Bill Bryson Opens 11m GBP Library Wing

Former Durham University chancellor and non-fiction author Bill Bryson returned to the university in order to open an £11 million extension to its library.

The library has now been renamed after the author, who left his post as chancellor in 2011, which the author says is a “great honour.” (more…)

Order of Crank Books

Crank is a series of young adult novels by American author Ellen Hopkins. The series was based around her own daughter’s meth addiction. The novel Crank is required reading in several high schools and drug programs. The series follows Kristina, a bright high school junior, who is peer pressured into trying meth. (more…)

Simon & Schuster to Launch New Self-Publishing Service

Simon & Schuster has announced that it will start charging fees for authors to release, distribute and publicize their own self-published books in print and eBook formats. In turn, Archway Publishing (the name of the new service) will pay out a large share of the proceeds for the self-published titles.

This is the latest sign of a growing piece of the pie for self-published authors, with one of the largest publishers getting into providing these services to writers. Self-publishing has become one of the fastest growing aspects on the publishing industry. (more…)

Order of Ellen Hopkins Books

Ellen Hopkins is an American author of young adult novels and non-fiction books. She started writing her career writing non-fiction books for children about various topics such as Orcas and military subjects. Her YA novels are written in verse. She has written a couple of adult novels, including Triangles and Collateral. (more…)

Order of Asian Saga Books

The Asian Saga is a series of historical fiction by British author James Clavell. The series spans centuries all across Asia, starting in feudal Japan in the 17th century, to 19th century Hong Kong, World War II in Japan and Singapore and Iran in 1979. The idea of the story, according to Clavell, is to “tell the story of the Anglo-Saxon in Asia.” (more…)

Erotica Outselling Literary Classics by Vast Margin

Erotic fiction is still going strong, with books like Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James outselling classics like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

This news should come as no surprise, as Reflected in You by Sylvia Day sold 100,000 copies in its first week on the shelves and Fifty Shades of Grey has sold 40 million copies since it was first published. (more…)

Order of James Clavell Books

James Clavell (1924-1994) was a British author of historical fiction, screenwriter and director. Clavell was a World War II veteran and was a Japanese POW – experiences he borrowed upon in his career as a novelist (most notably in King Rat). He wrote the screenplays to various films, including The Fly and The Great Escape. Clavell was an admirer of Ayn Rand and sent her a copy of Noble House that read, “This is for Ayn Rand – one of the real, true talents on this earth for which many, many thanks.” (more…)

Order of Milo Weaver Books

Milo Weaver is the central character in a series of spy thriller/mystery novels by American author Olen Steinhauer. Weaver is an agent who works for a secret branch of the CIA that specializes in black ops. The rights to the novel The Tourist have been purchased by George Clooney’s production company, Smokehouse Pictures. (more…)

Order of Ruthenia Quintet Books

The Ruthenia Quintet is a series of historical thriller/mystery novels by American author Olen Steinhauer. The series is set in Eastern Europe. The series starts in 1948 and ends with the fall of communism in 1989. One book represents a decade. Each book follows a different main character. The series is also known as The Bridge of Sighs series. (more…)

Order of Olen Steinhauer Books

Olen Steinhauer is an American novelist of historical and spy mysteries/thrillers. He is the author of the Ruthenia Quintet and the Milo Weaver series. The New York Times said of him, “Not since John le Carre has a writer so vividly evoked the multilayered, multifaceted, deeply paranoid world of espionage, in which identities and allegiances are malleable and ever shifting, the mirrors of loyalty and betrayal reflecting one another to infinity.” Olen has lived all across the United States and in several European countries. (more…)