PW Picks: On Sale the Week of January 9, 2012

This week, a fistful of mystery-thrillers bump up against bios of Elizabeth II and the Obamas, as well as a fascinating memoir from the "godfather of rap."

24 Million Secondary Characters: A Q&A with Adam Johnson

The Tip Sheet asked the author of The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel of North Korea what kind of impact the death of “dear leader” Kim Jong-il will have on the nation’s oppressed citizenry.

Excerpt: No Escape for Ivanov

The hero of Matthew Reilly’s military adventure series, codename “Scarecrow,” is back in the bluntly-titled Scarecrow Returns, a star-worthy jaunt to recover a dastardly weapon from a long-forgotten Soviet base in the Arctic circle.

PW Tip Sheet: The Sneaky Season

The end of the year has once again taken me by surprise. The sudden short work week! The encroachment of holiday plans! The final gift-buying bender! The PW Tip Sheet editorial!

And You Keep Your Pants Pulled Up: A Q&A with John Bridges

John Bridges, author of seven titles in Thomas Nelson's GentleManners series, discusses the update to his guide for young men 50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know.

Art Check: The Woodman Mystique

Francesca Woodman (1958-1981) stands as one of the most tragic, enigmatic figures in photography, a wunderkind who burst on the scene seemingly fully-formed at age 15, then took her own life just seven years later.

On-Sale Calendar: Weeks of December 26, 2011 and January 2, 2012

PW Picks: On Sale the Weeks of December 26, 2011 and January 2, 2012

It's an escapist fiction downpour! With releases from Tami Hoag, Eloisa James, Dean Koontz, Robin Cook, James Patterson, William Gibson, Sara Paretsky, Janet Evanovich, Tod Rob Smith, Daniel Handler, and more.

PW Tip Sheet: Invasion of the Price Snatchers

The example of two book businesses in the news this week--Amazon.com and Shakespeare & Co.--raise an important question: Yes, businesses are meant to make money, but is that really all we should expect of them?

PW Picks: On Sale the Week of December 19, 2011

Our helpful weekly selection includes nonfiction on what it means to be human, what it means to live on a one-of-the-kind planet, how to find a new best friend, how to plan for the next market collapse, and more.

When Kindness Attacks: A Q&A with Barbara Oakley

The Tip Sheet asked Barbara Oakley, one of the editors of Pathological Altruism, to explain the concept that’s been taking scientists, economists, and book reviewers by surprise.

Three Questions for a Bookseller: Ditch Amazon Day at Third Street

For one day at Third Street Books, customers who brought in proof of a cancelled Amazon account got 15% off their purchase and a five-dollar gift certificate. PW caught up with owner Sylla McClellan to see how it went.

Art Check: Rayner's Colorful New Croc

This week, FSG releases Catherine Rayner's latest, Solomon Crocodile, about a lonely reptile with a knack for trouble. Here, they share a few images with the Tip Sheet ahead of Solomon's Dec. 20 release.

Excerpt: The Shootist and the Playwright

In the opening scene of Mike Resnick's The Doctor and the Kid, Doc Holliday meets a clever, up-and-coming young playwright named Oscar Wilde.

On-Sale Calendar: Week of December 19, 2011

Your complete release calendar for Monday the 19th through Sunday the 25th.

Three Questions for a Bookseller: Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass.

With one tweet, author and comedienne Mindy Kaling (1.58 million followers) shut down the Harvard Book Store’s (uniquely awesome) web site smack in the middle of Cyber Monday, 2011. Co-owner Jeff Mayersohn spoke with the Tip Sheet about how it went down.

PW Picks: On Sale the Week of December 12, 2011

Picks this week include a big new Norwegian thriller from master-of-the-form Jo Nesbø, a fresh adventure from Tom Clancy, a girl's guide to hunting and cooking, and more.

PW Tip Sheet: Real Books Don't Die

Rumors of the printed book's death continue apace, as news outlets across the English-speaking world decide "book design" is the medium's (latest) last hope.

From Turbulent 60s to Turbulent Teens: A Q&A with Ed Sanders

Ed Sanders, 72, is a storied icon of the 1960s counterculture, an author-poet-scholar-activist-musician-bookseller-underground publisher with a new memoir of the 60s called Fug You.

Excerpt: A Coming-of-Age Reader for the ADD'd

On Dec. 15, Persea Books releases an anthology of short-short coming-of-age stories called Sudden Fiction Youth, featuring 65 tales of no more than 1000 words each. Catch a three-story preview here.