Omnivoracious

2013 Edgar Award Winners Announced: "Live By Night" Gets Best Novel

"Some years later, on a tugboat in the Gulf of Mexico, Joe Coughlin's feet were placed in a tub of cement. Twelve gunmen stood waiting until they got far enough out to sea to throw him overboard, while Joe listened to the engine chug and watched the water churn white at the stern. And it occurred to him that almost everything of note that had ever happened in his life--good or bad-- had been set in motion the morning he first crossed paths with Emma Gould."

So begins Live by Night, the latest novel by Dennis Lehane, acclaimed author of Gone, Baby, Gone and Mystic River, and the recipient of the 2013 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

The annual dinner and ceremony celebrating the year's best writing (according to the Mystery Writers of America) took place Thursday night at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, where attendees were "Dressed to Kill" and nominees vied for the prize in Best First Novel, Best Fact Crime, Best Short Story, Best Television Episode Teleplay, and more. 

The full list of winners and nominees can be found here, including:

Best Novel

• Live by Night by Dennis Lehane (*winner)
• The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins
• The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman
• Sunset by Al Lamanda
• All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley

Best First Novel

• The Expats by Chris Pavone (*winner)
• The Map of Lost Memories by Kim Fay
• Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman
• Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
• The 500 by Matthew Quirk
• Black Fridays by Michael Sears

 

Best Paperback Original

• The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters (*winner)
• Complication by Isaac Adamson
• Whiplash River by Lou Berney
• Bloodland by Alan Glynn
• Blessed are the Dead by Malla Nunn

 

Stage and Page: The Relationship Between TED Talks and Authors

TED Talks -- a series of recorded lectures in which industry leaders in technology, entertainment, and design are invited to present forward-thinking ideas -- are a relatively new phenomenon for the nonprofit organization TED. To put this into perspective, the first TED conference, held in 1984, included Sony and Lucasfilm; they presented the CD and 3D graphics respectively. Two decades later, TED started posting the talks online, and now they seem to be everywhere.

Often a presenter's biography will mention a book he or she has authored, and sometimes the speaker is even an author by trade. In fact, currently among the top 20 TED Talks (determined by views) are Bonk and Gulp author Mary Roach (No. 19) and Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert (No. 13).

Some other author TED vets you may recognize include Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, McSweeney's founder and editor Dave Eggers, food and agriculture expert Michael Pollan, The Joy Luck Club author Amy Tan, and The Fault in Our Stars author John Green.

But there was a moment, a week or so ago, when something truly new happened: our two bestselling books were Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Each was the debut book by a TEDTalker-turned-author who used her presentation as the basis of her book. Is it a new trend? Is there such a thing as a "TED effect" now?

It's too soon to tell, but we're keeping our eyes open. Meanwhile, TED has teamed up with Kindle Singles to publish shorter nonfiction (around 20,000 words) pieces by many TED Talks participants. You can find them here.

Which of your favorite authors would you want to see give a TED Talk? Which TED Talks presentations would you like to read more about in a book? Comment below.

Why Zombies? A Defense of the Z Word

When it comes to zombies, I will not apologize.

In darker, future times, that statement might take on a different, more ominous meaning. For now I simply mean that I won't apologize for my cultural obsession with zombies, the stacks of books and movies about them that clutter my home, that this is my third time in three months writing on the subject here, or that this probably won't be the last time I do so. Allow me to explain why.

Vampires vs. Zombies - or How the Zombie (Fan) is Misunderstood

Beyond the built-in genre-based bias from which all horror typically suffers, zombies have developed a reductive reputation –- one from which their horror cousins, vampires, seem immune.

To state the obvious, vampires historically have been portrayed as cunning, mysterious, sexy creatures. They're cold-blooded killers, yet from the works of Polidori and Bram Stoker to Ann Rice and Stephanie Meyer, bloodsuckers have made the ladies' swoon.

Zombies, by comparison, are typically portrayed as grunting, ravenous, simple creatures. That's fair. But those who don't watch these kinds of films or read these kinds of books seem to apply the creatures' traits to their fans. And that's not fair. "You've made a plan for the zombie apocalypse? How [eyeroll] cute." (We'll get back to that.) Non-fans merely see a barrage of violence resulting in lots and lots of splatter repeated from one story to the next. But to see no more than the gore is to miss what's really going on, on many levels.

First and foremost, unlike vampires, zombies typically are not characters. They're part of the setting; they're often creatively concocted and masterfully manufactured (particularly in the visual sense), but they're nonetheless mere catalysts whose sole narrative purpose is to propel the real characters and the real plot. Once one accepts that basic but crucial premise, the value of the rest of the story can click.

