Top 10 Graphic Novels

American comic book writer and Marvel editor Danny Fingeroth has selected his “Top 10 graphic novels” (those he enjoyed most), which include books by Kyle Baker, Bryan Talbot, Peter Kuper, Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi, and others. Agree?

Most Challenged Books, 2007

The Economist’s Daily Chart this week, titled “No sex please, we’re American,” is the 10 most challenged books in the U.S. during 2007. “For the second year running And Tango Makes Three, a children’s book, has topped the American Library Association’s list. … The tale of two male penguins adopting an orphaned egg provoked more […]

What Are People Reading?

At least two sources are from time to time posting lists of what people are reading on public transportation, in Seattle at Shelf Talk and all over the place (wherever the “peripatetic spies” are on the job) at Reader’s Advisor Online. I love this idea!

Dog Memoirs

“Man Writes Dog: Death and Rebirth in the Canine Memoirs” by Terry Caesar in The Common Review explores the changing roles of dogs from “man’s (or woman’s) best friend” to “humankind’s saviors,” based on the ” evidence of the current proliferation of best-selling nonfiction memoirs about dogs.” The focus is on Jon Katz’s memoir of […]

Bond Fans Not Fans of New Book

While the book is selling like hotcakes, 007 fans are not feeling the love. About Devil May Care, the “new Bond” book written by Sebastian Faulks “in the style of” series creator and writer Ian Fleming (who died in 1964), Bond fans are saying:

“Anyone who thinks this style re-creates Fleming, or is evocative of Fleming, […]

Additions

Reminder: More content added daily to the recommended lists of summer books!

French Lit Briefing

Seattle librarian David Wright at Shelf Talk provides a très petit glossary of French terms that relate to French fiction (e.g, L’esprit de l’escalier, Épater le bourgeois, ennui, noir) as well as a select list of French novels in English translation. Fun!

Summer Books Season

USA Today posts its lengthy interactive list of summer fiction and non-fiction. You can sort by title, author or release date, and look at all the books at once or only fiction or non-. Excerpts available for some. [22 May]
Politics and Prose Bookstore’s Summer Favorites 2008, with separate lists for hardcover fiction, paperback fiction, pb […]

Bit Lit?: The Appeal of Vampire Novels

The Guardian books blog examines what’s so appealing about vampire fiction, beginning with a short history of the theme and comparing older and seminal fictional works about the blood-drinkers with modern vampire lit, which tends to humanise and glamourise the vampire. As always, the comments offer more titles and food for thought ….

Start of Summer Books Season

is now here.