Book Bits

(from USA Today
by Yohana Desta)

New and noteworthy: USA TODAY's Jocelyn McClurg picks the hottest books on sale this week. Non-fiction highlights include French Women Don't Get Facelifts by Mireille Giuliano and The Venetians: A New History by Paul Strathern. Fiction selections include Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink by Kim Gruenenfelder and The Empty Chair: Two Novellas by Bruce Wagner.

Strings Attached: Authors Joanne Lipman and Melanie Kupchynsky paint a "vivid, often tender portrait" of Mr. K, a tough music teacher in their book Strings Attached (3 stars out of 4). Mr. K's methods included "discipline, repetition, and hollering" a formula that would hardly survive today's teaching standards. And yet, both authors remember their days as his students with fondness.

Ben Stiller's Secret Life: USA TODAY's Claudia Puig reviews the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty(2 stars out of 4), based on the 1939 short story by James Thurber. Stiller directs and stars as the titular character, a shy guy with a big imagination. Puig says the film "bypasses Thurber's satirical treatment in favor of plodding earnestness," making it an overall dull story. Plus, check out our interview with Stiller and listen to him narrate the story.

Out of the park: Baseball legend Ted Williams gets a fitting tribute in the form of a biography titled The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams(4 stars out of four). Reviewer Don Oldenburg says author Ben Bradlee Jr. delivers the "literary equivalent of extra innings," fleshing out Williams' "complex, contradictory and volatile character."

LaBeouf vs. Clowes and Melville: It's not a good time to be Shia LaBeouf. Comic Daniel Clowes is said to be "exploring all legal options" against the actor, who used the comic's material for a short film called HowardCantour.com. In addition, indie publisher Melville House says LaBeouf ripped off sections of the Benoit Duteurtre novel The Little Girl and the Cigarette for use in one of his mini-comics. Melville publisher Dennis Johnson said the company is "exploring all legal options" and will "vigorously defend the copyright of our author."

Remembering Ned Vizzini: The YA author died of apparent suicide on Thursday. Vizzini was the successful writer of novels It's Kind of a Funny Story, Be More Chill and Teen Angst? Naaah, which he wrote at age 19. He is survived by his wife and son.

Long live books: The folks at Book Patrol have put together a beautiful infographic about the book industry. It shows the rise in e-book usage, which has sharply increased from 2009 to today. For paper fans, it shows that sales of hardcover books have risen by 10% in the first eight months of 2013.