"You do hear, in publishing circles, the occasional complaint that the audience is 'graying.' Yep, it is. It is also loyal, intelligent, informed, crazy about Canada, opinionated, and not going anywhere. These women have years of reading ahead of them. They will not be switching their allegiance to video games or social media. They will read, and discuss what they read, as long as they have eyes in their head. Anyway, they’re not all gray. And there are a few men among them, I notice now. Also some younger people. Younger than me, I have to say. The audience is a bigger mix than it first appears to be. But yes, it is mainly older women. These are the buyers, the ones who get the ball rolling. Let’s face it, they are the mainstay and the lifeblood of books in our country. Maybe in most countries.... So let’s hear it for older women who read. Without their wisdom, curiosity and lust for life, their humour, loyalty and pride of place, we would be nowhere."

 

Ballantine Books and Harlequin Teen will issue short, standalone digital works intended to serve as "bridges" to upcoming novels. The Wall Street Journal reported that on June 1, Harlequin "intends to give away e-book copies of Julie Kagawa's Winter's Passage. The 15,000-word novella will serve as a link between Ms. Kagawa's February debut novel, The Iron King, and her second teen novel, The Iron Daughter, which goes on sale July 27."

"The purpose is to keep her audience interested while building their excitement for the next book," said Malle Vallik, director of digital content for the company, which will sell Winter's Passage for $2.99 beginning in late August.

Ballantine Books is also publishing a "literary appetizer" in the form of digital story The Balkan Escape by Steve Berry, which will be released in September for $1.99 and feature one of his established characters, Cassiopeia Vitt. Ballantine hopes to "attract new readers while whetting the appetite of fans for Mr. Berry's ninth novel, The Emperor's Tomb, which goes on sale Nov. 23," the Journal wrote.

"Realistically, it would be hard to get something like this in print," said Matt Schwartz, v-p of digital marketing and strategy for Random House. "But the e-book format is very flexible. What this does is offer an affordable entry point into Steve's world.... It's the equivalent of buying a couple of songs online. You can read it in 30 minutes."

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This summer, Barnes & Noble will launch PubIt!, through which independent publishers and self-publishing writers can distribute their works digitally via bn.com. B&N said details of the royalty model and compensation process will be available in the coming weeks.

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Amazon.com has added new features to its Kindle for PC app that enable users to edit notes and marks, experience full-screen reading mode, change the background color and control the brightness of the screen.

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U.K. bookstore chain Waterstone's has revised its inventory control model and seen positive results from the change. The Telegraph reported that "under 'old' Waterstone's, almost all book titles sold in its stores were chosen centrally. This was particularly the case when it came to '3-for-2' book promotions.... Now, the system has changed. Power has--to a significant degree--been devolved back to the stores. Of all the books that Waterstone's sells, around a third are 'front,' or promoted, titles. At 'new' Waterstone's one third of these titles are now chosen by store staff. Of the remaining books, around 60% is determined centrally, with the balance being picked by staff."

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Ed Weske has opened a new independent bookstore, Common Ground, Gaines Township, Mich., in the "space once occupied by his former employer, Kregel Parable Christian Stores. The chain closed its location a year ago because of disappointing sales," the Grand Rapids Press reported.

"This is a very different concept than what was in here before," Weske said.

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On Cory Doctorow's craphound.com, the author reprinted in full a letter he received from bookseller Chris Eng of Sophia Books, Vancouver, B.C., which is set to close its doors at the end of May after 35 years in business.

"I'm not sure what the future holds for Vancouver," Eng wrote. "I have a great love of e-books as well as dead tree media (I am a bookseller, after all), and I'm sure there's room for both of them to coexist in the years to come, but Vancouver as a city (with grossly disproportionate commercial rents) seems to have consciously or unconsciously made up its mind about the role of booksellers in its boundaries. And it's a decision that rather depresses me."

Eng also observed that "there are still several used bookstores and a few resilient sellers of new books in the Metro Vancouver area, but their presence isn't something we can take for granted anymore. And even if it wasn't horribly bad sales that did the latest raft of bookstores in, maybe that's the lesson that can be taken away from all this: that bookstores are a privilege, not a right, and we should treasure what we have while we have it, because things can be snatched away so very, very quickly."

