New JD Salinger Books On the Way

The famed Catcher in the Rye author, JD Salinger, passed away in 2010, and was famously known not to have published much of anything after the 1960s. But that latter fact may soon change.

According to The Huffington Post, the two men who recently co-wrote a biography about the author — entitled Salinger — have revealed that a series of posthumous Salinger releases are set for 2015-2020. Authors David Shields and Shane Salerno spend nine years working on the biography about Salinger. Their book will be released September 3rd.

In that book, they credit two independent and separate sources that say previously unpublished Salinger material will be released. One of the books includes the Catcher protagonist Holden Caulfield. Another publication would feature the Glass family from Franny and Zooey.

The new biography Salinger is 700 pages, and has a lot of other information about the famous author, as Hillel Italie explains.

The book is structured as an oral history, featuring hundreds of new and old interviews, excerpts from newspaper accounts and previous biographies and commentary from Shields and Salerno. Those quoted range from Salinger’s children to authors Tom Wolfe and Gore Vidal to Mark David Chapman, who cited “Catcher” as a reason he murdered John Lennon in 1980.

It’s still unclear exactly how much material will be published over the course of the five years, but the real question is: will it live up to JD Salinger’s previous publications?

Author Lauren Weisberger on ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Sequel

It’s a sequel many reader have been waiting for for 10 years now — Revenge Wears Prada, a follow-up to chick lit author Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada. The Devil Wears Prada was a bestseller when it came out in 2003 and was ultimately turned into a hit movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. So how does Revenge Wears Prada compare?

According to L.A. Times, which did an interview with the author last month, Revenge picks up 10 years after Devil. Here, we find the protagonist Andy facing motherhood and marriage as she continues to work, now at a wedding magazine. But Weisberger told L.A. Times reporter Irene Lacher that she made sure to also work on the character of Miranda, Andy’s boss:

There just aren’t that many people who pick up this book and relate on a level of being the head of the fashion and publishing industries simultaneously. Miranda is not the every-page presence that she was in the first book, so I had to up the ante in making her even scarier. That’s why I made her the editorial director of [fictional magazine publisher] Elias-Clark. I gave her more of a position of power to properly torment them.

Though Revenge is on the bestseller list, it’s not doing nearly as well with critics as Devil did. Weisberger says it doesn’t bother her, since her fans seem to love the book regardless. There’s also still no word on whether or not the sequel will be turned into a movie, like Devil was.

As a fan of The Devil Wears Prada, I would really love to read the book. What about you?

Get Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns now in hardcover or on your Kindle.

J.K. Rowling Pseudonym Leak Traced

It’s been years since the last Harry Potter novel was published, and yet author J.K. Rowling still knows how to make a splash. Last week, it was revealed that she had written another book, non Harry Potter-related, under a pseudonym. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith, published in April, was actually written by Rowling herself.

News about The Cuckoo’s Calling made news around world and became an overnight bestseller. It left many scratching their heads: how did Rowling keep it a secret? And better yet, who ultimately leaked it? As it turns out, it was someone from a law firm.

According to The New York Times, one of the partners for Russells, an entertainment law firm based in London, told his wife’s best friend that J.K. Rowling wrote the book. The woman passed the information along to a columnist for The Sunday Times last week via Twitter and then quickly deleted her tweets.  Rowling admitted to writing the detective novel, and The Sunday Times published the first article regarding the book.

Since then, J.K. Rowling has expressed her disappointment in Russells, as Julie Bosman explains.

Through her publicist, Ms. Rowling released a statement saying that she was “disappointed.”

“A tiny number of people knew my pseudonym and it has not been pleasant to wonder for days how a woman whom I had never heard of prior to Sunday night could have found out something that many of my oldest friends did not know,” she said. “I had assumed that I could expect total confidentiality from Russells, a reputable professional firm and I feel very angry that my trust turned out to be misplaced.”

So why did J.K. Rowling decide to publish the book under a pseudonym? That might be one mystery that will remain unsolved.

Get The Cuckoo’s Calling in hardcover for $16.90.

Or get it on your Kindle for $9.99.

‘Mockingbird’ Author Harper Lee Takes Copyright to Court

Well folks, it looks like Atticus Finch is returning to the courtroom. Sort of.

According to Deadline, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee is suing for the copyright of her 1960 classic To Kill A Mockingbird. She alleges that after her former agent got sick 10 years ago, his son-in-law assigned the copyright to himself and a firm he manages. The 87-year-old author claims he took advantage of her poor eyesight and hearing.

Now she’s suing to get her copyright back as well as money for damages.

With a book like Mockingbird, it makes sense that she’d want to hold on to that copyright. After all, between the Oscar-winning movie and the book, which is still read in most high school classrooms, I imagine a copyright like that would bring in a lot of money.

Jane Goodall Book Postponed Amid Plagiarism Accusations

With all the good world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has done, she is now experiencing some mishaps. The scientist, best known for her work and research with chimpanzees, is now accused of plagiarism in her new book, forcing her publisher Grand Central to delay its release.

