The Next Journalism by Tom Rosenstiel

THE NEXT JOURNALISM by Tom Rosenstiel is subtitled “How the Press Must Change to Serve Democracy.” Obviously, that is a difficult and controversial question. Being the co-author of The Elements of Journalism, Rosenstiel offers a unique perspective and in this latest publication he is intent on describing future actions for journalists. The book itself is divided into ten chapters, each of which outlines a “fundamental way” (e.g., applying behavioral psychology or thinking of news as collaborative intelligence) that journalism must change. Probably the most interesting chapter is the one where he offers suggestions on a new interview structure building on open-minded inquiry. Throughout the book, Rosenstiel stresses the importance of considering how a story would serve the public and working with the community. Much to consider here, particularly for practicing journalists. 

For related research on this topic, see several studies from Pew Research, the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center, or The Conversation. More of an international Perspective is available from Media & Journalism Research Center. 

The Woman Who Wouldn't Die Quietly by Bivald

THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE QUIETLY by Katarina Bivald (The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend and more ) is the third book in Bivald’s series about Berit Gardner and her friend, DCI Ian Ahmed. I have developed real affection and even affinity for Berit’s character who loves her time alone: “she could have been fond of cities if it weren't for all the people in them.” In this cozy mystery, she is in Sweden at her grandmother’s cottage on an archipelago near Stockholm where she spent many happy summers. It’s late fall and winter, though, so the environment is cold and dark and Bivald deftly employs descriptions of the physical environment to add to the sense of menace and reflection. Berit and Ian are invited to a nearby island to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Margrethe Cullberg-Franzen, an especially abrasive woman who still leads her family’s art gallery business. That celebration ends in a tragic death leaving behind many family suspects and motives (revenge, greed, fear). More adventures - and another death - follow, as Berit and Ian and local police try to solve this puzzle. Publishers Weekly gave THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE QUIETLY a starred review (“Bivald excels at surprise and misdirection, and she buttresses those mystery fundamentals with a psychologically complex lead and intoxicating Scandinavian atmosphere.”). A Reading Group Guide and Conversation with the Author are included. Enjoy!

Just sharing quotes from the preview, part of Berit’s rather comforting outlook:
“Even the most difficult things became more manageable if you faced up to them. Apprehension and unease only grew if you tried to escape them.”

“If nothing lasted forever, then that was part of what made having lived and existed so wonderful: the fact that the people she loved had lived, and that nature and the world around her would continue to do so even after she was gone.”

The Digital Delusion by Jared Cooney Horvath

THE DIGITAL DELUSION by Jared Cooney Horvath discusses “How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning--and How to Help Them Thrive Again.” Horvath, a neuroscientist and educator who specializes in human learning and brain development, has certainly produced a thought-provoking text. He divides it into three sections: defining the problem (including a chapter which looks at the impact on attention, empathy, and transfer of knowledge); a deeper dive into the use of cellphones and artificial intelligence; and an action-oriented section on how to push back. Some of his most interesting comments concern discrepancies between commonly held beliefs and what research shows. For example, he notes that, “although EdTech is frequently promoted as a tool for equity, evidence suggests it most often benefits students who already possess strong knowledge and self-regulation skills. As a result, digital technology tends to amplify existing inequalities rather than eliminate them.” And, in an interview earlier this year with American Enterprise Institute, Horvath explained that high international test scores do not necessarily correlate with tech use, saying, “the countries that use technology the least in schools in the world are Japan, China, Malaysia, and Singapore.” He continues, “[their] rich digital infrastructure is for adults producing work, not kids learning how to become adults.” He repeatedly probes the difference between knowing something and merely knowing where to find it, writing, “human beings think in stories. … digital technologies largely kill sustained narrative. They flood us with disconnected, context free fragments … with no coherent thread linking one idea to the next. This consistent stream of randomness doesn't just weaken memory, it also disrupts comprehension, deep thinking, and the ability to build usable knowledge.” THE DIGITAL DELUSION offers much to contemplate in what Publishers Weekly calls an “intriguing if flawed treatise … sure to spark plenty of conversation.” References and Appendices accounted for approximately half of the preview copy I received.