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The Daily Telegraph will sponsor a book club "with a regular readers group holding meetings in independent bookshops around the country," the Bookseller.com reported. Readers will compete to participate by submitting a written explanation for why they should be chosen and a sample review. Six entrants will be selected as book club members.

"We hope to stage the meetings in independent bookshops, not in London but around the country in places where our readership is strong, like Tunbridge Wells," said the Telegraph's Gaby Wood. "We'll then offer a discount voucher in the paper to be spent on that night in that particular bookshop."

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A new bookmobile concept is hitting the streets of Buenos Aires and environs as a "weapon of mass instruction." Driving his refitted Ford Falcon, a local artist offers free books "in the hopes of sparking the country's appetite for literature," AFP reported (via the Tattered Cover Book Store).

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Book trailer of the day: The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley (Harper).

 

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression will celebrate its 20th anniversary at BookExpo America. To mark the occasion, ABFFE has issued a timeline highlighting some of the battles it has fought since 1990, as well as a commemorative sticker that it hopes ABFFE members and others will wear during BEA to show their support for the organization and its mission. Both the timeline and the sticker can be picked up at the ABFFE table in the bookseller’s lounge, Room 1E07/1E08.

In 1990, during the American Booksellers Association convention, the ABA announced it was creating ABFFE to fight for the First Amendment rights of booksellers and its members. At the time, the book trade faced many censorship threats: Salman Rushdie was still in hiding following the publication of Satanic Verses; the American Family Association was boycotting Waldenbooks in an effort to stop the sale of Playboy; and Michigan booksellers were threatened with 12 censorship bills, including one that imposed a four-year prison sentence and a fine up to $100,000 for a first offense of selling an obscene book. 

Although many things have changed in the past two decades, ABFFE president Chris Finan pointed out that censorship remains a threat: "Rushdie is free, but fear of violence recently led Yale University Press to censor a book about the controversy over the publication of cartoons of Muhammed. Alaska and Massachusetts have just enacted legislation censoring the Internet, and the FBI still has the power to search the records of any bookstore or library customer in a terrorism investigation, including people who are not suspected of criminal conduct, much less terrorism."

 

After a day on the floor, you may want to grab a drink with a colleague or dance the night away.  Here are our favorite places to relax in the city.
 
Bars & Cocktail Lounges
 
Blind Tiger in the West Village. This homey, classic pub, with wood-beam ceilings, a working fireplace and a chummy vibe, is the place to sip a beer. Among the options are 30-odd crafted drafts. 281 Bleecker St. (at Jones St.); 212-462-4682.
 
Bowlmor Lanes at Union Square. This 1938 bowling alley has gone mod, with candy-colored lanes, martinis and even a VIP room. Monday "Night Strikes" feature glow-in-the-dark bowling to DJ house and techno music ($24). Upstairs is Pressure (www.pressurenyc.com), a huge billiards lounge where Austin Powers would feel right at home. 110 University Place (btwn. 12th & 13th sts.); 212-255-8188.
 
Church Lounge in Tribeca. Want to rub elbows with Hollywood types? Or people who just look like Hollywood types? Drop by the handsome lobby bar at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. 2 Sixth Ave. (at White & Church sts.); 212-519-6600.
 
City Hall Downtown. Debate all you like over a bottle of this bar's more than 800 wines. Set in a landmark 1863 building, the towering columns, cavernous ceiling and elegant banquettes create a sense of grandeur. Another plus is the service, which is helpful, knowledgeable and warm. 131 Duane St. (Church St.); 212-227-7777.
 
dba in the East Village. Lounges dominate the city, but dba is a refreshing change of pace. It's an unpretentious neighborhood bar--a beer- or whiskey-lover's dream. The collection of single-malt scotches is phenomenal. 41 First Ave. (btwn. 2nd & 3rd sts.); 212-475-5097.
 
Enoteca i Trulli in Murray Hill. This handsome Italian-style enoteca (wine bar) next door to the main restaurant (i Trulli) is a great date spot. You can taste flights of Italian vino and sample cheeses, meats or olives, or heartier fare like veal stew with potatoes and mushrooms. 122 E. 27th St. (btwn. Park & Lexington Aves.); 212-481-7372.
 
The Ginger Man in Murray Hill. This is a favorite neighborhood pub among the Midtown business crowd. See if you can snag a seat in the back room, which has velvety couches. Expect a huge after-work crowd, a welcoming feel and 66 ales on tap. 11 E. 36th St. (btwn. Fifth & Madison Aves.); 212-532-3740.
 
Great Hall Balcony Bar/Roof Garden on the Upper East Side. Every Friday and Saturday night, 4–8:30 p.m., the lobby's mezzanine level transforms into a lounge with live classical music. When the weather warms, take the elevator up to the Roof Garden, for drinks with sumptuous views of the park. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. (82nd St.); 212-535-7710.
 
Kemia Bar in Midtown West. This bar looks sexy and exotic, with a Moroccan-themed setting, but it's comfy and welcoming. Vanilla- and sugarcane-infused martinis and a friendly wait staff make it practically irresistible. Kemia's proximity to the Theater District makes it an ideal stop after a show. 630 Ninth Ave. (btwn. 44th & 45th Sts.); 212-582-3200.
 
King Cole Bar in Midtown East. The Bloody Mary was born here, in the tony St. Regis Hotel. The Maxfield Parrish mural alone is worth the price of a classic cocktail (but egads, what a price!). It's a small but memorable spot. 2 E. 55th St. (Fifth Ave.); 212-744-4300.
 
Ñ in Soho. This dark, narrow, candlelit tapas bar is a gem. Ñ (pronounced like the Spanish letter, eh-nyeh) is a great place to savor some very good tapas and fruity sangria. On Wednesday nights, arrive early to claim a seat for the weekly flamenco performance, which begins around 8 p.m. 33 Crosby St. (btwn. Grand & Broome sts.); 212-219-8856.
 
Pegu Club in Soho. Self-described "gatekeepers of classic cocktail culture," the Pegu Club brings uptown to downtown in this sleek and polished venue. 77 W. Houston St., 2nd Floor (at W. Broadway); 212-473-PEGU.
 
Pianos on the Lower East Side. This multilevel former piano store gets high marks both as a bar and as a music venue. On any given night, three or four different performances may be going on. 158 Ludlow St; 212-505-3733.
 
Pravda in Soho. This glam underground caviar lounge is no longer the "it" place in town, but consider that good news: it means you won't be surrounded by preening trendsters. This Keith McNally concoction still entertains with a great atmosphere (sexy red banquettes) and some 70 types of vodka from 18 countries. The only street-level sign reads "281"; follow the stairwell down. 281 Lafayette St. (btwn. Houston & Prince sts.); 212-226-4944.
 
Rose Bar in Gramercy Park. Ian Schrager's 2006 head-to-toe renovation of the old Gramercy Park Hotel included the sumptuous and original redesign of the bar by artist Julian Schnabel; it's now like the great room in the country estate of some slightly nutty 21st-century Venetian prince. Beware the pricey drinks and, some say, uncool attitude. 2 Lexington Ave. (at Gramercy Park); 212-920-3300.
 

Rusty Knot in the West Village. This determinedly downscale, nautically themed bar/restaurant is packing 'em in on West Street across from the Hudson River. Of course it is: among its siblings is the ever-cool Spotted Pig. It's a comfortable, agreeable spot to drink beer, play pool and watch the river sunsets. 425 West St. (at 11th St.); 212-645-5668.
 
79th Street Boat Basin on the Upper West Side. When spring finally arrives, nature-starved New Yorkers flock here to sip beer on the outdoor patio, mingle under the limestone arches and gaze out at the Hudson River. This is as much a casual restaurant as it is a bar, with hamburgers, hot dogs and "garden burgers" sizzling on an outdoor grill. 79th Street Boat Basin, 79th St. & the Hudson River; 212-496-5542.
 
