On the Books: Tom Brokaw to release memoir about his battle with cancer

NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw will be releasing a memoir about his personal struggle with cancer this May, according to Random House. Titled A Lucky Life Interrupted, the book will be Brokaw’s personal account of the year he spent battling multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer that he announced is now in remission. Random House also mentioned that the memoir will include “reflections on the medical quest, the life lessons learned and news events he covered for NBC.” Hard cover books can be pre-ordered now for $27, and the book will be available May 12. (CNN Money)

Producer Scott Rudin has acquired rights to Kazuo Ishiguro’s new book The Buried Giant. The fantasy novel, which has been compared to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, is set in semi-historical Medieval Britain, focusing on a couple as they set out on a search for a long lost son through war-ravaged lands. While his books have been turned into films over the last several years, this is the first book for Ishiguro in a decade. Rudin is known for his work on several famous works, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network. (Deadline)

Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde will release a memory with Doubleday publishing house on September 8, the company announced Wednesday. Hynde said in a statement that she is approaching writing her memoir, which sold for seven figures in an auction, similarly to the way she would an album. “I hope it makes you want to dance, have fun, dig out some old records and maybe even root through your closet and dust off your guitar,” she said. (New York Times)

USPS revealed a preview of its new Maya Angelou forever stamp Wednesday. The stamp features a realistic painting of the beloved icon by artist Ross Rossin as well as a quote from Angelou: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” The stamps can be preordered now, but won’t be issued until April 7 at a dedication ceremony. (GalleyCat)

Three comic legends will take part in a massive open online course called “The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact on Pop Culture,” put on by nonprofit education organization EdX. Stan Lee, Michael Uslan and David Uslan will take part in the course that will allow participants to “explore different perspectives of the history and cultural influences of the superhero genre, during its rise from comic books to a dominant place in pop culture,” according to a press release. Those who earn a verified certificate by taking the course will also receive a certificate including original artwork with Lee’s and Michael Uslan’s signature. (PR Newswire)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney will be opening an independent bookstore near Boston this summer. The Maryland native chose his current home, the small town of Plainville, Mass., (population 8,000) to house his bookshop because he feels “angry that so many bookstores have gone away,” he told the Boston Globe. He also said he wants his sons to have summer jobs in the bookstore and “become a part of the fabric of that store.” He plans to offer occasional screenwriting workshops and cartoon drawing classes as well. (The Telegraph)