Books to look out for in 2011

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Patrik Henry Bass, senior editor for Essence magazine and frequent books contributor to The Takeaway; and Karen Holt, former deputy editor of Publishers Weekly, and contributor of book reviews to O: The Oprah Magazine and Essence, recently offered their book recommendations for 2011 on The Takeaway. Use audio player above to listen to semgent.

Patrik Henry Bass’ Book Picks

“Heat Wave: The Life and Career of Ethel Waters” by Donald Bogle
All you can think when you read it is, “Why didn’t I know this about her?” She broke down racial barriers, and didn’t even know it. She was the first black woman to host a radio show; she had groundbreaking roles in films, she was nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy. And she had a temper.

“Open City” by Teju Cole
A young, Nigerian writer, Cole is the Dave Eggers of his generation.

“The Pale King” by David Foster Wallace
A posthumous unfinished novel by David Foster Wallace, this book will be published on April 15, 2011 by Little, Brown and Company. One of Wallace’s friends is the editor. It’s highly anticipated, but also quite controversial.

“The Lake” by Banana Yoshimoto
This novel is a bit of a thriller for Yoshimoto, featuring her same quirky characters and nuanced prose. It starts with a daughter who reconnects with her mother in Tokyo and then it’s off and running from there.

“All the Time in the World: New and Selected Stories by E.L. Doctorow“
Doctorow is famous for his novels, but don’t let that hold you back from checking out his short stories. If you think of “Ragtime,” you’ll remember that he’s always been good at telling individual stories and weaving them together.

Karen Holt’s Book Picks

“The Long Goodbye” by Meghan O’Rourke
This book is about O’Rourke grieving for her mother. It’s painfully poignant and gorgeously written, and could be the 2011 version of “The Year of Magical Thinking.” The memoir comes out in April from Riverhead.

“Moonwalking with Einstein” by Joshua Foer
This book, by nonfiction by science journalist Joshua Foer (and brother to Jonathan Safran), is all about memory: why we lose it, how to improve it and why it matters. Smart, accessible and relevant in a Malcolm Gladwell kind of way. It comes out in March from Penguin Press.

“The Free World” by David Bezmozgis
This debut novel, a follow-up to Bezmozgis’ acclaimed collection, “Natasha and Other Stories,” should solidify his reputation as one of his generation’s best literary voices. This book is out in March from FSG.

“State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett
I’m taking a chance here because I haven’t read it, but I’m a big fan of Patchett and early buzz is great. Some are saying it’s as good as Bel Canto. If they’re even half right, I’ll be thrilled. The novel comes out in June from HarperCollins.

“Inside WikiLeaks: My Time With Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” by Daniel Domscheit-Berg
Assange’s former number two tells all in this memoir. Will the book be any good? Who cares? It will get huge media attention regardless. The memoir will be available in February from Crown.

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