Isle McElroy’s sophomore novel PEOPLE COLLIDE enjoyed a beautiful cover reveal from Electric Literature. The article praises: “PEOPLE COLLIDE is rich and rewarding, a tender portrayal of ambition, sacrifice, desire and loss, and shared lives and bodies. It shines a refreshing light on everything we thought we knew about love, sexuality, and the truth of who we really are.” McElroy also spoke with the outlet about the interplay between the cover art and their own artistic vision for the novel: “My editor Rakesh Satyal originally sent four cover options. I knew immediately which one I wanted. While the other options were great, this was the cover that truly embodied People Collide. The designer, Stephen Brayda, and I went through a few rounds of revisions before landing on the version seen here… Over the process of choosing a cover, I discovered something about my book that I hadn’t previously been able to articulate. The hand reaching out of the border, for instance, reveals the novel’s deeper anxiety about partnership. Even as these two figures are so intimately embraced, one hand appears to be testing out an escape. To paraphrase Newton: for every collision, there is an equal and opposite separation. It was my curiosity about this emotional space—the action and the reaction—that drove me to write PEOPLE COLLIDE.” HarperVia will publish the book on September 19, 2023.

DECENT PEOPLE by De'Shawn Charles Winslow continues to receive critical acclaim. The book received a wonderful review from the Historical Novel Society, where reviewer K. M. Sandrick praises: "DECENT PEOPLE instantly connects readers with West Mills in time and place. It resonates, capturing the individual rhythms and sounds as each character speaks in his or her own voice. It engages you, revealing the complexities of each character’s relationships and the choices he or she makes, and draws readers into a community they want to learn more about." Brooks Geiken of The Arts Fuse calls the novel “a hypnotic and politically-tinged tale of deception and murder,” adding: “DECENT PEOPLE is a fine but sad book that tackles tough questions about racism and homophobia.” A review by Robert Hayes for The Wilmington Apple praises: “The author’s fondness for the comfort of a tiny town cocoon, along with his deep knowledge of the harm perpetrated by its lack of privacy, make this brilliant sociological mystery sophomore effort almost as fine as his debut novel, IN WEST MILLS.” A review by D.G. Martin for North Carolina’s Chapelboro writes: “DECENT PEOPLE assures Winslow a place in the pantheon of great Southern writers. Lastly, Winslow was interviewed for Essence, Queerty, and South Florida Gay News. Bloomsbury Publishing published DECENT PEOPLE on January 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.