Presumably, you are a reader, the kind of person for whom reading is a big enough part of their life that your friends and family take notice… Let me guess… overflowing bookshelves? The occasional hardcover avalanche?

Welcome to the world of eBooks! You have quite the next month in store for you, building your digital library book by book (or as it were in my case, books by books by books). Soon enough, you will be converting your lists of “BOOKS TO READ SOMEDAY” into eBooks on your device, patiently awaiting a line up, or a hockey practice or that elusive distraction-free afternoon in which to dig in. So let me give you a preview of what you are in for…

Doorstoppers No More!

Perhaps you are a fan of Haruki Murakami and have been eyeing up 1Q84 every time you have been in a book store. Take it easy on your triceps and read it digitally. The latest Murakami masterpiece tips the scales at almost three pounds in hardcover versus the eight to fifteen ounces from your favourite eReader. 1Q84 is not the only book that benefits from being read digitally, all of these amazing reads are slightly on the plump side and work really well as eBooks. No longer must you choose between your lunch and your book.

1. 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami
2. Into the Silence – Wade Davis
3. The Scottish Prisoner – Diana Gabaldon
4. The Passage – Justin Cronin
5. Inheritance – Christopher Paolini

Guilty Pleasures Hidden

Have you been snooping through your children’s bookshelves ever since Twilight and Harry Potter? Have you been eyeing up Kelley Armstrong’s young adult series? The eReader is a real boon to those of you reticent to share your love of young adult fiction with the rest of the lunchroom. Not that you should be self-conscious (there are a lot of Young-Adult Adults out there), but in case you are your new eReading device will be perfect cover as you dive into these titles:

1. Blood Red Road – Moira Young
2. Dearly Departed – Lia Habel
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth – Carrie Ryan
4. The Summoning – Kelley Armstrong

The holiday season can be stressful. Between the gravy and red wine, all you want is some nice light fare to take a load off, ideally on a couch. The perfect companion for these moments is the celebrity biography. One need not be ashamed at tucking into the latest celebrity biography, but in case you like to leave them guessing (Amis, Atwood, and Achebe rather than Arden, Adkins and Agassi), your eReader is the perfect cover. These juicy bios of the stars ought to do the trick.

1. Then Again – Diane Keaton
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) – Mindy Kaling
3. Falling Backwards – Jann Arden
4. All That is Bitter and Sweet – Ashley Judd
5. Official Book Club Selection – Kathy Griffin
6. Le Freak – Nile Rodgers
7. Open – Andre Agassi

Instantaneous Delivery – Books You Didn’t Get for Christmas

Receiving this nifty eReader means you probably did not get the traditional bumper crop of bestsellers under the tree. Now with the magic of eBooks you can get them, right now, even though the stores are closed. Everything you have been eyeing in the bookstore window, but holding off until after the presents have been unwrapped, is available at your fingertips now. Might we be so bold as to suggest a few bestsellers from 2011?

1. The Litigators – John Grisham
2. The Cat’s Table – Michael Ondaatje
3. The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
4. The Sense of an Ending – Julian Barnes
5. The Marriage Plot – Jeffrey Eugenides

When the conversation turns to books around the dinner table, you will want to be prepared to scoop that pesky brother-in-law on all the hot reads from this past year. Here are a few favourites.

1. When the Gods Changed – Peter C. Newman
2. Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
3. The Leopard – Jo Nesbo
4. Nation Maker – Richard Gwyn

Are you ready for the holiday edition of your book club? Pick up some of these soon to be sensations and be a hero to your fellow readers.

1. Blue Nights – Joan Didion
2. The Virgin Cure – Ami Mckay
3. Irma Voth – Miriam Toews
4. The Thirteen – Susie Moloney
5. Midwife of Venice – Roberta Rich
6. Paris Wife – Paula McLain

A Portable Library

One of the changes brought about the revolution in digital reading is the ability to carry a library in your pocket. Think how far we have come from the era where books were only available to the extraordinarily wealthy. Not only are the civilization’s vast stores of knowledge available to everyone, now they fit in your pocket. The books you have returned to over and over again are available, anytime, anywhere and without the tape holding the spine together. Start off with these wonderful books that will keep on giving and giving throughout a lifetime of reading.

1. Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
2. The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank
3. Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith
4. Shake Hands with the Devil – Romeo Dallaire
5. Last Night in Twisted River – John Irving
6. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

To stay up to date on all of the latest eBooks from Random House of Canada and McClelland & Stewart, click here to sign up for our eBooks newsletter.

Facing The Hunter (Doubleday Canada)
Designed and illustrated by Andrew Roberts
David Adams Richards (DAR in design shorthand) gets an original look for his non-fiction. A near-perfect combination of great production values and deftly rendered illustration. The subject matter could have sent this cover in some nasty directions, but understatement and elegance win the day.

Folk (McClelland & Stewart)
Designed by Leah Springate
At the best of times, wrapping a poetry book is a tough nut to crack. The design needs to be evocative, intelligent, subtle and still represent what are often multiple (more often disparate) themes, styles, and metaphors. And all on a non-existent budget. This one succeeds, gracefully. Much like the poetry within.

The White Ballets (Tundra Books)
Designed by Jennifer Lum, illustrated by Rajka Kupesic
If the art and text are the prima ballerinas, then a good designer knows their role is to dance the chorus: enhance the choreography, support those at centre stage, deepen what is already a stellar performance. Herewith a great design allowing the spotlight to fall where it should.

Wingfield’s World (Vintage Canada)
Designed by Kelly Hill, illustrated by Risto Turunen
The challenge: create a fresh look for a veritable publishing icon. Through the years, the various editions and permutations of the Wingfield franchise could fill a library. But none are as charming, eye-catching, and just plain fun as this. A terrific partnership of design, typography, and illustration. And who could resist that dog?

Hope Is Better Than Fear (Knopf Random Canada)
Designed by Terri Nimmo
For our money the perfect cover. From the colour palette to the type choice to the iconic bicycle-built-for-Jack-and-Olivia, everything works; everything respects the man and his legacy. What could have been maudlin, garish, or at worst opportunistic comes off as eloquent tribute. The ultimate irony? It’s not a printed cover at all. It’s an e-book.

Contact:Scott Sellers
Phone no.: (416) 957-1564
ssellers@randomhouse.com

RANDOM HOUSE OF CANADA LIMITED TO PUBLISH
AN E-BOOK ORIGINAL INSPIRED BY THE VISION OF JACK LAYTON.

(Toronto) Random House of Canada Limited is pleased to announce that it will be publishing an e-book original inspired by the vision of late New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton.

HOPE IS BETTER THAN FEAR: Paying Jack Forward will feature a collection of short, personal essays from a diverse line-up of contributors that will reflect upon and look forward on a number of issues that Jack Layton championed over the course of his extraordinary career as an activist, city councilor and federal politician. Civic engagement, poverty and homelessness, the arts, Native rights, feminism and the environment are some of the issues that will be explored in the essays. The roster of contributors includes Rex Murphy, David Miller, Steven Page, Brad Fraser, Jane Doe and Pierre –Luc Dusseault, to name but a few.

“The idea of the project is to ask people who are active in areas Jack was passionate about to help inspire us to keep pushing forward,” says Anne Collins, vice-president of Random House of Canada. “The challenge that we have set for the writers, thinkers and activists we’ve approached is to tap into Jack’s energy, optimism and drive, to reflect on where Jack made an impact and then set us all a challenge as to where we need to go next. In essence, if we were lucky enough to have Jack still with us, what would he be kicking our butts to do?”

All proceeds from the sale of HOPE IS BETTER THAN FEAR will be donated to aboriginal youth initiatives, as designated by Jack Layton’s widow Olivia Chow.

HOPE IS BETTER THAN FEAR will be available through all e-retailers at the end of September.

