Book News, In Brief

'Misery memoir' sales have fallen 30% in gray and gloomy England. Does this signal a return to London's swingin' days of yore, or are the Brits just being buzzkills?

The Vatican opened its third bookstore this past Tuesday. A sign on the front door informs patrons that shoplifting is a mortal sin; browsing without buying, venial.

Rapper/actor/Gap model, Common, is adding one more noun to his resume: author. Common says he's decided to write children’s books in an effort to get kids reading.

Moms: You can't live with 'em, you can't....well, actually, you can live without 'em -- if you're a clone kid. But this news bit isn't about the miracles of modern science. It's about two different books about moms and the two very different reactions they garnered. The positive: A Times writer has been shortlisted for a leading literary prize for a book that started out as a letter to his mother. The negative: A British lawyer who wrote a popular book recounting a childhood of emotional and physical abuse is being sued for libel by her mother, who says the claims are fantasy. It's going to be a very awkward Christmas at that house.