The 10 best words the internet has given English (Tom Chatfield, The Guardian)

From hashtags to LOLs to Cupertinos and Scunthorpe problems, Tom Chatfield picks the most interesting neologisms drawn from the digital world.

Caught from the net … the hashtag Photograph: Alamy.

My book Netymology: A Linguistic Celebration of the Digital World is about the stories behind new words. I’ve been an etymology addict since I was a teenager, and especially love unpicking technological words.

It’s a great reminder of how messily human the stories behind even our sleekest creations are – not to mention delightful curiosities in their own right.

Guardian US picks: the books we most enjoyed in 2014 (Guardian US staff, The Guardian)

The staff of Guardian US share their most satisfying reads this year from mystery novels to memoirs to national security reportage.

Shelf help: did you make a dent in your bookshelf this year? Photograph: Rob Whitworth/Alamy.

Who knew the United Nations could be so exciting? Murder, intrigue and a beguiling protagonist make Adam LeBor’s international thriller The Washington Stratagem a gripping and enticing read.

Ed Pilkington, chief reporter (@Edpilkington)