What -- a Gideon Bible wasn't good enough for them?

Here's a possible creative writing exercise:

Imagine you check into a hotel room, and the previous inhabitants of the room have left a certain book behind. Write a story about those people based upon the book you've found.

What book would it be? Well, for suggestions you might want to check with the British budget hotel chain Travelodge, which every year produces a list of the books most often abandoned in their hotel rooms. Some of the titles might prompt quite salacious tales (The Best 50 Lovemaking Positions for the Over 50s) and others tales of economic woe (You and Your Money was high on the list). If you wish to locate your story in a specific location, Travelodge can help there too. For example, travelers in Cornwall were most likely to leave behind spiritual titles. And while ten visitors to Peterborough abandoned copies of the Kama Sutra, one traveler to Southampton discarded The Kama Sutra for Dummies. We'll let Peterborough and Southampton battle that one out.

Overall the categories left behind the most were autobiographies, chick lit, and thrillers, and most of the top ten titles were books of specifically British interest (the top-ranked abandoned book was a memoir by Labour politician John Prescott). However, On Chesil Beach came in at number nine (I hope not too many honeymooners were reading that one), and tenth on the list was The Secret.

For more inspiration -- or just to satisfy your curiosity -- The Guardian's article on the Travelodge list can be found here.

Sunday, 9/14 at Accent on Books: "Together We Read" discussion

"Together We Read" is an initiative that seeks to promote an interest in books and reading throughout Western North Carolina by offering a series of events related to one specific book each year. Books chosen in the past have included The French Broad, Our Southern Highlanders, and Brighten the Corner Where You Are. This year's selection is Boone, by Robert Morgan, and Accent on Books will be hosting a discussion of this book Sunday, at 3:00 PM. We are grateful to Molly Pace, a cousin of the author, for agreeing to lead the discussion.

Robert Morgan, a native of Western North Carolina, is primarily known as a poet and novelist. With Boone, he turns to nonfiction, but nonfiction very much written with a novelist's sense of place and character. Though the book's subtitle labels it as a biography, it is almost more of a "life and times" of the famous pioneer, with much historical background about the world into which Daniel Boone was born and on which he had such a profound effect.

"Together We Read" is an important and effective program to promote interest in the written word, and Accent on Books is delighted to be a part of the effort. More about "Together We Read" can be found at their website. Out store website can be found here.

An Award for Herman Wouk

"This is not at all bad, except as prose."

That was Gore Vidal's caustic evaluation of Herman Wouk's famous novel, The Winds of War. Vidal's disdain is far from universal, however, as will be made clear this week when Herman Wouk is presented the first Library of Congress Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Writing of Fiction. In his citation, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington says, "Herman Wouk's work epitomizes the historical novel and its ability to transcend its time and place to achieve universality in character and themes."

Wouk, now 93 years old, is probably best known for The Caine Mutiny, his 1951 Pulitzer Prize winner which he later adapted for the stage; and his two epic World War II novels from the 1970s: The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance. Yet his long career includes many other quite different types of writings: novels about life in New York (Marjorie Morningstar and Youngblood Hawke), historical novels about the state of Israel (The Hope, and The Glory), nonfiction about Judaism (This Is My God), and even a book about a man's midlife crisis that Jimmy Buffett turned into a musical (Don't Stop the Carnival). His most recent novel, A Hole in Texas, deals with particle physics.

Herman Wouk has always straddled that blurry line between being a "literary" and a "commercial" writer. Yet his has undeniably been one of the most important literary careers of the last half-century. This recognition from the Library of Congress deservedly honors that career.

And it gives Gore Vidal something else to be grumpy about.

More about Herman Wouk and the Library of Congress can be found here.

A Not So "Happy" Ending

Sad news from Columbia, SC: The Happy Bookseller, one of the most renowned independent bookstores in the Southeast, is closing in October. Co-owners Carrie and Andy Graves sent a letter to their customers earlier this week saying that competition not only from the internet but from two chain superstores that opened less than a mile away meant that the store could no longer earn enough money to support themselves and their two sons.

