Today's Books Pulse
Updated 1h ago
Literary icon Michael Silverblatt dies, leaving a legacy of deep literary conversations
Michael Silverblatt, the longtime host of KCRW’s Bookworm, died on February 14 after 33 years of championing literature. His interview style involved rereading a guest’s entire body of work before each conversation, a method that earned him a reputation for profound literary insight.
Also developing:
Blog•Feb 28, 2026
Translating Mann (II)
When Thomas Mann’s works entered the public domain at the start of 2024, publishers quickly moved to release new editions. Oxford University Press issued fresh translations of Buddenbrooks, The Magic Mountain and Doctor Faustus, while Norton announced a competing Magic Mountain edition for early 2025. The surge of rights promises broader distribution and renewed scholarly interest, but the rapid rollout can strain editorial resources, especially for texts that blend literature with specialized knowledge.
By Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise (blog)
Social•Feb 28, 2026
Remember When Books Came with Rip‑Out Order Forms?
I realized just now that I'm so old I remember when books would have a section called "you would also like" and/or have order forms you could rip out. The market was different back then and certain books (like SFF)...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Blog•Feb 28, 2026
Treacherous God (Haven University #2) by J.M. Stoneback
J.M. Stoneback’s new novel *Treacherous God* (Haven University #2) follows a manipulative protagonist who forces a marriage of control over Lilac, using psychological terror to bind her. The story blends dark romance with horror, examining coercive control, identity erosion, and...
By The Eclectic Review
Social•Feb 28, 2026
24% Off All Editing Services This Week
My mom told me never to post my age on the internet, but I’m having a 24% off sale starting tomorrow and goes until the 7th! All of my services qualify, I specialize in developmental and line editing and rapid...
By Page to a Chapter (Editor)
Social•Feb 28, 2026
Americans Choose Phones Over Books, Reading Plummets
A few worrying reading stats: -57% of Americans read 0 books a year -Reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% -Proportion of people who never read a book in a given year has 3x’d -Average American spends 5.4 hours a day on their phones...
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Podcast•Feb 28, 2026•0 min
Cameron Sullivan on THE RED WINTER
The Poured Over podcast released a new episode featuring author Cameron Sullivan discussing his novel The Red Winter. The conversation explores the novel’s blend of French history, the Beast of Gévaudan myth, and a dark, supernatural love story. Co‑host Jenna...
By Poured Over (Barnes & Noble)
News•Feb 28, 2026
Adrift by Will Dean
Will Dean’s new novel *Adrift* transports readers to a cramped narrowboat in Cairo, Illinois, in 1994, where the Jenkins family endures economic hardship and psychological abuse. The patriarch Drew enforces a strict silence rule while pursuing his writing, creating a...
By Crime Fiction Lover
Podcast•Feb 28, 2026•0 min
Excerpt From 'Clutch,' By Emily Nemens
Emily Nemens appears on the Otherppl with Brad Listi podcast to read an excerpt from her sophomore novel, Clutch. The episode is part of Story Time, a series showcasing authors reading their work, and highlights Nemens’s literary pedigree, including her New...
By Otherppl with Brad Listi
Blog•Feb 28, 2026
Kin by Tayari Jones
Tayari Jones returns after a seven‑year hiatus with *Kin*, a dual‑narrated novel set in 1950s‑60s Louisiana that follows childhood friends Vernice and Annie as their lives diverge into Black elite circles and gritty Memphis bars. The book uses alternating chapters...
By The Bookishelf
News•Feb 28, 2026
If the European Novel Thinks Like a Person, the African Novel Thinks Like a World Ainehi Edoro
The essay contrasts Virginia Woolf’s individual‑centric narrative model with a distinctly African approach that treats the novel as a thinking world. It argues that African fiction distributes agency across ecosystems, ancestors, and material forces rather than anchoring meaning in a...
By Columbia University Press – Blog
Social•Feb 27, 2026
The Rumpus to Host Party at AWP 2026
Here is what The Rumpus will be up to at AWP this year https://therumpus.net/2026/02/27/the-rumpus-at-awp-2026/ and we are having a party. Hope to see you there.
By Roxane Gay
Blog•Feb 27, 2026
Victorian-Themed Novels by Annie Elliot and Livi Michael (#ReadIndies)
Two new Victorian‑themed novels are drawing attention for centering women’s experiences within the era’s literary canon. Annie Elliot’s debut, *Mr & Mrs Charles Dickens: Her Story*, retells the marriage of Charles and Catherine Dickens from Kate’s perspective, using a present‑tense framing device that...
