Book buzz: J.K. Rowling, Neil Young, ‘The Chew’ make list news
By Lindsay Deutsch
3:04PM EST October 4. 2012 – Here’s a look at what’s buzzing in the books world today:
‘Young’ man: In a big fall for rock memoirs, Neil Young has a hit — his Waging Heavy Peace enters the list at No. 33 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list. It’s in the running for best-selling rock memoir of the year. Gregg Allman’s My Cross to Bear, released in May, peaked at No. 65. But waiting in the wings: Who I Am by The Who’s Pete Townshend, on sale next week. Rolling Stone, in an early review, calls Who I Am “candid to the point of self-laceration.” The most popular rock memoir in recent years was Life by the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards; it entered the list at No. 3 in 2010 and remained in the top 50 for 11 weeks. –Carol Memmott
‘Casual’ collection: J.K. Rowling’s post-Harry Potter novel for grown-ups, The Casual Vacancy, lands on the list at No. 1 and is her first book to be simultaneously published in hardcover and as a less expensive e-book. But the hardcover is outselling the e-version, unlike Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl (No. 6) and Lee Child’s A Wanted Man (No. 7). Terry Adams, Little Brown’s e-book and paperback publisher says, “With an author as beloved as J.K. Rowling, it is not surprising that some people would prefer the physical experience of owning and reading the printed book.” Carol Fitzgerald, president of BookReporter.com, says: “For years, readers collected the Potter books… She’s perceived as a ‘collectible author’ who they want to display on their shelves. You cannot do the same thing with an e-book.” Publisher Little, Brown reports that Rowling’s novel sold 375,000 copies in all formats its first six days on sale. -Bob Minzesheimer