BOOK NEWS
Bested by a Muggle
Former “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar is officially more popular than Harry Potter – at least according the Internet search engine Yahoo. In a recent check, Malakar was the subject of more Web searches than the boy wizard and Justin Timberlake, according to Yahoo Buzz, a service that ranks the most popular search terms. | New York Post
Lil’ Kim’s novel
Diminutive rapper Lil’ Kim soon will add author to her résumé after signing with St. Martin’s Press to write a novel called “The Price of Loyalty.” A Lil’ Kim spokeswoman said she will write under her real name, Kimberly Jones, and that the book will not be a biography. | postchronicle.com
FIRST LINE
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
by Mohsin Hamid
Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance? Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America. I noticed that you were looking for something; more than looking, in fact you seemed to be on a mission, and since I am both a native of this city and a speaker of your language, I thought I might offer you my services.
“How did I know you were American? No, not by the color of your skin; we have a range of complexions in this country, and yours occurs often among the people of our northwest frontier. Nor was it your dress that gave you away… Instead it was your bearing that allowed me to identify you, and I do not mean that as an insult, for I see your face has hardened, but merely as an observation.”
BEST SELLERS
Comics
1. Naruto, Vol. 13 | Mashashi Kishimoto
2. Death Note, Vol. 10 | Tsugumi Ohba
3. Negima, Vol. 13 | Ken Akamatsu
4. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Vol. 2 | Shiro Amano
5. The Road to Civil War | Brian M. Bendis, et al
Kids’ fiction
1. Eldest | Christopher Paolini
2. Eragon | Christopher Paolini
3. Twilight | Stephenie Meyer
4. New Moon | Stephenie Meyer
5. The Invention of Hugo Cabret | Brian Selznick
Publishers Weekly
