Welcome to another post of Books Bulletin, gathering odd, interesting, and wacky news from around the literary world.
Work on your vocabulary, Mr. Churchill
By now, students in the UK have accustomed themselves to writing essays that will be assessed and graded by a computer. But it seems the computer system toted by the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA) gives low marks to Churchill’s writing (needs to use fewer metaphors) and Ernest Hemingway’s (needs to write with more care and detail).
The incredible bouncing pricetag of John Grisham
The cost of John Grisham’s Ford County, officially released Tuesday, moved up and down like stock market shares as rivals Amazon.com and Walmart.com extended, then rescinded, their high discounts for top-selling pre-orders.
Early in the day, Amazon was selling Grisham’s book of short stories for $9, the same price it had offered for Ford County before publication and a sign that Amazon was ready to continue the cost competition beyond the release date. Walmart.com was selling “Ford County” for $12 early Tuesday, then cut the price to the pre-order discount of $8.98.
Rick Riordan remains a gods-fearing author
Rick Riordan, the author of the million-selling “Percy Jackson” series about the Greek gods in modern times, has started “The Kane Chronicles,” in which Egyptian gods similarly make mischief, war, love, and other shenanigans in the modern age.
The Disney Book Group announced that the first installment, The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid, comes out in May.
For Thrillers, Glenn Beck Is Becoming New Oprah
On his radio show and cable television programs, first on CNN Headline News and now on the Fox News Channel, Mr. Beck has enthusiastically endorsed dozens of novelists, a majority of them writing in the thriller genre. Mr. Beck, who now attracts 9 million weekly listeners on radio and 2.7 million daily viewers on television, often selects authors whose plots or characters reflect political stances that mirror his own. But he also promotes the work of authors who may disagree with many of his views.
Who’s more likely to influence your opinion to buy a book: Glenn Beck or Oprah?
–Chip
