Book links roundup: U.S. government speaks on Kindle deal, Macmillan to release erotic Jane Eyre, and more

• U.S. State Department speaks out about Amazon Kindle deal
• Pan Macmillan acquires erotic retelling of Jane Eyre
• CBC commissions Jack Layton biopic
• Self-published ebook gone viral lands seven-figure deal with Penguin
• Amazon and R.R. Bowker among nine companies applying for “.book” Internet domain name extension
• OR Books and Books on Demand team up for new distribution model
• 5Y Media launches first Spanish ebook review magazine
• Google eBookstore launches in Germany
• A recap of the Writing for a Digital Age conference

Jack Layton: the author

Condolences are pouring in for federal New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, who died this morning from cancer. Aside from being one of the country’s most passionate politicians, Layton should also be remembered as an accomplished author.

In 2000, during his time as a Toronto city councillor and affordable housing activist, Layton wrote Homelessness: The Making and Unmaking of a Crisis (Penguin Canada). Layton’s vision for the country, Speaking Out: Ideas That Work for Canadians, which Q&Q called “brightly written,” “articulate,” and praised for its theme of “positive thinking,” was published by Key Porter Books in 2004, as was his 2006 memoir.

Layton’s eloquence is still apparent in his final letter addressed to Canadians.

Tom King ain’t goin’ to Ottawa

Though the NDP made significant inroads in last night’s election, it wasn’t enough to propel Thomas King into a seat in Parliament. The renowned author and budding politico lost badly in his hometown riding of Guelph, coming in fourth with a mere 9,709 votes. (The winner was Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote, who received 18,977 votes.)

Here’s how the Guelph Mercury assessed King’s electoral performance today:

The quickest one out of the gates back in the summer was Tom King. With the full support of New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton, who visited this city at a regular clip right through the summer, King had plenty of momentum that made him a threat to take the byelection. But it seemed as soon as we switched to general-election mode, the wind left King’s campaign.

A shout out to Mr. Olive

You’ve got to scroll down a ways, but political columnist David Olive makes a few pointed comments on the state of book reviewing in a posting on his Toronto Star election blog. Olive does a very funny mini-critique of Don Martin’s National Post review of Jack Layton’s new book, which, Olive implies, doesn’t have a lot to say about the actual book. We also couldn’t help but notice a slightly veiled compliment of Q&Q‘s own book coverage.

Related links:
David Olive’s Toronto Star election blog