Like Me (The Millingham Series #1) by Katharine Light
Katharine Light’s debut, *Like Me*, follows single‑mum Jess as she travels from London to Manchester for a twenty‑year school reunion, where she unexpectedly reconnects with teenage crush Sam, now a single dad. Their chemistry reignites amid lingering secrets, demanding children, and meddlesome friends, creating a tension‑filled second‑chance romance. Light weaves dual timelines, dropping subtle clues that keep readers guessing, though the novel concludes abruptly, hinting at further story potential. The narrative balances humor, heartache, and personal growth, positioning it as a relatable contemporary romance.
The Ideological Profile of France’s Economic Bestsellers
An analysis of France’s 100 best‑selling economics books from FN‑AC’s 2024 list shows a pronounced ideological bias toward state‑led, anti‑liberal perspectives. Anti‑liberal titles outnumber liberal ones by roughly four to one, with most works reflecting Keynesian or statist viewpoints. Liberal...
Julia Kent's New Release Is Out
Julia Kent has released her memoir *Shopping for a Highlander's Baby* at a special launch price of $3.99. The book, available on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play and in print, recounts her unexpected early childbirth during a live sportscasting...
Ancient Methods ~ Society of the Spectacle
Ancient Methods' new industrial album "Society of the Spectacle" draws directly from Guy Debord’s 1967 treatise. The record weaves snippets of Debord’s text into aggressive beats, echoing the “spectacle” as both commodity and control. Released on April Fools’ Day, the cover...
The Lights Were on… but the World Had Gone Dark.
The post promotes AR Shaw’s new "House of Light" box set, showcasing rain‑soaked, farmhouse imagery to highlight a story where lights shine amid darkness. It positions the collection as part of Shaw’s broader Apocalypses series, which began in 2013 and...
March 2026 Reading Round-Up
In March, the author shared a personal reading round‑up, highlighting a mix of recent releases and classics ranging from culinary travel memoirs to Regency‑style fantasy and Antarctic essays. The post also notes cinema outings to *Project Hail Mary* and *The...
⤴️ An Up Wing Future Is Possible: A Quick Q&A with … the Authors of 'A Century of Plenty: A...
McKinsey Global Institute researchers Sven Smit, Chris Bradley, Nick Leung and Marc Canal argue that a modest 2.6% annual global per‑capita GDP growth could lift the world’s poorest nations to Swiss‑level prosperity by 2100. Their new book, *A Century of...
Publishing Industry Secrets Every Aspiring Author Should Know
The publishing landscape is split between traditional houses that still dominate bestseller lists and a rapidly expanding self‑publishing sector empowered by digital platforms. Aspiring authors must understand how agents, query letters, and royalty structures differ across these channels. Key industry...
In Praise of Pedants, Nonfiction's Nightmare Year, and More
Nonfiction publishing endured a harsh year, with sales slipping more than 8% and only one of the ten best‑selling titles being a fresh release. The article also praises pedants, labeling them as essential defenders of factual rigor in an age...
Sfaal and SDS Propose Pre-Contractual AI Safeguards for Writers
The French Syndicat des agents artistiques et littéraires (Sfaal) and the Syndicat des scénaristes (SDS) have announced a joint framework of pre‑contractual safeguards aimed at protecting writers from unauthorized AI‑generated reproductions of their work. The proposal includes mandatory disclosure clauses,...
The Zenga Bros “Be a Fool” Book
Creative duo the Zenga Bros have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their new full‑color book “Be a Fool,” aimed at artists and anyone craving playful inspiration. The book blends adventures, experiments, photography, illustrations, philosophy, and challenges, and will be printed...
The Lives We Don’t See
Woody Brown’s debut novel Upward Bound shines a rare autistic voice on the hidden world of day programs for adults with profound disabilities. The book follows Walter, an echolalic 24‑year‑old, and other residents as they navigate a sterile, understaffed facility...
