Haruki Murakami Has a New Novel Coming Out—And for the First Time, It Features a Female Main Character.
Haruki Murakami’s next full‑length novel, *The Tale of KAHO*, arrives in Japan on July 3, published by Shinchosha. The book follows a 26‑year‑old picture‑book author navigating a surreal world and marks Murakami’s first novel with a lone female lead. It expands four short stories originally printed in *Shinchō* magazine, the latest appearing in March. While an English translation date remains unannounced, Murakami will also issue an 80‑page personal essay, *Abandoning a Cat*, for U.S. readers this summer.
How to Enter the Art World by Hettie Judah Offers a Smørgasbord of Sage Advice
Hettie Judah’s new book How to Enter the Art World offers a pragmatic guide for artists navigating career transitions, especially those juggling parenthood, late‑stage starts, or burnout. The text blends concise chapters, an extensive index, and insights from interviews with 50 practicing...
Presiding Bishop George R. Lucey, FCM, Releases Two New Works Exploring Faith, Inclusion, and the Transformative Power of Christ’s Love
Presiding Bishop George R. Lucey, FCM, of the American National Catholic Church has published two new books, Where Else Shall We Go, Lord? and Shepherding Peace. The first blends memoir and theological reflection to explore Christ’s love for those on the margins, while the...
Maria Reva’s Endling Has Won the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize.
Maria Reva’s debut novel Endling has been awarded the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize, which includes a $35,000 cash award. The prize honors fiction that illuminates vital contemporary issues, and the jury praised Endling for its blend of ecological concerns,...
One Great Poem to Read Today: Marie Howe’s “You Think This Happened Only Once and Long Ago”
Literary Hub is celebrating the 30th National Poetry Month by featuring a free‑access poem each workday, starting with Marie Howe’s “You Think This Happened Only Once and Long Ago.” The piece, highlighted by associate editor Julia Hass, explores mortality, joy,...
Tantrums, Tears, and Meltdowns. The History of Chess Grandmasters Is Replete with Tragic Stories of Lives Undone by Delusion and...
Gerald Howard’s biography *The Insider* revives Malcolm Cowley, the influential 20th‑century literary critic and editor who rescued Faulkner, Hemingway, Kerouac and Kesey for publication. The book chronicles Cowley’s rise from a Pennsylvania farm boy to New Republic editor, his wartime...
Six Mile Store by AM Belsey
Six Mile Store, AM Belsey’s debut crime novella, follows Honey, a twenty‑something clerk at a rural Arkansas gas‑station, as she chronicles eccentric customers and hints of illicit activity. The narrative shifts to older employee Lisa, deepening the small‑town tension. Honey...
Roland Betancourt on Disneyland and the Rise of Automation
Roland Betancourt’s new book, *Disneyland and the Rise of Automation*, argues that the 1955 theme park served as a cultural laboratory that familiarized Americans with industrial automation. Drawing on patents, corporate archives and declassified military documents, he shows how rides...
Isaac by Allee Mead
Allee Mead’s debut novella *Isaac* follows Elanor, a grieving woman who turns to a caretaker robot for emotional support. The story reframes common AI‑romance tropes by presenting the robot as a non‑sentient, large‑language‑model‑like assistant rather than a sentient lover. Both...
Exclusive Excerpt From ‘Rick and Morty Forever #0’ 48-Page Series Finale
Oni Press, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, announced the 48‑page double‑sized finale "Rick and Morty Forever #0," slated for May 27, 2026. Written by Daniel Kibblesmith with art by Troy Little, the issue caps a decade‑long, 100‑plus‑issue run adapting the...
On J.H. Prynne
J.H. Prynne, the avant‑garde British poet who reshaped modern verse, died at 89. Over a six‑decade career he authored more than 70 collections, with a 2024 volume exceeding 700 pages that gathers his output from 2017‑2024. His work, from the...
Emma Copley Eisenberg Is Tired of the Plot Police
Emma Copley Eisenberg discusses her latest short‑story collection *Fat Swim*, which continues the body‑positive, fat‑centric storytelling she began with *Housemates*. In a candid interview she critiques the “plot police” who demand conventional incident‑driven plots, emphasizing character depth instead. Eisenberg shares...
Lit Hub Daily: April 24, 2026
Lit Hub Daily’s April 24, 2026 edition aggregates a diverse set of literary pieces, ranging from essays on women’s fiction as a divorce‑survival tool to critiques of diet culture and AI’s role in education. The roundup spotlights best‑reviewed titles such as Sophie Mackintosh’s...
14 Book Censorship Posts to Revisit: Book Censorship News, April 24, 2026
The April 24, 2026 roundup revisits earlier Literary Activism columns while spotlighting fresh censorship battles. Highlights include a Tennessee bill widening school‑librarian certification requirements, a North Smithfield, RI library attacked for flying an LGBTQ+ flag, and a South Carolina district debating removal of the children’s...
Does Your Library Have Its Own Annual Book Lists?
Public libraries are increasingly publishing annual, niche booklists that reflect their communities, exemplified by Detroit Public Library’s African American Booklist and Pima County Public Library’s Southwest Books of the Year. The Detroit list showcases over 50 titles by Black authors,...
5 Powerful Quotes From Do Epic Shit by Ankur Warikoo
Ankur Warikoo’s new book *Do Epic Shit* distills his no‑fluff philosophy into five memorable quotes that target young professionals seeking realistic guidance. The author argues that courage, daily habits, embracing failure, shedding over‑thinking, and valuing time are the true drivers...
