Jamie Ducharme
(Holt)
When Ducharmeâs 2019 Time article on Juul came out, it was pretty tough to walk around New York without seeing the vape device. I was excited when I found out that article was to grow into a book, and the story Ducharme offers is a bizarre, somewhat frightening page-turner (and is set to become a docuseries, to boot). âCarliann Rittman, reviews editor
The Atmospherians
(Atria)
A woman named Sasha Marcus is harassed and canceled by menâs rights activists after speaking her mind in response to an internet troll in McElroyâs engrossing novel. Sasha then accepts a new gig helping her failed actor friend start a cult designed for men to purge themselves of toxic masculinity. McElroyâs conceit works on multiple levels, with incisive satire, earnest explorations of male identity, and a gripping plot.
How Jeff VanderMeer Prevents Writerâs Block
Credit.Jillian Tamaki
April 15, 2021
âI get superstitious,â says the author, whose latest novel is âHummingbird Salamanderâ: âI once had a book sent to me that was disrupting my ability to write a novel because of a superficial similarity between the two. I took that book and dug a hole and buried it deep in the backyard.â
What books are on your night stand?
I chose the night stand for its stalwart qualities and it is currently holding up well under the eclectic weight of an advance copy of John Paul Brammerâs â¡Hola Papi!,â B. R. Yeagerâs âNegative Space,â Bernard Rudofskyâs âThe Prodigious Builders,â Eley Williamsâs âThe Liarâs Dictionary,â Rita Indianaâs âTentacle,â Stephen Graham Jonesâs âThe Only Good Indians,â Julienne Fordâs âParadigms and Fairy Tales,â Angelo Maria Ripellinoâs