What Zombie Stories are Really About

Credit where it's due, the modern zombie is actually a direct descendant of the vampire. Just as Bram Stoker is considered the godfather of the modern vampire, so film director George Romero established our basic understanding of and generally accepted "rules" for zombies. Romero, by his own admission, ripped off Richard Matheson's vampire novel I Am Legend. It always comes back to books!

So what are these "rules"? There's the general stuff: how zombies are made, how they move, how to stop them. But again, it's not really about the zombies. Romero released the movie Night of the Living Dead in 1968, during the Vietnam War. In a way, every zombie story since has been, to some extent, a guiltless war story. Amid the zombie hordes, we follow the everyman hero as he faces an enemy that is beyond human and therefore beyond reason or redemption. Likewise these stories have been, like some of the greatest literature, social commentary -- a vehicle by which to confront our own ethics and morals. Just beyond the immediacy of a zombie attack lies the real threat: mankind. Even the more lighthearted and increasingly popular field of zombie romance forces us to consider: "When civilization as we know it ends, how do we hold onto our very humanity?"

But those are just the narrative novels. Among the most popular (not to mention clever) zombie books on the market today are field guides and how-to manuals. Often these books are tagged as parody and are purchased as gag gifts. There's nothing wrong with having a laugh, but there's more to these books than you'd expect, as well.

The Government is Ready: Are You?

Valar Dohaeris: An Interview With George R.R. Martin

The epic fantasy television series Game of Thrones, which returns for its third season at the end of March, has been a magnificent hit, winning award after award and attracting larger and increasingly mainstream audiences with each season. It's been such a boon for HBO that the network announced last month a new two-year development deal with the man behind the books that launched the series, George R.R. Martin. "Valar Dohaeris," as they say. (Translated from the fictional GOT language High Valyrian, this means "All Men Must Serve," and it's also the title of the season's first episode.) In this case, Martin must serve the many facets of his inner muse and take advantage of an opportunity to reach a massive audience with more of his ideas.

Still, this (like many of his beyond-the-books projects) comes as bittersweet news to some of Martin's die-hard fans who, with rabid anticipation, await his next novel. Though it's been only two years since A Dance With Dragons (Book 5 in the Song of Ice and Fire series) was released, A Feast For Crows (Book 4) came out in 2005 and A Storm of Swords (Book 3, the first half of which is the source for this season on TV) came out in 2000. New projects, some worry, could mean even more time between releases for the final two books: The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. And the books, after all, are what it's really all about, right?

Well, we can all relax and even rejoice. Amazon recently confirmed that Martin is not too distracted by these other endeavors and is, in fact, actively working on the new novel.

At the risk of exasperating fans further, we do admit that we waylaid Mr. Martin for a brief telephone conversation -- during which he discussed his history with television, how the show affects the pace of his writing, which actor’s portrayal he prefers to the character he wrote, and what’s really important when it comes to finding the right actor to portray his characters.

Warning: Mr. Martin does hint at a potential spoiler in the first two answers.

Robin A. Rothman: What about this season are you most excited to see translated from your written description to come to life on screen?

George R.R. Martin: [Potential Spoiler Alert] Well, excited and apprehensive is the Red Wedding. I don't know if you want to write about that without spoiling things. I think it will have more impact if it takes people unexpectedly, but certainly that's the scene that both myself and I think most of my hardcore fans are looking forward to with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.

RAR: It's so graphic in the novel. You've probably seen it already. Do you feel it captures what you wrote? Were there any major changes to that?

GRRM: [Potential Spoiler Alert] I have not seen it. I've been very busy writing the new books and doing other projects this year, so I did not have a chance to visit the set. At one point I was looking at going over there when they were filming it and maybe even being one of the casualties, but I just couldn't find the time to get over to Belfast, so I haven't seen any of it. I've seen no footage this season.

RAR: So, do you watch the show in real time like fans do? Are you watching it having special screenings and parties with friends when it comes on air?

GRRM: It's a combination of both. I will be going out to L.A. in a couple weeks for the premiere; they'll be screening the show for an invited crowd at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. That'll be only four or five days before the debut, though. In some cases they'll send me a screener or a disc of a rough cut to look at ahead of time, but in the majority of cases I'm seeing it just as the fans are when it comes on the air.

RAR: Your process when you're working with the television people... are you hands-on with it?

