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Novelist Irvine Welsh spies future in mixed-media

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:10:37 -0400

By Claire Davenport BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Electronic publishing is allowing authors to be more creative and the best ones are successfully blending video and online content with traditional text, says cult writer Irvine Welsh. The author of "Trainspotting" and "The Acid House", who has also written short stories and plays, said e-publishing meant writers had to work harder to grab readers' attention in an age when wireless devices are rapidly replacing paperback books. ...

Book Talk: Of apes and atheists - is empathy evolution?

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:10:42 -0400

By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - For biologist Frans de Waal, a peaceful species of great ape in Africa is a mirror of humanity and a living argument that empathy and cooperation are far from unique to mankind. "The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism among the Primates", argues that both traits may be evolved behaviors based on his studies of the bonobo, which is found only in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other primates. ...

Critics label Dan Brown's "Inferno" a clunky page-turner

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:08:14 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Early reviews of Dan Brown's fast-paced fourth book in "The Da Vinci Code" series labeled it a "clunky" page-turner that will nevertheless delight his fans. Critics said the dark mysteries, mind-bending codes and history-laced tourism in "Inferno" will thrill Brown devotees, but panned the U.S. author for passages they said were more suited to a Hollywood film script than a novel. ...

Dan Brown's "Inferno" novel in hot demand ahead of release

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:06:29 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Booksellers are predicting that "Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown's latest title "Inferno" will become the biggest-selling book of the year, ahead of its release on Tuesday. Sales of the book, which sees the return of fictional symbologist Robert Langdon, have already reached the highest level of customer pre-orders at retailer Waterstones since the release of Harry Potter author JK Rowling's adult fiction "The Casual Vacancy" last year. ...

Merkel says has no secrets about her communist past

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:14:09 -0400

By Alexandra Hudson BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel has dismissed claims in a new book that she was more actively committed to East Germany's communist regime than she has acknowledged, saying she has never kept anything secret about her past. The book, "The first life of Angela M.", says that Merkel, who will seek a third term as chancellor in a federal election in September, was responsible for Marxist-Leninist education in a unit of the state's youth wing, in a role that went beyond the cultural duties she has previously spoken of. ...

'12th of Never' climbs to top of U.S. best-sellers list

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:16:49 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "The 12th of Never," by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, climbed to the top of the U.S. best-sellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "The 12th of Never" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown, $27.99) 18 2. "The Hit" by David Baldacci (Grand Central, $27.99) 1 3. "Whiskey Beach" by Nora Roberts (Putnam, $27.95) 2 4. "Daddy's Gone a Hunting" by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, $26.99) 4 5. ...

Book Talk: "The Last Train to Zona Verde," Paul Theroux's African signoff

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:28:02 -0400

By Randall Mikkelsen BOSTON (Reuters) - Paul Theroux said his literary goodbye to Africa at a train station in Luanda, Angola, five decades after he first visited the continent as a Peace Corps volunteer. In his new book, "The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari," Theroux describes a journey through South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angola that dead-ended at the depot when he felt no need to go further. The book, he says, represents a final chapter on his travels in Africa. Theroux's first book on Africa was a novel. ...

New book teaches children ABCs of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:09:58 -0400

By Jonathan Stempel OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc invests in dozens of businesses, and a new book tries to explain it all to young readers, from A to Z. Two Omaha residents, author Nancy Rips and illustrator Tom Kerr, have teamed up on "My First Berkshire ABC" to teach children about one of the world's best-known companies, and a little about the local billionaire behind it. More than 1,000 copies were sold at Berkshire's annual meeting on Saturday, which draws thousands of people to Omaha, and where Buffett has a say on what gets sold. ...

World Chefs: Richard Blais serves up restraint in first book

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:07:02 -0400

By Richard Leong NEW YORK (Reuters) - American chef Richard Blais may be best known for using gimmicks and gadgets in his television appearances but in his first cookbook, "Try This At Home!", he shows his cooking can be fun and tasty without being complicated. The 41-year-old used often used liquid nitrogen and immersion circulators to make dishes on the U.S. cooking competition show "Top Chef All-Stars," which he won more than two years ago. Blais, a marathon runner and soccer fan, was born in Uniondale, New York and now lives in Atlanta where he owns The Spence and several other ...

