On Natural Capital: The Value of the World Around Us by Partha Dasgupta – Review
Sir Partha Dasgupta’s "On Natural Capital" translates a 610‑page government report into a concise 200‑page manifesto that argues economics must internalise nature’s value. The book documents stark declines—wildlife down 73% in 50 years, ocean dead zones the size of the EU, extinction rates 100‑1,000 × historic norms—and warns that humanity’s current consumption would need 1.7 Earths to be sustainable. Dasgupta calls for pricing ecosystem services, treating natural assets as rent, and updating GDP to reflect biodiversity loss. The UK has already re‑framed the biodiversity crisis as a national‑security issue, echoing his call for policy overhaul.
A Unified Sense of Self
Michael Pollan’s new book, "A World Appears," reignites the quest to explain how the brain creates a unified sense of self, prompting commentary from neuroscientist David Eagleman and scholars across fields. The article highlights how epigenetics, philosophy of mind, and...
The Imposter – Chapter Thirty-Four
Anna Harton’s novel *The Imposter* was first published by Pan Macmillan in the UK in 2021. She has refreshed the book’s visual identity with a Substack‑exclusive cover that repurposes Edward Hopper’s 1909 painting *Summer Interior*, now on view at the Whitney...
The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss launch *The Escape Game*, a YA mystery that opens with a flashback to a contestant’s death on a reality‑TV escape‑room show. The story follows four teenage auditionees—Carter, Beck, Adi and Sierra—through alternating video‑style chapters that...
The Clock in the Forest
The review examines Volume IV of Solvej Balle’s series *On the Calculation of Volume*, noting its dense philosophical focus on time and morality. While the book deepens the relational theory of time and explores obligations toward altered selves, its pacing feels...
When I Am Sixty-Four (2026), by Debra Adelaide, and some Thoughts About ‘Grief-Lit’
Debra Adelaide’s 2026 novel *When I Am Sixty‑Four* is an autofiction that chronicles her attempt to care for a close friend who died by suicide. While rooted in factual events, Adelaide reshapes the narrative with lyrical prose, humor, and stark...
Starting to Show
The author, a former full‑time woodworker turned entrepreneur, entered the No Coast Furniture Show in Cincinnati, building two black‑cherry Bebb chairs in just two weeks. The show, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP, runs from April 17 to May 3 and...
The Horrifying Secrets—And Spreadsheets—In RFK Jr.’s Diaries
The Daily Beast podcast features author Isabel Vincent discussing her biography “RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise,” which is built on the former health secretary’s secret diaries. The diaries, uncovered after his late wife’s death, detail a staggering number of...
Can We Trust Book Publishing to Tell the Truth?
The article argues that mainstream book publishing lacks any systematic fact‑checking, leaving memoirs and novels vulnerable to false claims and AI‑generated content. It highlights three recent cases: Amy Griffin’s memoir "The Tell" faces a lawsuit over alleged fabricated assault memories,...
The Grandmothers That Reclaimed Argentina’s Stolen Grandchildren
Journalist Haley Cohen Gilliland’s new book, *A Flower Traveled in My Blood*, chronicles the decades‑long quest of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo to locate and identify babies stolen from political prisoners during the 1976‑83 military dictatorship. The Grandmothers...
Ben Lerner, Helen DeWitt, and More
The latest cultural roundup spotlights a candid interview with novelist Ben Lerner, who muses that heart surgery will strip him of his “young novelist” status. It also features a thought‑provoking essay linking language to humanity’s capacity to build pyramids, spaceships...
$1,200 Grant For Debut Romance Authors (Deadline: May 7, 2026)
A $1,200 grant is now available for authors writing adult romance who are preparing a debut novel. The deadline is May 7, 2026, and applicants must demonstrate a completed manuscript or a solid outline. The funding is intended to help writers cover...
