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“There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe … the sun in the heavens and The Associated Press down here.”
— Mark Twain
* * MORE BOOK NEWS! * *
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MARCH 2023
BOOK NEWS!
March 31, 2023
What Should You Read Next?
Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month
By Book Marks — Literary Hub
Featuring New Titles by Eleanor Catton, Catherine Lacey, Matthew Desmond, Sebastian Barry, and More.
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March 31, 2023
50 new sci-fi, fantasy,and horror books
By Cheryl Eddy — Gizmodo
Exciting new releases from Brandon Sanderson, Cory Doctorow, io9 co-founder Charlie Jane Anders, and so many more.
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March 30, 2023
10 Books to Read in April
By Becky Meloan — The Washington Post
A poet explores her divorce, a Black doctor shares his experience, and a novel imagines life in a second American Civil War.
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Cyber punk Is Alive, Evolving, and More Relevant Than Ever
Just what is that? I don’t even know what that is!
By Lavanya Lakshminarayan — GIZMODO
There’s a long-standing tradition in the arts, whether it’s literature, film, music, or all pop culture in general: every once in a while, someone comes along and proclaims a genre irrevocably dead. The jury’s been out on cyberpunk for decades.
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March 29, 2023
Life in the Aftermath
Books that explore what happens after things go wrong
By Tara Conklin— LitHub
Novels That Hinge on the Great Before/After
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of a dramatic before/after. What is the single event that separates one period of time from the next? What causes a person, a community, an era to shift from one state to another?
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March 29, 2023
Ten Stories About Wolves
By Erica Berry — The Guardian
Writers including Angela Carter, Karen Russell and Jiang Rong have looked into the eyes of an animal that roams widely through our stories and stalks our collective imagination.
Is it because wolves are one of the most widely distributed land mammals on earth – from tideline to tundra, desert to grassland – that they also roam so widely through our stories? Or is it because of what we share as apex predators, both of us known to wander away from our families when we are young, mate for life, raise young collaboratively and, as Plato pointed out, sometimes kill our own kind?
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March 28, 2023
9 Twisty Suspense Novels
You won’t be able to put down
By Sarah S. Davis — BookRiot
Who doesn’t love a good twisty thriller? The best thrillers know how to pull the rug from under you with big-time reveals that make you rethink everything you have just read.
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March 27, 2023
April 2023 Reading Guide
By The Real Book Spy
Welcome to April, thriller fans!
After a strong month for must-read new books in March, it’s time to re-load and start planning out your book-buying budget for the next four weeks. Thankfully, there’s once again a great lineup of new books set to hit stores shelves.
LINK:
March 27, 2023
10 New Books
Coming out this week
By CrimeReads
New offerings from the world of crime, mystery, and thrillers.
Another week, another batch of books for your TBR pile. Happy reading, folks.
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March 24, 2023
Writing Vietnam
Four novelists talk about what it means to capture the war and its aftermath in their work
Perspective by Nick Hilden — The Washington Post
Nguyen Phan Que Mai, Tim O’Brien, Nguyen Viet Thanh and Karl Marlantes
This month marks 50 years since the United States withdrew from Vietnam. While the country’s civil war would drag on for another two years, by the end of March 1973 U.S. military involvement was effectively finished, as America extracted its combat forces, progressively reduced material support to its southern allies, and narrowed its presence to a smattering of diplomatic and CIA advisory personnel operating out of the American Embassy in what was still known as Saigon — today, Ho Chi Minh City.
Two years later, the world watched in shock when the final remainders of the U.S. presence fled the fall of Saigon, leaving their South Vietnamese collaborators to their fates as North Vietnamese tanks entered the city.
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March 24, 2023
March 2023 Best Debut Novels
By CrimeReads
Check out the best new debut novels in crime, mystery, and thrillers.
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March 23, 2023
50 years of the long goodbye
By Matthew Redmond — CrimeReads
Reflections from Elliot Gould and from the long, complicated legacy of a private eye film made for a new era.
Last month, San Francisco’s distinguished Castro Theater provided the setting for a birthday party of sorts. The Long Goodbye, a 1973 neo-noir thriller, based on the 1953 novel by celebrated pulp scribe Raymond Chandler, was about to turn fifty. The guest of honor, star Elliott Gould, preceded the screening with fun and happily meandering reminiscences about the film and his exceptional career.
