Know What's Happening in Books
Know What's Happening in Books
Book Riot Launches New Release Index for Mystery & Thriller Fans
Book Riot’s New Release Index is a searchable database that lists upcoming mystery and thriller titles by release date, letting readers filter by sub‑genre and add titles to a personal Watchlist. The tool is bundled with the All Access membership, which costs $6 per month and also unlocks premium articles. Users can scroll cover images and click for descriptions to stay ahead of new releases.
Welsh actress and writer Ruth Jones has been shortlisted for Author of the Year at the 2025 British Book Awards. Her memoir, "When Gavin Met Stacey And Everything In Between," chronicles the creation and success of the beloved sitcom, while the audiobook earned a separate nomination in the Audiobook Non‑Fiction category. Jones also released her latest novel, "By Your Side," earlier this year, adding to a growing literary portfolio that includes several previous titles. The awards ceremony will take place in London on 11 May, where she will compete with notable authors such as Freida McFadden and Mick Herron.
Meet Me Under the Lights, a new YA novel by Cassie Miller, launches March 3, 2026 from Viking Books for Young Readers. Set in a North Carolina farm town, the story pits baseball‑royalty Eliza Crowley against rival pitcher Reed Fulton...
Katherine G. Charles’s new Cambridge University Press volume *Lost Plots* examines the pervasive use of interpolated, or “tales‑within‑a‑tale,” in eighteenth‑century novels. The book defines this narrative form, compiles a wide range of examples—from Fielding’s *Joseph Andrews* to Smollek’s *Peregrine Pickle*...
The article surveys seven contemporary poetry collections that reimagine the elegy, showing how poets blend memoir, lyric, and experimental forms to confront personal and collective loss. It highlights works by Agha Shahid Ali, Victoria Chang, Mary Jo Bang, Diana Khoi...
Recent poetry releases reviewed include Andrew Motion’s *Gravity Archives* and Wayne Holloway‑Smith’s *Rabbitbox*, alongside mentions of JL Williams and Richard Siken. Motion’s collection revisits death and personal loss with a more resolute voice, mixing elegy, humor, and literary allusion. Holloway‑Smith’s *Rabbitbox*...
Lit Hub’s March 6 daily roundup bundles a wide array of literary and cultural content, from criticism and poetry to health and music pieces. Highlights include a story on America’s caregiving crisis, a tribute to librarians for International Women’s Day, and analyses...
The Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition 2026 is now accepting entries, inviting writers worldwide to submit original crime stories under 2,000 words with a Scottish protagonist. Partnered with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, the contest offers a...
The article lists the top audiobooks to download in 2026, highlighting best‑overall, memoir, romance, kids and new fiction picks, many narrated by high‑profile actors. It notes that UK audiobook revenue jumped a third year‑on‑year, reaching £268 million, and that non‑fiction is...
Don Fisher’s "Test Subjects" follows Julia, a freelance designer, and Garrett, a middle‑school science teacher, as they join a focus group testing bizarre consumer gadgets to make rent. The absurd products—screaming pillows, insulting yoga mats, edible deodorant—serve as a comic...
Benjamin Hale explains how his Harper's article on a 1978 Ozark murder expanded into the book Cave Mountain because he had far more material than the 15,000‑word limit allowed. He outlines his nine‑box grid method, a nine‑square outline that builds...
The article spotlights eight remarkable librarians—historical and contemporary—celebrated on International Women’s Day. It highlights pioneers like Sor Juana, Dorothy Porter, and modern influencers such as Mychal Threets, Jean Darnell, and Ricci Yuhico who reshape library services, champion diversity, and harness...
Author Kirsten Kaschock proposes a South‑Central Pennsylvania Gothic sub‑genre, arguing that the region’s scar‑filled landscape and turbulent history provide a fertile setting for contemporary horror. She outlines how themes of radical skepticism, lingering decay, and monstrous ecology—exemplified by her novel...
Kate White, former Cosmopolitan editor‑in‑chief, has launched her latest thriller, *I Came Back for You*, on March 1, 2026. The novel follows Bree Winter, a grieving mother who returns to her daughter’s college town after a dying serial killer claims...
The London Book Fair 2026 will host a three‑day seminar program from March 10‑12, featuring hundreds of publishers, authors, technologists and industry leaders. Highlights include keynotes from Tom Weldon of Penguin Random House UK and Joanna Prior of Pan Macmillan, alongside sessions...
