Rushdie picks books for posh Big Apple hotel

Novelist selected American literary classics to place in guests' rooms

NEW YORK - Acclaimed novelist Salman Rushdie has come to the aid of guests who check into a trendy Manhattan hotel with nothing to read, choosing 13 celebrated American books for their rooms.

The upscale Standard Hotel in Manhattan already provides high-definition televisions and iPod docks in rooms but nothing for guests with more literary tastes.