No More People Magazine Book Reviews

I was sorry to read in the latest edition of Early Word that People Magazine will no longer have their Book Review section. I have always enjoyed reading their reviews and thought they had a pretty good handle on what people like to read and were reading. I chose many of the books I purchase for the library from their top picks.
Susan

Read the article below:

When opening the new issue of People magazine, you may wonder where the Books section is. Unfortunately, along with the other reviews sections, it is gone. Books, movies, TV and music will now be combined in an upfront section, “People Picks,” where they will also have new competition from apps, games, viral video and other entertainment.

The last issue with

a Book section

In the inaugural “Picks” section, books appear towards the end (ahead of the DVD of the HBO series, True Detective and the streaming musical, side effects, with just three new hardcovers, all of them by well-known authors – Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, Diana Gabaldon’s Written in My On Heart’s Blood, and Lisa See’s China Dolls – as well as three paperback reprints, also from big names.

This is the first major change to the magazine under the new Editorial Director, Jess Cagle who took over in January. It seems his predecessor, Larry Hackett, had considered making changes to the sections, but kept them to support partial advertising pages.


The book business has had to suffer the diminishing, or closing, of many book review sections. Given People magazine’s extensive reach, this may be the worst blow of them all.