Who’s your favorite literary author right now? If I haven’t heard of them, I’ll consider adding their books to my newsletter promo list.

What happens when the party that claims to represent working people loses touch with them? Read our review ofThomas Frank’s "Listen, Liberal," a critique of modern liberalism, class politics, & a widening disconnect between political rhetoric & economic reality. > https://bit.ly/4bid26m

I have followed Danny Haiphong and Ajamu Baraka separately for a while, so it was cool to see they worked on a book together. Check out American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People's History of Fake News - From The Revolutionary War to The War on Terror > https://amzn.to/4anNiFw

Any new under-the-radar poetry books I should be aware of?

When I talk to friends, family members & colleagues about the book world, they often believe it's brimming with challenges to the status quo. But in terms of economic progress “the literary establishment” maintains the status quo of the two-party system. Read more > https://bit.ly/3Xt4GC5

Interesting recent novel set in post-WW2 New Mexico where a boy meets a miracle worker and begins to question aspects of his background: being Spanish, Mexican, Indigenous, Catholic, etc. Check out "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya > https://amzn.to/43MdIgr

This week I’m looking for a hidden gem illustrated novel or memoir to promote in my newsletter. We include manga, manhwa, etc. Please leave recs!

Virginia Woolf insisted that to be a successful author, a writer must embrace an androgynous style of writing. She believed that women and men must transcend binaries of writing in a masculine or feminine voice, suggesting that the mind contained two sexes. Read our profile > https://bit.ly/4aQPuVY

I've been a big fan of Chris Smalls ever since he stood up to Amazon! I was lucky to see him in person at a Medicare for All rally in NYC during lockdown times. Please read his book > https://bit.ly/4em7j0a

Chris Hedges mentioned this book while explaining the concept of "moral fragmentation." Check out "The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide" by Robert Jay Lifton > https://amzn.to/4utXBiq

Adam Silvera's "More Happy Than Not" asks a devastating question: if technology could erase your struggles, would it also erase part of you? Our review examines the novel's exploration of LGBTQ+ identity, memory, self-acceptance, and the cost of trying to conform. Read more > https://bit.ly/4dYYN8n

I’m looking for underappreciated memoirs to promote in my newsletter. Please comment!

In our over-connected, always-on society, we use and abuse language to get points across, to explain things to others, and get what we want. Poetry rarely gives us what we want. It surprises us with what we didn’t know we needed. > https://bit.ly/4fl3J8Q

If Tom Steyer loses, progressives will have endorsed a billionaire for nothing, just like how they voted for Kamala and decided genocide wasn't a red line.

I'm obsessed with debating grammar, so I love the premise of this novel. Check out "The Grammarians" by Cathleen Schine > https://amzn.to/43Db8Jo

What are some underrated books by famous authors?

In fiction, autistic characters are few and far between. When we do see them on the page, they rarely escape the stereotypes. Check out our list of titles featuring autistic characters who are given space to flourish on the page > https://bit.ly/4u2JrVk

As someone who is half white and half Arab, I'm usually a fan of books with themes of multiracial identity > https://amzn.to/3S5Fcuz

A hidden gem about a woman working in a chocolate factory in Philadelphia, trying to figure out family and more (won the Peter Taylor prize). Thanks to @lizgauffreau.bsky.social for the suggestion! > https://amzn.to/4wS01Ka

What’s your favorite literary fiction title right now? Maybe we can promo it in our newsletter.

This collection came onto my radar while browsing contemporary Middle Eastern poetry. Mikhail explores womanhood, displacement, and exile with her signature clarity and wit. Check out In Her Feminine Sign > https://amzn.to/43hWyGY

If you run a book club, it’s easy to opt for bestsellers and award-winning novels. They have their place, but there are so many incredible books by lesser-known authors that can get people talking. Check out our list of 10 lesser-known titles for your next book club > https://bit.ly/4dN3a6l

I love manga, and I love this classic story. Great combo! Check out Katsuya Terada's The Monkey King > https://amzn.to/4u31hbn

Chris Hedges, in “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning,” lays the groundwork for why we fall victim to the rush of war as a driving force. He counterbalances emotions with the ugly truth of war and shows us that war changes our lives & society forever, not for the better > https://bit.ly/4dgyAke

American Destiny tells the story of a family's saga between Italy and America. The author has spent a lifetime trailblazing and inspiring others to do the same. This book is proof she's not done yet > https://amzn.to/4eFIcr6

One of our contributors, Leif Gregersen, put together a free mental health resource guide for people in the U.S. navigating mental illness, support systems, & services. Leif has spent years advocating for mental health awareness. This guide is practical and easy to share > https://bit.ly/4dAlhfA

One of the great parts of owning a website is that it's relatively difficult for people to cancel or censor you. It's not like a platform where the platform management can just degrade your account.

