The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
Kate Clayborn’s review of the contemporary romance novel *The Paris Match* stops at 28% due to emotional overload. She praises the cover and initial writing style but finds the plot’s reliance on ex‑family dynamics and the protagonist’s self‑denial exhausting. Clayborn criticizes the over‑detail in scenes and the irritating, opaque best‑man character, Griffin. Ultimately, she labels the book a DNF (did not finish) and invites other readers to share their verdicts.
The Fallen by Louise Brangan Review – an Enraging Account of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries
Louise Brangan’s "The Fallen" offers a meticulously researched chronicle of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, institutions run by Catholic nuns that confined thousands of women and girls from the 1920s until 1996. The book highlights stark statistics—70 per 100,000 women were in...
‘Swipe Therapy’: On Dating, Heartbreak and Healing in the Digital Age
Indonesian author Mira Sumanti’s new book *Swipe Therapy* merges memoir with a breakup survival guide for the Tinder generation. Drawing on a decade of app‑driven romances—from a neuroscientist in Amsterdam to a porn star in San Francisco—the narrative chronicles her 2016...
4 Must-Read Books that Spark Creativity and New Ideas
Four books are highlighted as practical guides to reviving and strengthening creativity. Austin Kleon’s “Steal Like an Artist” frames originality as remixing existing ideas, while Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” tackles fear and encourages courageous action. Michael Michalko’s “Thinkertoys” provides a...
Which Emily Henry Books Are Becoming Movies? ‘Happy Place,’ ‘Book Lovers,’ Among Others
Romance novelist Emily Henry has seen five of her recent books transformed into Netflix film projects, with releases slated through 2026. The first adaptation, "People We Meet on Vacation," debuted on Netflix on Jan. 9, 2026, directed by Brett Haley and...
Winners of the 2026 BOP Prizes Are Announced at Bologna’s Official Awards Ceremony
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair announced the 2026 BOP winners on April 13, honoring a top children’s publisher from each of six global regions. Senegal’s Saaraba Editions, Japan’s Bronze Publishing, France’s Les éditions La Doux, Canada’s Tundra Books, Argentina’s Lecturita Ediciones, and New Zealand’s...
In ‘Famesick,’ Lena Dunham Diagnoses Celebrity, Illness and Herself
Lena Dunham’s new memoir "Famesick" pulls back the curtain on her decade‑long battle with a litany of chronic illnesses, from endometriosis to Ehlers‑Danlos syndrome, while also recounting a harrowing burn‑unit stay. The book, released as she approaches her 40th birthday,...
British Author Michael Rosen and Chinese Illustrator Cai Gao Win the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Awards
British author Michael Rosen and Chinese illustrator Cai Gao were named the 2026 recipients of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, the prestigious biennial honors presented by IBBY. The winners were announced at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, with the formal...
A New Book Explores Why the Wellness Industry Has Failed Spiritual Seekers
Liz Bucar’s forthcoming book "Beyond Wellness" argues that the booming wellness industry often strips yoga, mindfulness, and psychedelic retreats of their religious origins, leaving participants without ethical or communal anchors. Drawing on research and personal experience, she shows how practices...
Of Course Hamlet Is Everywhere Right Now
Aneil Karia’s latest film reimagines Shakespeare’s *Hamlet* with Riz Ahmed in the lead, portraying a British‑Indian heir of a modern real‑estate empire. The adaptation places the iconic “to be or not to be” soliloquy inside a high‑speed car chase, merging...
Protected: The Relay
Czech author Marek Šindelka’s interlinked short story “The Relay,” drawn from his award‑winning collection *Mapa Anny*, has been released in English translation. The translation is handled by Graeme Dibble, a Scotland‑born specialist in Czech literature who has lived in Prague for nearly...
Protected: Chronicle of My Thirty-Eighth Year
The piece profiles two interdisciplinary creators: Filipino poet T. De Los Reyes, author of *And Yet Held* and a 2025 VONA Summer Fellow, and multidisciplinary artist‑tattooist Jozie Furchgott Sourdiffe, whose practice spans intaglio printmaking, painting, and tattoo art. Both leverage their crafts to address...
