Fifty Shades of Grey tops NYT Bestsellers - mainly from ebook sales

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Joykins

That's nothing; I was on hold for Mindy Kaling's book and by the time I got it, they had well over 200 folks waiting for it at DC public library....

But, how many copies did DC Library have for those 200 holds?

[Fbone]

5 year wait for Fifty Shades in Boston? How many print copies do they have?

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Not at all. I just find it silly to have 156 holds on just 1 copy. They library should be getting more to help with the wait times.

If only it were that simple. Considering that the book will be made into a movie soon, your library will probably get another copy or two eventually. However, I wouldn't expect that to happen right away. E-books aren't discounted like p-books are. Libraries get p-books from wholesalers at steep discounts so they afford to purchase multiple copies of them. With e-books selling at retail price or higher, it's not always possible to get multiple copies of a popular book right away.

BTW, at a library consortium I'm part of, there are 85 holds on one copy. It's the price you pay for reading a free library copy. *shrugs*

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by Fbone

5 year wait for Fifty Shades in Boston? How many print copies do they have?

Waiting for a print copy may not be any better. If JS Wolf's library is like mine, it doesn't have a lot. I just looked and it only has 1 print copy with 217 holds. To be fair, the library has ordered 30 copies so that will help a lot.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But, how many copies did DC Library have for those 200 holds?

Today:

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
by Mindy Kaling

Available copies: 0 (231 patron(s) on waiting list)
Library copies: 25

Point taken.


Oh, funny, they have 4 copies of the Audiobook and only 2 on hold and she's reading it. If I hadn't been early in line for that one, the audiobook would have been a better and quicker alternative.

Compare to 50 Shades in DC:

Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades Trilogy, Book 1
Series: Fifty Shades Trilogy
by
E L James (Author)


Available copies: 0 (4 patron(s) on waiting list)
Library copies: 5

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fbone

5 year wait for Fifty Shades in Boston? How many print copies do they have?

10 print copies with a wait of 164.

[chilady1]

Timely conversation as I have a DC library card and I went in yesterday and lo and behold, there was the Shades of Gray, Book 2 and 3 right there, available. I couldn't believe it - as a matter of fact I was shocked because I wasn't really looking for the books. I had purchased book #1 and just started reading it.

I swooped down on the books for fear that if I didn't get them - they would be unavailable if I came back. I didn't really take note of how many copies there were because quite honestly I was reeling from the shock of them being available.

[JSWolf]

I am reading my first Nora Roberts book. Well, it's more of a novella. It's the first half of Remember When. It's a story that takes place in the present and finishes in the future with an Eve Dallas/In Death novella by J. D. Robb. I do know that Roberts and Robb are the same author. But I've only read her books as Robb. I do like her In Death series.

[faithbw]

Bumping this up because I saw a link to an article about 50 Shades where the author, Katie Roiphe, surmises that the reason why the book is so popular is because women have a secret desire to be dominated. Basically her argument is that as women have gained more equality in the workplace, in dating, in sexual relationships and in other realms, that they feel a need to still be submissive. One way they can still be submissive is by engaging in BDSM and be submissive in the bed.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...fantasies.html

[BeccaPrice]

Interesting - but my understanding of the BDSM genre is that by far the books talk about male sub, female dom - at least going by the reviews I read at Dear Author of the genre. It's like most m/m books are written by and for heterosexual women.

I think human sexuality is more complex than women feeling a deep need to be submissive. It may be that we're gender-normed to feel that way by our culture.

[abookreader]

Originally Posted by faithbw

Bumping this up because I saw a link to an article about 50 Shades where the author, Katie Roiphe, surmises that the reason why the book is so popular is because women have a secret desire to be dominated. Basically her argument is that as women have gained more equality in the workplace, in dating, in sexual relationships and in other realms, that they feel a need to still be submissive. One way they can still be submissive is by engaging in BDSM and be submissive in the bed.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...fantasies.html

Well I went into the article expecting yet another feminist rant against the BDSM genre - but it is actually much better written than that and there are some interesting points in it.

My main problem though is such a theory relies on the idea that a sexual kink (BDSM, Submission, or whatever) has to be caused by something. In other words, there has to be some deep and important psychological factor behind it. In articles like these it is usually

A. This whole submission desire fantasy thing, well let's not call it wrong but really we all know it just isn't what normally happens. I know my Mom and Grandma never had those thoughts!

B. Then the theory gets presented "Well I know! Women have careers now. It must be those career stresses and having to be so important and decisive at work that is leading to wanted to <whispers> submit."

C. And then the final conclusion is: Well if B is leading to A and A isn't entirely normal because my Mom and Grandma never talked about things like that......... maybe we should just accept that women in the workplace is causing that whole weird sex thing. Then the author usually backs off a bit and says "but of course this is all unproven."

I really don't buy into that, sometimes I think people just go vrroooommmmmmm because they like it.

[Joykins]

Katie Roiphe has a long history of antifeminist writing, FWIW.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by abookreader

Well I went into the article expecting yet another feminist rant against the BDSM genre - but it is actually much better written than that and there are some interesting points in it.

My main problem though is such a theory relies on the idea that a sexual kink (BDSM, Submission, or whatever) has to be caused by something. In other words, there has to be some deep and important psychological factor behind it. In articles like these it is usually

A. This whole submission desire fantasy thing, well let's not call it wrong but really we all know it just isn't what normally happens. I know my Mom and Grandma never had those thoughts!

B. Then the theory gets presented "Well I know! Women have careers now. It must be those career stresses and having to be so important and decisive at work that is leading to wanted to <whispers> submit."

C. And then the final conclusion is: Well if B is leading to A and A isn't entirely normal because my Mom and Grandma never talked about things like that......... maybe we should just accept that women in the workplace is causing that whole weird sex thing. Then the author usually backs off a bit and says "but of course this is all unproven."

I really don't buy into that, sometimes I think people just go vrroooommmmmmm because they like it.

I agree. Plus, what would she make of women who read the whole genre? Or do we only pick and choose the information that fits the facts we want to present?

[JSWolf]

This may actually be made into a movie.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This may actually be made into a movie.

Rights are already sold.