Chicago Review of Books
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
📤 3848
📥 343
📝 547
A
@storystudiochicago.bsky.social
publication! Editor-in-Chief
@mbwwelch.bsky.social
For our 10-year anniversary, we're introducing something special: the Chicago Renaissance series.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/22/i...
28 minutes ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
StoryStudio Chicago
about 5 hours ago
This is soooo exciting! Join the
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
as it embarks upon a New Chicago Renaissance!
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/22/i...
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Introducing the New Chicago Renaissance Series - Chicago Review of Books
Introducing a new series honoring Chicago's newest literary renaissance and the art it's produced.
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/22/introducing-the-new-chicago-renaissance-series/
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We had so much fun at our first annual Chicago Writers Showcase last night!!! Thanks to everyone who came and braved the cold to be there 🥰 You warmed our hearts with your beautiful words and brilliance.
about 4 hours ago
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"Just thinking about how this incredible manufacturing center and major U.S. city got to this point, I got interested in Detroit." Stephen Nathans-Kelly's interview with John Sayles on "Crucible” (
@melvillehouse.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/22/c...
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Motor City Burning: A Conversation with John Sayles about “Crucible” - Chicago Review of Books
An interview with John Sayles about his new book, "Crucible."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/22/crucible/
about 5 hours ago
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Our next Chicago Writers Showcase reader is Meredith Nnoka reading from their poetry collection LES PORTES @autumnhousepress.org They teach poetry in carceral facilities and have received fellowships from Illinois Humanities, Lambda Literary, and the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project.
1 day ago
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"Filled to the brim with the absurd...difficult to predict from one page to the next." Lina Saleh's review of “The Age of Calamities” by Senaa Ahmad (
@henryholtbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/21/t...
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Playing Dolls with History in Senaa Ahmad’s “The Age of Calamities” - Chicago Review of Books
Our review of Senaa Ahmad's new book, "The Age of Calamities."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/21/the-age-of-calamities/
1 day ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Jerry Brennan
2 days ago
Very excited to announce I will be discussing my experiences running
@tortoisebooks.bsky.social
at the
@storystudiochicago.bsky.social
Pub Crawl! I will now self-censor until then so you can ONLY get my takes at this event...and they will be the hottest and spiciest takes you can imagine.
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Daniel Kraus
2 days ago
TOMORROW NIGHT
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"Readers who enjoy legal thrillers dense with procedural texture may find much to admire here." Olivia Zimberoff's review of “Anatomy of an Alibi” by Ashley Elston (
@pameladormanbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/20/c...
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Can “Anatomy of an Alibi” Outmaneuver Its Own Cliches? - Chicago Review of Books
Another day, another novel that opens with the mystery-novel trope of a woman who drinks too much to recall the past five minutes and then stumbles upon a murder scene. Ashley Elston’s Anatomy of an A...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/20/can-anatomy-of-an-alibi-outmaneuver-its-own-cliches/
2 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Ian MacAllen
2 days ago
At the
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
, I wrote about Nina McConigley's How To Commit A Postcolonial Murder.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/20/t...
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The Shared Traumas in Nina McConigley's "How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder" - Chicago Review of Books
Shared trauma often brings people closer together with the common experience building a unique bond. But those shared memories can also create distance between two people who were otherwise close. For...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/20/the-shared-traumas-in-nina-mcconigleys-how-to-commit-a-postcolonial-murder/
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"Will resonate strongly with a specific type of reader who wants to explore the intimacies of sisterhood."
@ianmacallen.bsky.social
's review of “How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder” by Nina McConigley (
@pantheonbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/20/t...
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The Shared Traumas in Nina McConigley's "How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder" - Chicago Review of Books
Shared trauma often brings people closer together with the common experience building a unique bond. But those shared memories can also create distance between two people who were otherwise close. For...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/20/the-shared-traumas-in-nina-mcconigleys-how-to-commit-a-postcolonial-murder/
2 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Beacon Press
2 days ago
📣 Coming soon next month to all bookstores IRL and online is OUR DIARIES, OURSELVES by Chicago author Betsy Rubiner!
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
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New Books from Chicago Authors in 2026 Part I - Chicago Review of Books
Each year when I compile this list of new books from Chicago authors, I’m in awe of the beauty and breadth that the city’s literary community has to offer. In fact, it feels like there are more books…
https://buff.ly/9vn6jo0
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Our next Chicago Writers Showcase reader is Naeem Murr reading from his new novel EVERY EXIT BRINGS YOU HOME (
wwnorton.com
).
forms.gle/H8wKFygqizcx...
