At times, Mazorati’s critical tone takes away from the reading experience. Readers might get a fuller picture of Williams’s career by accompanying this book with the HBO series Being Serena, which is told in her own voice.
As with mysticism, highly personal accounts of Jesus run the risk of portraying the Jesus one wants to see, rather than encountering the transformative power of the Spirit. Bass neatly avoids most of this and so provides a portrait of Jesus for progressive Christians of all stripes that is as tangible, compelling, and biblical as the Christ of their more fundamentalist counterparts.
This isn’t a traditional “how-to” book; readers looking for explicit instructions for collage-making will be better served by Roxanne Evans Stout’s Storytelling with Collage. However, it will inspire readers interested in the ways artists use the creative process as a means for healing.
This would be a useful addition to public library craft collections, especially for teens and tweens, but it is not an essential purchase due to the omission of certain important sewing elements.
Weiner’s ability to take a complex, painful situation and spin it into an engaging, thoughtful story about women’s inner lives is showcased throughout this novel. The beautiful beachside settings and aspirational lifestyles that women’s fiction readers gravitate toward are on full display, but the depth of the story is what shines. A likely summer blockbuster, this will have readers looking forward to the third volume in trilogy.
This engaging character study by Mallery (The Vineyard at Painted Moon) is sure to please her many fans as well as readers of similar authors such as Nancy Thayer and Debbie Macomber.
An inspired-by story centered around Sadie and Ella’s friendship, Jenoff’s latest book (after The Lost Girls of Paris) takes place entirely in Kraków and moves back and forth between the perspectives of the two young women as they navigate war, love, loss, friendship, and family. This is a heartfelt, emotional tale about human connection, hope, survival, and struggle during one of humanity’s darkest moments.
Originally published in 2013, the book was reedited by author Mary Logue, and is now the first in a proposed four-book series featuring Sam Rivers. Fans of Paul Doiron’s The Poacher’s Son or the Joe Pickett books will appreciate this descriptive novel with an intriguing plot and well-written characters.
Dean (Red Snow) has written a horrific tale of human trafficking in this gripping and powerful novel. Recommended to fans of stories that explore the sheer human will and determination to escape unimaginable situations.
The new trailer for Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad gets a great deal of coverage for a May 14 release. The Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year by a Writer of Color and Sheikh Zayed Book Award shortlists are announced. Also, the 2021 Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize shortlist is announced. Oprah Winfrey’s upcoming book tour and April 27 release of new book What Happened to You makes news. Terry Crews discusses the new audiobook Stronger Together, co-written with his wife with lessons from his life and marriage. Phoebe Robinson, author of Please Don't Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes, speaks about the lack of diversity in publishing. A television series based on Greyboy: Finding Blackness In A White World is being developed. Concerns are being raised about a police officer’s book regarding the killing of Breonna Taylor. Lastly, there is an interview with Lawrence P. Jackson, author of a biography on Chester B. Himes on the importance of Black crime writers.
This is a serious yet fantastical look at relationships, family, and feminism, told in a singular voice; book groups should take note. The closest read-alikes are Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson, and Replay, by Ken Grimwood.
The 2021 RWA Vivan Finalists are announced by the Romance Writers of America. Also, the 2021 Whiting Award Winners are announced. Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile top the best sellers lists. News breaks about the “Bridgerton effect” on the romance genre and an adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Prince Philip’s Century by Robert Jobson gets an early release. The Root shares newly released books that could help readers heal from trauma. There is a cover reveal of Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson. Lauren Hough talks about Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing and Morgan Jerkins talks about Caul Baby.
The 2021 Hugo Award Finalists are announced including Best Novel. Rep. John Lewis’ Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation will be released on July 13, almost a year after his death while Richard Wright's The Man Who Lived Underground,will finally come out in its original form on April 20th. J.K. Rowling will release a new children’s book, The Christmas Pig in October. Natalie Portman will headline HBO's adaptation of Elena Ferrante's The Days of AbandonmentandThe Triumph of Nancy Reagan by Karen Tumulty continues to get attention. Plus, Bridgerton is renewed for two more seasons.
