For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] The Translator’s Voice is a new column from Ian J. Battaglia here at the Chicago Review of Books, dedicated to global literature and the translators who work tirelessly to bring these books to the English-reading audience. Subscribe to his newsletter to get notified of new editions as well as other notes on writing, art, … Read more
[ad_1] The Chicago Review of Books is excited to feature the cover reveal of Cavar’s debut novel, “Failure to Comply.” The blurb, author bio, and quotes that follow are all courtesy of the book’s publicist, Addie Tsai: “Failure to Comply is an abolitionist text concerned with trans, disabled, and Mad liberation as a speculative art…Every story … Read more
[ad_1] Kiley Reid’s first novel, Such a Fun Age, was a big deal. It was a New York Times Bestseller and a pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. It was praised by critics for its subtle insights into race and class, and longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. Lena Waithe acquired its television rights. Reid … Read more
[ad_1] At the very beginning of Balsam Karam’s novel The Singularity (translated from the Swedish by Saskia Vogel), a pregnant woman stands witness as a woman lets herself fall off a cliff in her sightline, disappearing silently into the ocean. From there, time unspools forward and backwards, giving the reader insight into both past and … Read more
[ad_1] It is difficult to talk about guns in America without talking about denial. With every new tragedy, we look the other way in a naive attempt to escape responsibility for our role in sustaining the cycle of gun violence. Alexander Sammartino shows a keen sensitivity to this dynamic in his raucous, irreverent debut novel, … Read more
[ad_1] In Christina Cooke’s debut novel, Broughtupsy, a young woman, Akúa, whose family has been unmoored and adrift since the death of her mother, is on a mission. Akúa’s father moves the family first to Texas, then to Vancouver, but Akúa’s older sister, Tamika, travels back to Jamaica, leaving Akúa and their younger brother Bryson … Read more
[ad_1] Kate Kennedy is a woman who finds herself at a crossroads. Growing up under fourth wave feminism, she still felt the undeniable siren song of quintessential womanhood past: join a sorority, get married, have a kid. “[There are] the traditional values we held growing up versus the opportunities that greeted us once we did,” … Read more
[ad_1] The room was too warm, but that’s not why I was sweating. I was nervous. Deeply, deeply nervous. It had been a long time since I sat in a creative writing classroom, yet here I was. It was early June 2023 and I hadn’t written fiction in years. My Imposter Syndrome had been growing … Read more
[ad_1] Abbott Kahler’s debut thriller, Where You End, follows the twenty-two-year-old Bird sisters after a car accident leaves Kat with no memories save the name and face of her twin, Jude; remnants of the unique language they have shared since childhood; and an unexplained ability to defend herself. The story is comprised of Kat’s perspective … Read more
[ad_1] Very early in my spiritual education, I was taught by my elders to be cautious about making claims. One reason for this caution—particularly when it comes to making claims about oneself—is that claims are often rooted in the ego. They betray the fact that so much of what we claim about ourselves can be … Read more