Welcome to We Read Dead People, where authors Stephanie Kuehn (Charm & Strange, When I Am Through with You) and Daniel Kraus (The Shape of Water, The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch) read a novel from the glory days of direct-to-paperback horror—the magnificent 1980s—and determine whether it was worth the suggested retail price. High-school Lois Wilson is really excited about science! Well, […]
Venerable Chicago alt-weekly NewCity has released Lit 50 2018, its list of the city’s most influential “artists who are actively publishing, reading and writing.” And they’ve named Booklist’s Books for Youth editor Daniel Kraus the second-most important person in Chicago literature! Here’s why: New York Times bestselling author Daniel Kraus is no stranger to the macabre. […]
The recent death of Richard Peck at age 84 invites reminiscence. I first met him back in the early 80s, when I interviewed him for my television author interview program In Print. I was immediately impressed by how easily articulate he was. I so enjoyed talking with him that we continued our conversation after the […]
Lisa Jewell’s bestselling books combine page-turning, what-happens-next excitement with nuanced characters—especially female characters—who are mostly likable. Her narrative voice has a keen sense of humor that might fool some readers into thinking the story is fluffy, or that the suspense isn’t real, neither of which is in any way true. In fact, Jewell’s latest novel, […]
You may not have heard, but the Royal Wedding is tomorrow. Of course, there are those among us who would rather spend the day starching underwear than pay it any mind. Whether your objection to these nuptials derives from an opposition to the concept of monarchy, a disdain for finding entertainment in an aristocratic ritual […]
Welcome to We Read Dead People, where authors Stephanie Kuehn (Charm & Strange, When I Am Through with You) and Daniel Kraus (The Shape of Water, The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch) read a novel from the glory days of direct-to-paperback horror—the magnificent 1980s—and determine whether it was worth the suggested retail price. High-school Lois Wilson is really excited about science! Well, […]
In “The Clues to My Crime,” authors explain the influences behind their latest works of crime fiction. In this installment, former Congressman Steve Israel tells us about what inspired Big Guns, his latest satirical novel, which targets the firearms industry and the Washington political establishment. Catch 22, by Joseph Heller (1961) A satirical novel […]
Venerable Chicago alt-weekly NewCity has released Lit 50 2018, its list of the city’s most influential “artists who are actively publishing, reading and writing.” And they’ve named Booklist’s Books for Youth editor Daniel Kraus the second-most important person in Chicago literature! Here’s why: New York Times bestselling author Daniel Kraus is no stranger to the macabre. […]
Is your book group in a rut? Are folks sick of reading World War II-era historical fiction? Is your attendance dwindling? Maybe it’s time to go rogue. We hosted a live event (sponsored by NoveList) where we gathered some book-group experts to talk about what makes a good selection, how to pick something unexpected for […]
I am an eternal optimist. This tendency to think things will work out for the best is sometimes at odds with my inner curmudgeon, but what can you do? I like to think this conflict keeps my also-inner Pollyanna in check, but sometimes, that Pollyanna is strong. Take, for example, the time my book group […]
Donna Seaman, Booklist Adult Books Editor and co-chair of the SJP Picks selection committee, interviewed Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo about her debut novel, Stay with Me, a complex and suspenseful portrait of a besieged marriage—and Sarah Jessica Parker’s third selection for SJP Picks. For more information, visit Book Club Central. DONNA SEAMAN: Stay with Me is […]
Cindy: A pair of recent Southern historical mysteries raises the issue of racism. I read the first, Bobby Lee Claremont and the Criminal Element (2018) by Jeannie Mobley, on a recent destination wedding trip to New Orleans. I like coordinating book settings with my travel, and I was on deadline for Booklist’s #MysteryMonth, so this novel […]
Cindy: I felt like Nate the Great or Encyclopedia Brown earlier this school year, when an eighth-grade science teacher surprised me by asking for help with this reader’s advisory mystery stumper: “So, we’re studying Newton’s laws of motion, and I remember an Encyclopedia Brown mystery case story about someone riding in the back of the truck and when the […]
