News in July 2021
News in July 2021
THE 22 MURDERS OF MADISON MAY by Max Barry received glowing praise from The Guardian. The reviewer calls the novel “one of the most interesting explorations of the many worlds theory that I’ve read in years,” adding: “Original, intelligent, unputdownable.” G.P. Putnam’s Sons published the novel on July 6, 2021.
Kiese Laymon's LONG DIVISION was praised in The Guardian: “Laymon writes with humour and clarity about what it means to come of age, to be black in the south, to survive a natural disaster, to become an online celebrity, to love for ever...[A] triumphant piece of metafiction.” Laymon was also interviewed by the Los Angeles Review of Books about the novel, who describe it as a "story of bone-deep love, enduring racism, a missing girl, the Holy Ghost, loss, sexuality, family (chosen and blood), sacrifice, hope, horror, tenderness, a talking cat, staggering grief, and ridiculous amounts of humor.” Scribner published the reissued novel on June 1, 2021.
THE PRETTIEST STAR by Carter Sickels was selected as the 2021 Ohioana Book Award winner in Fiction. The Ohioana Book Awards are “the second oldest, and among the most prestigious, state literary prizes in the nation.” Hub City Press published the novel on May 19, 2020.
CHINA ROOM by Sunjeev Sahota received glowing reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle Datebook, who deem the book an "intimate page-turner with a deeper resonance as a tale of oppression, independence and resilience,” and from the Star Tribune, who praise Sahota as “a talented prose stylist...[of] many gorgeously crafted passages.” Viking published the novel on July 13, 2021.
THE 22 MURDERS OF MADISON MAY by Max Barry received a glowing review from Criminal Element. The reviewer raves: “[M]asterfully constructed…Thrilling and smart, with loads of humor and heart to spare, this may be Mr. Barry’s best book yet. It’s certainly one of the best female-centered takes on the stalker genre I’ve ever read, in addition to being a truly absorbing tale of cross-dimensional travel.” The novel was also featured on PopSugar’s running best-of list for 2021, as well as CrimeReads’ “Great Books that are Secretly Science Fiction.” G.P. Putnam’s Sons published the book on July 6, 2021.
Hermione Hoby’s next novel, VIRTUE, continues to gather steam in the lead-up to its publication. Esquire featured an exclusive excerpt from the novel on July 13, and the novel has been named a best book of July by Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, HelloGiggles, and Paperback Paris, among other outlets. Riverhead Books will publish the novel on July 20, 2021.
Colleen Kinder's forthcoming LETTER TO A STRANGER has earned its first (starred) review from Publishers Weekly: "The power of brief encounters is illuminated in this moving collection from essayist and editor Kinder...with the globe-trotting writers covering the gamut from strangers who offered a sense of safety or a sense of chaos. Bright and hopeful, this anthology is sure to delight avid travelers." Algonquin Books will publish the collection on October 5, 2021.
Daniel Loedel’s debut novel, HADES, ARGENTINA, has been longlisted for the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The shortlist will be announced this fall, and the winner will be announced in December at the Center for Fiction’s Annual Awards Benefit. Riverhead published the book on January 21, 2021.
NOW BEACON, NOW SEA by Christopher Sorrentino was featured on The New York Times’ By the Book column, where author Diana Spiotta names the memoir as one of the titles she is most excited to read next. Catalpult will publish the book on September 7, 2021.
OF WOMEN AND SALT by Gabriela Garcia has been longlisted for the Crook's Corner Book Prize, which was created to “highlight emerging fiction writers who typically face some of the toughest obstacles in publishing.” The winner will be announced in January 2022. Flatiron Books published OF WOMEN AND SALT on March 30, 2021.
BROTHER, SISTER, MOTHER, EXPLORER by Jamie Figueroa has been longlisted for the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The shortlist will be announced this fall, and the winner will be announced in December at the Center for Fiction’s Annual Awards Benefit. Catapult published the novel on March 2, 2021.
THE PROPHETS by Robert Jones Jr. has been longlisted for the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The shortlist will be announced this fall, and the winner will be announced in December at the Center for Fiction’s Annual Awards Benefit. THE PROPHETS was also longlisted for the Crook's Corner Book Prize, which was created to “highlight emerging fiction writers who typically face some of the toughest obstacles in publishing.” The winner will be announced in January 2022. G.P. Putnam’s Sons published THE PROPHETS on January 5, 2021.