Death of the paperback

These are dark and stormy times for the mass-market softcover, the NY Times reports.

Vancouver Observer 
Sep 3rd, 2011
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Cheap romance novels for the beach or cottage? Vaguely political thrillers for that boring plane ride? They may be endangered species.

According to the New York Times, although "mass-market paperbacks have always been prized for their cheapness and disposability, something even more convenient has come along: the e-book."

The newspaper goes on to note that "recession-minded readers who might have picked up a quick novel in the supermarket or drugstore are lately resisting the impulse purchase."

Are we really supposed to Kindle that Clive Cussler? The Times has the whole story here.

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