Books/Publishing News

12 charged after library books worth $87K stolen
AP – Tue Nov 10, 7:33 pm ET

WASHINGTON - Authorities threw the book at 12 people Tuesday, accusing them of checking out pricey textbooks from a public library system outside Washington to sell for quick cash. Full Story »
Co-authors end book deal with ex-Palin aide
AP – Tue Nov 10, 4:22 pm ET

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A California publicist and two co-authors have terminated a book deal with a former aide of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Full Story »
Review: New York's bumpy history as a food capital
AP – Tue Nov 10, 12:57 pm ET

AP

"Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York" (North Point Press. 368 pages. $30), by William Grimes: New York's role as a fancy food capital began in the early 1800s as a pastry shop near the foot of Manhattan, run by two brothers — Giovanni and Pietro Delmonico from Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Full Story »
Review: Burroughs imbibes the holiday spirit
AP – Tue Nov 10, 8:38 am ET

AP

"You Better Not Cry" (St. Martin's Press, 206 pages, $22), by Augusten Burroughs: Even among high-functioning alcoholics, Augusten Burroughs is an acquired taste. Full Story »
Google consulting with DOJ on books deal
Reuters – Mon Nov 9, 5:50 pm ET

Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc and a group representing authors and publishers said they are in talks with the U.S. government over modifications to a controversial electronic books licensing deal and they plan to file an amended version of the plan with the court on Friday. Full Story »
New book shows lavish Shakespeare illustrations
AP – Mon Nov 9, 4:13 pm ET

"Shakespeare/The Illustrated and Updated Edition" (HarperCollins, 256 pages, $29.99), by Bill Bryson: There's no play attributed to Shakespeare about a Puritan woman who whipped her cat for catching mice on Sunday. Full Story »
Review: Samuel Johnson bio shows man behind text
AP – Mon Nov 9, 3:27 pm ET

AP

"Samuel Johnson: A Life" (Henry Holt and Company, 432 pages, $30), by David Nokes: David Nokes, a prominent scholar of 18th-century English literature, takes a fresh look at Samuel Johnson, the man known as the creator of the dictionary. In doing so, Nokes shows a very human side of Johnson, and the perspective of his times. Full Story »
Book Review: Story of WWII told through 3 generals
AP – Mon Nov 9, 2:44 pm ET

AP

"Patton, Montgomery, Rommel: Masters of War" (Crown Publishing, 448 pages, $30), by Terry Brighton: During a dinner in Saigon with some news correspondents in 1971, Gen. Creighton Abrams, the U.S. commander in Vietnam, was asked his opinion of the movie, "Patton." Full Story »
Chinua Achebe returns with a collection of essays
AP – Mon Nov 9, 2:16 pm ET

AP

"The Education of a British-Protected Child" (Knopf, 208 pages, $24.95), by Chinua Achebe: Nigerian author Chinua Achebe's new book, his first in 20 years, is not especially new. And maybe that's part of the point. Full Story »
Review: George Carlin's autobiography is colorful
AP – Tue Nov 10, 4:38 pm ET

AP

"Last Words" (Free Press, 297 pages, $26.99), by George Carlin, with Tony Hendra: In 1987, when he was 50 years old, George Carlin decided the time had come for an autobiography from the groundbreaking comedian who had famously said "The Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television." Full Story »
Review: New bio of Sugar Ray Robinson packs punch
AP – Mon Nov 9, 1:44 pm ET

AP

"Sweet Thunder" (Knopf, 464 pages, $27.95), by Wil Haygood: The boxer Sugar Ray Robinson was a man of glittering skill and deep complexity. So complex, in fact, that several writers — including Robinson himself — have tried and failed to render a full portrait. Full Story »
Lonely Planet offers new Vancouver guide
AP – Mon Nov 9, 1:10 pm ET

OAKLAND, Calif. - A new guide to Vancouver is just out from Lonely Planet's pocket-sized Encounter series. Full Story »
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS
AP – Mon Nov 9, 12:42 pm ET

1. "The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time)" by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson (TOR Books) Full Story »
Financial Literacy: The Time Is Now
BusinessWeek – Mon Nov 9, 8:08 am ET

When it comes to financial matters, Americans are functionally illiterate. Full Story »
Amoeba co-founder pens record-store novel for teens
Reuters – Fri Nov 6, 9:29 pm ET

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Label executives occasionally write books about the record business, but it's far rarer to see someone from music retailing knock out a tome about record stores. Full Story »
Less poetry, music but big Miami book fair goes on
AP – Fri Nov 6, 4:47 pm ET

AP

MIAMI - Poetry and music have been cut and there will be no parade to kick off the Miami Book Fair International as in years past. But one of the nation's leading literary festivals isn't giving up on readers in a bad economy. Full Story »
Augusten Burroughs shares his holiday stories
AP – Fri Nov 6, 2:33 pm ET

NEW YORK - It's not uncommon for people to say that their holidays don't live up to a Norman Rockwell painting, but Augusten Burroughs says his holidays have been "hideous." Full Story »
Review: Arsenault's latest novel a fast-paced romp
AP – Fri Nov 6, 2:15 pm ET

AP

"Loot the Moon" (Minotaur), 276 pages, $24.99, by Mark Arsenault: Billy Povich, former investigative reporter, has been reassigned to write obituaries — his newspaper's way of encouraging him to quit. Full Story »