6 New Books for September

UK hardcover edition (£18.99) / Published by Hamish Hamilton 

Release date: August 27, 2012

Although Zadie Smith is identified with the kinetic White Teeth, NW is the novel she's most proud of. Set in the north-west corner of London, her fourth novel tracks the lives of four urban dwellers in their 30s whose predictable domestic bliss is suddenly threatened by the arrival of an unexpected stranger. 

US hardcover edition ($27.99) / Published by Harper 

Release date: September 11, 2012

Michael Chabon's Telegraph Avenue is about two friends whose modest second-hand vinyl shop is threatened when a former NFL quarterback decides to build a mega store close by.

Director Cameron Crowe expressed an interest in adapting Chabon's seventh book for HBO. That fast? And the book hasn't been released yet.

US hardcover edition ($26.95) / Published by Riverhead 

Release date: September 11, 2012

Dominican-American Junot Diaz dissects love and all its complications in This Is How You Lose Her, his second collection of short stories following Drown. He said that “It took forever to get the fucking stories I needed to do this project." No sweat considering it took 11 years for his Pulitzer-winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, to get published.

US hardcover edition ($27.95) / Published by Viking

Release date: September 18, 2012

It only took him one year to write a 384-page book. Prolific author T.C. Boyle follows up When the Killing's Done (2011) with San Miguel, a sprawling domestic drama about two families living on a wind-swept island off the coast of California. There's a twist. One family lived in the island in the 1880s while the other in the 1930s. How Boyle ties up the two is anyone's guess. One thing's for certain: San Miguel is going to be epic. Time to turn on the melodrama meter.

US hardcover edition ($27.95) / Published by Viking    

Release date: September 27, 2012

All his life, Harold lived in the shadow of his successful brother. A singular act of violence changes everything, forcing him to look after his brother's children and their ageing parents.  

A.M. Homes is known for her dark, humorous domestic fiction and May We Be Forgiven is no different. In her seventh novel, she explores sibling rivalry and tests the very limits of familial ties, love and forgiveness. It's a moody, edgy ride, but one, no doubt, worth taking. 

US hardcover edition ($30) / Published by Random House 

Release date: September 18, 2012

Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie on February 1989, a year after The Satanic Verses was published. It was a harrowing time for Rushdie and his family, marked by a nagging fear and a life of hiding. In Joseph Anton, the prize-winning author talks about the grueling time he spent living with tight security. Freedom is none too sweet when it's taken and finally, after nine long years, given back.  

Death by Book Binging

It was the day after the great flood. I was on my way home when the strap of my new bag broke off. That usually happens. I buy too many books that my bag just gives up and dies. 

National Book Store had their Cut Price sale recently and it was a very trying time for me. I tried to be rational and thought of the piles of unread books in my room. It didn't work. I tried to think of my unpaid credit card bill. It didn't work. Nothing seemed to work so I just went on buying. 

National Book Store SM Fairview

When I saw Rushdie, Roth and Dostoyevsky in the 50% off section, I felt my pupils dilate. I reminded myself that National Book Store is not BOOKSALE. Even though they were on sale, most of their books were still quite pricey. I whittled the 10 books I liked to eight. My best buy for the day was a Vintage Lust set (The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis + The History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding) which I got for only P202.50 (originally priced at P405). Mission accomplished; now I can die happy.

National Book Store Robinsons Movieworld Novaliches

Although their store is quite small compared to other branches, the titles they had on sale were right up my alley. I was able to buy Nick Hornby's High Fidelity for P75. I like H.G. Wells so I grabbed The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds collection (P59.50). My best buy was Jessica Zafra's Twisted Travels. It was originally priced at P250; got it for P25.  

All in all, I spent 3k worth of books. Now I'm dreading the mailman's arrival. My credit card bill might give me a heart attack.

LEGO's Catwoman Catcycle City Chase

Diamonds are a a cat's best friend. In LEGO's Catwoman Catcycle City Chase, Selina speeds away on her micro scooter after stealing a fist-sized diamond. Hot on her heels is a grim, jetpack-wearing Batman.

The toy box set contains a street corner, brown boxes, a newspaper stand and two mini figures: Batman and Catwoman. They're actually cute, most especially Batman with his trusty jetpack. Catwoman's Catcycle takes the cake, though. It looks like a beefed up, steroid-injected Vespa scooter. To stress that women mean business, an unforgiving whip is lodged at the motorcycle's rear end. Take that, Batman!

Michael Fassbender + Charlize Theron in W

If there's one thing Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron have in common, it's onscreen nudity. Lots of them. 

"I don’t have issues being naked," Theron muses. 

"In my movies, I’m often naked or dying," Fassbender counters.

Blame it on their good looks. In W's August issue, photographer Mario Sorrenti heats up his lens for a post-apocalyptic fashion editorial. S&M is back. Dust off your handcuffs and get that whip crackin'.  

Stylist Edward Enninful sets the mood with a Yves Saint Laurent metal chain dress, DSquared2 lambskin vest and Viktor & Rolf leather pants..