Philip Roth wins his third PEN/Faulkner award for “Everyman”

Portnoy isn’t complaining, and there’s no plot against this American author. Philip Roth has again proven his literary Superman status with Everyman, which won the 2007 PEN/Faulkner award for fiction this week. It’s the third time he’s won the PEN/Faulkner—this time for a 192-page novel that looks backward at the life of a 70-year-old “everyman” […]

Our favorite books that inspired Oscar wins

The Academy Awards are around the corner. As usual, Oscar has been inspired this year by movies that originally were books. Little Children is up for a couple acting awards. Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, and Judi Dench respectively owe The Devil Wears Prada, The Last King of Scotland, The Pursuit of Happyness, and […]

Enjoy the best books we forgot to review

I was in a bookstore yesterday and noticed The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters sitting on a shelf—its bright-blue, evocative cover evoking a slap-the-forehead reaction in me. After all, I’d eagerly made my way through its unusual, intriguing pages last summer, and then promptly forgot it. (That’s more a reflection on my flagging memory […]

“Tenderness of Wolves” wins Costa Book of the Year award

It used to be the Whitbread Book Awards. Beginning this year, it’s under different sponsorship as the Costa Book Awards. Whatever you call it, it’s a major literary award in the United Kingdom—actually a series of awards that recognizes the top books in different categories and then names the best of those bests as the […]

ALA presents Newbery, Caldecott, and other children’s book awards

The American Library Association (ALA) has announced its 2007 awards honoring the best of children’s literature. The full list of award winners is long and varied, and we’ve highlighted our favorites below:

Newbery Medal: The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron
Caldecott Medal: Flotsam, by David Wiesner
Carnegie Medal: Mo Willems (author/illustrator)
Geisel Medal: Zelda and Ivy: The […]

Weather the winter with books … and coffee

In keeping with my winter hibernate-and-read plan, I have more books stacked everywhere that require my immediate attention. Some were purchased last year, some this year—some on whim, some after much deliberation—but all are appealing in their ability to convey information of interest. They entice and whisper “come hither, come hither, my child.” And I […]

While away the winter with stacks of outstanding books

I like summer, with shorts, sandals, hot sidewalks, ice cream, and long, bright sunshine days that extend well into the night. However, the cold, hard, long winter is great for hibernating and reading all sorts of interesting tomes. I’m always greatly cheered by books and marvelous titles on my just-read, going-to-read, and partially read lists. […]

Greet the new year with stacks of books

Despite my failure to locate a pink plastic flamingo to festoon in red, velvet, flocked ribbons as kitschy decoration for the holidays, it was a pleasant and surprisingly fun season. Now that the holidays are well over, books for my reading pleasure are in transit, resting on tables, shelved in bookcases, or piled willy-nilly in […]

A bookseller takes you behind the scenes of book collecting

I’ve been a collector of books (and a few other things) for almost 25 years. I spent most of these years as a bookseller—first as a bookstore owner and later as a manager. My love of books has kept me connected to the book industry. Being in the trade has been very beneficial to my […]

Gift books for college students—favorites from a fellow student’s Facebook list

As a college student home for the holidays, I master the art of procrastination. When not busy avoiding work (I’ve had a long semester!), I’ll sleep or watch On-Demand. Call my friends from my car. Drink cider. Send text messages during dinner. A week or two in, though, I become an early riser like everyone […]