Tír Na Nóg in Midtown West. New York is packed with Irish bars, but this standout makes you feel as if you're on a patch of the Emerald Isle. The friendly bartenders, Murphy's on tap and lively music make for an authentic Celtic pub experience. 5 Penn Plaza (Eighth Ave., btwn. 33rd & 34th sts.); 212-630-0249.
 
Zum Schneider in the East Village. Just what Alphabet City needed: a genuine indoor Bavarian beer garden. With its long tables and bench seating, this is a sehr gut place to go with a group. 107 Ave. C (7th St.); 212-598-1098.
 
Dance Clubs
 
Cotton Club in Harlem. Although the legendary 1920s Harlem hot spot closed for good in 1940, the current incarnation of the club, set in an Art Deco structure 20 blocks away from the original, has good bones and swinging music. The house band--the 13-piece Cotton Club All-Stars--will have you kicking your heels to swing and jazz tunes. A gospel show/buffet brunch is held on weekends. 656 W. 125th St. (Martin Luther King Blvd.); 888-640-7980 or 212-663-7980. $15-$32 cover.
 
Lotus in the Meat-Packing District. This triple-decker space is a restaurant in the early evening (no cover charge) and a nightclub from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. It's a beauty, with "Urban Asian street food" and divine watermelon martinis. Guest DJs have included Mark Ronson, Grandmaster Flash and Jazzy Jeff. 409 W. 14th St. (Ninth Ave.); 212-243-4420. $10-$20 cover.
 
The Gay & Lesbian Scene
 
Brandy's Piano Bar on the Upper East Side. The crowd is a mix of gay and straight, men and women, at this intimate piano bar. It's friendly and relaxed--so much so that the talented wait staff who do most of the singing don't mind when patrons join in. 235 E. 84th St. (btwn. Second & Third aves.); 212-650-1944.
 
Henrietta Hudson in the West Village. This popular ladies' lounge has been calling out to lipstick lesbians since 1991. The theme nights pack the house: Discothèque Fridays feature classic disco, and Mas Flow Wednesdays are devoted to reggae and hip-hop. 438 Hudson St. (Morton St.); 212-924-3347.
 
Splash in Chelsea. Welcome to gay heaven: This is a world of beautiful bartenders, mirrors everywhere the eye can see and New York's best drag queens. Few theme nights anywhere are more successful than Musical Mondays: these singalongs draw a devoted mixed gay/straight crowd. 50 W. 17th St. (btwn. Fifth & Sixth aves.); 212-691-0073.
 
 
Take the L Train: Billyburg Bars

Just over the bridge in Brooklyn, Williamsburg mushroomed when artists, young professionals and expats from the Lower East Side poured in to escape soaring Manhattan rents. It's a happening neighborhood, with a multicultural mix, big living lofts and railroad apartments, and a lively nightlife. Take the short ride from Manhattan on the L train, at 14th St., and check out some of the city's most interesting bars and clubs. Union Pool (718-609-0484) is a bright, attractive bar with a large outdoor space, velvet lounges and a post-hipster crowd. A refugee from Ludlow Street, Luna Lounge serves booze and live rock. The bar/bistro/concert hall Warsaw is a charmer set in the Polish National Home. Pete's Candy Store is a wonderful bar with live music, trivia and spelling-bee nights, and a Sunday backyard barbecue. And if you want to see a hot band in a top-notch setting, the Music Hall of Williamsburg--a sister club to the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan--is a good bet.

 
From Frommer's New York City Day by Day. Pick up a free copy at the BEA registration desk, while supplies last.  For more information about Frommer's, visit booth #4141, where Arthur and Pauline Frommer will sign guides on Thursday, May 27, 10–11 a.m.

Today on Fresh Air: Father Gregory Boyle, author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion (Free Press, $25, 9781439153024/1439153027).

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Tomorrow on the Laura Ingraham Show: Jonathan Alter, author of The Promise: President Obama, Year One (Simon & Schuster, $28, 9781439101193/1439101191). He will also appear tomorrow on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports.

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Tomorrow on Fox's Hannity: Jerome R. Corsi, author of The Shroud Codex (Threshold Editions, $26, 9781439190418/1439190410).

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Tomorrow night on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations (Free Press, $27, 9781439157312/1439157316).

