Starred Saturdays: week of January 31

Some of you get three days off this weekend.  We don't.  Thanks for nothing, Abraham Lincoln.  (Joking, of course!)

We're apparently still talking about the Macmillan/Amazon tussle.  I just wanted to point out (via Harper Studio) that hardcover new releases only cost two dollars to produce.  The rest of the cost is in the process of making the book (and, of course, the profit) and should be significantly represented in the price of the e-book.  I understand that Amazon is taking the losses but they are also establishing an expected price difference between e-books and paper copies -- perhaps an unrealistic one.

School libraries in the US are going to have to fend for themselves even more than usual as the newest Obama budget eliminates a grant program that was essential for school libraries in low income areas. (via Jacket Copy)

The Millions has a wonderful piece about deckled edges.  Their theory is that simple aesthetic things like this will actually become more prevalent if physical books become more rare.  They also explain deckled edges in the modern bookmaking era and why they still seem to have some variety like the original hand-cut pages.

If you haven't seen this yet, check out LIFE Magazine's slideshow of Famous Literary Drunks and Addicts.  Thankfully, they offer the suggestion that Poe had a low tolerance for alcohol versus the commonly held belief that he was a drunk.  I think it's also interesting that they list their vices--alcohol, speed, cocaine, etc.-- but don't mention the fact that many of the pictured authors have lit cigarettes in their hands.  (via The Millions)

Author Terry Pratchett discusses something other than his books when he speaks to The Guardian about assisted suicide.  It's a fascinating and terribly sad discussion. (via io9)

Salon.com examines book trailers.  Their writer is unimpressed by the quality of most of them and also finds them to be mostly useless in making a decision about the book.  I saw a book trailer during some late night television watching a few weeks ago.  It was the first and only one I've seen on t.v. so far and it was for The Swan Thieves. (via io9)

And finally, I'm not on twitter so I'm missing out on these amazing Earth photos that some astronauts are tweeting.  Luckily io9 posted a few of them.  This is Mt. Kilimanjaro from space.

Hoping for a more light-hearted week ahead,
K