Michael C. Hall adapting talent-agent book for showtime

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:58:26 -0400

By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The final season of "Dexter" hasn't premiered yet, but series star Michael C. Hall is already slicing into his next project for the cable network. Hall is working with Showtime on an adaptation of the Matthew Specktor novel "American Dream Machine," about a talent agent and his sons. The novel follows Beau Rosenwald, who arrived in Hollywood broke but by the late '70s has helped to build the most successful agency in Hollywood. The book chronicles Rosenwald as he rises, falls, and rises again - and goes to war with his partner. ...

Author Murakami makes first Japan public appearance in 18 years

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:56:56 -0400

By Yoko Kubota KYOTO, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese author Haruki Murakami made his first public appearance in his homeland in 18 years on Monday, describing his newest novel, which was an instant-best seller, as a story that takes place in the real world, unlike many of his other novels. "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage" has attracted positive reviews, with readers spotting familiar Murakami themes such as people bonding through pain. Publisher Bungeishunju made the rare decision to print 1 million copies within a week of its April release in Japan. ...

'The Hit' soars to top of U.S. bestsellers list

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:23:25 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Baldacci's new book, "The Hit," soared to the top of the U.S. bestsellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "The Hit" by David Baldacci (Grand Central, $27.99) - 2. "Whiskey Beach" by Nora Roberts (Putnam, $27.95) 1 3. "Fly Away" by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's, $27.99) - 4. "Daddy's Gone a Hunting" by Mary Higgins (Simon & Schuster, $26.99) 2 5. "Paris: The Novel" by Edward Rutherfurd (Doubleday, $32.50) - 6. ...

Book Talk: Story of the twin sister left behind in Iran

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:17:33 -0400

By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Mystery shadows "A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea", a novel about a girl growing up in rural post-revolutionary Iran while dreaming about her identical twin sister and the wonderful life she must be leading in the United States - if she is alive at all. Crowded security lines at Tehran's airport, shouting, a girl chasing her twin as a woman in a long coat holds her hand. That is the memory Saba Hafezi clings to after her mother and sister vanish in a haunting tale by Dina Nayeri. Nayeri left Iran at the age of ten for the United States. ...

Death knell for books rung too early as sex sells

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:30:41 -0400

By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - Erotic trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey" helped drive print and e-book sales in Britain to record levels in 2012 with publishers hailing figures on Wednesday as proof that digital books are not killing the traditional market quite yet. Print and e-book sales rose 4 percent to 3.3 billion pounds ($5 billion) after slipping 2 percent in 2011, top British trade organization The Publishers Association said, although printed book sales fell 1 percent and had dropped 5 percent in 2011. ...

Amanda Knox offers her side of sensational murder case in memoir

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:25:31 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amanda Knox, the American student accused of the 2007 murder of her British roommate while both were students in Italy, paints herself in her new memoir as a naive young woman railroaded by a foreign justice system. Knox, 25, spent four years in prison for the murder of Meredith Kercher while they were exchange students in Perugia, a hilltop Italian university town popular with foreigners. Knox, who became a tabloid sensation in Britain and Italy, was acquitted on appeal in 2011. She returned to her Seattle-area home, but Italy's high court last month ordered a retrial. ...

World Chefs: French politicians dish up passion for cooking

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:33:00 -0400

By Chris Michaud NEW YORK (Reuters) - Few subjects stir French passions more than politics and food, so perhaps it was inevitable that the two realms would eventually collide - and meld - in a cookbook. "French Country Cooking," a compendium of recipes contributed by members of France's National Assembly, serves up a lavishly illustrated complement of French cuisine, from rustic one-pot stews to refined roasts and decadent desserts. Jeanette Seaver, the book's translator, spoke to Reuters about the unusual project and the French obsession with food. ...

