Books

• 

  Book Review Bear Grylls: Mud, Sweat And Tears

  The star of Man Vs. Wild tells his own pre-stardom story, but leaves out all the most interesting bits. 

  May 21, 2012 | 12:03am -

• 

  Book Review Warren Littlefield and T.R. Pearson: Top Of The Rock

  A former NBC president offers an oral history of the network’s ’80s and ’90s heyday, from not enough perspectives, but plenty of solid anecdotes. 

  May 21, 2012 | 12:02am -

• 

  Book Review Ben Fountain: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

  An author held out by Malcolm Gladwell as the essence of late-blooming creative genius publishes his first novel, about an Iraq vet whose decisions skewer wartime America. 

  May 21, 2012 | 12:01am -

• 

  Newswire Charlaine Harris has finally had enough of Sookie Stackhouse

  The series that spawned True Blood is coming to an end.

  May 16, 2012 | 2:31pm -

• 

  Comics Panel New comics reviews include X-O Manowar and a superhero takedown from The Goon

  An issue of The Goon taking down superheroes and the revival of ’90s favorite X-O Manowar highlight a roundup of recent comics.

  May 14, 2012 | 10:00am -

• 

  YA Why? Ghosts and institutionalized amnesia haunt a strange town in the YA novel Glimmer

  There’s strange doings afoot in the town of Summer Falls.

  May 14, 2012 | 10:00am -

• 

  Book Review China Miéville: Railsea 

  This fantastical, self-aware take on Moby-Dick not only smashes the fourth wall, it breaks down the pieces for typography. 

  May 14, 2012 | 12:03am -

• 

  Book Review Christopher Buckley: They Eat Puppies, Don’t They? 

  The author of Boomsday and Thank You For Smoking returns for another politically aware satire, but this one lacks specificity or bite. 

  May 14, 2012 | 12:02am -

• 

  Book Review Nell Freudenberger: The Newlyweds

  The story of an email-order Bangladeshi bride and her attempts to come to terms with her American husband proves surprisingly sweet. 

  May 14, 2012 | 12:01am -

• 

  Book Review Brandon W. Jones: All Woman And Springtime

  This debut novel follows two North Korean women through self-discovery and sex slavery, fending off exploitation with strong characterization. 

  May 14, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Interview Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock comedian Rachel Dratch on her new book and her new baby

  May 11, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Contest Win the first hardcover collection of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's new Batman series

  Enter to win the first hardcover collection of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's new Batmanseries

  May 8, 2012 | 12:00pm -

• 

  Newswire R.I.P. Maurice Sendak

  Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak died this morning at his home in Danbury, Connecticut, four days after suffering a stroke.

  May 8, 2012 | 11:51am -

• 

  Book Review Roberto Bolaño: The Secret Of Evil

  Fans of 2666’s author are being rewarded with a wave of his posthumously released work, including this frustrating final short-scraps collection.

  May 7, 2012 | 12:03am -

• 

  Book Review Andrés Neuman: Traveler Of The Century

  Sex, history, and literary criticism merge in this compelling novel from a Spanish-based writer getting his first English translation.

  May 7, 2012 | 12:02am -

• 

  Book Review Regina O’Melveny: The Book Of Madness And Cures

  An ambitious debut chases a woman chasing her father across Renaissance Europe, but never catches up long enough to determine its own intentions.

  May 7, 2012 | 12:01am -

• 

  Book Review John Irving: In One Person

  The author of A Prayer For Owen Meany delivers another Big Important Novel.

  May 7, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Gateways To Geekery Love the Avengers movie? Here’s where to start reading the comics

  Where to start reading the adventures of The Avengers. 

  May 4, 2012 | 10:00am -

• 

  This Week In Local Chicago’s awful new anthem, Lisa Lampanelli, and dissecting the new Chester French video

  The A.V. Club has a smattering of local sites, and every day, writers in these locales are posting about music, films, and other events and news happening in their cities.

  May 4, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Tolerability Index This week we're barely putting up with Rachel Dratch

  A guide to what we're barely putting up with this week

  May 2, 2012 | 12:00pm -

• 

  For Our Consideration A look at Funky Winkerbean before the misery began

  Before it became the most miserable strip on the comics page, Funky Winkerbean had a lot going for it. 

  May 2, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Interview Guy Delisle

  The creator of the graphic novel travelogues Shenzen and Pyongyang talks about his latest book, Jerusalem. 

  April 30, 2012 | 1:30pm -

• 

  Book Review Joe Pantoliano: Asylum: Hollywood Tales From My Great Depression

  The pugnacious actor from Memento, The Matrix, and much more supposedly wants to educate the world about mental illness, but this odd collection of anecdotes doesn’t fit the bill. 

  April 30, 2012 | 12:03am -

• 

  Book Review Nick Dybek: When Captain Flint Was Still A Good Man

  This terrific debut, about a community of fishermen and humanity’s capacity for evil, introduces a possibly reluctant literary dynasty in the making. 

  April 30, 2012 | 12:02am -

• 

  Book Review Joseph Olshan: Cloudland

  An attempt to fuse emotionally sophisticated literary fiction with a quirky mystery novel doesn’t service either genre well.

  April 30, 2012 | 12:01am -

• 

  Inventory Doctor Druid, D-Man... Assemble!: 18+ Avengers unlikely to show up in the movie

  The A.V. Club's weekly list.

  April 30, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Book Review Stephen King: The Wind Through The Keyhole 

  Stephen King said he was done with the Dark Tower series. He wasn’t.

  April 30, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Comics Panel Graphic novels and art-comics—May 2012

  Daniel Clowes gets a retrospective and Eddie Campbell talks money in a round-up of recent notable comics.

  April 30, 2012 | 12:00am -

• 

  Newswire Yes, Reasonable Discussions is coming back

  The A.V. Club podcast returns next week with three episodes!

  April 27, 2012 | 1:25pm -

• 

  This Week In Local The Blue Jays’ glory days, a nosy dean, and Bon Iver erotica

  What's not hot about a bearded indie troubadour? 

  April 27, 2012 | 12:00am -