Angela Tomaski’s debut, *The Infamous Gilberts*, is a meticulously crafted comfort read set in the crumbling Thornwalk estate, echoing the real‑life National Trust purchase of Tyntesfield. The story is narrated by Maximus, the loyal valet, who guides readers through 70...
The British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT) has opened applications for its Arabic Summer Workshop, part of a twelve‑strand online program running July 20‑24. Led by translator Sawad Hussain and author Omaima Al‑Khamis, the Arabic strand will focus on Al‑Khamis’s...
Jordy Rosenberg’s latest novel, *Night Night Fawn*, follows Barbara Rosenberg, a dying, OxyContin‑addicted woman, as she records a raw monologue to her estranged trans son and former friend. The narrative weaves satire, cultural references—from 1960s Flatbush to Marx—to expose family...
Middle‑grade fiction is experiencing a noticeable surge in titles that center on death and grief, moving beyond the classic dead‑parent trope. Recent award‑winning and educator‑highlighted books such as *The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay* and *The Empty Place* place loss at...
Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel *American Psycho* has re‑emerged as a cultural touchstone, with its protagonist Patrick Bateman becoming a meme for extreme self‑optimization among young men. A new wave of “looksmaxxing” influencers, exemplified by 20‑year‑old streamer Clavicular, adopt Bateman’s...
The publisher is launching a March‑only promotion: anyone who begins or renews an annual subscription enters a prize draw for a curated box of writing tools, a signed copy of *Enchantment*, and branded stickers. Simultaneously, the author will appear live...
Brazilian author Ana Paula Maia’s novella *On Earth As It Is Beneath*, translated by Padma Viswanathan, has been longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize. The story follows a deranged prison warden who turns his colony into a hunting ground, forcing inmates into...
Mirza Waheed’s novel *Maryam & Son* follows Maryam, a widowed Muslim‑British mother in suburban London, whose son Dilawar vanishes and is suspected—via a 72% algorithmic match—to be an ISIS recruit. The narrative intertwines personal grief with the intrusive scrutiny of...
M.L. Stedman's long‑awaited second novel, A Far‑Flung Life, arrives as a sweeping multigenerational saga set on a remote Western Australian sheep station. The story launches with a 1958 truck crash that kills two brothers and leaves the youngest, Matt, with...
Y’all get mad about spoilers and then also get mad at an author for not answering your questions THAT MIGHT BE SPOILERS.
“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.” Gabriel García Márquez would have been 99 today. His formative reading list of 24 books that shaped his visionary mind: https://t.co/V3XOJsbWvG
Timothy J. Hillegonds joins the Largehearted Boy "Book Notes" series, pairing his memoir And You Will Call It Fate with a personal soundtrack. The playlist spans Chicago house, Eminem, Creedence, Robin Thicke, Drake, and Anthony Hamilton, each linked to pivotal...
Eric McHenry’s investigation revisits St. Louis’s 1890s murder‑ballad tradition, focusing on “Ollie Jackson.” The song, captured by Alan Lomax in the 1940s, is the sole surviving recorded Black folk ballad that recounts a real event with precise, reportorial detail. McHenry...
DreamWorks Animation has officially greenlit a sequel to its 2024 hit The Wild Robot, adapting Peter Brown’s second novel, The Wild Robot Escapes. Veteran animator Troy Quane, known for his work on Nimona, will co‑direct the film alongside story head...
Andrew Roth’s essay argues that Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address re‑oriented America’s self‑definition from the Constitution’s compromises to the Declaration’s universal creed of equality. By framing the Civil War as a moral test, Lincoln turned the nation’s founding ideals into a living...
The British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) has released the 2025 Awards shortlist, covering categories from Best Novel to Best Audio Fiction. Highlights include Nina Allan’s *A Granite Silence*, Stewart Hotston’s *Project Hanuman*, and Suzanne Collins’ *Sunrise on the Reaping* among...
The author observes teens opting for fast‑paced card games like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza over phones during social gatherings, highlighting a shift toward analog play. This trend underscores how simple board games foster laughter, connection, and a break from...
Every week, someone asks me to promote their “AI for novelists” app. I decline them all, and if the main function is to generate the text/story, I die a little. But I’m genuinely curious: is anyone finding these apps helpful? Not...
