Lorrie Moore wins National Book Critics Circle award for fiction, Judy Blume also honored

NEW YORK — Lorrie Moore won the prize for fiction on Thursday, while Judy Blume and her longtime ally in the fight against book bans, the American Library Association were given honorary prizes by the National Book Critics Circle. Moore, best known as a short-story writer, won the fiction prize for her novel, “I Am … Read more

With release of 10th novel, Allison Winn Scotch explains ways writers need help from their readers

For her 10th novel, best-selling author Allison Winn Scotch was inspired by the idea of a popular female star whose career and image are threatened by a scandal and the lengths she’ll go to restore her reputation. “In the time of post-#MeToo, women still have it harder, they’re still put under a microscope in a … Read more

Book Review: Elizabeth Brooks’ Austen-esque WWII novel has romance, betrayal and a touch of macabre

In a chance meeting in 1934, Nina hosts a dinner party. She’s 14, trying on womanhood for the first time, and even the drunken foolery of Guy Nicholson and his friend can’t outweigh the growing importance of his gaze. Before she knows it, she’s smitten. “The Woman in the Sable Coat” primarily takes place in … Read more

Haruki Murakami unveils his new short story at a Tokyo literary event

TOKYO — Only 1,100 lucky audience members were there to hear the yet-to-be published short story “Kaho,” read aloud by bestselling Japanese author Haruki Murakami himself. The reading took place at a Friday night book event called “The Owl Reads in Spring” — a fundraiser for the Waseda International House of Literature library at Murakami’s … Read more

How Chinese science fiction went from underground magazines to a Netflix blockbuster

CHENGDU, China — For a few days in October 2023, the capital of the science fiction world was Chengdu, China. Fans traveled from around the world as Worldcon, sci-fi’s biggest annual event, was held in the country for the first time. It was a rare moment when Chinese and international fans could get together without … Read more

Off to Never Never Land: ‘Peter Pan’ flies again in a new tour after some much needed changes

NEW YORK — A new, inclusive stage production of “Peter Pan” flies out on a U.S. tour this month, telling the classic tale of a boy who refuses to grow up — but without references that, ironically, have aged poorly. Gone are elements harmful to Native people, in are a few new songs and the … Read more

Book Review: Melissa Albert’s ‘The Bad Ones’ is a gripping story of friendship and the supernatural

Four people have disappeared in a single night, and Nora’s best friend, Becca, is one of them. If they weren’t three months into a huge fight, maybe Nora would be able to parse out the clues Becca left for her. Melissa Albert’s fifth young adult novel, “The Bad Ones,” is both chilling and heart-warming — … Read more

Book Review: Richard Roper charms and surprises with ’This Disaster Loves You’

Richard Roper, whose debut novel “Something to Live For” (2020) featured a character seeking the aspiration of the title, is back with “This Disaster Loves You,” about another man whose story is not quite what it seems. Brian owns a pub on the English coast, purchased with his wife more than a decade ago. He … Read more

Book Review: New collaborative novel ‘Fourteen Days’ proves the pandemic couldn’t curb creativity

Almost four years since COVID-19 became a household term, a new work of fiction proves that even a global pandemic can’t curb creativity. “Fourteen Days” is billed as a “collaborative novel.” Edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston, the book was written by 36 American and Canadian authors. Many of the names will be familiar … Read more

Works of poetry, fiction and nonfiction receive $10,000 “Science + Literature” awards

NEW YORK — A poetry collection, a coming-of-age novel and a history of deep sea exploration are unlikely to be found in the same section of your favorite bookstore. But they all have enough in common to be this year’s winners of Science + Literature awards, $10,000 prizes administered by the National Book Foundation and … Read more