Crichton Was Master Craftsman

British children's author wrote more than 100 books on rural life

(NEWSER) - Dick King-Smith, the British children's author who created one of filmdom's favorite pigs, has died at the age of 88. The writer passed away peacefully at his long-time home in rural England, the Guardian reports. King-Smith, a World War II vet, spent 20 years as a farmer before turning to teaching and, in his 50s, writing. Most of his more than 100 books drew on his knowledge of farms and animals. His best-known work, The Sheep-Pig, was adapted into the 1995 hit movie Babe. More»

'The Day I Shot Cupid' is a mess, but an entertaining one

(NEWSER) - Jennifer Love Hewitt wrote a book of advice about love, which is just as ridiculous as it sounds. “Here are 10 completely awesome things that happen in this book,” writes Linda Holmes for NPR :

1. Hewitt admits to visiting and trying on her “dream ring” once a month since she was 12. She is now 31. “If this is true, she has made roughly 225 trips to the jewelry store to try on engagement rings. I do not know where to go with this.”
2. Among her recommendations: Make out with a stranger to get over a breakup—but only if he’s “gorgeous”—and always spray tan before a date.

Obituaries, tributes pouring in for late author

(NEWSER) - How to sum up the life of JD Salinger in a paragraph? Here's a sampling coming in from the wires:

• Kyle Anderson, MTV : He's "the reclusive genius who crafted one of the most iconic and important pieces of youth fiction."
• Charles McGrath, New York Times : "JD Salinger, who was thought at one time to be the most important American writer to emerge since World War II but who then turned his back on success and adulation, becoming the Garbo of letters, famous for not wanting to be famous, died Wednesday at his home in Cornish, N.H., where he had lived in seclusion for more than 50 years. He was 91."

He helped bring back the genre of hard-boiled detective fiction

(AP) - Robert B. Parker, the blunt and beloved crime novelist who helped revive the hard-boiled genre through his Spenser series, died yesterday of natural causes at 77. Prolific to the end, Parker wrote more than 50 novels, including 37 featuring Boston private eye Spenser. The character's first name was a mystery and his last name emphatically spelled with an "s" in the middle, not a "c." He was the basis for the 1980s TV series Spenser: For Hire, starring Robert Urich. More»

Going Rogue likely to continue trend of hits from right-wing figures

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin’s memoir is expected sell so well that it will singlehandedly boost the fortunes of the ailing book business. The book is already topping preorder lists, and publisher Harper plans an extensive slate of promotional appearances to make full use the former Alaska governor's drawing power. "They may feel one way or another about her, but they will want to read about her," says a Borders exec. More»