Books

Pierce Alquist is a transplanted New Yorker living and working in the publishing scene in Boston. Don’t worry if she fooled you, the red hair is misleading. She’s a literature in translation devotee and reviewer and lover of small, independent presses. A voracious traveler and foodie, you can find her in her kitchen making borscht or covered in red pepper paste as she perfects her kimchi recipe. View All posts by Pierce Alquist Pierce Alquist is a transplanted New Yorker living and working in the publishing scene in Boston. Don’t...

More than 150 artists, musicians, actors, and writers — including Amanda Gorman, Roxane Gay, Parma Lakshmi, Ron Perlman, and others — have signed an open letter decrying book bans. The letter, which was led by LeVar Burton, was published Tuesday through pubic advocacy organization MoveOn Political Action. It calls for everyone across the country to challenge book bans at the local level, labeling them as “antithetical to free speech and expression.” It also notes how an attack on free speech concerning books will inevitably extend to other creative endeavors, stating,...

Do you know the most beloved, highest rated book by an author from your country? WordFinderX has figured out the answer. They looked at the books with at least 500 Goodreads ratings from local authors in 130+ countries around the world and pulled out the one with the highest rating. Click for full-sized image The highest rated book they found overall was Svědectví o životě v KLDR (Witnessing Life in the DPRK) by Nina Špitálníková from the Czech Republic, with a 4.79 average. The book is based on seven interviews...

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View All posts by Kelly Jensen Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author...

It’s time to play what did the book clubs pick this month? First, I’ll start with some FYI. In July’s roundup, I added Vulture’s podcast Into It, which had Sam Sanders pick his first book, The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor, with a promise for a future episode where Taylor would join him for a book discussion. Now the time has arrived, and you can listen to their chat: From #BookTok to Goodreads, Novelist Brandon Taylor on Why Literary Criticism Is Broken. (Even if you didn’t read the book, I...

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View All posts by Kelly Jensen Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author...

The National Book Foundation, on September 13–15, announced the longlists for the 2023 National Book Awards. The awards are split into five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. These are the longlisted titles: Fiction Authors at various stages of their careers are represented on the list of nominees, which includes a debut novel and a debut short story collection. Here are the books that stood out among the 496 submissions: Silas House, Mat Johnson, Helena María Viramontes, Steph Cha, and Calvin Crosby sit in the judging...

The trailer for Apple TV+’s adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus has dropped. The bestselling book follows chemist Elizabeth Zott, who faces discrimination as one of very few women in the scientific field in the 1950s. Eventually, she becomes the star of a popular cooking show where she displays a very chemistry-oriented approach to cooking as she challenges the status quo. Brie Larson stars as Elizabeth, Lewis Pullman as Calvin, and Aja Naomi King as Harriet Sloane. The trailer shows Elizabeth’s journey from working strictly as a chemist,...

Yesterday, the National Book Foundation — the presenter of the National Book Awards — rescinded its invitation to Drew Barrymore to host its 74th awards ceremony. This comes after Barrymore announced that her show, The Drew Barrymore Show, would be filming and airing its next season despite the WGA and SAG strikes. In an Instagram post, the National Book Foundation said, “The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that...

Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack. Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_. View All posts by Erica Ezeifedi Erica Ezeifedi, Associate...

The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary is holding a full committee hearing titled “Book Bans: Examining How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature” on September 12th at 10 am Eastern. A live video will be available on the the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary website. Emily Knox, the Board President of the National Coalition Against Censorship, will be testifying about the increase in book bans in recent years and how it affects democracy and education as well as impedes on First Amendment rights. Knox urges the subcommittee to act...

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty View All posts by Liberty Hardy Liberty Hardy...

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View All posts by Kelly Jensen Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author...