According to The L.A. Times, the book, Seeds of Hope, is a tree and plant focused book, meant to share Goodall’s love of plants, even though she’s never studied them as a scientist. It’s apparently in the sections about plants that certain passages appear to have been “borrowed.” Allegedly, at least 12 passages in the book are borrowed from places like Wikipedia, a web site called Choice Organic Teas, and several other web sites.

In a statement, Goodall wrote:

My goal is to ensure that when this book is released it is not only up to the highest of standards, but also that the focus be on the crucial messages it conveys. It is my hope that then the meaningful conversation can resume about the harm we are inflicting on our natural environment and how we can all act together to ensure our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy planet.

Does anyone else think this tarnishes Jane Goodall’s work? Or has she already made such a name for herself that it doesn’t affect her career at this point?

‘Fifty Shades’ Author to Release Writing Journal

So you loved Fifty Shades of Grey and its author E L James. If so, you’re in luck. Vintage Books has announced E L James’ latest project, and it’s due to be released next week.

According to Entertainment Weekly, bestselling author E L James is releasing a leather-bound journal called Fifty Shades of Grey: Inner Goddess (A Journal). The journal will offer tips and advice on what E L James does — no, not sex — writing. It also includes blank lined sheets so readers can make notes and keep track of their thoughts while reading.

The journal will be available May 1st.

Though E L James is not particularly known for her great writing, I imagine women will eat this up as yet another way to connect with the author, the Fifty Shades books, and their “inner goddess.”

Memoirs Coming from Questlove, Jesse Jackson Jr.

Two big names in the world of pop culture and news are set to publish books.

According to The Huffington Post, Questlove, the drummer and producer of hip hop group The Roots, is set to publish a memoir this summer. Due out on June 18, Questlove’s book will include tales of his brushes with celebrities and other artists, like Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, and KISS. Grand Central Publishing is publishing the memoir.

But he’s not the only big name coming out with a memoir. According to The Huffington Post, the Reverend’s son Jesse Jackson Jr. will also publish a memoir. The ex-Congressman recently made headlines when he pleaded guilty to planning to spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items. Sources say he’s planning to use this book as an opportunity to clear his name.

The book is still in the early stages and isn’t even being shopped around yet. But there’s a good chance someone would pick it up. After all, Jesse Jackson Jr. has written several books already, and he’s got quite the story to tell.

New Salinger Book and Movie On the Way

For years, people have questioned the work of J.D. Salinger, always wondering if the famous author of The Catcher in the Rye secretly had any other work to offer the literary world. At long last, we may finally find out.

According to Huffington Post, a new biography and film about the life of J.D. Salinger are set to be released in the next year. Simon & Schuster recently acquired The Private War of J.D. Salinger, an oral biography put together by David Shields and screenwriter Shane Salerno. A documentary about the author is set to air on PBS’s American Masters series next January.

Salinger died in 2010, and an authorized biography is yet to be released. Very little is known about the author, and it’s still not entirely clear whether or not the biography or film will include details about possible other work from the author. But it’s likely to tell an historical tale as well, as Hillel Italie explains.

“Both the film and book are an investigation into the cost of art and the cost of war,” Simon & Schuster senior editor Jofie Ferrari-Adler said in a statement. “This is a truly revelatory work, and one that transcends literary biography to investigate the larger story of the legacy of World War II. Through the prism of Salinger’s life and his experience at war, the authors are presenting a personal history of the 20th century.”

Salinger was reportedly deeply scarred by his service during World War II, when he interrogated prisoners of war.

It sounds interesting, but the real question is whether or not Salinger has a secret, unpublished manuscript. If so, will it be released? And would it top The Catcher in the Rye? Or is it best left undiscovered?

Get ‘Love The One You’re With’ in Paperback for $5.58

If you’ve ever read Something Borrowed or Something Blue, then you probably love author Emily Giffin. She’s the bestselling author who wrote those novels, and a handful of others about modern-day love — a bestselling chick lit novelist, if you will.

So if you like her work, it’s worth picking up a copy of Love the One You’re With. It tells the story of a happily-married woman, who somehow gets back in touch with one of the bad, but tempting boyfriends of her past. It’s a story about love, loyalty, and growing up. Who will she choose? Will it be the right choice?

Emily Giffin has a way of writing books women simply can’t put down, and now Love the One You’re With is available on the cheap.

Get Love the One You’re With in paperback for just $5.58.

New David McCullough Book On the Way

Just because history happened in the past doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make a point to remember it, right? Well if you’re an aviation enthusiast and/or a history buff, you’re in luck.

According to The New York Times, acclaimed historian and bestselling author David McCullough is planning to write a new book about the “social and cultural implications of early aviation beginning with the Wright Brothers and ending with Lindbergh’s Paris landing, according to his longtime researcher, Michael Hill.” The book isn’t expected to be published for another three years or so.

In the past, McCullough has written biographies about former presidents Harry Truman and John Adams and was recently featured on 60 Minutes, where he discussed the research behind his work and some specific historical events.

Since I saw the 60 Minutes piece on him, I’ve been dying to read all of his books — even though I’m not the biggest history fan. But a whole book on aviation seems like a stretch to me. Thoughts?