GRRM: Fortunately I was either very lucky or very smart to team up with David Benioff and Dan Weiss -- the showrunners and executive producers of the show who write most of the episodes -- and, you know, I have a great pair of partners there. They're doing a terrific job with the show and the show is their baby and the books are my baby. So, I'm gonna keep writing the books and keep ahead of these guys before they catch up with me.

RAR: You're known for working at a comfortable pace. You're working on a lot of projects, you take your time and you offer really dense, detailed volumes. Has the pace of the TV series actually put any pressure on you or changed your pace of writing?

R.A. Salvatore Looks Back Before "The Last Threshold"

At six hundred pounds of black fur and muscle, the panther Guenhwyvar is a fearsome fighter and one of Drizzt Do'Urden's most important allies. At the end of Charon's Claw, the third book in R.A. Salvatore's Neverwinter Saga, readers were left wondering what her future may hold. As we await the final book in the Neverwinter Saga, The Last Threshold, due March 5, R.A. Salvatore muses on the identity -- and unintentional identity crisis -- of Drizzt's beloved sidekick.

 

Guenhwyvar, ah Guen...

She started out as a dog, a moorhound, actually, named Canthus. When I wrote a sample chapter to audition for the second book ever published in the Forgotten Realms setting, way back in the summer of 1987, I thought the Realms were the tiny Moonshae Isles and that TSR (the original publisher of the Forgotten Realms setting) was looking for someone to write a direct follow-up to Doug Niles's Darkwalker on Moonshae. I didn't want to use Doug's characters in any meaningful way—they're wonderful characters, but I don't like sharing protagonists! -- so I grabbed one, a sly fellow named Daryth and his moorhound named Canthus, to introduce the hero of my story, Wulfgar of Icewind Dale.

Quite a bit changed during that audition period, starting with me discovering the size of the Forgotten Realms, and learning, to my great relief, that my editor didn't want me anywhere near Doug's work, since he was writing sequels to his book. So I set my book, The Crystal Shard, far away in Icewind Dale and added a character named Drizzt Do'Urden who soon took over the book. One thing I did keep from Doug's example, however: the animal sidekick.

Why? Any pet lover already knows the answer to that question. Drizzt was created as the classic, misunderstood outcast, a bit of a loner, and often driven by circumstance to his own devices. Has anyone gone through junior high school or high school who can't relate to this?

I certainly can. And in those times when I found myself confused and feeling very alone, I had a savior, a dog named Cocoa and then a dog named Yuma. They listened, without judgment, and using them as sounding boards often got me through the tough and lonely days.

So Drizzt needed a friend like that, I figured, and Guenhwyvar was born.

Let me clear this up, once and for all: Guenhwyvar is a female panther! I know, I know, don't point out the problem with that argument, please. You see, when you're a professional writer, working on deadlines and working with a team of editors/artists/designers and the like, you come to learn certain things about the process. In the case of Guenhwyvar, for some reason I never figured out, I was told that the panther had to be gender neutral. I argued about this policy, but to no avail. Guenhwyvar was a magic item, so I was told, and so Guen was an "it," not a "she" or a "he."

The cat remained a "she" in my mind, certainly, but I painstakingly went through the manuscript of The Crystal Shard and removed all of the gender-specific pronouns. In some places, the use of "it" sounded quite awkward ; when you name a character, then use "it," well, try to do it and you'll see what I mean. Nevertheless, I had my orders.

Soon after The Crystal Shard hit the shelves, I discovered, to my chagrin, that the copyeditor had apparently spotted the awkwardness of the gender-neutral pronoun, too, and so he/she (it?) had smoothed out the prose ... by replacing "it" with "he" and "him"! But no, Guenhwyvar is a female panther!

I got the name from those magnificent Mary Stewart books about King Arthur, where "Guenhwyvar" is the spelling of Arthur's Queen, and, according to Stewart, the name meant "Shadow." Perfect for Drizzt, I figured, coming from the shadows and needing a shadow. Wherever would Drizzt have been without her? Indeed, where will he be without her going forward?

Read The Last Threshold to know more.

 

 

Get to Know the Walking Dead

As folks gather around the watercooler on Monday, talk may very well turn deadly. Well, undeadly. The Walking Dead returns from its mid-season 3 hiatus tonight. 

In situations like these, maybe you're the type who'll be overheard exclaiming "Oh! I love The Walking Dead!" Maybe you're more inclined to ask "What is The Walking Dead?" Both are legitimate sentiments; but depending on when they're expressed, they can easily mean any number of things.

Here's a quick primer for newbies and fans alike to the many facets of this ever-expanding post-apocalyptic zombie-verse.