The Castle in the Glen by Rhys Bowen

THE CASTLE IN THE GLEN is the latest stand-alone historical mystery by Rhys Bowen, bestselling author of more than sixty novels. This is the story of a famous mystery writer, Iris Blackburn, who was recently diagnosed with dementia and needs to find a co-writer to help finish her latest work, the prequel to her best-selling Inspector Melrose series. She offers the opportunity to Emma Callander, a young writer living in London, but from Australia. Emma is hesitant at first but quickly becomes enthralled by the author’s book within a book about the drowning death of the daughter of a laird and her male companion. The draft chapters describe fictional Melrose’s first solo case and he, too, is concerned about solving the puzzle, especially since the main suspect, a rival suitor, has disappeared. To help writing and revising, Emma is given a trip to Glascow and the Isle of Skye and there she begins to learn some troubling facts and is threatened while also starting a romance. The pace picks up and readers will likely predict some of the ending Bowen has crafted, but she includes numerous twists and surprises, so they are unlikely to foretell them all. The unique geography and environment on Skye is vividly described in this entertaining combination of suspense and historical fiction.

Whistler by Ann Patchett

It was just announced that Ann Patchett won the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, to be officially awarded at the National Book Festival in Washington on Aug. 22. Her latest novel is titled WHISTLER and Booklist (“tale of complicated marriages, secret love, fear, fury, courage, and reconciliation”), Kirkus (“evocative and moving”), and Publishers Weekly (“one of her best”) all gave WHISTLER starred reviews. This book tells the story of Daphne, now 53, meeting her former stepfather, Eddie Triplett (now 76), by chance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Eddie and Daphne had both wanted to be writers – he edited books for years and years and she teaches literature at a girl’s school. It takes a while for Patchett to explain the background to their surprisingly deep and affectionate relationship that was suddenly severed by Daphne’s mother after Eddie and Daphne were in a serious car accident when she was nine years old. Daphne’s Mom remarried for a third time long ago and Daphne and her sister, Leda (a psychiatrist), have two adult half-brothers. Patchett herself had an “abundance” of fathers (also three) as she wrote several years ago in The New Yorker and her collection of essays, These Precious Days.

Book groups will adore WHISTLER, filled as it is with reflections, “There is so much randomness to youth. The person assigned to share your room becomes your friend, the girl you pass on your way out the door becomes your wife, and from these random encounters our entire lives are built, four beautiful children come into the world, and they, in turn, found the people they were meant to spend their lives with.” 

Or, contemplating death: “‘It's okay,’ her father said. ‘You'll be back later.’ ‘We'll still be here,’ Jeffrey said. ‘You won't believe how fast it goes. Might as well be a minute.’ ‘You'll look after everyone?’ she asked her son. ‘No,’ he said. ‘We'll look after you.’”  And Robert Frost’s Wild Grapes: “And the life I live now’s an extra life / I can waste as I please on whom I please.”

Or, simply Patchett’s wry wit: “We write each other notes, back and forth, back and forth. It's like texting for people with large collections of stationery.” Ann Patchett is the narrator for the audio book version of WHISTLER and she does an excellent job, gently evoking the characters and their complex emotions.

The Big Unlock by Laura L. Rubin

THE BIG UNLOCK by Laura L. Rubin is subtitled “Liberate Your Creativity Through Mindful Journaling.” Rubin, creative coach and founder of mindful writing company AllSwell Creative, provides tons of prompts and encouragement. She divides her book into four (increasingly deeper) sections: Living Unlocked; Make Yourself Comfortable; Having a Blast; and Digging In; within these sections, “each chapter can stand on its own.” Examples of specific prompts include: “Make a list of songs on your life soundtrack. What's on your personal playlist? What memories do you associate with each song? Why did you choose them?” OR “When was the time you didn't follow the rules … and the outcome was beneficial?” OR “Try writing a letter from your loved one to you. Use your imagination to tune into their voice. What do you think they’d like to communicate?” Throughout she advocates for personalizing each suggestion like her 4x4x4 plan (write for four minutes a day for four days a week for four weeks) which can adjust to 6x6x6 or 5x3x5 or 9x3x8, and so forth.  Rubin says, “Essentially, write into any resistance. … All of this is an experiment, an exploration. Just bring your attention back to the page and keep going.” That is wonderful advice, and I would echo her call to “let yourself be curious. … “dog-ear, underline, annotate. But, most of all, enjoy.”