The Loons Have Been Handed the Control of Science
Matt Ridley, a British aristocrat and libertarian author, was invited by the National Institutes of Health to address the discredited lab‑leak hypothesis despite lacking virology credentials. The blog post denounces the invitation as a symptom of political interference, linking Ridley’s...
The Bayesian Workflow Book Is Coming!
Statistical pioneers Andrew Gelman, Aki Vehtari, Richard McElreath and colleagues have announced the upcoming release of “Bayesian Workflow,” a new textbook that expands on the classic “Bayesian Data Analysis” by adding practical guidance on model building, computation, and validation. The...
Black. Single. Mother.: The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves
Roxane Gay’s new book, *Black. Single. Mother.: The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves*, examines the internal narratives that Black single mothers navigate, blending memoir, interviews, and cultural critique. The reviewer highlights Jamilah’s raw confession of personal flaws as a...
On Tyranny, Orbán, and Trump (with Timothy Snyder)
Historian Timothy Snyder discussed Viktor Orbán’s unexpected electoral defeat on the Stay Tuned podcast, arguing it shatters the myth of inevitable right‑wing dominance that fuels the MAGA movement. He described a transnational network linking Orbán, Trump, Putin and U.S. far‑right...
Meredith, Alone – Claire Alexander
Claire Alexander’s debut novel *Meredith, Alone* follows a young woman who has not left her flat for 1,214 days, living by meticulous routines to manage trauma‑induced isolation. The story, published by Penguin on June 9 2022, spans 363 pages and blends dark...
7 Books That Will Make You Dangerously Overeducated
The Substack post curates seven transformative books that reshape how readers view humanity, technology, power, and decision‑making. It highlights works by Yuval Noah Harari, Shoshana Zuboff, Philip Zimbardo, and others, each paired with a practical reading hook. The author suggests...
The Homemaker (The Chain of Lakes Series #1) by Jewel E. Ann
Jewel E. Ann’s debut in the Chain of Lakes series, *The Homemaker*, follows Alice Yates, a hired “homemaker” for an affluent Minneapolis couple, whose past love affair with vacation‑rental owner Murphy Paddon resurfaces when the couple’s daughter returns for the...
Ghosting Your Own Book: How to Cross the Finish Line When You Want to Run Away
Anne Marina Pellicciotto spent over a decade crafting a memoir before hitting a mental‑health wall while drafting a required synopsis. A therapist session helped her untangle inner conflicts, and she turned to Claude, an AI writing assistant, to generate a...
There’s No Single Path Through Collapse. It Spans Multiple Systems and Perspectives
In his upcoming book *Collapse: Navigating Civilization’s Predicaments With Wisdom and Courage*, author JP Quinonez frames the unfolding polycrisis as a convergence of ecological limits, thermodynamic constraints, and deep‑seated psychological and cultural forces. Drawing on months spent living off‑grid in...
Moneera Al-Ghadeer Answers: ‘Why Saudi Poetry?’
Syracuse University Press released "Tracing the Ether: Contemporary Poetry from Saudi Arabia," edited by Moneera Al‑Ghadeer, featuring 26 poets. The anthology was born from a teaching gap in the U.S. and aims to counter war‑focused Western narratives by showcasing experimental...
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell’s *Cherry Baby* follows 36‑year‑old Cherry Fairway as she navigates a divorce, a husband‑turned‑comic‑character, and relentless public scrutiny. The novel blends sharp humor with raw emotion, using sister group‑chat transcripts to deliver exposition and family dynamics. Rowell’s prose is...
Pamela Ryder’s Book Notes Music Playlist for Her Novel Daybreak Birdsong Always Wakes Him
Pamela Ryder joined the Largehearted Boy “Book Notes” series, releasing a curated music playlist to accompany her novel Daybreak Birdsong Always Wakes Him, a revisionist retelling of Billy the Kid. The playlist spotlights Clint Eastwood’s “Claudia’s Theme” from Unforgiven and other evocative...
