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Archive: December 2011 (1-10 of 38)

Dec 30 2011 02:52 PM ET

'Game of Thrones': George R.R. Martin releases new chapter from book 6

by Stephan Lee

Categories: Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin

Image Credit: HBO

Game of Thrones fans had to wait six years for A Dance With Dragons, book 5 of the Song of Ice and Fire series, to finally hit shelves. But five short months after the publication of Dragons, Martin has posted a chapter from book 6, The Winds of Winter, on his website. He also promises that the paperback edition of Dragons, released July 2012, will contain yet another sample chapter from Winter. That’s not to say we’re holding our breath for book 6′s speedy publication, but in the meantime, here are are few quick reactions to the new chapter “Theon” [spoilers!]: READ FULL STORY »

Dec 28 2011 03:46 PM ET

Best of 2011: Top 10 Movie Books

by EW staff

Categories: Best of 2011, Movie Books

All week long, Shelf Life is listing EW’s favorite books of 2011 — sorted into separate categories by genre. Click through the gallery to see our picks for the best movie-related books of the year, starting with one by Diane Keaton.

Then Again, Diane Keaton: From the EW review: “‘Growing up in sunshiny 1950s Los Angeles with a younger brother and two younger sisters, little Diane Hall — called ”Di-annie” by her businessman dad — knew she wanted her own spotlight, ever since she watched her mother get crowned Mrs. Los Angeles by Art Linkletter in 1955.”

Dec 27 2011 09:00 AM ET

Best of 2011: Top 10 Music Books

by Grady Smith

Categories: Best of 2011, Music

All week long, Shelf Life is listing EW’s favorite books of 2011 — sorted into separate categories by genre. Click through the gallery to see our picks for the best music books of the year, starting Steven Tyler’s memoir.

Does The Noise in My Head Bother You?, Steven Tyler: From the EW review: “This book concludes with Tyler securing the Idol gig last year, but the singer recalls how, less than 12 months before, he accidentally ruptured a package of his cocaine in the New York apartment of his (absent) daughter Liv. Drug addicts of a waste-not-want-not disposition — which is to say, all drug addicts — will be glad to know that Tyler ‘snorted it all up, off the counters and everywhere, and got a nice f—ing rail out of it.’”

Dec 26 2011 04:26 PM ET

So you got a Kindle (or other e-reader) for Christmas! Here are 10 free books to fill it with

by Stephan Lee

Categories: Amazon, Bookstores, Classic Novels, E-Books, E-Readers, Kindle Fire

Image Credit: Bow: Russell Tate/Getty Images

If Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos is to be believed, “many millions” of you received a Kindle product as a gift this holiday season. When I unwrapped my brand new Kindle last Christmas, I was itching to go on an e-book shopping bender. It can feel like you have every written word at your fingertips, and you want to read as much of what’s out there as you can. In the early days of Kindle ownership, I got download-happy and made some poor, money-wasting choices because buying books became so easy. If a friend recommended a title over lunch, I’d drop $12 on it on the spot without researching it first, or I’d get impatient and buy a title that someone would end up giving me a few days later.

When my e-book buying habit started getting expensive, I looked to the many free books available in the Kindle Store to feed my hungry reader. Many public domain books are classics, ones that you might want to revisit from school or others that you feel guilty for not having read. Haven’t read Anna Karenina or War and Peace? Now you can’t use the excuse that you don’t want to lug those huge tomes around. I’m ashamed to admit that somehow I’d managed to reach my twenties without having read a Dickens all the way through, so I dutifully made my way through Great Expectations and Bleak House. Even if you don’t plan on actually reading some of these free books (will I actually read my e-copy of Ulysses? Probably not), simply owning them can give you the warm fuzzies. Here are 10 books/authors that won’t cost you a penny in the Kindle store! READ FULL STORY »

Dec 21 2011 12:53 PM ET

Sneak peek at DC's 'Superman #4': The Metropolis police ain't happy -- EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW

by Adam B. Vary

Categories: Comic Books, Exclusive!, Superman

The Man of Steel has not been having an easy time of it in DC’s reboot of Superman. Metropolis has been besieged by an ever-escalating series of villains and villainy, all seemingly bent on nothing other than trying to defeat the invincible superhero from the alien planet Krypton. Meanwhile, a reporter at the Daily Planet has been arguing that Supes does more harm than good. And in this exclusive sneak peek at Superman #4, written by George Perez with art by Jesus Merino, the Metropolis police want to know why TV anchor Heather Kelley mysteriously disappeared in Superman #3 – and what Superman had to do about it.

