The Voices in Frank's Head

Stephen King's   Bag of Bones , will soon become a four-hour epic miniseries based on The New York Times  #1 bestselling novel. This will also be Pierce Brosnan's return to television. The two-night event premieres on Sunday, December 11 and concludes on Monday, December 12, airing at 9 p.m. ET/PT on both nights. Bag of Bones is a ghost story of grief and lost love's enduring bonds, about an innocent child caught in a terrible crossfire and a new love haunted by past secrets. Melissa George ("In Treatment"),  Annabeth Gish ("Brotherhood"), A nika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), William Schallert ("The Patty Duke Show"), Jason Priestley ("Beverly Hills, 90210") and Caitlin Carmichael ("True Blood") also star. In Bag of Bones , bestselling novelist Mike Noonan (Brosnan) is unable to stop grieving after the sudden death of his wife Jo (Gish). Suffering from writer's block, a dream inspires him to return to the couple...

Stephan Labossiere , a relationship consultant, has authored a new book entitled How to Get a Married Woman to Have Sex with You - If You're Her Husband . The publisher even came up with a provocative video to help promote the book.  I'll just say this: once upon a time, there would be absolutely no need for a book like this.

Defeating Those Who Ban Books A student at an unnamed Catholic school, who identifies herself by the avatar name “Nekochan”, started an unofficial library of banned books that she runs out of her locker at school. She began to lend books to her classmates when her school banned a long list of classic titles, including The Canterbury Tales , Paradise Lost and Animal Farm . Quite frankly, the fact that this library is happening, and the books are reportedly quite popular with her classmates, gives an immeasurable amount of hope for the future. Read more about this secret library of banned book here .

There's an article on WikiHow.com that offers guidance on how one can be "Bohemian." "Oh, really?" I thought when I stumbled upon this. I have to admit that I split on this one. My paternal grandparents came to this country from Bohemia , which is the western most province in what is today the Czech Republic. I have to admit that there is a portion of me that is mildly irritated by hipsters grabbing onto my heritage. However, if this is something that gets folks to read books that they might not otherwise read, listen to music that they might not otherwise listen, and generally broaden their creative horizons then I'm fairly confident that Grandma and Grandpa Nemecek would happy about it all.

There's a new book out by Annie Jacobsen entitled  Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base . Since I have a science fiction manuscript pending, called The Roswell Chronicles , I was interested in this had to spend a decent amount of time today reading. In her book, Ms. Jacobsen makes several arguments about the legendary, ulta-secret facility known as Area 51 . One of her reports, and the one that I'd like to talk about the most, is the contention that the aliens who crashed in the New Mexico desert in summer of 1947 were actually the result of a Soviet human experimentation program that was design to educe panic within the American population. Before I go further, I believe a brief excerpt from Ms. Jacobsen's book is order. This is the crux of her assertion. The child-sized aviators in this craft [that crashed in New Mexico] were the result of a Soviet human experimentation program, and they had been made to look like aliens a la Orson ...

Books, Books, Books The Borders Bookstore near me is closing due to their recent bankruptcy filing. I swung by the place the other day, think I'd pick up something from their closing sale. The place was packed . There was a line to get into the store - their 4,000+ square foot store, I might add. All I could think was, "If the place was this busy before, they wouldn't have gone into bankruptcy."

I use Google News Alerts to keep up with the news that is important for me. And what was the first news alert that I received for 2011? Toronto-based artist Lisa J. Murphy   has released a book called Tactile Mind . It features raised, three-dimensional images of naked people and private parts that are sculpted into thermoform plastic, which is the material that is used for Braille. Some critics call this "porn for the blind". I, on the other hand, just call it awesome. The fact that this was my first news alert for 2011 tells me that this is going to be a very good year.

Does anyone know where one can find some Quidditch lingerie? The folks at Warner Bros. trademarked Quidditch lingerie for licensing purposes, which has prompted rumors across the internet that such a product is forthcoming from the House of Harry Potter.

I was out in Ypsilanti on business today. While there, I ended up having some time to kill as my business partner dealt with a computer issue. I started out looking for a book store that I could hang out in for a bit; I ended up making my third personal vlog. Today I learned that: Strip clubs look very different in the daylight; It's actually possible for one to live in their old high school; Ypsilanti has a phallic-shaped water tower that is, shall we say, unique; and It's sometimes better to search for something on your own or ask someone, rather than type something into an internet search. With that, I give you my tour of Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Voglio Questo Libro There's a new book out entitled  Monica Bellucci . It's a collection of photographs of - not surprisingly - Italian actress and fashion model Monica Bellucci . Let's see: how does one say "I want this book" in Italian? Oh, yeah - Voglio questo libro. Thank you, Google Translate , for the assist.

I was in my local Borders Bookstore the other day. Their check-out area has a sign line to wait for a cashier when it's time for you to pay. It's been that way for years. Reminds Me of Movie Theaters However, they recently added a Coke machine and a selection of candies that you can grab while you wait in line. I'm not sure why, but this seems to make my trip to Borders more like a movie theater than a bookstore - at least to me. Anyway, these are the things that run through my head while I'm waiting in line.

