A comic book retailer on trial, an Oprah no-no and more: Some random links

Comics trouble: A comic book retailer in Georgia is now going to trial, Publishers Weekly reports, for giving away comics containing nude images and other sexually explicit content to two minors. The incident occurred in 2004 on Free Comic Book Day, a promotional effort started by the comics industry two years earlier to attract new readers. Major comics publishers, such as Dark Horse and Tokyopop, produce one additional special title annually just for this event, which usually occurs in the spring. The retailer faces a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Oh no you di'int: What would happen if you started claiming that your book was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club even though it didn’t stand a chance of being chosen? One self-published author is in some hot water for making such a claim. The talk show diva must not have been pleased.

Yuck: If you have a strong stomach, there’s a new title offered by Ten Speed Press that helps people to identify animal droppings. There’s also plenty of trivia if you’re looking (why are you looking here?) for new areas to explore--of course, you probably know already that plankton feces are the tiniest in the world--but the intended audiences for this book by Matt Pagett are hikers and outdoor lovers. Let’s hope it’s not the first in a new series.

" ‘attractive priest’ is an oxymoron": Germaine Greer’s appreciative essay on Colleen McCullough’s novel "The Thorn Birds" in the Guardian focuses not on the love story but on the land. She could care less about Father Ralph and his Meggie--it’s the evocations of Drogheda, the sheep station, and the surrounding landscape that kept her reading through the night.

Nick Owchar