John Warner – Page 36

Sonny Mehta, the late head of Alfred A. Knopf who guided one of the most esteemed imprints to new heights through a blend of prize-winning literature by Toni Morrison and Cormac McCarthy among others and blockbusters such as "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," was celebrated for his instincts.

Strong instincts: Knopf torch passes from Sonny Mehta to Reagan Arthur

February 3, 2020 at 4:28 p.m.

Sonny Mehta, who had been at the helm of the Knopf publishing group since 1987, died in December. Many, including me, believe Knopf to be the premiere literary imprint in...

Reese Witherspoon may be eclipsing Oprah Winfrey when it comes to the power of her book recommendations.

Reese’s Book Club: More potent than Oprah’s Book Club?

January 28, 2020 at 10:57 a.m.

Word-of-mouth is, and always has been, the most powerful force behind a book's success. I imagine it's a phenomena that predates the printed book. The most successful etchers on on...

‘American Dirt’: The problem isn’t who wrote it, but how

January 29, 2020 at 3:54 p.m.

You may have heard about the controversy surrounding "American Dirt," the newly released novel by Jeanine Cummins, and the most recent pick for Oprah's Book Club. Flatiron Books recently canceled...

Andy Hunter is the driving force behind Bookshop.org, a site that hopes to unite independent bookstores to offer an alternative to Amazon.

Bookshop.org hopes to play Rebel Alliance to Amazon’s Empire

January 15, 2020 at 2:00 a.m.

In the opening of the very first "Star Wars" movie, a small spaceship flees from a behemoth Star Destroyer, so massive it expands beyond the frame. The small ship is...

‘Uncanny Valley’ by Anna Wiener offers essential insight into Silicon Valley startup culture

January 7, 2020 at 12:31 p.m.

January tends to be a slow time for new books, as publishers have already flooded the scene with marquee titles in advance of the holiday sales season. But if you...

Nearly all of the 10 best-selling books of the past decade have a common theme: railing against patriarchy.

Railing against patriarchy: Theme permeates top best-sellers of the decade

December 30, 2019 at 2:00 a.m.

Without looking down the page or asking Siri or Alexa or the person sitting next to you on the 'L,' I want you to guess the best-selling book of the...

As 2019 draws to a close and uncertain times lie ahead, Biblioracle columnist John Warner finds solace in his inbox, a reminder that love of reading can unite us.

As as a strange year ends and the future looks uncertain, books unite us

December 23, 2019 at 10:31 a.m.

As we close out the year, I can't help but reflect on the strange times in which we live — and, sadly, I think we should prepare for stranger and...

John Warner doesn't want to make a list of decade bests; how could he choose among all the wonderful titles he ruminates over in this week's Biblioracle column?

Best books of the decade? How to choose?

December 18, 2019 at 4:38 p.m.

There's a few reasons why I won't be writing a "best fiction of the decade" column. For one, 2020 is the last year of the current decade, not the first...

Revisiting Barnes & Noble: Renewed focus on books encourages the Biblioracle

December 9, 2019 at 10:25 a.m.

Just over a year ago I had a dispiriting experience in my local Barnes & Noble when I walked into the store and found the most prominent display featuring wool...

Old violin with music sheet rolls and old books on a wooden table, still life

User Upload Caption: Biblioracle columnist John Warner says it doesn't matter what the critics say: The best books are the ones that resonate for you, specifically. ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **

Don’t read the ‘best’ books; read the ones that resonate for you

December 3, 2019 at 1:35 a.m.

I recently made a new acquaintance at a group dinner, and when he found out that am a professional book recommender for a major metropolitan newspaper, he had something to...

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