There’s a fun new section on Amazon where they’re touting exciting new and interesting Kindle ebooks — called Books with Buzz! “Discover books that have created buzz, excitement, anticipation…” teases a paragraph at the bottom of the page, “and have garnered great customer and critical reviews alike!”
tinyurl.com/BooksWithBuzz
For example, when I visited the page, I was stunned to discover that there’s a new book called The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee. A journalist moved to a small Southern town that’s the home of the aging, reclusive author. “Underneath the plain, clear language of The Mockingbird Next Door is an enchanting, atmospheric portrait of two sisters and the southern town they inhabit…” reads the book’s description at Amazon. “The book is compelling and charming,” writes Amazon editor Chris Schluep, “and it brings Harper Lee and her world, both past and present, to full life.”
And there’s a huge variety of interesting titles on the “Books with Buzz” page, as though Amazon’s really trying to find something for everybody. “From mysteries and literary novels to biographies and more, you’ll find highlights of recent and upcoming books that you’ll want to dive into,” they explain. “Our 2013 Books with Buzz titles include Bad Monkey by Carl Hiassen, Night Film by Marisha Pessl, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra, The Returned by Jason Mott (now an ABC series Resurrection), The Eternal Wonder by Pearl S. Buck, and a Johnny Carson biography by Henry Bushkin.” (Yes, that was the lawyer that Carson used to mockingly refer to as “bombastic Bushkin”. ) But what I like most is that some of Amazon’s “books with buzz” are new — while others are exciting books that I somehow missed!
It’s also nice that their selection isn’t overwhelming huge, like some of Amazon’s ebook sale pages. If I’m reading this right, there’s just 11 special books that Amazon’s desginated as “books with buzz.” “In 2014 so far, the Books with Buzz selections include The Painter by Peter Heller, Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch, and the upcoming Landline by Rainbow Rowell. Some of them are thrillers and some of them are poignant and heart-warming novels. But they all seem different than your typical Kindle ebook – -because Amazon’s selected them for this special honor — and it’s a really fun way to browse for new things to read!
For a shortcut to Amazon’s Books With Buzz page, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/BooksWithBuzz