9 Books About Retaking and Rebuilding Our Commonwealth
The article curates nine books that explore how to retake and rebuild America’s commonwealth through social housing, mutual aid, solidarity, and cooperative economics. It highlights the Mitchell‑Lama housing model, environmental justice, and the rise of worker‑owned platforms as alternatives to profit‑driven systems. Each title offers historical context, practical frameworks, and policy ideas for a more equitable society. The list underscores a growing cultural shift toward collective well‑being over militaristic and hyper‑capitalist priorities.
American Historian and New Yorker Writer Jill Lepore to Open FBM 2026
American historian and New Yorker contributor Jill Lepore will headline the Opening Press Conference at the Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM) from October 6‑11, 2026. The appointment coincides with the United States' 250th anniversary, underscoring themes of democracy and civic engagement. Lepore...
Solidarity by Rowan Williams Review – What Does It Really Mean to Stand by Someone?
Rowan Williams’s new book, *Solidarity: The Work of Recognition*, reframes solidarity as a moral intensifier that places us alongside victims rather than merely expressing support. He argues that true solidarity must acknowledge the irreducible otherness of each person while recognizing our...
‘Sisters in Yellow’ Is a Wild Ride Through Tokyo’s Underworld
Mieko Kawakami’s latest novel, Sisters in Yellow, follows teenage Hana and her older companion Kimiko as they launch a snack‑bar in a seedy Tokyo district and become entangled in small‑time grifts. Serialized in the Yomiuri Shimbun before its 2026 Knopf release,...
The Delusions by Jenni Fagan Review – an Afterlife of Queues and Bureaucracy
Jenni Fagan’s fifth novel, The Delusions, imagines the afterlife as a sprawling processing centre where souls queue for judgment, blending satire with speculative world‑building. The narrative follows Edi, a dead administrator, who guides newcomers through a bureaucratic gauntlet that exposes...
Language, Justice and Conference Dinners
Cambridge University Press has released "Language and Justice", an edited volume that expands the study of language beyond traditional law‑linguistics to the procedural dimensions of justice. The book draws on real‑world case data to examine contexts such as advisor‑client consultations,...
David Sussillo on Persistence, Luck and the Bonds Between Life and Work
David Sussillo’s memoir recounts how a chance email linked him to Larry Abbott, whose mentorship at Columbia’s Center for Theoretical Neuroscience led to the development of FORCE learning. The method trains chaotic recurrent neural networks by harnessing their intrinsic dynamics...
Despite His Gloomy, Austere Prose, Colm Tóibín Is Jolly, Garrulous, and Likes to Gossip
Colm Tóibín’s long‑awaited short‑story collection, The News from Dublin, arrives on March 26, marking his first foray into the form in 15 years. The nine stories weave silence, unspoken family trauma, and the Irish diaspora into tightly controlled prose that resists...
John Aubrey, Born 400 Years Ago, Lived a Prodigiously Productive Literary Life, Starting Innumerable Projects and Finishing Just a Few
John Aubrey, born on March 12, 1626, was a 17th‑century antiquary whose prodigious note‑taking spanned folklore, architecture, natural history and biography. Though he launched countless projects, only a few were completed, most famously *Brief Lives* and his observations of Stonehenge and Avebury....
This Might Be Gordon Ramsay's Worst Cookbook — Readers Say It Lacks Photos And His Iconic Voice
Gordon Ramsay’s latest title, *Great British Pub Food*, ranks lowest among his cookbooks, drawing criticism for its sparse layout and missing visual cues. Readers on Amazon and Goodreads complain about the lack of photographs, page numbers, and the chef’s trademark...
Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: February 2026
Reactor’s February 2026 short speculative fiction roundup spotlights ten standout stories from both established and two newly‑featured magazines, Adventitious and Flashpoint SF. The selections span science fiction, fantasy, horror and magical realism, often ending on bittersweet or shocking notes. Highlights include...
The Top Ten Romances in Our Top 100 Romance Poll
All About Romance (AAR) released two distinct Top Ten Romance lists from its reader‑determined Top 100 poll. The genre‑defining list ranks Pride and Prejudice, Lord of Scoundrels and Devil in Winter at the top, while the most‑voted list places Devil...
