The big news this week was Disney’s announcement of Rick Riordan’s tour for the upcoming release, Heroes of Olympus, Book Two: Son of Neptune. Publisher’s Weekly reports that the book will have a first printing of 3 million copies – the largest in the company’s history. Riordan will stop here at BookPeople on Monday, October 10, 3pm to sign copies of Son of Neptune. More details on that celebration to come….
It’s official: The Night Circus is The Next Big Thing. The Wall Street Journal said so. And they quoted us! Meet Erin Morgenstern, author of The Next Big Thing, here at BookPeople Thursday, October 20th.
President Obama did some book shopping while on vacation. One of his picks was Bayou Trilogy by Daniel Woodrell. Find out what the President already knows – that Woodrell is one of the best crime fiction writers around – when Woodrell is here with Craig Johnson on Saturday, October 22.
Once again, James Patterson is at the top of the heap as the highest grossing author among his peers – in 2010 he earned $84 million for his adult and YA titles (via Forbes.) Danielle Steele comes in a distant second at $35 million.
Novelist Ann Patchett has found a location in Nashville for her indie bookstore, due to open in October, Parnassus Books.
John Hodgman called booksellers nerdy and snarky on The Daily Show. We’re betting he changes his tune by the time he’s here on tour for his new book, That is All on November 8th.
This week a Mississippi judge dismissed the lawsuit filed against the bestselling author of The Help, Kathryn Stockett, by her brother’s maid, Ablene Cooper, who claimed she (Cooper) was the inspiration for Stockett’s main character, Aibileen.
Patti Smith is working on a screenplay version of her National Book Award-winning memoir about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, Just Kids. (Thanks for the tip on that one, Nolan.) My vote for the star: Katherine Moennig. Am I right, ladies, or am I right?
Ernie Cline, author of Ready Player One, is on the cover of the Chronicle this week. We’re getting amped up for the 80’s Night Release Party here on Tuesday, August 23rd. See that DeLorean in the picture? Yeah, that’s going to be parked outside the store, likely playing Huey Lewis and the News. That’s the power, baby. The power of love. And Ernie Cline.
Tao Lin, author known for eccentricity and, among other writings, his novel Richard Yates which stars Dakota Fanning and Haley Joel Osment, signed a $50,000 deal with Random House for his next novel, Taipei, Taiwan. We had some fun with the announcement here on our blog. There’s been some confusion about this, so let us please clarify: this is a joke. This is only a joke. If you do not have a sense of humor, you are advised NOT to click through. Thank you.
Those are the highlights. We’re getting ready for Clark Howard here at the store tonight, and all of our crazy big events next week – Ernie Cline, Tom Angleberger, The Casserole Queens. If you like origami, one dish recipes and video games, we’ve got you covered next week. You’re welcome.
BookPeople 
John Hodgman! Yay.