News: Inferno in Hell's Kitchen As Farm-Lit Takes Off

Eight of the worst sentences in Dan Brown's Inferno will chagrin those who were hoping he'd dial down his signature tell-not-show style. But that's what sells millions, so why fix something that ain't broken?

While we're on the subject of 'bad' writing: Have some absurd quotes from Guy Fieri's book. ..."Fierifying".


Meanwhile:

• Josh Ozersky's take on food writing/criticism can also apply to book reviews. Plus, bacon and grilling tips.
  
  Update: A rebuttal of Ozersky's suggestion that restaurant critics serve a more selfish agenda. "[Restaurant] critics, at least the serious ones, try not to pal around too much with chefs they might review," says Joshua David Stein, writer and editor of and contributor to all sorts of publications. "They aren’t the chef’s friend. They aren’t the chef’s enemy. They are the reader’s advocate."
• Four kinds of author appearances, defined. Not every author wants to do a 'reading'.
• Young adult novels are getting more sophisticated - and reaching more adults.
• Goodbye, chick-lit; hello, farm-lit - where "a roll in the hay" can take place in real hay. Hey, hey, hay.
• Book-hoarding behaviour now has a name: "tsundoku". Too close to 'tsundere' for comfort.

...What the heck did I just call this update?