Richard and Judy Spark UK Hopes Britain’s version of the Oprah effect will kick into gear for the 10 lucky novelists named to the Richard and Judy shortlist for 2005. Each of the books named will be featured in a televised episode starting in January; viewers will vote for their favorites and the winner will be named at the April British Book Awards. The list runs the gamut, from David Mitchell’s CLOUD ATLAS to pop star Robbie Williams’ life story FEEL. Jodi Picoult — published for the first time in the UK this year — makes the list with MY […]

Crossed PENs An acrimonious year at the UK branch of PEN may come to head at an organizational meeting today. Or they may finally find a way to move on. The Independent notes: “The feud may well descend to new levels of bitterness at today’s AGM but others hope it will provide a cue to move on from this year’s troubles. New committee members will be voted in, and an optimistic financial report will be presented. The remainder of the archive has been sold; this and staff cutbacks have reduced the organization’s annual deficit to £16,000, and new fundraising initiatives […]

Book from Peterson’s Ex-Girlfriend Could Disrupt Verdict A local TV station has “learned” that Amber Frey, the ex-girlfriend of recently convicted Scott Peterson, is working on a book with ReganBooks that might be published as early as February 2005. The station notes, “She secretly recorded a number of phone conversations with Peterson for police investigators, and those tapes were widely seen as very damaging to the defense.” But legal analyst Dean Johnson says the deal could jeopardize the verdict. “I think it would probably behoove the defense to make a motion for a mistrial and put that on the record, […]

Times Tops Gawker has posted the TBR’s forthcoming list of the top 10 books of 2004 in advance, calling it, “A year-end finale so surprising it makes last season’s O.C. cliffhanger look like Blue’s Clues.” The list: GILEAD, by Marilynne Robinson THE MASTER , by Colm Toibin THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, by Philip Roth RUNAWAY, by Alice Munro SNOW, by Orhan Pamuk WAR TRASH, by Ha Jin ALEXANDER HAMILTON, by Ron Chernow CHRONICLES, VOL. 1, by Bob Dylan WASHINGTON’S CROSSING, by David Hackett Fischer WILL IN THE WORLD, by Stephen Greenblatt Gawker It Wouldn’t be the Christmas Season If… : […]

The Sunday Selections The nation’s biggest book review sections offered various lists of best books of the year: Los Angeles Times Best Fiction (about 15 titles) Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction (also about 15 titles) New York Times 100 Notable Books (the top 10 come next week) Washington Post Book World surveys “the best of 2004, brought to you by our eclectic band of reviewers” — approximately 150 titles in all. And Post critic Jonathan Yardley focuses on his five favorite novels, noting that-in contrast to the NBA jury-his picks [Ward Just, Philip Roth, John Gregory Dunne, Christopher Tilghman, and […]

January Book Sense The new selections have been posted online; visit the link for full bookseller comments. 1. BAKER TOWERS: A Novel, by Jennifer Haigh THE HA-HA: A Novel, by Dave King THE FAMILY TREE, by Carole Cadwalladr THE COLD DISH, by Craig Johnson OUT: A Novel, by Natsuo Kirino THE MEMORY OF RUNNING: A Novel, by Ron McLarty DANCING NAKED AT THE EDGE OF DAWN, by Kris Radish THE LOST GERMAN SLAVE GIRL: The Extraordinary True Story of the Slave Sally Miller and Her Fight for Freedom, by John Bailey TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR YOU: Tales of Improper Behavior, by […]