Communiqué 113: Masobe Books’ Bet on Digital Subscriptions to Save Nigeria’s Reading Culture
Masobe Books, a Lagos‑based publisher, captured the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature ($100,000) with Oyin Olugbile’s novel “Sanya” and had five of the eleven long‑listed titles, underscoring its influence in the local literary scene. Yet sales fell from roughly 60,000 copies in 2024 to 40,000 in 2025, even as revenue reached a record high because inflation pushed book prices from about $2‑$3 to $9‑$11. To arrest a shrinking readership, Masobe launched a subscription‑based mobile app offering tiered access to its catalogue at roughly $1.5, $2.9 and $4.3 per month. The company hopes to break even with 15,000 subscribers and eventually scale toward a potential 400,000‑user market.
The Mythology Builder's Toolkit Is up for Pre-Order
The Mythology Builder’s Toolkit – a new guide for writers, worldbuilders, and game masters – is now available for pre‑order in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats, with a launch date of April 30. The book contains nine self‑contained workshop chapters...
Romance on the Docket (Forever Yours) by Jessica Powell
Jessica Powell’s "Romance on the Docket (Forever Yours)" follows Minji Lee, a top Manhattan divorce attorney, and Aaron Singleton, a bestselling romance author who shadows her for his next novel. Their professional clash turns personal as Aaron’s optimism challenges Minji’s...
How You Can Help Us Start a Radical Bookshop and Community Space
The Books From Below Collective is launching a crowdfunding campaign to open a radical bookshop and community hub in Newcastle‑upon‑Tyne. The city has been without a left‑leaning independent bookstore since the 1986 closure of Days of Hope. The initiative offers...
The 1/32" Difference
The author illustrates how a seemingly trivial 1/32" adjustment can dramatically affect outcomes in both publishing and furniture making. In printing, a half‑inch increase in page width can double the cost per copy, while in chair production an oversized tenon...
10 Math Books That Sharpen Your Thinking (But Most People Never Finish)
A new roundup highlights ten mathematically rigorous books that double as mental workouts. Titles range from Hofstadter’s interdisciplinary classic to Spivak’s proof‑heavy calculus and MacKay’s information‑theory treatise. The common thread is depth; most readers abandon them after a few chapters,...
Love by the Book by Jessica George
Jessica George’s new novel *Love by the Book* centers on the evolving friendship between debut novelist Remy Baidoo and London teacher‑sex‑worker Simone Beduah, placing platonic love ahead of romance. The story alternates between Remy’s witty first‑person voice and Simone’s restrained...
WEBINAR (04/16/26): Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution
Award‑winning journalist Anand Gopal will host a virtual webinar on April 16 to discuss his new book, “Days of Love and Rage,” which chronicles how ordinary Syrians in a northern city sparked a democratic uprising against a brutal dictatorship. The...
Heat Wave in Berlin (1961), by Dymphna Cusack
Dymphna Cusack’s 1961 novel *Heat Wave in Berlin* follows Australian mother Joy Miller as she visits her German‑born husband’s influential family in West Berlin, only to uncover their covert neo‑Nazi agenda and wartime crimes. The narrative blends thriller pacing with...
Immersion Series: What Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas Breaks Open (Part 3)
The third installment of the Immersion Series dissects the climax of Sarah J. Maas’s *Crown of Midnight*, highlighting how mounting court pressure erupts into irreversible consequences. The analysis tracks fractured loyalty, emotional decision‑making, and the breakdown of magical suppression as...
Hiding at the Voyeur's Motel
The blog post recaps a philosophy‑of‑technology book club reading Lowry Pressly’s *The Right to Oblivion*, focusing on Chapter 2’s argument that privacy violations cause harm by depriving individuals of control over their self‑presentation. It uses Gay Talese’s *The Voyeur’s Motel* story...
