Before I get started, I just wanted to remind you all that Amy Bloom’s gonna be reading from her latest novel Away at Magers & Quinn on Tuesday, November 11th. You should check it out of if you can.
In other local readings, The Loft’s got a full slate on Saturday, November 8th (that’d be tomorrow), featuring Pete Hautman (who wrote the awesome Godless) in the afternoon and poet Jude Nutter in the evening. I took a poetry class with Jude last year and she’s a dreamy reader. I dare you to go to the reading and not fall in love with her a little.
Citypages profiles local indie-publisher Graywolf Press.
At Cracking Spines Max Ross talks literature and video games. He also mentions how Nathan Englander refers to both Lorrie Moore and Jay McInerney while talking about a video game called Gears of War.
Girl Detective takes the Oscar Wao geek test.
Publishers Weekly lists their Best Books of 2008. And agree with me that Elizabeth McCracken’s An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination rocks the ever-loving Casbah (I am ignoring that they included Netherland on the list which I thought was boring crap).
Also, Omnivoracious offers up their editors’ Best of 2008 along with Best History Books of 2008 and Best Cookbooks of 2008.
What have been your favorites so far this year?
Book Ninja reports on the 10 most annoying phrases. Sadly, douchebag didn’t make the list and it should have. “It is what it is” probably should have too.
Will a poet read at Obama’s inauguration?
Oprah’s got a slideshow featuring homes of legendary writers. Which just reminds me of Brock Clarke’s An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England (holy hannah! the hardcover of this book is on sale for $5.99 right now on Amazon. Get it while it lasts) [via]
Author Tod Goldberg gives us the five things he’ll miss about the election season. The conversation he has with his wife about West Virgina made me laugh.
Jacket Copy’s got a slew of Sarah Vowell videos.
In the November issue of Bookslut, Tao Lin interviews Joy Williams (god, I love her).