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March 23, 2023
5 Book Reviews
To read this week
By Book Marks — LitHub
Our fistful of fabulous reviews this week includes Dwight Garner on Catherine Lacey’s Biography of X, Sam Adler-Bell on Janet Malcolm’s Still Pictures, Anthony Domestico on Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood, Jennifer Szalai on Kerry Howley’s Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs, and Melissa Harrison on Sebastian Barry’s Old God’s Time.
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March 23, 2023
Using Life Experiences
To craft an authentic spy novel
By Brittany Butler — Writer’s Digest
Author Brittany Butler discusses her first-hand knowledge in using life experience to craft an authentic spy novel.
I’ve been writing The Syndicate Spy in my head for years. You see, I’m a former CIA targeting officer with first-hand knowledge in the recruitment and handling of spies and the dismantling of terrorist networks abroad. I adore thrillers and spy novels. But none of the books I have read and loved have come close to telling what it was really like for a woman working at the CIA.
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March 22, 2023
New Book Recommendations
By BuzzFeedNews
Check ’em out!
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March 21, 2023
Espionage Book Recommendations
From a former spy
By Brittany Butler — CrimeReads
Brittany Butler on spy reads and how they hold up to actual intelligence work.
When you work at the CIA, you’re taught that everything you do is a secret. You need to be invisible. But when I sit down to read a spy novel, it’s difficult to divorce my experiences from what I’m reading. But what I find fascinating is when authors manage to capture the true essence of espionage after having never worked in intelligence.
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March 21, 2023
Crime Novels
Set against the backdrop of reality TV
By CrimeReads
These books use reality television to parse the difference between appearance and truth.
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March 20, 2023
10 Physics Books to Answer Your Questions
About life, the universe and everything
By Senjuti Patra — BookRiot
Physics, as a science that tries to understand how the universe really works, is fascinating and inspiring — not only to scientists and academics, but also to lay readers and writers of speculative fiction. It is the science that most frequently veers into the territory of philosophy.
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March 20, 2023
10 New Books
Coming out this week
By CrimeReads
New offerings from the world of crime, mystery, and thrillers.
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March 20, 2023
Most Influential Sci-Fi Books
Of the past 10 years
By K.W. Colyard — BookRiot
Are you ready to read some stellar science fiction? Well, then, you’re in luck. I’ve pulled together a list of the most influential sci-fi books of the past 10 years, and you’re going to want to add them all to your TBR.
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March 16, 2023
5 Book Reviews
To read this week
By Book Marks — LitHub
Our treasure trove of terrific reviews this week includes Margaret Talbot on Matthew Desmond’s Poverty, by America, Laura Miller on Ron DeSantis’ The Courage to Be Free, Sarah Moss on Idra Novey’s Take What You Need, Lydia Moland on Regan Penaluna’s How to Think Like a Woman, and Gabino Iglesias on Margaret Atwood’s Old Babes in the Wood.
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March 15, 2023
America’s Most Recession-Proof Business
It’s bookstores!
By Emily Temple — LitHub
Yep, that’s right—not NFTs! Shocking, I know. According to a Forbes Advisor analysis, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Google Trends, bookstores are projected to be the most recession-proof type of U.S. business in 2023, followed by PR firms, interior design services, staffing agencies, and marketing consulting services.
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March 14, 2023
16 New Books
To get your hands on this week
By Gabrielle Bellot — LitHub
A bunch of exciting new books are out today from authors new and old alike! There’s definitely something here for everyone’s TBR pile.
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March 14, 2023
31 New Books Coming Out This Spring
By BuzzFeedNews
From dystopian literary fiction to a new Emily Henry romance — these are the books you need to preorder ASAP!
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March 7, 2023
6 New Books
To get your hands on this week
By Gabrielle Bellot — LitHub
Here are some fascinating new books to check out this week!
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March 6, 2023
10 New Books
Coming out this week
By CrimeReads
New offerings from the world of crime, mystery, and thrillers.
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March 4, 2023
10 New Fantasy and SF Books
Coming in March
By Daniel Roman — FanSided
Another month, another round of new fantasy and science fiction books hitting the shelves at your local bookstore! Plenty of great books have already come out in January and February of 2023, and March promises to be no different.
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March 2, 2023
Culture War in the Stacks
Librarians marshal against rising book bans
By Hannah Allam — The Washington Post
Facing smear campaigns and death threats, librarians are on the front lines of what they call an urgent battle for intellectual freedom.
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March 1, 2023
March’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
New reads from Max Gladstone, Shannon Chakraborty, Moses Ose Utomi, and More
By Natalie Zutter — LitHub
Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of weirdly shifting winter weather patterns, but at least if we’re hibernating longer we’ve got plenty of promising new releases to read: March is a banner month for new SFF!
