The Observer's books of the year

From new voices like NoViolet Bulawayo to rediscovered old voices like James Salter, from Dave Eggers's satire to David Thomson's history of film, writers, Observer critics and others pick their favourite reads of 2013. And they tell us what they hope to find under the tree …Curtis SittenfeldNovelistMy favourite books of 2013 are Drama High (Riverhead) by Michael Sokolove, Sea Creatures (Turnaround) by Susanna Daniel, and & Sons (Harper Collins) by David Gilbert. Drama High is incredibly smart, moving non-fiction about an American drama teacher who for four decades coaxed sophisticated and nuanced theatrical performances out of teenage students who weren't privileged or otherwise remarkable and in so doing, changed their conceptions of what they could do with their lives. Sea Creatures is a gripping, beautifully written novel about the mother of a selectively mute three-year-old boy; when she takes a job ferrying supplies to a hermit off the coast of Florida, her world is upended. & Sons is a fabulously clever, warm-hearted novel about fathers, sons, literature, art, lust, envy, fraudulence, and Manhattan.As for a book I'd love to be given, Mohsin Hamid has recently been writing wonderful columns for the New York Times that make me curious about his novels. If Santa's reading this, I believe I'll start with How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (Hamish Hamilton).Hilary MantelNovelistTime to recall the more energising parts of the year's reading: Kate Atkinson's... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder Blog: Amanda Knox's Ex-Boyfriend Signs Book Deal

Raffaele Sollecito, the Italian student who was dating Ms. Knox when they were both charged with murder in 2007, will write his own memoir, for an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The New Press: 20 Years of Publishing ‘in the Public Interest’

Twenty years after it was founded by former Pantheon publisher Andre Schiffrin as a nonprofit publisher with a mission statement to publish “in the public interest,” the New Press is on something of a roll. The house has a new bestseller—Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow—spacious offices in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McFly duo write children's book

Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter from McFly sign a publishing deal to produce two children's picture books. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AUDIO: E-books 'lend themselves to erotica'

Rowan Pelling, former editor of Erotic Review and Telegraph Review, and Tom Tivnan, features editor for The Bookseller, discuss the rise in popularity of ebooks particularly in genres such as erotica. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2012-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With This Machine, You Can Print Your Own Books at the Local Bookstore

The Espresso Book Machine means that booksellers can publish and sell an enormous number of titles. But can they make the finances work? Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book firms need to make changes to settle probe

(Bloomberg) - News Corp.'s HarperCollins and four other publishers probed by European Union need to address regulatory concerns before they can settle the antitrust case, the European Union's competition commissioner said. Joaquin Almunia, the antitrust chief, told reporters Monday that a... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple, Publishers Must Address All Allegations Before E-book Case Can Be Closed, EU Says

Apple along with five ebook publishers must address all the European Commission's antitrust concerns before any settlement can be reached warned the European... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marvel Hopes to Give Comic Books a Boost With Augmented Reality Content

The Marvel AR app will be released in April for Apple's iPhones and iPad as well as smartphones and tablets, the comic book publisher said in a statement. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'Eisenhower in War and Peace' by Jean Edward Smith

This is a comprehensive biography of the president and an assessment of his leadership qualities on and off the battlefield.Eisenhower in War and Peace Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'Gods Without Men' by Hari Kunzru

The novel takes place across decades and tells overlapping stories as it tries to piece together a fallen world.Gods Without Men Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'Hot Pink' by Adam Levin

This collection of short stories includes the fine 'Frankenwittgenstein,' 'Considering the Bittersweet End of Susan Falls' and uneven others.Hot Pink Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Cheap Should Books Be?

A looming lawsuit could further solidify Amazon's dominance in the book business. That might be good for readers' wallets, but it also might be bad for readers in the long term. Here 's why. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple’s Alleged E-book Price Fixing: What You Need To Know

The Justice Department is warning Apple and its publisher partners they may have to answer for their pricing model. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First McFly book for Transworld

  Transworld has acquired the first official book by UK boy band McFly, who formed in 2004... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Edith Pearlman wins National Book Critics Circle fiction prize

The under-the-radar author won for her collection "Binocular Vision: New and Selected Stories."Reporting from New York -- The National Book Critics Circle gave its 2011 fiction prize to Edith Pearlman, an under-the-radar writer of short stories, at its annual awards ceremony Thursday evening at... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google pulls books into entertainment hub

The Google eBooks store has been merged into the company's wider entertainment portal with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Miniature E-Books Let Journalists Stretch Legs

The Kindle Single is not a promising name. It sounds like a new kind of prefabricated fire log, or a type of person you might meet on the dating service eHarmony — perhaps a lonely independent bookstore owner put out of business by Amazon.c ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book sales soar with WBD effect

Book sales soared £1.9m week on week last week, with the children's sector benefitting... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cal Ripken Jr. co-authors a second children's book

A new book by Cal Ripken Jr. and journalist Kevin Cowherd focuses on the issue of bullying among children. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A message from the Hearst Corporation: Celebrating 125 years

Since the San Francisco Examiner was published 125 years ago - March 4, 1887 - for the first time bearing on the masthead "W.R. Hearst Proprietor" - Hearst Corporation has been an organization constantly changing, growing, innovating. What st ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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