Books & Authors

Expert Book Reviews, Recommendations, Author Biographies

Daily Lit Links for 8/25

BNA_Daily | August 29, 2010

Young adults (and let’s face it, regular adults) will be thrilled with today’s teen lit news, and voyeurs everywhere will be happy to find out what the Obamas are reading in Martha’s Vineyard.  Enjoy!

Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay (the third book in the “Hunger Games” trilogy) hit stores yesterday, and it’s creating quite a buzz in the [...]

Daily Lit Links for 8/20

BNA_Daily | August 20, 2010

Today’s news will help you transition out of summer mode and teach you words you never needed to know.  Keep reading…

It’s a sad fact that summer’s coming to an end, but NPR’s Cord Jefferson is here to help us transition.  In “Back to Reality: Nonfiction for the Summer’s End,” Jefferson recommends five nonfiction books to [...]

Daily Lit Links for 8/18

BNA_Daily | August 20, 2010

In today’s news, discover original (and free!) short stories from prominent authors, catch up on your Stieg Larsson gossip, and join a Jonathan Franzen book club.  Enjoy!

It’s time for the Guardian’s “Summer short story special,” an online fiction treat that features short stories from Hilary Mantel, David Mitchell, Barbara Trapido, Roddy Doyle, Tea Obreht, and [...]

Daily Lit Links for 8/13

BNA_Daily | August 20, 2010

It’s Friday the 13th, but today’s news is all good. Check out a hilarious essay about first-time publication anxiety, an interview with Suzanne Collins, and a Time cover that supports literature in America.

On The Millions blog, first-time novelist Rosecrans Baldwin shares his pre-publication fears via a hilarious diary dating back to March. His novel You [...]

Daily Lit Links for 8/11

BNA_Daily | August 12, 2010

Today’s news honors historian and author Tony Judt, taps into a debate about today’s most overrated writers, and glimpses the budget crises affecting libraries around the country.

Tony Judt, scholar, history professor, and author of Postwar, died Friday at the age of 62 from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Judt was regarded as one of today’s great political [...]

Daily Lit Links for 8/9

BNA_Daily | August 9, 2010

Gay rights, chick lit, and space travel–in today’s news, any topic goes.  Enjoy!

In honor of last week’s breakthrough gay rights ruling in California, Jacket Copy celebrates twenty works of literature “that have provided a richer understanding of the joys and challenges particular to gay life.”  From Annie Proulx to William S. Burroughs, the list includes [...]

Daily Lit Links for 8/3

BNA_Daily | August 3, 2010

In today’s news, read about the literary legacy of Sex and the City, check out the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association award finalists, and learn which classic picture book is becoming a movie.

Candace Bushnell’s Sex in the City may have deteriorated into a horrible movie sequel, but it inspired a huge shift in women’s literature [...]

Daily Lit Links for 7/23

BNA_Daily | July 23, 2010

In today’s news, add some laugh-out-loud books to your beach bag, find out why Random House is in a tizzy, and check out Comic-Con 2010.  Enjoy!

Literary or otherwise, your summer reading books should be fun (assuming they weren’t assigned by a canon-worshipping English teacher).  In “Fun in the Sun: Laugh-Out-Loud Summer Reads,” NPR’s Heller McAlpin [...]

Critical Consensus for 7/22: John Brandon’s Citrus County

BNA_Daily | July 23, 2010

If you admire the stark, gritty writing of modern authors like Denis Johnson and Mary Robison, you’ll want to check out John Brandon’s Citrus County.  In Citrus County, Brandon (Arkansas) employs his token dark humor and tightly-woven narrative to tell the story of deeply troubled middle schoolers living in a small, Florida town.  Toby, the [...]

Daily Lit Links for 7/21

BNA_Daily | July 21, 2010

Q: What do the Kindle, Jersey Shore’s “The Situation,” and the Deep Horizon oil spill have in common?  A: They’re all featured in today’s news.

Kindle competition has grown in recent months as the iPad, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Borders’ Kobo were released, but an announcement yesterday by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos suggests [...]