Tag: Fifty Shades of Grey (11-20 of 33)

Nov 20 2012 09:41 PM ET

Bad Sex in Fiction Award: Which books beat out J.K. Rowling, 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

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Think you’ve had enough exposure to bad sex lit lately? (Ellen Degeneres, Kristen Stewart and your Facebook friends made sure you didn’t escape the abundance of Fifty Shades of Grey excerpts floating around the Interwebs this year.) Well, whether you like it or not, there’s more out there. A lot more. Award-worthy more.

But by award-worthy, I mean Razzie-esque awards. That’s right, authors are annually bestowed with the prize that recognizes gag-worthy writing about the bedroom. It’s an award that British magazine Literary Review started in 1993. On Tuesday, the magazine unveiled its 2012 shortlist for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award. Check out the list of eight finalists below:

–The Yips by Nicola Barker
–The Adventuress: The Irresistible Rise of Miss Cath Fox by Nicholas Coleridge
–Infrared by Nancy Huston
–Rare Earth by Paul Mason
–Noughties by Ben Masters
–The Quiddity of Will Self by Sam Mills
–The Divine Comedy by Craig Raine
–Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe
READ FULL STORY »

Nov 12 2012 11:45 AM ET

Laters, baby: Woman cites 'Fifty Shades of Grey' in divorce

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Fifty Shades of Grey has inspired many things: jewelry, baby onesies, cookbooks, Christmas ornaments, and now… a divorce?

No, you gasp! It cannot be! No other book screams (literally) undying romance quite like E L James’s erotic trilogy. But alas, dear readers, it is (allegedly) true. According to a report in the UK’s Daily Mail, a British woman cited Fifty Shades of Grey as evidence of her husband’s “unreasonable behavior,” claiming that he maintained a “boring attitude” towards sex and refused to recreate scenes from the steamy book.

“She thought their sex life had hit a rut — he never remembered Valentine’s Day and he never complimented her on her appearance,” the wife’s lawyer Amanda McAlister said. “So she bought sexy underwear in an attempt to get her husband more involved. She said, ‘Let’s make things more interesting.’” But her husband could not be swayed. “He went ballistic when he found out the name of the book she was reading and told her, ‘It’s all because you have been reading that bloody book.’”

READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2012 05:59 PM ET

The 'Fifty Shades' bump: More 'Twilight' fanfiction is being turned into novels

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Here’s some news appropriate for Bram Stoker’s 165th birthday: Another piece of Twilight fanfiction is getting adapted into an original novel, Fifty Shades of Grey-style. The fic, originally called “The Office,” reimagined Edward Cullen and Bella Swan as a powerful businessman and his smart, ambitious intern.

Sound familiar? That’s not because the story rips off Fifty Shades — in fact, “The Office” appeared on the Internet before the fic that became E L James’ bestseller. “The Office paved the way for Fifty Shades and a thousand other imitators,” University of Utah professor and fanfiction expert Anne Jamison tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It turned fanfiction’s ‘porn without plot’ into porn as plot, peopling Twilight‘s basic plot structure with sexually voracious, assertive and snarky adults.”
READ FULL STORY »

Nov 5 2012 01:51 PM ET

Watch the exclusive trailer for 'Fifty Shades of Chicken': 'I'm going to bind your ankles so your juices will build' -- VIDEO

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There’s no shortage of Fifty Shades of Grey spoofs, spinoffs and coattail-riders. Some of them are kind of weird, some are sad and some are downright desperate. We were ready to write off FL Fowler’s dirty cookbook Fifty Shades of Chicken as just another notch on E L James’ bedpost, but then we watched this exclusive trailer and began to reconsider: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2012 10:24 AM ET

'Fifty Shades of Grey' inspires dirty chicken cookbook: 'I've been practicing BDSM for years -- but with poultry'

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The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon has inspired a number of copycats and spoofs, but it will attain a whole new level on Nov. 13 when the first Fifty Shades cookbook hits the market. (Just in time for Thanksgiving!)

Fifty Shades of Chicken – a title that sounds absolutely revolting when you think too hard about it — chronicles the relationship between a chef and his chicken. Because that sounds so impossibly ridiculous, I’ll just let the author tell you about it herself.

“The recipe and headnotes follow a chef and his chicken on an emotional journey very much like the original trilogy,” FL Fowler — a nom de plume — said in an email to People. “You start with an overbearing cook and a pigheaded chicken but by the end they’re spanking and tying each other up like soul mates. There’s a bit of Christian and Anastasia Steele in every dish.”

Yes, that is in fact a real quote. Here’s another, if you think you can handle it: “Like so many others, Fifty Shades of Grey resonated for me,” Fowler continued. “It evoked something I’d never been able to express. Then one day as I was tying up the ankles of a chicken for roasting, I realized why some of the scenes in the book were so strikingly familiar. It turns out I’ve been practicing BDSM for years — but with poultry.” Sample recipes include “Mustard Spanked Chicken” and “Dripping Thighs.”

While I realize that this is a parody — as it boldly declares on the cover of the book — there are some things that are sacred. And not having an image of my chicken spanking me is one of those things. What’s worse is the author chose my real last name as his/her (let’s be honest, probably her) fake one. I already have to deny accusations of being married to Montel Williams. I don’t want to have to start defending myself against allegations of cavorting with naughty chickens.

What do think readers? Will you purchase this cookbook? Will you serve “Dripping Thighs” to your family this holiday season? Will you ever be able to eat chicken again?