3 days ago
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"A mesmerizing sci-fi novel reimagining an invasive species infecting humans." Ashley Thompson's review of “Pedro the Vast” by Simón López Trujillo (
@algonquinbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/19/s...
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An Infectious Fungus Invades the Mind in Simón López Trujillo’s “Pedro the Vast” - Chicago Review of Books
Our review of Simón López Trujillo’s debut novel, "Pedro the Vast."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/19/simon-lopez-trujillo-pedro-the-vast/
3 days ago
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🤩🤩🤩
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3 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Rebecca Makkai
3 days ago
I can't make this, but you should go see
@storystudiochicago.bsky.social
's own Lisa Low and these other brilliant writers at Printers Row Wine this Saturday, 1/24 at 2pm!
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Our next Chicago Writers Showcase reader is Sarah Bruni reading from her new novel MASS MOTHERING (
@henryholtbooks.bsky.social
). She's a Chicago-based writer and graduate of the MFA program at Washington University in St. Louis and the MA in Latin American Studies at Tulane University.
6 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Rebecca Makkai
7 days ago
Really happy that
@storystudiochicago.bsky.social
is co-sponsoring a fundraiser to support the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights on Saturday, January 24th at 4:30pm đź§µ
www.eventbrite.com/e/fundraiser...
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"[The book] makes an impression for its refreshing outlook on our increasingly batshit reality." Nick Malone's review of “Lost Lambs” by Madeline Cash (
@fsgbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/16/l...
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Some Things Never Change, Even In the Broken World of "Lost Lambs" - Chicago Review of Books
Our review of Madeline Cash's debut novel, "Lost Lambs."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/16/lost-lambs/
6 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Pittsburgh Review of Books
7 days ago
What We’re Reading: a roundup of the most engaging recent pieces on the web read by the Pittsburgh Review of Books staff this week, from
@reactorsff.bsky.social
@smithsonianmag.bsky.social
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
@jacobinmag.bsky.social
@lithub.com.web.brid.gy
+ more!
pghrev.com/what-were-re...
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What We're Reading the Third Week of January 2026 - Pittsburgh Review of Books
A roundup of what the Pittsburgh Review of Book's class is reading the third week of January 2026:
https://pghrev.com/what-were-reading-the-third-week-of-january-2026/
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"Biggest success of Zijian’s novel is in the spare yet poetic language." Leah von Essen's review of “Last Quarter of the Moon” by Chi Zijian (
@milkweededitions.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/15/t...
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Reindeer, Spirits, and Survival: Translating “The Last Quarter of the Moon” by Chi Zijian - Chicago Review of Books
Our review of Chi Zijian's new book, "The Last Quarter of the Moon."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/15/the-last-quarter-of-the-moon/
7 days ago
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Our next Chicago Writers Showcase reader is
@adrianmatejka.bsky.social
reading from BE EASY (
@liveright.bsky.social
). The Editor-in-Chief of POETRY magazine, Adrian has published several book-length works of poetry and one graphic novel Last On His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Centuryđź§µ
8 days ago
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"The overall tone of the book is hopefully one of joy, and I wanted people to feel the joy that I felt when I was writing it."
@angieraney.bsky.social
's interview with
@jenniferniven.bsky.social
on "Meet the Newmans” (
@flatironbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/14/w...
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What's Happening Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with Jennifer Niven - Chicago Review of Books
I know everyone groans when they hear a Gen-Zer say this, but I’ve always had a fascination with old TV shows. Growing up, I used to watch reruns of classic programs from the Network Era like Perry Ma...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/14/whats-happening-behind-the-scenes-a-conversation-with-jennifer-niven/
8 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
StoryStudio Chicago
9 days ago
Go hear our talented Curriculum Coordinator read — Jan 21 at Book Cellar — at the inaugural Chicago Writers Showcase
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"Tickled the parts of my brain that have been dormant since I stopped teaching high school English."
@christopherofspace.bsky.social
's review of “E” by Noa Micaela Fields (Nightboat Books) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/13/m...
