Booklist Online: More than 130,000 book reviews for librarians, book groups, and book lovers - from the trusted experts at the American Library Association

I haven’t seen the movie yet, of course, but here’s my thinking on the title-change from One Shot to Jack Reacher: It’s a bad idea. Here’s why. One Shot, Lee Child’s title for the 2005 novel, is a great title for a thriller; that, plus Tom Cruise, plus some good ads, should be enough to lure people [...]

As an abiding student of history, I hold our sixteenth president in the highest regard. Lincoln is my greatest hero because I am a son of Lincoln Land, born in Vandalia, the second capital of Illinois,  where he served in the state legislature, and raised in Mattoon, only a few miles from the farm wrested by [...]

When you think Ray Bradbury, what do you think of next? Well, yeah, Martians, but after that? Yeah, OK, futuristic book burnings, of course. But after that? Anyway, somewhere not too far down the list is Sam Weller, the world’s leading expert on the late legend. Weller’s indispensable biography, The Bradbury Chronicles, was followed up [...]

By the time you’re watching this trailer, it’s probably too late to learn to cook a turkey in time for Thanksgiving dinner, even if said learning would only take four hours. Luckily, The 4-Hour Chef author Tim Ferriss wants you to know how to do a bunch of other stuff, too–use knives! memorize things! speak [...]

It’s my favorite time of year again. Thanksgiving? Not on your life. I’m referring to the titillating and tantalizing twittering and tittering that precedes the awarding of the Bad Sex prize. Yes, on December 4, Britain’s best-loved literary magazine will offer Britain’s most-dreaded literary award to the writer who best embodies “crude, badly written, often perfunctory use of redundant [...]

Laini Taylor is perhaps best known for Lips Touch: Three Times and the trilogy beginning with Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the newly released Days of Blood and Starlight. Well, that and the pink hair. Pink hair is hard to pull off. Just ask those authors who have tried and failed: R.L. Stine, Agatha [...]

Despite heavy damage to their building due to Hurricane Sandy, the National Book Foundation’s spirits weren’t dampened and they carried on with the celebration of this year’s best books. The winners were announced last night at a red-carpet, black-tie event. Here are the award-winning titles along with links to Booklist reviews. Fiction The Round House, [...]

In this quick little trailer, Neil Gaiman. Tells us that he. Went to China. And held a baby giant panda. Who was the inspiration. For Chu’s Day. In summary: Baby giant panda. Baby giant panda. Baby giant panda. Baby panda. Sneezes. I can’t help but wonder though. If perhaps Neil Gaiman. Like 150,000,000 other people. [...]

For someone with such a fine pedigree–the Printz Honors for both Black Juice and Tender Morsels are just the beginning–Margo Lanagan sure has a way of making people squeamish. Oh, if I had but a nickle for every time I saw a literary judge hand Lanagan a plaque or statuette . . . and then [...]

BTT wants to mesmerize your Thursday troubles away. This trailer for In the Air depicts author/illustrator Brian Biggs’ time-lapse drawing of the cover for this latest entry in the Everything Goes series. Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan advises to consider multiple copies. While kids are waiting their turn with the book, they might enjoy seeing this [...]