The Back Page

Editor and Publisher of Booklist, Ott writes a column in each issue called The Back Page. Here is a collection of about 80 of them, arranged in sections on books and authors, genre fiction, life at Booklist, life beyond books, and quizzes. Among specific topics are sharing Sputnik, the Seabiscuit sweepstakes, violent novels in a violent world, strangers in the night, best American fiction from the last 25 years, diagramming sentences, catfight in the newsroom, libraries and librarians in the movies, first firsts, and sex with dead presidents. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)