Lynn: Maureen Johnson sets her latest mystery, Truly Devious (2018), at Ellingham Academy, a unique private school in Vermont where all the students have a “spark.” “If interested,” reads the school literature, “[just] get in touch.” Ellingham Academy is famous for more than its unique approach to education: It is the site of a famous, unsolved 1936 kidnapping […]
Y’all know My Favorite Murder, right? The super-popular podcast that, through some alchemical magic, blends true crime and comedy as told by two women who do the bare minimum of research and spend as much time detailing personal anecdotes as they do the murders they’re ostensibly covering? MFM has a huge and devoted following—search Etsy […]
Hold the phone, audiophiles: we just received a very exciting press release! The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced Audie Award® finalists for Audiobook of the Year and for Excellence in Design, Excellence in Marketing, and Excellence in Production. The winners of the Excellence Awards will be announced at the Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) […]
The Audio Publisher’s Association has announced the nominees for the 2018 Audie Awards, honoring excellence in audiobooks and spoken entertainment. Winners will be announced at the Audies Gala at the New York Historical Society on May 31. Congratulations to the distinguished nominees! Below is a complete list of finalists, linked to their Booklist reviews when […]
Without getting too meta, sometimes the juiciest bits of the news are the stories behind the story. With this mix of novels, non-fiction, and wherever Hunter S. Thompson falls between the two, use the buzz from Oscar-nominated film The Post to draw attention to your other journalist-forward titles. All the President’s Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob […]
“More than half of U.S. women have experienced unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances from men, three in 10 have put up with unwanted advances from male co-workers, and a quarter have endured them from men who had influence over their work situation,” says a new ABC News-Washington Post poll. The stories of harassment and intimidation that […]
John Green’s latest unputdownable YA novel, Turtles All the Way Down, tackles the tough topic of anxiety disorders, specifically Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. As Michael Cart writes in his starred review, ” Green, a master of deeply felt material, handles all of this with aplomb. With its attention to ideas and trademark introspection, it’s a challenging but […]
Some of the biggest crime fiction is perpetrated by some of the smallest players. We’re determined to shine the spotlight on them before they break out and wreak havoc across the whole country. Read them—before they publish again! Legal Name and Alias: Jamie Freveletti Accomplices: Various editors, graphic designers, marketing advertising personnel, […]
The current, May 15 issue of Booklist features our perennial (get it?) Spotlight on Crafts & Gardening—but we’re not done! Check out these new reviews of books on crafting, getting organized, and growing plants both indoors and out. And don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming crafts webinar, on Tuesday, June 5 at 1 […]
#MysteryMonth special to The Booklist Reader Jenni L. Walsh is an author of historical fiction. Her two novels, Becoming Bonnie and Side by Side (out on June 5 from Forge Books), imagine the iconic Bonnie and Clyde through Bonnie’s eyes. You can visit her at jennilwalsh.com and follow her on Twitter at @jennilwalsh. When discussing […]
I’m beginning to wonder what N. K. Jemisin’s trophy collection looks like. I met a much-lauded children’s book writer who had one measly National Book Award that he used as a paperweight. Jemisin, however, has won this year’s Nebula Award for Best Novel, making 2018 her third consecutive year of taking home a major science […]
Every weekday we feature a different review on Booklist Online. These reviews are notable for different reasons—they may be starred, or high-demand, or especially relevant to the current issue’s spotlight. We’ve collected the reviews from May 14–18 below. Monday, May 14 The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton The Hardcastle family has decided to throw a party […]
The Curious Case of the Hemingway MacGuffin Ernest Hemingway may not have written mystery fiction, but you can blame him for a lot of it. It’s possible that, after Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, no other author has had as much influence on the way would-be tough guys punctuate their crime fiction. (You know. What […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
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