Pippa Middleton's book hits U.K. stores

Pippa Middleton knows how to party, so it's no surprise that she would draw on her experiences and her family's party planning business to write her first book.

"Celebrate: A Year of British Festivities for Families and Friends" by the sister of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, was released in the U.K. Thursday night with a private launch party outside Daunt Books in west London.

Penguin imprint Michael Joseph is publishing the 416-page glossy guide to home entertaining. It draws on Middleton's experiences working with her parents' business, Party Pieces, and at a London-based events company. It has tips on entertaining for different celebrations throughout the year as well as recipes, crafts and games. It costs $40.

Viking is publishing a U.S. edition on Oct. 30; the list price on the Viking website is $50.

As expected, there will be no publicity tours for this book, despite Middleton's status as a paparazzi favorite. (One editor estimated that some 400 photos of Middleton cross his desk every day.)  British media is speculating that the royal family wanted to take no chances that the young author would be asked questions about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, her royal brother-in-law and sister.

The publisher also is mum about the size of Middleton's book deal, widely reported at $640,000. A spokesman for the publisher did not deny it but  told Reuters some of these media reports bordered on fiction.

Reviews have been mixed in the U.K.

In the U.S., an excerpt of the book along with recipes and tips for a royally spooky Halloween appear in Parade's Oct. 28 issue.

Halloween celebrationd don't have to cost a fortune, Middleton writes. "Just a simply carved pumpkin lit up among glimmering candles will go a long way to producing the right atmosphere."