The Washington Post Best Books of 2012

We’re already in December. As always, many journals and magazines release their choices of books, movies, music and personalities of the year.

Here are The Washington Post’s favorite titles for fiction, nonfiction and graphic novels of 2012:

Fiction
Arcadia by Lauren Groff
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Broken Harbor by Tana French
Canada by Richard Ford

Nonfiction
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East by Anthony Shadid
Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 by Anne Applebaum
Marigold: The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam by James G. Hershberg
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

Graphic Novels
Building Stories by Chris Ware
Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Drawn Together by Aline and R. Crumb
Sailor Twain, or: The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel
Pearls Freaks the #*%# Out: A (Freaky) Pearls Before Swine Treasury by Stephan Pastis
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney
District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington, D.C. by Matt Dembicki
DC Comics: The New 52 by DC Entertainment
The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist by Daniel Clowes

Featured Video: ‘The Artist’ takes the honours at the Oscars

‘The Artist’ takes the honours at the Oscars is a Euronews report on 2012 Oscar Academy Awards.

Featured Video: Whitney remembered

Whitney remembered is a CNN report on Whitney’s final farewell.

Whitney Houston dies at 48

Whitney Houston, 2009 (RCA Music Group)

With a remarkable voice and a successful career, Whitney Houston was found dead on Saturday afternoon in a Beverly Hills hotel room. A day before Grammy Awards, Houston, also known as A Voice or The Voice, left many artists devastated:

I just can’t talk about it now. It’s so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby – Aretha Franklin

Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms Whitney Houston – Mariah Carey

She was just a gift in voice … She was just so innocent in the business, and that voice was so pure and her life was so pure. That’s what I’m holding on to. I think what we’re going to do in the long run of her life story is focus on the voice, not the tragedy, but the voice – Lionel Richie

Whitney Houston – I Look To You

‘Hugo’ and ‘The Artist’ lead Oscar Nominations

Hugo – Official Trailer

Hugo leads the Oscar nominations with 11, closely followed by The Artist with 10. Martin Scorsese’s adventure film Hugo is nominated for Best Picture along with The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse.

In the category of Actor in a Leading Role Demián Bichir, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt compete for the award. While Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams run for Actress in a Leading Role.

Check here the reactions from leading Oscar nominees.

The winners will be announced in Los Angeles on February 26. You can see all the 2012 Oscar Academy Awards nominations below:

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Fado, Património Cultural Imaterial da Humanidade

Mariza, fadista

Uma Estranha Forma de Vida, o destino do fatalismo português. Para o presidente da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, António Costa, o reconhecimento do Fado como Património Cultural Imaterial da Humanidade “é um momento de orgulho e alegria”. Citando Fernando Pessoa, António Costa afirmou que “quanto mais universal for o fado, mais se converterá em parte da nossa identidade.”

A fadista e irmã de Amália Rodrigues, Celeste Rodrigues, recebeu a consagração do Fado defendendo que este “não tem cor política, é o suspiro do povo.”

Para o Presidente da República, Cavaco Silva, esta distinção do Fado é um motivo de orgulho para todos os portugueses. O secretário de Estado da Cultura, Francisco José Viegas, defendeu que a elevação do Fado a Património Imaterial contribui para que “as atenções do mundo se voltem para um dos emblemas da nossa cultura e do nosso talento.”

Shakira’s Year

2011 is definitely one of Shakira’s best years so far. This week Shakira received a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame and yesterday was honored as the 2011 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, the youngest, at 34. Shakira is also nominated in three categories, including album of the year, at tonight Latin Grammy Awards.

Selling more than 70 million copies worldwide, Shakira is the second female artist receiving the award of Person of the Year, after Gloria Stefan. Her latest album, The Sun Comes Out, released on October 15, 2010 has sold more than 10 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and her latest tour was attended by more than 3 million people.

These are just a few facts that make 2011 the year of Shakira.

Shakira honored as Latin Grammy Person of the Year (Univision)