By Bookish Beck
Social•Feb 27, 2026
Speed‑reading Sacrifices Comprehension: Humans Have Absorption Limits
Speed-reading is a scam: Scientists studied professional speed-readers and found that the faster you read, the less you understand or remember. “There’s just a maximum limit for how quickly humans can absorb information.”
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Social•Feb 27, 2026
Writing My First Book Transformed My Life
I wrote my very first book last year, and now that the release date is approaching, I’m excited for sure, but also…nervous. 😬 Is anyone even going to read it? Will people find it valuable? Or did I just waste a ton...
By Alyssa Matesic
News•Feb 27, 2026
Odds & Ends: February 27, 2026
The Art of Manliness roundup highlights four distinct topics: Karl Marlantes’ novel *Matterhorn* delivers a raw, first‑hand Vietnam experience; Billy Wilder’s 1944 film *Double Indemnity* is praised for its razor‑sharp dialogue and noir tension; the Jetboil Stash cooking system promises...
By The Art of Manliness
Social•Feb 27, 2026
Swap Vertical Feeds for Horizontal Ebook Browsing
Stop scrolling up and down on social media. Start scrolling left and right on an ebook.
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
News•Feb 27, 2026
The House of Illusionists and Other Stories by Vanessa Fogg
Vanessa Fogg’s new collection, The House of Illusionists and Other Stories, compiles a decade’s worth of her speculative fiction, previously featured in venues such as Lightspeed and Podcastle. The stories are united by a preoccupation with tragic endings, collapsing societies,...
By Strange Horizons
Blog•Feb 27, 2026
Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery Is Delightful
Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery, released by Beach Lane Books on Feb. 24 2026, is a children’s biography that chronicles the life of Mary Morland, a 19th‑century fossil hunter who partnered with William Buckland to introduce Megalosaurus. Written by...
By Cracking the Cover
Blog•Feb 27, 2026
Leo’s Lobo Is Colorful Look at Raising a Pet
Leo’s Lobo, a new picture book by Melissa Cristina Márquez and Maria Gabriela Gama, follows a boy who adopts a magical alebrije and discovers the hard work of pet care. Published by Penguin Workshop on Feb. 10, 2026, the hardcover retails for...
By Cracking the Cover
Blog•Feb 27, 2026
Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur (Translated by Faridoun Farrokh)
Penguin’s International Writers series has finally brought Shahrnush Parsipur’s 1989 novella *Women Without Men* to UK shelves, expanding the reach of a modern Iranian classic. The work intertwines magical realism with feminist critique, following five women in 1953 Tehran as...
By Lonesome Reader
News•Feb 27, 2026
Ancient by Luke Barley Review – the Secret History of Britain’s Woodlands
Luke Barley’s new book *Ancient* chronicles the intertwined history of Britain’s woodlands and its people, tracing forest development from post‑glacial birch to the oak‑dominated landscapes that powered medieval society. He explains the legal definition of ancient semi‑natural woodland—trees existing before...
By The Guardian – Books
Blog•Feb 27, 2026
The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall
Kate Alice Marshall’s new psychological thriller, The Girls Before, intertwines dual timelines of a search‑and‑rescue expert haunted by a missing friend and a nameless woman trapped in a bunker. The novel’s precise prose and alternating “Above/Below” structure amplify atmospheric dread...
By The Bookishelf
Blog•Feb 27, 2026
God and Science by Thomas G G Fournier
Thomas G. Fournier’s 2025 book *God and Science* bridges the long‑standing divide between faith and empirical inquiry. Drawing on his 25‑year intelligence‑analysis career, Fournier systematically aligns biblical creation narratives with modern cosmology, geology, and fine‑tuning arguments. He critiques both evolutionary...
By The Bookishelf
Blog•Feb 26, 2026
Ron Pullins’s Book Notes Music Playlist for His Novel Dollartorium
Ron Pullins, author of the satirical novel Dollartorium, contributed to Largehearted Boy’s “Book Notes” series by releasing a curated music playlist that mirrors his book’s themes. The 14‑track list spans country blues, 1970s protest songs, and contemporary pop, each chosen to...
