What a pub month! So many terrific novels dropped in September that we're played somewhat of a lightning round when it came to these reviews (it didn't help that we started running out of days left in the month). Buy all of these books from your local indie bookseller, Bookshop.org, or Libro.fm. Stay safe, get vaccinated, and keep reading!—Daniel Ford
Jayne Allen's debut Black Girls Must Die Exhausted will hit you a few different ways, plenty that you weren't expecting. Looking forward to more of her words in the future.
It is always a pleasure reading Maureen Boyle's work. Her latest, The Ghost, is no exception. Maybe the pandemic will let us work out a live event in the near future! (She still has the best author photo.)
A hearty thank you to local author Gabriel Valjan for putting Jan Brogan's book about Boston's Combat Zone on our radar. We love watching Bostonians light up when we ask them about the Combat Zone. There's always a few stories. We can't wait to dig into this book and learn a few more.
Wiley Cash has a permanent home on #bookradar. A good author and a pretty damn good guy.
Kimberly Potts recommended this book on a recent episode of Pop Literacy, which helped us move it from our bookmarked pages to our Bookshop.org cart.
Imagine having to write a novel after the Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See. Considering Cloud Cuckoo Land was longlisted for the National Book Award, it seems like Anthony Doerr overcame whatever nerves he had splendidly.
We said this during our recent podcast chat with María Amparo Escandón, but, seriously, don't pick up this book hungry. A nice, big glass of red wine will make all the drama go down even easier.
Joshua Ferris is one of our favorite writers and any new work of his is always an instant purchase. He's in conversation with Rebecca Makkai (The Great Believers) on Sept. 30 for free if you're into dream author pairings.
Lauren Groff's new book Martrix envelops you. Her main character Marie plays an outsized role, and it’s easy to default to her as a favorite, but Groff populates this novel with so many other characters and voices that will worm their way into your hearts. Fiction writing at its finest.
That sound you just heard is NovelClass host Dave Pezza breaking down Writer's Bone HQ's door when he found out we had an advanced copy of Karl One Knausgaard's novel The Morning Star.
New York Yankees fans suffering whiplash during the 2021 team's roller coaster season should pick up Bill Pennington's book about the era just before the pinstripe dynasty of the late 1990s. The tale of a banned George Steinbrenner, a grumpy Don Mattingly, and an empty Yankee Stadium will make one appreciate the inconsistent play of the current Bronx Bombers. Pennington is one hell of a sportswriter.
If our recent conversation with Daniel Paisner is any indication, Joe Posnanski's The Baseball 100 is sure to stir up a few debates with your baseball pals. Posnanski's approach to his rankings was fresh and smart, and we loved his inclusion of global and Negro League players. Such a joy to read his passion for the game and for all of these players (yes, even a few Yankees).
The Overstory is one of the best and most thought-provoking novels of the last decade. What does Richard Powers do as a follow up? Write Bewilderment, which was longlisted for the National Book Award. No big deal.
Mary Roach's new book Fuzz was another enjoyable deep dive into weird science; this time, featuring animals breaking laws, befuddling humans, and, generally, being hungry. She may have also given us the all-time greatest footnote about hibernating bears.
An Irish writer who causes ripples in the zeitgeist? *chefskiss*
Having books by Megan Abbott, Laura Lippman, S.A. Cosby, and Hank Phillippi Ryan published in the same year should mean we get an extra month of summer to read them all back-to-back-to-back-to-back.
Buy Kayleen Schaefer's But You’re Still So Young: How ThirtySomethings Are Redefining Adulthood for the Millenial in your life. It couldn't hurt for your boomer friends and relatives to read it as well.
As you might imagine, Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn is one of our favorite novels (and film adaptations). His latest, The Magician, is a book spanning World War I through the Cold War that landed on our #TBR pile immediately.
We've been fans of Gabrielle Union since her appearance on "The West Wing" as a feisty, ambitious love interest for Dulé Hill's character Charlie Young. We always appreciate a public figure who is daring enough to write their own words.
We're going to need a good Italian restaurant off the Jersey Turnpike where we can read this book while sipping on Chianti. Maybe we'll find out who was the better boss, Bruce Springsteen or Tony Soprano. The multi-talented Stevie Van Zandt also narrates the audiobook, so now might be the time to pull the trigger on that Libro.fm membership you've been thinking about.
Has any author had a three-book run like the one Colson Whitehead is on? A crime novel about a heist set in 1960s New York City? That cover?! Seriously, is this not the biggest pub month in recorded history?!
You have to love a book whose words are beautiful on the inside and features a cover that looks great on the shelf.
Author's Corner
We're still recovering after reading Megan Abbott's latest mystery The Turnout earlier this year, so were happy she provided us a pair of book recommendations to help ease us back into our TBR pile. Collect em all at your local indie bookstore, Bookshop dot org, or our friends at Libro.fm. Keep reading and writing, everyone.
The Collective by Alison Gaylin
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
