About Books & Literature: The Best (and Worst) of 2011

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. There's minimal work to be done and there's a big stack of brand-new books just waiting to be read. Now, if only it would snow so I could have a real excuse to hole up indoors... The Top 10 Books of 2011 My big Christmas gift this year was a new e-reader, and I've got a few small online gift certificates burning a hole in my (virtual) pocket, so I'm planning on filling it up with a month's worth of good reads. I read a lot of books this year, but I certainly didn't read all of them, so I'm having fun choosing which ones to download. If you're in the same boat, this list is a great place to start. See More About:  2011 books  the night circus  state of wonder The Most Overrated Books of 2011 Not all of 2011's hottest releases were big winners, though. Check out our own Erin Collazo Miller's picks for the biggest let-downs of the year, and share your own least favorite while you're at it! See More About:  2011 books  bad books  100 Words and Phrases That Ticked You Off in 2011 Richard Nordquist has assembled the 100 most obnoxious words and phrases of 2011. Some made the cut because they are ungrammatical, others because they're overused, and others because, for reasons not worth overanalyzing, are just plain annoying. Check them out! 2011's Best Books-Into-Movies For those who enjoy both the page and the screen, 2011 was a great year, and these book-to-film adaptations made it all the sweeter. And it looks like 2012 will be a great year for adaptations as well! See More About:  books into movies  the girl with the dragon tattoo  the help Books & Literature Ads Kids Books Books Children Children Literature Fiction Books Books Authors Featured Articles 'The Hobbit' Summary/Overview Poems for the New Year 10 Essential Items for Comic Book Collectors 'Guinness World Records 2012' Book Review The Best of William Shakespeare Part 2 Inspiring New Year's Quotes   More from About.com Living with Depression By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More> 9 Symptoms of Depression If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Graphic Novel Reviews 'Level Up' by Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham 'Habibi' by Craig Thompson 'Feynman' by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Airplane Books, The Tao of Travel, and More

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor I'm writing this week's newsletter from a hotel room, halfway through my family's annual holiday road trip. Though to some, it surely seems like an insane proposition to drive anywhere longer than a single day's trip, we rather enjoy our time in the ol' minivan. The secret? Books, of course! Well, and lots of entertaining pit stops. Review: 'The Tao of Travel' by Paul Theroux I'm not specifically a travel writer, but I do both write professionally and travel frequently, and I find myself drawn to travel writing. This release, from earlier this year, is a great one to read while traveling to remind you that both the journey and the destination can be entertaining and purposeful and, indeed, zen. See More About:  travel writing  paul theroux  5 Great Airport Reads Whether you're flying across the country or just piling into the ol' minivan, these fun, lightweight reads are perfect for your trip. And if you're one of the smart ones who makes all of the other relatives come to you (I'm looking at you, Mom), there's nothing stopping you from curling up on the couch and reading them anyway. See More About:  vacation books  thriller fiction  Fantastic Audio Books for Teens In our road trip bag of tricks is an iPod full of audiobooks. This is partly because if I read the books myself, I end up forcing everyone listen to me read long passages aloud anyway ("You guys have to hear this!"), so I figure I'll save myself the trouble and leave the reading-aloud to the professionals. Movie Info: 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' The heavily anticipated movie version of 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' hits theaters this week. If you, like my Mother, have fully avoided all holiday travel whatsoever, you've probably got an hour or two free to see it. If not, the original book makes for great travel reading (or re-reading, as the case may be) -- catch up before you see it on the big screen! Books & Literature Ads Kids Books Travel Agent Travel Tickets Books Children Children Literature Featured Articles Scientific Poetry, Poetic Silence 2012 Preview: 25 Hot New Manga Monty Python, Figuratively Speaking (Part 2) 'Picnic' by William Inge Quotes About Christmas Decorations Knitting Memoirs   More from About.com Living with Depression By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More> 9 Symptoms of Depression If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Classic Christmas Poems Henry Vaughan - "The True Christmas" John Milton - "The Hymn" Clement Clarke Moore - "Twas The Night Before Christmas" Advertisement

