Book briefs: Bookstore offers refunds for 'Go Set a Watchman'

Welcome to your weekly roundup of book news and literary highlights from The Thread.

This week, Japan outpaces the U.S. in e-books, while a bookstore in Michigan offers unsatisfied readers a refund for "Go Set a Watchman."

Who reads the most e-books?

When e-books first hit the market, thousands of articles declared "print is dead!" So far, however, rumors of print's demise seem to have been greatly exaggerated.

Paperbacks and hardcovers still outsell digital copies. In the first half of 2014, according to a survey by Nielsen Books & Consumer, e-books made up only 23 percent of book sales.

But that was in the U.S. Other countries have been embracing e-books at dramatically different rates, according to recent stats from Statista.

Statista's research shows that the average Japanese e-reader user will spend $86.50 on titles this year — the highest average around the world. Readers in the United Kingdom aren't far behind, on pace to spend an average of $84.40 each. The U.S. comes in fifth, with an average of $46, barely more than half of Japan's spending.

Since e-book pricing varies widely, from as low as 99 cents to as much as $30, it's impossible to translate the spending numbers into an exact number of titles. It could be that Americans read more free e-books (yes, there are lots of free e-books). They could also be borrowing e-books from the library (yes, you can do that, too). Or, of course, Americans could just be reading less than other countries.

Whatever the answer, it's clear that while U.S. companies like Amazon and Apple spurred the e-book boom, other countries have adopted the technology with greater fervor.

Bookstore offers to refund "Go Set a Watchman" buyers

Harper Lee's long-awaited second novel set sales records when it shelves in early July. But for many readers, it wasn't love at first page.

"Watchman," which is actually the first draft of "To Kill a Mockingbird," gave readers a new, unflattering view of Atticus Finch and his racist opinions.

Brilliant Books in Traverse City, Mich., was so disappointed in the way "Watchman" was marketed that it is offering refunds to buyers.

Owner Peter Makin told Melville House that he made the decision after a longtime customer told him "Watchman" wasn't the book she had been led to believe it was.

"I immediately apologized, and offered her a refund, which she accepted. I realized then that we needed to offer the same thing to all our customers," Makin said.

The store posted a message on its site, writing that it wants "to be sure that our customers are aware that 'Go Set A Watchman' is not a sequel or prequel to 'To Kill A Mockingbird.'' Neither is it a new book. It is a first draft that was originally, and rightfully, rejected."

The store criticized the marketing of the book, claiming it should have been released as an academic text, not "a nice summer novel."

The world wants more Trump now

Journalist Michael D'Antonio's biography of Donald Trump was already in the works before Trump made his latest presidential run official, but increased interest in the tycoon has led St. Martin's Press to move up the release date.

"Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success" was originally scheduled to be released in January, but those curious about the real estate mogul can now get the book in October.

According to publisher Thomas Dunne,"The revealing new biography draws on multiple exclusive interviews with 'the Donald' himself." D'Antonio also interviewed those close to Trump, including his adult children.

Despite criticism over recent remarks regarding John McCain and immigration, Trump is currently the front-runner in the Republican primary race. What happens next could fill a whole other book.

For those who can't wait, Trump has already written several books about his own life, including "Trump: The Art of the Deal" and "Trump — Never Give Up."