No-Fuss Florida
Jami Attenberg announced a May 9 online workshop titled “Why We Write,” aimed at writers seeking intentional practice. The workshop serves as a primer for the “1000 Words of Summer” program, which runs May 30‑June 12 and includes a series of in‑person events...
Meet the Man Challenging Shakespeare as the GOAT of English Literature
The article argues that while William Shakespeare is traditionally hailed as the greatest writer in English, his dominance is being challenged by an unexpected rival. It highlights Shakespeare’s four‑century influence on language, prose, poetry, and dramatic form. The piece suggests...
The Future of Reading, the Honest Broker, and Michel Houellebecq
The latest episode of The Pursuit of Liberalism podcast features Sunil Iyengar of the National Endowment for the Arts, dissecting the limited data behind America’s reading decline and questioning the roles of TV, streaming and social media. A second episode...
Night Contracts: Caribbean Returns
The post explores Caribbean after‑dark folklore, focusing on the duppy of Jamaica and Barbados and the zonbi of Haitian Vodou. It draws a line between ancestor‑spirit traditions that govern household and graveyard etiquette and the Haitian notion of fragmented personhood...
I Sat in My Car and Cried when My Book Didn't Hit the NYT List.
Danielle LaPorte reflects on the sting of missing the New York Times bestseller list and uses that experience to launch her sixth book, Bless & Release, through a reverse audio‑first publishing strategy. She is offering a paid $67 insider session on April 21, 2026 that...
Clichés We Live By
"Clichés We Live By" by Nana Ariel and Dana Riesenfeld examines how the cliché—once dismissed as stale—functions as a dynamic cultural force shaping modern notions of originality. The authors trace its evolution from industrial‑age print to today’s AI‑driven content generation,...
Barnes & Noble Press Sets Minimum Paperback Price of $14.99, Among Other New Guidelines
Barnes & Noble Press announced a new pricing rule that sets a minimum paperback price of $14.99, reflecting mounting print‑production costs. The floor price applies across its self‑publishing platform, making it especially difficult for short‑form titles such as novellas, poetry...
On the List: The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson
Sheila Masterson’s fourth novel, The Poison Daughter, has become her first USA Today bestseller, marking a breakthrough for the author. The book’s entry onto the list signals strong sales across both print and digital channels. Masterson, previously known for niche...
The Shattered God
Darcey Steinke’s latest nonfiction, *This Is the Door: The Body, Pain, and Faith*, examines how chronic pain reshapes spiritual belief. Drawing on C.S. Lewis’s own journey from *The Problem of Pain* to *A Grief Observed*, she interweaves personal anecdotes with...
Ten Books To Break You Out Of A Reading Rut
The post presents a curated list of ten books designed to pull readers out of a reading slump, featuring recommendations from five notable cultural figures—Kat Chow, Debbie Millman, Julia Turner, Lisa Lee, and Ayesha Rascoe. The selections span fiction, nonfiction,...
John Quincy Adams, the Declaration, and America’s Christian Essence
American Policy Roundtable has issued a new hardcover that reproduces John Quincy Adams’s 68‑page Fourth of July oration delivered in 1837, accompanied by scholarly commentary from political theorist William B. Allen and roundtable chairman David Zanotti. In the speech, Adams...
Your Protagonist Is Boring — Here's How to Fix That
The Forever Workshop announced a new online class led by award‑winning author Maurice Carlos Ruffin, focused on helping fiction writers craft compelling, three‑dimensional protagonists. The curriculum promises five actionable methods, ranging from deepening a character’s inner world to layering conflict...
Why You Should Read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Dead Language Society is launching a four‑session Substack Live reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, using Simon Armitage’s accessible translation while also examining the original Middle English. The post highlights the poem’s linguistic richness—its blend of Old English,...
Elites Are Still Trying to Suppress the Facts of the Greatest Comeback in U.S. History — and Trump Is Igniting...
Historian Arthur Herman’s new book *Founder’s Fire* frames Donald Trump as the modern‑day founder who revitalized America by breaking bureaucratic norms. Herman argues that Trump’s deregulation, energy independence, trade renegotiations, military rebuilding, and immigration enforcement echo the bold actions of...
