Wayne Koestenbaum was interviewed by Sasha Frere-Jones for Bookforum. He describes Koestenbaum’s FIGURE IT OUT as “a manual for maintaining curiosity and highlighting ‘scrutinized acts,’” adding that “[t]asting a word, inhaling a disagreement, melting syntax – these are skills you can learn from Wayne.” Soft Skull Press published the book on May 5, 2020.

The Washington Post describes Elliot Ackerman’s RED DRESS IN BLACK AND WHITE as “shrewd [and] intricately plotted,” while the Associated Press calls it “a tense tale from Turkey . . . [that] is taut, balanced between order and chaos, just like Istanbul in that summer of 2013.” Additionally, the novel is a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice selection this week. They write: “Ackerman’s fourth novel abandons his customary war narratives for a different sort of drama, an entirely absorbing territory of intrigue and tricks.” Knopf published the book on May 26, 2020.

Amazon chose EVERYONE KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU by Kyle McCarthy as one of its top ten books of the month. In a rave review, they write: “This twisted coming of age tale, taut as a thriller, written with glittering, precise prose, holds you in its spell right up to the surprising but perfect ending.” Ballantine Books published the book on June 23, 2020.

IN WEST MILLS by De’Shawn Charles Winslow has made the 2020 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing shortlist for fiction. The prize is “intended to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation.” Winners and finalists will be announced in late summer/early fall. Bloomsbury published the book on June 4, 2019.

Rutger Bregman sat down for a virtual lunch with Simon Kuper of the Financial Times. Kuper writes: “[Bregman’s] new book, HUMANKIND, displays his gift for synthesizing libraries full of academic research into spellbinding reads.” NPR also interviewed Bregman for their Weekend Edition Saturday program. During the discussion, Bregman weighs in on the timing of his book release, saying, “More than 700 case studies that show that, especially in times of crisis, we show our best selves . . . This happens again and again after natural disasters, after earthquakes and after floodings. And I think that, if you zoom out a little bit during this pandemic, you see the same phenomenon.” Little, Brown and Company published the book on June 2, 2020.

The New York Times praised “Beastie Boys Story" as one of the best films of 2020. Additionally, The New Yorker published an interview with Adam Horovitz as part of their “The New Yorker Interview” series, noting “one of [the documentary's] most moving moments comes when Horovitz recalls what turned out to be their final performance together as a band, in 2009, right before Yauch’s diagnosis. It’s a rare moment of candor from someone who’s kept a relatively low profile in his post-Beastie Boys life." Diamond and Horovitz’ memoir BEASTIE BOYS BOOK, which served as inspiration for the documentary, was published by Random House on October 30, 2018.

THE MUTANT PROJECT by Eben Kirksey is a Publishers Marketplace “Buzz Book” for Fall 2020. St. Martin’s Press will publish the book on October 20, 2020.

Kate Zambreno’s DRIFTS published this past month to enthusiastic review. The Boston Globe calls DRIFTS “a book that has the intimacy of a private notebook fused with the intellectual rigor of a brilliant mind,” while the Rumpus lauds it as an “abundantly productive and imaginative work.” Kate Zambreno also discussed her novel during an Instagram live interview with Rhian Sasseen of the Paris Review. Riverhead Books published the book on May 19, 2020.

HUSH by Dylan Farrow received a positive review in the School Library Journal. They write: “The themes of quarantine and deadly disease in the context of current events are poignant; Farrow deftly demonstrates the power of language and education in the hands of the elite as a means for controlling others through propaganda.” St. Martin’s Publishing Group will publish the book on October 6, 2020.

Jennifer Hofman’s debut novel THE STANDARDIZATION OF DEMORALIZATION PROCEDURES has garnered a starred and boxed review from Publishers Weekly. They call it an “enrapturing debut,” adding: “The novel hovers between genres like a subatomic particle between states. All the more impressive, Hofmann’s exceptional debut never loses sight of the desires, mysteries, and small acts of rebellion that persist within dehumanizing systems.” Little, Brown and Company will publish the book on August 11, 2020.