Review – Bleeding Hearts #2: The Other Side
Bleeding Hearts #2, written by Deniz Camp and illustrated by Stipan Morian, earns a 9.5/10 rating for its daring narrative pivot. The issue abandons the series’ initial focus on zombie society and instead follows a pregnant mother fighting to protect her newborn amid relentless undead. By confining the story to a few harrowing hours, the comic magnifies the physical and psychological strain of survival. The main protagonist appears only briefly, allowing the peripheral characters to drive emotional resonance.
This Brutal Moon by Bethany Jacobs
"This Brutal Moon" concludes Bethany Jacobs' Kindom Trilogy, a multi‑planetary space‑opera that follows the Jeveni laborers' revolt against a corrupt tripartite Kindom. The narrative centers on characters like Chono and Six, whose personal moral choices drive the political intrigue. Jacobs...
Blood Cancer Has Not Abated the Verbose, Sardonic, and Unpredictable Will Self’s Rage with the Literary World
British novelist Will Self, 63, is battling secondary myelofibrosis, a blood cancer. He is halfway through his 64th year while completing a new work titled "The Quantity Theory of Morality," positioned as a sequel to his 1991 debut. The book...
Elaine Scarry Says Pain Unmakes Language. Jan Steyn, Begs to Differ — or at Least Keeps Translating and Typing
The essay intertwines a personal bout of gout with the craft of literary translation, illustrating how chronic pain shapes the translator’s voice. It surveys gout’s medical profile—affecting 1‑2% of adults, driven largely by genetics, and disproportionately impacting men, post‑menopausal women,...
Why You Should Not Fear Snakes: Rom and Zai Whitaker on Understanding the Fascinating Creatures
Romulus and Zai Whitaker have released *The Book of Indian Snakes*, a colour‑rich guide that confronts long‑standing myths and highlights snakes’ role in natural rodent control. The volume notes that India now hosts roughly 368 snake species, with over 100...
On My Mind: The Mary Janes I Wore on My Book Tour
Editor Ailbhe Malone embarked on a multi‑stop press tour to promote the short‑story collection Banshee, juggling a launch party, media appearances, and a podcast recording while traveling with only hand luggage. She detailed a streamlined wardrobe and makeup routine, highlighting...
The Longreads Questionnaire, Featuring Julian Brave NoiseCat
Julian Brave NoiseCat, an Oakland‑raised writer, journalist and the first Indigenous North American filmmaker nominated for an Oscar, released his debut book *We Survived the Night*. The work weaves memoir, Indigenous myth, oral tradition and reportage to portray contemporary Indigenous...
The Knot: My Upcoming New Book (and a Course That’s Already Here)
Entrepreneur and author Seth Godin announces his upcoming book, “The Knot: Problems Can Be Solved,” slated for September release. The book aims to shift readers from feeling stuck to actively solving problems, offering a portable bundle of ideas that spark...
The Greatest Dangerous Female Characters in Literature
The article examines the evolution of dangerous female characters in literature, from early one‑dimensional villains like the Wicked Queen to modern, trauma‑driven antiheroes such as Cersei Lannister and Annie Wilkes. It highlights a poll of bestselling authors who name their...
Book Review: ‘In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man,’ by Tom...
Tom Junod’s new memoir, *In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man*, delves into his tumultuous relationship with his charismatic father, a post‑war handbag salesman whose larger‑than‑life persona embodied mid‑century notions of...
Book Review: ‘The Golden Boy,’ by Patricia Finn
Patricia Finn’s debut, *The Golden Boy*, follows disgraced TV executive Stafford Hopkins, exiled to Maui after a failed gamble, as he wrestles with his philosophical ego and a haunting past. The narrative pivots when a letter summons him back to...
Do Not Go Gentle by Kathleen Stock Review – the Case Against Euthanasia
Philosopher Kathleen Stock’s new book, Do Not Go Gentle, argues against state‑sanctioned assisted dying, targeting the UK’s pending end‑of‑life bill. She warns that legalising euthanasia creates a slippery‑slope, citing expansions in Canada and the Benelux that now cover non‑terminal and...
Stella Prize 2026 Longlist Celebrates the Power of Memory, Truth and Creative Fiction
The 2026 Stella Prize longlist, announced today, features 12 works by Australian women and non‑binary writers across poetry, memoir, fiction, non‑fiction and graphic novels. The prize received 212 entries, and each longlisted author will receive $2,000, with the ultimate winner...
The Hindu on Books Newsletter
The Hindu on Books is a weekly newsletter delivering curated book reviews, reading recommendations, and author interviews. Launched in 2022, it aggregates a rich archive of literary coverage, including prize announcements, festival previews, and cultural commentary. The newsletter highlights Indian...
Program Picks: What’s on For Tomorrow’s London Book Fair
The London Book Fair’s final day on March 12, 2026 features a packed agenda targeting the most pressing industry challenges. Sessions cover indie publishing cost pressures, AI‑driven author‑rights threats, and the growing influence of Black and Latin American literature. Panels on...
A Call to Action – Closing the Gender Gap in Nonfiction Publishing
A panel at the London Book Fair highlighted the gender gap in nonfiction publishing, citing that women account for only 26.5 % of newspaper reviews, 33.3 % of major nonfiction prize wins, and earn 36 % less than male peers. Despite overall nonfiction...
Full Set and Fuller Partnership to Publish Journalism in Book Format
Full Set, an independent book publisher, has teamed with Fuller, a global newsroom focused on women and gender‑diverse voices, to release a series of long‑form journalism essays in ebook, audiobook and paperback formats. The pilot launches in Spring 2026 with three...
Rasputin: Untangling the Man From the Wild and Complicated Myth
Antony Beevor’s new biography, *Rasputin: And the Downfall of the Romanovs*, separates the Siberian mystic’s legend from fact, showing his real influence was largely symbolic. Rasputin’s charisma won Empress Alexandra’s trust, especially after allegedly easing her son Alexei’s haemophilia crises, which...
Please, No More Disaffected White Girls
Anika Jade Levy’s debut novel Flat Earth (2025), released by Catapult, satirizes the disaffected white‑girl archetype that dominates contemporary art‑world narratives. The book’s clipped, emotion‑less prose mirrors the numbness of modern digital culture, weaving references to QAnon, fertility anxieties, and...
K.K. Venugopal Biography an Attempt to Come to Terms with Himself: N. Ram
Senior lawyer K.K. Venugopal’s memoir, *An Accidental Lawyer—My Adventures in Law and Life*, was highlighted by The Hindu’s N. Ram as an effort to “come to terms with himself.” The book mixes personal anecdotes, family stories, and reflections on landmark...
The Spokesperson for NYU Law Wrote a Novel Skewering Law Schools
NYU Law’s public affairs director Michael Orey released a satirical novel, *Dean’s List*, that lampoons the obsession with rankings and fundraising in elite law schools. The 321‑page book follows a fictional dean at a made‑up Brown‑affiliated law school as he...
Book Review: ‘Down Time,’ by Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin’s new novel Down Time follows a group of thirty‑something East Coast professionals as they grapple with post‑pandemic life, love, and creative burnout. Set against a backdrop of societal instability after Covid, the story weaves sexual entanglements and environmental...
UK Society of Authors Launches Logo to Identify Books Written by Humans Not AI
The UK Society of Authors (SoA) has unveiled a “Human Authored” logo that publishers can display on the back cover to certify that a book was written by a human rather than AI. The scheme, announced at the London Book...
'My Family Is Enough': Jamilah Lemieux on Being a 'Black. Single. Mother.'
Jamilah Lemieux’s new book, Black. Single. Mother., blends her own experience with the testimonies of 21 Black single mothers to trace the deep‑rooted stigma surrounding Black single‑parent families. The work revisits the 1965 Moynihan report and the "welfare queen" narrative...
Meet the Author: AM Belsey
AM Belsey’s debut crime novella *Six Mile Store* arrives on March 19, 2026, delivering a rural‑noir tale set in a 1998 Arkansas hamlet. The story follows Honey, a university student working weekend shifts at a local shop, whose quiet observation...