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The Prestige Novel Is Dead
Evan Brier’s *Novel Competition* argues that from 1965 to 1999 the American literary novel lost its dominant prestige despite rising sales, advances, and royalties. The book shows how new cultural forms—rock criticism, journalism, film, television, and memoir—crowded the elite cultural...
There's Room for Everyone in 'Now I Surrender,' An Epic American Western
Álvaro Enrigue’s new novel *Now I Surrender* reimagines the American West through a sprawling, metafictional lens. The story intertwines a harrowing escape of a Mexican woman named Camila with the historic surrender of Apache leader Geronimo, while the author inserts...
Jack Kerouac’s Fabled ‘On the Road’ Scroll Sells for Record-Smashing $12.1 Million
Jack Kerouac’s original 120‑foot “On the Road” scroll fetched $12.1 million at Christie’s, setting a new record for a literary manuscript. The sale, part of the late Jim Irsay estate auction, far exceeded the $4 million estimate. Country singer‑songwriter Zach Bryan purchased the...
Interview: Alex Gerlis
Alex Gerlis has released the paperback of *The Second Traitor*, the second installment in his World War II espionage series featuring British agent Charles Cooper hunting the Soviet mole Archie. The novel intertwines the fictional chase with the real‑world threat of...
Sahitya Akademi Awards for 2025 Announced
The Sahitya Akademi announced its 2025 literary awards on March 16, 2026, covering works in all 24 recognized Indian languages after a three‑month pause prompted by a Union Ministry of Culture directive. Winners include former diplomat Navtej Sarna for English...
S. Tamilselvan Wins Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism
Tamil writer and essayist S. Tamilselvan received the 2025 Sahitya Akademi award in the literary‑criticism category for his book Tamizh Sirugathaiyin Thadangal, a comprehensive history of Tamil short stories. The announcement, originally slated for December 2025, was postponed three months amid claims that the Akademi’s...
The Remarkable Power of Robert Arthur Jr.’s Three Investigators Series
Robert Arthur Jr., an award‑winning radio and TV writer, launched the Three Investigators mystery series in 1964, penning ten novels before his 1969 death. The books stood out for sophisticated prose, relatable protagonists, and a blend of supernatural intrigue with...
Enhanced with Enchantment: Stacie Ramey on Using Magic in Cozy Mysteries
The article explores how magic is woven into cozy mystery novels, enhancing worldbuilding without eclipsing the sleuth’s investigative role. It highlights titles such as Lynn Calhoon's *One Poison Pie*, Paula Brackstone's *The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish*, and Amanda Flower's *Crime...
Around the Book World: Monday, March 16, 2026
Brazil’s Livraria Leitura topped R$1 billion in 2025 revenue, expanding to 133 stores with 15% sales growth, signaling a revival of physical bookselling after the collapse of major chains. Penguin Random House Peru launched its first Quechua‑language children’s title, highlighting a...
Frankfurt Guest of Honor: Czech Publisher Readies Top Titles for German-Language Readers
Prague‑based publisher Paseka is preparing ten of its most successful Czech titles for German translation at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair, where the Czech Republic will serve as Guest of Honor. Since mid‑2022 the house has intensified foreign‑rights sales, closing...
Utah Bans 28th Book for All Public School Students
On March 2, 2026 Utah added John Green's *Looking for Alaska* as the 28th title banned statewide under the controversial House Bill 29, bringing the total prohibited books to 28. The ban follows a lawsuit filed by the Maya Angelou...
7 Darkly Surreal Irish Books to Read This St. Patrick’s Day
The article curates seven Irish titles that fuse dark humor with surreal imagination, ranging from Kevin Barry’s novel Beatlebone to Conor O’Callaghan’s poetry collection We Are Not in the World. Each work confronts historic and contemporary Irish traumas—such as the...
Lit Hub Daily: March 16, 2026
Lit Hub’s Daily roundup for March 16, 2026 aggregates a slate of literary and cultural pieces ranging from classic criticism of Frances Burney to contemporary fiction by Jade Song. The selection spotlights essays on grief as a narrative device, Barbara Pym’s everyday‑life focus, and a...
