Big Book News
This week two major publishing houses announced plans to merge, forming Penguin Random House. (Why not Random Penguin House?) If approved by European authorities this would become the world’s largest book publisher. Whenever I complain about the rapidly changing publishing industry, a good customer, who spent many years in the music industry, gives me a gentle look that reminds me to be quiet.

Shoe News
Chipper’s are going for the bargain price of $280 as of 8:45 this morning. That’s only $140 per signed shoe! Information on bidding is available here. Only four days left.

More Books that Rock
Bruce, by Peter A. Carlin was released yesterday, the first biography in a quarter century that has had Springsteen’s cooperation.
360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story, by Princeton University professor Sean Wilentz, chronicles the 125 year history of the label. (November 14th)

Eddie Owen Update
It’s already been a full year since Eddie Owen, formerly of Eddie’s Attic, signed on to the Red Clay Theatre in Duluth with Eddie Owen Presents. I made my first visit up there this weekend and can report that Eddie and the Theatre are in good health. Eddie is happy with a solid list of bookings and many additional plans. Ground will break shortly for an adjoining restaurant and bar. The facility is a superb concert venue with excellent sound. Downtown Duluth looks like a smaller, more rural version of Decatur. If you need a reason to make the 30 minute drive up there, Decatur’s own Caroline Herring will be performing on Saturday evening, November 17th.

Authors who have been in here in the past few weeks who are on the current New York Times Bestsellers Lists:
Patricia Cornwell, author of The Bone Bed (#4, hardcover fiction);
Eric Litwin, author of Pete the Cat Saves Christmas and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons (#6 and #10, children’s picture books);
James Patterson, author of NYPD Red and Zoo, (#5 and #28, hardcover fiction); Guilty Wives and Alex Cross (#9 and #24, paperback trade fiction);
Judy Schachner, author and illustrator of Skippyjon Jones: Cirque de Olé (#1, children’s picture books);
Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Oath (#24, hardcover nonfiction).

This Week

Salman Rushdie, author of Joseph Anton (#35, hardcover nonfiction), Sunday, November 4th, 6:30pm, Glenn Memorial Auditorium, Emory University, all tickets have been distributed; click here for information on the wait list.
Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman), author of Charlie and the Christmas Kitty, Monday, November 5th, 7pm, Little Shop of Stories, free but, like love, it’s complicated; click here for ticket information.