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:
Podcast•Feb 25, 2026•0 min
How to Become a Professional Writer With Joanna Penn
Joanna Penn emphasizes that becoming a professional writer hinges on adopting a business mindset rather than relying on age or talent. She advises authors to draft a business plan early, treat revenues above $20,000 as a signal to formalize bookkeeping, and view readers as customers. Distinct author brands and strategic platform choices, such as starting on Amazon, further professionalize the venture. Leveraging AI, Kickstarter, and data‑driven marketing can accelerate income and sustain a long‑term writing career.
By Novel Marketing
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Digital Galleys Slash Costs, Boost Review ROI
Before Netgalley and other electronic galley systems, a publisher had to print and mail a ton of books. This was terribly expensive. $600 for a publisher is much more affordable than mailing even 100 books. A good review rate is...
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Co‑authoring Eugene Hutz’s Memoir, Releasing December
Very pleased and honored to announce that I got to help Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello with his memoir, Lost Innocent World, which will come out in early December via Matt Holt Books/BenBella Books. Preorder it now via Amazon (QR...
By Katherine Yeske Taylor
Podcast•Feb 24, 2026•0 min
Book Club: What Theo Taught Me About Slowing Down
The review explores Allen Levi’s novel *Theo of Golden*, where an 84‑year‑old Portuguese newcomer, Theo, discovers 92 portrait sketches of a small Southern town’s residents and sets out to deliver each one personally. The narrative unfolds as a quiet, devastating...
By The Landing
News•Feb 24, 2026
Years Ago, Novelist Tayari Jones Snuck Into a Writing Class. It Changed Her Life
Novelist Tayari Jones recounts how sneaking into a first‑year creative‑writing class at Spelman College launched her writing career. Guided by instructor Pearl Cleage, she gained her first audience and the confidence to call herself a writer. Jones later achieved national fame...
By NPR – Books
News•Feb 24, 2026
Farewell to Vicente Rafael
Vicente Rafael, a leading historian of the Philippines, died on February 21, 2026 at age 70. He authored five influential books with Duke University Press, including *The Sovereign Trickster* (2022) and earlier studies on translation, colonialism, and nationalism. Rafael held...
By Duke University Press – Blog
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Classic Authors Unlock Male Readers' Interest in Fiction
Another good piece here from my editor (and not just because my novel is mentioned :P). Writers like Shirley Jackson and Kurt Vonnegut were my own portal into literature as a teen. https://dearheadofmine.substack.com/p/bulletproof-fiction-to-get-men-reading
By Lincoln Michel
News•Feb 24, 2026
Fredi Nwaka: Owning His Story and Building a Legacy
Award‑winning British filmmaker, actor and motivational speaker Fredi Nwaka has released *Boy*, the first volume of a planned memoir trilogy that chronicles his South‑London upbringing, trauma, and rise in the film industry. He frames the book as a legacy tool,...
By IngramSpark – Blog
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Friendship Endures as Childhood Friends Diverge in New Novel
The author of ‘An American Marriage’ returns with a novel about two girlhood friends who set off in different directions. https://roncharles.substack.com/p/in-tayari-joness-kin-friendship-persists?r=atlgd
By Ron Charles
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
In Tayari Jones’s ‘Kin,’ Friendship Persists as Lives Diverge
Tayari Jones’s 2026 novel *Kin* follows best friends Vernice and Annie through alternating chapters that chart their diverging lives in the Jim Crow South. Vernice earns a scholarship to Spelman College, entering a world of Black refinement, while Annie embarks on...
By Ron Charles (books newsletter)
Podcast•Feb 24, 2026•0 min
Michael Pollan on A WORLD APPEARS
Michael Pollan’s new book *A World Appears* delves into consciousness, weaving together plant biology, human cognition, and philosophical inquiry. In a recent interview with Chris Gillespie, he expands on sentience, theory of mind, and the parallels between AI and the...
By Poured Over (Barnes & Noble)
Podcast•Feb 24, 2026•0 min
1023. Emily Nemens
Emily Nemens, author of the Tin House novel Clutch, gained early acclaim with her debut The Cactus League, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and featured on NPR and Lit Hub’s 2020 favorites lists. Her short fiction...
