Maine and Missouri enact affiliate nexus laws; SIBA launches read-aloud program Parapalooza; Man Booker Prize longlist revealed; Romance Writers of America announces RITA, Golden Heart winners; Student spending on textbooks increases; ABFFE asks for transparency from Congress; Amazon loses battle to acquire .amazon Internet suffix

Here’s a roundup of some of the reaction from booksellers, authors, and the media to last weekend’s promotion for the Amazon price comparison app.

Sales tax fairness successes continued this week as an attempt to repeal a sales tax fairness law in Colorado failed and the Texas Senate Finance Committee unanimously passed sales tax fairness legislation.

Independent bookstores and other bricks-and-mortar retailers scored a victory yesterday when the South Carolina House of Representatives defeated an amendment to H3488 that would have given Amazon.com a special sales tax exemption.

Late last week, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced a budget deal that includes an affiliate nexus tax. In Texas, a sales tax fairness bill introduced by Rep. John Otto overwhelmingly passed the Texas House.

In the past week, Massachusetts booksellers David Didriksen and Carole Horne and Vermont booksellers Liza Bernard and Chris Morrow participated in hearings in support of sales tax fairness legislation in their respective states.

**Breaking News: As of press time, Bookselling This Week had learned that the Illinois House of Representatives passed HB3659. The legislation now goes to the Governor Quinn's office for his signature. The following article was written prior to the House vote.**

This week, in Illinois, legislation containing a sales tax fairness provision was introduced and was quickly – and overwhelmingly – passed by the state Senate on Wednesday, January 5. The bill, HB3659, moved to the House where it could be voted on as soon as today.

The New York State Department of Taxation is hailing an appeals court’s recent decision that the state’s affiliate nexus law is, in fact, constitutional as a “major victory.”

After SIBA's Southern Social Networking Summit, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe set up a Twitter account. Manager Linda Barrett Knopp said it's one of the store's best moves.

The GetGlue iPhone app offers readers a new way to connect with the Indie Next List.