Friday Update!

By Steven McLain

First, I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.  Most of my week has revolved around Thanksgiving in one way or another; I was either driving home for Thanksgiving, eating Thanksgiving, or recovering from Thanksgiving.  Good times all around.

Speaking of good times, I saw Wreck It Ralph this last Wednesday.  Expect a review on Monday but suffice it to say that it was very enjoyable, very tightly plotted and the pop-culture references were far less important than I expected.  On something of a related note, I saw in the previews that Disney is re-releasing Monsters, Inc. in 3D.  I'm kind of excited to see this movie in theaters again; I remember the first time being particularly fun.  That all being said, go see Wreck It Ralph.  It was delightful.

Even though I finished Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires over a week ago, I still have yet to start The Twelve by Justin Cronin.  I've been deeply involved in Lovecraft, particularly in Lovecraft tribute stories, which you can read about in a previous entry.  But while I'm loving rediscovering Lovecraft, I haven't been able to invest adequate time in newer, possibly just as worthy books.

In publishing new, the Amazon Kindle turned 5 this last week; to help mark this special occasion, Amazon released a list of the Top 5 Bestselling Kindle books ever, as well as the bestselling Kindle books by year.  It's really no surprise that Fifty Shades of Grey, and The Hunger Games trilogies dominate the bestsellers list.  Somewhat more surprising is that Fifty Shades did all that in a single year, placing itself firmly in the Top 5 in 2012.  Prior years included, The Help, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Lost Symbol, and The Complete User’s Guide To the Amazing Amazon Kindle in 2008.  I think the take-away from this is that eBooks are here to stay, and will only become more viable as a publishing platform, replacing standard physical sales.

Interestingly, the number one spot on Publishers Weekly Top 10 list this week is held by Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel, by Jeff Kinney.  It's not surprising to see YA and Middle Readers books taking a place on the bestseller list, especially as Christmas draws nigh; I'd expect to see more in the coming weeks.

And apparently, Tolkien fans don't gamble.  At least, not according to the $80 million suit brought against Warner Bros, New Line and Middle-Earth Enterprises.  The family is alleging that the original 1969 rights included only physical properties, and not gambling or digital rights.  The sticking point seems to be the creation of Middle Earth themed online slots.  You can read the whole thing here. 

In somewhat related movie news, I'm planning on reading The Hobbit for the first time ever in anticipation of the forthcoming movie.  Some of you are astonished to hear this startling revelation--I mean, a Lord of the Rings fan who hasn't read The Hobbit?  But I'll soon rectify that and have gobs of fun belaboring the most bestest parts from the book that Peter Jackson omitted from the movie.

Now that Twilight no longer tortures our movie screens, Twihards are in search of the Next Interesting Thing and the best bet seems to be Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.  Adapted as a movie from Cassandra Clare urban fantasy series Mortal Instruments.  Take a look at the trailer below and let me know what you think.