About Books & Literature: More Holiday Reading

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor The winter holidays are barreling toward us and show no signs of stopping. Are you celebrating with books? 25 Days of Christmas Some of you may have been following along with our Classic Literature Guide, Esther Lombardi, and her 25 Days of Christmas reading calendar. Each day offers a new short selection (or two) of a classic work to keep you in the holiday spirit. It's not too late to jump right in, or even to start from the very beginning and catch up, if you're so inclined! Best Children's Books About Hanukkah We love to celebrate Hanukkah with a new book each night. It celebrates the holiday in the thoughtful, traditional way, and also helps fill our house with books (eight is a lot!). If you'd like to add some thematic books to your family's library, here are some great ones to get you started. See More About:  jewish culture and tradition  children's books about seasons  children's books about holidays 10 Great Books to Read at Yule If Yule and the Solstice are sacred to you, or even if you're just curious about the roots that some modern holiday traditions have in pagan celebrations, have a look at this wonderful list that includes books that are both spiritual and factual, and which are written for both kids and adults. See More About:  yule  winter solstice  reading lists Contemporary Literature Gifts If you're still looking for gift ideas, we've got another fun list for you, this time from our Guide to Contemporary Literature, Mark Flanagan, who has offered up his top picks of great books for thoughtful readers. See More About:  recommended reading  gift books  Books & Literature Ads Kids Books Best Books Books Online Free Books Teens Books Featured Articles Haikus for Street Safety 100 Words and Phrases that Ticked you off In 2011 'A History of Messy Rooms' by Wade Bradford Quotes from 'The Santa Clause' Shakespeare and Ale (Hiccup!) Best New Manga of 2011   More from About.com Living with Depression By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More> 9 Symptoms of Depression If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Reviews of Recent Releases John Grisham - 'The Litigators' Chad Harbach - 'The Art of Fielding' Helen Oyeyemi - 'Mr. Fox' Advertisement

About Books & Literature: "Yes, Virginia..." and Other Christmas Classics

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor I'm a low-key Christmas celebrator. I'm not a fan of the accumulation of stuff for stuff's sake, so the commercialism that seems to have taken over Christmas gets my Grinchy hackles up, but I do love the old traditions of trees and mistletoe and carols and sitting quietly with a book in front of a warm fire, reflecting on the dark days of winter and the mysticism that surrounds the solstice in so many religions. To get myself in the mood, I've started digging into some of my favorite old-fashioned Christmas books. Children's Christmas Classics There's an enormous body of wonderful children's literature that focuses on the Christmas holiday, and for obvious reasons: is there anything better than Christmas when you're young? See More About:  christmas picture books  christmas pop-up books  classic children's books Yes, Virginia... I still tear up when I read Francis Pharcellus Church's beautiful editorial. "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias." See More About:  christmas  holiday  santa claus The Gift of the Magi And while I'm sniffling away about Church's response to little Virginia, I may as well fan the flames with this tearjerker from O. Henry. If you've never read it, take a minute... it's truly lovely. See More About:  gift of the magi  o. henry  short stories Behind 'A Christmas Carol' Another favorite Christmas book is, of course, Mr. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, an enduring classic which is probably best-known to most people via one of the hundred-thousands of film adaptations and modernizations (Bill Murray's Scrooged being my favorite of the latter). There's an interesting little story behind the book, though; one that you might consider taking a minute to peruse. See More About:  charles dickens  a christmas carol  Books & Literature Ads Christmas Books American Literature Children Literature Best Christmas Books Featured Articles December 2011 Book Release Calendar 10 Comics Gifts That Give Back Christmas Improv Game Review: 'The Angel Esmeralda' by Don DeLillo Seraph #1 Review: Pilot Season 2011 Anne Hathaway, Mrs. William Shakespeare   More from About.com 2011's Cutest Winter Boots Snuggly snow boots are essential for women who live in cold climates, but still want to put their best foot forward. More> 10 Budget Work Essentials Figuring out how to pay for a fabulous work wardrobe can be a challenge. These 10 mix-and-max essentials are all under $50. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Christmas Poems 'The True Christmas' - Henry Vaughan (1678) 'Christmas in the Olden Time' - Sir Walter Scott (1808) 'Christmas Trees' - Robert Frost (1920) Advertisement