News - Book Reviews

News - Book Reviews

WAR FOR ETERNITY by Benjamin R. Teitelbaum

The Tablet calls Benjamin R. Teitelbaum’s WAR FOR ETERNITY, which is an inside look at Steve Bannon's entourage of global power brokers, an “alarming book, with a terrible, pertinent relevance,” adding that “this author has produced a book to make us tremble.” Dey Street Books published the book on April 21, 2020.

AMERICAN DAUGHTER by Stephanie Thorton Plymale

Stephanie Thornton Plymale’s memoir AMERICAN DAUGHTER was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. Mary Beth Keane writes: “[Thornton Plymale’s] lineage . . . represents a sort of inverse American dream . . . It’s a story of redemption and forgiveness.” River Grove Books published the book on February 3, 2020.

FIGURE IT OUT by Wayne Koestenbaum

Wayne Koestenbaum’s latest collection of essays received a rave review from the New York Times. They write: “Whatever [Koestenbaum’s] subject—favorites include porn, punctuation and the poetry of Frank O’Hara—the goal is always to jigger logic and language free of its moorings . . . His great and singular appeal is this fealty to his own desire and imagination.” Soft Skull Press published the book on May 5, 2020.

ONE LONG RIVER OF SONG by Brian Doyle

ONE LONG RIVER OF SONG, the essay collection from the late writer Brian Doyle, received glowing praise from The Chicago Tribune. They write: “Over and over, [Doyle’s] musings are canticles of joy, punctuated with occasional double-shots of heartbreak and humility. It’s the textured layering, the leap from shadow to light, that keeps the reader alert, and ever absorbing.” Little, Brown and Company published the book on December 3, 2019.

ON VANISHING by Lynn Casteel Harper

Lynn Casteel Harper’s debut essay collection received a rave review from the New York Times. They call the book “beautifully unconventional,” and say that Harper “writes without fear or aversion but with a robust, restless curiosity, a keenness to reframe our understanding of dementia with sensitivity and accuracy.” Catapult published the book on April 14, 2020.

THE BADDEST BITCH IN THE ROOM by Sophia Chang

Former Wu-Tang Clan manager and music executive Sophia Chang’s unmissable memoir, THE BADDEST BITCH IN THE ROOM, received a glowing review from Publishers Weekly. “There’s a self-empowerment vibe throughout,” they rave, adding that “[t]his impassioned memoir is filled with energy.” The memoir was published as an Audible Original on September 26, 2019, and Catapult will publish the paperback edition on September 8, 2020.

INDELICACY by Amina Cain

Amina Cain’s INDELICACY received a positive review from The New Yorker’s Briefly Noted. They write: “This sparse, elliptical novel finds new complexities in the familiar conflict between creative independence and the lures of traditional domesticity.” Farrar, Straus & Giroux published the book on February 11, 2020.

PROVIDENCE by Max Barry

The Associated Press put out a glowing review of PROVIDENCE by Max Barry, writing: “PROVIDENCE is really about how we can all overcome adversity even when answers and resolutions are not clear-cut.” GP Putnam’s Sons published the book on March 31, 2020.

GOLDEN GATES by Conor Dougherty

GOLDEN GATES was a New York Times Editors’ Choice book last week. They call it “an empathetic portrait of all sides [of California’s housing crisis] — legislators, developers, pro-housing and anti-gentrification activists — as well as a masterly primer on the fight for new construction in California.” Penguin Press published the book on February 18, 2020.

LAST TANG STANDING by Lauren Ho

Lauren Ho’s delightful debut LAST TANG STANDING has earned a wonderful review from Publishers Weekly. They rave that “this fun, upbeat tale remains entertaining throughout,” adding that “Ho’s cute, quippy love story is sure to captivate rom-com fans.” G.P. Putnam’s Sons will publish the book on June 9, 2020.