In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Christine Ma’s debut The Band is the first great American K-pop novel. Booklist wrote of the book: “Ma-Kellams takes readers on a gripping exploration of the complexities that accompany fame…This darkly humorous novel examines the more sinister aspects of celebrity and the profound impact it can have o ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Danielle Dutton’s collection Prairie, Dresses, Art, Other is modern creative nonfiction at its best, a collection of original and inventive pieces that defy literary categorization. Kirkus wrote of the book: “A shimmering and perplexing work that challenges the constraints of traditional prose… Highbro ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. The titular character inVictor Lodato’s novel Honey is as delightfully complex and interesting as any you will come across this year. The New York Times wrote of the book: “On every page Lodato’s prose sings with a robust, openhearted wit, making Edgar & Lucy a delight to read…Lodato keeps us in hi ..read more

He lives in Belfast, goes for long walks in the rain, and sings in the post rock band, Ebbing House. In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. John Patrick Higgins’s Teeth captures the journey of his own teeth, from good to bad to great, in one of the year’s funniest books. Guillermo Stitch wrote of the book: “I’ve been reading work by John Pa ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Aug Stone’s Sporting Moustaches is a book both absurdly entertaining and informative. Vol. 1 Brooklyn wrote of the book: “Aug Stone explores the absurd place where sports and facial hair collide, and it’s like nothing you’ve read before.” In his own words, here is Aug Stone’s Book Notes music playlist ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Ery Shin’s Book Notes novel Spring on the Peninsula is an inventive and provacative debut. Kirkus wrote of the book: “An] unforgettable debut . . . The skill with which the novel is crafted—blurring the distinctions between daydream, fantasy, and reality with lilting, metaphorical prose—is undeniable ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Helen Benedict’s The Good Deed is a heartrending and compelling novel about the modern refugee crisis. Booklist wrote of the book: “The novel comes to an emotional conclusion, reminding us that hope is still to be found in the most desolate of places and prompting the reader to consider why and how we ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Jen Silverman’s There’s Going to Be Trouble is the rare novel that is as exciting as it is thought-provoking. Booklist wrote of the book: “Atmospheric and profound, Silverman’s novel of defiance and acceptance shimmers with passion, repressed and unbridled.” In her own words, here is Jen Silverman’s Bo ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. The stories in Lynn Schmeidler’s collection Half-Lives are dark, funny, and amazingly absurd Publishers Weekly wrote of the book: “Schmeidler’s entertaining and farcical debut collection features darkly humorous stories about women’s bodies and sexuality. . . . Schmeidler’s offbeat tales are wonde ..read more

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others. Jonathan Corcoran’s No Son of Mine is a memoir as vulnerable as it is powerful. Kirkus wrote of the book: “Skillfully weaving together emotion, memory, and geography, Corcoran creates a memorable narrative tapestry that delves into the dark complexities of love while exploring a gay man’s hard-won path ..read more