SWJ–El Centro Book Review: Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America
Dr. Carlos Solar’s new book Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America offers a comprehensive academic study of how emerging democracies in the Western Hemisphere are building cyber capacity, shaping governance frameworks, and militarizing digital operations. The analysis focuses on Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina,...
This Wednesday: Babs’ Children’s Book Signing (Don’t Miss It!)
Author Babs Costello will host a children’s book launch and signing at the New Canaan Nature Center on Wednesday, April 15. The event features a story‑time session, a gourmet hot‑dog cart, and two time slots (11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5:00–6:00 p.m.). Attendees can...
The Economics of the Writing Life, and More
The article examines the harsh financial reality of a career in writing, describing it as a "non‑existent profession" where income is erratic and often insufficient. It highlights how writers rely on advances, royalties, and supplemental gigs such as teaching or...
Book Review: The Future of Work — A Futurist’s Perspective on Technology and Innovation
Ian Khan, a top futurist, reviews the current "future of work" literature, noting that the best books focus on human adaptation to technology rather than tech itself. He highlights that AI will replace tasks, skill half‑lives are now under three...
DNF? Common Reasons Readers Give Up On Novels
The article warns that readers often abandon novels—labelled DNF—due to predictable craft flaws. It highlights the "desire line" concept, urging writers to give characters a clear, early‑stated goal that hooks the audience. Additional pitfalls include overcrowded casts, unconventional dialogue formatting,...
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
Emma Straub’s new novel *American Fantasy* follows a four‑day boy‑band cruise, tracking three distinct voices—a newly divorced fan, a weary band member, and a hard‑pressed tour manager. The story uses a ship‑log structure to examine how nostalgia and adult responsibilities...
Investment, Animal Spirits and Algae
A recent webinar on *Against Money* used Matt Levine’s algae‑fuel startup scenario to illustrate how financing decisions stem from planner optimism rather than market signals. The piece argues that banks function as modern planners, granting soft budget constraints that let...
Only Breath & Shadow by Andrew Tweeddale
Andrew Tweeddale’s *Only Breath & Shadow* concludes the Castle Drogo trilogy, following blind British veteran Christian Drewe as he shelters four Jewish children in Vienna during the 1938 Anschluss. The novel blends meticulous sensory detail with restrained prose, letting the...
The Watchmaker’s War (2026), by Danny Ben-Moshe
Danny Ben‑Moshe’s 2026 novel *The Watchmaker’s War* dramatizes the true story of Lithuanian Holocaust survivor Boris Green, who discovered that Nazi war criminals had migrated to post‑war Australia under lax immigration checks. The book reveals that Australia’s security agency, ASIO,...
2026 Age Book of the Year Shortlists
The Age has released the shortlist for its 2026 Book of the Year, naming six fiction and six non‑fiction titles. Notable entries include Jennifer Mills’s “Salvage,” Omar Musa’s “Fierceland,” and Mark McKenna’s “The Shortest History of Australia.” Winners will each...
Author Interview – Lisa Woodall: Whatever Next? And The Five Lenses
Lisa Woodall’s new titles, *Whatever Next?* and *The Five Lenses*, argue that transformation is something people live rather than a project you deliver. Drawing on three decades of architecture and change work, she introduces five lenses—Reflect, Reimagine, Reframe, Rewire, Reconnect—to...
ROB SHUTER SIGNS 3-BOOK DEAL — THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Rob Shuter has secured a three‑book publishing agreement with Post Hill Press, with distribution handled by Simon & Schuster. His debut novel, *It Started With a Whisper*, hits shelves on April 21 and is already available for pre‑order. The second...
Querying a Debut Book That's Not Your Debut Query
Many writers land representation on a later manuscript rather than their debut. Agents often pass on a first novel due to market timing, genre trends, or concept fit, not solely writing quality. The article advises authors to re‑query agents who...
Four Jars. Four Lives. One Quiet Kind of Hope.