Sarah J. Maas revealed release dates for the sixth (Oct 27, 2026) and seventh (Jan 12, 2027) *A Court of Thorns and Roses* novels, sparking massive BookTok excitement. Hulu released the trailer for *The Testaments*, a *Handmaid’s Tale* spinoff starring Chase Infiniti, highlighting Gilead’s...
Some readers asked me how to practically add interiority to fiction. So, I wrote a post on it that is probably writing 101 for many but hopefully of interest to others: https://countercraft.substack.com/p/the-view-from-inside-on-adding-interiority
Sarah J. Maas announced on the Call Her Daddy podcast that the sixth installment of her *A Court of Thorns and Roses* series will hit shelves on October 27, 2026, with a seventh volume following on January 12, 2027. Maas...
Sarah J. Maas announced the release dates for the next two books in her *A Court of Thorns and Roses* series: the sixth volume arrives on October 27, 2026, and the seventh follows on January 12, 2027. In a recent...
Last year was STACKED 📚 Grateful to be featured in @guardian chatting all things reading goals, particularly the importance of reading diversely and only competing with yourself Photos by misskatiepeters Words by @emmalofty Clothes by cathcartlondon
An academic author discovered the original publisher increased the licensing fee for a foreign-language edition to $3,000, straining the translation publisher’s budget. The fee level raises questions about standard pricing for scholarly works, which typically depend on projected sales, language...
I wrote about the first national book banning bill, which effectively seeks to erase trans people. At the end I include a link to let your reps know that you oppose this bill and all it stands for. https://lithub.com/why-we-must-fight-to-stop-hr-7661-before-it-destroys-the-lives-of-american-children/
The Economist highlights six essential books that explore Iran’s tumultuous century‑long journey from revolution to its current geopolitical prominence. The list mixes histories, memoirs, and investigative reportage, offering readers insight into the Islamic Republic’s political, cultural, and economic evolution. By...
The Nova Scotia government’s 2026‑2027 budget proposes a 30% reduction in arts, culture and heritage funding, a $14 million cut to discretionary spending, and the elimination or reduction of more than 70 grant programs worth over $130 million. A coalition of national...
Louise Glück’s poem “The Untrustworthy Speaker,” originally published in her 1990 collection Ararat, resurfaced on a Substack literary blog. The work delves into the speaker’s self‑doubt, portraying passion as a barrier to trust and linking emotional wounds to mental distortion....
IFLA is celebrating its centennial by launching the Li‑Sci‑Fi short‑story competition, inviting librarians to imagine the future of their profession. The contest features two categories—flash (up to 1,000 words) and standard (1,001‑2,500 words)—with submissions due September 1 2026. Celebrity author Mary Robinette Kowal...
S. Yizhar’s 1949 novella Khirbet Khizeh dramatizes the forced expulsion and burning of a Palestinian village during Israel’s 1948 war, drawing on his own experience as a Givati Brigade officer. The real village, Khirbet al‑Khisas, was identified in 1978, confirming the author’s claim...
The early modern diary of Swiss physician Felix Platter, chronicling his teenage journey from Basel to Montpellier in 1552, has been reissued in a new paperback edition. The English translation, originally produced by Seán Jennett in 1961, now features a foreword...
Naomi Baker’s *Voices of Thunder* uncovers a hidden wave of seventeenth‑century English women who wrote, preached, and staged prophetic acts amid religious turmoil. From blood‑stained Quaker protests at St. Paul’s to the radical visions of Seekers, Ranters and Levellers, these dissenters...
Dan Sperrin’s State of Ridicule offers an 800‑page, Roman‑to‑2010s survey of English satire, arguing that satire is fundamentally political and serves as a tool for interpreting power. The book adopts a “longue durée” label but actually traces decade‑by‑decade political events, pairing each...
Darcey Steinke’s 2026 memoir *This Is the Door: The Body, Pain, and Faith* examines how chronic physical ailments, especially debilitating back pain, shape spiritual and existential outlooks. Drawing on personal anecdotes, interviews with artists, writers, and scholars, the book maps...
Try searching for “how to structure a story” and you'll get a panoply of instructions: Hero’s Journey Three-act structure Save the Cat Snowflake method Freytag’s Pyramid Fichtean Curve What do you do with them? Tiffany Yates Martin advises: https://janefriedman.com/base-your-story-structure-on-principles-not-systems/
For an act of resistance to the tyranny of algorithms, try the Marginalian newsletter—undistracted notes on the search for meaning, free, ad-free, AI-free, fully human since 2006: https://t.co/8ApDA5YPF6
