Book Buzz: Child likes Cruise, Oprah likes 'Hattie'
- Oprah picks The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis as her second choice for Book Club 2.0
- Despite fan concerns, author Lee Child happy with Tom Cruise as the on-screen 'Jack Reacher'
- Nancy Huston "wins" the Bad Sex in Literature Award for 'Infared'
Here's a look at what's buzzing in the book world today:
Oprah's blessing: Oprah Winfrey is calling it the "perfect holiday gift for the book lover in your life." It's her newly announced choice for Oprah Book Club 2.0 – the debut novel The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. It's the story of the children of the Great Migration through the trials of one indomitable heroine (Hattie) and her family. Tribes is Winfrey's second choice for her new club, after Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
Ho ho ho!: Santa Claus came to town, and USA TODAY's Craig Wilson was there. Read his interview with the jolly man (also known as Sal Lizard, author of the book Being Santa Claus.) Plus, watch Santa in action on the streets of our nation's capital in the video. Ever thought of playing the guy in the red suit? Do's and don'ts from Sal.
Reaching out: There's been plenty of controversy about Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher in the new movie opening Dec. 21. But author Lee Child is a fan, and here he explains why. And mini spoiler alert – Child dishes on his cameo in the movie.
Really bad sex: This may be one literary award Tom Wolfe is happy to lose. He was a nominee for the Bad Sex in Literature Award for Back to Blood, but instead Nancy Huston "won" for her novel Infrared.
Good sex?: Is there any hotter category than sexy romances? In a genius marketing collaboration, Cosmo magazine and Harlequin are teaming up on a line of e-book romances called Red Hot Reads.
Don't miss: With so many books published every year, good titles inevitably get lost. GalleyCat is offering free samples of "The Most Overlooked Books of 2012," including Magic Hours by Tom Bissell, City of Women by David Gillham and Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton.
Perennial faves: Robert Gottlieb, whose new book is about Charles Dickens' children, here writes about five literary subjects of continual fascination, including Dickens, the Brontes and Henry James. I would add at least one to his list: Virginia Woolf. The Woolf/Bloomsbury literary industry is endless, and as an obsessive fan I'm not complaining.