The air is crisp, the sky is blue, and the press cycle is fresh. That’s right! At long last, we’ve entered my favorite season of all: Franzen season. This morning, WSJ Magazine published a profile of Jonathan Franzen in advance of Read more >
Nothing like new books to shake up that old TBR pile. * Richard Powers, Bewilderment (W. W. Norton) “Impressively precise in its scientific conjectures, Bewilderment is no less rich or wise in its emotionality. Moreover, science fiction is not just Read more >
You might think you love Dostoevsky, but do you love him more than Dario Gambarin does? To commemorate the writer’s 200th birthday (which is technically not until November 11th), the Italian land artist carved his likeness in 25,000 meters of Read more >
On Sunday night, I May Destroy You showrunner Michaela Coel won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. In the context of yet another melanin-deficient awards show that had people tweeting #EmmysSoWhite, it was Read more >
“The glossies really aren’t buying very edgy, challenging short fiction these days,” Chuck Palahniuk says. “That type of fiction doesn’t really have a market anymore.” Though he’s not taking the helm of a legacy publication, the Fight Club author hopes Read more >
Recently, we heard about Netflix’s forthcoming adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s famously banned book Lady Chatterley’s Lover (apparently it’s going to be raunchier than Bridgerton, which does seem only fair). To prepare yourself, you may want to start with this video Read more >
Longwood University has revealed the five finalists for the 2021 John Dos Passos Prize, the oldest literary award granted by a university or college in Virginia. The prize, now in its 40th year, seeks to recognize the country’s “most talented Read more >
Today, the Library of Congress announced that bestselling author Jason Reynolds will serve as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for a third year. Reynolds’s extended appointment is an unprecedented event in the history of the program. The position, which Read more >
For the last eight years, beloved Reading Rainbow star and podcast host LeVar Burton had his sights set on becoming Jeopardy!’s host—and when the search for Alex Trebek’s replacement went public, it seemed like Burton might actually get his dream Read more >
Have you ever wanted to inhabit the shirtless and bemuscled body of an aging Ernest Hemingway as he delivers a straight-up ass-whooping to HP Lovecraft, who can’t even be fucked to take off his trench coat? Ok, look, don’t answer Read more >
Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle, Joy Williams’ Harrow, Margaret Renkl’s Graceland, at Last, and Mary Roach’s Fuzz all feature among the best reviewed books of the week. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.” Fiction Read more >
We’re finally getting that How I Met Your Mother spin-off! Yes, in case you haven’t heard, filming for How I Met Your Father has begun. It stars Hilary Duff—always and forever Lizzie McGuire to me, but she did recently capture the Read more >
Good news for the rich and thin! New York City’s narrowest home is 9 1/2 feet wide, and—of course—is on the market for just under five million dollars. On its own, this news wouldn’t be worthy of inclusion in our Read more >
We’ve run the numbers over at Book Marks and it’s now official: with 67 professional reviews (and counting), Sally Rooney’s all-conquering third novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, is the most reviewed book of all time*. Yes, in less than Read more >
These past few weeks, Pennsylvania’s Central York School District students have been protesting outside their schools after their school board’s conversation about a proposed diversity curriculum turned into a list of banned books. Last October, the Central York school board Read more >
25 years ago today Oprah Winfrey launched what would soon become the most powerful and influential force in American publishing: Oprah’s Book Club. Each month for over fourteen years, the beloved talk show host, cultural tastemaker, and undisputed “Queen of Read more >
Mary Shelley was goth before it was cool. She wrote Frankenstein—sometimes described as the world’s first science fiction novel—as part of a horror story writing game. She lost her virginity to Percy Shelley on top of her mother’s grave. (To Read more >
On this day in 1968, Wild author Cheryl Strayed was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania. At this point, the former Dear Sugar columnist needs no introduction. However, like many authors, Strayed’s success occurred after years of considerable struggle. In an interview with Manjula Read more >
Today, the National Book Foundation announced their longlist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. This year’s longlist features three debuts and includes, appropriately for this year, many novels that ask questions about the nature of home. These ten Read more >
Today, the National Book Foundation announced their longlist for the 2021 National Book Award for Nonfiction. This year’s judges for the National Book Award in Nonfiction are Eula Biss, Aaron John Curtis, Nell Painter, Kate Tuttle, and Jerald Walker. The Read more >