The Happy Bookseller was opened in 1974 by Rhett Jackson, who became a prominent member of the southern bookselling community. His enthusiasm and exuberant personality made him an unmistakable presence at regional gatherings, and he worked hard to promote independent bookselling in this area of the country. In 1996 he sold the store to Andy and Carrie Graves, who actually first met each other when they both worked there.

As might be expected, the reaction from the store's regular customers has been one of sadness and disbelief. One customer, a literature professor at the University of South Carolina, did not mince words: "The closing of The Happy Bookseller is a disaster for the cultural scene in Columbia."

More on The Happy Bookseller and its closing can be found here.

The candidates are going for a touchdown (or something like that)

As I write this, people are looking forward to one of two events that will take place tonight: John McCain's acceptance speech or the beginning of the NFL regular season. Or they are looking forward to both. Or neither.

At any rate, as we continue to celebrate ** our 25th year in business ** here at Accent on Books we thought we'd open September with a 20% sale on all our political and current events books. With this in mind, here is but a small sample of what we have on hand:

For Barack Obama fans: Obama's own two books, of course, which have been out for awhile. Plus, Barack Obama in His Own Words, and Barack Obama for Beginners.

For John McCain fans: Three books by McCain himself -- Faith of My Fathers, Hard Call, and Why Courage Matters.

For Joe Biden fans: Promises to Keep, Biden's memoir, now out in paperback.

For Sarah Palin fans: Um, nothing yet, but there was a biography of her released earlier this year which we have on order. It's called, appropriately enough, Sarah.

For fans of other politicians: America: Our Next Chapter, by Chuck Hagel, and A Time to Fight, by Jim Webb.

For fans of bipartisanship: What You Should Know About Politics -- But Don't, which is endorsed by both Bob Dole and Barack Obama.

For fans of cable news networks: Independent's Day, by Lou Dobbs; Life's a Campaign, by Chris Matthews; Culture Warriors, by Bill O'Reilly; and Truth and Consequences, by O'Reilly's good buddy Keith Olbermann.

For politics junkies: Safire's Political Dictionary, by William Safire. An amazing book.

And finally, books for the largest special interest group of all -- those who can't wait till the whole blasted thing is over with: Anything for a Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots & October Surprises in U. S. Presidential Campaigns; and The Almanac of Political Corruption, Scandals & Dirty Politics.

I'm Patrick Covington, and I approved this message.

Sunday, 9/7 at Accent on Books: Nan Chase

Last fall we enjoyed having an author event with Nan Chase who had written a new history of Asheville (still available at Accent on Books). This coming Sunday we will be welcoming this versatile author back to help launch her new book, which is entirely different. Nan and her co-author Chris McCurry have written, Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs from Nature, a volume that is both beautiful and eminently practical. And, as a special added treat, Nan and Chris will give a demonstration of bark shingle installation.

So join us this Sunday at 3:00 PM for a fun and informative afternoon as Nan (who herself lives in a bark house) and Chris talk about their new book and demonstrate this fascinating building process.

Harry vs Hari

Happy New Year! More specifically, Happy Accent on Books Fiscal New Year, since, as I mentioned last week, our year runs from September 1 through August 31.

And what better way to start the new year than with an item from our Department of Silly Lawsuits.

Warner Brothers has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Bollywood outfit Mirchi Movies because Mirchi is coming out with a film entitled, "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors." As Warner sees it, that title comes too close to its valued franchise surrounding you-know-who (and I don't mean Voldemort). However, an official with Mirchi explains that "Hari" is a common Indian name, and "puttar" is Punjabi for "son." In addition, far from imitating Harry Potter, the plot for "Hari Puttar" actually sounds like a ripoff of an entirely different Hollywood property -- "Home Alone."

The plaintiffs are not convinced by this. "Warner Bros. values and protects intellectual property rights," a spokeswoman solemnly declares.

Sorry, Hari.

More on this epic litigation can be found here.