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Mishearings and Meaning-Making in Noa Micaela Fields's "E" - Chicago Review of Books
Anyone who has ever considered The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” a love song knows how much mishearing can impact one’s interpretation of a piece. It can be forgiven, since Sting’s mellifluous croo...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/13/mishearings-and-meaning-making-in-noa-micaela-fieldss-e/
9 days ago
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"Rose has serious trouble staying in her lane. She tries to dictate other people’s actions as well as their thoughts... I think all humans do this."
@ansonjtong.com
's interview with Sara Levine on "The Hitch” (Roxane Gay Books) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/13/d...
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Defending Your Little Corner: An Interview with Sara Levine - Chicago Review of Books
The Hitch follows Rose Cutler, a prickly and dogmatic woman living in the Chicago suburbs. She operates an artisanal yogurt company and is finally getting to spend a whole week with her six-year-old n...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/13/defending-your-little-corner-an-interview-with-sara-levine/
9 days ago
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Our next Chicago Writers Showcase reader is Lisa Low reading from her new poetry collection REPLICA (
@uwiscpress.bsky.social
).
10 days ago
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"Important, well-researched, and well-written read for anyone who imagines the current climate in the United States might not be so bad." Lori Hall-Araujo's review of “American Reich” by Eric Lichtblau (
@littlebrown.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/12/b...
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Bigly Consequences of an American Reich - Chicago Review of Books
Our review of Erich Lichtblau's new book, "American Reich."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/12/bigly-consequences-of-an-american-reich-eric-lichtblau/
10 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
12 days ago
“You emerge suddenly hyperaware of the relationality of all things, of our inevitable place in the past and present of existence.” In
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
‬‬, Molly B. Nash reviews Laura Restrepo’s newly translated novel, “Song of Ancient Lovers” -
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/05/r...
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Reverberating Endlessly Into the Future: Laura Restrepo’s "Song of Ancient Lovers" - Chicago Review of Books
A true testament to the interconnectedness of time and space, Song of Ancient Lovers is a portal that takes you within and without mythic reality and historical conflict, ancient icons and modern medi...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/05/reverberating-endlessly-into-the-future-laura-restrepos-song-of-ancient-lovers/
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Vroman's Bookstore
13 days ago
2026 looks to be a great year for books. Here are
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
's picks for the books they're most excited about this year! What's on your list?
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/o...
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Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026 - Chicago Review of Books
It’s a big year for Chicago Review of Books. We turn 10 in February and will spend the year celebrating a decade of dedication to literary excellence. In March, our Editor-in-Chief, Michael Welch, wil...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/our-most-anticipated-books-of-2026/
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"A compelling balancing act between a more straightforward story of minority treatment in Japan...and an uncanny tale of life as a doppelgänger." Gianni Washington's review of “Jackson Alone” by Jose Ando, translated by Kalau Almony (Soho Crime) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/09/t...
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The Stand-in Self in "Jackson Alone" - Chicago Review of Books
Our review of Jose Ando's recently translated debut novel, "Jackson Alone"
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/09/the-stand-in-self-in-jackson-alone/
13 days ago
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Our next Chicago Writers Showcase reader is
@danielkraus.com
reading from his new novel PARTIALLY DEVOURED (
@catapultbooks.bsky.social
).
forms.gle/H8wKFygqizcx...
13 days ago
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A great resolution if we say so ourselves 🤩
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13 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Rachel LeĂłn
14 days ago
Honored to find HOW WE SEE THE GRAY on this list. 👀🩶 Huge thanks to
@mbwwelch.bsky.social
!
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Gabriella Page-Fort
14 days ago
"a vessel within which to understand yourself as a continuation of everything that has happened and everything that *will* happen." - Molly B. Nash on Laura Restrepo's SONG OF ANCIENT LOVERS
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
#booksky
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/05/r...
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Reverberating Endlessly Into the Future: Laura Restrepo’s "Song of Ancient Lovers" - Chicago Review of Books
A true testament to the interconnectedness of time and space, Song of Ancient Lovers is a portal that takes you within and without mythic reality and historical conflict, ancient icons and modern medi...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/05/reverberating-endlessly-into-the-future-laura-restrepos-song-of-ancient-lovers/
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Autumn House Press
14 days ago
We love seeing Grace Spulak's forthcoming collection, MAGDALENA IS BRIGHTER THAN YOU THINK on this list!
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Kathleen Rooney
13 days ago
"Funny, heartfelt, and always charming, Kathleen Rooney’s writing is like a warm hug. [...] The perfect summer read!" Thanks to the
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
for including MAN OVERBOARD!--forthcoming in July--in their list of Most Anticipated Books of 2026!
