Shteyngart Trailer Stars Franco and Franzen, Holiday Gifts for Book Lovers, and More

Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories:

The Guardian lists the books banned from Guantánamo Bay detention camp. Among the titles are works by Shakespeare, Scott Turow, and Dostoyevsky.

Gary Shteyngart has released a trailer for his new memoir, Little Failure. The video features James Franco, Rashida Jones, Jonathan Franzen, Sloane Crosley, and many others. (BuzzFeed)

Kobo, the Canada-based e-reader company, has expanded its reach to France. (Shelf Awareness)

"Female authors, especially, have trouble escaping questions of appearance." Novelist Jennifer Miller examines the marketplace pressure placed on author photos. (Daily Beast)

The New York Times asked its Bookends columnists, including Anna Holmes, Dana Stevens, and Pankaj Mishra, to identify the “most interesting literary development” of 2013.

Meanwhile, Jason Diamond showcases his ten favorite nonfiction titles of the year, which includes Jesmyn Ward’s Men We Reaped and Crapalachia by Scott McClanahan. (Flavorwire)

With the holiday season in full swing, the Los Angeles Times rounds up a selection of gifts for book lovers.