A Supermodel's Summer Reads

Janice Dickinson may not want to read 'Modelland' books

(NEWSER) - Tyra Banks is already famous, which is probably how she managed to score a book deal for a tween series about models called “Intoxibellas” who rule over “Modelland” with their superpowers and have “edgy, sexy, exciting adventures.” Just in case the idea of a Top Model-meets-Harry Potter series doesn't pique your interest, consider this: Banks promises some of the characters are inspired by models she knows, “both nice and ‘ice.’” More»

Obama's vacation book list drives leaps in Amazon sales rankings

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s poll numbers are faltering, but his summer reading choices are getting rave reviews, Politico reports. A survey of the Amazon.com standings of the five books the White House announced he would take with him on his Martha’s Vineyard vacation show a drastic improvement in sales. If you’re doubtful about joining Obama’s Book Club, look at these numbers and follow the pack: More»

(NEWSER) - Nora Roberts is the most popular romance writer in America, but it’s not easy being on the top. “People go, ‘Oh, you work six or eight hours a day, oh my God,’” she tells the New Yorker. “‘Well, yeah, how many hours do you work?’ ‘Well, yeah, but …’ But nothing.” Roberts churns out five books a year, sold more than 18 million copies in 2008 alone, and brings in about $60 million a year. More»

Supermodel planning fictional account of young model's rise to the top

(NEWSER) - Kate Moss is working on a new career for when her catwalk gigs disappear, the Sun reports. The supermodel has taken up writing, dug deep for inspiration, and is working on her first novel in tandem with rock-singer-turned-author Louise Wener. The subject? A young model's rise from obscurity to superstardom. More»

Publishers roll dice on shocking French work by Yank Jonathan Littell

(NEWSER) - A novel about a Nazi officer with a taste for sodomy and incest might not scream “bestseller”—especially at nearly 1,000 pages long and translated from French. Yet Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones topped charts in France and precipitated a bidding war among US publishers. HarperCollins paid a reported $1 million, but early reviews have been deeply polarized, the New York Times notes. More»