The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles

THE PARISIAN CHAPTER by Janet Skeslien Charles (Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade and The Paris Library) is another work of historical fiction closely tied to her other books. I have read and recommended those, but the latest (centered on Lily and her friend Mary Louise in 1995 Paris) was my least favorite mostly because it referenced the earlier work without sufficiently reprising the story for readers. Perhaps if I had read these titles more closely together than the five years between their publication, I would have felt differently. That said, I made my way through all of THE PARISIAN CHAPTER, enjoying the “found family” at the American Library in Paris and empathizing with the struggles of life as an expat (especially when one cranks Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves). Library Journal summed up the positives nicely, “A colorful tapestry shot through with themes of friendship, the power of books, the importance of history, and the joys and trials of an artist’s life. It’s told with charm and flair and filled with genuine joie de vivre.”

All We Say by Ben Rhodes

ALL WE SAY by Ben Rhodes, a New York Times best-selling author, highlights “The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches.” He divides the book into three chronological parts: from the Revolution to Civil War; from Reconstruction to the 1940s and beginning of the Superpower era; and from Civil Rights to MAGA. The speakers and their topics are sometimes well-known (e.g., Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Louis Brandeis, or FDR’s “Four Freedoms”), but Rhodes has included a variety of speakers who were well-known in their own time like Red Jacket’s “We Have Always Lived Here,” delivered in 1805, or Mary Lease speaking about how “Wall Street Owns This Country” in 1891. Speeches from several other female activists (Maria Stewart, Anna Dickinson, and Dolores Huerta) are presented.  Plus, Rhodes deftly contrasts the oratorial might of Confederate Alexander Stephens and Abraham Lincoln and later Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. More modern-day speeches by Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump are also provided. In each chapter, Rhodes supplies some background and historical context as well as the experiences that shaped the speakers; gives the text of the speech itself; and then additional analysis. He is not a neutral observer by any means and chose these speeches to illustrate a 250-year argument about what it means to be American, contrasting “a story that views the nation as inherently right from the beginning” with one that “views the nation as engaged in a struggle to live up to that founding promise in the Declaration of Independence: a multiracial democracy founded upon the idea of human equality.” It is interesting, too, to reflect upon the ways that technological change has impacted both the audiences (size, attention span, common access) and delivery. Be forewarned that the text is rather dense although avid readers will appreciate the Selected Bibliography and Notes (roughly fifteen percent of the text). Much to ponder here.

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz

A DEADLY EPISODE by Anthony Horowitz is book six in the Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries (following the story line introduced in The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill – plus more - which chronicle the sleuthing of a former policeman named Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, none other than Anthony Horowitz himself.). These mysteries are clever, fun, and entertaining and the latest title received starred reviews from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly (“This series is in peak form.”). This time, Hawthorne and Horowitz are visiting the filming site for The Word is Murder; a small, cash-strapped company is creating the film and have hired an eco-activist to write the script. Horowitz is not pleased with the changes from the book, but that is a non-issue when the lead actor, David Caine, playing Hawthorne is killed. There are a roughly a half dozen suspects, but numerous motives (seems as though Caine was universally disliked) and plenty of opportunity. Full of subtle clues and red herrings, there’s mystery within the mystery - I especially enjoyed reading about an earlier case, Hawthorne’s first as a private detective. While A DEADLY EPISODE could likely work as a stand-alone, it is much preferable to read this series in order as readers learn more about each of the characters and can observe the growing relationship between them. Enjoy!

NOTE: Here is the New York Times with suggested titles for classic private eye detective novels.

Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI

World Press Freedom Day will be celebrated on May 3, 2026.  It's worth a look at new books related to this topic.  

TEACHING NEWS LITERACY IN THE AGE OF AI by Cathy Collins, an award-winning library media specialist, is an excellent resource. I wish that more schools made this topic (helping students to “recognize quality journalism, spot deepfakes, challenge misinformation, and critically analyze conspiracy theories”) a priority, but Collins has done a great job of compiling suggestions of resources (including multimedia tools and learning standards) related to these issues. A few examples (not all of which are free) include: Checkology (including several of their helpful posters); The News Literacy Project; ISTE (she extensively references their standards); PBS Learning Media; and Newsela. Some of her information is revealing, but from a decade ago and warrants updating, as do her references to Stanford History Education Group, now called Digital Inquiry Group. However, the more I read, the more excited and interested I became. It does take a while to get to the section on “Learning Activities,” but that is filled with ideas related to Social Studies, Science, Health, Mathematics and more. Also, this text could work well in a secondary newspaper class – an entire lesson could review the Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists or the eight factors (e.g., timeliness, proximity, interest, conflict) which Collins lists that “news organizations might use to evaluate whether to cover a particular event.” There are multiple Appendices, including a News Literacy Glossary. As Collins writes, “The future of informed citizenship is less about passively consuming information and much more about actively interrogating it. … Teaching them to question what they see, seek diverse viewpoints, and practice self-regulated attention is more important than ever.” 