Jason Reynolds is set as the inaugural Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week. Fourth Estate and William Collins will introduce a modern classics list featuring titles from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Anthony Doerr, and more. Ottessa Moshfegh’s next novel, Lapvona, will be published by Penguin next summer. Oscar-winning director Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard announce The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, to be released in October. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson’s memoir The Lives of Brian drops this fall. Frank Marshall and director Barry Sonnenfeld will partner to adapt Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley into a 2D animated feature. Joe Cornish will direct the adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic Starlight and Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation will hit theaters on June 18th. Plus, a review of World Travel: An Irreverent Guide, in which the NYT asks "How Do You Write an Anthony Bourdain Book Without Anthony Bourdain?"
From retired judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, to Congo-born, Rwanda-raised refugee Dogon Mondiant, to Pulitzer Prize winner Farah Stockman, personal perspectives on social justice issues worldwide.
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Chris Hedges discusses the creation and staging of a play written by his students at East Jersey State Prison. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods expand on their Pulitzer Prize finalist podcast, Ear Hustle, launched at San Quentin State Prison. Two books in the surge of publications addressing the serious crisis of incarceration.
A long list of fan favorites will compete for readers’ attention as the holly is hung, with key reissues from Robyn Carr and Nora Roberts included in the mix.
Ocean Preyby John Sandford tops holds this week. Four LibraryReads selections arrive along with one IndieNext pick. The Orwell Prize Longlists are revealed. Ma Rainey's Black Bottomand Nomadland continue to garner film awards. John Boehner's memoir On the House: A Washington Memoirgets attention and Paula McLain's When the Stars Go Dark is People's 'Pick of the Week.'
Despite some flaws, this is an engaging read, recommended for those who enjoy outdoor writing, as well as for armchair (therefore very comfortable) critics of the modern lifestyle.
Well-researched, with an extensive bibliography and a useful glossary of key concepts. A fast-paced account that offers myriad recommendations for lifestyle changes to reduce exposure to the chemicals that Swan and Colino identify as threats to the future of humankind.
While academic in nature, these essays are accessible to general readers. Howard’s work is a solid addition to media studies sections in both public and academic libraries.
This entertaining, concise collection will entice fans of true crime and history. Readers may also enjoy Mike Rothmiller’s True Crime Chronicles: Serial Killers, Outlaws, and Justice…Real Crime Stories from the 1800s.
This bizarre, gripping, yet balanced account of a charismatic man and an enterprise that prospered under the guise of religion will appeal to true crime fans and those interested in religious cults, including readers of Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief.
Rodenberg writes with an evocative and unflinching style, despite sometimes jarring shifts in narrative. This is a richly nuanced portrait of people and place, along with the bounds of forgiveness. Good for biography readers eager to explore the complexities of family relationships, or readers interested in women’s lives in Appalachia.
A humanistic investigative documentation of the legal and political battle of DAPL. It will appeal to readers interested in Indigenous movements, environmental movements, and the historical significance of this protest.
Reeves shows that battles can reveal heroism not through victories but at a basic level of survival. He has produced an evocative account of the human costs of the Civil War.
The St. Cyr series, and this entry in particular (following Who Speaks for the Damned), is highly recommended for readers who want their history appropriately dark and gritty, their politics dirty and corrupt, and their mystery fascinating, convoluted, and just as relevant now as it was then. Sebastian St. Cyr, with his foot in the aristocracy and his eye on justice, is a hero to be followed into whatever dark corner he investigates.
Spencer, author of various series featuring police officers (“Jennie Redhead”; “Monika Paniatowski”) offers an intense, convoluted stand-alone. It’s not always easy to piece together Rob’s twisted thoughts and the police investigation, but readers who enjoy Spencer’s works might want to try.
Readers who enjoy historical mysteries with a touch of romance will enjoy the period details and strong female characters, as well as Ella’s colorful parrot, Montezuma.
Fans of the series will want to read this book in one sitting. It’s wickedly full of twists, turns, and a dizzying array of pop culture references and witticisms.
This mystery has dark elements that contrast with the beautiful locale; it will please fans of the series, as well as those who appreciate noir novels in general. The characters are well developed, with their faults laid out for readers. The several strands of the plot are all brought together quite acceptably in the denouement, except for Cal’s earlier crime, which is left to readers’ imagination; the author intends this to be the last book in the series.