AR Shaw announced the launch of a new "Disasters in a Jar" box set, featuring four interconnected short stories that explore personal resilience amid environmental crises. The collection is offered as both an audiobook bundle and an ebook bundle, catering...
A New Story for Us
The latest installment of Story Club spotlights a new short story by Deb Olin Unferth, a former Syracuse University writing cohort member who has built a celebrated literary career. The piece is accompanied by distinctive deer and bear illustrations, adding...
The Best-Written Recent Release
Auraist’s latest newsletter spotlights Jenni Fagan’s speculative novel The Delusions as its pick for the best‑written recent release, accompanied by a collection of glowing press excerpts. The issue also features a deep‑dive essay on prose style, including reflections on voice, editing,...
Black. Single. Mother.: What Makes a Family
Roxane Gay’s new book, *Black. Single. Mother.: What Makes a Family*, centers on Jamilah Lemieux’s experience as a Black single mother dealing with an absent father and her own journey into motherhood. The memoir blends personal narrative with cultural critique,...
Kasumisou Ni Yureru Kisha (1981) by Yoshimi Uchida Manga Review
Yoshimi Uchida’s 1981 manga collection "Kasumisou ni Yureru Kisha" blends shoujo storytelling with Pre‑Raphaelite visual influences, set against an idealized Galesburg, Illinois. The four short stories explore youthful ambition, sacrifice, and the loss of innocence through characters like Oscar, Leon,...
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman, the Chicago School economist, became the intellectual backbone of American neoliberalism, advising leaders like Nixon, Reagan, Thatcher and Rumsfeld. His 1962 book *Capitalism and Freedom* attacked government intervention, arguing that licensing and social safety nets distort markets. Friedman’s...
Book Review: Christopher and His Kind 1929–1939 by Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood’s 1976 memoir *Christopher and His Kind 1929–1939* revisits the decade he spent in Berlin, the UK, and other European refuges before emigrating to the United States. The book blends third‑person narration of his younger self with first‑person reflections,...
Slow Club
Kelly Reichardt’s new film "The Mastermind" follows James, a struggling carpenter who plans an art heist modeled on a 1972 museum theft. The movie employs deliberate, lingering shots that embody the slow‑cinema aesthetic, forcing audiences to sit with mundane details....
Being Human Is Not the Floor. It's the Ceiling.
Rahim Hirji’s blog explores how cultures adapt mourning rituals during crises, from Sierra Leone’s glove‑protected love touch to Sulawesi’s “sleeping” ancestors, illustrating a deeper form of global adaptability. He argues that true adaptability is not a checklist but the willingness...
Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola On The Dignity of Man
In 1486 Giovanni Pico della Mirandola delivered his famed Oration on the Dignity of Man, arguing that humanity’s greatness stems not from a fixed nature but from the capacity to shape itself. He portrayed man as a chameleon‑like being who...
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Meg Shaffer’s *The Book Witch* follows Rainy March, a third‑generation Book Witch who safeguards fictional works from a shadowy group called the Burners. Told through Rainy’s case‑file journal entries, the novel blends romance, mystery, and fantasy while exploring the cost...
The Arimasen Dialogues by Michael Hoffman
Michael Hoffman's *The Arimasen Dialogues* is a dialogue‑only novel set on the metaphysical realm of Arimasen, where a 1969 Singularity shattered coherence. The story unfolds through a cast of distinct voices—talk‑show host Neil Grass, philosopher Reuben Ash, twin rock‑star mayors...
Book 34: Common Sense by Thomas Paine (100 Great Books)
Thomas Paine, a former corset maker, sailor, teacher and tax collector, arrived in Philadelphia in November 1774 with virtually no resources. Benjamin Franklin’s introduction secured him a role editing the Pennsylvania Magazine, giving him a platform to influence colonial opinion....