 

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this week from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, May 22

8 a.m. Jonathan Eig, author of Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster (S&S, $28, 9781416580591/141658059X), used newly discovered documents to recount Capone's exploits. (Re-airs Saturday at 3:45 p.m. and Sunday at 5 a.m.)

4:30 p.m. Book TV features a panel discussion coinciding with publication of The Supreme Court: A C-SPAN Book Featuring the Justices in Their Own Words (PublicAffairs, $29.95, 9781586488352/158648835X). Panelists include Associate Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Joan Biskupic of USA Today, Lyle Denniston of SCOTUS blog, and attorney and former Rehnquist law clerk Maureen Mahoney. (Re-airs Sunday at 2:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 p.m.)

7 p.m. Melanie Phillips, author of The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle Over God, Truth and Power (Encounter Books, $23.95, 9781594033759/1594033757), contends that the Western world has fallen into a soft totalitarianism. (Re-airs Sunday at 10:30 a.m.)

8:30 p.m. Jay Martin, author of The Virtues of Mendacity: On Lying in Politics (University of Virginia Press, $24.95, 9780813929729/0813929725), discusses when, how and why lying in politics may not only be acceptable but necessary.

10 p.m. After Words. ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl interviews Boston radio talk show host Michael Graham about his book That's No Angry Mob, That's My Mom: Team Obama's Assault on Tea-Party, Talk-Radio Americans (Regnery, $27.95, 9781596986190/1596986190). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m., Monday at 12 a.m. and 3 a.m., and Sunday, May 30, at 12 p.m.)

Sunday, May 23

7 a.m. Nemir Kirdar, author of Saving Iraq: Rebuilding a Broken Nation (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, $26.04, 9780297858171/0297858173), argues that Iraq can return to the peace and prosperity that existed when he lived in the country before the 1958 coup.  (Re-airs Sunday at 2 p.m. and Saturday, May 29, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.)

1 p.m. Nouriel Roubini, author of Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance (Penguin, $27.95, 9781594202506/1594202508), talks about the global financial crisis and the prospects for improving things before the global economy collapses completely. (Re-airs Monday at 4 a.m., Sunday, May 30, at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and Monday, May 31, at 4 a.m.)

8 p.m. S.E. Cupp, author of Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity (Threshold Editions, $24, 9781439173169/1439173168), holds the left accountable for what she calls an assault on religion and the nation's heritage. (Re-airs Monday at 2:15 a.m. and 7 a.m., Sunday, May 30, at 1:30 p.m. and Monday, May 31, at 5:45 a.m.)

 

Octavia Spencer will play Minny Jackson in the film version of The Help, based on Kathryn Stockett's novel. She joins a cast that includes Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone in the Dreamworks production. Filming is scheduled to begin this July in Mississippi. Entertainment Weekly reported that Spencer "has known Stockett for close to a decade and actually served as the inspiration for the outspoken character. (Stockett was researching the book when she first met Spencer through their mutual friend Tate Taylor, who is the writer and director of the film.)."

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Jane Austen's dominance of the literary big screen may soon be usurped by the Brontë sisters "after two decades of movies made from her elegant novels with their well-mannered characters, placid plots and witty repartee," USA Today reported. British filmmakers are currently at work on new versions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

"Austen's characters achieve their greatness through a kind of sideways movement toward happiness, (while) the Brontës hurtle themselves headlong into the maelstrom of emotions and situations," said James Schamus, head of Focus Features, which made Austen's Pride and Prejudice and now is filming Jane Eyre with BBC Films. 

 

Forty years later, we finally have our winner. J.G. Farrell's Troubles won the Lost Man Booker Prize, a one-time award for novels published in 1970 that were not considered for the honor at the time because rules about publication dates had changed, BBC News reported. Farrell, who won a Booker in 1973 for The Siege of Krishnapur, died in 1979.

"Troubles is a novel of such lasting quality that it has never been out of print in the 40 years since it was first published," said Ion Trewin, literary director of the Man Booker Prizes.

Farrell's novel garnered 38% of the public vote, besting a shortlist that also included The Birds on the Trees by Nina Bawden, The Bay of Noon by Shirley Hazzard, Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault, The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark and The Vivisector by Patrick White.

