Trashionista: You heard it here first!

March 1, 2009 1:42 PM

BOOK NEWS: Free books in Bristol until Friday!

If you go down to the Bristol Book Barn today, you're in for a big surprise.

Well, not that big - it's closed on Sunday. But from Monday you could pick up a free book! Or twelve.

After the lease on their massive warehouse expired last week, staff at the Bristol Book Barn opened their doors to the public and invited shoppers to help themselves to their entire stock - some five million titles.

Shoppers flooded in, loading up bags, boxes and even vans they drove straight into the building. The shelves that line the walls were emptied onto the floor, which turned into a heaving mass of hardbacks and paperbacks.

So if you can stomach the idea of battling crazed consumers and sorting through a heaving sea of paper (think of Primark on a Saturday), then head down to The Book Barn, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3EH. Assuming they don't run out of books, the giveaway will end on Friday 6th March at 4pm.

This Book Barn giveaway is not connected to Book Barn International.

Posted by on March 1, 2009 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 14, 2009 1:11 PM

MOVIE NEWS: Lost in Austen - the movie!

Yes, Lost in Austen is being remade as a feature film! If you didn't catch this ITV1 miniseries, it was a charming culture-clash romp where a contemporary Austen fan (played by Jemima Rooper) discovers that the bathroom in her flat is a gateway into the world of Pride and Prejudice. A sort of Narnia story for grown-up ladies. And perhaps a few gentlemen.

Now Hollywood - presumably having run out of originals to remake - are adapting this twist-on-the-original for the silver screen.

But unlike many big screen "reimaginings", Lost in Austen is unlikely to be tarred with the "wacky" brush. Original writer Guy Andrews is penning the screenplay, and Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for directing American Beauty (and who is married to corset-aficionado Kate Winslet) is set to produce.

Of course, none of this guarantees that it won't be Americanised or sensationalised, but we here at Trashionista are awaiting more news with bated breath.

Related posts: THURSDAY FLICK: Lost in Austen | FRIDAY FLICK: Lost in Austen (again)

Posted by on February 14, 2009 in Book related, Classic Novels, Film, Movie News, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (11)

October 15, 2008 11:44 AM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Rock Chicks

I read yesterday about Rock Chicks - a "raw, shocking and downright sexy novel" - which is written by Ronni Cooper. Ronni Cooper is a pseudonym for "an established writer and author of a weekly newspaper column 'renowned for its biting humour and straight-talking opinions'".

It's the story of rock group The Black Spikes and three women who are closely involved with the band, "strong, sassy women who are not afraid to graft or to hold their own in a man's world, but who also love the adrenalin-pumping thrills of living on the edge in a decadent, sexy world".

The novel is apparently "inspired by a lifetime of experiences" and the author herself used to live with a successful musician.

So do you have any ideas who it might be? I think I've cracked it. See if you agree with me over the cut.

Janet Street-Porter.

Do you agree?

[via The Bookseller]

Posted by Keris on October 15, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 10, 2008 11:30 AM

BOOK NEWS: Caprice Crane!

I love, love, love Caprice Crane so I was very excited to hear about her forthcoming book, Joint Custody.

The book is about a woman who's extremely close to her husband's family... So close, in fact, that when he unexpectedly files for divorce she files a counter-suit for joint custody of her in-laws.

Fabulous.

Related posts: Stupid & Contagious review | Forget About It review

Posted by Keris on July 10, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 1, 2008 1:49 PM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Postcards From Yo Momma

Blook news! Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose have bagged a book deal based on their blog of mom emails, Postcards from Yo Momma.

Hyperion editor Gretchen Young bought the book at auction and is planning to market it as a Mother's Day gift book.

[Via Galleycat]

Related posts: Judging panel for Blooker Prize | From blog to book

Posted by Sarah Painter on May 1, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Non Fiction, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (17)

March 7, 2008 11:21 AM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Dead Beautiful

Columbia MFA student Yvonne Woon's Dead Beautiful, a teenage zombie love story. [via Publishers Marketplace]

Okay, first of all - "Columbia MFA student" makes me sigh. I don't have anything against really young people writing books, it just makes me envy their confidence and determination. Which kind of makes me bitter. But then I find the words "a teenage zombie love story" deeply thrilling. I don't know why. How about you?

Posted by Keris on March 7, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 28, 2008 7:13 PM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: The Celeb Diaries: Tears, Tantrums and Excess

Mark Frith, editor at heat magazine, has stepped down from his job in order to write a book called The Celeb Diaries: Tears, Tantrums and Excess.

Frith promises to dish the never-seen-before dirt (sorry, 'anecdotes') from celebrity culture. A behind-the-scenes peek from his days at the gossip magazine that will include the likes of Robbie Wiliams, Sharon Osbourne and the Beckhams. Cor.

[Via Bookseller]

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 28, 2008 in Book News, British Authors, Non Fiction, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 26, 2008 12:18 PM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Supergirl

Daphne Uviller's Supergirl, in which an overly-educated 27-year-old discovers that all the degrees in the world are no help when she becomes the superintendent of a Greenwich Village building whose former super was taken away in handcuffs. [via Publishers Marketplace]

Sounds a lot like Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series, don't you think?

Brand new book news archives

Posted by Keris on February 26, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 12, 2008 11:03 AM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: The Nobodies Album

I loved Carolyn Parkhurst's first novel, Lorelei's Secret (called The Dogs of Babel in the US) and her second, Lost and Found, was highly recommended by Jennifer Weiner.

Parkhurst's third book, The Nobodies Album, won't be out until Spring 2010, but it sounds great. It's about a former bestselling novelist who has re-written the endings to all of her novels and in doing so, has removed clues about her personal life that had been hidden within. When her estranged, rock star son is accused of murder, she endeavors to find out the truth: about the murder, and about the secrets of their shared past.

This news reminded me to check for an update on the Dogs of Babel movie, but apart from the fact that it's to be directed by Todd "Old School" Phillips, nothing doing.

Posted by Keris on February 12, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 4, 2008 7:57 AM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Nothing But Good Times Ahead

Eep! I just heard that a book of academic essays on Jennifer Crusie's work is being written. Yep, it's not even got a publisher, yet; that's how new this book news is!

Titled Nothing But Good Times Ahead: The Novels of Jennifer Crusie, the book is edited by Eric Murphy Selinger and Laura Vivanco. It's going to cover topics like ageing, feminism, and symbolism in Crusie's work. We will keep you posted...

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 4, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Non Fiction, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (5)

January 25, 2008 10:00 AM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Ordinary Karma & Entertaining Disasters

Kim Wright's Ordinary Karma, due to be published Spring 2010, is the story of a woman torn between her safe but stale marriage and a long distance affair - and how her choices affect the other women in her suburban book club. Yes, another book club book.

Entertaining Disasters by Nancy Spiller features a Southern California food writer who has long been serving up fictional dinner parties as fact having to face her first real dinner party in a decade while all hell breaks loose in her personal life. I like the sound of this one - could be Jennifer Crusie meets Nora Ephron. Or not. We'll have to wait and see.

[via Publishers Marketplace]

Related posts: You heard it here first! archives

Posted by Keris on January 25, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 8, 2008 11:41 AM

You heard it here first!

Welcome to the first of an occasional series in which we tell you about newly-signed books.

First up is Sheila Curran's Lucy Vargas Is Coming Around, in which four women band together to protect their late friend's widower and children from the ravages of grief, rapacious relatives, and wicked stepmothers.

Wicked stepmothers? Sounds like fairy tale chick lit to me!

Related posts: Sheila Curran interview | Thursday Three: Fairy tales

Posted by Keris on January 8, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (0)