News - Book Reviews

News - Book Reviews

THE NOLAN VARIATIONS by Tom Shone
August 20, 2020

Publishers Weekly praised THE NOLAN VARIATIONS by Tom Shone, writing: “Drawing on interviews conducted over three years, film critic Shone (The Irishman: The Making of the Movie) shines a light on Christopher Nolan, who has ‘long perfected the art of talking about his films while giving away nothing about himself.’” Knopf will publish the book on October 20, 2020.

DOWN ALONG WITH THAT DEVIL’S BONES by Connor Towne O’Neill
August 20, 2020

DOWN ALONG WITH THAT DEVIL’S BONES by Connor Towne O’Neill received a starred review from Kirkus. They call the book a “personal examination of one of the great divides in our country today,” and “[e]ssential reading for how we got from Appomattox to Charlottesville—and where we might go next.” Algonquin Books will publish the book on September 29, 2020.

BUNKER by Bradley Garrett
August 20, 2020

The Evening Standard praised BUNKER by Bradley Garrett in a glowing review, calling it “prescient and timely” and “a tartly thoughtful work.” Engineering & Technology had kind words for the title as well, writing: “What makes Garrett’s book fascinating is his portrayal of the balance between fringe thinking and the real world . . . that of wanting to dismiss the world of bunkers while acknowledging that there has never been a more compelling case for taking emergency preparation seriously.” Scribner published the book on August 4, 2020.

KINGS COUNTY by David Goodwillie
August 14, 2020

KINGS COUNTY by David Goodwillie received an enthusiastic review in the New York Times Book Review. Adelle Waldman writes: “David Goodwillie’s very good new novel, ‘KINGS COUNTY,’ depicts [hipsters] with genuine, unmitigated sympathy and good-fellowship, as if, in spite of their fashionable lifestyles, they are as fully human as anyone else. [….] Goodwillie is also a stylish writer, smart and witty without being a show-off.” An excerpt from the book also appeared in Bustle under the headline “KINGS COUNTRY Will Make You Nostalgic For Pre-Pandemic New York.” Avid Reader Press published the book on July 28, 2020.

STRANGE RITES by Tara Isabella Burton
August 14, 2020

STRANGE RITES by Tara Isabella Burton received a positive review from the Wall Street Journal. They write: “Strange Rites is a bracing tour through the myriad forms of bespoke spiritualism and makeshift quasireligions springing up across America: the ersatz piety and self-veneration of ‘wellness culture’; the startlingly earnest and deeply strange world of Harry Potter fan fiction; the newer, woker forms of sexual utopia, witchcraft and satanism that are now prevalent among the affluent young.” PublicAffairs published the book on June 16, 2020.

THE SPRAWL by Jason Diamond
July 16, 2020

Jason Diamond’s essay collection THE SPRAWL is one of Esquire’s “20 Must-Read Books for Summer 2020.” The magazine praises the way that Diamond “blends cultural criticism, reportage, and memoir to destigmatize America’s oft-derided suburbs,” and call the book a “warm, engaging reminder that places quickly written off can be the birthplace of the next big thing.” Coffee House Press will publish the book on August 25, 2020.

CAN’T EVEN by Anne Helen Petersen
July 16, 2020

Anne Helen Petersen’s CAN’T EVEN has received its first trade review from Publishers Weekly. The magazine writes: “[Petersen] supports her claims with strong evidence and calls on millennials to be a force for widespread social change,” adding that the book is “an incisive portrait of a generation primed for revolt.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will publish the book on September 22, 2020.

LIE MACHINES by Philip N. Howard
July 16, 2020

In their review of LIE MACHINES, The Washington Post deems Howard “unquestionably well-placed” when it comes to discussing social media and its role in spreading political lies. They also refer to Howard’s work in clarifying the 2016 Russian strategy as “pivotal.” Yale University Press published the book on May 19, 2020.

I’VE SEEN THE FUTURE AND I’M NOT GOING by Peter McGough
July 16, 2020

The Gotham Center for New York History lauded Peter McGough’s memoir, I’VE SEEN THE FUTURE AND I’M NOT GOING. Jeffrey Patrick Colgan and Jeffrey Escoffier write: “[McGough’s memoir] is deeply personal, with much effort taken to demonstrate to the reader the anguish, jealousy, and sense of betrayal that McGough experienced as his romantic and artistic life unraveled before him . . . it is also historically significant: shining a light not only the dissolution of an artistic-romantic partnership but also charting the end of the Downtown Scene.” Pantheon published the book on September 17, 2019.

BUNKER by Bradley Garrett
July 16, 2020

Bradley Garrett’s BUNKER received great praise from The Literary Review. They write: “The dark charisma of the bunker will attract readers to this book, but the energetic and gregarious Garrett keeps the story focused on people rather than buildings.” Scribner will publish the book on August 4, 2020.