June is nearing its end, and though I come bearing no good news about the fate of the world—it remains as destructively chaotic as last week, if not more so—I do come bearing some good tidings: that new books are here. Lord of the Flies! 22 new books out today.">Read more >
Happy belated Juneteenth! The destruction of slavery is one of the greatest achievements in our nation’s history, and I hope you took some time to reflect on it yesterday. From my perch in New York City, it’s been a hot Read more >
It was another rough one out there. Lots of bad news, no two ways around it. Sensations sustained us. We got by on the grace of soft old poodle fur, and bright bites. We took heart in rooting for the this week.">Read more >
Ursula K. Le Guin Foundation has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction, which awards $25,000 each year to the author of a book who best represents the legendary writer’s literary, moral, and aesthetic Read more >
Photo from brianwilson.com Beach Boy Brian Wilson, the American genius and big time Norbit fan, passed away last week. He wrote some of the greatest pop songs of all time, and to honor the departed musician, I’ve curated a playlist/reading Read more >
What’s behind a theme park? Often as not, a good yarn. When I was little, my family sometimes found itself at Story Land in New Hampshire. This park—and many others like it around the world—loosely celebrates fairy and folk tales, Read more >
The summer continues on, a summer already marked by corybantic chaos in America and abroad. Sometimes, I must admit, it feels so strange to see the horrors of the world in one moment and think about recommending books in the Read more >
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction reward books that meet “George Orwell’s own ambition ‘to make political writing into an art.'” This year, the finalists include plenty of heavy-hitters, writing about a wide Read more >
It’s been a long, hot week but the weekend is here. New books came out, some musical greats exited, and Trump and his hogmen continued to wreak havoc. Missed anything? Here are some quick Venns to keep you up to Read more >
Last night at the New York Public Library, Alexander Sammartino won the Young Lions Fiction award for his debut novel Last Acts. This was the 25th year of the Young Lions Award, which comes with a $10,000 prize. Last Acts Read more >
We’re celebrating inter-species friendship this week. It’s a season of frogs, toads, raccoons, and genetically engineered extra-terrestrial life forms. IRL, we’re running on gossip, post-punk, and visions of a strong local government. It’s getting hot out. So we’re skipping town this week.">Read more >
Today, the UK’s Women’s Prize Trust announced the winner of the 30th Women’s Prize for Fiction, which “champions excellence, originality, and accessibility in women’s writing,” and is awarded to the best novel of each year written in English and published Read more >
If you believe the American media, two industries are responsible for the whole wheel of culture. One’s in New York and makes print matter, and one’s in Los Angeles and makes :pops in cigar: motion pictures. Hollywood’s long been self-infatuated. A list of pairings.">Read more >
Another win for freedom to read legislation on the West Coast this week, as Oregon’s state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1098 on Monday, a bill that will protect access to books in school libraries. It’s great news: books Read more >
This weekend is Father’s Day. For all who celebrate a father figure, and for all those who would like to gift said father figure a book on this most illustrious of holidays, I’ve put together the following flow chart. Whatever Read more >
David Means, the author of six story collections (including Assorted Fire Events and Two Nurses, Smoking), has won this year’s PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. Since 1998, the award has been given in honor Read more >
Image from Reuters/Mike Blake It’s one of those weeks that already feels like a month: the Gaza relief ship Madleen has been illegally seized in the middle of their peace mission by Israel, Trump and his hogmen have put a Read more >
June rolls on, and I come bearing tidings, as always, of exciting new books out today to consider. (One of these, the self-styled queer-chaotic anthology Be Gay, Do Crime actually came out last week; I missed it last week by Read more >
Omar Hamad is a Palestinian writer and pharmacist bearing witness to genocide in his home of Gaza. He writes about stolen love, safety and peace, and the reality of life on the ground. * I walk barefoot on the embers "I once wrote with ink, today I write with ashes."">Read more >
Happy June! Hope your summer is getting off to a good start! For me, summer means batching a ton of cold brew and keeping myself constantly slathered in SPF ∞. Speaking of getting roasted, the worst people in the world Read more >
