Though an official announcement won't be made for a few more days, Gawker jumped the gun on breaking the news that Sara Gruen, whose third novel WATER FOR ELEPHANTS has been something of a staple on bestseller lists, will be leaving Algonquin behind for the richer waters of Spiegel & Grau. Though the $5.2 million figure Gawker cites for Gruen's two-book deal is up for debate (Gruen, on a writer's message board, would only say that she'd been asked not to dicuss the exact financial details) the deal certainly indicates what happens when one book breaks out, and the bidding for subsquent books moves into an entirely different level.

As for the book itself, THE APE HOUSE is actually about the habits of bonobos, not monkeys. But I suppose it's too easy to confuse simian species...