London Book Fair Roundup: Idris Elba’s Thriller Deal, the Rise of Romcom, and Fights Against Censorship
The London Book Fair attracted 33,000 publishing professionals and produced headline deals, including a thriller series co‑written by Idris Elba and seven‑figure fantasy and rom‑com acquisitions. Non‑fiction rights flowed around hot topics such as GLP‑1 drugs, sober curiosity and assisted dying,...
Whispering Walls and Haunted Halls: 8 Gothic Novels
The article spotlights nine recent gothic novels, ranging from the award‑winning Southern Gothic "Beloved" to the breakout hit "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno‑Garcia. It highlights how contemporary authors are remixing classic haunted‑house tropes with modern themes like consent, domestic violence,...
“The Life You Want,” Reviewed
Adam Phillips’s latest book, The Life You Want, examines how desire, frustration and the tension between novelty and continuity shape our lives. Drawing on Freud’s depth and Richard Rorty’s pragmatism, he argues that therapy should be a listening cure that...
Crisis at Proxima by Travis S. Taylor and Les Johnson
Travis S. Taylor and Les Johnson’s *Crisis at Proxima* attempts to revive classic hard‑science storytelling, but the review finds it mired in technobabble, shallow world‑building, and dated cultural tropes. The novel’s plot—centered on a fertility crisis and an awakened Atlantean...
Book Review: ‘Stay Alive,’ by Ian Buruma
Ian Buruma’s new book *Stay Alive* chronicles ordinary Berliners’ daily existence under Nazi rule, showing how most citizens chose conformity over resistance. The narrative highlights escapist pursuits—cinema, concerts, sports—and the crucial role of personal connections (“Beziehungen”) in securing scarce resources....
Howl by Howard Jacobson Review – a Tragicomic Portrait of a Jewish Man’s Despair
Howard Jacobson’s new novel *Howl* offers a tragicomic portrait of a London headteacher grappling with the fallout of the Oct 7 2023 Hamas attacks. The protagonist, Ferdinand Draxler, spirals into guilt‑driven madness as antisemitic tensions erupt across the city. Jacobson mixes sharp...
Beyond “Women’s Fiction…” On the Quiet Brilliance of Barbara Pym
Barbara Pym’s modest post‑war novels about spinsters, church life and quiet village politics fell out of print in the 1960s until a 1977 Times Literary Supplement endorsement sparked a revival and a Booker‑Prize nomination. The resurgence highlighted the literary value...
Janine Kovac on Getting Into Writing Residencies and Book Festivals
The Memoir Nation podcast featured author and residency adjudicator Janine Kovac discussing how writers can secure writing residencies and book festival slots. Kovac, a former ballet dancer and co‑director of Litquake’s Lit Crawl, shares practical advice drawn from her experience reviewing...
Philip Schultz on Unavoidable Mortality
Pulitzer‑winning poet Philip Schultz discusses his new collection "Enormous Morning" on the "First Draft" podcast. The book confronts mortality, weaving childhood memories, philosophical reflections, and present‑day family scenes. Schultz reveals he only recently returned to manuscript work after a five‑year...
2025 Nebula Awards Ballot
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association unveiled the 2025 Nebula Awards finalists across eight categories, including Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Poetry, Andre Norton, Comics, Ray Bradbury, and Game Writing. The Novel shortlist features titles such as Daryl Gregory’s *When...
Paul R. Ehrlich, Who Alarmed the World With ‘The Population Bomb,’ Dies at 93
Paul R. Ehrlich, the Stanford ecologist whose 1968 bestseller “The Population Bomb” warned of imminent famines, died at 93 from cancer complications. The book sold three million copies and made Ehrlich a household name, especially after frequent TV appearances. His...
Memory Is Not to Be Trusted: A South African Memoir Traces the Search for a Family Secret
Dennis Walder, a South African literary scholar, has published Amid the Alien Corn, a memoir that follows his lifelong quest to uncover his mother Ruth’s concealed past spanning Namibia, Germany and apartheid South Africa. The narrative weaves childhood recollections, encounters...