“Once There Were Wolves” is a fast-paced environmental thriller by Charlotte McConaghy. The story is told from the perspective of Inti Flynn, a woman struggling to reconcile her outlook on life after witnessed her sister being physically and sexually abused. Read our review > https://bit.ly/4tgmihB

I'm waiting on insurance to approve another 15 sessions of TMS. Fingers crossed that this next round pushes me toward a normal, functional body.

Since watching "Reservation Dogs," I've taken more of an interest in novels featuring Indigenous stories and characters. This one focuses specifically on Yanktonai Dakota women. > https://amzn.to/3OVNwMv

I went on a big trip recently that included Switzerland, and for the first time I felt how much the world hates the U.S. Our country has been the world's #1 bully for about a century, but I think Iran is a tipping point for many people because it has economically worsened their lives.

Ever since I traveled to Ireland, I've been curious about books like this. The country has such a rich history of revolutionary politics. Check out "Year Of The French" by Thomas Flanagan > https://amzn.to/4tvOj5D

We've heard of the "Little House on the Prairie" story, but apparently it wasn't the full story. A great time to read it before the reboot show comes out this summer. Check out "Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder" by Caroline Fraser > https://amzn.to/3QxL5QB

In March, Hachette Book Group pulled a forthcoming horror novel titled “Shy Girl,” over allegations of AI use. Hachette decided not to publish it in the US and discontinued it in the UK. I question the AI detection methods and how they could put other authors at risk > https://bit.ly/4sXIsVK

Another author I was lucky to meet through Mizna. This will be the first book I've read that takes place in Saudi Arabia. I haven't had the opportunity to go there. Check out "Bride of the Sea" by Eman Quotah > https://amzn.to/4tVDERC

Amanda Stern, author of "Little Panic: Dispatches from an Anxious Life" connected with us on Threads. As a former New Yorker, always love to read stories from a life in the city > https://amzn.to/48guUx8

It is hard to find the meticulous writing of someone like Fady Joudah, a physician and poet. Joudah has spent much of his life writing about Palestine, family, identity, displacement, love, grief and suffering through the lens of a poet and doctor. Read our profile > https://bit.ly/4trvzV2

I think an AOC presidency would be like another Obama presidency, which would lead us to another Trump. We wouldn't break the cycle.

Before you give AOC credit on Israel, remember that she doesn't want to sanction them, and she's fine with them buying weapons from us, receiving private donations, etc.

We're reviewing some of her novels for The Rauch Review, so I thought I'd promote her poetry books, too. Check out "The Twenty-Ninth Year" by Hala Alyan > https://amzn.to/422OLw5

Democratic Party neoliberalism is giving the people one crumb when they are starving and watching the ruling class eat the whole loaf. Democratic Party progressivism is two crumbs. Neither meet the moment.

“Dollartorium” by Ron Pullins is a satirical and allegorical novel about a corn dog store owner named Ralph who gets sucked into the eponymous get-rich-quick scheme. The book has fantastical/absurd elements that might be a surprise for readers. Read more > https://bit.ly/4ck5oJX

Some of my family's ancestral villages in Lebanon have literally been erased from maps after Israel's bombing. Yet they want our sympathy for Iran retaliating.

How do we reconcile our love for the work of great art by bad people? This is the question posed by Claire Dederer in her nonfiction book, “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma.” Does she eventually offer a workable solution that can sit well with us as conscious consumers? > https://bit.ly/4dJPBoS

Great novel for people who want to learn about Cambodian history and culture! Check out Three Flames by Alan Lightman > https://amzn.to/3Q7B1xx

Not his best book, but it's short, and I've formed a tradition of looking at lesser-known titles by famous authors. Check out George Orwells "A Clergyman's Daughter" > https://amzn.to/48dQPVC

“Wuthering Heights” has seen a surge in interest from the new movie. But we must consider it as Brontë intended: a powerful consideration of childhood trauma, abuse, alcoholism, the consequences of a society bound by class and ideas of foreignness. Read more > https://bit.ly/4vkqZtc

I saw one of the authors on the Hill's Rising. The far left and the libertarian right often agree on free speech issues. Check out "The Canceling of the American Mind" by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott > https://amzn.to/3NOfGIR

This author has received a lot of critical praise and interest, but it seems like he's polarizing for consumers. I have no idea if I'll like this book. Check out M. John Harrison's "The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again" > https://amzn.to/4sROFmT

What turns a book into a bestseller? Sometimes it's organic through word of mouth. Being chosen for a celebrity book club or being reviewed by an influencer can also make a book famous. What does this mean for book culture? Read more > https://bit.ly/3PHQ80m