THE PILLAR$

← Why is this man smiling?

I’ll tell you why!
He’s smiling because he just found out he can buy that mansion that is twice the size of his current mansion!
He’s smiling because his name is Ken Follett, and his 1989 bestseller The Pillars of The Earth has been selected as the next “Oprah Book©”.
For any writer, even one with the stature and sales record of Mr. Follett, that sort of thing has to be earth-shattering. The hearing of such an announcement must be accompanied with that cliché sound of the cash register opening… CHA-CHING.
The news is fresh, Oprah only announcing this yesterday [the 14th]. And now, as I sit in the Starbucks section of Chapters, I can see the area where the new Pillars display has already been set up. And these are right next to his new novel, which [my God, this guy REALLY fell up the stairs this time…] happens to be a SEQUEL to Pillars.
The new one is called World Without End.
I myself have been waiting for this book to come out since the twelfth century, it seems. I have so many other books on my “To Be Read” list that I have not yet gotten to it, but I will.
Thing is, BOTH of Follett’s books are now bestsellers!
Like, without a doubt, they will be #1, and #2 on all lists everywhere, because obviously, those who will be picking up Pillars on the advice of Oprah will see the other book, the new one, and take it along with them up to the cash register!
Nothing this mind-bogglingly colossal has happened since…. well, since Jed Clampett stuck his shovel too far into the ground!
Next thing you know, Pillars will be a movie.
Like House of Sand and Fog. Remember that book? And then the movie?
Well, perhaps you did not know this, but the author, Andre Dubus III, wrote that book while he was living in his car! Then Oprah latched onto it. [The book, not the car.]
Hmmmm…. I wonder how many cars are parked out front of the Dubus estate, nowadays?
I wish Oprah would say something on-air about Bookpuddle©!

One more thing and I’m done. About Ken Follett’s success, with Pillars.
HE DESERVES IT! Or rather, the BOOK deserves a greater audience.
This book is flat out, one of the best books I have ever read in my life.
I will not go on about how much I love it. If you have a hankering to hear more about what I think of The Pillars, click → HERE.
In Oprah’s words, Follett is “a best-selling author that everybody has heard of, but this novel is unlike any of his books he’s known for around the world.”
She’s right. It is totally different than his “thrillers”.
Follet says [on his website], “My publishers were a little nervous about such a very unlikely subject but paradoxically, it is my most popular book.”
Keep smiling, Ken!
Pillars is about to become a whole lot more popular!

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