“Based on the books in your collection,” the Facebook notification read, ” we thought you might like the New York Times best-selling author, Arthur Phillips’, new book The Song is You.”
A quick google-search came up with a book which the New York Times described as “[reading] like a maladroit mash-up of the romantic comedy “Sleepless in Seattle” (..) and one of those creepy, straight-to-video movies, in which a famous beauty is pursued around the world by an obsessive fan.” and which its publisher is trying to promote using the tag-line “Julian Donahue is in love with his iPod.”
Some days I wish I were still running my literary blog, so I wouldn’t be so out of the loop. Has Facebook moved into target-marketing literary geeks – or am I just super-priviledged? Is Arthur Phillips Spring ’09′s Jonathan Safran Foer or just a random no-name author whose publisher has paid hefty sums to social networks in a desperate attempt to shift copies? Should I even care enough to blog about this?
Regardless, I am not the reader you are looking for, dear Facebook notification. The book in question sounds absolutely vile and quite unlike anything I’d even consider reading.
In unrelated news, I have contracted the girly version of manflu which means I’m on the verge of dying. In lieu of flowers, please send skeins of Malabrigo or Noro Cashmere Island .. *cough, splutter, cough*
How about hugs in the meantime as I have no luxury yarns to hand?
I really enjoyed following your links yesterday, particularly to Amy the athlete.
Hope you feel better soon. x K
YOu may want to look at the NYTIMES April 12 Sunday, Book Review Section, for another point of view. Thank you. or check his web site.
He has three previous successful books, so he is not exactly “no- name”
Oh, I love these vanity searches! Honestly, “Ann”, yes he is. And I’ve removed your link.