The Graphic Novels

The original format for the story is a black and white series that was introduced to comic book readers in 2003 and, as of February, numbers 107 issues. In it we follow Georgia State Trooper Rick Grimes and his family as they and those they meet try to survive a post-apocalyptic world. Unlike other mediums, they are truly no-holds-barred when it comes to (no pun intended) graphic material. They are, in a word, the purest version of all the mediums -- an unfiltered, uncensored representation of the creators' vision.

 

 

 

The Television Show

 

Nominated for a Best Television Series- Drama Emmy in its first year, the TV show doesn't always parallel its comic book roots, often deviating with its characters and plotlines. Examples for those familiar with one but not the other: Graphic Novel Dale's story arc varies significantly from his TV counterpart and takes a really interesting turn. Tyrese, a character just introduced this season on TV, has been a fan favorite of the graphic novel readers for a long time. And if you think the Governor is tough on TV... whew!

 

 

The Novels

Two of what will eventually be a trilogy that has been overseen by the series creator, Robert Kirkman but actually written by horror novelist Jay Bonansinga, are already on the shelves. In The Rise of the Governor, we meet the man behind the monster -- how he was with his family. In The Road to Woodbury, we primarily follow a young woman named Lilly Caul who eventually does appear in the graphic novels but has not (yet) appeared on the TV show. In both, the writing achieves a perfect balance between character development and driving plot, demonstrates a true talent for cringe-inducing description and sprinkles in some darkly humorous elements.Of all the mediums The Walking Dead has spread to, the novels are probably the best place for non-zombie fans to dip their toes in as these two purely prose stories stand excellently on their own. And for fans of the show and/or graphic novels, they offer some significant insight into character backgrounds.

 

The Video Game

Though the art is absolutely in keeping with the graphic novels, this five-episode series features totally different characters and no overlap of plot. The game puts the player in the role of the lead character who has to make some pretty intense decisions with some pretty intense consequences, but also offers the opportunity to play mutliple games and see what happens when a different decision is made. Debuting with its own first "season" December 2012, it earned excellent reviews from publications such as The New York Times and USA Today and such game sites as IGN and PC Gamer. It's already been greenlit for a second season and is available for multiple platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Mac, PC as well as for Apple devices through the iTunes store.

Get Smitten With Zombie Romance

It took a while, but ultimately Beauty saw something special in the Beast. Then there's Bella, who just couldn't help but chase after that centuries-old vampiric hearthtrob Edward.

Let's face it: ladies like a little ... okay, a lot of challenge in their loving. And with the adaptation of Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies hitting theaters, we might just be witnessing the beginning of a whole new Hollywood epidemic of cinematic monster crushes.

Of course, the film world will find no shortage of material from which to choose; the popularity of zombie romance has been spreading like a virus among young adult readers for quite some time as quirky one-offs and entire series base themselves on these brain-eaters.

For genre purists, the story involves at least one undead protaganist. Marion, for example tells his story in first person from the zombie's point of view, allowing us to experience his emotional reanimation as he falls in love. For the more lenient, a zombie romance can be any love story told in post-apocalyptic setting.

Intrigued? Sink your teeth into some of these:

Happy Birthday Mr. Darcy: "Pride and Prejudice" turns 200

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Here are some other fun facts about Pride and Prejudice: It was originally called First Impressions and, under that name, it was rejected for publication. Sixteen years later -- having undergone significant revisions including a title change -- Pride and Prejudice became Austen's second published novel.

In the two centuries since, Pride and Prejudice has done more than raise young women's expectations for what a man should be. (After all, even children of the '80s have to admit that Mr. Darcy is the original Lloyd Dobbler.) It has consistently been considered one of Jane Austen's most popular books. It has been a consistent part of English class reading curriculums. It has spawned multiple film and television series adaptations and interpolations. It's been given an artistic update as a comic book by Marvel. It has even been translated into a board game, a trivia game and a casual computer game.

But perhaps the true wonder, and a phenomenon unmatched by other classics, is the ongoing reimagining of the story by modern authors. This classic story has not only withstood the test of time, but it has, in a way, grown as new authors hone in on specific characters or offer creative new approaches to the tale itself.

Whether you've always longed to read the chapter after the last, or you've wanted to know more about Mr. Darcy's younger sister, or you've dreamed of Mr. Darcy as a vampire, or if you've imagined fiesty Elizabeth's reaction to zombies invading the English countryside, plenty of authors have answered your call.

There are many, many Pride and Prejudice-related books to choose from, but here are a few standouts.

