A Vook is a blend of, you guessed it, a book and video–high-quality multimedia content that's designed to complement the text. Available in web-based and mobile form, a Vook takes 6-8 weeks to make, according to Sallay, and features work from the company's roster of  more than 10,000 independent film producers. The company is working with Simon & Schuster, harperstudio (a division of Harper Collins), and independent authors. So far, Vooks offered on the site range in price from $2.99 to $6.99. I took a peek at the Sherlock Holmes Experience they developed with the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and was intrigued. What would a Vooked version of, say, Clarissa, look like, sound like? Beloved? Would this complement the reading experience or simply lead my students to "watch the video" rather than engage with the text?

"We’re still learning what the right genre is and what works well as a Vook," says Sallay.  "The case for non-fiction is clear. Video has a clear value add to the proposition of a text. Fiction is a bit interesting, different. Some people have absolutely fallen in love with the medium and the piece of candy they get—reading, then watching a video, then going back to the text. Some people hate it, because they say it interrupts the reading."

And still, there is one unanswered question, especially for independent authors: How much does it cost to Vook a book?

What do you think? Does the Vook leap over eReaders like the Kindle and Sony's device, or is this just a fad?