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March 1, 2023
10 Crime Novels
You should read this March
By CrimeReads
Featuring new books from Alma Katsu, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Swanson, and more.
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FEBRUARY 2023
BOOK NEWS!
February 28, 2023
The Best New Crime Shows
coming out in march
By Dwyer Murphy — CrimeReads
Spies in sweaters, mysteries on ships, pop star obsessions, and more.
There’s something for just about everyone coming out. If you’re like me, the new Kim Philby limited series based on the Ben Macintyre book is the highlight—the knitwear alone might be worth the price of admission
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February 28, 2023
The Best Books Out This Week
new releases tuesday
By Erica Ezeifedi — Book Riot
It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for new books! Here are a few of the books out today you should add to your TBR.
LINK:
February 28, 2023
11 New Books
to read right now!
By Katie Yee — LitHub
We’re getting out of the winter blues, you guys! The sun is setting later and later, and you know what that means: more daylight hours for reading books.
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February 27, 2023
11 Best Book Covers
of February 2023
By Emily Temple — LitHub
Another month of books, another month of book covers. Here are some favorites!
LINK:
February 27, 2023
10 New Books
Coming out this week
By CrimeReads
New offerings from the world of crime, mystery, and thrillers.
LINK:
Now Available! February 27, 2023
On Writing Your First Novel
The Journey of a Wannabe Novelist
By Stephen Haunts
From developing intriguing plots and complex characters to word processing and formatting tools, through to staying healthy and motivated as a writer, this book covers everything a first-time novelist needs to know. Whether you’re just starting out or struggling to get your book off the ground, On Writing Your First Novel provides the guidance and motivation you need to turn your writing dreams into reality.
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February 27, 2023
Mysteries — How to Write
By K.M. Weiland
Mystery is one of the most popular fiction genres of all time. At its simplest, the genre is a puzzle for audiences and characters to figure out together. At its most complex, mystery offers a deep-dive into humanity’s most pressing existential questions and threats.
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February 21, 2023
The Best Plot Twists in Mystery
By Rupert Holmes — CrimeReads
As a reader I live for twists, plot turns, gasp-inducing reveals and reversals . . . and as a novelist and playwright, my characters live or die by them as well.
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February 21, 2023
5 New Mysteries and Thrillers
to help get you through winter
By Bethanne Patrick — NPR
The long days of January and February usually herald some great reads featuring crime, suspense and — everyone’s favorite — murder. This year’s new releases include works involving several unique communities from indigenous reindeer herders to sexy would-be authors to students at a pretty unusual academy.
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February 14, 2023
Rachel Koller Croft: The Thrill of Victims
By Robert Brewer — Writer’s Digest
Author and screenwriter Rachel Koller Croft discusses the process of writing her new thriller novel, Stone Cold Fox.
Elevator pitch for the book: Gone Girl meets Luckiest Girl Alive in this page-turning debut novel about a young woman who’s worked her way into one of the country’s wealthiest families—armed with the skills she learned from her con artist mother.
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February 14, 2023
18 New Books
to borrow from your local library
By Katie Yee — LitHub
Clear your schedules! This week, we see the publication of new books by Zadie Smith, Greta Thunberg, Alejandro Zambra, and more!
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February 13, 2023
Book Review: Anaximander
and the nature of science
Reviewed By Tim Adams — The Guardian
Something very startling happened in Miletus, the ancient Greek city on the modern Turkish coast, in about 600BC. That something, physicist Carlo Rovelli argues in this enjoyable and provocative little book, occurred in the interaction between two of the place’s greatest minds. The first, Thales, one of the seven sages of ancient Greece, is often credited as the pioneer in applying deductive reasoning to geometry and astronomy; he used his mathematics, for example, to predict solar eclipses. Wondrous as this was, it was the reaction of the second man, Thales’s fellow citizen, Anaximander, 11 years his junior that, Rovelli argues, changed the world.
Anaximander: “the first human to argue that rain was caused by the observable movements of air and the heat of the sun rather than the intervention of gods”.
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February 10, 2023
What Should You Read Next?
the Best Reviewed Books of the Week
By Book Marks — Literary Hub
Featuring new titles by Mariana Enriquez, Thomas Mallon, Mark Whitaker, and More.
