Book reviews, book-related news and author interviews
Updated: 24 min 39 sec ago
54 min 25 sec ago
While there is something inherently lame about the and Philosophy series edited by William Irwin, the books in this series are also ultra-compelling. And very little could be more compelling than the latest entry, True Blood and Philosophy (Wiley), paired with the über-catchy subtitle: We Wanna Think Bad Thoughts With You. So there you have a recipe for publishing success: take a vampire or two,
2 hours 29 min ago
If it seems as though things have been quieter around here than usual, it’s because January Magazine art director David Middleton and I shuffled off to Buffalo and points beyond for a couple of weeks. Many thanks to The Rap Sheet’s J. Kingston Pierce for keeping things together in our absence. Without his careful tending, everything would have ground to a halt. As it turned out, I was so
3 hours 23 min ago
Is it my imagination, or are the myriad paperback books on my shelves looking just a wee bit prouder this week?As The Baltimore Sun’s Read Street blog observes, it was 75 years ago this week that Penguin Books “brought out the first modern paperback. The idea came from British publishing exec Allen Lane, who was seeking a respite from a Depression-era revenue slump. The cheap, convenient,
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 00:31
A lucky 13 titles feature in the longlist of books competing for the prestigious 2010 Man Booker Prize. The announcement of nominees -- which includes works by David Mitchell, Rose Tremain, Peter Carey, and Emma Donoghue -- was made this morning. This longlist will be pared down to a shorter roster before the winner -- who will receive, in addition to prestige, $77,000 in prize money -- is
Tue, 07/27/2010 - 20:31
(Editor’s note: Today we welcome to January Magazine a new book reviewer: New York City resident Brendan M. Leonard, who, since 2004, has written about television and film for Web sites such as CHUD.com. He was also the creator of New York Noir, a short-lived podcast anthology series.)Jesus Christ, this book.Pretty much my thoughts about Savagesthese days.Fans of Don Winslow, the author of
Mon, 07/26/2010 - 13:01
There’s a war on in the Edwardian alternative universe of The Laws of Magic. Aubrey Fitzwilliam, son of the Prime Minister of Albion, and his friends George and Caroline, who have spent the last four volumes trying to prevent it, have been recruited as part of the Albionish secret service. War is bad enough in itself, but if this one proceeds for long enough, it will lead to the immortality of
Sun, 07/25/2010 - 13:07
Alex is in his 20s, living in a shared house and working a dead-end job after failing to get anywhere with his art. Suddenly, he runs into childhood sweetheart Madigan, daughter of a wealthy family, who had been taken back to Ireland and wandered Europe after her mother’s death, before returning to Melbourne.Madigan is beautiful, passionate, far more talented in art than Alex could ever be. And
Fri, 07/23/2010 - 12:00
(Editor’s note: In association with The Rap Sheet’s ongoing Friday blog series highlighting great but forgotten books, editor J. Kingston Pierce asked English thriller writer Christopher Fowler -- best known for his Arthur Bryant and John May/Peculiar Crimes mysteries [Bryant & May Off the Rails] -- if he would like to suggest an unjustly overlooked title of his own. Fowler kindly sent back the
Thu, 07/22/2010 - 02:39
From the publisher’s news release:We are launching the book Why Coolidge Matters: How Civility in Politics Can Bring a Nation Together on August 3rd at the Library of Congress. The book is a collection of essays from a bipartisan group of authors including Senator Leahy and Gov. Douglas (Vermont), Senator Kerry, as well as a host of historians, scholars and civic leaders.While [Calvin] Coolidge’s
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 16:06
Harper Lee’s only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was published on this day 50 years ago. Lee herself avoids contact with the press and discussion of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book that made -- and some say ended -- her career. However, the people of Monroeville, Alabama, the writer’s childhood hometown, are less camera shy.Despite the fact that Lee maintains that the book and its setting are
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 03:06
For those of us who have long appreciated the literary endeavors of prolific French novelist Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days, A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, etc.), news that younger readers are finally “discovering” his significance can only be heartening.From The Barnes & Noble Review:Few people some twenty years ago, near the start of the
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 14:20
(Editor’s note: The following review was submitted by Mike Ripley, a British novelist, critic and columnist with the Webzine Shots.)For John Russell the Second World War ends this month with the publication of Potsdam Station (Old Street Publishing UK), the fourth novel in three years from Englishman David Downing and the final part (if so it turns out) of a quartet of historical thrillers which
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 14:09
National Public Radio’s recent request that readers submit the names of what they believe are “the most pulse-quickening and suspenseful novels ever” apparently generated a list of more than 600 thrilling works. “A panel of experts then combined audience preference with their own judgment to narrow that list down to a manageable roster of some 200 favorites,” according to an NPR press release.You
Tue, 07/13/2010 - 12:00
With Captive Queen (Ballantine) noted historical biographer Alison Weir (The Lady in the Tower, Mistress of the Monarchy) comes full circle, completing a process she started years ago while doing research for the book that would become the biography, Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life. In an Author’s Note to Captive Queen, Weir tells us that while she worked on the Aquitaine biography, she first got
Tue, 07/13/2010 - 08:26
Ever wondered how to create a book that is both meaningless and lucrative? Pamela Redmond Satran takes a run at the answer on The Huffington Post. The author writes:I created a blog called How Not To Act Old, two months later I sold it as a book to Harper Collins [sic], and it went on to be a New York Times bestseller.How did I do it? Here, the ten most important things you need to know to turn
Mon, 07/12/2010 - 16:05
No matter what your personal thoughts on the death penalty, Angel of Death Row (Kaplan) will give you something to think about. The book is not, after all, about the moral questions in play here. At least, not on the surface of things. It is the story of defense lawyer Andrea D. Lyon, who has successfully defended the lives of 19 inmates sentenced to death.Fans of true-crime non-fiction will
Sun, 07/11/2010 - 08:09
Fiction anthologies like The Year’s Best Science Fiction (St. Martin’s Griffin) give readers a unique opportunity. Not only do they skim the top of what is being written by the best writers in their fields, but read in a certain light, they offer a view -- or, at least, the slice of a view -- into what's going on in a certain aspect of fiction writing.Having read and enjoyed science fiction short
Sun, 07/11/2010 - 07:45
In what I feel certain will come to be known as the year of fictional dystopia, Steven Polansky's debut is one of several bright spots.I’m a man who doesn't matter. The same could be said of most men. In what follows, I will make no special claim for myself, save one, for which I can take no credit. This report will not, finally, be about me. I speak carefully here, and with regret, though not,
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 12:00
When a bizarre love tangle causes 17-year-old Wyatt Hillyer’s parents to jump off different bridges within a few hours of each other, the tone of Wyatt’s life seems set. At the same time, so is his immediate course: he must pick up sticks and go to live in a small town with his uncle and aunt and their gorgeous daughter.Despite what could certainly sound like a farcial set up, What Is Left the
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 08:15
We were off having too much independent fun on the fourth of July to comment on The Huffington Post’s very interesting piece covering “15 Feisty Small Presses and the Books You’re Going to Want From Them.” Clearly, however, this is something we all want to note:To celebrate Independence Day, here are 15 small presses that exemplify the best qualities of this publishing tradition -- so
