From the description, "Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems." more ›

The erotica series that's been capturing the attention of women on the Upper East Side (and everywhere) will be made into a movie, naturally. According to Deadline, Universal Pictures and Focus Features have acquired screen rights to the E.L. James novel Fifty Shades Of Grey, the first in a trilogy of books by the author. We've actually read this book (for journalism) and can tell you it's basically The Fountainhead (the characters are sort of very thin impersonations of a Howard Roark and Dominique Francon) meets the Lifetime network (there's a miniseries type vibe to the storytelling)... meets BDSM (hardcore sex scenes, repeated every few pages or so). Deadline discusses the big deal, noting: more ›

Rob Sacher, who owned the legendary bar/venue Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side, has gone and written a book that's sure to make one nostalgic for the good ol' days, even you didn't experience them yourself. The memoir is called Wake Me When It's Over, and covers growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, becoming a musician and songwriter, and "ultimately finding my niche as the co-owner of three rock nightclubs, Sanctuary (1981-1986), Mission (1988-1993), and Luna Lounge (1995-2008)." For those who don't know, he says: more ›

Following the success of this uncensored history of the network, four of the original MTV veejays—Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter, Mark Goodman and Nina Blackwood—are coming back together to give their own uncensored accounts of MTV in the early days. You know, the days when the "M" actually stood for "music" and not "more reality television." Last year we checked in on the four pioneers as the network turned 30 years old, and even talked to Goodman, who told us the VJs and much of the crew are still friends to this day. more ›

Beware to those on Bowery, there are little monsters everywhere this morning. Last week it was announced that Lady Gaga would be at the New Museum on November 22nd to promote her new book with Terry Richardson, and the event would be open to a select number of fans. The catch: you have to pre-order her book in person for $50 at the museum, and those sales started today. more ›

It's happening: Courtney Love is writing her memoir. According to the AP (who awkwardly refers to her marriage to Kurt Cobain as "brief"—over two years!), the book will be out next Fall via HarperCollins. more ›

Remember that time Lady Gaga may have touched herself in front of a small boy? Unsurprisingly Terry Richardson was involved, and now the two are coming out with a book together, which, according to Publishers Weekly, "will showcase over 350 photographs taken during the 10 month period in which Richardson followed Lady Gaga and had complete access to her everyday life.” more ›

Investigative journalist Ian Halperin is dragging all of Lady Gaga's dirty little secrets into the spotlight. In a new tell-all book, Halperin claims that the Fame Monster is unhealthily obsessed with her weight, has done every drug in the book, and wears elaborate costumes and wigs in order to cover up her red blotches and hair loss, all caused by Lupus. This all translates to sensational headlines, like The Superficial's: Lady Gaga Is Dying. more ›

A new 700-page book takes an in-depth look at the rise of ESPN, with lots of stops along the way for strange anecdotes about the "glorified frat house." Check out some excerpts below. more ›

If you've seen these Summer and the City posters around town touting tales of Carrie, Miranda and Samantha together in the city for the first time... don't worry, there's not another movie upon us, yet. However, author Candace Bushnell has just released her latest young adult novel, which follows a teenage Carrie Bradshaw from Connecticut to the city, where she meets Samantha, then Miranda, goes vintage clothes shopping, visits the Shubert Theatre, at one point throws her arms open and shouts: "Hello, New York!" And so on. After a visit to Saks she's basically an expert on the city.... so her guide to the real New York has been included in the book. At least she's teaching people how to pronounce Houston Street? more ›

A rep from G-Unit Records just contacted us with some late-breaking news: the book that Bloody Loco's totally calm and fearless victim was reading on the subway that day was The 50th Law... which is a book about fearlessness! more ›

We're no fans of the P.C. police, but there is a line between having common courtesy and being purposely offensive that many who claim to be enemies of political correctness seem to miss. Author J.C. Davies seems to be one of these enemies. In her book "I Got the Fever: Love, What's Race Gotta Do With It?," she details things like how Indian men smell like curry and all Hispanic men are macho in chapters with titles such as "Jungle Fever" and "Curry Fever." She tells the Post, "No one has the balls to write about sex and culture in a real way." But is writing about her "Oreo" ex-boyfriend really realistic? more ›

