What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark (Beloved Childhood Series Edition)

Publisher's Lunch says: Francine Pascal's SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL, following her iconic identical blonde twins and full cast of characters into adulthood, now in their late twenties and early thirties, "where the real world intrudes," to Dan Weiss at St. Martin's (who created the original series with Pascal when he was a book packager), with Hilary Rubin Teeman editing, for publication in early 2011.

Indichik says: In a departure from my usual attitudes about PM deals, I'm kind of genuinely excited about this. I wasn't a big Sweet Valley girl (meaning I probably only read about 10 of the 8000 books in the series), but this fills me with joy if only because I love that no attempt whatsoever is being made to market this to children. I hope it's the beginning of a very successful trend

In fact, Ann M. Martin, god bless her, is already getting in on the act by reissuing the first Baby-Sitters Club book as a semi-ironic graphic novel that will deliberately not update the circa-1983 story, and that's a good start. But please consider going a step further. We as a generation need to know whether Mary Anne married Logan, whether Claudia ever learned to spell, and whether Jessi and Mallory finally embraced the love that dare not speak its name.

R.L. Stein? K.A. Applegate? Donald J. Sobol? Kathryn Kenny? David A. Adler? Judy Delton? Anybody else want to get in on this?

RAAWART Presents Click

On February 24, RAAWART gallery presents an new exhibition of edgy photography and an afterparty at Juliet in SoHo: Click is so chic.

We all miss our loved ones and gases

Get a breath of fresh air by checking my review of Diary of An Oxygen Thief and its very mysterious anonymous author in the books section of The Faster Times, a new-ish online-newspaper site that I love because it's full of fresh-faced young go-getters like myself (see for yourself, our pictures are right on there) and covers things that people actually want to read about. Take that, Panorama.

Mardi Gras Madness

We heart Hank & Cupcakes here at Indichik, and we especially heart the chance to see their new video for "Pleasure Town" FREE at Brooklyn Bowl.
On Friday, there's also this, which seems like it might be huge and unfortunately is not free, but that you can RSVP for ahead of time to get reduced admission:

Also The L Magazine, who I hate to promote because the evidence is mounting that they're all a bunch of misogynistic, self-important dicks, is sponsoring a Mardi Gras parade in Williamsburg tonight followed by a free show from Wavves at Brooklyn Bowl. I have absolutely no clue what Nathan Williams has to do with Mardi Gras and it's snowing, but whatever, it's free, and people will go, especially if there's any chance that the Black Lips will show up, shit could get ugly

Nikki & Rich are big and skinny (and soon to be rich, I'm sure)

Pop-soul is big, and Nikki Leonti is literally the "son of a preacher man" (daughter, whatever) and sings some wicked neo-pop-soul accompanied with Rich Velonski boutique beats. They even sample the Shangri-Las on their first single "Cat and Mouse." You can see them free next Tuesday at the Highline, courtesy of Giant Step, rsvp'ing here.

What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark: New Year's Roundup Edition (plus: Jane Austen Must Die!)

Since I'm just now getting my snark back after the deep freeze, we're going to take a long trip down What's the Deal? lane. You won't miss a thing!

February 2, 2010

Publisher's Lunch says: Jojo Moyes's THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER, searching her newspaper's archives for a story, a woman is surprised to discover a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband; despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man, she can't help but investigate; in 1960 a different woman wakes up in hospital after a car accident; she can't remember anything - her husband, her friends, who she used to be; and then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for, to Pamela Dorman of Pamela Dorman Books, for publication in summer 2011, by Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown UK (NA).

Indichik says: Seriously, guys? Amnesia? We're talking about a plot point that even the writers for "Days of Our Lives" would dismiss as "too big of a cliche."

Publisher's Lunch says: Cindy Jone's debut I'LL FIND YOU IN MANSFIELD PARK, about a young woman who flies to England to re-enact scenes from Mansfield Park at a Jane Austen Festival and must confront whether she is a protagonist in her own life or merely a secondary character repeating foolish mistakes, to Lucia Macro at Avon, at auction, for publication spring/summer 2011, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

Indichik says: You know, I don't even know what to say about these anymore. I'll continue running them because it's becoming too hilariously awful to resist. But I'm at the point where, if you could see me, I'd just be pulling a John Stewart, by putting up a portrait of Jane Austen in the upper corner of the screen and making a face.

Also: the long-awaited(?) Tucker Max sequel.

January 20, 2010

Publisher's Lunch says: Bloggers and journalists Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich's STUFF HIPSTERS HATE, based on their popular Tumblr site, an anthropological guide to the buzzed-about subculture, featuring analysis of the mating habits, habitat, theology, grooming practices and preferred entertainment of the modern-day hipster, with helpful graphs and charts to understand the elusive character of the trendy beast, to Kelly Reed at Ulysses Press, for publication in Fall 2010, by Jason Allen Ashlock at Movable Type Literary Group.

Indichik says: The people writing this are not hipsters. The people who will read this (if any) are not hipsters. Where are the hipsters? Tsk. You have to ask?

Publisher's Lunch says: Laura Spinella's BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, in which a sheltered college girl's life is forever altered by the motorcycle-riding stranger who blows into town followed by a trail of secrets, to Leis Pederson at Berkley, by Susan Ginsburg at Writers House.

Indichik says: Motorcycle-riding strangers ceased to be edgy around oh, 1956 or so, so for her sake, I'm really hoping Spinella has something else up her sleeve.

And finally, going back even another week, to January 12, 2010 and making this a true New Year's Roundup:

Publisher's Lunch says: Founder of www.myparentswereawesome.tumblr.com Eliot Glazer's MY PARENTS WERE AWESOME, an anthology of humorous and endearing writings from children about their parents -- before the fanny packs and Andrea Bocelli concerts -- when they were fashion-forward and super awesome, to Ryan Doherty at Villard, by Hannah Brown Gordon at Foundry Literary + Media (NA).

Indichik says: Blog books. Feh. But more relevantly -- seriously. If your parents really were awesome, why would you need to go on the Internet to share that fact? And run the risk finding out that somebody out there has parents that were even cooler than yours? Seems foolish, personally.


P.S. Apparently, the Y2K bug hit Publisher's Marketplace after all, albeit 10 years late. Today's blast was dated February 2, 1900. Here's to a capital 20th century, good sirs.