‘Fifty Shades’ Proves Sex Sells, Trailer For ‘Anna Karenina’

Here’s a look at what’s buzzing in the books world today:

–Sex sells: Could Fifty Shades of Grey get any hotter? The trilogy, including the box set, picks up the top four spots USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list. USA TODAY’s Deirdre Donahue reports that publishers are rushing to find the next Fifty Shades, asking, “If 1967 was the summer of love, will 2012 be the summer of sex – at least on bookshelves?”

Meanwhile, movie rumors are buzzing. Emma Roberts, Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson have expressed interest in playing virginal college student Anastasia Steele, and author Bret Easton Ellis tweeted, “Completely committed to adapting Fifty Shades of Grey. This is not a joke. Christian Grey and Ana: potentially great cinematic characters,” Salon reports.

–Mother-daughter team: USA TODAY’s Bob Minzesheimer talks to best-selling author Jodi Picoult and her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha Van Leer. They’ve written a young adult novel called Between the Lines (a summer book pick!), about a teenage girl obsessed with a fairy tale and its main character, a handsome prince.

–Memoir roundup: We review hot new memoirs by singer Shawn Colvin, Jarhead author Anthony Swofford, New Yorker receptionist Janet Groth and Grub Street editor Alyssa Shelasky.

–Austen author: How dedicated are you to your favorite author? Author and Jane Austen fan Amy Elizabeth Smith has written a memoir about her time visiting book clubs reading Austen in Latin America. USA TODAY’s Deirdre Donahue asks her five questions.

–Listomania: E-book sales revenue has officially topped revenue from hardcover books, with e-books outselling the print version for 19 of the top 50 titles on USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list… With school wrapping up, kids are hitting the books with some non-required reading. A number of books for young readers make the list’s top 25.

–Self-plagiarism?: On the heels of Imagine author and journalist Jonah Lehrer being caught duplicating his own writing, GalleyCat asks, “Should writers be allowed to recycle material?”