By Largehearted Boy
Social•Feb 26, 2026
Print Publishers Demand Optimal Length; Ebooks Allow Flexibility
Book length is a lot more important for traditional publishers because too long & it might be too expensive to print, but distributors/stores also don't like super skinny books that much. But someone whose main market is ebooks, as is...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
News•Feb 26, 2026
Scary Mommy 2026 Readers' Choice Best Book Subscription Box
Scary Mommy’s February 2026 feature unveils its Readers' Choice finalists for the Best Book Subscription Box. The shortlist spotlights 15 services—including Aardvark Book Club, Banned Books Box, The Strand’s Book HookUp, and Book of the Month—spanning genre‑specific, niche, and first‑edition...
By Scary Mommy
News•Feb 26, 2026
Meet the Author: Oliver Johnson
Oliver Johnson, a former Waterstones bookseller and Hodder & Stoughton commissioning editor, has debuted as a crime novelist with the thriller *Caller Unknown*. The novel follows amnesiac protagonist Ed Constance, whose childhood hostage trauma is re‑triggered by a mysterious phone...
By Crime Fiction Lover
Social•Feb 26, 2026
Animal POVs Add Quirky Depth to Adult Fiction
Be forewarned, if you write fiction involving animal characters, especially for adult readers, people will likely refer to your story as “quirky.” Book coach Erin Radniecki advises on when animal POVs can benefit your story: https://janefriedman.com/embrace-quirky-5-benefits-of-using-animal-point-of-view-characters/
By Jane Friedman
Social•Feb 26, 2026
Literary Agents' Hidden Work Revealed—Read Newsletter
Ever wonder what literary agents are doing behind the scenes? Check out my new newsletter post in the comments
By Nikki (Nikki Gets Literary)
News•Feb 26, 2026
The “Freest Writer” In Stalin’s Russia
The new scholarly work uncovers how Laurence Sterne’s 18th‑century novels resurfaced in Soviet Russia despite Stalinist censorship, becoming a covert touchstone for intellectuals seeking artistic freedom. By examining letters, diaries, translation drafts, and editorial correspondence, the authors trace Sterne’s reception...
By OUPblog (Oxford University Press)
Social•Feb 26, 2026
Swap Screen Time for Reading: Same Minutes, Bigger Gains
Want to read more books? Here's a fun challenge for you. I'm calling it "Screen Time to Read Time": 1) Open your screen time app to see your daily average screen time 2) Read a book for that same length of time If you...
By Alex Wieckowski (Alex and Books)
Blog•Feb 26, 2026
Just in Case Tells Fascinating True Story of Svalbard Seed Vault
The new picture book *Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault* by Megan Clendenan and illustrator Brittany Cicchese celebrates the vault’s 18th anniversary. It explains how the Arctic facility stores nearly one million seed samples as a safety...
By Cracking the Cover
News•Feb 26, 2026
A Handbook to Spirit-Hunting
The newly surfaced "Handbook to Spirit‑Hunting" compiles Yoruba mythological entities into a practical field guide for aspiring spirit hunters. It categorises spirits as dark, nature, or transcendental, offering detailed descriptions, behavioral cues, and specific tactics for capture or avoidance. The...
By Nightmare Magazine
News•Feb 26, 2026
Author Spotlight: Susan Palwick
Susan Palwick discusses her speculative story where AI legal personhood emerges after a human population collapse, drawing on pandemic‑era tech dependence and AI‑generated art. She explains the alien surgical enhancements, like a tentacle, as AI’s literal misreading of human comfort....
By Nightmare Magazine
Podcast•Feb 26, 2026•0 min
Anna Quindlen on MORE THAN ENOUGH
Anna Quindlen discusses her new novel *More Than Enough* on the *Poured Over* podcast, describing it as a tender exploration of self‑discovery later in life. The conversation, hosted by Brenda Allison, weaves in topics such as friendship, motherhood, chosen family,...
By Poured Over (Barnes & Noble)
News•Feb 26, 2026
Five Questions with Federico Marcon, Author of “Fascism”
Federico Marcon’s new book, *Fascism: The History of a Word*, offers a semiotic reconstruction of the term “fascism,” tracing its meanings from Mussolini’s regime through post‑war scholarship to contemporary political discourse. The work proposes a novel historiographical method that treats...
By University of Chicago Press – The Chicago Blog
Blog•Feb 26, 2026
Classic Short Fiction by Mohammed Hussein Heikal
ArabLit has released a new translation of Mohammed Hussein Heikal’s classic short story “The Atonement of Love,” rendered into English by linguist Amr El‑Zawawy. The piece, originally published in early‑20th‑century Egypt, follows Zuhayrah’s tragic quest for emotional fulfillment amid restrictive marriage...
