The Espresso's Bitter. The Literature? Sickly Sweet.

They've sold music. They've sold movies. Now, Starbucks is adding a "third leg to the stool": books. But not, you know, good books. They're officially launching their "book strategy" with Mitch Albom's new novel, For One More Day. Per the PI:

Albom's sentimental narratives are far from the Beat poetry traditionally associated with coffeehouse culture, and from CDs by Coldplay, Antigone Rising and others that Starbucks has sold. But Lombard said the author's new book, the story of a son reunited with his late mother, "embodies Starbucks values" because it's "an inspirational tale that encourages people to examine their lives with family and friends."

Albom, of course, is famous for writing books no sane person would wish to be stranded on a desert island with: Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. It's a bold move we can only assume is calculated to out-sentimentalize Oprah. (Yeah, yeah, their heart's in the right place -- they're donating $1 per copy sold to an educational program for preschoolers.)

This leaves just one question: if For One More Day embodies Starbucks values, what book best embodies the values of a good coffee shop?