Be the Super Bowl Party MVP

Attention sports fans. As you know, Super Bowl Sunday is Feb. 3. Whether you're throwing a party or just attending one, you know there is only one competition that comes close to the one that will be on the screen. No, it's not who can eat the most hot wings in 2 minutes or who wins rock-scissors-paper for the inevitable half-time beer run. It's who has managed to cram the most otherwise meaningless information into their noggin. Of course!

You can never know too much obscure trivia in situations like these. And we've got you covered with a few handy books guaranteed to help you hold your own in stat-rattling conversations.

Self-described as "the ultimate reference to the ultimate game," The Ultimate Super Bowl Book: A Complete Reference to the Stats, Stars, and Stories Behind Football's Biggest Game -- and Why the Best Team Won leaves little room to misinterpret its content. Explore the games themselves with analysis and play-by-plays and learn about the star players and coaches for each Super Bowl.

 

 

Who currently holds what record? Who broke which record when? Study up on NFL records and stats with NFL Record & Fact Book 2012: The Official National Football League Record and Fact Book. Updated annually, it's considered essential reading for die-hard football fans.

 

 

 

You'll blow your fellow fans' minds when you're able to offer insights that cross-reference baseball, basketball and more. Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won is co-written by a behavioral economist and a Sports Illustrated writer. You'll have your (forgive the off-sport pun) bases covered with this one.

2013 Academy Award Nominees Light on Reading

The 2013 Oscar nominations are here. Although the number of films based on books is lower than it has been in years past, several adaptations did make the cut. Per the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Best (Book-Based) Picture nominees are:

Lincoln
Based in part on historian Doris Kearns Goodwin'sTeam of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, this star-studded drama about the final months of the 16th American president's life leads the race with 12 impressive nominations.

Best Picture

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones

Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field

Best Director: Steven Spielberg

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tony Kushner

Best Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski

Best Costume Design: Joanna Johnston

Film Editing: Michael Kahn

Best Original Score: John Williams

Best Production Design: Rick Carter and Jim Erickson

Best Sound Mixing: Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins

 

Life of Pi
Competing with Lincoln for Best Motion Picture - Drama at the 2013 Golden Globes as well, this spectacularly visual adaptation is the Academy's second most nominated film this year, earning 11 nods-- none in acting categories.

Best Picture

Best Original Song: "Pi’s Lullaby"

Best Director: Ang Lee

Best Adapted Screenplay: David Magee

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda

Film Editing:Tim Squyres

Best Original Score: Mychael Danna

Best Production Design: David Gropman and Anna Pinnock

Best Sound Editing: Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton

Best Sound Mixing: Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin

Best Visual Effects: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott

 

 

Les Miserables
This filmic adaptation of the Broadway adaptation ties Silver Linings Playbook for third with eight nominations, including an original song sung by Hugh Jackman that was new even to fans of previous soundtracks.

Best Picture

Best Actor: Hugh Jackman

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway

Best Original Song: "Suddenly"

Best Costume Design: Paco Delgado

Makeup and Hairstyling: Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Best Production Design: Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson

Best Sound Mixing: Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes

 

Silver Linings Playbook
This rom-com-drama is noteworthy at the very least for its pre-show sweep of the acting categories -- the first time one film has had nominations in all four since Warren Beatty, Maureen Stapleton, Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton vied on behalf of Reds in 1982. (Only Stapleton won.)

Best Picture

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence

Best Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro

Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver

Best Director: David O. Russell

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell

Film Editing: Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers

Beyond the top categories, Tolstoy's epic Victorian masterpiece Anna Karenina received four nominations (Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design), while Peter Jackson's take on Tolkien's The Hobbit was acknowledged in only three categories (Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects).

Bonus Fun fact: All of the Best Production Design nominees were from movies based on books.

A Series in Time: Robert Jordan's Extraordinary Saga Ends

Today marks an event more than two decades in the making for fans of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time; the 15th and final installment, A Memory of Light, hits the shelves. This final book (like the two before it) was completed by author Brandon Sanderson, who used extensive notes left behind by Jordan when he passed away in 2007, and (like all of the Wheel of Time novels) it was edited by Jordan's wife Harriet McDougal.

The wildly popular series -- which has sold more than 40 million copies in more than 30 languages -- comes full circle just one week shy of 23 years to the day that the first volume, The Eye of the World, was first released.

In honor of the triumphant finish of this epic tale, we take a look back at each book within the context of what was happening in the world at the time of its release.

