As always, buy all of these books from your local indie bookseller, Bookshop.org, or Libro.fm. Stay safe, get vaccinated, and keep reading!—Daniel Ford
“A heartfelt, introspective collection of essays about a region (and its people) that is still deeply misunderstood. Neema Avashia is asking all the right questions.”
“Anyone else need a writing process intervention? Matt Bell clearly knows what he’s doing, so we’re ready for him to change our writing lives.”
“We’re still hearing the characters in Eli Cranor’s dark debut talk to us. Some of them might be screaming or crying or whining, but still.”
“We’re always game for a satire set in academia. An early opening line sets the tone: ‘No, Ingrid Yang was not doing well.’ ”
“Prep for David Simon’s next HBO series ‘We Own This City’ by reading investigative journalist Justin Fenton’s excellent exploration into Baltimore police corruption.”
“Clear your plans for a couple nights, keep the lights on, and prepare to be haunted by another winner from Erica Ferencik.”
“We’re contractually obligated to enjoy any book that has a cover that sizzles like our Noir at the Bar logo.”
“Kellye Garrett’s voice leaps off the page. It was like chatting with an old friend. As said friend tortured her characters a bit, of course.”
“A suspenseful ride from start to finish. We get to meet some new friends, connect with some old ones, while never really feeling comfortable about what was about to happen next the whole time.”
“We were so gripped by Lee Kravetz’s characters, plot, themes, and prose that we finished off his debut novel in one day. Everything is still tingling in our minds.”
“‘I find myself not merely respecting traditions of ancestor reverence but advocating for them, as a doorway to something vital and sacred, accessible as earth, as natural as breath,’ writes Maud Newton.”
“This is a shameless way to invite Bob Odenkirk to appear on our show. Or Pop Literacy. Or As Told To. We’re not picky.”
“It’s a shame that main character Carmen Valdez is fictional because there’s nothing more we’d love to do than have a Cuban coffee with her at a NYC greasy spoon diner.”
“Murder, mayhem, and maps!”
“As a podcast built on a love of true crime, we identify with Simone St. James’ blogger main character. Eager for this book to keep us up at night.”
“We’re primed to get lost in this book about love and hope. We’re toggling between being terrified and weeping heavily in this #bookradar!”
“Jesse Q. Sutanto’s latest will pair nicely with one of Alex Segura’s selections in Author’s Corner.”
“One of the best crime writers in the business. Bonus points for being a local!”
“Doesn’t get much better than this from the New York Times Book Review: ‘a love story, a tragedy, and an infectious teenage fever dream.’”
“Defies easy summation, but it’ll ignite your imagination and intellectual curiosity.”
“We can’t resist a family drama, especially one that begins in a train station.”
“We have a feeling this is going to be one of those novels we talk about all year.”
“A thriller, a love story, and an obit writer. What more could we possibly ask for?”
Author’s Corner
Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
Kismet by Amina Akhtar
The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala
Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
Pop Literacy
The Andy Warhol Diaries, edited by Pat Hackett
The Women of Jenji Kohan: Weeds, Orange Is the New Black, and Glow: A Collection of Essays, edited by Scarlett Harris
