The
5. Beyond Rustic: Publishers Take
Up Field-to-Table Cookbook Trend
A wave of new cookbooks arrived this year
to teach readers the ins and outs of foraging
and field-to-table cuisine.
4. Reviews of 2016’s James Beard
Award–Winning Books
A roundup of our coverage, including reviews,
for the 14 winners of the 2016 James Beard
Awards.
3. Breaking New Ground with a Cocktail Book from
the Man Behind Milk & Honey
Phaidon expanded its nascent beverage list with Regarding
Cocktails, the first and only cocktail recipe book from Sasha
The Most-Read
Opinion Pieces
5. We Regret to Inform You
An author considers the rejection notice
as fodder for humor.
4. 40 Reasons to Learn a Dead
Language
“I began learning Latin six years ago, as
I was approaching the age of 60. My
baffled friends understood making the
effort to learn a language that would
facilitate foreign travel—French, Italian,
even Hindi. But Latin? No one anywhere
speaks it, and it’s notoriously difficult.
To my friends it seemed a lot of effort
for something ‘useless.’ Which is part of
why I wanted to learn it.”
The Most-Read
Cooking Stories
3. Why Most Amazon Reader
Reviews Are Worthless
“I’ve been an agent for 40 years.
Publishers may not like what I’m about
to say, but my observation is that most
Amazon and Barnes & Noble reader
reviews are either fraudulent or, at best,
useless in assessing the true merit of any
given title.”
2. Trying to Find a Literary Agent
Is the Worst Thing Ever
“Anyone who’s ever dated regularly,
tried to score against LeBron James, or
been a transplanted organ knows what
it’s like to face rejection. But no one
understands the pain of rejection better
than a first-time novelist looking for an
agent.”
1. My Very Rough Two Weeks
Working for Barnes & Noble
After a stint in her neighborhood chain
bookstore, a publishing professional
discovers that you can’t always go home
again.
Our most-popular cookbook stories of last year
covered such topics as Lower East Side cocktails,
field-to-table cooking, and cooking with Anthony
Bourdain at home.
Petraske, the late, legendary owner of the New York
City bar Milk & Honey.
2. Longtime Cookbook Collaborator Makes
Her Solo Debut
Julia Turshen stepped into the limelight with her
debut, Small Victories.
1. Anthony Bourdain Is Not a Fan of Dessert
In Appetites, Bourdain’s first cookbook in a
decade, the chef/TV personality focuses on the food he
prepares for family and friends.
To read the full articles, go to
publishersweekly.com/topopinion2016.
To read the full articles, go to
publishersweekly.com/topcooking2016.
Every week we close the print issue of PW with the Soapbox column, a
venue that industry people used last year to sound off on everything
from Brexit to Amazon reader reviews. Here are the five most-popular
Soapbox columns from 2016.