For more information, please contact Scott Sellers at (416) 957-1564 or ssellers@randomhouse.com

Surveying the teetering towers of old trade paperbacks (and the admittedly smaller piles of hard covers) that clutter up my apartment, I wonder how much tidier things would look today if Kobo were hawking digital versions of Asimov, Hammett, Mamet and Vonnegut 15 years ago. I also wonder if I still need all of these books today. I think I do.

Sure, I’d like to have a little extra space and I now realize that no one is ever going to be impressed by my dust-jacketed trophies, but that doesn’t really matter. Far more important to me is that, for as long as I possess them, these books will remain a token—some small reminder—of the person I was when I read them. They are cumbersome and the thought of moving leaves me feeling despondent, but they are a part of who I am. That sounds a bit dramatic, but surely anyone out there who, out of sentimentality, keeps their books around once they’ve finished them would agree that certain books simply deserve to maintain a physical presence in your life.

Now, don’t get me wrong… there are plenty of books that I would be perfectly content to e-read and then surrender back to the digital ether from whence they came. But what happens if/when those books, the ones that are worth holding on to, are deemed no longer viable to even publish, much less maintain, in print? What will be lost? Can you imbue a Kindle or a jpeg of a cover with the same significance as a stack of dog-eared novels?

Dismiss me as quaint, a Neo-Luddite with a fetish for outmoded technologies or decry me as a self-interested feet-dragger who only wants to make sure he still has a job in 5 years, but I’m really hoping that I never find myself in a world where the only hard copies of my favourite books are to be found in antique shops. If I have to have a point here, let it be that.

So, in no particular order, here are my top-five personal favorite things about my eReader:

1. I don’t have to print out and carry paper copies of manuscript submissions! At least, not on the first read-through, anyway. I still prefer doing my edits either on-screen or, more comfortably, on the printed page with a pen and pencil, but I don’t need to make marginal notes when reading a submission for the first time to determine if it’s something we want to publish. Not to mention, if I have more than one submission to read, I only have to carry around one eReader (rather than three 400+ printed manuscripts).

2. The battery life is amazing! I use both my smartphone and my mp3 player constantly, and their batteries often run down before the day is even through (to the point where I have a charger in my office now to make sure my phone always has at least some juice). But I rarely have to plug in my eReader (in fact, I can’t actually recall the last time I charged it).

3. No one can see what you’re reading (unless they’re looking over your shoulder)! You don’t have to feel nearly as guilty about your choice of pleasure reading on your morning commute or your break in the office lunch room when, for all the people around you know, you could be reading a cerebral tome like Just Watch Me (the second volume of John English’s fascinating biography of Pierre Trudeau) when really you’re indulging your supernatural sweet-tooth with the latest Otherworld novel by Kelley Armstrong (ps – Spell Bound will be in bookstores this August).

Of course, there is a downside to this: I’ve discovered a lot of great books by seeing someone reading something on a bus and thinking “That looks interesting, I should pick that up and see what it’s all about.” The silver lining, of course, is that it’s a great excuse for you to tell your friends, family, coworkers, neighbours and pets all about what you’re reading, since they can’t just tell at a glance.

4. Everything I’m reading is at my fingertips no matter where I go! I tend to have two or three different books on the go at any given time (usually at least one fiction and one nonfiction). Having to carry more than one book around can be a hassle, but my ereader can store hundreds of books for the size and weight of one. I especially like this feature when I’m in the middle of a long commute or a tedious time in a waiting room and I happen to finish whatever I’m reading; I can just open up another ebook and start reading again.

5. I can read one-handed! Have you ever tried reading a trade paperback while eating your lunch without breaking the spine? It’s hard! It’s the same with all but the largest hardcovers, and with those you need enough room on your table to lay them out flat (or herculean strength). With a book that you just can’t put down (like, say, Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner, which incidentally I am LOVING, and which is available as an ePub from Knopf Canada), it can be tough to juggle a book and a spoon/fork/sandwich/home-made, meal-replacing, high-fiber energy shake. But with an ereader you can turn “pages” with the thumb of the hand you’re using to hold it. Reading on your lunch break will never be the same again.

Have you dabbled in eReading yet?