The novel that's been posted up around the East Village this week may have been torn down already (by the weather, by passerby, by local business owners that "don't like the idea"). And despite the press, the author hasn't stepped forward or delivered more pages to lampposts. So for those who do want to dip into a little bit of it, Joe Schumacher just sent us over this clear photo of page 7, which he spotted on Sunday. Would you want to read more? more ›

Yale Law professor, mother of two and, now, author of Amazon.com's #11 book Amy Chua appeared on the Today Show to promote her memoir about parenting, Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother, and also address the controversy that erupted when an excerpt of the book appeared in The Wall Street Journal (there are 2532 comments on the WSJ website now). Chua told Meredith Vieira that while the book is about strength is so-called "Chinese" parenting, it's "also about my mistakes and making fun of myself and how I eventually had to pull back. It's absolutely not about how to parent or saying the Chinese way is better." She also characterized the book as her own coming-of-age as a parent. more ›

Things Chinese mothers are good at: Berating their children, playing the martyr, and drumming up interest in their books about parenting! At least, that's the conclusion we're drawing from the attention that Yale Law professor Amy Chua's essay in the Wall Street Journal has gotten. Chua excerpted part of her book, Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother, about her extreme, Chinese-based parenting style for the newspaper, and the WSJ's website now has 2000 comments—and her book is now #31 on Amazon.com, up from #49 yesterday. But her mother might say, "#31? Why aren't you #1?" more ›

While some of America was helping the real talent get back on track, another portion was helping no one by buying a book written by Jersey Shore's Snooki. The reality starlet is now a published author—though her book, "A Shore Thing," was a collaborative work with writer Valerie Frankel. According to the Daily News, Snooki prefers to go by her real name now, Nicole, and has excitedly declared, "I never knew I would write a book!" Only the big man in Hades could have predicted that one. more ›

2010: the year many a New Yorker gazed into the eyes of Marina Abramovic, as she set up shop at MoMA. Now all of those who got to sit across from her (like those VIPs), will get the moment immortalized in a book. According to Animal, Aperture’s publishing a book of Marco Anelli’s photographs—all 1500+ of them that were taken during her 716 hour seated run at the museum. Get more details here... but we're gonna hold out for the IMAX 3-D version. Make it happen, Franco. more ›

Last year we swooned over a firefighter writing a romance novel, now a Brooklyn cop has penned a Christmas novel! According to the Daily News, the heartwarming tale is about his years in the 67th Precinct in Flatbush, but specifically Lt. Dave Siev's annual gift drive which the book is named for, Operation: Blue Christmas. He has sold about 200 copies (to fellow officers, mostly), and now he's hoping to get a big book deal. more ›

A May 10th, 1965 article in the NY Times began: "A penguin riding a BMT subway train of the West End line was taken into custody yesterday after biting a Transit Authority detective on the thumb." Unsurprisingly, this story really began with a bunch of unruly teenagers. more ›

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is adding "published author" to her resume (way to go, Simon & Schuster). The publishing house announced yesterday that they will put out the Jersey Shore star's novel—which, as the Daily News points out, is not a memoir despite being about "a girl looking for love on the boardwalk (one full of big hair, dark tans and fights galore)." more ›

After being accused of attempting to indoctrinate students with a supposedly pro-Palestine book by alumnus Bruce Kesler, who wrote on his blog that he has written his alma mater out of his will, Brooklyn College is defending their now-controversial choice for their "Common Reader" program. The program encourages incoming students to read a common book and discuss the reading with each other and with the author during orientation, but they say students aren't even required to read the book. Below is the school's statement, sics and all: more ›

Brooklyn College alumnus Bruce Kesler has cut his alma mater out of his will over what he is calling an "unacceptable" book assignment. Like most colleges, Brooklyn College requires that incoming freshmen all read one book before they move in; the "common experience" is supposed to help the new class bond. This year the school chose "How Does It Feel To Be A Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America" by Brooklyn College professor Moustafa Bayoumi, whom Kesler describes as a "radical pro-Palestinian." Kesler writes on his blog: more ›