With only fifteen days left till the release of the next Harry Potter novel, the book world is going crazy. Numerous articles have emerged recently stating that this installment may break records. Bloomsbury, the UK publishing house behind the boy wizard novels, is preparing a massive publicity campaign (though it hardly seems necessary at this point,) which will be brought to a close by a reading of the new book by the author herself. In other Harry news, it looks like our young Potter is popular enough to warrant notice by the Oxford Dictionary.

Historian and author Shelby Foote passed away at the age of 88. "Following a brief graveside service, Foote was buried on a tree-covered hill in Elmwood Cemetery, one of the South's most historic graveyards and the burial ground for more than 1,000 Civil War soldiers, including 22 generals."

"Julia Roberts snapped up the film rights to British author Tony Parson's new novel and commissioned him to turn it into screenplay - before he'd even finished writing it." So what, exactly, is so great about The Family Way? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

CityPulse takes a look at mystery writer, Sara Paretsky. It also takes a look at a bear that was seen in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

"The chief curator of France's national library was questioned by police yesterday as it emerged that the establishment is missing at least 30,000 books and manuscripts, including nearly 2,000 considered to be of 'exceptional historical value'." For his part, the curator, Michel Garel, has denied any involvement in the theft of these items.


- posted by M @ 10:06 AM