News - Book Reviews

News - Book Reviews

MIDDLE MEN by Jim Gavin
September 13, 2013

Jim Gavin’s MIDDLE MEN was named one of the Best Books of 2013 So Far by Esquire, which called him “the second coming of Denis Johnson” and said, “These sad, funny stories about nowhere men — some young, some bent-backed, all pained and searching for something they'll never find — knocked me out …these short stories will transport you, will educate you, will entertain you, will fill you with fear and laughter and sadness.” Simon & Schuster published the book on February 19, 2013.

VERY RECENT HISTORY by Choire Sicha
September 13, 2013

Choire Sicha’s VERY RECENT HISTORY was reviewed in The Millions, which called it “a beautifully written and carefully documented (and often very funny) book about a group of people that, to our society’s collective detriment, continues to be largely ignored, dismissed, and stereotyped.” Sicha was also interviewed in Salon, Slate, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Pacific Standard. HarperCollins published the book on August 6, 2013.

THE MINIATURE WIFE AND OTHER STORIES by Manuel Gonzales
September 13, 2013

Manuel Gonzales’ THE MINIATURE WIFE was named one of the Best Books of 2013 So Far by Esquire, which said, “It's easy to compare Manuel Gonzales to George Saunders, but it would be just as easy to compare him to Borges or Márquez or Aimee Bender…He makes the extraordinary ordinary, and his playfulness is infectious.” Riverhead published the book on January 10, 2013.

LOSS OF INNOCENCE by Richard North Patterson
September 9, 2013

LOSS OF INNOCENCE received a positive review in the August 2013 issue of Booklist. The review called LOSS OF INNOCENCE “an appealing family drama set against the backdrop of a radically tumultuous and influential time.” Quercus will publish the book in the U.S. on October 1, 2013.

VERY RECENT HISTORY by Choire Sicha
September 9, 2013

Choire Sicha’s VERY RECENT HISTORY: AN ENTIRELY FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF A YEAR (c. AD 2009) IN A LARGE CITY was reviewed by the Atlantic, the New York Observer, and Flavorwire, which also named it a “Staff Pick Favorite Cultural Thing of the Week” and published “25 Essential Works of LGBT Nonfiction" Inspired by the book, saying, “Very Recent History follows a long tradition of providing a window into a very specific and often underrepresented community.”

A GUIDE TO BEING BORN by Ramona Ausubel
September 9, 2013

Ramona Ausubel’s A GUIDE TO BEING BORN was reviewed in High Country News, which praised “Ausubel's lush and playful prose” and called the book an “honest and life-affirming collection of tales”. Riverhead published A GUIDE TO BEING BORN on May 2, 2013.

MY 1980s AND OTHER ESSAYS by Wayne Koestenbaum
September 9, 2013

Wayne Koestenbaum’s MY 1980’s AND OTHER ESSAYS was reviewed in the San Francisco Chronicle, BOMB, and The Hairpin. The San Francisco Chronicle said, “Koestenbaum's essays showcase a stunning display of carefully crafted sentences in an almost dizzying variety of arrangements. The result is a collection that is by turns funny, moving and insightful.”

ECSTATIC NATION by Brenda Wineapple
September 3, 2013

Brenda Wineapple’s history, ECSTATIC NATION, received a rave review in The Christian Science Monitor: “Wineapple’s own literary talents are on full display, as well. She is a beautiful writer, at once lyrical and measured…in providing a sense of the possibilities and tragedies of the era, of its passions and disappointments, Wineapple has given us a memorable book.” HarperCollins published the book on August 6, 2013.

VERY RECENT HISTORY by Choire Sicha
September 3, 2013

Choire Sicha’s VERY RECENT HISTORY: AN ENTIRELY FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF A YEAR (c. AD 2009) IN A LARGE CITY was reviewed by the Globe and Mail, Entertainment Weekly, and Elle. The Globe and Mail called Sicha “a new kind of media daddy.” Elle said VERY RECENT HISTORY “trains a floodlight on the great hypocrisies of our time,” and Entertainment Weekly gave it an A- grade and said, “Sicha’s message is universal.”

THE HEAVENS RISE by Christopher Rice
September 3, 2013

Christopher Rice’s new novel earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly. They call it “a masterful coming of age novel” and rave that “Rice’s characters are complex and real, his dialogue pitch-perfect, and his writing intelligent and strong. He builds suspense beautifully amid enduring philosophical questions about what it means to be human.” The book will be published by Gallery on October 15, 2013.