Citizen Reading: 12 December 2016
12 December 2016
A weekly selection of reading and book news, sometimes with completely inappropriate commentary.
So, in my opinion, here's the best combined book and political story of the year: David Petraeus's biographer, with whom he had an affair and to whom he gave classified information, is shocked that he's being considered for the Secretary of State job. I was just telling my Mom about this this week. Petraeus is STILL ON PROBATION, for fuck's sake, for being convicted of the misdemeanor of the "unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents," and he's being considered for one of the top jobs in the country. Good lord. Anyone else is on probation for something like marijuana use, and they never work again, even at a McDonald's. Meanwhile Paula Broadwell, the biographer, can't find work. Love that double standard.
On to nicer news: Children's Book Week 2017 will be expanded.
The Circle (based on Dave Eggers's novel, which I now kind of want to read): Trailer.
NPR's Book Concierge is back!
PEN America's Literary Awards 2017: Longlist.
"The dark desire for books that infected Europe in the 1800s." I haven't even had the chance to read this one yet; I'm waiting until I can savor it.
Rebecca Solnit's Hope In the Dark is getting a nice little surge in sales after the Trump election.
R.L. Stine is working on a new top-secret project.
A UK publisher is letting book clubs pick books to publish.
Here's a shocker: George R.R. Martin's next Game of Thrones novel will be delayed.
Bookstore map, courtesy of Ann Patchett. ("Around the world with books.")
Fifty Shades Darker: Trailer.
Sherlock Season 4: New trailer.
God how I love Melville House. I couldn't even make it through most of the story (new apps for reading bore the hell out of me, particularly as I have no way to use apps), but the headline is pure genius.
NONFICTION BOOK NEWS
Ooh ooh ooh! Michael Lewis has a new book out, The Undoing Project.
New York Times: the best dessert cookbooks; what I'm sure will be a nice light read about Israel and Palestine; a new book about Haiti's Toussaint Louverture (I should really get this and start learning a little something about world history); a new book titled The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age, and as a bonus, it's reviewed by one of my favorite nonfiction authors, Robert Sullivan; a new look at the aftermath of World War I; I don't even know how to describe this one but it looks neat; a book about New York City by Rebecca Solnit (I must have it!);
BOOK LISTS
Your first (snore) LibraryReads list of the new year!
Okay, you know I had to give you this list: the year's best books about London.
Audible: Best Audiobooks of the Year
Maureen Corrigan's Best books of 2016
Amazon: Best Books of December
Also Amazon: bestselling books of 2016
The best 2016 gift books for the literati in your life.
New York Post: books to please everyone on your gift list.
GoodReads: 2016 Choice Awards
"15 schools in sci-fi and fantasy we want to attend."
A NEW SECTION: MY READING NOTES FROM LAST WEEK
Lisa F. Smith, Girl Walks Out of a Bar.* Didn't read more than 50 pages of this one; didn't like it. It's a memoir about Smith's road to sobriety, and wow, does she relate every single tiny little detail. I found it when I looked up some other addiction/recovery memoir on Amazon, and thought, wow, there is a shit-ton of new addiction/recovery memoirs out there. Thought I should try to read one, but there's no keeping up with them, and this was not a read that left me wanting more. *Wow, they loved this book at GoodReads. I have no faith in GoodReads reviews.
Alison Gopnik's The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children. Got this one because I've been on a parenting book bent for a while now. I also have read books by Adam Gopnik, and wondered if there was a connection between him and Alison? (There is: they're siblings.) Anyway. I read about a hundred pages--this is a few weeks ago; I just took the book back to the library a week ago. It was okay, but I can't remember one single thing I read in it, which can't be good. Although I did read it while standing in the driveway and trying to keep the CRjrs from scootering into the road. That sort of thing could be distracting, I guess.
And NOW YOUR OBLIGATORY NEIL GAIMAN LINK