Today's Books Pulse
Jujutsu Kaisen confirms Yuji Itadori’s ascent to Special Grade in Modulo Volume 3
Gege Akutami revealed in Modulo Volume 3, released May 1 2026, that Yuji Itadori has been promoted to Special Grade, becoming the series’ fifth official Special Grade sorcerer and the "Strongest" after Gojo’s death. The volume also includes an extra Aoi Todo chapter and a detailed power‑level comparison.
Also developing:
‘The Hotel’ (2026), by Nicole Hazan
American Jewish Book Council has launched Paper Brigade, a program aimed at countering the growing exclusion of Jewish authors from literary platforms. As part of its debut, the council released the speculative short story ‘The Hotel’ by emerging writer Nicole Hazan, set in an Israeli hotel after the October 7 attacks. The story explores grief, love, and ghostly memory, using supernatural elements to reflect the trauma of survivors. Paper Brigade distributes the story via a newsletter and ties it to a short‑story reading challenge, inviting readers to support Jewish voices.
Meanjin: QUT Appoints ‘Establishing Editor’ for Literary Journal
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has named Dr Ashley Hay as the establishing editor of the literary journal *Meanjin*, marking the publication’s return to Brisbane after eight decades in Melbourne. Hay, a former *Griffith Review* editor, will steer the journal’s transition,...
Book Review: Space Ace
"Space Ace: A Combat Pilot’s Journey from Vietnam to Beyond Earth" is the 2026 memoir of veteran astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson, chronicling his five Space Shuttle flights and earlier Navy career. The 288‑page hardcover, priced at $29.95, presents a factual,...
Free First Audiobook Boosts Downloads and Future Sales
Audiobook lover question… if an author offered the first book of a serial series for free in audio using Bookfunnel- If the book interested you… would you download it? Would you be more or less likely to listen to it because...
BookCon’s Return Sparks a New ‘Reading’ Fandom, Redefining Literary Culture
BookCon’s first post‑pandemic event attracted roughly 25,000 attendees, revealing a burgeoning fandom built around the act of reading itself. Organizers and industry observers say the shift from solitary, digital engagement to large‑scale in‑person celebration could reshape how books are marketed...
Promote Your Book or It Stays Invisible
To sell books you will need to engage with your communities of interest and try to create some word of mouth sales. "Writing a book without promoting it is like waving to someone in a dark room. You know what have...
Substack Struggles Reveal Companies that Embrace Openness
The travails of being a Substack author. On the positive side, if a company is willing to talk, you know they’re forward-thinking and open-minded
Kelly Ana Morey's Posthumous Novel 'Ordinary People Like Us' Set for Sep 1 Release
Moa Press announced that Kelly Ana Morey's unfinished manuscript, Ordinary People Like Us, will be published on 1 September 2026, exactly one year after the author’s death. The release, coordinated with Dialogue Books at John Murray Press in the UK, is being...
Kevin Kelly's Moment Shines; His Book Highly Recommended
It’s great to see @kevin2kelly having a moment that is well deserved. Btw his book “Excellent Advice for Living is also very good. Highly recommended. https://t.co/3aXBOgolXL
Munger's Spirit Drives Record Book Sales at Berkshire Meeting
Charlie Munger won't be on stage at the Berkshire annual meeting, but his sprit will be in the bookstore. This is a big sales day for books sold at the event. https://t.co/fMkGH4rhCn
E-Books Lag Printed Books
Statista’s latest market data shows e‑books still lag printed books in most countries. In the United States, 21% of consumers bought an e‑book last year versus 30% who purchased a printed title. China is the outlier, with e‑book purchases at...
From Bats at Dusk to Asteroid Quests: Books in Brief
Four new non‑fiction titles debut in 2026, each exploring a distinct facet of science and society. Lucy Rogers’ book invites readers to look up, weaving observations of bats, kites and rockets into a meditation on sky and place. Bruno Carvalho...
Tradwives, Gangsters and One Very Special Dog: April's 10 Best Books
ABC Arts released its April roundup of the ten best new books, spotlighting titles that span satire, true‑crime, and social critique. Highlights include Caro Claire Burke’s *Yesteryear*, which thrusts a trad‑wife influencer into 1855, Patrick Radden Keefe’s investigative *London Falling*, and...
The Upanishads
Eknath Easwaran’s new translation of the Upanishads brings the 3,000‑year‑old Hindu scriptures to a modern audience with clear, readable prose. The edition includes introductions that frame each Upanishad’s philosophical debates, from the nature of consciousness in the Kena to the...
Marianne Moore on the There Elements of Persuasive Writing
The article revisits Marianne Moore’s out‑of‑print essay collection *Predilections* to spotlight her three psychological elements of persuasive writing—humility, concentration, and gusto. It weaves her personal literary history, from a one‑vote loss for the Academy fellowship to later Pulitzer and National...