By ArabLit
Blog•Feb 26, 2026
Once the Deed Is Done (2025), by Rachel Seiffert
Rachel Seiffert’s new novel *Once the Deed Is Done*—longlisted for the 2026 Walter Scott Prize—examines the chaotic aftermath of World War II through the lens of displaced persons in a northern German town. The narrative weaves together the voices of local...
By ANZLitLovers
Blog•Feb 26, 2026
Andrew Krivak’s Book Notes Music Playlist for His Novel Mule Boy
Award‑winning author Andrew Krivak released a curated music playlist as part of Largehearted Boy’s “Book Notes” series to accompany his novel Mule Boy. The ten‑song list, ranging from Bob Weir to Lana Del Rey, is chosen for its resonance with...
By Largehearted Boy
Social•Feb 26, 2026
Hilarious Thread Convinces Me to Keep Social Media
Sometimes I want to delete all my social media but this thread is why I keep it 😂 I’m literally crying from how funny these are
By Taylor (Reads and Reviews)
Social•Feb 26, 2026
All My Book Options Have Lapsed, No Adaptations Yet
Someone was asking me how the adaptation of Mexican Gothic is going, I think because of the recent Wuthering Heights film and Pride & Prejudice movie announced. I talked about this maybe two years ago? Can't recall. But that option...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
News•Feb 25, 2026
How Readers Actually Search for Books (And Why Authors Sometimes Miss the Mark)
Authors often assume readers discover books through friends or shelves, but most start with online searches on Google, Amazon, or AI tools. Readers scan titles, descriptions, keywords, and categories before opening a book, making metadata the first point of contact....
By IngramSpark – Blog
Social•Feb 25, 2026
Free AWP Registration Available—Message or Comment to Claim
Who could use a free #AWP registration? PM me, or Comment and I’ll reach out to you.
By Bethanne Patrick
News•Feb 25, 2026
This Novel About Family Drama Is so Good You May Want to Re-Read It Immediately
Allegra Goodman’s latest novel, *This Is Not About Us*, returns to the multi‑generational family saga format she first explored in *The Family Markowitz*. The book is structured as 17 linked stories that trace three generations of a Jewish family, using...
By NPR – Books
Blog•Feb 25, 2026
The World’s First (and Best!) Audiobook About Climbing Baruntse
Mark Horrell has completed narrating his expedition diaries and released "The Baruntse Adventure" as an audiobook, claiming it is the world’s first and only audio title devoted entirely to climbing the 7,129‑meter Baruntse peak. The release follows a six‑year narration...
By Mark Horrell – Footsteps on the Mountain
Podcast•Feb 25, 2026•2h 14m
Báyò Akómoláfé : Selah
In this episode of Between the Covers, host David Naiman interviews philosopher‑poet Bayo Akomolafe about his new aphoristic reader Selah, a collage of short pieces that disrupts linear thought and invites readers into a space of radical incompleteness. Akomolafe explains...
By Between the Covers
Social•Feb 25, 2026
TV Agency Launches Book Division Targeting YA, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Recently, the LA-based TV literary agency Kaplan Stahler brought on Jillian Davis to start their book department. She focuses on authors of YA, romance, and women’s fiction. I’m grateful to Jillian for answering a few questions about the unique space she’s...
By Jane Friedman
News•Feb 25, 2026
New Meat in a Clean Room Edited by Ira Rat
*New Meat in a Clean Room* is a tightly curated horror anthology edited by Ira Rat, featuring six stories that fuse post‑punk alienation, splatterpunk violence, and hauntological motifs. The collection’s aesthetic—sterile clean rooms turned filthy—serves as a metaphor for bodily...
By Strange Horizons
News•Feb 25, 2026
Read to Respond: Critical Perspectives on AI in the Humanities
Duke University Press’s “Read to Respond” program has launched a new “Critical Perspectives on AI in the Humanities” reading list. The list aggregates recent peer‑reviewed articles, journal issues, and scholarly books that interrogate AI’s cultural, ethical, political, and labor implications...
By Duke University Press – Blog
Social•Feb 25, 2026
Gennaro's "Hidden Italy" Cookbook Now Available Nationwide
Gennaro‘s brand-new cookbook is out and it’s beautiful hidden italy check it out really really nice available in all good bookstores big up Gennaro gennarocontaldo
By Jamie Oliver