Zoomii.com

Zoomii.com is pretty cool; take 30 seconds to check out this most virtual of bookstores.

Amazon's 2008 Christmas its best ever

Although eWeek reports that online holiday shopping in 2008 dropped 3%, Amazon.com claims that its sales were the site's "best ever" in this news release that also boasts many 'fun facts', such as that:

"The weight of all GPS devices sold [on Amazon.com] from Black Friday through December equals the combined weight of 151 Mini Coopers."

"Amazon sold enough Coldplay CDs that laid side by side they'd stretch from Seattle to Violet Hill (a street in London and the album's first single) and more than halfway back."

This may not be good news to the environmentally-conscious--just think of the toll on our planet--but it is certainly good news to Amazon's shareholders.

More from SeekingAlpha.com: Amazon Sales Up While Most Retailers Suffer.

"115 new bookstores opened in 2007"

According to this article at thebookstandard.com, 115 new independent bookstores opened in the U.S. in 2007. How this compares to the number that closed I don't know; that is probably the most balancing question.

Textbooks: higher-priced than ever, but the Internet offers the lowest prices

Check out this article at InsideVandy.com.

Are eBooks the future of books?

Opinions are mixed. Read eBook readers turning page on paper formats at SpringfieldNewsSun.com. This article believes that e-books are a big part of the future.

Excerpts:

"Amazon sold out of its initial inventory in five and a half hours, said Kindle's spokesman Drew Herdener. ... 'Kindle is for readers, and readers read books,' so Kindle and bookstores have the same customer base, he said. 'The physical book is not going away overnight. These two will coexist for quite a while,' he added, and bookstore owners and employees seem to agree with him."

"'"Borders is embracing the eBook format.' ... Borders partnered with Sony to sell Sony's eBook reader and is selling more than 25,000 eBooks, allowing the store to prepare for the future, she said."

Says the owner of a Christian bookstore that is closing soon: "'This is the future of reading and bookselling,' he said, when the devices are reasonably priced, which might take some time."

Unique opportunities for book buyers online as people unload books they *didn't* want for Christmas

Read about it in these two December 27 articles:

Post holiday re-sales find a niche online - Ottawa Citizen

Christmas booty offloaded online - The Age (Australia)

Free online book exchange/swap: Paperbackswap.com

I just read about a website called paperbackswap.com in an article at dothaneagle.com. (Read the article here.)

Paperbackswap.com averages 35,000 swaps a week, and features 1.7 million books.

"All you need is an e-mail address, a mailing address and at least 10 books you’re willing to list on the Web site and swap with other users. The only cost is postage and a few extra services a user may choose to use. Each new user gets two credits in order to select their first two books."

"Users receive an e-mail when someone wants a book they have listed on the Web site. With every book mailed, a user receives another credit to select books."

"Paperback Swap lists hardcover books and audio books. It also has discussion forums and chat rooms for members. There are separate sites for CD and DVD swapping."

"Laura Martin of Dothan has used the service for 18 months. An admitted book hoarder, Martin said she uses the service to fill out her collections of favorite authors. She’ll list and swap books that she doesn’t like enough to keep and re-read."