Provides analysis and criticism of recent novels and other works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama that have proven that have proven newsworthy. Titles in this volume include:

• The astonishing life of Octavian nothing by M. T. Anderson
• Beasts of no nation by Uzodinma Iweala
• The book thief by Markus Zusak
• Brother, I'm dying by Edwidge Danticat
• Chew on this by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson
• The coast of utopia by Tom Stoppard
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Flush by Carl Hiasen
• The gathering / by Anne Enright
• Harry Potter and the deathly hallows by J.K. Rowling
• The memory keeper's daughter by Kim Edwards
• No country for old men by Cormac McCarthy
• Runaway by Alice Munro
• Sold by Patricia McCormick
• A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini
• Water for elephants by Sara Gruen
• World without end by Ken Follett
• A wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson