For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] Year-end features typically focus on “bests,” a consideration that I shy away from, perhaps a scarred memory of always being picked last for dodgeball. Because many hundreds of books are published each year, most are only very briefly in the spotlight. That always feels so inherently unfair, like having one shot at getting a … Read more
[ad_1] With the New Year comes a new list of books to get excited for. But where should you start when it comes to building your 2023 reading list? To help you get started, we asked some of our favorite Chicago booksellers and authors what books they’re hotly anticipating in 2023. They’ve never let us … Read more
[ad_1] 2023 is poised to be a landmark year for literature in Chicago. It can be overwhelming to stay on top of all the latest books from Chicago authors, especially when this next year is filled with so many releases from some of today’s brightest stars such as Rebecca Makkai, Luis Alberto Urrea, and more, … Read more
[ad_1] Each year when I compile this list of notable transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer debuts, I’m filled with wonder and gratitude. It’s no secret trans, queer voices are being censored and viciously challenged, and it’s a terrifying time for LGBTQIA+ writers to publish work. And yet. And yet. Debut artists are still putting their words … Read more
[ad_1] “If you are squeamish don’t prod the beach rubble” is a line by Sappho* that serves as sound advice for the novels of Marguerite Duras. If you are squeamish, don’t crack the cover. There will be grief, there will be a threat of madness, there will be sensuality mottled with darkness, a family may … Read more
[ad_1] Let’s be real: end of the year book lists are incredibly subjective. They end up being a roundup of books that whoever the person putting the list together loved. And there’s obviously a wide gap between what was published versus what this particular person read. And yet, I personally love these roundup lists, especially … Read more
[ad_1] It’s a fantasy we’ve all imagined—winning the lottery. Most of us know exactly which debts we’d pay off first, what we’d buy, and who we’d help out if we found ourselves instant millionaires. But we’ve also heard story after story of a winning gone wrong—cautionary tales that highlight humanity’s greed. How money can make … Read more
[ad_1] Short stories demand more of the reader (and writer) than a novel, which is why I’ve long preferred the latter. Novels are more forgiving, their expansiveness allows for meandering. But short fiction requires more attention to each line, each carefully crafted detail. A short story isn’t a mini-novel, but the best ones often hint … Read more
[ad_1] Welcome to another installment of a collaboration between the Chicago Review of Books and the Your Favorite Book podcast. Malavika Praseed, frequent CHIRB contributor and podcast host, seeks to talk to readers and writers about the books that light a fire inside them. What’s your favorite book and why? Our guest is Keenan Norris, … Read more
[ad_1] Jane Smiley’s newest novel A Dangerous Business begins in the 1850s. The Gold Rush is in full swing as the American Civil War begins bubbling to the surface of society. Eliza literally makes a name for herself—changing her last name from Cargill to Ripple—by seeking employment at a brothel in Monterey, California after the … Read more