For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] The debut novel of David Connor, Oh God, The Sun Goes, takes audiences on a cerebral ride—both literally and figuratively—journeying within a story that could sit comfortably on the shelf of multiple genres. From mystery to science fiction, to biological place fiction (if such a thing exists), Connor flexes his creativity and cognitive neuroscience … Read more
[ad_1] It’s been a long, hot summer. Usually by this time of year the pace begins to slow a bit, as the weather prompts us to find solace wherever we can. But the pace of exciting releases continues to speed along! The books we’re sharing in August wade into something a bit more uncanny, from … Read more
[ad_1] The following excerpt is from Rebekah Bergman’s debut novel, The Museum of Human History. Combining elements of speculative fiction, fables, and magical realism, the novel follows a wide cast of characters who find themselves drawn to Maeve Wilhelm, a young girl who has fallen into a strange comatose state that halts her aging. Described … Read more
[ad_1] Reports of the death of Donald “Sully” Sullivan are somewhat exaggerated. In Somebody’s Fool, Richard Russo’s terrific new book in his North Bath, NY series, characters talk to Sully’s grave, look for the dead man to join them at the bar, and, when they are in a bind, they ask—maybe against their better judgment— What … Read more
[ad_1] Each story in Drew Buxton’s debut collection, So Much Heart, puts readers right into the thick of its author’s obsessions, an intoxicating blend of cryptozoology, hucksters, and stray bits of Americana that prompt grandiose delusions of wealth and success from their wayward protagonists. Whether they’re selling the stolen sperm of Sea World Tulsa’s beloved … Read more
[ad_1] There are few writers working today that have shown as much willingness to work across the breadth of genre and subvert its conventions as Colson Whitehead. From the unique blend of reportage and memoir in The Noble Hustle and the post-apocalyptic horror of Zone One to the speculative fiction of The Intuitionist and the … Read more
[ad_1] 2023 has been a great year for readers so far! With so many books that deserve attention and praise, we asked our Chicago Review of Books team members to share their favorites high school superlatives style—including the most surprising or unforgettable read, the book most likely to end up on our “Best Of 2023” … Read more
[ad_1] In her new novel The Possibilities, Yael Goldstein-Love draws on neuroscience, quantum theory, and her background as a therapist to communicate the disorienting, terrifying experience of new motherhood. From the opening description of a traumatic birth in which it is not clear whether the child survives, this compelling and surreal narrative forces the reader … Read more
[ad_1] In a recent interview with fellow author Lindsay Hunter, John Milas insists that terror is more specific than horror. Horror, he argues, is a reaction to something,, whereas terror relies on the the anticipation of something yet to happen, something unspecified. Terror relies on the intimacy of imagination. It’s a highly personal experience, one … Read more
[ad_1] A good short story can feel like a mystical experience, or leave a reader remorseful, longing. Kate Doyle’s debut is a collection of such stories, linked in subtle ways, that perfectly encapsulate what it’s like to reflect on your youth while you’re still in it. The young women in these stories are on the … Read more