Protected: At Stefan Stambolov Square, Plovdiv
Immanuel Mifsud, a six‑time award‑winning Maltese author and University of Malta professor, has earned the English PEN Award for his poetry collection *The Play of Waves* and the EU Prize for Literature. His memoir and poetry have been published across...
Protected: Three Pages of Don Quixote
Guernica published a password‑protected essay titled “Three Pages of Don Quixote” on April 14 2026, authored by Mexican writer and UC‑Davis Spanish literature professor Daniela Gutiérrez Flores. The piece offers a focused analysis of three pages from Cervantes’ classic, but the full...
Protected: American Actors
Igbo‑born storyteller Abuchi Modilim has earned a string of prestigious fellowships and saw his debut play, The Brigadiers of a Mad Tribe, long‑listed for the 2023 NLNG Prize for Literature, while also publishing in Joyland Magazine and pursuing an MFA...
Bone-Eating Worms and Other Deep-Sea Survivors
Jeffrey Marlow, a Boston University biologist, released "The Dark Frontier," a book exposing the deep sea’s extraordinary life forms and mounting threats. He describes symbiotic microbes that turn methane into rock and bone‑eating worms that rely on microbial partners, underscoring...
Protected: John Wayne’s Jacket
The article introduces two Guernica contributors, Stacie Shannon Denetsosie and Jozie Furchgott Sourdiffe, highlighting their distinct cultural and artistic backgrounds. Denetsosie, a Navajo Nation member, earned a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist nod for her debut story collection and lives in northern...
Tough Guys in Space: War World by William C. Dietz
Reactor’s Alan Brown reviews William C. Dietz’s debut novel *War World*—later retitled *Galactic Bounty*—and reflects on the author’s recent death. First published in 1986, the book introduced hard‑edged bounty hunter Sam McCade and spawned three sequels and two omnibus collections....
Book Review: ‘On the Calculation of Volume IV,’ by Solvej Balle
Solvej Balle’s experimental mega‑novel “On the Calculation of Volume” reaches its fourth installment, chronicling protagonist Tara Stelter’s experience of living the same November 18 for 3,637 days—almost ten years. The English translation, handled by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell, arrived...
The Best in Sci Fi and Fantasy, As Picked by Readers
The article spotlights four literary developments: the 2025 Locus Awards finalists, a new PBS documentary titled “What’s the Story, Wishbone?” debuting May 27, an analysis of books turning into luxury items amid economic strain, and a curated list of the...
This Book Chronicles the Compelling Love Story of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek
Andrew Durbin’s new dual biography, *The Wonderful World That Almost Was*, chronicles the intertwined lives of photographer Peter Hujar and sculptor‑performance artist Paul Thek. It follows their first encounter in 1956 Key West through two decades of love, collaboration, and artistic...
8 Books About Characters Seeking Community and Connection
The Electric Literature piece curates eight recent titles that examine how characters forge community and combat isolation, ranging from memoirs and literary fiction to speculative horror. The author frames the list with a personal anecdote about interlibrary loans that sparked...
My Favorite Nonfiction Book for Creatives
"Creative Quest" by Questlove is a nonfiction guide that blends memoir, philosophy, and actionable exercises for creators across any discipline. The book’s audiobook adds original Roots music and guest appearances, turning the listening experience into a multimedia lesson. Questlove draws...
Holding Pattern: A Reading List on Waiting . . .
Longreads curates a thematic reading list titled “Holding Pattern: A Reading List on Waiting,” gathering essays that explore waiting from psychology, architecture, politics, humanitarian, and medical perspectives. Highlights include Jason Farman’s queuing psychology guide, Belle Boggs’s architectural pattern for waiting...
R.M. Caldwell on Writing a Regency-Era ‘Fast and the Furious’, Neurodivergence, and More
R.M. Caldwell’s debut novel *Fast and Fastidious* fuses Jane Austen‑style Regency romance with the high‑speed thrills of *The Fast and the Furious* through illicit night carriage races. The story follows neurodivergent heiress Lucy, whose mechanical mind drives her obsession with...
Book Review: ‘RFK Jr.,’ By Isabel Vincent
Isabel Vincent’s new biography “RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise” draws on unpublished personal journals to chart Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s self‑portrait across decades. It details his privileged Kennedy upbringing, a period of drug addiction, a resurgence as an environmental lawyer, a Democratic...
Book Review: ‘Korean Messiah,’ by Jonathan Cheng
Jonathan Cheng’s new book *Korean Messiah* argues that the North Korean personality cult draws heavily on early Protestant missionary influence. The work, praised by historian Bruce Cumings, details Kim Il‑sung’s upbringing in a devout Christian family and the symbolic use...
Book Review: ‘Where the Music Had to Go,’ by Jim Windolf
Jim Windolf’s *Where the Music Had to Go* is a dual biography that charts the intertwined careers of Bob Dylan and the Beatles, highlighting how each artist’s evolution sparked the other’s creative breakthroughs. The book leans on newly released outtakes,...
All Them Dogs by Djamel White Review – Murderous Desires in the Badlands of Dublin
All Them Dogs, the debut novel by Djamel White, is a neo‑noir crime thriller set in west Dublin that intertwines violent underworld action with a fraught homoerotic bond between two enforcers. The narrative moves at breakneck speed, using street slang...
On Memoir by Blake Morrison Review – Lessons in Life Writing From a Master
Blake Morrison’s new book *On Memoir* is an alphabetically organized handbook that demystifies the art of life writing. Drawing on his decades of teaching at Goldsmiths and his own memoir about his father, Morrison blends practical tips—like avoiding name repetition...
Understanding Ambedkar: Why Reading His Work Carefully Is Important Today
Prof. Valerian Rodrigues’ new book, *Ambedkar’s Political Philosophy: A Grammar of Public Life from the Social Margins*, repositions B.R. Ambedkar as a philosopher whose ideas transcend his role as a political leader. The work argues that contemporary Indian parties are appropriating...
My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy Review – Wonderfully Entertaining
Deborah Levy’s latest work, My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein, blurs the line between biography and fiction, following three women navigating Paris while the narrator attempts an essay on Stein. The narrative hinges on a recurring “lost cat” motif...
Review: The Psychology of Information Security
Leron Zinatullin’s second‑edition book argues that security controls crumble when they ignore the people who must use them. Drawing on organizational psychology, change management and usability research, the text maps risk management fundamentals to practical policy design and behavioral change....
‘As If’ by Isabel Waidner, Reviewed
Isabel Waidner’s latest novel, As If, follows two London‑based actors—Lewis, a grieving widower, and Korine, a struggling family man—who discover they look alike enough to exchange roles. The swap lets each inhabit the other’s professional and domestic pressures, exposing how...
If You Would Save the Planet, Forget The Planet. Think only of the Sensual Properties of One Dear Place
The essay contrasts the historic topophilic tradition of nature writing—celebrating love for a single pond, creek or valley—with today’s alarmist, global‑scale environmental books that rely on statistics and anger. It cites Douglas Brinkley’s comprehensive environmental history, early writers like Gilbert...
Book Review: ‘See You on the Other Side,’ by Jay McInerney
Jay McInerney’s latest novel, See You on the Other Side, caps his nine‑book career and closes the Calloway tetralogy. The story follows Russell Calloway, a seasoned independent publisher, as he navigates a 35th‑anniversary party at Manhattan’s Odeon. Drawing on McInerney’s own life...
2026 Xingyun Awards Finalists
The World Chinese Science Fiction Association announced the finalists for the 17th‑annual Xingyun Awards on March 31, 2026. The shortlist spans eight categories, including Best Novel, Novella, Short Story, Non‑Fiction, Translated Fiction, New Writer, Review, and the Star Bridge Award....
