On the Books: Dave Eggers accused of stealing book idea

Thought you heard the last of Bridget Jones, the MacArthur “genius” grants, or the Man Booker Prize? Think again. Here are today’s top books headlines to kick off October:

In a blog post, Kate Losse, author of The Boy Kings, is accusing Dave Eggers of “ripping off” her story with his new novel The Circle. Both books are set in the tech world. [Medium]

The Bridget Jones hoopla is still going strong, prompting Brooke Magnanti to explore in an essay just why “non girly-girls” like Bridget Jones so much. No wonder fans are so vocal. [The Telegraph]

Karen Russell, one of the winners of the MacArthur “genius” grant, told The New Yorker she’s “mystified and grateful that my books have found any readers whatsoever.” [The New Yorker]

Is there a theme in young adult literature? Marcela Valdes says there is, and that the pervading theme of YA novels today focus on unemployment and the economic crisis. [NPR]

Going even younger, the New York Public Library compiled a list of the most requested kids’ books. [The New York Post]

Good news: The National Endowment of the Arts found that in 2012, more than half of American adults read books for pleasure. [LA Times]

Bad news: People are still grumbling about the expansion of the Man Booker Prize. This week: Canadian writers argue they’ll be receiving the short end of the stick. [The Globe and Mail]

Lastly, a few author deaths to report from this weekend: British crime writer Robert Barnard died at 76 in Leeds, England. Marcella Hazan, the Italian cookbook author, died in Florida at 89.