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/o...
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Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026 - Chicago Review of Books
It’s a big year for Chicago Review of Books. We turn 10 in February and will spend the year celebrating a decade of dedication to literary excellence. In March, our Editor-in-Chief, Michael Welch, wil...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/our-most-anticipated-books-of-2026/
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Stephanie Feldman
13 days ago
So excited to see The Night Parade and Other Stories on this list with all these other books I can't wait to read!
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Chicago Review of Books
13 days ago
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
has named
@crileysnorton.bsky.social
and Darius Bost's A BLACK QUEER HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES as one of their most anticipated books of 2026! Preorder your copy now!
@beaconpress.bsky.social
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/o...
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Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026 - Chicago Review of Books
It’s a big year for Chicago Review of Books. We turn 10 in February and will spend the year celebrating a decade of dedication to literary excellence. In March, our Editor-in-Chief, Michael Welch, wil...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/our-most-anticipated-books-of-2026/
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"Millions of people in the metro area whose lives are essentially divorced from the lake, except it’s vital to their daily survival." Out now: Elisa Shoenberger's interview with Theodore J. Karamanski on "Great Lake: An Unnatural History of Lake Michigan."
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/08/g...
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Lake Michigan and the Rise of Chicago:Â A Conversation with Theodore J. Karamanski about "Great Lake: An Unnatural History of Lake Michigan" - Chicago Review of Books
An interview with Dr. Theodore J. Karamanski about his new book, "Great Lake."
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/08/great-lake-an-unnatural-history-of-lake-michigan/
14 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
StoryStudio Chicago
15 days ago
The "most anticipated books" list of big shoulders...
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Yasmina Din Madden
15 days ago
Thank you for including You Know Nothing on this amazing list!
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Michael Welch
15 days ago
It’s back and bigger than ever!
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We're so excited about our Chicago Writers Showcase, we wanted to introduce you to each member of the lineup. First up is Rowan Beaird reading from her new novel TENDERNESS (
@flatironbooks.bsky.social
).
forms.gle/H8wKFygqizcx...
15 days ago
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No matter your taste or interest as a reader, you’re sure to find a book by a Chicago author this year to delight you, our EIC
@mbwwelch.bsky.social
writes. But if you're a Chicago writer and we missed your book, please let us know! We’ll be happy to add it.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/07/n...
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New Books from Chicago Authors in 2026 Part I - Chicago Review of Books
Each year when I compile this list of new books from Chicago authors, I’m in awe of the beauty and breadth that the city’s literary community has to offer. In fact, it feels like there are more books ...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/07/new-books-from-chicago-authors-in-2026-part-i/
15 days ago
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
16 days ago
Big ups to
@saralippmann.bsky.social
for ending up on this
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
list of the most-anticipated books of 2026! (And big thanks to
@mbwelch.bsky.social
and team for the coverage!)
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/o...
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Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026 - Chicago Review of Books
It’s a big year for Chicago Review of Books. We turn 10 in February and will spend the year celebrating a decade of dedication to literary excellence. In March, our Editor-in-Chief, Michael Welch, wil...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/our-most-anticipated-books-of-2026/
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
Shannon Sanders
16 days ago
The lovely
@rachellayown.bsky.social
of
@chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
nominated THE GREAT WHEREVER for this list and I am so, so thankful. There is something so surreal, but also so touching, about knowing some readers really get (and *like*!) what you're trying to do. Thank you, Rachel!!
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reposted by
Chicago Review of Books
StoryStudio Chicago
16 days ago
We love how carefully curated this list is! Such a wide range of writers and publishers and genres!
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"I did want to explore a character who believed, truly believed, that her music was the truth, but who wasn’t living very authentically." Elisa Shoenberger's interview with
@loriraderday.bsky.social
on "Wreck Your Heart” (
@minotaurbooks.bsky.social
) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/c...
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Chicago's Country Music Scene in Lori Rader-Day's Newest Mystery "Wreck Your Heart" - Chicago Review of Books
When people think of country music, they don’t typically think of Chicago. But Chicago and country music do have a history; once upon a time, Chicago was considered a country music capital. Starting i...
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2026/01/06/chicagos-country-music-scene-in-lori-rader-days-newest-mystery-wreck-your-heart/
16 days ago
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