The Mastermind’s Trap Is OK Last Chance Academy Sequel
Debbi Michiko Florence’s new middle‑grade novel *The Mastermind’s Trap* (Hardcover, $17.99) continues the Last Chance Academy saga, following Meg Mizuno as she tackles a solo scavenger hunt to save her boarding school. After a prize‑winning trip to California, Meg returns...
Do You Read Me?
The author shares a monthly reading roundup focused on meaning‑making, inspired by Sihaam’s Web Weaving spirals. Key titles include Roland Barthes’ *Mythologies* and Ruben Pater’s *CAPS LOCK*, both exploring how symbols and visual language encode power, identity, and capitalism. The...
The Best Five Books on Friedrich Hayek
Philip Mirowski, a historian of economic thought, curates five essential books that illuminate Friedrich Hayek’s role in shaping neoliberalism and modern microeconomics. The selections range from Ola Innset’s political‑philosophical study of early neoliberalism to Naomi Beck’s analysis of capitalism’s evolution, with...
What Bookstores Want From Traditional Publishers—And How the Bookstore Market Has Changed
A recent BISG panel highlighted how BookTok and younger readers are reshaping bookstore traffic, prompting chains like Books‑A‑Million to expand titles in romance, fantasy, and LitRPG. Independent stores such as RJ Julia focus on curated selections, using events and physical galleys...
Review: The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly’s nineteenth Bosch novel, *The Wrong Side of Goodbye*, sees the veteran detective leave the LAPD and volunteer in a cash‑strapped small town while still running his private‑investigator practice. The plot splits between chasing a serial rapist and a...
A Look Back at ArabLit: March 2026
ArabLit’s March 2026 roundup highlights how the widening Israel‑U.S. coalition war and Iranian airstrikes have upended the regional literary ecosystem. Over a thousand Lebanese casualties and mass displacement have hit writers, editors and publishers, while the Muscat and Abu Dhabi...
The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez
Abby Jimenez’s second installment, *The Night We Met*, expands the *Say You’ll Remember Me* series with a romance that intertwines financial hardship, dual‑POV storytelling, and a rescue Yorkie named Woofarine. The novel follows Larissa, a gig‑working protagonist buried under $30,000...
Apple at 50: Some Great Apple History Books
Apple’s 50th‑anniversary celebrations have sparked renewed curiosity about the company’s origins, prompting a curated list of essential Apple history books. The selection spans from early Macintosh chronicles like Steven Levy’s *Insanely Great* to recent analyses of Apple’s China manufacturing strategy...
Big Books that Are Actually Worth Your Time
The blog post recommends five monumental classics—*The Brothers Karamazov*, *Anna Karenina*, *East of Eden*, *The Count of Monte Cristo* and *Middlemarch*—as life‑changing reads. Each novel is presented as a deep exploration of morality, freedom, suffering, redemption, and ordinary human ambition....
Demon Lord 2099 The Complete Omnibus (2025) by Yutaka Sakurai, Daigo Murasaki and Kureta
Yen Press has released the Demon Lord 2099 Complete Omnibus, collecting the cyber‑punk light‑novel adaptation that originated as a manga series. The story follows the resurrected Demon Lord Veltol as he navigates a 2099 Shinjuku where magic and technology converge,...
Sanity on the Internet
The philosophy‑of‑technology book club wrapped its recent Zoom discussion of *You & Your Profile*, noting the text fell short on defending authenticity. Participants critiqued the authors’ focus on "profilicity"—the curated, algorithm‑driven identity regime dominating online life. The club announced its...
Paradise PD and Farzar Getting “Final Season” Away From Netflix Following Cancellations
Creators Roger Black and Waco O’Guin launched a Kickstarter to finish their cancelled Netflix animated series Paradise PD and Farzar with a graphic novel titled Paradise PD & Farzar: The Final Season. The campaign quickly surpassed its £15,069 (~$19,150) goal, raising over...
