Judge rules gifts cards from belly-up Borders bookstores worthless

Those clinging hopefully to the old Borders books gift cards stashed in their drawers or wallets are out of luck, a Manhattan federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Paperless public library to open in Texas

A groundbreaking paperless public library system will open in Texas this year, the BBC reports.

Qantas to fly the literary skies

Australia's Qantas Airlines is promoting the announcement of its extended flight routes by commissioning a series of books that last exactly as long as each flight.

No e-book for Stephen King's new novel, 'Joyland'

In a move to bump up physical book sales, Stephen King will not release an e-book version of his new novel, "Joyland," the Wall Street Journal reports.

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.

Ken Baumann's secret life in books

He's best known for 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager,' but he's also in the literary vanguard as a writer and publisher of Sator Press.

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.

A teen's quest for self-discovery in 'Maya's Notebook'

In Isabel Allende's latest novel, a troubled young Chilean-American woman flees for her life.

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'

A spin through a world where bicycles rule streets

In 'City of Bikes,' American Pete Jordan pays tribute to Amsterdam, where cycling has long been a daily part of life

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.

Judy Juanita and her 'Virgin Soul'

The former radical's experiences during the 1960s in San Francisco inform her new novel. She talks hippies, Black Panthers and revolution.