Who Wrote Shakespeare?
Andrew Roth’s essay revisits the centuries‑old Shakespeare authorship controversy, spotlighting Susan Dwyer Amussen’s new book *What’s in a Name* as a definitive rebuttal to alternative‑author theories. The piece traces the movement’s 19th‑century origins with Delia Bacon and later fringe claims, including...
Agents Value Real Audience, Not Social Media Followers
Having a following is one aspect of getting an agent, esp. if you write nonfiction but it is by no means the most important thing. They are looking for an indication that you have an audience who might want to...
Rowan Williams Warns the Diabolical Is Everywhere, Urges Deeper Solidarity
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, now Lord Williams of Oystermouth, has warned that the diabolical is everywhere and called for a deeper, responsibility‑based solidarity in his newly released book Solidarity: The Work of Recognition. He argues that genuine solidarity must move...
Adelaide Writers’ Week: Rosemarie Milsom Announced as New Director
The Adelaide Festival Corporation has named Rosemarie Milsom as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week for the 2027‑2029 festivals. Milsom, former founding director of the Newcastle Writers Festival and a member of several national literary boards, will assume the role in...
NYPL Unveils 2026 Young Lions Fiction Award Finalists, $10,000 Prize at Stake
The New York Public Library announced the five finalists for its 2026 Young Lions Fiction Award, a prize that honors fiction by authors 35 or younger. The shortlist includes Ariel Courage, Kyle Edwards, Harris Lahti, Carrie R. Moore and Stephanie...
“I Had No Idea It Would Last 30 Years”: How Dav Pilkey Turned A Second-Grade Idea Into "The Amazing Captain...
Dav Pilkey reflects on three decades of the Captain Underpants franchise, tracing its origin to a second‑grade joke and its evolution from hand‑drawn picture books to a digital‑first manga adaptation. He discusses the series’ signature humor, recurring gags, and the...
J.H. Prynne 1936-2026
J.H. Prynne, the influential British poet, died at 89, ending a six‑decade career that reshaped modern poetry. His 1968 collection Kitchen Poems marked a turning point, introducing dense, experimental forms that blended opaque lyricism with argumentative prose. Though he will...
Returning to Morning Joe to Discuss Must‑Read Books
I got invited back to go on @morningjoe and here are some of the books I’m going to be talking about.
The Woody Brown Saga Required A Number Of Institutional Failures
The recent bestseller *Upward Bound* by Woody Brown has ignited a debate over whether the 28‑year‑old autistic author actually wrote the novel or if his mother’s use of the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) fabricated the text. RPM, a variant of...
Hustle, Passion, and Timeless Lessons on the Fly
Finally got to @bgurley’s Runnin Down a Dream between two 17-hour flights to Singapore this week. Turned out to be the perfect time to read it… Singapore was where I took my own leap into the unknown and started my...
Evening Book Readings in Central Park, Join Us
I'll be doing some extra special readings and discussions in Central Park this evening, if anyone would like to join. 6pm to 9pm-ish. I'll be between The Loch and a hard place, but we'll be taking it easy. Bring a picnic blanket,...
This Swiftie’s Best-Selling Book Offers an Insider’s Look at Taylor Swift’s Fanbase
Olivia Levin, a self‑identified superfan with a 630,000‑strong Instagram following, released *The Story of Us* on April 14 through Simon & Schuster. The memoir, chronicling the evolution of the Swiftie community from its early days to the Eras Tour ticket frenzy,...
Read These Books to Master Nation-Building and Growth
A few good books worth reading: - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - a classic that celebrates builders. Once you read it, you’ll notice the same characters and events taking place today. - The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio - great...
The Hardy Men
Last year a conservative publisher released two box sets of the Hardy Boys mystery novels, touting them as restored to their original form and marketed as the ideal introduction for young readers. The "restored" editions retain the series' historic racial...
The New Dark Ages: James Marriott in Conversation with Henry Oliver
James Marriott, author of *The New Dark Ages*, will discuss his book with Substack writer Henry Oliver on July 8, 2026, at Dr Johnson House in London. The conversation will probe whether the erosion of reading habits signals a cultural dark age...
French-Algerian Author Kamel Daoud Says Algeria Sentenced Him to 3 Years for Award-Winning Novel
French‑Algerian author Kamel Daoud announced he has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined 5 million Algerian dinars (about $38,000) for his Goncourt‑winning novel "Houris." The book, which depicts the 1990s civil war known as the "black decade," was...
Books Our Editors Loved This Week
Jordan Harper’s new novel *A Violent Masterpiece* drops this week, delivering a gritty Los Angeles noir that follows a livestream influencer, a high‑end concierge, and a lawyer thrust into a serial‑killer investigation. The New York Times Book Review hails the work as...
Are We All Participating in Lindy West’s Humiliation Kink?