Book Club: Read ‘Transcription,’ by Ben Lerner, With the Book Review
Ben Lerner’s latest novel, *Transcription*, is a compact 130‑page work that unfolds in three distinct sections. It follows an unnamed narrator who, after his phone breaks, conducts an unrecorded interview with his 90‑year‑old mentor, Thomas, and later reconstructs the conversation...
Military Histories About the Ancient Persians, Modern Iraq and the American Civil War
Thomas E. Ricks draws a parallel between the ancient Persian invasion of Greece and today’s U.S.-Iran conflict, citing historian John O. Hyland’s new book on Persia’s Greek campaigns. He notes that while the United States and Israel rely on conventional...
Book Review: ‘Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children,’ by Mac Barnett
Gregory Maguire reviews Mac Barnett’s debut adult book, Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children, positioning it as a manifesto defending the craft of children’s literature. The concise, under‑100‑page work blends personal anecdotes, like a toddler’s tantrum, with a spirited...
The Scouting Report with Philippa Donovan
The pandemic forced literary scouts to concentrate on "surefire" genres—romance, romantasy, thrillers, and award‑winning bestsellers—driven by a market craving escapist, uplifting stories. BookTok’s algorithmic influence now guides film and TV producers toward these high‑visibility titles. Short‑form works such as novellas...
Rights Roundup: Award-Winning Books That Travel
Publishing Perspectives released a rights roundup spotlighting three titles with recent international deals. Turkish children’s book “A Lovely Little Planet” was licensed to Slovenia’s Pipinova, while Giorgio Scerbanenco’s “Duca Lamberti” series secured contracts in Spanish, UK, US and French markets....
The Elusive Challenge of Climate Justice Rebecca Marwege, Nikhar Gaikwad, and Joerg Schaefer
The newly edited volume *Climate Justice Now* gathers scholars from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to map the multifaceted challenge of climate justice. It argues that equitable climate action requires more than technical fixes, highlighting the ethical and...
The Long Dark by Andrew Raymond
Andrew Raymond, the newest voice in Scottish crime fiction, has signed a print deal with Vinci Books, bringing his DCI John Lomond series to wider UK and North American audiences. The latest installment, "The Long Dark," launches simultaneously with its...
Aboriginal Children's Book Pulled over Illustrator's Bondi Attack Comments
The University of Queensland Press (UQP) has halted the release of the Indigenous children’s book *Bila, A River Cycle* after illustrator Matt Chun’s Substack essay on the Bondi beach shooting was deemed antisemitic. Thousands of printed copies are now in...
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,...
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...
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...
“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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
What Are Universities Really for and Why Does It Matters Now?
The edited volume *Knowledge Under Siege* examines how intensified political scrutiny, budget cuts, and neoliberal governance are reshaping universities beyond financial strain. Contributors argue that higher‑education institutions face sustained attacks on academic freedom, tenure, and curricular autonomy, positioning them as...
Judy Blume’s Radical Honesty Changed Literature for Ever
A new biography details Judy Blume’s journey from a shy New Jersey child to a pioneering novelist whose radical honesty reshaped young‑adult literature. The book highlights how Blume’s candid treatment of puberty, sexuality, and family dynamics broke taboos in the...
30 Writers From Across Canada Make 2026 CBC Short Story Prize Longlist
The CBC has announced the 2026 Short Story Prize longlist, selecting 30 writers from roughly 3,000 submissions across Canada. The longlist will be narrowed to a shortlist on April 30, with the winner revealed on May 7. The top prize includes a...
Algerian Writer Wins 2026 International Prize for Arabic Fiction
Algerian author Said Khatibi has been awarded the 2026 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel "Swimming Against the Tide." The book was chosen from a shortlist of 137 Arabic titles released between July 2024 and June 2025. The prize, sponsored...
Book Review: Mary Jane Mossman’s Quiet Rebels: A History of Ontario Women Lawyers
Mary Jane Mossman’s *Quiet Rebels* offers a comprehensive history of Ontario’s women lawyers, profiling the 187 women admitted to the bar between 1897 and 1957. The book weaves individual biographies with the political, social, and economic context of each era,...
Book Review: The Witch by Marie N’Diaye, Translated by Jordan Stump
Marie N’Diaye’s short horror‑fantasy *The Witch*, translated by Jordan Stump and published by Penguin Random House on April 7 2026, offers a 144‑page literary take on witchcraft set in a 1990s French town. The novel subverts typical genre tropes with quiet, understated...
A Wunderkind’s Best-Selling Nostalgia
Swiss student Nelio Biedermann’s debut novel “Lázár” has become a cultural phenomenon, topping Germany’s bestseller list for 29 weeks and attracting translation deals in over 25 languages. The 300‑page, maximalist saga reimagines his aristocratic Hungarian ancestors’ fate from the Austro‑Hungarian...
Low Culture Essay: James Bailey on The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
James Bailey’s subscriber essay revisits Muriel Spark’s 1970 novel *The Driver’s Seat*, describing it as a “spiny and treacherous masterpiece” that fuses giallo horror with stark corporate settings. He notes Spark wrote the book in a few weeks from a hospital...
Books that Mentor You: 7 Reads that Shape Your Life
YourStory highlights seven books that function as personal mentors, offering guidance on purpose, habits, finance, resilience, and success. Each title—from Paulo Coelho’s "The Alchemist" to Napoleon Hill’s "Think and Grow Rich"—delivers a distinct philosophy that can reshape decision‑making. The article...
Fun Guide to the Alphabet | Review of Danny Bate’s Why Q Needs U
Danny Bate’s new book *Why Q Needs U* offers a 300‑page, 26‑chapter tour of the English alphabet, treating each letter as a portal into linguistic history. The work blends scholarly research with a playful tone, tracing how Latin, Germanic, and...