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"Stolen Prey" tops bestsellers list

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:46:28 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Stolen Prey" jumped straight to the top of Publishers Weekly best-sellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "Stolen Prey" by John Sandford (Putnam, $27.95) - 2. "11th Hour" by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown, $27.99) 1 3. "The Columbus Affair" by Steve Berry (Ballantine, $27) - 4. "Deadlocked" by Charlaine Harris (Ace, $27.95) 3 5. "Calico Joe" by John Grisham, (Doubleday, $24.95) 7 6. ...

Book Talk: Author explores Jewish sect she left

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:46:50 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - Like the characters of her book, Anouk Markovits grew up inside the strict Satmar Hasidic Jewish sect, where reading novels was frowned upon and she was expected to wed in an arranged marriage at a young age. Markovits, a native of France, broke away from the community, as does Atara Stern, one of the daughters of the family in "I Am Forbidden." But most of the book centers on those who remain behind, especially the young couple Mila and Josef, whose infertility and desire for a child sets them on a collision course with tenets of their faith. ...

"11th Hour" debuts at top of bestsellers list

Thu, 17 May 2012 15:18:41 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "11th Hour," jumped straight to the top of Publishers Weekly best-sellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "11th Hour" by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown, $27.99) - 2. "Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel (Holt, $28) - 3. "Deadlocked" by Charlaine Harris (Ace, $27.95) 1 4. "In One Person" by John Irving (Simon & Schuster, $28) - 5. "The Road to Grace" by Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, $19.99) - 6. ...

Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes dies at 83

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:07:14 -0400

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Carlos Fuentes, one of Latin America's best-known authors and a critic of governments in Mexico and the United States, died on Tuesday after a literary career spanning more than five decades. He was 83. Fuentes wrote more than 20 novels and several collections of short stories. His best-known works include "The Death of Artemio Cruz," "The Old Gringo" and "The Crystal Frontier." "The Old Gringo" was the first U.S. bestseller by a Mexican author and was made into a movie in 1989 starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda. ...

Holocaust novel wins British foreign fiction prize

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:22:37 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - The tale of an 11-year-old boy hidden from the Nazis by a prostitute has won a fiction prize which celebrates writing translated into English. "Blooms of Darkness" by 80-year old Israeli Aharon Appelfeld was awarded the 2012 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize at a ceremony in London. It tells the story of Hugo, who is brought by his mother to a local brothel, and his deepening relationship with Mariana, one of the women who work there. The book shows how the best of human nature can come to the surface even in the most horrific circumstances, Appelfeld said. ...

Book Talk: Memory and re-invention with Allison Winn Scotch

Thu, 10 May 2012 20:19:03 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - A fear of flying inspired bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch's latest book, centering on a woman who awakes in a hospital with total amnesia, one of two people left alive after a massive plane crash. "The Song Remains the Same" follows Nell Slattery as she tries to piece together her former life even as her nearest and dearest - her husband, mother and sister - all feed her information about who she was in line with their own personal agendas and issues. Scotch spoke with Reuters about her book, identity and who we are without our memories. ...

Book Talk: Memory and re-invention with Alison Winn Scotch

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:09:02 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - A fear of flying inspired bestselling author Alison Winn Scotch's latest book, centering on a woman who awakes in a hospital with total amnesia, one of two people left alive after a massive plane crash. "The Song Remains the Same" follows Nell Slattery as she tries to piece together her former life even as her nearest and dearest - her husband, mother and sister - all feed her information about who she was in line with their own personal agendas and issues. Scotch spoke with Reuters about her book, identity and who we are without our memories. ...

Nobel winner Pamuk opens novel museum in Istanbul

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:17:18 -0400

ISTANBUL (Reuters Life!) - Nobel prize-winning Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk realizes a long-nurtured dream on Saturday with the opening of an actual "Museum of Innocence" - a collection of relics of a half-century of ordinary life - as depicted in his 2008 novel of the same name. Pamuk set out "not to do a spectacular or monumental museum but something in the backstreets, something that represents the daily life of the city," he told a news conference after a press preview. ...