Weekly Bestsellers, 13 April 2026
Alex Aster’s debut novel *Starside* surged to the top of the hardcover fiction charts, landing at #1 on both the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists and reaching #21 on the USA Today combined list. The week also...
Storipod Strikes Deal to Distribute Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Books Digitally
Storipod, a mobile‑first microblogging platform for African creators, has partnered with Narrative Landscape Press to digitise Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books and other leading African titles. The deal uses Storipod’s chapter‑by‑chapter micropayment system, lowering upfront costs and keeping content in users’ libraries. The...
Audiobooks, E-Books, Printed Books — a Pew Research Comparison
Pew Research’s 2026 reading‑habits survey shows print books still lead American readers, but their dominance is eroding. Audiobook consumption has risen steadily since 2015, reaching 26 percent of adults in 2025, while e‑book usage holds steady around 31 percent. Over the past...
Beloved Lake District Character Herdy Makes ‘Ewe-Ropean’ Book Debut
Lake District icon Herdy has secured a global publishing deal with Quarto, granting the company world rights to a new line of children’s books. The character will make its international debut at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which runs April...
The Car-Crash Conspiracy
Patrick Radden Keefe, fresh from his book "London Falling," has published a New Yorker investigation titled "The Car‑Crash Conspiracy." The piece exposes a coordinated network of personal‑injury lawyers, private investigators and “slammers” in New Orleans East who deliberately stage tractor‑trailer...
Have We Been Reading Toni Morrison All Wrong?
Harvard professor Namwali Serpell’s new book *On Morrison* offers a systematic reading of Toni Morrison’s entire oeuvre, spanning all eleven novels, criticism, plays and poetry. Serpell argues that the surge of reverence for Morrison after her 2019 death has eclipsed close...
'Speakeasies to Symphonies' And 'Cosmic Music' Chronicle 2 Jazz Greats
Two new biographies shine a light on under‑appreciated jazz innovators. Scott Brown’s *Speakeasies To Symphonies* chronicles pianist‑composer James P. Johnson, the stride pioneer whose influence on Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk was eclipsed by his reluctance to record....
5 Books That Will Help You Navigate Change and Stay Resilient at Work
Amid a shifting labor market, five newly released books offer leaders actionable frameworks for building resilient, future‑ready teams. The titles cover leveraging older workers, redefining success through the Significance Pyramid, and applying the CARE leadership habits of Clarity, Autonomy, Relationships,...
Richard Branson Says Everyone Should Read This Cult-Classic Novel—It Changed How He Made Decisions
Richard Branson credits the 1971 cult novel *The Dice Man* with shaping his early decision‑making as he launched Virgin Records in 1972. He literally rolled dice to choose which artists to sign, using the book’s chance‑based philosophy to break routine...
White Cat at the Gates of Death: Garth Nix’s Sabriel
Garth Nix’s 1995 fantasy novel Sabriel introduces Mogget, a white‑eyed cat bound by a red bell collar to the Abhorsen lineage. Though he appears as a talkative feline, Mogget is a centuries‑old Free Magic entity whose true form is a...
Tucker Carlson Launches Book Imprint With Skyhorse
Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host and podcaster, has launched a new book imprint called Tucker Carlson Books in partnership with Skyhorse Publishing. Skyhorse, which has issued memoirs by Woody Allen and Melania Trump, will handle distribution and editorial support....
Lil Jon to Go Deep and Get Low in New Memoir
Lil Jon’s forthcoming memoir, *I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me*, arrives on Oct. 20 via Simon & Schuster’s Black Privilege imprint. The book opens with his mother’s birth in Alabama and tracks his ascent from Atlanta’s crunk explosion to chart‑topping collaborations with...
What the One-Child Policy Meant for Me
The author, born in 1987 in rural Henan, grew up under China’s one‑child policy amid the country’s rapid economic reforms. His family, once landowners, lost property during Communist land redistribution, limiting both his father’s and mother’s education and career prospects....