Heather Cox Richardson Joins TBR!
Heather Cox Richardson’s new book, Democracy Awakening, has been chosen as this month’s TBR Book Club selection. The announcement highlights that every purchase supports independent bookstores rather than large online retailers. TBR subscribers automatically gain book‑club membership, and an upcoming...
The Rushford Times - A Weekly Newsletter From Jodi Taylor
Jodi Taylor’s weekly newsletter, The Rushford Times, continues its split‑schedule—Wednesdays for paid members and Fridays for free readers. This edition spotlights a new book recommendation, The Terror of Tannery Lane by MRC Kasasian, and announces the paperback launch of Out of Time on April 23, 2026. A...
How Compassion Changed My Writing
Anne E. Beall, Ph.D., recounts how embracing compassion for her mother, herself, and her inner critic transformed her writing. By reframing her mother from a villain to a nuanced human, previously rejected memoir pieces were accepted by literary journals. Extending...
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
Kylie Lee Baker’s new adult horror novel *Japanese Gothic* intertwines a 2026 American college student with a 1877 samurai daughter, both haunted by a sentient house in Kagoshima. The narrative leans on the Urashima Taro legend, using it as structural scaffolding rather than...
The Rest of Our Lives (2025), by Ben Markovits
Ben Markovits’s *The Rest of Our Lives* was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, joining titles like Susan Choi’s *Flashlight* and Katie Kitamura’s *Audition*. The novel follows middle‑aged lawyer Tom as his daughter leaves for college, prompting a road‑trip that forces him to...
Lesser Known Literary Gems Everyone Should Read
Maria Fredriksson’s recent blog post revives two overlooked mid‑century novels—Rumer Godden’s “An Episode of Sparrows” and Elizabeth Goudge’s “Green Dolphin Street.” The article provides concise synopses, highlights thematic depth, and situates the works alongside celebrated authors such as Willa Cather....
The Beginnings of Mahfouzland
In 1945 Naguib Mahfouz released *Khan al‑Khalili*, marking the start of modern Arabic fiction and the "All or Nothing" era that would define his career. Over the next decade he produced an unofficial trilogy—*Khan al‑Khalili*, *New Cairo*, *Midaq Alley*—and the...
12 Books That Separate the Well-Read From Everyone Else (pt.2)
The Substack series “12 Books That Separate the Well‑Read From Everyone Else (pt.2)” curates a list of twelve literary classics, including Ralph Ellison’s *Invisible Man* and Franz Kafka’s *The Trial*, that reshape readers’ perspectives rather than simply increase volume. The article argues...
A Noirish Road Thriller About Violent Teenagers, an Underrated '90s Conspiracy Thriller with a Great Soundtrack, and More
Read Max’s weekly roundup spotlights an under‑the‑radar noirish road thriller about violent teenagers and male friendship, a collection of essays on memes, Trumpist aesthetics, sex work and picture‑book rhythm, an underrated 1990s conspiracy thriller praised for its cast and soundtrack,...
Albert Camus: There Is Not Love of Life without Despair About Life
Albert Camus argues that the human condition is defined by an "absurd" clash between our innate demand for meaning and the indifferent silence of the universe. He characterizes despair over this condition as cowardice, while placing hope in a futile...
Can a Good Person Survive a Corrupt Society?
The essay argues that personal integrity can survive even the most corrupt societies, but only through disciplined refusal to betray one’s conscience. It contrasts Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s *A Man for All Seasons*—who dies preserving his truth—with Winston...
We Are Never Getting Together Is Fun Contemporary YA Rom-Com
Janette Rallison’s new YA novel *We Are Never Getting Together* hit shelves on April 7, 2026, priced at $19.99. The story follows feuding high‑schoolers Madeline and Cooper who stage a fake romance to keep their single parents apart, only to discover genuine...