March Debut Deals Aren't Nearly As Dark
March’s debut‑book deals show a clear pivot from the winter‑time dominance of horror, dark academia and rage‑filled romance toward brighter, whimsical women’s fiction and hopeful narratives. While darker titles still surface—especially from self‑published authors and BookTok influencers—the overall tone aligns...
More than Friends by Kat Singleton
Kat Singleton’s *More than Friends* continues the Pembroke Hills series, pairing billionaire Jude Kensington with photographer Charlotte Wells in a slow‑burn friends‑to‑lovers story anchored by unexpected single‑dad responsibilities. The novel’s dual‑POV structure gives readers intimate access to both protagonists, while...
Years Of Crisis And Decision
The essay revives a series on Naguib Mahfouz, arguing that his century‑spanning novels are the true heirs of the Arab Nahda, not the nationalist movements that followed. It outlines Mahfouz’s three literary episodes—All or Nothing, Hesitations, and Reconciliation—each mirroring Egypt’s...
The Best-Written Recent Literary Fiction
Auraist’s latest post spotlights the best‑written recent literary fiction, highlighting a longlist that includes Hannah Lillith Assadi’s *Paradiso 17*, which is long‑listed for the Women’s Prize, and a diverse slate of titles from established and emerging authors. The piece pairs excerpts...
Philip Pullman on C.S. Lewis' Flaws, Improving Jesus' Story, and Philosophy in Fiction
Philip Pullman sat down with Alex O'Connor to critique C.S. Lewis, labeling his religious narratives a “filthy lie” and arguing that childhood innocence is overrated. He explained how his own work, especially the “dust” concept, draws on philosophy of mind...
Long Promised Road
Ross Barkan announces the release of his new novel *Colossus* on April 28, with pre‑order links and a launch event on May 11 featuring Shadi Hamid. The story follows Teddy Starr, a pastor‑real‑estate mogul navigating the disorienting 2020s American landscape,...
Invite Your Friends to Read The Self-Aware Leader
The Self‑Aware Leader newsletter asks readers to refer friends using a unique link, rewarding successful referrals with free subscription periods. Sharing can be done via text, email, or social media, and the referral system tracks sign‑ups automatically. Benefits include a...
10 Books Where the Main Character Slowly Loses Their Mind
The March 29 2026 blog post curates ten novels where protagonists experience a gradual loss of sanity, beginning with Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. It argues that small, unexamined thoughts can snowball into full‑blown psychological collapse, tracing the narrative mechanics that turn clarity into distortion. By...
EXCLUSIVE: IT STARTED WITH A WHISPER — A PERSONAL NOTE FROM ROB SHUTER
Rob Shuter, former media strategist turned author, is promoting his debut novel *It Started With A Whisper*, now available for pre‑order ahead of its April 21 release. The thriller follows four characters launching a chaotic morning show while trading dangerous secrets,...
Our Next Book: The Right to Oblivion by Lowry Pressly
Jared Henderson’s Substack is transitioning from the "You and Your Profile" series to Lowry Pressly’s new book, *The Right to Oblivion*. The upcoming reading schedule runs through April, culminating in two members‑only Zoom sessions, one of which features Pressly himself....
The Gentle Romance / Career Dreamer / Skull
The article spotlights several niche resources: Richard Ngo’s hard‑science‑fiction collection "The Gentle Romance" offers AI‑centric narratives; Google’s Career Dreamer tool receives an AI‑boost, helping users map future roles and craft resume statements; the tabletop bluffing game Skull provides quick, strategic...
Book Review: “Brawler” By Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff’s new short‑story collection Brawler is a stark, unrelenting portrait of violence, neglect, and fleeting moments of joy that are quickly eclipsed by darkness. The reviewer describes each tale as emotionally taxing, questioning whether the book’s bleak outlook serves any...
Mike Vaccaro’s New Yankees Book About ‘the Craziness of the Steinbrenner Era’
Mike Vaccaro’s latest book, *The Bosses of the Bronx*, chronicles the tumultuous Steinbrenner era of the New York Yankees, from George’s 1973 purchase for $8.8 million to the franchise’s current $8.2 billion valuation. The author aims to introduce younger fans—those under 40—to...
