One Sci-Fi Author Wrote 29 of the Kindle's 100 Most-Highlighted Passages 239
An anonymous reader writes "Today Amazon announced that a science fiction writer has become the Kindle's all-time best-selling author. Last June Suzanne Collins, who wrote the Hunger Games trilogy, was only the fourth author to sell one million ebooks, but this month Amazon announced she'd overtaken all her competition (and she also wrote the #1 and #2 best-selling ebooks this Christmas). In fact, 29 of the 100 most-highlighted passages on the Kindle were written by Collins, including 7 of the top 10. And on a separate list of recent highlights, Collins has written 17 of the top 20 most-highlighted passages."
It's pretty interesting to go through the top-100 list and look at the passages people think are worth highlighting. Taken out of context, many of them could be patched together and re-sold as a self-help book. None are quite so eloquent as #18 in the recent highlights.
How did they collect this data?! (Score:0, Insightful)
What is going on here? Amazon is collecting data on what passages we highlight?
What other data are they collecting?
I am going to re-read their end user agreement again before I buy any more books from them.
Hmm. What a co-incki-dinck! (Score:4, Insightful)
Gee, how shocking. A book which is getting a lot of advertising push in the run-up to a movie release just happens to be getting highlighted in an Amazon bookstore function designed to let you see what's popular. Gosh, I guess it must just be practically scientifically, objectively the most read book right now. You should probably buy it and check it out!
Nice passages (Score:4, Insightful)
Astro-turf. Pop culture feel good quotes, coming to a theater near you, and and mindless platitudes. The Harry Potter star-maker machinery is at work again, I see.
'bloomers' for the win. Ben Franklin would have loved that, the ol' whore monger.
Re:How did they collect this data?! (Score:5, Insightful)
Depressing (Score:5, Insightful)
Seeing what statistically significant humans think is highlight-worthy is incredibly depressing. Is it any wonder the One Percent can manage to stay in control? Humans have opposable thumbs and can manage language, but wise they aren't. They can't discern platitudes and doublespeak from actual wisdom.
Re:Depressing (Score:3, Insightful)
Thanks for posting that and saving me the trouble. When I saw the link to the 100 most highlighted passages, I thought great--a few new gems for my personal collection. Wow, was I wrong. Almost none of the passages were insightful or even interesting. For some real insightful and interesting quotes & passages, check out Robert Heinlein's "Notebooks of Lazarus Long". (FWIW, IMHO, YMMV and other standard disclaimers apply)
Re:Depressing (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:great book! (Score:3, Insightful)
Have you read it? Good literature is good regardless of your age, and despite my initial doubts, this trilogy is actually good literature.
Re:great book! (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't worry, no one here is impressed with your intellect. You're free to read something purely for enjoyment.
history repeating (Score:1, Insightful)
When it was Battle Royale it was garbage, but some white lady "writes it",and its a literary masterpiece.], with a multi-million dollar movie & advertising campaign.
wtf?
Re:great book! (Score:3, Insightful)
That was my first reaction, though I've seen plenty of entertaining books inspired by others. Has anybody that's read both Battle Royale [novel] and Hunger Games care to comment?
I doubt there is a great overlap of audiences. The Hunger Games readers are, in my judgment, going to be Potterheads, not weaboos.
Some of them might be old enough to have seen Schwarzenegger in The Running Man, but fewer will have read the book or have seen Series 7: The Contenders. And like with any fad, the majority will think it's new and groundbreaking.
As long as it gets kids to read, I won't complain. Perhaps they'll pick up some other books later, and one day develop critical thinking.
Re:great book! (Score:3, Insightful)
Both books were completely different.
As opposed to only one of them being completely different? Yes, I can believe you're a Hunger Games fan with that feat of logic.
The two are as similar as "Ca Plane Pour Moi" and "Jet Boy, Jet Girl". That is, they're indistinguishable for an outsider, but different for those who are fans. But when you boil away the fat, the exact same riff or plot remains.
Re:great book! (Score:4, Insightful)
People say the same about Harry Potter and Twilight. Those people should be smacked in their mouths with a rolled-up newspaper.
You got modded troll, but you're right.
People don't feel this way about Twilight [freewebs.com] because of the quality writing.