On the Books: Morrissey memoir; reading fiction helps social skills

Craving a look at Morrissey’s life? Want to know if fiction readers are more empathetic? Read on for more of today’s books headlines:

A Morrissey memoir, aptly titled Autobiography, will be hitting shelves this month in the U.K. and Europe. The U.S. release date has not yet been announced. [The Telegraph]

A study published in the journal Science found that reading “literary fiction” can help with social skills, at least temporarily. [Science]

Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, the brains behind the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novel series, is writing a modern re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Emma. [The Telegraph]

There’s a new Narnia film in production, and not all C.S. Lewis fans are happy about it. [LA Times]

Overseas, French lawmakers proposed a law forbidding book discounts on the web in an effort to protect local bookstores. [Wall Street Journal]

In the mood for a short story? Ben Marcus’ first piece from his forthcoming collection Leaving the Sea has been published in the latest issue of Tin House. [Tin House]

The elusive classicist and poet Anne Carson talked her books, Autobiography of Red and Red Doc, with BBC4 radio show Start the Week. [BBC Start the Week]

Speaking of elusive writers, Thomas Pynchon’s notoriety prompted several different authors to concoct conspiracy theories about him. [USA Today]

For your disturbing book news of the day: Jurassic Park? More like Jurassic Porn. Two women have been writing dinosaur erotica together … and make a living off of it. [New York Magazine]

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  By Shirley Li