The Picador Book Room

The New Guy’s Guide to Picador (Part 3):

This is the final installment of The New Guy’s Guide. From now on I will officially not be the new guy, just a grizzled vet hanging out in the back of the Picador book room. Today, we’ve got the office’s publicity department hitting the stacks hard.

Gabrielle picked two music related titles as her favorites: 

LISTEN TO THIS, by Alex Ross: LISTEN TO THIS, which takes its title from a beloved 2004 essay in which Ross describes his late-blooming discovery of pop music, showcases the best of his writing from more than a decade at The New Yorker. The Boston Globe called it “A collection of supremely eloquent essays, addressing a range of subjects from Bach to Björk.”

ROTTEN, by John Lydon: Public Image Limited put out a new album last month so it seems suiting to mention John Lydon’s ROTTEN, his 1993 autobiography. In their review of the book, Rolling Stone called Lydon “A pavement philosopher whose Dickensian roots blossom with Joycean color.” For the latest album they interviewed him. You can read it here.

Justin and Anya both had a soft spot for Sam Lipsyte’s THE ASK. Justin found it “filthy and funny and wonderful and sad.” While Anya noted that Lipsyte “really knows how to turn a phrase and make a most unappealing character utterly compelling.”

Elianna was a last minute entry but came through with this gem.

THE HARE WITH AMBER EYES, by Edmund de Waal: This book is uncategorizable. It is a family history that is at once a meditation on preserving the past and a stand against falling too deep into the depths of nostalgia. Wholly unpretentious and deeply earnest, this should be on everyone’s summer, fall, winter, and spring reading lists.

There you have it. Hope you enjoyed these recommendations. Don’t forget to let us know about your favorite Picador book!