We read somewhere the other day that finishing a series of books is like a break-up.
Now, if like us you’re a self-proclaimed bookworm then you’ll understand the sentiment. You meet a new book, whether through a friend, a work colleague, or just out and about. You’re either instantly drawn to it, or you have reservations but try to not judge from the cover when you’ve been surprised before.
Sir David Attenborough
How many times do you ask the question:
“What do you want for for Christmas?”
And get the reply:
“Nothing.”
It’s not a lot of good, is it? If you actually got them nothing, they’d be upset. So it’s that time of year again: we all have to start thinking about what we might buy our friends and family for Christmas without any help from them.
The Man Booker Prize
The winner 2011’s Man Booker Prize was announced this week as Julian Barnes for The Sense of an Ending. For all of its controversies (click here to read the article) the Man Booker is still one of the book industry’s most important awards, and just making the long-list can see a book’s sales sky-rocket.
William Shakespeare
Later this month, German-born film director Ronald Emmerich will release his latest and most controversial offering: Anonymous, a historical drama which brings the authorship of William Shakespeare’s plays into question. There’s plenty of books on the subject too: try Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare by James Shapiro. This is not a new theory, but the movie has once again fuelled the debate as to who wrote the legendary plays.