Former President George W. Bush's  memoir Decision Points  isn't due out until November 9, which is a full week after Election Day. However, a certain segment of Republicans are concerned that it could hurt their electoral chances. One Republican even went so far as to refer to the book and its publication as "selfish and stupid." I wasn't a huge fan of President Bush. I have to admit that I'm getting a kick out of Republicans worrying that the memory of him, a full two years after he left office. I'm pre-ordering my copy today.

One of the great things about Jane Austen  is that her work lends itself so well a modern adaptation. Her stories can move across time without losing their inherent beauty. Her plots still feel compelling, and her characters are still believable, almost two centuries later. Through her pen, the English language attains a kind of brilliance that few other authors have been able to bring to it. Some of the modern adaptations, such Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley , have stayed quite close to Jane Austen's original text. Other storytellers have decided to have a little fun with her work. With that in mind, I'm thrilled to have found Jane Austen's Fight Club through the vastness of the internet.

I've been reading The Economy of Cities by Jane Jacobs  this past week. This is one of those books that I highly recommend reading. One of the points that Ms. Jacobs makes is that the most economically vibrant cities tend to be horribly inefficient and impractical. It's their messy organization, or lack of any real organization, that enables a community to adapt quickly to change. Cities that are extremely well organized, Jane Jacobs points out, are often ill-prepared to adapt to change. Detroit was actually this way prior to the birth of the auto industry. With that in mind, I'd simply like to say that I look forward to Detroit once again being a horribly impractical and inefficient city once again.

My home office, right above my computer, is filled with quotes that inspire me. I have memorable quotes from Abraham Lincoln , Michael Jordan , Frank Sinatra , and many others. These quotes inspire me. Since I have this collection of interesting quotes on my wall, I was intrigued when I came across a copy of The Quotable Douchebag: A Treasury of Spectacularly Stupid Remarks . None of these quotes are worthy of occupying space on my wall. However, they are all kind of funny in the train wreck that you just can't help but watch sort of way. This book is a ramshackle collection of the most haughty, self-important quotes of the modern era time. Before anyone even asks: yes, John Mayer is quoted at length. Suffice it to say, these are quotes from some of the brightest lamest minds of our time. "Osama bin Laden is the only one who knows exactly what I'm going through." - R. Kelly That one from R. Kelly, by the way, is a great way of explaining how it feels to be...

I received confirmation earlier today from my publisher that my novel will soon be out of print. I'm a little sad, but it's been a good seven year run on the bookshelves. If you'd like to get a copy of it, this may well be your last chance to do so. It's available from Amazon.com here .

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters M.L. Elrick and Jim Schaefer  of the Detroit Free Press have released a new book entitled, The Kwame Sutra .  It is, according to Drew Lane of WRIF-FM, "a one-stop shop for all of Kwame's best BS." This new book captures Kwame M. Kilpatrick as no one ever has. In his own words, including never-before-published quotations, this former mayor of Detroit reveals himself in many ways as a liar, a Lothario and, yes, a leader. Mr. Elrick and Mr. Schaefer will sign copies of their book at Hugh  ( 2233 Park Ave. ), which is a new men's boutique in downtown Detroit - right behind the Fox Theater.  They will be there this coming Tuesday, December 15, at 9 p.m. I met Mr. Elrick and Mr. Schaefer at the Anchor Bar  ( 450 W. Fort ) once.  I was there late one night with some friends and they came in after working late at the paper.  I look forward to seeing them again and, in particular, to reading this book.

With the Twilight  movies and books growing more and more in popularity, it has finally reached the point where its audience has grown beyond tween and teenagers and is now reaching a large, growing adult fan base.  Some of these fans are now known as "Twilight Moms" - adult women who are enthusiastic fans of the series and of the two male characters in particular. Quite frankly, I have a few concerns about this.  My concerns, quite simply, are summed up in this photo that I found on Digg and Facebook. That sums everything up so well.

Paris Hilton recently told OK! Magazine that she is secretly smart. She insists that her whole "dumb blonde" act is just that - an act. I've long suspected that Paris Hilton is a lot smarter than she seems in public. I don't think anyone can be that dumb and still function in modern society. Besides, many of the things that she says and does frequently seem like they are calculated for media impact. For Paris Hilton to do such a thing - and translate that celebrity buzz into an industry with her books, music, et cetera - requires a level of cognitive function well beyond what she normally displays. I just wish that Paris Hilton would show her more intellectual side in public. I would love to see Paris Hilton photographed reading a book - an actual work of literature; not a sophomoric piece of fluff. I would love to see Paris Hilton at a film festival - enjoying some of the really good, artistic films that unfortunately never go very far in the modern m...

I had the weirdest dream about the Michigan Central Station on Saturday night. I mentioned this dream in my Facebook status, which prompted a couple of people to ask about it. Since there's no way I could possibly describe this one in the limited space that Facebook gives for status updates, I figured I would make this into a blog post. Anyway, in my dream, I was walking near the long-abandoned Michigan Central Station. The building was in its current condition. I remember the sensation that there were a couple of other people walking along with me in this dream, but I'll be darned if I can remember who they are. Then things started getting a little weird. A random generic looking guy (white male, brown hair, brown eyes, average height, medium build, wearing a gray suit) walked up to one of the doors. He tried to open them, but discovered that it was locked. The doors weren't chained or anything like they currently are - just locked. He then walked up to me and asked...