Neal Stephenson’s ‘Reamde’ & the Course of Speculative Fiction (Or, Joes Goes to Casino El Camino, Brings Pen)

~Post by Joe T. With the release of Neal Stephenson's Reamde (pronounced, I'm pretty sure, as "Read Me"), I've noticed a certain trend amongst the speculative fiction writers I've grown to enjoy the most: a preoccupation with World of Warcraft and other massive multiplayer online role playing games (or MMOs from this point onwards). These … Continue reading Neal Stephenson’s ‘Reamde’ & the Course of Speculative Fiction (Or, Joes Goes to Casino El Camino, Brings Pen) →

Crime Fiction Goes West

~Post by MysteryPeople Crime Fiction Coordinator Scott M. The American West, as well as the western genre, has played a significant role in crime fiction. Dashiell Hammett's first novel had his Continental Op cleaning up a mining town. James Crumley's influential PIs put a lot of miles on their cars as they drove around the … Continue reading Crime Fiction Goes West →

As the Book World Turns

The Night Circus went on sale this week, to much fanfare here and in bookstores around the country. Read the reviews. Emma Thompson will pick up the torch for Beatrix Potter and pen a new Peter Rabbit tale. Levar Burton of Reading Rainbow and Star Trek fame announced this week that he's launching Reading Rainbow … Continue reading As the Book World Turns →

Steve Wraps Up his Russian Adventures

Our intrepid CEO Steve Bercu returned from Russia this week, where he was attending the Moscow International Book Fair. He's been sharing his thoughts with us along the way. Here's his wrap-up: September 8--Book Fair The fair was packed with consumers buying books and crowding around the booths. We headed for the International Lounge where … Continue reading Steve Wraps Up his Russian Adventures →

Review: ‘Adios Happy Homeland’ by Ana Menendez

Review of: Adios, Happy Homeland! by Ana Menendez By: Brian C. I think Jennifer Egan is the best writer alive. She’s the perfect blend of tenderness, boldness, and intelligence. She’s good enough to rightfully be called the proper heir to Eudora Welty. My harshest, and maybe only, critique of Egan is what she chooses to … Continue reading Review: ‘Adios Happy Homeland’ by Ana Menendez →

Only Six More Days Until New Shel Silverstein! And so we sing a song.

The day is fast-approaching: Tuesday, September 20th. What happens on this day? Well, the sun rises. The sun sets. And in between those two beautiful moments, when we open at 9am, The New Shel Silverstein Book Goes On Sale!!!! Every Thing On It, a collection of never-before-published poetry and illustrations from the one and only … Continue reading Only Six More Days Until New Shel Silverstein! And so we sing a song. →

Scott Names His Sinful Six

MysteryPeople's Crime Fiction Coordinator Scott Montgomery is currently in St. Louis fulfilling his duties as Stuntman at the big national mystery fest, Bouchercon. Before he left, he gave us this write up of one of the panels he'll be hosting while there: At the 2011 Bouchercon, I'll be hosting a special evening panel titled … Continue reading Scott Names His Sinful Six →

I (Heart) the Austin Teen Book Festival (and FUN!)

The Austin Teen Book Festival, taking place on October 1st, 2011 10am – 5pm at the Palmer Events Center, is a FREE festival with the mission of connecting teens with authors of books for teens. Panels of authors will discuss a wide variety of topics, sign their books, and celebrate all things teen fiction. To … Continue reading I (Heart) the Austin Teen Book Festival (and FUN!) →

Book Review: ‘Lamb’ by Bonnie Nadzam

Book: Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam Reviewed by: Nolan You'd be hard pressed to find a review for Bonnie Nadzam's debut novel(la) that doesn't draw comparrisons to Lolita. And judging from the premise, it's not unusual. Middle age David Lamb's minorly successful life seems to be falling apart. Meanwhile he befriends 11-year-old girl, Tommie, and in … Continue reading Book Review: ‘Lamb’ by Bonnie Nadzam →

The Murakami Project: Jamie Reviews ‘Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World’

The Murakami Project: Each week leading up to October 25th, the on-sale date of Haruki Murakami’s long-awaited 1Q84 in its English translation, a different BookPerson will review one of Murakami’s previous titles. Folks who haven’t read Murakami yet can familiarize themselves with what the book world will be buzzing about come October (and maybe discover … Continue reading The Murakami Project: Jamie Reviews ‘Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World’ →