In the past, I would lug home manuscripts like an old burro to mine for that perfect cover concept, that is, until I was introduced to an eReader. So now I no longer throw my massive paper girth around apologetically on buses, planes and trains. The eReader’s portability is flattering to any body shape – slimming and stylish. When I stand on a crowded platform, people seemingly steal envious glimpses at the little device held in my hands. It shouts, “Hey big fella, what do you think of my large reading list?” And it tickles me to think of curious onlookers wanting to know what my jacketless read is. For these reasons, I am liberated by the eReader.

But as do all book designers, I appreciate the robustness of a well-designed bound book. Filled with words dressed with carefully chosen typefaces, the feel of textured pages between my fingers, the consideration given to the case materials, an eye-catching book cover, and the overall production value. An author signature inscribed in ink on the title page is a nice touch – a feat yet to be accomplished in an eBook. And then there’s that intangible experience of reading on a lazy Sunday afternoon without being interrupted with the high demands made by a low battery.

Must book lovers be monogamous? The printed book is a faithful old friend that will be around as long as we want it to be – even if we choose to spend the night with an eBook.

So, whether the words are printed or electronic, get between the covers and take delight in the simple act of enjoying great reads by great authors. Here are a few suggested titles available in both formats for your reading pleasure:

• Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
• Touch by Alexi Zentner
• Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul by David Adams Richards
• Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner
• On the Outside Looking Indian by Rupinder Gill
• The Water Man’s Daughter by Emma Ruby-Sachs

We made an exciting announcement at the Ontario Library Association (OLA) Super Conference in Toronto, Ontario yesterday! Canadian libraries, schools, and colleges will soon have access to thousands of eBooks from Random House of Canada and McClelland & Stewart through OverDrive. Libraries will be able to offer their customers digital books from award-winning authors including Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Judy Fong Bates, and Vincent Lam, as well as international best-selling authors such as P.D. James and Salman Rushdie. To see if your public library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit http://search.overdrive.com.

“The Random House of Canada collection give libraries access to more beloved Canadian authors and titles from historic Canadian publishing houses, such as McClelland & Stewart and Tundra Books,” said Claudia Weissman, international business director for OverDrive. “The addition of these titles significantly expands what was already one of the largest collections of eBooks for Canadian libraries.”

“Random House of Canada is committed to bringing the work of our authors to readers in whatever format the readers choose,” said Lisa Charters, SVP, Digital, Random House of Canada. “We are pleased to partner with Overdrive to bring our authors’ work to even more readers in libraries.”

If you are the proud owner of a shiny, new e-reading device and you are wondering where to start, take some tips from bestselling authors Dan Brown, Julia Glass, Carl Hiaasen, Nora Ephron, and Chuck Palahniuk. We asked these authors about their favorite books of 2010 and the books that top their must-read list for the New Year.

Top Picks from 2010

Carl Hiaasen, author of Star Island
“The Tiger, by John Vaillant, is a terrific true story about the hunt for a man-eating tiger in Siberia. Vaillant is a first-rate journalist, and this book is as much about rural Russian culture and history as it is about the killer cat.”

Nora Ephron, author of I Remember Nothing
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, a book about the interplay of time and music, about survival, about the stirrings and transformations set inexorably in motion by even the most passing conjunction of our fates.

Must-Read Books in 2011

Dan Brown, author of The Lost Symbol
“Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson. The premise sounds chilling, and I’ll be curious to see how Steven Spielberg adapts it.”

Chuck Palahniuk, author of Tell-All
“Don Pollock’s debut novel, The Devil All The Time. No explanation needed.”

Nora Ephron, author of I Remember Nothing
“War and Peace. I’ve never read it.”

Julia Glass, author of The Widower’s Tale
“To the End of the Land, the new novel by David Grossman, is at the top of my list. It worries me how insulated most Americans are from the consciousness that our country is at war. I’m just as guilty as the next person here, yet I am beginning to feel drawn toward reading that keeps me mindful of what it means to be at war for those who are directly affected.”

