Dave Eggers Books

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Dave Eggers is an American author and editor that writes fiction and non-fiction books about social subjects that matter to him. Born in 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts, Eggers lost his parents at the worst possible time.

His father, a lawyer, died from cancer in the early 1990s. His mother, a school teacher, also died of cancer. This was within the same period. Eggers, whose family moved to Lake Forest (near Chicago) when he was a child, had enrolled at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).

If everything had gone according to plan, he would have acquired a journalism degree. The loss, on its own, wasn’t enough to derail the author’s life. However, along with two older siblings, Eggers had Christopher, a young brother, to consider.

While Eggers was 21 at the time, Christopher was only eight. He was in desperate need of a guardian. Their sister, Beth, was in law school. The older brother, Bill, was equally occupied with his job. Neither sibling could commit the time it would take to care for the boy.

It eventually fell on the author to look after Christopher. This meant leaving the University of Illinois. The pair lived with Beth for a while before finding their own place in Berkley, California. While Christopher attended private school, Eggers worked for a local newspaper as a freelancer.

His first big break came when Eggers and a friend of his (David Moodle) took control of ‘Cups, a local publication that eventually became ‘Might’, a magazine known for its satire. The author also wrote for Salon.com.

But for the longest time, he was primarily known for his work with ‘Might’. The magazine had a strong following. Readers loved the irreverent humor. Unfortunately, the loyalty of Eggers’ reader wasn’t enough to keep it open.

‘Might’ wasn’t profitable enough, which is why it went out of business in 1997. As far as his publishing efforts are concerned, Dave Eggers wrote a memoir that chronicled the struggles he faced while raising his brother.

Despite being his first book, the memoir became a bestseller. It also earned the author Pulitzer Prize recognition. That was in 2000. Two years later, ‘You Shall Know Our Velocity’, Eggars’ first fiction novel was published. He followed it up with a collection of short stories and a book of interviews with former prisoners that were previously sentenced to death.

Eggars took a break from publishing for a few years before returning in the 2010s to pen novels like The Circle for which the public knows him. Besides writing fiction and nonfiction, the author is a musician and a visual artist. He spends his days contributing to the success of McSweeney’s, a publishing house he co-founded.

Dave Eggars Awards

The author has accumulated a decent collection of accolades. The collection includes the Washington Post Best Book of the Year, The New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, Salon Book Award, PEN Center USA Award, International Dublin Literary Award, TED Prize, and a Pulitzer Prize nomination, to mention but a few.

Dave Eggars Books into Movies

‘A Hologram for the King’ and ‘The Circle’ became films.

Best Dave Eggars Books

Eggars is married to Vendela Vida, a novelist. They have two children. Some of his best works include:

Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: When their parents die from cancer within a month of each other, Eggars is left to care for his 8-year-old brother. His older siblings, Bill and Beth, are much too busy to watch the boy. Eggars eventually moves to California with Christopher and Beth.

There, he tries to balance his roles as Christopher’s brother and parent. The memoir chronicles his efforts to give Christopher the most well-adjusted upbringing possible. Eggars wants to live the life of a normal 21-year-old but he must make sacrifices to protect Christopher.

The Circle: Mae can’t believe her fortune. The Circle has just given her a job. The Circle is the world’s most powerful internet company. She loves their campus, not just the night-long parties, dining facilities, and cozy dorms but all the athletic activities and the famous musicians that keep making unexpected appearances.

But once Mae’s work begins in earnest, she finds it all but impossible to maintain her connection to the world outside The Circle.

When Does The Next Dave Eggers book come out?

Dave Eggers doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is McSweeney's Issue 70 and was released on May, 18th 2023.

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