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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Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Observer's books of the year'

Book Business Has Big Hopes for Biography of Steve Jobs

Industry experts said the biography of Steve Jobs could easily sell millions of copies in print, audio and ebook editions. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital sales 'could be 15%' by year's end

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 07/10/2011 - 14:39 Independent publishers are predicting that ebook sales may make up as much as 15% of their total sales by the end of 2011, as FutureBook's Digital Census reveals that a quarter of UK publishers now have ebook sales which... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beautiful Books facing administration

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 07/10/2011 - 16:18 An administrator for Beautiful Books is expected to be appointed by close of business on Monday (10th October). In a letter to authors, David Lewis, director of The Beautiful Group PLC, said the company has had cash flow... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indies call on government to fix book prices

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 07/10/2011 - 08:35 Independent booksellers say the government should step in to fix the price of books after the Booksellers Association called on the coalition to do more to maintain bookshops on the high street. BA c.e.o. Tim Godfray appealed... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oneworld buys book from Private Eye journalist

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 06/10/2011 - 15:25 Oneworld has bought a book by a Private Eye journalist that uncovers how Britain has become a tax haven. Commissioning editor Mike Harpley bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Duty Free: How Britain’s Become a Tax Haven for Big... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Kindle with Special Offers E-book Feature: Remove Ads for $30

Those who purchased the Kindle with Special Offers version of Amazon's e-reader can now expunge the ads for a one-time fee of $30. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spanish book fair looks to digital growth

Written By: Robert Stokes Publication Date: Wed, 05/10/2011 - 15:18 Liber, the 29th International Book Fair for the Spanish speaking world, starts today [5th October] in Madrid and takes place against the backdrop of the launch of Amazon.es, which publishers hope will lead to greater interest... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Book Show' moves to primetime

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 04/10/2011 - 10:10 Sky Arts is moving "The Book Show" to a new primetime slot on Thursdays when it returns for a fifth series next week. The show, presented by Mariella Frostrup, will be broadcast at 8pm and opens with four episodes from the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fortune Releases Steve Jobs History E-Book

"All About Steve: The Story of Steve Jobs and Apple from the Pages of Fortune" has been released on Amazon as a Kindle book. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Galaxy Book Awards moves date and venue

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 03/10/2011 - 17:23 The 2011 Galaxy National Book Awards will take place on 4th November, rather than 9th, with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge announced as the location. Agile Marketing m.d. Alastair Giles said: "It's mainly a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cornerstone buys business book from ex-Tesco c.e.o.

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's book sales defy recession

Written By: Charlotte Williams and Philip Stone Publication Date: Fri, 30/09/2011 - 08:40 Children’s books sales outperformed the rest of the market in the first half of 2011, down just 1% year on year to £143m, due to blockbusting brands and the delay in children adopting digital content in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dahl in R&J Children's Christmas Book Club

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 29/09/2011 - 09:37 Titles by Roald Dahl, Rod Campbell and Janet and Allan Ahlberg are included in the selection for the third Richard and Judy's Children's Christmas Book Club, launched today in W H Smith stores. The 12 Richard and Judy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book sales pass the £1bn mark

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Thu, 29/09/2011 - 09:30 Printed book sales in 2011 have passed the £1bn mark two weeks later than in 2010 with David Nicholls' One Day the biggest selling book of the year to date. In total, £29.5m was spent at UK booksellers in the week ending 24th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Casey to tackle kids' books for RH

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 29/09/2011 - 08:15 Ebury Press and Random House Children's Books have signed two separate three-book deals with crime writer Jane Casey. Editorial director for fiction at Ebury Gillian Green acquired UK rights, including Europe and British... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lord Sugar to hold Twitter book signing

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bezos tops Guardian book trade power list

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More Readers, Sales for E-books

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Warehouse takes over Travel Bookshop site

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In E-Books, Publishing Houses Have a Rival in News Sites

Swiftly and at little cost, newspapers, magazines and sites like The Huffington Post are publishing their own version of ebooks. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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