Tales of the city: the rise of the local blog

In its daily blogposts, Spitalfields Life aims to portray the full colour of life in London's East End. But who is the mysterious 'Gentle Author' behind this extraordinary work of social history?

Has confessional journalism gone too far?

Rachel Cusk published a memoir of the failure of her marriage, to a wave of controversy last week. Yvonne Roberts and Lucy Cavendish – who has often written about her family life – debate whether the rise of the 'confessional' narrative debases or enhances journalism

The future of reading: iPad, Kindle … and hardback

Peter Preston: It's not a surprise that ebooks are booming, nor that mass-market paperbacks are suffering. What's fascinating is how well hardback books are still selling, years after their death knell seemed to have been sounded

Louise Mensch: ‘We’re not all ogres’

She's the chick-lit author turned Conservative MP who is on a mission to change your mind about the Tories. She'll admit to drugs and bad dancing. She'll even openly admire Labour politicians. But what about a facelift? 'I'm not going to deny it…' She tells all to Decca Aitkenhead

Et cetera: non-fiction roundup – reviews

Steven Poole reviews Networked by Adrienne Russell | On Reading by Marcel Proust and John Ruskin, translated by Damion Searls | Such Stuff As Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction by Keith Oatley