Perseus Books Group is Publishers Weekly’s Publisher of the Year. “By taking on the contracts of 124 publishers formerly distributed by the bankrupt PGW, Perseus became the country's largest independent distributor, while its purchase of the Avalon Publishing Group broadened its presence among independent presses.”

An inside look at how The Golden Compass made it to the big screen. “The project nearly crashed at least once, while burning through $180 million, and it is unclear what audiences will make of such a craft, which is at once high-tech and deliberately old-fashioned.”

If you could spend a holiday week as a fictional character, which would you choose and why? Amy Tan, Junot Diaz, Christopher Buckley and others weigh in.

During the Broadway strike, Farnsworth Invention actors replaced their weekly poker game at Hank Azaria’s home with a production rehearsal. “‘We would go unofficially and rehearse — line-throughs,’ Mr. (Jimmi) Simpson said. ‘We did one at Hank’s house ... Anyplace that didn't have to involve the producers. That would keep us all on our game.’”