"The Innocent" soars to top of bestsellers list

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:49:25 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Baldacci's latest novel, "The Innocent," shot to the top of Publishers Weekly best-sellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "The Innocent" by David Baldacci (Grand Central, $27.99) - 2. "The Witness" by Nora Roberts (Putnam, $27.95) - 3. "Calico Joe" by John Grisham 1 4. "Unnatural Acts," Stuart Woods (Putnam, $26.95) - 5. "Guilty Wives" by James Patterson & David Ellis (Little, Brown, $27.99) 2 6. ...

Book Talk: 15 cars that shaped American life

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:20:55 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Author and journalist Paul Ingrassia is a passionate car buff who covered the automobile industry for more than 25 years, working for the Wall Street Journal and winning both a Pulitzer Prize and Gerald Loeb Award with Joseph B. White in 1993. In his new book, "Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars," Ingrassia, now the deputy editor-in-chief of Reuters, looks at autos such as Henry Ford's Model T, the Chevy Corvette and the Chrysler Minivan and how each uniquely impacted American life. ...

Steve Harvey tells moviegoers how to "Think Like a Man"

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:58:37 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Steve Harvey is a veteran of stand-up comedy and television with programs like his sitcom "The Steve Harvey Show" and the game show "Family Feud," which he currently hosts. This Friday, his 2009 bestselling, non-fiction book "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment" gets the big screen treatment in comedy film, "Think Like a Man." With an all-star cast including Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Romany Malco, hip-hop singer Chris Brown and Oscar nominated actress Taraji P. ...

Grisham's "Calico Joe" debuts at top of bestsellers

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:59:29 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - John Grisham's new novel, "Calico Joe" debuted at the top of the Publishers Weekly best-sellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "Calico Joe" by John Grisham - (Doubleday, $24.95) 2. "Guilty Wives" by James Patterson & David Ellis (Little, Brown, $27.99) 2 3. "Come Home" by Lisa Scottoline- (St. Martin's, $27.99) 4. "The Lost Years" by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, $26.99) 1 5. ...

Author tracks tales of India's technicolor youth

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:22:25 -0400

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A scriptwriter living with his girlfriend in Mumbai is put on the spot when the disapproving parents turn up. A doomed call centre worker lives in a cloud of numbing drug addiction financed by his high salary. These are just a few of the lives chronicled by author Palash Krishna Mehrotra in his non-fictional account of the changes that have swept over India over the last three decades, specifically how the lives of its youth have changed. ...

Book lovers react bitterly to no fiction Pulitzer

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:01:12 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Disappointed book lovers and the publishing world lashed out on Tuesday at the refusal to declare a Pulitzer fiction winner, saying it would hurt sales and gave the impression that 2011 was a bad year for novels. Monday's lack of a decision by the Pulitzer board could also hurt an industry accused of fixing prices for e-books, critics said. It was the first time since 1977 that no fiction winner was chosen for the prestigious awards that usually spells guaranteed free publicity and a boost in sales for the author who wins as well as their publisher. ...

Marcel Beyer revisits post-war Germany in "Kaltenburg"

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:31:18 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marcel Beyer's latest novel takes place in postwar Dresden, but the award-winning German author didn't actually set foot there until the mid-1990s. When he did, he knew "from the very first day" that he had a book to write. That book is "Kaltenburg." Originally published in Germany several years ago, it was released in the United States on Tuesday and is Beyer's latest book to be translated into English by the writer who the New Yorker magazine designated as one of the current best young European novelists. ...

Steve Harvey tells moviegoers how to "Think Like a Man"

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:01:08 -0400

"The Lost Years" tops bestsellers list

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:31:49 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "The Lost Years" soared to the top of the Publishers Weekly best-sellers list on Thursday. The list is compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction Last Week 1. "The Lost Years" by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, $26.99) - 2. "Guilty Wives" by James Patterson & David Ellis (Little, Brown, $27.99) 2 3. "Sacré Bleu" by Christopher Moore (Morrow, $26.99) - 4. "The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection" by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon, $24.95) - 5. ...

