Baby Got Books

Scuttlebutt

Whoa! Have you seen this yet?

For some reason, Paste is still showing the August “Best of What’s Next?” issue’s cover on their web site, so I had to scan my cover to share with the class. “What’s next?” September.

Chuck Klosterman serves up the best imitation of an il-informed music blogger’s review of The Beatles re-masters at The Onion’s A/V Club:

Like most people, I was initially confused by EMI’s decision to release remastered versions of all 13 albums by the Liverpool pop group Beatles, a 1960s band so obscure that their music is not even available on iTunes. ..But then, against my better judgment, I arbitrarily decided to give this hippie shit an informal listen…

At least I hope he’s joking. Either way, it just gets better from there.

Speaking of out of this world, the Blue Elephant Bookshop in Decatur has landed an appearance by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. (See what I did there?) The guy who has been to the moon will be speaking and signing his book Magnificent Desolation. This is an event that requires tickets and has rules, so check out the Blue Elephant web site for all of the details. I think that you may be able to order a signed copy if you can’t make it.

The Booker Prize shortlist has been announced. It’s a little tough to get excited about this when one (1) of the books have been released in the US yet.

The Children’s Book, AS Byatt (US publication – October)
Summertime, JM Coetzee (US publication – December)
The Quickening Maze, Adam Foulds (US publication – ?)
Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel (US publication – October)
The Glass Room, Simon Mawer (US publication – ?)
The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters (April 2009?)

Which book that you can’t read yet will you cheer for? The one book that I had read from the longlist, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, did not make the cut. Typical. And, of course, I am shocked, SHOCKED! that Me Cheeta by James Lever has been dumped.

And finally, no Friday is complete without a movie trailer. This is the trailer for the John Krasinski-directed adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s Brief Interviews with Hideous Men: