Young Adult, Fan Fiction | featured news

Has Christian Grey been dethroned as the steamiest Edward Cullen-inspired character? Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren (which is the pen name of writers Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings) is the latest Twilight fan fic-turned-novel (formerly known to more than 2 million online readers as The Office)--but don't expect it to be the same BDSM-filled fantasy. Bookish breaks down what you can expect and what you definitely won't see in Beautiful Bastard--and how it differs from blockbuster bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey.

The story of 2012 in publishing was the story of "Fifty Shades of Grey," in more ways than one. E L James' erotic trilogy was easily the year's biggest hit, selling more than 35 million copies in the U.S. alone and topping bestseller lists for months. Rival publishers hurried to sign up similar books and debates started over who should star in the planned film version. Through James' books and how she wrote them, the general public was educated in the worlds of romance/erotica, start-up publishing and "fan fiction."

Every day brings news of more and more projects hanging onto Fifty Shades of Grey‘s coattails (or cat o’nine tails). You can’t blame any of the bandwagon-jumpers, though. E L James’ S&M trilogy is quickly joining the likes of Twilight and The Hunger Games in terms of sales, and Amazon UK has reported that the books have become the best-selling books in the website’s 14-year history, overtaking the Harry Potter series in just four months.

Bibles in nightstands are a familiar amenity for hotel guests, but travelers seeking to read their favorite verse at one establishment will be in for a big surprise. The Damson Dene Hotel, which touts itself as the perfect destination for a “peaceful break away from it all” in England’s picturesque Lake District, is making quite a noise for replacing the Bible with “Fifty Shades of Grey” in its 40 guest rooms.