THE INFORMATION STATE by Jacob Siegel (a contributing writer at Tablet, an American conservative magazine focused on Jewish news and culture) is subtitled “Politics in the Age of Total Control.” Siegel makes some thought-provoking claims such as when he explores the relationship between information and state power (“regime’s ultimate aim was not to censor or oppress, but to rule. … the information state refers to a form of government that replaces the democratic principle of consent with control”). However, I was very disappointed by his early comment when he wrote “I doubt that more than a few dozen people had been conversant in the finer points of the disinformation field at the start of 2016.” He only had to look at the critical thinking or information literacy (a term not included in his book) work being championed by librarians and educators at that time or the winner of that year’s National Business Book Award: A Field Guide to Lies by Daniel J. Levitin. In addition, Seigel seems to have a bias against President Obama and some of the actions taken by his administration; he certainly objects to attempts to even insinuate that Russia influenced the 2016 election while simultaneously rarely referencing the blatant and obvious lies from subsequent administrations. Overall, reviews are mixed: Booklist says, THE INFORMATION STATE “will challenge and enlighten readers on every page,” whereas Publishers Weekly describes it as a “hit-or-miss debut account.”

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF by Evelyn Clarke is a locked room mystery of sorts, taking place on a private island where a half dozen authors have been invited for a long weekend. One of them could earn a million or two along with a contract for future books if able to complete the last manuscript of best-selling author Arthur Fletch. Each brings a unique perspective and mid-level talent to the task: Cate Newhouse (young and unpublished); Priscilla Fox (romance writer); Jaxon Knight (science fiction/fantasy); Kenzo Gray (horror); Millie Mitchell (young adult) and the married team, Sienna and Malcom, who write mystery thrillers as Penn Stonely. At first, these writers grudgingly try to get to know each other and bond over a difficult task, but then the deaths start, danger threatens, and the pace quickens. Exploring the frustrations and joys of the writing life (“The magic, and the mystery, the alchemy of it all, the way you can build something out of nothing, a shared idea that goes from living in your head to living in everyone else's”),  THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF received starred reviews from Library Journal (“a smart satire of the publishing industry”) and Publishers Weekly. It was a LibraryReads selection for April 2026. Readers would likely also enjoy titles such as The Eighth Detective, The Mystery Writer or The Magpie Murders. By the way, Evelyn Clarke is a “ghost-writer” of sorts, being the pen name for a collaboration between two well-known authors (Cat Clarke and V. E. Schwab). Have fun sleuthing!

Often, I enjoy listening to audiobooks, but this title has the difficult and complicated task of introducing several writers and their genres. The narration quality from Fiona Hardingham was fine, but I found the audiobook to be confusing and much harder to follow than reading the text.

I'll Make Me a World by Jarvis R. Givens

I'LL MAKE ME A WORLD by Jarvis R. Givens received a starred review from Library Journal and was the notable non-fiction LibraryReads selection for February. This text contains four essays and purports to share “The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month.” There is a great deal of history, including multiple images, and many stories related to figures critical to both the creation and the commemoration of Black History Week in 1926 and then Black History Month in 1976. However, the overall tone is quite scholarly and academic which could unnecessarily restrict readership. Givens is a Professor of Education and African and African American Studies and the co-founding faculty director of the Black Teacher Archive at Harvard University. He freely shares his personal experiences as a student and as a mentor. That personal history was quite interesting as well as the many more widely recognized historical anecdotes which he included. Givens feels passionately about this subject and that was evident in his research (Notes comprise about ten percent of this text and a detailed Index is included). Crafting an “abridged” version for high school students would be worth pursuing. 

ALA and RUSA award lists and more ...

It is that time of year so here are some wonderful links for even more reading choices ...

ALA Youth awards:
https://www.ala.org/news/2026/01/american-library-association-announces-2026-youth-media-award-winners   Plenty of choices for young people in our lives AND the ALEX awards are adult books suitable for teens. 

