A Secret Letter to the KGB Turned A Lost Family History Into a Novel

Journalist Sasha Vasilyuk’s debut novel Your Presence Is Mandatory is a poignant look at the reverberating effects of war through the story of a Ukrainian World War II veteran’s struggle to hide a damaging secret for the sake of his family.  Vasilyuk’s book begins with death—the first chapter featuring a family at the grave in […] The post A Secret Letter to the KGB Turned A Lost Family History Into a Novel appeared first on Electric Literature. Continue reading at 'Electric Literature'

[ Electric Literature | 2024-04-25 11:00:00 UTC ]

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Jo Callaghan wins crime novel of the year with story of an AI detective

In the Blink of an Eye was praised at the Theakston Old Peculier crime writing festival as ‘changing the way we think about policing forever’A “boundary-pushing take on the police procedural” which features a human detective working with an AI sleuth in order to solve a missing persons case has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-07-19 16:29:44 UTC ]
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3 Debut Novelists Reveal How Their First Books Came Together

While reading a debut novel, oftentimes, there exists a momentary thrill of forgetting about craft. Instead, it can feel as if these writers grew up alongside their stories—in parallel lines and lives, naturally accumulating sentences with every inch they grew. There is a tender, literary... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-07-17 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Bright Objects,’ by Ruby Todd

Set among the fevered residents of a remote Australian town, Ruby Todd’s debut novel considers how grief can draw people to extreme beliefs. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-07-16 09:00:27 UTC ]
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Envy, Obsession, and Instagram: On My Mental Breakdown at an Esteemed Writing Conference

It’s the spring of 2021, and the pandemic is beginning to slide away from us in ways that still feel impossible. But there is work to do. There is lost time to make up for. Even though I have a debut novel publishing this summer, I have been getting rejection after rejection for every literary […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-07-12 08:56:22 UTC ]
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Announcing the “Both/And” Anthology Featuring Trans Writers of Color

Both/And, EL’s series of essays by trans writers of color, is going to be a book published by HarperOne—edited by our editor-in-chief, Denne Michele Norris! The anthology will feature new essays by acclaimed writers Tanaïs, Meredith Talusan, and J Wortham, alongside some of our community’s most... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-07-11 19:06:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive Cover Reveal: “Song So Wild and Blue” by Paul Lisicky

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover of Song So Wild and Blue: A Life with Joni Mitchell, the new memoir by acclaimed writer Paul Lisicky, which will be published by HarperOne on February 4th, 2025. You can pre-order your copy here. From the moment Paul Lisicky heard Joni Mitchell... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-07-03 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Club: Let’s Talk About ‘Headshot,’ by Rita Bullwinkel

Bullwinkel’s debut novel sheds light on the culture of youth women’s boxing through an ensemble cast of complicated characters. It packs a punch. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-06-28 20:00:57 UTC ]
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Which Looks Better, Hardcovers or Paperbacks?

There’s no question that turning the pages of a great book is a wonderful feeling—but is it more wonderful in a hardcover or a paperback? Aside from considering quality, durability, portability, size, price, or release date, many readers simply choose the cover with the more appealing design. At... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-26 11:05:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: “Practice” by Rosalind Brown

Starring an undergraduate student at Oxford, Rosalind Brown’s debut novel is exquisitely attuned to the thrill and boredom of academic life. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-06-22 09:00:56 UTC ]
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Jennifer Kabat on the Parallels Between the 1840s Anti-Rent Wars and the January 6th Insurrection

The Eighth Moon: A Memoir of Belonging and Rebellion is a deep consideration of land, ownership, and civil society tracking the histories of an author and area in upstate New York. Jennifer Kabat studies time in a continuous present, watching the past bleed onto now. That blood is from the... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-14 11:00:00 UTC ]
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7 Books Structured as Conversations

I love it when a text centers the dynamics of conversation. In my own life, talking to others gets me out of my head, and introduces me to possibilities I would never have dreamed of alone. I think of a quote by the activist Valerie Kaur, which my local bookshop has printed on some of […] The... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-12 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Lilly Dancyger’s Memoir Is a Love Letter to Her Women Friends

Pop culture feeds on romantic couplings, but we all know the truth about who keeps us alive. Our friends, what would ever we do without them? It is passionate platonic friendship that concerns Lilly Dancyger in her second book, First Love: Essays on Friendship. A collection of personal and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-06 11:00:00 UTC ]
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13 Queer Thrillers and Mystery Novels You Should Be Reading

In the past few years, books written by and about queer characters have become more visible to the general reading public. Gradually, straight, cisgender readers are discovering the pleasure of reading books by authors whose identities are different from their own. This is true in the mystery... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-05 11:00:00 UTC ]
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12 Brilliant Short Stories by Asian Americans to Read For Free Online

As Asian American Pacific Islander Month comes to end, it’s important to remind ourselves that the Asian American identity is more than just race or shared affinity. Born out of political activism and the anti-war movement to protest and rally against injustice, warfare, imperialism, and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-30 11:00:00 UTC ]
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“Last Acts” Is a Father-Son Story Where Neither Man Knows How To Communicate

Alex Sammartino’s debut novel Last Acts opens on David Rizzo, owner of a failing firearms store located in an Arizona strip mall, en route to the hospital to retrieve his estranged son Nick, an addict who has just briefly experienced death in the form of a drug overdose. Grappling with what to... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
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“Last Acts” Is a Father-Son Story Where Neither Man Knows How To Communicate

Alexander Sammartino’s debut novel Last Acts opens on David Rizzo, owner of a failing firearms store located in an Arizona strip mall, en route to the hospital to retrieve his estranged son Nick, an addict who has just briefly experienced death in the form of a drug overdose. Grappling with what... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
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‘I was told I was stupid’: Peep Show’s Paterson Joseph on his debut novel – and writing three operas

He starred in Peep Show, Green Wing and Wonka – and his first novel won an award. Now the star is making operas with 64 homeless people. Not bad going for someone who was written off by his teachersPaterson Joseph is, by his own admission, an unlikely opera librettist. He had turned 50 by the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-05-27 04:00:13 UTC ]
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Guess the Book Titles Using Only Emoji

It’s that time of year again, dust off your English Literature degrees and…interpret these emojis? Take our quiz to see how your texting skills help you name these 25 books! A little rusty? All the answers are at the bottom! Click here for the first round of guessing the book title and here for... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-24 11:10:00 UTC ]
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Alive She Was Mythic, Dead She Is Larger Than Life

An excerpt from Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson From LoveandLegacy.com: Karlie Richards (July 13, 1980–January 8, 2000) Margaret Karla “Karlie” Richards of Sycamore Grove, NC, darling daughter, sister, and friend, went to meet her Heavenly Father in the early hours of January 8, 2000,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-20 11:05:00 UTC ]
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A Queer Libertine’s Heartbreak in Seoul

Ery Shin’s Spring on the Peninsula encompasses two winters of grieving: Kai, a white-collar worker in contemporary South Korea, struggles to process his breakup. We follow Kai’s inner musings, from his various sexual conquests to solo mountain pilgrimages. But alongside heartbreak, Shin’s debut... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-05-20 11:00:00 UTC ]
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