You can read the full issue when it arrives in stores Dec. 28, but you can check out EW’s four-page first look here.

Follow @adambvary

Dec 20 2011 08:00 AM ET

See the book trailer for 'Cinder' Marissa Meyer's YA debut -- EXCLUSIVE

by Breia Brissey

Categories: Exclusive!, Science Fiction, YA

Cinder, the YA debut from author Marissa Meyer, hits shelves Jan. 3. The first novel in The Lunar Chronicles introduces a 16-year-old heroine, Cinder, who also happens to be a cyborg. In an interesting mash-up of fairy tales and science fiction, the book is a cross between Cinderella, The Terminator, and Star Wars.

You can’t read Cinder until the new year, but today we can exclusively reveal the book’s trailer. Click through to watch the video.

READ FULL STORY »

Dec 19 2011 01:20 PM ET

What book do you predict you'll be seeing a lot of this holiday season?

by Keith Staskiewicz

Categories: Gifts, Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson

Image Credit: Bow: Russell Tate/Getty Images

Every Christmas morning at the Staskiewicz household, there’s always one book that appears so many times that you start to make sure no one’s secretly rewrapping the same one when you’re not looking. The members of the family that gather at this time of the year tend to have relatively similar tastes, and books are prevalent either because we’re fans of reading or because we like to pretend that we are. This ensures that there’s always a title with which nearly everyone will be leaving, and usually by the end of the present-giving we have enough identical copies to start an impromptu book club. Last year, I believe it was a tie between Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken and Michael Lewis’ The Big Short.

This year, there’s no question as to what book will dominate the holiday: Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 17 2011 10:00 AM ET

Best of 2011: Top Memoirs and Biographies

by EW staff

Categories: Best of 2011, Biography, Memoirs

All week long, Shelf Life will be listing EW’s favorite books of 2011 — sorted into separate categories by genre. Click through the gallery to see our picks for the best memoirs and biographies of the year, starting, of course, with the lovely Tina Fey.

Tina Fey, Bossypants

From the EW review: “In this genially jumbled memoir-esque collection of riffs, essays, laundry lists, true stories, fantasy scenarios, SNL script excerpts, and embarrassing photos from the wilderness years before she received the gift of a flattering haircut, the great Miz Fey puts on the literary equivalent of a satisfying night of sketch comedy.”

Dec 16 2011 05:49 PM ET

Caroline Kepnes (a.k.a. Audrey Hart) on her new YA novel 'The Dig'

by Stephan Lee

Categories: Fiction, Interview, YA

Recently, Backlit Fiction released a series of teen ebooks, including The Dig by author and television writer Caroline Kepnes (writing under the pen name Audrey Hart). The Dig, the first installment of the Zoe and Zeus trilogy, centers on a smart, savvy teenager named Zoe Calder who finds a portal to the world of teenage Greek gods — Mount Olympus is like a high school, where there are mean girls and Zeus is the hottest guy around — while exploring an archaeological excavation site. Kepnes took the time to chat with EW about her new YA novel and the idea behind modernizing Greek mythology. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 16 2011 01:03 PM ET

See the trailer for 'Bloodrose.' Plus, author Andrea Cremer teases the shocking conclusion of the 'Nightshade' trilogy -- EXCLUSIVE

by Stephan Lee

Categories: Book Trailers, Exclusive!, Fiction, YA

Bloodrose (out Jan. 3), the third and final volume in Andrea Cremer’s best-selling Nightshade trilogy, ends with a twist so shocking that publishers have been keeping close watch on advance copies. This thought-provoking page-turner centers on Calla Tor as she faces the ultimate battle between the Keepers and the Searchers. If you’re having a hard time waiting until Jan. 3, check out the exclusive trailer for Bloodrose below, and also read what Cremer has to say about her next novel … and that surprise ending!

READ FULL STORY »