Read more:
Ten ways to tell you’re enjoying an evening with ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ author E L James
On the scene: E L James talks ‘Fifty Shades’ with Katie Couric
‘No Easy Day’ dislodges ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ from bestseller list

Sep 18 2012 10:12 AM ET

Chelsea Handler writing a book called '50 Shades of Chartreuse'

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Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Aside from drunken exploits and her crazy family, late-night host Chelsea Handler’s favorite topic to write about is sex, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the title of her next book — 50 Shades of Chartreuse: This Time It’s Personal — spoofs E L James’ erotica phenomenon. Chartreuse will be released Oct. 2013 under Handler’s own A Chelsea Handler Book/Borderline Amazing imprint of Grand Central Publishing. While the title seems to promise the new book will have the same raunchy, sarcastic tone as her first three essay collections, its tagline — which it shares with Jaws: The Revenge — might suggest this tome might be a little more serious. Handler has been expressing recently that she wants to take her E! series Chelsea Lately in a slightly weightier direction. In a statement, a rep for Grand Central Publishing said, “The new book is groundbreaking. Bigger stories, smaller type.”

Are you looking forward to 50 Shades of Chartreuse?

Read more:
Chelsea Handler gets her own imprint and a three-book deal
Which Chelsea Handler stories should be turned into episodes of ‘Vodka’?

Sep 17 2012 04:55 PM ET

'Fifty Shades' Watch: Erotic book trilogy sells for seven figures

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Just as Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James kicks off her US book tour, a new competitor has emerged on the erotica marketplace.

On Monday, Berkley Books announced that it has acquired a Fifty Shades-esque trilogy from Maya Banks in a seven-figure deal. The New York Times bestselling author is perhaps most famous for her Scottish Medievals, which include Never Love a Highlander, Seduction of a Highland Lass and In Bed with a Highlander, but in 2013, she will leave Scotland behind for a new BDSM trilogy.

“Maya Banks was at the forefront of the erotic romance trend and has been a star on Berkley’s list for several years,” Executive Editor Cindy Hwang said in a press release.

“Her new trilogy will thrill returning fans and is the perfect introduction for readers who fell in love with the intensely provocative storyline in Fifty Shades of Grey.”

The trilogy tells the story of three billionaires who “dominate in the boardroom and the bedroom.” Each book will follow one of the billionaires as he finds true love. The first book, Rush, will be released in February 2013, while the second, Fever, will follow in April and the third, Burn, in August.

Banks is, of course, not the first to capitalize on Fifty Shades‘ success. In August, the erotic novel Gabriel’s Inferno nabbed a seven-figure book deal as well, while Warner Bros. scooped up the rights to Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster. Indeed, these books are becoming so commonplace that “cliterature” will no longer be a derogatory term for women’s literature, but a display at your local Barnes & Noble.

Will you be reading Banks’ new book series?

Read more:
On the scene: E L James talks ‘Fifty Shades’ with Katie Couric
‘No Easy Day’ dislodges ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ from bestseller list
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ heats up: Charity orders public burning of the erotic novel

Sep 12 2012 09:43 AM ET

'No Easy Day' dislodges 'Fifty Shades of Grey' from bestseller list

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Mark Owen’s No Easy Day has topped E L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey on the USA Today bestseller list.

The former Navy SEAL’s firsthand account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden will be featured atop the list starting on Thursday. This ends Fifty Shades of Grey‘s 20-week reign at No. 1, a record for the list. The record was previously held by Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 31 2012 05:05 PM ET

This exists: 'Fifty Shades of Grey' the Magazine

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There are sex workshops. There is lingerie. There are even baby clothes and beer cozies. But just when you thought the Fifty Shades of Grey craze couldn’t go any further, it did.

There is now an entire magazine dedicated to E L James’ erotic novel. Yes, you read that right. An entire magazine (whose cover looks suspiciously familiar).

Fifty Shades Of American Women Who Love The Book And Live The Life, which was published on Tuesday, boldly proclaims that it features 80 pages of sex secrets. (Apparently, it’s Cosmo on steroids.) It also offers Fifty Shades-based scavenger hunts, Christian Grey-inspired cocktails and even a story about a sex whisperer who says she uses “her body to fix broken men like Christian Grey.”

What looks most interesting to me, however, is the Fifty Shades of Grey quiz that determines exactly which shade of grey you are. I am curious to see if they can actually name fifty shades of grey.

But what I think is perhaps most relevant to us all is the announcement that James is working on a fourth Fifty Shades book. Last I heard, there were no plans to expand the series beyond a trilogy, so this is certainly a turn of events.

So readers, are you planning to purchase Fifty Shades Of American Women Who Love The Book And Live The Life? And, should the news about the fourth book be true, what would you like to see in it? Personally, I’d like it to focus on Christian and Ana’s two children. I’m thinking… Fifty Shades Again? The Fifty Shades Legacy? Fifty Shades: 2 Fast 2 Furious?

Read more:
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ heats up: Charity orders public burning of the erotic novel
Style & Design: Alexander Skarsgard’s GIFs, 50 years of Bond Girls and more
Barnes & Noble finds its inner goddess with ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’

Aug 28 2012 04:05 PM ET

'Fifty Shades of Grey' heats up: Charity orders public burning of the erotic novel

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Fifty Shades of Grey just got a whole lot hotter. (Couldn’t resist the pun.)

A British charity for domestic abuse has announced plans to hold a mass burning of E L James’ erotic novel. Clare Phillipson, director of Wearside Women In Need, described the book as “dangerous” and insisted that it could potentially encourage domestic abuse.

“I do not think I can put into words how vile I think this book is and how dangerous I think the idea is that you get a sophisticated but naive young woman and a much richer, abusive older man who beats her up and does some dreadful things to her sexually,” Phillipson said. READ FULL STORY »

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