 

Notable Fiction

https://rusaupdate.org/2026/01/2026-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/ 

The ten fiction choices from that list are shown here with their covers:

https://pcin.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1612157240/2946217557

 

Listen List … Includes The Correspondent, Mailman, and The Names

https://rusaupdate.org/2026/01/2026-rusa-listen-list-revealed/

 

And Ron Charles, The Washington Post book reviewer, just shared his readers' favorite humorous books ... we all need a smile or a laugh ...  

·       Jeeves & Wooster series, by P.G. Wodehouse

·       “A Confederacy of Dunces,” by John Kennedy Toole

·       “Straight Man,” by Richard Russo

·       “Dear Committee Members,” by Julie Schumacher

·       “Lucky Jim,” by Kingsley Amis

·       “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” by Helen Fielding

·       “I See You’ve Called in Dead,” by John Kenney

·       “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir,” by Jenny Lawson

·       “Squeeze Me,” by Carl Hiaasen

·       “Lamb,” by Christopher Moore

 

And see A Year-by-Year Look at 4-Star, Beloved Books of the New Century, published on GoodReads: 
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/3040-a-year-by-year-look-at-4-star-beloved-books-of-the-new-century 

May Contain Murder by Orlando Murrin

MAY CONTAIN MURDER by Orlando Murrin is a locked room murder of sorts, set aboard a large yacht travelling across the Atlantic Ocean. A theft, a suspicious death and plenty of tension between the passengers contribute to an intriguing puzzle for Paul Delamare. He is a food writer and sometimes chef who is onboard to help his friend, Lady Hardcastle, write her memoirs. It seems there could be some blackmail and fraud involved, too, so readers will need to decide if each person – crew members included – are who they seem to be and whether Paul should be trusting the people he chooses. After all, “The yacht's countless mirrors … are one-way, and the intricate paneling that lines its corridors studded with spyholes and listening devices.” Plenty of opportunity for second-guessing and a little tarot reading thrown in for added fun. Recommended for fans of Nita Prose (The Maid), Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone), and Jessa Maxwell (The Golden Spoon), MAY CONTAIN MURDER is the second book (after Knife Skills for Beginners) in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone. Several recipes are included.

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

MEET THE NEWMANS by Jennifer Niven is an adult debut for the author of some truly memorable young adult titles like All the Bright Places or Holding Up the Universe or, more recently, Breathless. Like her earlier work, this newest title probes feelings and emotions as the main characters struggle to define their own identities. In MEET THE NEWMANS it is 1964, and Del and Dinah along with their two sons, Guy (the steady, older one) and Shep (the rebellious and very popular musician) have been America’s TV family for well over a decade. Recently, though they are falling behind shows like “Flipper, Lassie, and My Favorite Martian.” The country, too, is rapidly changing, and these family members are very unhappy behind the scenes (“when you grew up in front of thirty million people, it was hard to have and keep something of your own.”). A serious accident sidelines Del who has been the leader while writing scripts and negotiating with the network and sponsors. The need to keep the show going and afloat prompts Dinah (having recently read The Feminine Mystique) to start writing and to change her character’s attitudes and actions. Guy wants to develop directing abilities and strives to acknowledge a relationship with a fellow actor while “bad boy” Shep (only 17) acts out. Although a bit slow at spots, MEET THE NEWMANS is an interesting look back at a time of transition for the country, the influential role of network television (The Dick Van Dyke Show ran That’s My Boy? Episode in 1963), and impact on the roles within a family. 

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

YEAR OF YES by Shonda Rhimes (whose credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder) was originally published a decade ago and the new 10th anniversary edition offers extra chapters and insight from an extremely talented writer. Rhimes was challenges by her sister about her tendency to say “no” and she chose to battle her introvert tendencies (“This is who I am. Silent. Quiet. Interior. More comfortable with books than new situations. Content to live within my imagination.”) and to begin to say “yes.” That meant she found a way to combat her fear and go on Jimmy Kimmel’s show as one example.  In addition, she gave a commencement speech at Dartmouth which is an amazing chapter – well worth the time to read. Rhimes is inspirational and informative (e.g., sharing studies about standing like Wonder Woman).  This is a book to which readers can return again and again. It’s exciting to think of the transformation which she achieved: “I do often say no. I can't do everything. But I am no longer saying no out of fear. The reflexive, knee-jerk, panic-induced ‘absolutely not’ that used to be my default setting has been rewired.”

Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd

WRITING CREATIVITY AND SOUL by Sue Monk Kidd is, according to the author, “Part memoir, part guidebook, and part reflection on the writing life.” She begins by quoting Maya Angelou about “Three things you need in order to write. First, you need something to say. Second, you need the ability to say it. Finally, you need the courage to say it at all.” Later sections of the book talk about playing with images, possible beginnings of a story, and references a Zen adage: “In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; In the expert's mind there are few.” I also liked the chapter where Monk Kidd wrote about character development (“Love them, empathize with them, participate deeply in their inner lives.”) and four questions that she asks: Who is my Character? (followed by many sub-questions about her relationships, likes and dislikes, emotions). What does my Character want? Who and what thwarts my Character? How will my Character be different in the end? As Monk Kidd develops these ideas, she gives examples from her writing, such as Lily from The Secret Life of Bees or Ana from The Book of Longings; readers will have a richer experience if they have read her other works. I agree with her assessment that this text is more memoir and reflection than it is a manual for new writers, but it is interesting to share in her comments about the writing process which she has honed over decades.

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

GUILTY BY DEFINITION is the first novel offered by Susie Dent, a renowned British etymologist, and I originally requested a preview because of a recommendation from Ron Charles, the Washington Post book reviewer. Dent utilizes her expertise regarding words and their history to craft a tale full of clues which are puzzled over by a team of linguists who are working on dictionary definitions and are based in Oxford. It is from there that Charlie, the sister of one of them, went missing several years ago. To me, this is a story that starts slowly and gradually builds empathy with the main characters, Martha, Alex, Safi, and Simon. As the team investigates, readers learn some troubling background about Charlie, but the momentum grows and the quirky definitions add further highlights to a unique and, ultimately, engaging quest. Even commonplace activities are an educational opportunity in Dent’s capable hands: “Salary, salad, silt, sausage, salsa, sauce … the lexicon of salt whirred through her brain as she turned the stew down to a simmer.” Or, if you hate Sundays, consider “‘mubble-fubbles’ -- 17th century speak for a heavy, eve-of-something-unpleasant dose of the blues -- as proof that no sane person has ever liked them.” GUILTY BY DEFINITION received a starred review from Booklist and Library Journal recommends it for fans of The Dictionary of Lost Words and By Any Other Name. A Reading Group Guide and A Conversation with the Author are included. 

Little Alleluias by Mary Oliver

LITTLE ALLELUIAS by Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver is published posthumously and contains Collected Poetry and Prose from three distinct books now in one volume: 2000’s lengthy poem The Leaf and the Cloud; a 2002 collection of poetry titled What Do We Know; and Long Life, a 2004 essay collection. I so often hear recommendations and praise for Mary Oliver that it was a real pleasure to spend some quiet time with her writing. As Oliver writes, “And I am thinking: maybe/just looking and listening/is the real work.” Her writing is so evocative of nature, of movement, and of emotion: “Oh Sweetness pure and simple, may I join you?” This is a wonderful tribute to what would have been her 90th birthday.

Those interested in poetry may also be curious to watch The Washington Post’s Ron Charles’ gathering with three recent Poet Laureates, Joy Harjo, Ada Limón and Tracy K. Smith, as they share new poems:

 

Just Another Dead Author by Katarina Bivald

JUST ANOTHER DEAD AUTHOR by Katarina Bivald (The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend) follows Swedish writer Berit Gardner after her initial adventures in The Murders in Great Diddling. She is now in France as a guest speaker at a writers’ conference. Once again, Berit utilizes her powers of observation and analysis to unconventionally aid the local police in solving a murder. The dead author is John Wright, a distinctly unpleasant character who has managed to offend or alienate most people, resulting in plenty of suspects amongst the speakers and guests at the conference. To further complicate the investigation, they are all writers (“basically in training to become liars”) and therefore prone to flights of imagination: “…used to bending the truth to suit their needs and wishes. An intoxicating habit of playing God, of being able to control reality, change it, stretch it according to their own ideas and wishes.” Secrets and surprises are rampant in this entertaining tale in which Bivald deftly employs humor and Berit’s refreshing perspective on the writing life: “When writing is at its best, it lets us imagine things and play like a child … see the world with the wide eyed fascination of a child, talk to imaginary friends inside our head, travel all over the world without leaving our chair, befriend dragons, find love, save the world.” A Reading Group Guide and notes from a Conversation with the Author are included.