6. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling
7. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
8. The Time of Our Lives, Tom Brokaw
9. Boomerang, Michael Lewis
10. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman

Toledo Welcomes the 2011 Ohio Library Council Convention and Expo

The Glass City rolled out the red carpet for the 2011 Ohio Library Council Convention and Expo. The convention took place October 26–28 in Toledo, Ohio, at the Seagate Convention Centre and Park Inn Hotel. The cold and rainy weather couldn't dampen the event as over 120 vendors were on display and show attendance soared.

Midwest Tape was excited to have the event in our own hometown. This is one of the longest running conferences that we exhibit at, and it is a great place to showcase how our company continues to evolve over time with state-of-the-art products and services.  Not only did we exhibit, we were also a Gold Star Sponsor.

Midwest Tape Sales representatives Erin Horne and Mike Riedeman worked the booth throughout the three-day show. “The conference allowed me to connect with established, long-time customers in my territory as well as meet new faces from public libraries around Ohio,” said Erin Horne.

In between workshops or author speaker sessions, attendees walked the trade show floor, visiting with vendors. “Several attendees stopped by to learn more about Midwest Tape offerings. Many just wanted to say how much they enjoy working with us,” Erin said.

This year, OLC decided against the standard banquet in favor of an all-convention reception at the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library. Midwest Tape proudly sponsored the event, which included live hot jazz, light fare, dessert, coffee, and a cash bar. The reception also included a chance for attendees to tour the Main branch, enjoy the Friends of the Library store, view the Mazza exhibit Speak! in the Gallery, and catch up with colleagues.

“The Reception was a wonderful event. The staff of the Toledo-Lucas County Library did an unbelievable job showcasing their crown jewel location. I cannot say enough about how nice and considerate all of the staff at TLCL were throughout the conference. Great food, great music, and the fact that they opened up the entire library to everyone was really beyond commendable,” said Mike Riedeman. “A first-class event all around.”

We would like to say a big “thank you” to the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and the Ohio Library Council Committee for making this such a successful event.  We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2012 Convention!

Doug Evans (OLC), Meg Delaney (TLCPL and Convention Chair), Erin Horne (Sales, Midwest Tape), Mike Riedeman (Sales, Midwest Tape), and David Pett (Director of Marketing, Midwest Tape) are all smiles at the convention.

Hot This Week: November 7

The clocks may have fallen back, but Coldplay didn't. Their new album hit number one on the CD charts immediately upon its release. Meanwhile, Captain America and Stranger Tides are both battling for the top spot of DVD. And while Steve Jobs reigning supreme in Nonfiction is no shock, 1Q84 rocketing to number two in Fiction is quite the nice surprise for this literature lover.

DVD

1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
3. Bad Teacher
4. Horrible Bosses
5. Green Lantern
6. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
7. Fast Five
8. Zookeeper
9. Bridesmaids
10. Scream 4

CD

1. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
2. Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
3. Michael Buble, Christmas
4. Adele, 21
5. Toby Keith, Clancy's Tavern
6. Tom Waits, Bad as Me
7. Scotty McCreey, Clear As Day
8. Lady Antebellum, Own the Night
9. Tony Bennett, Duets II
10. Casting Crowns, Come to the Well

Fiction Books

1. The Litigators, John Grisham
2. 1Q84, Haruki Murakami
3. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks
4. The Snow Angel, Glenn Beck
5. The Christmas Wedding, James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
6. The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides
7. The Night Eternal, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
8. The Affair, Lee Child
9. Damned, Chuck Palahniuk
10. Shock Wave, John Sandford

Nonfiction Books

1. Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson
2. Killing Lincoln, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
3. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
4. Boomerang, Michael Lewis
5. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
6. Three and Out, John U. Bacon
7. The End of Normal, Stephanie Madoff Mack
8. Seriously... I'm Kidding, Ellen DeGeneres
9. This is Herman Cain!, Herman Cain
10. Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy with Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Blackstone Audio at Midwest Tape

This fall Midwest Tape partnered with Blackstone Audio, and we’re excited to announce that we now offer all of Blackstone Audio’s titles with original artwork. Additionally, we’re providing Blackstone’s standing order plans combined with our program’s customizability. Our standing order offerings exactly match that of Blackstone, further simplifying your selection process.

Enhance your library’s collection today with Midwest Tape’s Blackstone Audio Standing Order Plans:

• Top Fiction (10 titles per month)
• Top Non-Fiction (10 titles per month)
• Top Fiction & Non-Fiction Combo (10 titles per month)

Note: Receive notification of plans approximately one month before street date.


Like all our standing order plans, you’ll receive absolute flexibility:

• Plans delivered as carts via midwesttapes.com with email notification
• Easily adjust quantities and add or remove titles
• Plans automatically duplicate checked
• No contracts, minimum order requirements, or obligation to order

To sign up for Midwest Tape’s Blackstone Audio plans or learn more about all our audiobook order plans, contact Erica Messinger at 1.800.875.2785 or emessinger@midwesttapes.com.

Are you excited for Blackstone at Midwest Tape? What other standing order plans would you like to see?