Another weekly round-up of newsworthy literary tidbits!

• Stephenie Meyer (please don’t tell me you haven’t heard of her Twilight series) has, for the moment, scrapped plans for the final episode (Midnight Sun) because a working manuscript was leaked on the internet.  I can hear about 3 million horrified gasps right now, in this country alone.  For everyone’s sake I hope she’ll come ’round!

• Shucks! Salman Rushdie won an apology from the man who claimed to have stuffed him into a closet all those years ago.  Apparently that’s not enough, though; the Mail on Sunday must now apologize to the man (Rushdie, not his ex-bodyguard), too.  Who says the literary world is boring?

• One of the authors of 100 Things To Do Before You Die was killed in a fall last week.  He managed to visit about half the places advocated in the book – but then, he was only 47.

• Looking for a way to get your (grand)son to read?  Then head on over to youngbond.com, where Charlie Higson, author of the Young Bond series, hopes to preach reading (be it books or comics) through an online game set in the Young Bond ‘Verse.  It’s up until Oct. 8th, so click fast!

• Interview!  If you’re thinking of trying Gargoyle, one of the big hypes across the pond, here’s an interview with the author.  I like the way he talks about his characters (for his next book):  “They’ve still not consented to be the main character.  I’m still waiting for their approval, but I’ve got my fingers crossed, I’m hoping.”

• List!  You’re probably just back from your holiday, so my question to you is:  what book(s) did you leave behind and why?  Here are the Top 10 Abandoned Books in Travelodges across the UK.  John Prescott, Ian McEwan, and the ubiquitous Katie Price/Jordan get a mention.

• Unbelievably, there’s no award to post about!  I probably didn’t search hard enough.  No matter, I think I’m going to celebrate this momentous occasion by creating the Sophie Sound of Silence Award, to be given every first week in September to the book I’ve finished most recently.  The prize consists of a completely unnecessary mention in the Bookbits.  Congratulations to Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer for winning the inaugural award!