News - Literary News

News - Literary News

February 17, 2023

An excerpt of Joseph Earl Thomas’ memoir SINK appeared in Vulture. The book was also recommended for Black History Month by The Stacks’ Traci Thomas for NPR/WBUR’s “Here and Now.” Grand Central Publishing will publish the book on February 21, 2023.

February 3, 2023

The New York Times included Joseph Earl Thomas' SINK in their roundup of “13 New Books Coming in February,” praising the memoir as “a brilliant coming-of-age story.” The Washington Post also featured the book on its list of “10 Noteworthy Books for February,” praising: “For the reader, third-person narration creates a buffer to a brutal coming of age, and perhaps allows Thomas enough distance from his trauma to bravely expose the vulnerability and resilience of his youth.” Grand Central Publishing will publish the book on February 21, 2023.

January 27, 2023

De'Shawn Charles Winslow's DECENT PEOPLE has had a cascade of fantastic media attention. The book received a rave review from The Washington Post, where reviewer Ron Charles praises Winslow as a “talented young author,” adding: “Watching Winslow subvert the conventions of an old literary form is half the thrill of this novel. After all, the shelf of mystery detectives is hardly crowded with 60-year-old Black women. And that’s not the only cozy convention Winslow toys with…The larger social context that Winslow explores is what moves this story beyond one crime into a reflection on the myriad unacknowledged crimes committed across decades.” A review from Joseph P. Williams Jr. for the Minneapolis Star Tribune calls the book “an entertaining, relatable story, and Winslow an engaging storyteller,” while a review from Leah Tyler for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls the book “an introspective and big-hearted examination of small-town Southern life,” adding: “On the surface DECENT PEOPLE is a cozy, homespun mystery…But Winslow has tucked a sophisticated story full of entwined relationships and crackling social commentary inside this small-town tale.” Meanwhile a review from “Bookworm Sez” Terri Schlichenmeyer, which ran in dozens of regional papers around the country, raves: “And that’s also where the fun lies: watching the small-town mechanics unfold with a bit of dark humor kind of almost makes you wish the book wasn’t going to end. Running out of pages in DECENT PEOPLE and having to leave West Mills feels like a letdown after immersing yourself in this wonderful small world.” Winslow was interviewed by Diane Marie Brown for Bomb magazine, who writes: “Many writers have bemoaned the dreaded sophomore novel, and with good reason. For a first book, typically there’s no external pressure or expectations…Imagine those expectations when the author’s first novel is universally loved and celebrated, such as the case with De’Shawn Charles Winslow, whose book IN WEST MILLS won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize in 2019. With his newest book DECENT PEOPLE (Bloomsbury), not only did Winslow expand into new territory, giving readers a murder-mystery, he also blessed his fans with a return to the fictional small town of West Mills and brings back a few beloved characters from his debut.” Lastly, the book was featured on the New York Post’s list of best new releases of this week. Bloomsbury Publishing published DECENT PEOPLE on January 17, 2023.

January 27, 2023

Boygenius mentioned Rebecca Rukeyser’s THE SEAPLANE ON FINAL APPROACH in their Rolling Stone cover interview. Angie Martoccio writes: "Boygenius like to read, and I do not mean that in a casual sense. A majority of our lunch is spent discussing literary fiction, where they ping-pong across the table with their recent reads. Rachel Yoder’s NIGHTBITCH. C.S. Lewis’ THE GREAT DIVORCE. Jenny Offill’s WEATHER. Leslie Feinberg’s STONE BUTCH BLUES. And Rebecca Rukeyser’s THE SEAPLANE ON FINAL APPROACH, which [Phoebe] Bridgers gives me a copy of the following day." Doubleday published the book on June 7, 2022.

January 20, 2023

VERY COLD PEOPLE author Sarah Manguso appeared on the Write-minded podcast. The episode description reads: “Guest Sarah Manguso has been called a virtuoso, and her takes on the literary world and writing in her compelling, spare style remind us why we love a meaty interview. Brooke and Grant revel in Sarah’s responses and candor this week—and know listeners will too.” Hogarth published the book on February 8, 2022.

January 15, 2023

Danielle Steel’s latest novel, WITHOUT A TRACE, debuted on The New York Times Bestsellers list for the week of January 22, 2023, appearing at #3 on Hardcover Fiction and #5 on Combined Print and E-Book Fiction. Delacorte Press published the book on January 3, 2023.

January 15, 2023

Anderson Cooper’s VANDERBILT has returned to The New York Times Business Bestseller List, appearing at #7 for the month of January. Harper published the book on September 21, 2021.

January 15, 2023

Anticipation continues to build for De’Shawn Charles Winslow’s DECENT PEOPLE, which was included on
The Millions’ “Most Anticipated: The Great 2023A Book Preview,” alongside generous praise: "[An] expertly-plotted and character-driven follow-up to [IN WEST MILLS]…A haunting, page-turning mystery, DECENT PEOPLE makes a must-read on anyone’s literary list." The book was featured on CrimeReads’ “10 Crime Novels You Should Read This January,” BookBub's “21 of This Winter’s Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers," AARP’s “41 of Winter’s Best New Books,” Lambda Literary's “January’s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Literature,” and Book Riot's “The Best Mystery Books: 2023 Upcoming Titles.” Amazon Book Review also featured DECENT PEOPLE on its round-up of their editors’ best-of picks for January. Editor Vannessa Cronin raves: “I absolutely tore through DECENT PEOPLE, [Winslow’s] second novel set in the fictional Southern town of West Mills…The novel is a straight up whodunit, but Winslow cleverly has the police recede into the background as the questions Jo asks around town set off gossip, finger-pointing, speculation, and rumor. And it’s through those conversations that the townspeople reveal their painful prejudices, shameful secrets, and dark histories in this smart, canny, and page-turning historical Southern mystery.” Bloomsbury will publish the novel on January 17, 2023.

January 15, 2023

Connie Wang’s debut essay collection OH MY MOTHER! appeared on most-anticipated lists from Elle and Oprah Daily. Viking will publish the book on May 9, 2023.

January 15, 2023

Lakiesha Carr's AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SKIN was included on Oprah Daily's list of “The Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2023.” They write: "In an immersive journey that shifts among multiple central characters, this novel features women you’ll want to fight for—three generations whose very survival hinges on struggle not just with the men in their lives but the very flesh and skin they are living in and the ghost who refuses to leave." Pantheon will publish the novel on February 28, 2023.