JK Rowling's first adult novel will be "blackly comic"

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:38:19 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.K. Rowling's first book for adults will be a "blackly comic" novel set in an idyllic English town where all is not what it seems, its publisher said on Thursday. The title of the closely guarded 480-page novel by the prolific "Harry Potter" author will be "The Casual Vacancy." It and will be available worldwide in English on September 27 in hardback, e-book and in audio form, Little, Brown and Company said in a statement. The publisher promised it will be "blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising," and offered some general plot details. ...

William Boyd to pen new Bond novel set in late 1960s

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:07:06 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Suave and brutal British superspy James Bond will find himself in the thick of danger at the end of the swinging '60s in a new, official novel by author William Boyd due out next year. The best-selling British novelist told Reuters on Thursday that he will put his knowledge of Cold War espionage to good use to pen the next adventure of the 007 character created by Ian Fleming, who has grown into a global book and film phenomenon. Boyd is the third writer in recent years to be invited by the Fleming estate to write an official Bond novel. U.S. ...

Jazz musician Herbie Hancock to pen memoir

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:00:16 -0400

(Reuters) - Jazz musician Herbie Hancock will reveal intimate details of his career in a memoir due for release in fall 2014, Viking Press said on Tuesday. Hancock, 71, has become a pioneering force in the jazz and blues music world, earning 14 Grammy awards and an Academy Award over his five-decade career, and seeing many of his songs become music staples. "There are few artists in any genre who have had a career as rich and influential as Mr. ...

Author Shriver looks at terrorism with droll humor

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:26:58 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International best-selling novelist Lionel Shriver's latest book is released on Thursday, but it isn't exactly new. She wrote it over 10 years ago. "The New Republic" follows Shriver's best-selling works like "The Post-Birthday World" as well as "We Need to Talk About Kevin," the 2011 movie starring Tilda Swinton for which she was nominated for a best actress Golden Globe. ...

Pioneering feminist poet Adrienne Rich dead at 82

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:48:09 -0400

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Poet and essayist Adrienne Rich, a feminist literary figure celebrated as much for deeply personal reflections on her own life as for sometimes-biting social commentary, has died at age 82, family members said on Wednesday. Rich, who received a galaxy of honors, including the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and National Book Award, for a body of work that spanned seven decades and ranks among the most anthologized of the 20th century, died on Tuesday at her home in Santa Cruz, California, daughter-in-law Diana Horowitz said. ...

Barbara Walters wins defamation lawsuit

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:23:35 -0400

LOS ANGELES, March 28 (TheWrap.com) - Barbara Walters is off the hook for a lawsuit filed by a woman who once dated her adopted daughter. Judge George O'Toole of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled Tuesday that Nancy Shay's defamation lawsuit had insufficient merit, ending a legal drama that began last year, when Shay filed the suit. Shay, who befriended Jacqueline Gruber, when the pair attended school together in the 1980s, sued Walters following the publication her 2008 memoir, "Audition." "Jackie started to refuse to come home on weekends," Walters' book reads. ...

Amazon Kindle store buy buttons vanish for hours

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:38:05 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Maybe Lord Voldemort put a spell on Amazon.Com Inc. On the same day that Amazon started selling Harry Potter e-books in a landmark deal, buy buttons on the company's dominant Kindle e-book store disappeared for several hours. Top-selling e-books, including The Hunger Games series and the Fifty Shades trilogy, instead had bigger green buttons saying "This title is not available for customers from: United States." Several Amazon customers complained on Tuesday about the mysterious button disappearance on the company's online Kindle forum. ...

'50 Shades' author on why she picked Universal, Focus

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:43:47 -0400

LOS ANGELES, March 26 (TheWrap.com) - E.L. James, the author of "50 Shades of Grey," is opening up about why she went with Universal Pictures and Focus Features to adapt her trilogy of best-sellers to the big screen. And while the $5 million she reportedly received for the deal certainly didn't hurt, James tells EW.com that she did it for the laughs -- specifically, those elicited by Focus president of production Jeb Brody. ...