Beyond Afrofuturism: Sinners, the Great Migration, and Rust Belt Gothik
Ryan Coogler’s film *Sinners* is celebrated as a genre‑bending masterpiece that blends vampire lore, blues music, and Black spirituality. The essay argues the film transcends traditional Afrofuturism by introducing “Rust Belt Gothik,” a framework that captures the harsh industrial reality of the...
Justin Townes Earle’s Tragic Life Story Told in New Book
Jonathan Bernstein’s newly released authorized biography, "What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome," chronicles the turbulent life of singer‑songwriter Justin Townes Earle. The book uncovers his early immersion in Nashville’s underground Swindlers scene, chronic addiction battles, and fraught relationship with...
Women Without Men: A Novella that Tells the History of Iran Through Women’s Bodies
Women Without Men, Shahrnush Parsipur’s late‑1970s novella, was banned in Iran and its author imprisoned for its frank treatment of women’s sexuality. After decades of censorship, the book has been released in English for the first time, translated by Faridoun...
One of These Writers Will Win $150,000
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction unveiled its 2026 longlist of 15 titles, including Katie Kitamura’s *Audition* and Megha Majumdar’s *A Guardian and a Thief*, with a $150,000 award slated for June. Author Sarah J. Maas announced she has reclaimed the TV‑adaptation rights to...
HaBO: Medical Romance Set in South India
A reader recalls a 1980s Harlequin or Mills & Boon medical romance set in South India, featuring an Indian‑origin nurse adopted by an American couple and a doctor who recently returned from the United States. The nurse seeks to reconnect...
14 Best New Books to Read in 2026, From Asako Yuzuki to Jennette McCurdy
IndyBest has released its 2026 Best New Books list, featuring fourteen titles across a range of publishers. Highlights include Jennette McCurdy’s “Half My Age,” Ian McEwan’s “What We Can Know,” and Asako Yuzuki’s “Hooked.” The selection spans literary fiction, memoir and genre works, with Fourth Estate...
You Can’t Uncast a Spell
Jon M. Chu’s sequel "Wicked: For Good" retools the original Wicked narrative, replacing its bleak commentary on fascism with an optimistic, almost whimsical resolution. The film expands CGI‑driven Animal characters and adds new songs, yet it downplays the irreversible damage...
I Get Why All The Book Clubs Chose This Book
Oyinkan Braithwaite’s novel *Cursed Daughters* was selected by several prominent book clubs in late 2024, earning a spot on the year’s most popular book‑club list. The story follows three cousins trapped by a generational curse, mixing saga‑like scope with contemporary...
What Author Ajay Mankotia Learnt From a Lifetime of Chasing Rock ’N’ Roll
Ajay Mankotia, a former Indian Income Tax commissioner turned author, releases *Not Just Rock ’n’ Roll*, a memoir that chronicles his lifelong obsession with rock music and his rare backstage encounters with legends like David Gilmour, Robert Plant and Ian...
Partners in Crime: Tips for Cowriting with Your Spouse
Two spouses turned a shared dream into a Penguin multi‑book deal by co‑authoring a mystery series under the pseudonym J. D. Brinkworth. Their process combined complementary strengths—dialogue and humor versus plot mechanics—and relied on exhaustive outlining and a relay drafting...
Nick Petrie: The Joys and Challenges of Writing a Long-Running Series
Nick Petrie reflects on the joys and hurdles of sustaining his ten‑book Peter Ash series. He highlights the comfort of writing familiar protagonists while stressing the need for continual character evolution. New antagonists and distinct settings, such as Seattle’s tech...
Small Changes to Big Systems
The article argues that traditional publishing and music industries were built on physical scarcity—limited shelf space and record‑store capacity—shaping distribution strategies. Digital platforms like Amazon and streaming services removed that scarcity, slashing print runs from tens of thousands to a...
Big Nobody by Alex Kadis Review – Groovy and Greek in 70s London
Alex Kadis’s debut novel *Big Nobody* follows Connie Costa, a Greek‑Cypriot teen navigating 1970s London’s music‑obsessed culture while fleeing an abusive patriarchal family. The narrative blends vivid period details—Marc Bolan, David Bowie, platform shoes—with a darker exploration of PTSD stemming from familial...