The Eye of the World
January 1990

The '80s were officially over and Apartheid was on its way out, too. The world's biggest McDonalds opened in Moscow, Joe Montana was the MVP of Super Bowl XXIV, and exactly one day before this book got the Wheel of Time spinning, The Simpsons debuted on FOX.

 

The Great Hunt
November 1990

America was a few months into Operation Desert Storm when President Bush dubbed dictator Saddam Hussein "The New Hitler." The World Wide Web launched, Home Alone held the No. 1 spot at the box office, and Grammy-winning duo Milli Vanilli was mired in a lip-syncing scandal.

 

The Dragon Reborn
October 1991

Anita Hill testified against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton announced his bid for the 1992 presidency. Mariah Carey's "Emotions" held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

The Shadow Rising
September 1992

Inflation hit the Peanuts hard as Lucy's fee for Psychiatric Help increased from 5 cents to a whopping 47 cents.  Stefan Edberg finally defeated Michael Chang for a US Open win after a  match that lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes. Boyz II Men topped the Billboard Hot 100 with "End of the Road."

Upstairs, Downstairs, Downton Abbey, and Beyond (With Quiz)

Regardless of whether you're among the millions of Downton Abbey fans who have made the Bafta, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning British TV drama a hit, there is no denying that the show has achieved phenomenon status here and abroad. Even if you haven't watched it, you've probably heard of it. And though it's difficult to describe the show compellingly to a non-viewer, one episode tends to be enough to hook a new devotee.

And here's a television program that doesn't distract or detract from reading, but rather encourages it. Downton has awakened in viewers a thirst for more and more stories of the era. It's a demand well-met by publishers, who offer not only historical nonfiction and show-specific companion books marketed for fans of the series, but a new breed of post-Edwardian novels, too.

Unlike the classic books of old England (I'm looking at you, Jane Austen), where the servants were incidental shadows of characters with largely unmemorable names and activities, many of these stories include and even focus on them. Our attention is now evenly divided between the nobility of the "Upstairs" and the staff of the "Downstairs," as the aristocracy and lower class are so often tactfully divided. In fact, Downton Abbey's two-class structure is reminiscent of the equally acclaimed 1970s British series "Upstairs Downstairs."

So, for fans who wait with bated breath for January 6 -- which marks the show's return to BBC America -- and anyone who's interested in learning more before committing, here's a way to narrow down your vast Downton-inspired reading choices.

If you were in the world of Downton Abbey, would you be a better fit Upstairs or Downstairs? Click the answers that best reflect your true self and then click the SUBMIT button to find out which books best suit you.

1. When it comes to money and happiness, I believe:
Whoever said "Money can't buy happiness" must not have had any.
A balance of the two is the true ideal.
I'd rather be rich with happiness than with money.

2. My idea of "having dinner plans" is:
Going out to a nice restaurant and ordering my heart's desire.
Picking something up from the grocery store and maybe heating up a couple of sides or whipping up a dessert myself. Nothing too time-consuming, though.
Making a detailed shopping list of ingredients for the homecooked meal I'll be making.

3. If I were to describe my skills in one word, it would be:
Creative
Logical
Practical

4. True knowledge is attained through:
Voracious reading
Study and practice
Experience

5. At social gatherings, I am generally:
The life of the party. I'm a social butterfly and I enjoy giving and receiving attention.
Laid-back and friendly. I enjoy sharing good conversation with a small group.
A wallflower. The best part of a party is the people watching. /p>

Get to Know the 2012 TIME Person of the Year

This morning, TIME revealed its Person of the Year for 2012, and the winner is... President Barack Obama. As the TIME staff explains on the website:

We are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes, and Barack Obama is both the symbol and in some ways the architect of this new America. In 2012, he found and forged a new majority, turned weakness into opportunity and sought, amid great adversity, to create a more perfect union.

Congratulations to President Obama, who was contending with 8 other "short-list" candidates, including Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, both Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

If you're interested in learning more about President Obama, here are seven books to get you started:

 

Most Read by Facebookers in 2012

If you've got a Facebook profile, you may have noticed a new link: "See Your 2012 Year in Review." The roundup goes beyond your own pictures, new friends, and how many pages you liked, though. Facebook Trends from 2012 includes quite an interesting feature revealing the books that were most read by Facebook users in 2012. And, unlike our own Best Books of the Year list (which focuses on books published in 2012), this list ranges from an entire modern series to decades-old classics.

Topping the list in positions 1, 2, and 3 is Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy in sequential order. At least among Facebook users, the beginning of the Harry Potter saga continues to attract new readers and re-readers. Classics To Kill a Mockingbird (which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year)and The Great Gatsby (soon to star Leonardo DiCaprio in the big screen remake) add a little canon to the mix, while Fifty Shades of Grey stands out as an R-rated anomaly on an otherwise PG-13 list.