For more great reading lists featuring the year’s bestsellers, award winners, reader favorites, and more, visit www.eReads.ca

We’ve created lots of fun, helpful lists such as “Doorstoppers: Too big for your bag—perfect for your eReader,” “Great Grisham,” and “Page to Screen.” There is something for everyone. And every ebook featured on the site includes links to each of Canada’s major eBook retailers, so you can easily find your next read with just one click.

So put the turkey in the oven and get thee to eReads.ca to stuff your eReader. But before you do, please enjoy a poem (courtesy of my colleague, Tan Light):

‘Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house,
All boxes were open, the wrappers thrown out.
And you with your Kindle, a Kobo for me,
We’d just settled down for a really good read.
When what to our wondering eyes should appear?
There aren’t any ebooks loaded in here!

Away to the internet we flew in a flash
To eReads.ca to download a stash.
On Martel! On Niffeneger! Kinsella and Bryson!
On Urquhart! On Barclay! On Atwood and Grisham!

From the top of the charts, to the favourites of old
Download, download, download them all!

Are you giving or getting an eReader this year? Which one?

So I asked everyone to bring their favourite e-reader to our last meeting for a little show and tell. I also asked folks to champion their preferred device. Here’s what they had to say:

Sandra received a Kobo for Mother’s Day…

I like the Kobo e-reader because of its price point. At $149, it’s a much easier decision to make to take the plunge to an e-reader. It isn’t too “precious” – I’d be worried about running around with an iPad or something more expensive or fragile. And the e-book purchases are through Indigo, a Canadian company. The stylish aqua leather case isn’t too bad either! -Sandra

Lisa is the proud new owner of an iPad…

I had never considered an e-reader until my husband purchased an iPad. I really did not expect to like it as much as I do. It’s small enough to hold and read in bed, more compact than my laptop and the colour and images are gorgeous. I think I prefer to read printed books but I plan to load up some ebooks to our iPad for an upcoming family vacation. If there’s enough memory and a camera in the next generation iPad, it will probably become my computer. The keyboard is not great so I would need an auxiliary keyboard and obviously still need a phone (I love my Blackberry for email and phone). So the iPad and Blackberry are the perfect combination for me. I can see the appeal of dedicated e-readers, but given the prices I can’t see myself buying one. -Lisa

Elle is the proud owner of a Kindle…

I got my Kindle six months ago, for Christmas, and I can say honestly it has been the best Christmas present ever. When I travel, my husband has always joked about needing an extra suitcase to pack my books. Now I can just load up the Kindle and I only need to take one. While I know the device isn’t perfect (no ability to lock documents, not a terribly efficient “filing” system and a completely inexplicable “page numbering” system) many of these problems are the result of being a first generation product. The Kindle does do other things very well: you can bookmark documents, “highlight” passages and take notes – all valuable features when you spend time reviewing books. Also, as a person who is notorious for flipping to the end to find out how a book ends (yes, I cheat) it forces you to read in the moment. Lastly, I love that the screen is NOT backlit – it really does replicate the book-reading experience remarkably well. The Kindle will never replace physical books. I love the shape and feel and smell of real books, and there is something to be said for the ability to flip back easily to a prior page to remind yourself of something you read previously, but for those books you may never read again, or for space saving, you can’t lose with the Kindle.

I have a Sony Reader. While I’m lusting after the iPad, it won’t replace my Sony Reader for books. No backlighting and no wireless are features, not drawbacks for me. I like to read for hours at a time, and e-ink is easy on the eyes. Plus, I have a little case of ADD, and not being able to check Twitter for a few hours is a good thing for me.

Though most of us are e-reading at least some of the time, we still have a couple if devotees of the printed book. Alice is a Librarian and she’s not buying a smart phone or an e-reader anytime soon…

I read blogs and news online, but when it comes to novels, I want to curl up with a book. Partly because they are easier on the eyes, partly simply the tactile pleasure and book design, a “device” is just not the same as a book. I am, frankly, not even tempted. (Plus, spilling tea on a book is not nearly as disastrous!) -Alice