A Sharp New Book on A.I., Psyops, and Magic; an Entertaining Video Essay on Video Stores; and More
Read Max’s weekly roundup highlights a provocative essay collection on AI, computer vision, surveillance, psyops and magic, alongside a curated link list covering bureaucracy, the film Killers of the Flower Moon, and Western intellectual trends. It also features an entertaining...
Mini Review: Where Are You Baby? Is Sweet Board Book
Elena Selena’s new board book *Where Are You, Baby?* launched on February 24, 2026, priced at $14.99 for ages 0‑3. The lift‑the‑flap picture book features bright animal illustrations and a hide‑and‑seek narrative that encourages parent‑child interaction. Published by Twirl, the...
The Afterlife of Harry Playford (2026, Stephen Minter #2), by Steven Carroll
Steven Carroll’s *The Afterlife of Harry Playford* (Fourth Estate, 2026) continues the Stephen Minter series, following the baffling disappearance of a 1950s Australian politician. The novel blends detective tropes with a meditation on post‑war migration, gender constraints, and Cold‑War undercurrents,...
How to Be Good in Math: 10 Book Recommendations
The article curates ten books that aim to transform how readers approach mathematics, emphasizing that math ability can be cultivated at any age. Selections range from neuroscience‑based learning strategies in *A Mind for Numbers* to visual humor in *Math with...
Recommended Reading
The post offers a curated reading list for business leaders, featuring an essay on China’s pursuit of internal unity and global harmony, an article critiquing the allure of certainty in modern discourse, and a warning about America’s declining literacy rates....
Joe Fonda – ‘My Life in the World of Music’
Joe Fonda’s new memoir, *My Life in the World of Music*, traces his fifty‑year journey from teenage rock and blues enthusiast to a leading figure in avant‑garde jazz. The book details pivotal moments such as his transformative encounter with John Coltrane’s...
Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama
Michiko Aoyama’s debut novel *Hot Chocolate on Thursday* weaves twelve interlinked short stories around a modest Tokyo café, each narrated by a different character identified by a colour. The English translation by E. Madison Shimoda captures the original’s restrained prose, preserving...
The World Machines Project
Venkatesh Rao’s “World Machines” framework, originally a reading guide for the Contraptions Book Club, has evolved into a collaborative project to produce a collective book. The initiative invites members who have authored at least one essay using the World Machines...
My Review of “Mastery” By Robert Greene
Robert Greene’s “Mastery” dissects the lives of historic geniuses to reveal a repeatable path to elite performance, emphasizing apprenticeship, deep focus, and social intelligence over shortcuts. The review stresses that mastery is built on endurance, failure, and reinvention rather than...
“The Sirens’ Call” By Chris Hayes: The Attention Economy Explained
Chris Hayes’s new book “The Sirens’ Call” argues that attention has become an economic commodity, deliberately harvested by digital platforms and workplace norms. The author shows how algorithms prioritize speed, urgency, and emotion, turning distraction into a profit‑driving feature. Hayes...
Book Freak #203: Knowledge, Reality, and Value
University of Colorado philosopher Michael Huemer’s new book, *Knowledge, Reality, and Value*, offers a clear‑cut defense of common‑sense thinking across epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. He introduces “phenomenal conservatism,” arguing that appearances provide prima facie justification unless specific doubts arise. Huemer...
Sip Saturday
Sip Saturday, written by Christian author M.H. Elrich, recounts her personal "wilderness experience" of spiritual emptiness after marriage and how community, Bible study, and reliance on the Holy Spirit restored her purpose. She links the biblical warning in Hebrews 3:17...
Mary Oliver: On Creative Work
The post reflects on Mary Oliver’s advice that creators must remain whimsical and fully own their lives. It argues that artistic work isn’t about keeping the world steady but propelling it forward, requiring a distinct mindset. Oliver’s quote underscores personal...