Here, in order, is what Facebook users read in 2012:

 

Read Up on 2013 Hall of Fame Rock and Rollers

Tuesday night in Los Angeles, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea announced the roster for the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will take place April 28.

This year's lineup is an eclectic mix spanning generations and genres, comprised of rap pioneers Public Enemy, stalwart arena rockers Rush, classic rock sister act Heart, prolific singer-songwriter Randy Newman, Queen of Disco Donna Summer, Mississippi blues guitarist Albert King, legendary producers Lou Adler and Quincy Jones.

How did they get here? An artist must have a recording career spanning at least 25 years in order to be eligible, and the committee considers more subjective criteria, as well, including the "influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll."

Learn more about the 2013 inductees and their rich histories.

 

 

"The Hobbit": An Unexpected Controversy

The book vs. movie adaptation debate is common enough: Was the author involved in the film process, does the screenplay honor the spirit of the book, were the actors chosen for accuracy or box office appeal, and most of all, what key plot points or underlying metaphors were missed?

As The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters this week, we stand at the precipice of another epic adaptation battle between "snobby nerd readers" and "lowbrow geek moviegoers." Let me cut quickly to the chase: Tauriel.

If you're in the book camp and plan to see all three movies, consider yourself forewarned. Tauriel, portrayed by actress Evangeline Lilly (Kate from Lost), is an elf character entirely fabricated by director Peter Jackson and his co-writers, (wife) Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

Of course this isn't the first time that the franchise has taken creative liberties with J.R.R. Tolkien's world. They've altered plenty of plot to suit their purposes. (Don't get me started on the filmic neglect of the hobbits' real return to the Shire at the end of the series!) They've even merged characters before. (Arwen, as she's portrayed by Liv Tyler in the movie, is actually a combination of Arwen and Glorfindel from the books.) Inventing a brand new character in the style of Tolkien, however, is an oliphaunt of a different color.

At San Diego's Comic-Con International last July, one of the hottest events I attended was the Warner Bros. panel, featuring Pacific Rim, Man of Steel, and The Hobbit. Jackson rewarded approximately 6,500 ecstatic attendees with more than 12 minutes of never-before-seen footage spanning the new series, including a glimpse of Tauriel. Addressing one of the first fan questions (regarding the lack of female characters throughout the series), co-writer Boyens justified Tauriel's invention. "We believe it's completely in the spirit of Tolkien," she said. To be fair, Tauriel's job, at least, was established by Tolkien as an unnamed (male) role -- a warrior and the chief of the Wood-elf guards.

In addition to this new character, purists should also be prepared to see familiar faces where they shouldn't be. Among the cameo-making Lord of the Rings characters who never appear in the book version of The Hobbit are: Sauruman (Christopher Lee), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), old Bilbo (Ian Holms) and Frodo (Elijah Wood).

Jackson described his film as "by fans, for fans." He genuinely loves these books, just perhaps not the way that the Tolkien estate would prefer.

Also in July this year, in the French newspaper Le Monde, Tolkien's son Christopher -- the executor of his estate (and, as they bill him in the English translation, the "interpreter of his father's unpublished work") -- broke a longstanding silence. "They eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25. … And it seems that The Hobbit will be the same kind of film."

Which is why we'll probably never see an adaptation of The Silmarillion -- Tolkien's lifelong project documenting the history of the First Age of Middle Earth, the source of all things Lord of the Rings, and the ultimate prequel. Interestingly, The Silmarillion was unfinished when Tolkien passed away in 1973. Christopher actually added to it (with help from author Guy Gavriel Kay), edited it and published it in 1977.

The Tolkien estate maintains the rights to the book. No film to rule them all, no film to bind them.

What do you think? Have you read the book? Will you see the movies? Do the films overshadow the books or encourage new fans to seek out the original sources? Can the books and movies ever coexist peacefully? Is the Tolkien estate being overly sensitive or is Hollywood being too insensitive? Weigh in and tell us how you feel.

For all things Tolkien, check out Amazon's Hobbit store.

The Grand Mathster: Nate Silver

We’re at best amateur forecasters, but somehow we knew that The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail--but Some Don't would be a big deal. It started when our own Darryl Campbell held up the book up and said, "This is going to be important." As more of our team read it, we agreed.

