"Then the excitement for me in really brilliantly done bricolage...is that the pieces come together as intellectual and emotional investigating. The shards have not only speed and magic, but they have momentum qua excavation."

've always believed that a quick read is a sign of a book that is well-paced, plot driven and engaging. And so Divergent proved to be.

Te idea of how people choose the books they read, and what role word of mouth (in whatever form) plays in that has been on my mind. And that got me thinking: what does word of mouth mean, really? And, more importantly, how does it work?

After receiving an advanced reader's copy of Neil Gaiman's Fortunately, the Milk, I asked my class if they'd like me to read it aloud. Now keep in mind that while Neil Gaiman may have a huge adult fan base, he isn't particularly well-known among young kids. Actually, I'd say he isn't known at all.

I was fortunate enough to meet Mrs. Konigsburg a few times. My favorite memory of these was at a late evening drinks reception where I sat with her and a handful of others on bar stools around a small high table, quite starry-eyed to be included.

Zelda and Fitzgerald meet at a country club dance in her hometown in Alabama 1918 when she's just seventeen years old. He's a young army officer full of ambition to become a famous writer, and she's a restless and slightly spoiled girl with an overwhelming sense of fun.

I was delighted to see yesterday's announcement that Pamela Paul was assuming the editorship of the New York Times Book Review.

I had never read, or even heard of, Harlan Coben before, and this despite the fact that he's sold more than 50 million books worldwide. My bad.

John Hunter, a teacher from Virgina, developed the World Peace Game over thirty years ago, teaching it all over the world to students as young as nine-years-old. A documentary covering the game process was made and in 2011, he gave a TED talk on his experiences, which Arianna Huffington named the top talk that year.

The book won me over from the first chapter and I was lost in Martel's imagination in a way I rarely am. I found it just as enjoyable on the re-read; not a perfect book, but one whose popularity, both critical and sales-wise, I perfectly understand.

The Aviator's Wife is about Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh's wife. A fictional account of her life, it covers the period from when Anne first met Charles, in Mexico of all places, where Anne's father was serving as the U.S. ambassador, to Charles' death.

Part historical fiction, part international mystery, part contemporary romance, part vampire, this book felt like Schindler's List, Bernard Schlink's The Reader, the Twilight Series, Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl and The Book Thief in a blender.

The book is full of humor -- it is funnier than the movie -- and the ending is just different enough from the movie that I didn't feel like I was wasting my time in reading it.

One benefit of ebook self-publishing is that the author can evolve their book over time. Unlike static print books of yesteryear, your ebook is a dynamic, living creature.

It is all a little too twee for me (to use an Irish expression), but if you love Binchy's quiet stories, you will not be disappointed with this one.

The Comfort of Lies is a complex tale that explores the potential results of infidelity and the choices we make in life.

Landing a book contract with a major publisher, Penguin, was a dream come true, and I thought I knew what awaited me.

Recently, I went on a rant about the way the term "young adult" is more and more being used to describe books that are for children. Well, I think there is something of that same sensibility going on with the new Hobbit movie trilogy.

Although the holidays are meant to be a time to unwind and enjoy relaxing family activities, they've slowly become more closely associated with stress...

Since nobody has the attention span anymore (thanks, Twitter) required to slog through an epic tome about the Spanish Civil War, or even a breezy novella about a geriatric fisherman, Marty Beckerman has collected Hemingway's manliest wisdom.

The holiday season is fast approaching, but the holiday shopping season has already begun. It's time to figure out the perfect gifts for everyone on y...

Which is better, Chicago or New York? The question is just an invitation for chest-beating, but it nonetheless persists as a favorite of Chicagoans, who invariably respond that their city stands far superior and then go on to append their litany of reasons.