This novel’s engaging entertainment is enhanced by its dual time line that uncovers Juliet’s secrets, and a plot enlivened by coincidences and romance. A must-read for Bowen fans and historical fiction enthusiasts.
The New York Public Library announces the Young Lions Fiction Award finalists, the Guggenheim Fellows of 2021 are announced, and the PEN America Literary Award Winners were celebrated last evening. Emma Cline, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, Stephen Graham Jones, and Elizabeth McCracken get focused attention. Vanity Fair writes more about the Pence book deal and the other Trump books that are in the works. Nine new adaptations hit screens this weekend and into the week ahead. A trailer is out for The Woman in the Window.
Much like the movie it dissects, this book is quirky and intelligent, with surprising revelations. A treat for cinephiles and fans of the Coen brothers.
This exhaustively detailed book will engage general readers interested in civic duty and privacy. Contemporary journalistic treatments of the confirmation will have to suffice until historical perspective produces what scholars may consider a definitive account.
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman tops the bestseller lists. EarlyWord’s April GalleyChat is posted. S. & S. plans to publish Mike Pence’s autobiography. He now has a two-book deal. The April Earphones Awards are out, as are the April Loan Stars picks. Torrey Peters discusses the Women’s Prize nomination. Granta offers "The Best Of Young Spanish-Language Novelists 2." Worldcon moves to December. There is cast news for the Apple TV+ adaptation of Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent and Amazon is adapting The Peripheral by William Gibson.
William C. Kashatus writes an essential work on the Underground Railroad. Dorothy Wickenden fills a gap in the telling of women's and abolitionist history.
Deesha Philyaw wins the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Northern Spy by Flynn Berry is the April Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. ALA released the Top 10 Most Challenged Books this week offering a sobering snapshot of censorship in America. Brandi Carlile's memoir Broken Horses continues to get raves while Dave Grohl will release a memoir in October. Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize winning The Sympathizerwill be developed as a TV series with Park Chan-wook to direct. Plus, a rare 1938 Superman comic sells for record breaking $3.25M.
A diary turns up that hints at a romance young Jacqueline Bouvier had as an exchange student in Paris in 1949. It’s been a secret for seventy years. Lucie Montgomery discovers this clandestine affair between someone she loves and the most famous, fiercely private women in American history.
Where in our origin story and with what force did our foundation crack so deep that, without even realizing it and with just one breeze, we crumbled down on top of ourselves, unable to get back on our feet? We can’t shake ourselves and stand up again, and even if we could, we are not what we used to be before the collapse. – from I’ll Be Strong For You
For LJ’s annual graphic novel and manga preview, our special investigation into the trends and current state of the format, we asked publishers what trends and concepts they’re seeing in the genre. The findings? The industry is expanding in new and exciting ways, from beloved webcomics finally being featured in print, to changes in ebook sales and new influences from other forms of media.
We talked to Mariko Tamaki about Surely Books, her new line of graphic novels with Abrams ComicArts. The fall 2021 Surely Books titles are previewed in LJ’s April 2021 graphic novels preview.
The Today show's 'Read with Jenna' book club pick for April is Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. James McBride's Deacon King Kong wins inaugural Gotham Prize. The City We Became by N.K Jemisin wins the British Science Fiction Association Award for best novel. Helen Oyeyemi gets attention with her new novel, Peaces. Rachel Kushner is back with a book of essays, and Godzilla vs. Kong is still smashing records. Fonda Lee writes about ARC's and equity. Readers are picking up Hemingway again with six of his novels in the top 20 Amazon Movers and Shakers. Plus,HBO announces "The Iron Anniversary," a month-long celebration in honor of the 10th anniversary of the premiere of A Game of Thrones.
From the American Revolution and Africa and the African diaspora, to the Middle Ages and the Middle East, to history itself, new views on what happened.
On March 29, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp announced that it will acquire the Books & Media segment of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), which will be operated by one of its subsidiaries, HarperCollins Publishers. For a cash purchase price of $349 million, HarperCollins, one of the “big five” U.S. publishing companies, has significantly added to its backlist by acquiring the consumer publishing business. HMH has stated that it will transition to focus exclusively on K–12 education and digital sales.
