Recall last summer: it was the summer of Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland, the most important book liked by people wearing the most important-looking glasses. It seems O’Neill has journeyed from that wire-rimmed menagerie of the psyche to Politics & Prose, where all such odysseys of the soul must, and do, eventually terminate. Plus, David Makovsky is a gentleman who will be arguing that some of the US’s terrible Middle East policies really came about because of “miscommunications.” Obviously this is terrific news, as it is written in the Social Contract that if a problem occurs because of a Miscommunication, alcohol or a lack of cell phone reception, then no party can be held accountable, for anything. Twitter.com/socialcontract (1762), by Rousseau. Look it up. MORE »

Your Wonkette recently had the pleasure of interviewing Center for American Progress speechwriter and “nouveau literature author” Grant Ginder, who’s just had his first novel, This Is How It Starts, published by Simon and Schuster. It’s in book stores everywhere! But what is it about? The novel follows young Taylor Mark, who moves to Washington D.C. shortly after college and discovers how terrible it is, maybe. Then he runs around and whines like a bitch for a while and even goes to one very important Late Night Shots party. But it’s funny! Roll Call is raving! After the jump, the text our our very embarrassing Gchat conversation with Grant about Mike Allen and the Politico, as well as pictures from last week’s book release party in a Georgetown bar that is literally owned by Ralph Lauren Polo. MORE »

It is like college here in DC this week: there is an opportunity for free food that can be capitalized upon by pretending to be interested in the publication of something—plus a bonus Susan Sontag salon. Plus, that quintessential collegiate particular: fictitious tales about Brooklyn! MORE »

BIG THINGS on the DC book circuit this week. For instance: your third-favorite Wire personality George Pelecanos (after David Simon and Omar), in addition to Colon Whitehead! Plus, go check out the Arab-American Handbook: A Guide to the Arab, Arab-American & Muslim Worlds, the hotly anticipated fan-written prequel to Barack Obama’s bildungsroman, The Marx-Engels Reader: Die Träume Von Meinem Vater. MORE »

There is a use for both your encyclopedic knowledge of arcane Greek mythology and your shameful mental repository of Lee Woodruff-centric minutia this week in DC, in the context of author events. It’s true! MORE »

In the continuum of America’s Problems, right before everyone was concerned about the economy and right after the environment actually starting melting, there was the issue of the Muslins, a dangerous sect of Hawaiian Christian Platonists who went rogue for a few years, in Iraq. You’ll recall The War, yes? Anyway, few books about that thing, and how it’s still a problem, despite not being mentioned on any blogs for awhile. Also, there seems to be an early onslaught of nostalgia for capitalism going around, which in this week’s column is comically juxtaposed against the closing of one of DC’s most beloved bookstores, Vertigo Books. Irony! MORE »

It’s Ladies Week on the DC book tour circuit, as there are a number of biographical-y things about important historical events that one wouldn’t necessarily equate with certain obscure ladies who were actually quite integral, in these important historical events. For instance, the New Deal. And “liberty,” as a concept. Also special guest appearances by your Congressman Chris Van Hollen and moderately popular Newseum exhibit Cokie Roberts. MORE »

One is not born an enemy of Christopher Hitchens, one becomes one. Take the nascent case of a one Adrian Wooldridge, who’s parading around town with his new book, God Is Back, all about how God is back! Adrian Wooldridge has a world of Slate columns originally scribbled in pink highlighter on Andrew Sullivan’s bathroom floor tiles coming his way. Sad. MORE »

America can no longer afford non-fiction, it seems, so there is a huge bump in fiction book tour traffic to Washington this week. Still, watch out, there’s something that includes the word “twilight” which is an immediate red flag, and another thing about how America is sad because it can’t “dominate other nations” like it used to, in college. MORE »

Lots of childrens’ books things at Politics & Prose this week, but no matter, there are things for well-behaved adults such as yourselves too. There’s Cesar Chavez’s death quinceanera, plus an EXPOSE on Big Pet, which you should read before Michael Moore makes it into a movie and then it is not acceptable to care about in public anymore. MORE »

Death row is so popular right now, in fictions. It’s like the new working as an assistant to a magazine editor or post-9/11 inquiries into Meanings of Things. So go hear two authors talk about their new death row books, plus a couple economics suggestion handbooks things because that’s still going on too isn’t it? MORE »