INDEX:
1. a book
2. a book about imaginary people and events
3. a book about real people, places, or events
4. a book about someone’s life
5. a book that gives you information about a subject
6. someone who writes books
7. the people in a book
8. to produce a book
RELATED WORDS
part of a book : ↑ PART (3)
see also
↑ READ
↑ WRITE
↑ STORY
↑ NEWSPAPERS
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1. a book
▷ book /bʊk/ [countable noun]
▪ I think Muriel Spark is a great writer, I love her books.
▪ What book are you reading at the moment?
book by
▪ a book by Charles Dickens
book about
▪ I’m reading a book about a little girl who was a slave in 19th century Atlanta.
book on something
a book giving information about a particular subject
▪ Do you have any books on astronomy?
book of something
a book containing several examples of the same kind of writing
▪ She wrote a book of short stories, but it never got published.
library book
a book that you borrow from a library
▪ I went and got a library book about it.
secondhand book
a book that has already been owned by someone else
▪ a secondhand book dealer
▷ paperback /ˈpeɪpəʳbæk/ also softback /ˈsɒftbæk‖ˈsɔːft-/ [countable noun]
a book with a cover made of stiff paper :
▪ Usually the hardback comes out first and the paperback comes out after.
▪ a softback romantic novel
in paperback
published as a paperback
▪ The two books you need for the regular assignment are both inexpensive and in paperback.
▷ hardback /ˈhɑːʳdbæk/ [countable noun]
a book with a hard cover :
▪ The hardback version spent three weeks on the Times bestseller list.
in hardback
published as a hardback
▪ The book is published by HarperCollins, and costs $15 in hardback and $4.95 in paperback.
▷ best-seller /ˌbest ˈseləʳ/ [countable noun]
a very popular book that a lot of people buy :
▪ Already a best-seller in Japan, Quovis comes out in English later this year.
▪ Her book has been an international best-seller for over a decade.
▪ Nader’s book, ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’, became a surprise best-seller.
best-seller list
an official list of books that people are buying the most
▪ J K Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ books were number one on the best-seller list for months.
2. a book about imaginary people and events
▷ novel /ˈnɒv ə lǁˈnɑː-/ [countable noun]
a book about people and events that the writer has imagined :
▪ The new Sidney Shelton novel is to be adapted for film later in the year.
▪ This is the study where Hemingway wrote the legendary novels ‘Death in the Afternoon’ and ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’.
novel by
▪ The movie is based on a novel by Anne Tyler.
historical novel
about people and events in the past
▪ Butler has also written several historical novels under the pen-name of Jenny Melville.
romantic novel
about love
▪ Johnston’s nudes look like cover art for romantic novels.
first/debut novel
the first novel that someone writes
▪ Keller’s debut novel is about a Korean woman who was sold into prostitution during World War II.
▷ fiction /ˈfɪkʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
books about imaginary people and events :
▪ His first novel won a prize for modern fiction.
▪ I’m taking a class in Victorian fiction.
romantic fiction
about love
▪ This small band of women writers dominated the romantic fiction market for a number of years.
historical fiction
about people and events in the past
▪ Anthony’s first books were historical fiction.
crime/detective fiction
▪ Why is Miami such a ripe setting for crime fiction?
▪ Chandler remains the greatest exponent of detective fiction.
▷ literature /ˈlɪt ə rətʃəʳǁ-tʃʊər/ [uncountable noun]
books, plays, and poems, especially famous and serious ones that people think are important :
▪ the Nobel Prize for Literature
▪ She is a professor of language and literature at Arizona State University.
▪ Mitterrand’s oratory and writings displayed a wide grasp of history, philosophy, religion and literature.
French/Hispanic/Hebrew etc literature
▪ I teach Japanese literature.
▪ She’s studying European literature at the University of Illinois.
▷ science fiction /ˌsaɪəns ˈfɪkʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun] also sci-fi /ˌsaɪ ˈfaɪ◂/ informal
stories about things that happen in the future or in other parts of the universe :
▪ Science fiction is often wrongly regarded as a ‘lesser’ form of literature.
▪ Joanne says she is not a fan of science fiction, and has never read her husband’s book.