By Otherppl with Brad Listi
News•Feb 24, 2026
Diana Martha Louis on Colored Insane
Diana Martha Louis’s new book *Colored Insane* uncovers how nineteenth‑century American asylums labeled Black patients as the “colored insane” and used psychiatric theory to reinforce racial and gender hierarchies. Drawing on scarce archival records from the Georgia Lunatic Asylum, she foregrounds the...
By Columbia University Press – Blog
Social•Feb 23, 2026
Lighthouse Photo Contest Update: Decisions Coming Soon
Thanks for your patience about the lighthouse photo contest for the Southern Reach book. My novel getting longer has meant we're just now slowly wading through the photos. Very soon there will be some decisions.
By Jeff VanderMeer
Social•Feb 23, 2026
Find Olympic‑Level Joy and Intensity in Your Life
If you are inspired by the 2026 Winter Olympics and want to find that sense of joy, aliveness, and intensity in your own life, have I got a book for you. I gave this project my all. The early feedback...
By Brad Stulberg
Blog•Feb 23, 2026
What Happens to Book Publicity Now?
The author of Publishing Confidential announces that the newsletter will become 80% paid, offering a $6/month subscription with group discounts and free options for those in need. The piece then examines the evolving landscape of book publicity, noting the decline...
By Publishing Confidential
Podcast•Feb 23, 2026•0 min
Post-Traumatic Growth, Creative Marketing, And Dealing With Change with Jack Williamson
Jack Williamson, a psychotherapist and former music‑industry executive, discusses how personal trauma can become a catalyst for creative growth and how indie authors can apply lessons from the music sector’s disruptive evolution. He outlines post‑traumatic growth strategies, warns against shiny‑object...
By The Creative Penn Podcast
News•Feb 22, 2026
History of Mixed-Race Children Orphaned in Germany After WWII Inspires New Novel by Sadeqa Johnson
Sadeqa Johnson’s debut novel, *The Keeper of Lost Children*, dramatizes the largely unknown saga of mixed‑race children left in German orphanages after World War II. The story emerged from Johnson’s deep dive into archival records and survivor interviews that reveal thousands...
By NPR – Books
Blog•Feb 21, 2026
What Thinking About Your Process Does for You
The author is hosting a backyard event on March 7 featuring author Lauren Groff promoting her new short‑story collection Brawler, with tickets that include a copy of the book. The gathering is positioned as a unique literary experience in Florida, a...
By CRAFT TALK
Podcast•Feb 21, 2026•0 min
Jo Nesbø on WOLF HOUR
Jo Nesbø joined the Poured Over podcast to discuss his latest novel, Wolf Hour, a dark psychological crime thriller. The conversation, hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang, delved into the book’s exploration of a murderer’s mind, as well as Nesbø’s personal...
By Poured Over (Barnes & Noble)
News•Feb 20, 2026
7 Romance Sub-Genres Driving Reader Demand
Romance remains the commercial engine of modern publishing, consistently outpacing fantasy, sci‑fi, thrillers and literary fiction combined. Seven sub‑genres—contemporary, romantasy, billionaire, romantic suspense, historical, paranormal and LGBTQ+—are currently delivering the strongest sales velocity, social buzz and indie market share. The...
By IngramSpark – Blog
News•Feb 20, 2026
How Metadata Can Support the Discoverability of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Books
In recent TechForum sessions, industry experts from EDItEUR, BookNet Canada, and the Société de Gestion BTLF presented new ONIX and Thema guidelines aimed at improving metadata for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis titles. The best‑practice notes detail how to tag...
By BookNet Canada – Blog
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Elizabeth Bowen on Jane Austen's Englishness
Elizabeth Bowen argues that Jane Austen embodies the purest form of Englishness, contrasting her work with the broader decline of the English novel after the eighteenth century. She suggests that English writers have treated their nationality as a constraint, while...
By The Common Reader
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
#ReadIndies Nonfiction Catch-Up: Ansell, Farrier, Febos, Hoffman, Orlean and Stacey
A new indie nonfiction roundup spotlights five 2025 releases that span nature writing, personal memoir, and rewilding. Neil Ansell’s auditory‑focused wildlife quest, David Farrier’s evolution‑centric environmental treatise, and Melissa Febos’s year‑long celibacy experiment illustrate diverse narrative angles. Julian Hoffman and...
By Bookish Beck