Belle & Sebastian's Stuart David to write a book about the band

Stuart David, a founding member of Belle & Sebastian and its original bass player, will write a memoir about his time in the seminal indie pop band.

A Carlos Fuentes boom on the anniversary of his death

The Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes is the subject of a small, literary boom on the anniversary of his death.

Dan Brown: Happy 'Inferno' publication day

Happy publication day to Dan Brown, whose latest Robert Langdon thriller, "Inferno," officially hits shelves Tuesday. Online, it's already declared its dominance: It's Amazon's No. 1 bestselling book.

Welcome to Easy Rawlins' world: a Q&A with Walter Mosley

A few weeks ago, I met Walter Mosley on Pico Boulevard near Fairfax, around the corner from where he was raised. This is a neighborhood that still fuels Mosley¿s imagination.

Microsoft may buy Barnes & Noble's Nook unit for $1 billion

According to internal documents obtained by the website TechCrunch, Microsoft has offered $1 billion for the digital assets of Nook Media, Barnes & Noble's digital book venture.

Candace Bushnell's upcoming novel leaked by hacker Guccifer

Candace Bushnell, author of "Sex and the City," is the latest to fall victim to Guccifer, the hacker who exposed former President George W. Bush's secret life as a painter, New York magazine reported.

Come to papa: Ernest Hemingway's papers return from Cuba

Records from the estate in Cuba where Ernest Hemingway wrote many of his most famous books have been digitized and brought to the United States, the Associated Press reports.

An artisanal Bible: A handwritten copy, four years in the making

A man in upstate New York has just about finished a task that was common enough until the invention of the printing press: Over the past four years, he has copied the King James Bible by hand.

Young Adult imprint? Go on, try one - everybody's doing it

Publisher Algonquin on Wednesday announced Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint to be launched this fall. In so doing, it is climbing on to a very crowded bandwagon.

Vivid portraits in William Stout's 'Legends of the Blues'

William Stout's "Legends of the Blues," picks up where R. Crumb's "Heroes of the Blues" left off, illustrating legendary blues musicians for the new book, coming May 7.

Beastie Boys memoir in the works: No sleep till deadline?

Rumors that the Beastie Boys would soon be penning a memoir were confirmed on Monday by the book's U.K. publisher, Faber & Faber: "Yes, it is true," the imprint's blog said.

The art of becoming Edna O'Brien

In her memoir 'Country Girl,' the writer recounts her difficult beginnings and escape into writing.

The boy behind Kristallnacht

Jonathan Kirsch takes a deft look at the teen assassin of a Nazi diplomat in 'The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan'

Harry Potter to flatten Gibson Amphitheatre, Curious George playland

Universal Studios in Hollywood will raze the 41-year-old Gibson Amphitheatre to make way for its coming Harry Potter attraction, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

George W. Bush Presidential Library opens this week, chads and all

President Obama and all four living ex-presidents will attend the official dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library on Thursday on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Sammy Harkham, a city's comics crusader

Toying with high and low art as a comics artist-editor and Family bookstore co-owner, the author has become a significant voice on the L.A. cultural scene.

'The Walking' continues the journey of Iranian immigrants

Laleh Khadivi's second novel featuring a Kurdish man who seeks refuge in L.A. covers key points in Iranian American history and is an important addition to the literature of California immigrants.

A celebration of all things books at USC

L.A. Times Festival of Books: Joyce Carol Oates, Carol Burnett, Lemony Snicket and Jamaica Kincaid are among the 500 authors appearing at this weekend's festival for readers of all ages.

David Sedaris, my imaginary friend

'Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls' offers fresh tales of the essayist's life and travel travails.

Introducing the Los Angeles Times map of Literary Los Angeles

The Times' books staff has created an interactive map of Literary Los Angeles. We've gathered passages from more than two dozen books set in L.A., as well as literary landmarks and local bookstores.

Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini open up about 'House of Secrets'

Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini talk about their new book "House of Secrets," an adventure story about three siblings and a magic house that includes giant dragonflies, walking skeletons and pirates.

George Orwell's Indian birthplace dedicated to Gandhi; locals fume

The bungalow where George Orwell was born, in Motihari, Bihar, India, is being turned into a monument, Agence France-Presse reports -- but it's a monument to Mahatma Gandhi, not the British writer.

Keeping up with Kevin Starr

The California historian will receive the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement at the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, even as he writes a new volume

How Prince became royal

Touré explores the pop music artist's ascendance to icon status in 'I Would Die 4 U.'