Book Reviews

[ad_1] Tola Rotimi Abraham’s first novel is a story of tragedy. It is not supposed to be hopeful. But there is hope in the telling. Black Sunday is told through a scattering of episodes that center around the lives of four siblings in Lagos–twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike, and their brothers, Andrew and Peter. Their … Read more

[ad_1] While some books of historical fiction use a historical event or person only as a jumping-off point, others  are more biographical in nature, building on the factual details of a real person’s life with imagined thought, conflict and emotion. Allison Pataki’s new novel The Queen’s Fortune belongs mostly in the second category, but it … Read more

[ad_1] The story of Chicago’s South Side often falls within two narratives — stereotypes of violence and crime, and brilliant, extraordinary individuals (like the Obamas) who find their way out. But this dichotomy is narrow and silences the experiences of many South Side residents. In reality, most don’t fall into these experiences, but somewhere in … Read more

[ad_1] In 2012, as President Barack Obama publicly announced his support for same-sex marriage and effectively paved the way for marriage equality, Carmen Maria Machado was freeing herself from an abusive girlfriend. Machado once fantasized about marrying her and starting a family. Yet it’s this dangerous lover who stalks the chambers of Machado’s heart in … Read more

[ad_1] Helen Phillips is a widely celebrated author of speculative fiction. Her new novel, The Need, published in July by Simon & Schuster, was recently long-listed for the National Book Award. The stories from her previous book, Some Possible Solutions, combine elements of science fiction, fantasy, fairy tales, and surrealism. Curious about her writing process, … Read more

[ad_1] In her debut novel, A Kind of Freedom, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton was praised for her nuanced portrayal of intergenerational relationships between strong female black characters. In her much anticipated second novel, The Revisioners, Sexton returns with a lyrical family saga that traces multiple generations from the antebellum South (on the brink of the Civil … Read more

[ad_1] As the weather grows colder, the idea of curling up with a good book is more appealing than ever. Here are some of our favorite books out this month to help build your winter reading list. In the Dream HouseBy Carmen Maria MachadoGraywolf “Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic … Read more

[ad_1] What they’re reading: Kelsey Miller Posted by Lily, Associate Editor on December 17, 2018 When a rumor recently surfaced that Netflix was pulling “Friends” from its lineup at the end of the year, Twitter collectively lost its mind. No need to panic yet (Netflix has the rights to the ’90s phenomenon till the end … Read more

[ad_1] Best Covers of 2018 Posted by Savanna, Assistant Editor on December 18, 2018 Every year, the BookPage editors get together to create the best books of the year list, but also its slightly more superficial stepsibling, the best covers list. It’s always a monumental undertaking to cut down and rank our extensive long list … Read more

[ad_1] Burning Worlds is Amy Brady’s monthly column dedicated to examining trends in climate fiction, or “cli-fi,” in partnership with Yale Climate Connections. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter to get “Burning Worlds” and other writing about art and climate change delivered straight to your inbox. Set a little over a century from now, Kassandra Montag’s After the Flood depicts … Read more