Essential titles reviewed in our April 2021 print issue, spanning mystery & suspense, sf/fantasy, romance, graphic novels, horror, fiction, social sciences, and more.
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez tops the holds lists this week. The 2021 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Winners have been announced, including Deacon King Kong by James McBride. Eight LibraryReads picks arrive this week along with five Indie Next selections. People picks Red Island House by Andrea Lee as its book of the week. Jenny Lawson gets 4 stars from USA Today. Philip Roth: The Biography gets reviewed. Haruki Murakami's First Person Singular comes out this week. Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman earn SAG awards for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Plus, Pennie's final pick before retiring, Remember by Lisa Genova, is in April's Costco Connection.
Rao (coauthor, Centaur) makes her solo debut with a novel rich in imagery and emotions. It challenges the reader to look deep into the characters through their actions, as an almost omniscient narrative voice hints at their future. Love or hate them, they are memorable. Recommended.
Mellow’s (The Animal Under the Fur) exciting premise is rather slow to start, and the romantic heat between Larkyra and Darius is tepid until the very end. Although the teenage heroine gives the book young adult crossover potential, readers will be left uncertain why Larkyra was in the dark as to Darius’s motives.
Over the course of the book, readers will discover what caused the rift between Holly and Samantha. However, the most engaging part of the story is how the characters dig themselves out of their ruts in order to give themselves a chance to look toward the future.
This debut novel will appeal to historical fiction readers, Francophiles, those who enjoy stories about mother-daughter relationships, and fans of Woody Allen’s 2011 movie, Midnight in Paris. The historical mystery, beautiful setting, and vivid characters make this a must-read.
This atmospheric and fast-paced novel is a welcome addition to the series. Those who enjoy the interaction between Daniel and Miriam fford Croft may be disappointed since she only makes a brief appearance in this novel. Recommended to fans of historical British mysteries, such as those by Charles Finch and Charles Todd, as well as fans of Perry’s other series.
Bohjalian’s (Midwives) historical novel is full of twists and turns. Though not a typical suspense novel, the story has many of the page-turning plot lines of a thriller, and is sure to keep readers enthralled. Though it’s set in the 1600s, Mary’s story resonates today, as it addresses the role religious and societal expectations can play in the lives of individuals. A must-read and highly recommended.
The latest from Kubica (The Good Girl; The Other Mrs.) will appeal to fans of Lisa Jackson and Gregg Olsen and readers who enjoy missing-persons novels. The twists, turns, and an unpredictable ending make it irresistible.
For fans of true crime and podcasts such as Serial, this riveting mock podcast docudrama ratchets up the suspense as readers glimpse every angle of the story from a 360–degree view.
Will appeal to fans of travel books who enjoy additional background and history of destinations; particularly good for readers familiar with the areas around Russia.
Brisk and entertaining, this biography should draw the attention of readers interested in the social effects of the Spiritualist movement, or in 19th-century women’s history.
Lewis interweaves her own account of being a pregnant teen and her extensive research, to tie proposed solutions directly to facts. A complementary work is Melanie Watkins’s Taking My Medicine, although Watkins’s book is more memoir than research.
A sensitive paean to an oft-overlooked region of the United States and the young women who live there. Recommended for readers seeking books with a strong sense of place or about girls facing the challenges of the 21st century.
An instructive book about Civil War generalship that will engage and inform anyone interested in the dynamics of command from the perspective of those in charge.
Based on interviews and ideas replete in Sowell’s innumerable books, this biography is seasoned with selections from the economist’s sardonic quips. While many will disagree with his proposals, few should disregard his impact.
Gable’s suggestions are well written and thoughtfully conveyed; university administrators and others interested in higher education will find much to consider.
Although it’s fascinating as a history, Webb’s body of work is artistically underwhelming; it resembles a really good Life magazine photo-essay, but it lacks the éclat of photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Malick Sidibé. This narrative of Webb’s photos and their creation will engage primarily readers who are already interested in the medium and the message.
This funny, charming, and inspiring look into the world behind the footlights will delight fans of musical theater and those hoping to see their own names in lights someday.
While there is a bit of a reliance on “the enemy” to explain bad behavior, Carpenter’s message is basically a hopeful one that emphasizes her concept of God’s love.