Charles Yu reads from his book How To Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe at McNally Jackson Books in NYC.

We recently launched the Digital page on KnopfDoubleday.com. This page allows our publishing group to feature its enhanced ebooks, apps, and ebook collections. I’m really happy with how our page works, especially the way we’re able to showcase screenshots of what the actual ebooks or apps looks like. It was designed and built by the excellent design outfit Being Wicked, who redesigned the overall site last year. Currently featured in the top module is the enhanced ebook of How To Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. I highly recommend checking out that book, either the ebook or the hardcover. It’s a really clever novel.

Very interesting Booktwo.org post on book cover design now that we mostly see book covers as “blurred little icons” on websites. Definitely worth a read. (via @jacobbronstein)

Michelle Zaffino does video book reviews at inthestacks.tv. Check out the review of One Day below:

“I know you can’t be expected to read a whole book review in a newspaper anymore. No… You need book reviews that are fast, casual, video… So this is the first in a series of weekly VIDEO book reviews…”

Great stuff. Ron Charles is truly a totally hip VIDEO book reviewer (found via Hannah Tinti’s Twitter).

More about Bilton and his book at nickbilton.com.

This makes sense for an author like Seth Godin — he has a platform and a following, and he writes books with a very targetable audience. As Godin points out, he knows who his readers are. And with the rise of ebooks, which essentially removes the complexities and costs of distribution and inventory, the process of getting his books to his customers, though not simple by any means, is much more manageable and cost-effective.

Godin explains his decision here and in a MediaBistro interview. Jacket copy has a good post on Godin’s announcement, and the WSJ published this informative news story.

Really clever powerpoint from Jennifer Egan’s new book A Visit from the Goon Squad.

So much is happening in the world of books. The transition to digital is in full swing. How we actually read books is changing. Most of this is good, because the old ways are not going to go away. The end result will be more options – in how we read, what we’ll have access to, how we’ll find things. But there are aspects to the change that are not so cut and dry — conflicting interests and a hazy long-term view make it difficult to fully understand exactly what it will mean not just right now, but in the future, for the various parties involved – writers, publishers, and readers. The Google Book Settlement is an example of this. It is definitely something everyone should understand — I thought this article posted at io9 by Annalee Newitz did a great job of exploring some of the major issues on the table with regard to the settlement — 5 Ways The Google Book Settlement Will Change The Future of Reading.