Book Review: ‘The Complex,’ by Karan Mahajan
Karan Mahajan’s new novel, The Complex, follows the fortunes of a powerful Indian political family anchored by the late patriarch S.P. Chopra, a fictional stand‑in for real‑world dynastic leaders. The story unfolds in a sprawling Delhi apartment complex that houses more...
“Anguish,” “Agony,” “Ache,” “Affliction” — Why Are There so Many Words for Pain? Darcey Steinke Unpacks the Meaning of Suffering
Darcy Steinke’s new memoir "This Is the Door: The Body, Pain, and Faith" explores how chronic physical ailments intersect with emotional suffering and religious belief. Drawing on personal back pain, family illness, and interviews with artists and thinkers, she argues...
Book Review: Reality Check
*Reality Check* applies the Delphi method to fifty‑plus future questions, offering expert dates and averaged forecasts. The reviewer praises its accuracy for most technology predictions but finds the space‑related forecasts mixed: the ISS came online earlier than expected, Mars landing...
Stranger Things Returns Tomorrow With a Brand New Adventure
Netflix’s Stranger Things franchise expands with Dark Horse’s new comic anthology, Volume 10: Tales from Hawkins 2, hitting shelves on March 10. The 96‑page hardcover compiles four issues written by Derek Fridolfs and illustrated by Sunando C, Bradley Clayton, Mack Chater, and Vincenzo...
A Radiant New Novel Asks: What if World War II Had Gone Differently?
Francis Spufford’s new novel *Nonesuch* reimagines World War II by introducing time‑travel magic into the heart of London’s Blitz. The story follows Iris Hawkins, a lower‑middle‑class secretary, who clashes with aristocratic fascist sympathiser Lady Lalage “Lall” Cunningham, whose scheme aims to...
Weekly Bestsellers, 9 March 2026
The weekly bestseller roundup for March 9 2026 highlights three new titles—Aurora Ascher’s *Beauty and the Demon* (ranked as high as #8), Elizabeth Helen’s *Broken by Daylight* (#12) and Cameron Sullivan’s *The Red Winter* (#13). The most prominent news is the announcement...
Alice Cooper’s New Memoir Will Explore Singer’s ‘Evilution’
Alice Cooper’s third memoir, *Devil on My Shoulder: A Memoir*, arrives on Oct. 6, 2026 as the promised definitive autobiography. The book will chart his “evilution,” contrasting the shock‑rock persona with the sober, religious man behind the mask. It also promises...
Thanks to a Group of Booksellers, Amazon Is Pulling Out of the Paris Book Fair.
Amazon has withdrawn its sponsorship of the Paris Book Fair after intense pressure from the Syndicat de la Librairie Française (SLF), France’s independent booksellers’ union. The SLF launched a boycott, accusing Amazon of flooding the market with AI‑generated books and...
This Historian Dug up the Hidden History of 'Amateur' Blackface in America
Historian Rhae Lynn Barnes uncovered a concealed trove of blackface material after a Library of Congress librarian admitted hiding books for fear of KKK misuse. Her new book, Darkology, reveals how amateur minstrel shows proliferated in the 19th‑century United States, even receiving...
Greg Greeley, Former Amazon Executive, to Lead Simon & Schuster
Greg Greeley, former head of Amazon's books and media division, has been named chief executive of Simon & Schuster, taking over from Jonathan Karp. The appointment follows KKR's $1.62 billion acquisition of the publisher after an antitrust court blocked a sale to...
Iris Murdoch’s Psychology of Haunting: Fantasy, Ethical Attention, and the Spectral Past
Iris Murdoch’s novels embed a psychology of haunting that transcends gothic décor, using spectral elements to reveal unresolved trauma, ego‑centric fantasies, and moral obligations. Drawing on Derrida’s hauntology, she shows how past relationships persist as ethical pressures in the present....
Sarah J Maas’s Two New ACOTAR Books Are Already Available to Pre-Order
Sarah J. Maas’s two upcoming installments in the A Court of Thorns and Roses saga are now available for pre‑order through Bloomsbury. The titles, continuing the high‑fantasy romance narrative, join an already extensive catalog that includes five novels and a...