▪ Such developments sound like science fiction, but they’re not.
science fiction [adjective]
science fiction writer/movie/book etc
▪ the sci-fi writer William Gibson
▷ whodunnit /huːˈdʌnɪt/ [countable noun] informal
a book about an imaginary murder case, in which you do not find out who did the murder until the end :
▪ If you enjoy a whodunnit, you’ll lap up Janet Laurence’s ‘Hotel Morgue’.
▪ an Agatha Christie whodunnit
▷ thriller /ˈθrɪləʳ/ [countable noun]
an exciting story, for example about a crime or war, in which surprising events happen suddenly and you never know what will happen next :
▪ They discovered a mutual love of mysteries and thrillers.
political/psychological/spy etc thriller
▪ Stephen King’s new psychological thriller
▪ He has written a spy thriller that recalls Fleming’s James Bond series.
▪ His latest work is a legal thriller set in Boston.
▷ short story /ˌʃɔːʳt ˈstɔːri/ [countable noun]
a short piece of writing in which the writer tells a story :
▪ She started out writing short stories for the magazine ‘Black Mask’.
▪ I understand your novel was inspired by a short story by Katherine Mansfield.
▪ a collection of American short stories
3. a book about real people, places, or events
▷ non-fiction /ˌnɒn ˈfɪkʃ ə nǁˌnɑːn-/ [uncountable noun]
books about real events, people, or places :
▪ The books in the library are divided into fiction and non-fiction.
▪ He also produced works of non-fiction.
non-fiction [adjective]
▪ a disturbing non-fiction account of events in Vietnam
4. a book about someone’s life
▷ biography /baɪˈɒgrəfiǁ-ˈɑːg-/ [countable noun]
a book about someone’s life, written by another person :
▪ She’s the author of three acclaimed biographies.
▪ This is a competent and well-researched biography.
biography of
▪ Boswell’s biography of Dr Johnson
authorized biography
approved by the person being written about
▪ ‘Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now’ is an authorized biography of the former Beatle by Barry Miles.
unauthorized biography
not approved by the person written about
▪ He has slammed an unauthorised biography which he claims contains ‘factual errors’.
▷ autobiography /ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒgrəfiǁ-ˈɑːg-/ [countable noun]
a book in which someone writes about their own life :
▪ Although she has written three novels, this autobiography is her first published work.
somebody’s autobiography
▪ In her autobiography, Doris Lessing writes about her childhood in Zimbabwe.
▪ The incident is recounted in his autobiography.
▷ memoirs /ˈmemwɑːʳz/ [plural noun]
the story of your own life which you have written yourself, especially about your involvement in important political or military events :
somebody’s memoirs
▪ The duke’s memoirs will be serialised in The Sunday Times.
▪ Reading Bready’s unpublished memoirs, I was struck by her courage and resilience.
▪ ‘I felt lost, abandoned,’ she wrote in her memoirs.
▷ diary /ˈdaɪ ə ri/ [countable noun]
a book in which you write down the things that happen to you each day, and your private thoughts :
▪ I wouldn’t really show anyone my diary, not even you.
keep a diary (of something)
write in a diary each day
▪ During his illness, David kept a diary, which his family hopes to publish.
▪ I decided to keep a diary of our trip to Toronto.
▷ journal /ˈdʒɜːʳnl/ [countable noun]
a diary, especially one written by a famous or important person :
▪ In the 1837 journal, Darwin gives an account of his voyage to South America.
▪ Her book draws on letters, diaries, journals and historical sources.
somebody’s journal
▪ I was given access to his private papers and journals.
▪ Jewish life is poignantly described in Wiesel’s journal, ‘The Jews of Silence’.
5. a book that gives you information about a subject
▷ reference book /ˈref ə rəns ˌbʊk/ [countable noun]
a book that you look at in order to get information, for example a dictionary or encyclopedia :
▪ Do not remove reference books from the library.
▪ ‘The Elements of Style’ is a classic reference book written by the late E.B. White.
▪ Talk to the career counselors and check out the reference books on career choices.
▷ encyclopedia also encyclopaedia British /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə/ [countable noun]
a large book or set of books containing facts about a lot of different subjects, usually arranged in alphabetical order :
▪ ‘Does anyone know when Mozart was born?’ ‘Look it up in the encyclopedia.’