10 Iconic Dystopian Science Fiction Novels
The article lists ten seminal dystopian science‑fiction novels, from Zamyatin’s *We* to Ishiguro’s *Never Let Me Go*, highlighting how each work dramatizes a distinct system of control. It traces the genre’s evolution from early 20th‑century state surveillance to modern corporate...
The NASA Reading List: Highly Rated Books on America’s Space Program Available on Amazon
The article curates a NASA reading list of twelve highly rated books available on Amazon, spanning six decades of American spaceflight. It highlights standout titles such as Michael Collins’s memoir "Carrying the Fire," Margot Lee Shetterly’s "Hidden Figures," and Adam...
India at a Crossroads, Next Step to Define Country’s Future: Kamal Haasan
Actor‑turned‑MP Kamal Haasan launched former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s essay collection "India and Her Futures," warning that India stands at a crossroads where the chosen path will shape the nation for generations. He highlighted the rise of far‑right ideologies and introduced...
Vairamuthu Selected for Jnanpith Award; Third Tamil Writer to Receive Honour
Poet‑lyricist Vairamuthu has been selected for the Jnanpith Award, making him the third Tamil writer to receive India’s highest literary honour. The 72‑year‑old is celebrated for fusing traditional forms with contemporary themes in Tamil poetry. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin...
Protected: Diego De Almagro’s Shipwreck
The article profiles poet‑editor David Cruz and Spanish literature professor Anthony Geist, who are key contributors to a new interdisciplinary initiative surrounding the protected shipwreck of Diego de Almagro. Cruz, a Costa Rican MFA graduate, has published several bilingual poetry...
What to Read This Weekend: Locked in with The Iron Garden Sutra
Engadget recommends A.D. Sui’s debut novel The Iron Garden Sutra, a meditative horror sci‑fi/fantasy murder mystery set aboard a dead spaceship. The story follows Vessel Iris, a death monk paired with an AI, as he performs funeral rites while researchers...
Harry and Meghan Accuse Royal Author of 'Deranged Conspiracy'
Prince Harry and Meghan have publicly denounced author Tom Bower’s forthcoming biography, calling it a "deranged conspiracy" and accusing him of crossing the line from criticism into fixation. The book, titled *Betrayal*, alleges Meghan is a "divisive agent" and claims...
The Quest for the Simple Life
Morgan Housel’s new book, *The Art of Spending Money*, shifts focus from wealth accumulation to the psychology behind how we spend. He illustrates that money often fails to deliver identity, contentment, or security, highlighting the role of expectations and social...
The Last Days of Franco
Montserrat Roig’s 1976 Catalan novel “The Time of Cherries,” a seminal portrait of Barcelona’s middle‑class life on the eve of Spain’s transition, is being published in the United States in English for the first time. The book, originally a cheap...
Protected: The Emperor Jones
The March 14 2026 piece titled “Protected: The Emperor Jones” was posted by Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa. The article is password‑protected, offering no public excerpt. Kinshasa is a British‑born Black Caribbean choreopoet with multiple literary accolades. Her profile underscores the growing visibility of diverse voices...
Salman Rushdie Doesn’t Want to Be Your ‘Free Speech Barbie’
Salman Rushdie told the Atlantic’s George Packer at the New Orleans Book Festival that he is tired of being reduced to a "Free Speech Barbie" symbol. He emphasized his identity as a working author of 23 books, not merely a...
Voided Patterning | The Weekly Read
The Weekly Read spotlights Sita Balani’s article “Voided Patterning: Thinking Racial and Spatial Division in the Zone,” published in a special issue of South Atlantic Quarterly. The piece interrogates Britain’s contemporary racial capitalism by contrasting two zones: hotel housing for...
Novel Vacations: 9 Book Retreats to Make Your Next US Getaway a Page-Turner
Travelers are turning vacations into literary getaways as Google reports record‑high searches for “book retreats” and “reading weekend” in 2025‑26. The surge, fueled by Book‑Tok and younger travelers, has inspired a wave of curated reading retreats across the United States....