reviews

Kirkus publishes its spring 2025 preview. Mystery Writers of America names Laura Lippman and John Sandford as its Grand Masters for 2025. Matt Bomer will narrate a new audiobook of Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. Melville House plans to publish a paperback version of the Jack Smith report shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Fantasy Magazine will be relaunched this spring. Plus new title bestsellers and interviews with Mike Mignola, Scott Turow, and Pico Iyer.

George Lichman fights crime and reads it too.

She has a wonderful talent for situating books within larger contexts and discourses, allowing librarians to understand how different works might fit within their communities.

In reviews that showcase his enjoyment and knowledge of speculative fiction, Matthew accurately and expressively describes plot details and thoughtfully conveys the reading experience, along with offering apt comparisons and read-alikes.

In every review, TJ’s storytelling ability reflects his exceptional talent to capture each book’s premise and get to its core.

In reviews that offer insight, invitation, and illumination, these four LJ reviewers showcase the life-affirming work of reading and writing about books.

Nat Cassidy is a playwright of off-off-Broadway speculative works and an established actor of stage and television, where he usually plays monsters and villains. He is also the author of the horror novels Mary, Nestlings, and the forthcoming When the Wolf Comes Home. He talks with LJ about the horror genre, his theater background, and indie publishing.

The Dublin Literary Award longlist is announced. Jose Ando and Yui Suzuki win Japan’s Akutagawa literary prize, and Shin Iyohara wins the Naoki prize. The Millions releases its “Great Winter 2025 Preview.” LJ recognizes four reviewers of the year. Neil Gaiman responds to misconduct allegations. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly. Interviews arrive with Rebecca Yarros, Aria Aber, Shane Burcaw and Hannah Burcaw, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and Marie Kondo. Plus, People shares an excerpt from Suzanne Collins’s forthcoming “Hunger Games” novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, due out March 18.

The winners of the Nero Book Awards are announced. Peter Gizzi wins the T.S. Eliot Prize for his poetry collection Fierce Elegy. Kaya Press receives the Constellation Award. Earlyword’s January GalleyChat spreadsheet is out now. The Giller Prize will feature writers longlisted for the 2024 award in a new online book club. Multiple women accuse author Neil Gaiman of sexual abuse in a new Vulture story. CrimeReads shares an excerpt from Ruth Ware’s forthcoming novel, The Woman in Suite 11, due out July 8. Plus, a new £2 coin in Britain will feature George Orwell to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the author’s death.