Lindy West’s new memoir "Adult Braces" pulls back the curtain on her public feminist persona, revealing personal struggles and a complicated view of polyamory. The author of the blog post critiques the book as both a candid self‑portrait and a...
Master Children’s Storytelling: Tish Rabe’s 40‑Year Blueprint
Tish Rabe took over for Dr. Seuss after he passed away. Now she's written more than 200 children's books over the past 40 years. This is a conversation about everything she's learned about how to tell stories, create characters, and rhyme...
Author Details the Spy Network that Took on America's Post-WWII Nazi Groups
Steven J. Ross’s new book, “The Secret War Against Hate,” chronicles how the Anti‑Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Non‑Sectarian Anti‑Nazi League infiltrated post‑World War II American Nazi groups. The interview links those historic spy operations to the Justice...
Heartbreak Feels Good in a Lena Dunham Memoir Like This
Lena Dunham’s latest memoir, *Famesick*, uses her recent marriage to Luis Felber as a brief epilogue, choosing instead to explore recurring themes of heartbreak and chronic illness. The book revisits fraught relationships with Adam Driver and ex‑partner Jack Antonoff, offering...
Want Free E-Books? Stuff Your Kindle Day Has 150+ Titles Discounted - Today Only
Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on April 23, offering more than 150 cozy‑mystery e‑books at a temporary $0 price. Hosted by the Cozy Mystery Book Club, the promotion spans the Kindle Store as well as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and...
12 Books That Will Make You Dangerously Well-Read
The post curates twelve books that promise to make readers “dangerously well‑read,” spanning psychology, philosophy, history, and literature. It highlights Daniel Kahneman’s work on cognitive bias, Jonathan Haidt’s moral psychology, and C.L.R. James’s account of the Haitian Revolution, among others....
Fintech Book Library: Curated Reads Shaping Finance's Future
Today we're launching our Fintech Book Library, a curated discovery hub for the books shaping the future of finance. 👉 Explore the library: https://t.co/FfXpCy9BJQ From AI in banking to digital assets, embedded finance to wealth management, every book we've discussed at...
Explore Far-Right France: Le Pen, Bardella, Europe's Future
André Rougé in 2022, considered to be the leader of Les Horaces. In today's Chartbook Top Links, I recommend reading Far-Right France: Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe, by Victor Mallet. More charts and links featured on today's...
The Importance of Community
Avant Gardeneri attended the Dumaguete Literary Festival, speaking on fiction and horror while also reading Edilberto Tiempo’s short story. The event, hosted at the Arts + Design Collective, sparked unexpected collaborations with food and agriculture leaders, including the owners of...
Trust Andrey's Books—Read His Latest Release
I typically don’t like to recommend anything until I’ve read it. But all of @Andrey4Mir’s past books are great, and I’m sure this one will be. I plan to read it and you should too.
New Book Exposes Unreported Hollywood Writers' Strike Showdown
I have one last excerpt from my new book out today--this one about the Hollywood writers’ strike in 2023. It includes some previously unreported material about the showdown b/w the writers and prominent studio execs like Ted Sarandos and David...
The Top 20 Kindle Books Glasp Readers Highlighted in Q1 2026
Glasp released its Q1 2026 roundup of the 20 most‑imported English‑language Kindle books, based on reader highlights. The list is led by self‑help and productivity titles, with Tiago Forte’s “Building a Second Brain” achieving the highest consensus at 60% of its...
Insights From 16 Leading Nonfiction Authors in Nashville
16 of the world's top nonfiction authors in one room. @JamesClear and I brought them to Nashville. In this episode of the podcast I recap my main takeaways together with Haley and Chelsea from Kit. Search "Nathan Barry Show" to watch the...
Read The Prize to Decode Global Energy Markets
If you are trying to understand what is happening in global energy markets I highly recommend “The prize” by @DanielYergin Literally one of my top ten books ever.
JG Ballard’s Talent, Disconnectedness, and More
The post examines how recent DSM revisions have made hypochondria harder to diagnose, yet the archetype endures in literature, using JG Ballard as a case study. It argues that Ballard’s unsettling, anarchic style resists mainstream acceptance, positioning him as a cultural...
Celebrating Gaming History in “Video Games in 100 Objects”
Great to see this coffee table book, edited by Joe Funk, with my contributions and those from other writers, out in the wild. Video Games in 100 objects. Lots of nostalgia here. https://t.co/DaXFf4xXMA
Half-Real Chinese Edition Explores Game Reality vs Fiction
Happy to share that my book Half-Real is out in complex Chinese, titled "電玩的本質 - 遊走於真實規則與虛構世界的藝術"! https://t.co/Diigq9QXKt
Socrates Returns: Modern Campus Dialogues on Life’s Fundamentals
Excellent little book that imagines Socrates having conversations in a modern university on life's basic tenets and musings. https://t.co/AgK4gXrGgr