Book Talk: Man seeks joy at end of life in debut novel by 69-year-old

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:25:59 -0400

By Nick Olivari NEW YORK (Reuters) - Salesman or scammer, Jim makes and loses several fortunes in North America and the Brazilian jungle, but then loses himself as he runs over anyone who gets in his way. Old and broke he falls in love with - or at least has serious sexual desires for - Mara, a beautiful and ambitious Israeli woman fifty years his junior. Strangely and perhaps even more unlikely, Mara falls for Jim - or perhaps what he could be if he could again rise from poverty. "The Dream Merchant: A Novel", published by Thomas Dunne Books for St. ...

Top of U.S. bestseller list

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:18:52 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nora Roberts' "Whiskey Beach" debuted at the top of the Publishers Weekly's bestseller list on Thursday. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "Whiskey Beach" by Nora Roberts - (Putnam, $27.95) 2. "Daddy's Gone a Hunting" by Mary Higgins (Simon & Schuster, $26.99) 1 3. "Talking Eve" by Iris Johansen - (St. Martin's, $27.99) 4. "Starting Now" by Debbie Macomber (Ballantine, $26.00) 3 5. "Don't Go" by Lisa Scottoline (St Martin's, $27.99) 2 6. ...

Libyans find old treasures at Tripoli book sale

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:51:27 -0400

By Ghaith Shennib TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Flicking through an old book about Libyan history he never imagined he could buy under Muammar Gaddafi, Ashraf Hussein points to a picture of Tripoli's main square in the 1920s. "This is where we are standing now, Martyrs Square. Back then it was called Piazza Roma," the 31-year old history masters student said, referring to Libya's Italian colonial days. "Such books were forbidden before because they told the true history of Libya - Gaddafi did not want that. I bought many such books today. ...

Novelist Banks "stunned" by fan support over terminal cancer

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:47:55 -0400

By Li-mei Hoang LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish author Iain Banks, who announced this month he was suffering from terminal cancer, said he was "stunned" by the messages of support he has received from his fans. The "Wasp Factory" author said he was deeply flattered and touched by all the responses left on the website Banksophilia, which was set up by his friend Martin Belk. "Good grief! - what an outpouring of love, affection and respect. I honestly had no idea," he wrote. ...

Late war reporter Marie Colvin listed for top UK writing prize

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:28:01 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Veteran American war correspondent Marie Colvin who was killed in Syria last year was nominated on Thursday for the Orwell Prize, a British literary award for political writing. Colvin, a U.S. reporter for Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, was killed alongside French photographer Remi Ochlik as Syrian government forces attacked the town of Homs in February last year and rockets hit the house where they were staying. "On the Front Line: The Collected Journalism of Marie Colvin" was published in April last year. The book ends with her final written dispatch from Homs. ...

Britain's Hilary Mantel tops women's fiction prize shortlist

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:40:35 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - British novelist Hilary Mantel's "Bring Up the Bodies" tale about Thomas Cromwell will take on five challengers in the Women's Prize for Fiction award in 2013 as she attempts to add to her groaning trophy cabinet. The historical bestseller set in Henry VIII's court has already won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the Costa Book Award. If she takes the Women's Prize, Mantel will become the first person to win all three of Britain's top literary prizes. ...

Led Zeppelin digital-book author Neal Preston: "It's right up the vein"

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:24:08 -0400

By Sharon Waxman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Led Zeppelin, that band that wrote the book on heavy rock, is now helping to rewrite the book on digital publications. Acclaimed rock photographer Neal Preston's new e-book breaks ground for the genre with interactive video, 80 contact sheets and photos never previously published. Preston followed the band throughout the '70s and opened up his vast archive to create a rich, intimate experience with the world of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. ...

Led Zeppelin Digital-Book Author Neal Preston: 'It's Right Up the Vein' (Exclusive)

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:44:15 -0400

Colonial psalm book could sell for $30 million at NY auction

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:17:09 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - One of 11 surviving copies of the first book printed in America is hitting the auction block later this year and is expected to fetch as much as $30 million, which would make it the most valuable book in history, Sotheby's said on Friday. The Bay Psalm Book was printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is being sold from the collection of Boston's Old South Church to fund building repairs and sustain its ministry. The church owns one other copy, and others are owned by Harvard and Yale universities and other institutions. ...