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February 10, 2023
The Many Levels of Mystery
‘WHODUNNIT?’ TO ‘WHYDUNNIT?’ AND BEYOND
By Daniel Taylor — CrimeReads
“There is mystery and then there is Mystery.”
Mystery is one of the largest categories of human experience. It is so because the human brain is so-constructed as to be obsessed with the not-yet-known. The brain always seeks to know “what comes next and what does it mean?”
Without mystery there is no plot—the “what happens next” of every story. All storytelling, from lit to history to theology to memoir to science writing, involves the sequential release of information, the more skillful of which appeals to the brain’s hunger for connections.
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February 9, 2023
The Uncertain Border Between Writing and Therapy
the Intersection of Creativity and Trauma
By Veronica Esposito — Lliterary Hub
In researching this piece, I found something interesting: many creative writers and scientific researchers have explored the question of how creative writing may or may not be therapy, but I could not find anyone who had posed the question in the other direction: what impact therapy may have on one’s creative writing.
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February 8, 2023
What Readers Hate Most
from dreams to italics
By Ron Charles — The Washington Post
A few weeks ago, I asked readers of our Book Club newsletter to describe the things that most annoy them in books.
The responses were a tsunami of bile. Apparently, book lovers have been storing up their pet peeves in the cellar for years, just waiting for someone to ask. Hundreds and hundreds of people responded, exceeding my wildest dreams.
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February 7, 2023
Thrillers Set in Stunning Locales
By Lyn Liao Butler — CrimeReads
These books are all the more delicious for the juxtaposition of beautiful settings and dark deeds.
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Now Available! February 6, 2023
On Writing Your First Novel
By Stephen Haunts
From developing intriguing plots and complex characters to word processing and formatting tools, through to staying healthy and motivated as a writer, this book covers everything a first-time novelist needs to know.
LINK:
February 6, 2023
Fantasy — How to Write It
By K.M. Weiland
The fantasy genre is broad with many subgenres but always includes some fantastical element—something magical or foreign that does not exist in reality. This fantastical element may be inserted into our own world. Or, more strictly, the entire world and premise may be based on a fantasy world.
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February 6, 2023
What Is Happening in Publishing?
the Best Reviewed Books of the Week
By Jenn Northington — BookRiot
Two big news stories dropped the week of January 30th: Madeline McIntosh, the CEO of Penguin Random House, is leaving the company, and HarperCollins, who have (finally!) started negotiations with strikers, announced that they would be cutting 5% of their North American employees by June 30th, starting immediately. Given that layoffs and unions are big news right now across job sectors, we’ll start there.
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February 3, 2023
What Should You Read Next?
the Best Reviewed Books of the Week
By Book Marks — Literary Hub
Featuring Pamela Anderson, Waco, an International Booker Prize Winner, and more.
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February 3, 2023
Marcia Muller: A Crime Reader’s Guide to the Classics
By Neil Nyren — CrimeReads
A guide to the life and work of “the founding mother” of the hardboiled woman as private eye.
A great fan of Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and Lew Archer, Muller had became increasingly exasperated by the fact that there were no hardboiled American women equivalents. If she wanted to read one, she realized, she was going to have to create one herself. So she did.
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February 3, 2023
The Best Books of 2023 So Far
By People Staff
PEOPLE compiled the most page-turning, attention-capturing books we’ve loved so far this year — and we’re just getting started.
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February 2, 2023
25 Romance Novels
for people who don’t like romance novels
By Jessica Pryde — Book Riot
I adore romance novels. I read them by the boatload and find nothing more satisfying than reaching the end of a couple’s (or group’s) story. I pick them up because I can read without fear of tragedy, and because love stories are just…well, great.
But I know there are other people who don’t feel the same way. And to you I say…sorry, bud.
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February 1, 2023
What We’re Reading
the books they enjoyed in january
By Saba Sams and John Self — The Guardian
Critics and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month. Join the conversation in the comments.
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February 1, 2023
9 Fantastic Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books for February
By Natalie Zutter — Literary Hub
Riveting and Romantic Reads From Roshani Chokshi, Brent C. Lambert, S.B. Divya, and More!
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February 1, 2023
10 Crime Novels
you should read this february
By CrimeReads
Featuring new books from Rebecca Makkai, Watler Mosley, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and more.
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February 1, 2023
10 Books to Read in February
By Becky Meloan — The Washington Post
Genre fiction has some superior offerings in February, including crossovers that blend historical fiction, science fiction, mysteries and thrillers. Standouts in nonfiction include an affecting memoir and inspirational essays from an author who guided readers through the pandemic.
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