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Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book has named finalists for the 2010 Colorado Book Awards. Winners in all categories will be announced June 25 during the Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival. The complete shortlist can be found here.

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Finalists for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, which honors the best first collection of short fiction, have been named by the Writers' Union of Canada. CBC News reported that the shortlist includes Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis, Wax Boats by Sarah Roberts and Overqualified by Joey Comeau. The winner will be announced June 5 at the organization's annual general meeting in Ottawa.

 

Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann (Soho Press, $25, 9781569476406/1569476403, June 1, 2010)

Opening lines of a book we want to read:

I'm living in this dump in Haidian Qu, close to Wudaokou, on the twenty-first floor of a decaying high-rise. The grounds are bare; the trees have died; the rubber tiles on the walkways, in their garish pink and yellow, are cracked and curling. The lights have been out in the lobby since I moved in; they never finished the interior walls in the foyers outside the elevator, and the windows are boarded up, so every time I step outside the apartment door I'm in a weird twilight world of bare cement and blue fluorescent light.

The worst thing about the foyer is that I might run into Mrs. Hua, who lives next door with her fat spoiled-brat kid. She hates that I'm crashing here, thinks I'm some slutty American who is corrupting China's morals. She's always muttering under her breath, threatening to report me to the Public Security Bureau for all kinds of made-up shit. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong, but the last thing I need is the PSB on my ass.

I've got enough problems.--Selected by Marilyn Dahl

Last week, Rachel Renee Russell won the Children's Choice Book Award in the fifth-sixth grade category for her debut novel, Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life (S&S/Aladdin, $12.99 paper-over-board, 9781416980063/1416980067, 290 pp., ages 10-up). The award is especially meaningful because young people themselves determine the winners. So how did Russell, a bankruptcy lawyer by day, become a novelist beloved by middle-grade readers? It's a story as compelling as any fairy tale.

In April 2008, Russell entered the annual Fire and Ice competition. She took second place for a 30-page early incarnation of Dork Diaries called "So NOT My Fairy Godmother!: A Diary," which, not surprisingly, featured a fairy godmother. Russell sent the story to Dan Lazar at Writers House who thought the heroine was a "funny, compelling character," but suggested that Russell cut the fairy godmother. In three weeks, Russell had 70 pages written: "I axed the fairy, and kept Nikki," she said. By June, the project had been sold to S&S as a two-book contract, and Russell wrote another 210 pages by November 2008. The book was published in June 2009 and made the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks of its release.

One could call it a Cinderella story: by her own admission, Russell identifies with her heroine, 14-year-old Nikki Maxwell, a newcomer to Westchester Country Day Middle School who's hated by the queen of the CCP ("Cute, Cool & Popular") crowd, MacKenzie Hollister. "I wasn't that popular, but by senior year, the unpopular kids liked me, and there were more of them than popular kids, so they elected me president of the senior class," recalled Russell. Nikki likewise finds her niche, with fellow library shelving assistants Zoey and Chloe--and even "supercute hunk" Brandon.

A self-trained artist, Russell said she tends to write Nikki's story vignettes first and then add the artwork, though occasionally the art comes first. Russell said she learned a great deal from the process on book one, much of it having to do with pacing the artwork and the text. She moved from three square-panel series in the artwork to either three wide-panel sequences (that extend the full width of a page) or four square-panel sections, so that the artwork fell on the page in a predictable way. She also began to gauge the length of the lines of text so that the text breaks and artwork fell on the page or spread in a flow that was optimal to the story's pacing and didn't step on the laughs.

Next month, S&S will publish Dork Diaries #2: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl (S&S/Aladdin, $12.99 paper-over-board, 9781416980087/1416980083), in which Nikki accepts Brandon's invitation to be his lab partner but overhears nemesis MacKenzie boast that Brandon is taking her to the Halloween Dance. The third book, due to be released in June 2011, will feature a talent show with a nod to American Idol and Glee, and Russell has a fourth book under contract. So, fringe crowd, take heart in Russell's message:  "Every dork has her day."--Jennifer M. Brown