Book Reviews

[ad_1] In Erica Waters’ debut novel, Ghost Wood Song, she brings us to the luscious, chilling woods of Florida where cicadas buzz and azaleas bloom. There, we meet Shady Grove, a young woman trying to hold her family together after her step-father is murdered and her brother,  Jesse, stands accused of the crime. The only … Read more

[ad_1] In the wildlands of the North – in Canada, on the Scottish seaboard near Fife, on the cold, metaphysical plains of the isolated soul – the poems from Karen Solie’s The Caiplie Caves live, move, and have their being.  And this being is complex, a multipartite body composed of ages medieval and post-modern, secular and spiritual, … Read more

[ad_1] In her new biography, Lady Romeo, Tana Wojczuk excavates the secret history of Charlotte Cushman, a renowned 19th century actress known for revolutionizing the role of Lady Macbeth and upending traditional gender rules in the theater and offstage. Cushman lived a rich and radical life that was somehow largely lost to history. That life … Read more

[ad_1] When Chicago Review of Books launched our online literary magazine, Arcturus, our initial call was for work oriented in place. But the theme seemed a difficult specificity, so we dropped the focus on place-based writing. Leah Hampton’s new story collection, F*ckface, nails the Appalachian region with such precision and range it could be held … Read more

[ad_1] As Chicago entered Phase 4 of its reopening, The Dial Bookshop in the South Loop opened its doors again on July 1st. Although non-essential retail was permitted to open during Phase 3, owners Heidi Zheng and Peter Hopkins decided to be cautious. As they waited, they anticipated reopening with nervous excitement. As Zheng said, … Read more

[ad_1] Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel Mexican Gothic deserves to be heralded as a new classic of the genre. It’s tempting to say that Moreno-Garcia brings a breath of fresh air to the Gothic novel, but as fans know, Gothics leave no room for fresh air. They’re claustrophobic and dread-filled; the walls of their crumbling, oppressive mansions … Read more

[ad_1] The Exchange Exchange is Todd Van Luling’s new conversation series with authors of recent economics books. Economic inequality has been a primary focus of economics over the last few years in the United States. Democratic candidates made the subject a campaign focus, newsrooms added inequality-focused desks, and multiple books on the topic found spots … Read more

[ad_1] Or What You Will by Jo Walton belongs to the tradition of beautiful cozy books about books.  A love letter to Shakespeare, fantasy, and alternate histories, the story follows Sylvia, an author, from the perspective of a nameless narrator who has appeared throughout Sylvia’s novels as a collection of different characters. With meta layers … Read more

[ad_1] Hella, the setting of David Gerrold’s newest novel by the same name, is a world modeled on the simple human amazement at huge things. Hella’s “atlas trees” stretch nearly a kilometer high with branches the size of sequoias, its three rotating moons in the night sky pull the waves ten meters tall, and its … Read more

[ad_1] Waiting for the Night Song is the forthcoming debut novel of Julie Carrick Dalton. Forthcoming from Forge Books in early 2021, the book mixes mystery with pointed (but beautifully written) commentary about the natural world. Below is a Q&A with the author about what she hopes readers take away from the novel–and a reveal … Read more