The Man Who Read Everything
Harold Bloom’s posthumous collection, *The Man Who Read Everything*, assembles letters exchanged with poets such as A.R. Ammons, John Ashbery, and others, offering a rare glimpse into his private thoughts on poetry, teaching, and academic fatigue. The volume showcases Bloom’s...
A Healthier Profit
"A Healthier Profit," slated for release by Oxford University Press, examines how commercial activity now drives the majority of preventable disease worldwide. The authors argue that food systems, pollution, and climate change—rooted in profit‑seeking business models—are the primary health threats,...
Sir Marrok: The Werewolf at the Court of King Arthur
Sir Marrok, a werewolf knight, is mentioned only in a brief line of Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th‑century work *Le Morte d'Arthur*. The passage attributes his transformation to a betrayal by his wife, suggesting a lost medieval tale once familiar to...
Void: No. Nine Vol. 1 (2024) by Shima Shinya Manga Review
Void: No. Nine Vol. 1, by Shima Shinya, is a new seinen manga set in a dystopian Reclamation City where scavengers explore underground ruins. The narrative follows three protagonists—Asa, Ira, and Kumo—each carrying distinct trauma, exposing themes of economic stagnation, gender...
Tempting Boss (Manhattan Billionaires #8) by Lilian Monroe
Lilian Monroe’s “Tempting Boss” (Manhattan Billionaires #8) follows Deena Brand, a confident travel coordinator, as she becomes entangled with her demanding billionaire CEO, Callum Frost. The novel blends high‑stakes Manhattan business scenes with a steamy, emotionally charged romance, highlighting Frost’s...
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Evelyn Clarke’s debut mystery *The Ending Writes Itself* pits six struggling midlist authors against a 72‑hour deadline to finish a dead bestseller author’s manuscript on a remote Scottish island. The novel mixes classic locked‑room intrigue with sharp, darkly comic commentary...
What the Crisis of Masculinity Literature Misses About Testosterone
Camille Paglia’s new book, *The Last Men*, reignites a debate that the "crisis of masculinity" narrative largely ignores biology, especially testosterone. Recent studies such as the Massachusetts Male Aging Study show a roughly 1% yearly decline in men’s testosterone for...
Book Freak #205: Mindset
Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s book "Mindset" argues that beliefs about intelligence shape outcomes. A fixed mindset treats ability as static, leading people to avoid challenges and view failure as a personal flaw. In contrast, a growth mindset sees abilities as...
What Landon Donovan Revealed About Identity, Peace, and Reinvention
Landon Donovan’s new memoir, *Landon*, moves beyond the soccer legend’s on‑field triumphs to examine his personal identity, therapy journey, and search for peace after fame. Co‑author Ryan Berman frames the narrative as a candid exploration of the man behind the...
More Than Chemical by Leanne Farella
"More Than Chemical" follows Adriana Blankin, a first‑year chemical engineering student hiding her father's scandal, who turns to campus playboy Dallas Reynolds hoping sex‑induced hormones will improve her sleep and grades. As their relationship deepens, hidden pasts surface, turning a...
Earth Abides
The podcast series hosted by Alex Leff and a guest revisits George R. Stewart’s 1949 novel *Earth Abides*, dissecting its portrayal of civilization’s collapse and gradual rebirth. The conversation, released in two parts (first aired yesterday, second slated for April 23), draws...
Law, Memoir, and the Mystery of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Writing
Justice Anthony Kennedy’s memoir "Life, Law & Liberty" distinguishes itself from recent Supreme Court memoirs by offering literary depth and personal modesty, whereas books by Justices Gorsuch, Barrett and Jackson read more like image‑building exercises. Kennedy weaves references to Willa...
“There Are so Many Posts About What to Ask the Agent on The Call, but What Will the Agent Ask...
The article reminds prospective authors that agent calls are two‑way conversations. While writers often bring checklists of questions for agents, agents also probe authors about their career goals, work habits, and expectations for representation. The piece outlines common topics agents...