▪ a thirty-volume encyclopaedia
▪ the Encyclopedia of Science
▷ textbook /ˈtekstbʊk/ [countable noun]
a book that contains information and ideas about a subject, that you use when you are studying that subject :
▪ The grant covers the costs of tuition, fees and textbooks.
geography/biology etc textbook
▪ Most economics textbooks skip over the subject of investing and financial markets.
academic/college textbook
▪ I can’t get hold of any of the college textbooks he recommended.
6. someone who writes books
▷ writer /ˈraɪtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who writes books, stories, or articles in as a job :
▪ When I was young, I wanted to be a famous writer.
▪ Greene was one of the finest writers of his generation.
American/German etc writer
▪ Do you have any books by modern American writers?
(the) writer George Eliot/Arthur C. Clarke etc
▪ Among his influences, he places Wynton Marsalis and writer Stanley Goode.
writer of
▪ Rush is a poet and writer of fiction.
ghost writer
someone who is paid to write a book for a person, as if it was their own work
▪ It seems likely that Campbell’s book is almost wholly attributable to a ghostwriter.
▷ author /ˈɔːθəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who writes books, or who wrote a particular book, especially a literary book :
▪ Balzac was one of her favourite authors.
▪ A little gentle encouragement is all that is needed to put this promising author into the ranks of the high-flyers.
German/French etc author
▪ The prize was won by the German author, Heinrich Böll.
(the) author Marcel Proust/Steven King etc
▪ Among the guests was the author Salman Rushdie.
author of
▪ Who was the author of ‘Catch 22’?
▪ We will be interviewing Lisa Mainero, author of ‘Office Romance’.
co-author
someone who writes a book with another person
▪ With co-author Eyre, Barlow has produced a book charting the history of African music.
▷ novelist /ˈnɒv ə lɪst, ˈnɒv ə ləstǁˈnɑː-/ [countable noun]
someone who writes books about imaginary people or events :
▪ Charles Dickens was one of the greatest 19th century novelists.
French/Hispanic etc novelist
▪ Japanese novelists deal with the question of old age in a way few other writers can aspire to.
(the) novelist Barbara Cartland/Carlos Fuentes etc
▪ The book quotes from the diaries of novelist Evelyn Waugh.
▪ Budding gay novelist Larry Kramer is enjoying success at last.
7. the people in a book
▷ character /ˈkærɪktəʳ, ˈkærəktəʳ/ [countable noun]
a person in a story :
▪ Her female characters often have strong, important relationships with other women.
character from
▪ She reminds you of a character from Dickens.
▪ Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology
main character
the most important one
▪ The main character is a soldier in the First World War.
▪ He writes Westerns in which the main characters are gay.
title character
an important character whose name is mentioned in the title of the book
▪ King Henry is the name given to a donkey, the title character in the children’s book, ‘King Henry Saves Christmas’.
fictional character
not a real one
▪ Ancient literature uses fictional characters to illustrate moral dilemmas.
▷ hero/heroine /ˈhɪ ə rəʊ, ˈherəʊɪn/ [countable noun]
the most important man or woman in a book :
▪ By the story’s end, the heroine finds herself in the hero’s arms, and all ends well.
▪ ‘Cinderella’ is the story of a downtrodden heroine who wins out over her sisters.
hero/heroine of
▪ Paul Morel is the hero of ‘Sons and Lovers’.
8. to produce a book
▷ publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ [transitive verb]
to arrange for a book that has been written to be made available for people to buy :
▪ ‘Moby Dick’ was first published in London in 1851.
▪ ‘I’ve had a remarkable life,’ says the 60-year-old author, who has published 35 books.
▪ King has made history by publishing a novel on the World Wide Web.
publication /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to prepare a book like this for publication.
publisher [countable noun]
▪ She sent off the completed manuscript to 34 publishers before getting it accepted.
publishing [uncountable noun]
▪ How long have you worked in publishing?
▪ Electronic publishing is a rapidly expanding field.
▷ bring out /ˌbrɪŋ ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to produce a new book :
▪ Fay Weldon has just brought out a new collection of stories.
▪ Scribner will bring out a memoir by Candace Gringritch in the autumn.
▪ He phoned to say they want to bring out a second edition.