Granted, our methodology was, by author Nate Silver's standards, more "hedgehog" than "fox"--more gut instinct than data driven. Still, we're proud of the entirely verifiable fact that we voted The Signal and the Noise into the top spot on our September 2012 Best of the Month list. As Darryl wrote then, "In today's metrics-saturated world, Silver's book is a timely and readable reminder that statistics are only as good as the people who wield them."

Now that the 2012 election is over, and Silver's taking victory laps from his home turf at the New York Times to MSNBC to the Huffington Post to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the signal's clear that Silver is just that good, and not only at political forecasting. He also looks at the role predictions can play in gambling, sports, and weather. More importantly, as discussed in an exclusive Amazon Q&A, he explains how our human nature is both an asset and an obstacle in interpreting data. "The book, in some ways, is about accepting our flaws, as well as recognizing the things that we're good at."

In honor of The Signal and the Noise ranking at No. 17 on Amazon’s 2012 Best Books of the Year list, let’s dig into the data. Here’s a (mostly) objective look at the numbers guy by the numbers:

538 – The configuration of the electoral college (435 representatives, 100 senators and three electors from the District of Columbia), the inspiration for the name of Silver’s blog FiveThirtyEight.com.

74 – Nate Silver's overall author ranking on Amazon (based entirely on the sales of this book).

64 – Number of days The Signal and the Noise has held a spot on Amazon’s Top 100 Best Sellers list.

50 – Number of states that Silver correctly forecast in the 2012 presidential election. Although he improved his presidential forecast score, he did misjudge 2 of 33 Senate races by predicting Republican wins in North Dakota and Montana.

49 – Number of states that Silver correctly forecast in the 2008 presidential election. Indiana was his only miss as Obama won the state by a 1 percent margin. He accurately predicted all 35 U.S. Senate race outcomes that year.

34 – Age of Nate Silver: statistician, poker and baseball buff, author and “the other winner” of the 2012 presidential election.

2 – Peak position on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers list. It’s currently ranked at No. 15.

1 – The Signal and the Noise rank in Business & Investing books both for hardcopy and Kindle versions.

(All rankings are accurate as of Nov. 19, 2012.)

Penned by Presidents

They are international superstars, and yet they are public servants. We are united by the ideal they represent, but we are often divided by the policies they enact. As the 2012 election concludes, take a look beyond the ballots and past the process.

Explore President Obama’s inspiring upbringing. See President George W. Bush’s choices in a whole new way. Discover President Clinton’s perception of his own complexities. Get a rare glimpse at President George H.W. Bush’s personal side. And follow President Reagan’s road from home to Hollywood to the White House.

Written by the five most recent Americans to be known as the Leader of the Free World, the Commander in Chief, Mr. President and (to a select few) POTUS, here are five books that transcend politics to help us understand the human beings who have occupied the Oval Office.

 

 Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

"That my father looked nothing like the people around me — that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk — barely registered in my mind.

In fact, I can recall only one story that dealt explicitly with the subject of race; as I got older, it would be repeated more often, as if it captured the essence of the morality tale that my father's life had become."

 

 

Decision Points by George W. Bush

"The decision process was all-consuming. I thought about it, talked about it, analyzed it, and prayed about it. I had a philosophy I wanted to advance, and I was convinced I could build a team worthy of the presidency. I had the financial security to provide for my family, win or lose. Ultimately, the decisive factors were less tangible. I felt a drive to do more with my life, to push my potential and test my skills at the highest level."

 

 

My Life by Bill Clinton

"Perhaps if Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy had lived, things would have been different. Perhaps if Humphrey had used the information about Nixon's interference with the Paris peace talks, things would have been different. Perhaps not. Regardless, those of us who believed that the good of the 1960s outweighted the bad would fight on, still fired by the heroes and dreams of our youth."

 

 

All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings by George H.W. Bush

"Dear Mum, Well today was the big day—in fact one of the biggest thrills of my life, I imagine. We marched down to the #1 hanger and they read out the names for the first hop. I was in. I went down, got my gear, and then consulted the board. Plane P-18 1st hop—2nd hop Plane P-18 check pilot Boyle. I immediately went around trying to find out what kind of a check Boyle is. All I got was 'pretty tough'. This was quite disheartening."

 

 

An American Life: The Autobiography by Ronald Reagan

"If I'd gotten the job I wanted at Montgomery Ward, I suppose I would never have left Illinois.

I've often wondered at how lives are shaped by what seem like small and inconsequential events, how an apparently random turn in the road can lead you a long way from where you intended to go—and a long way from wherever you expected to go. For me, the first of these turns occurred in the summer of 1932, in the abyss of the Depression."