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The Housemaid author unmasked: a brain-disorder doctor is behind the bestseller
13 hours ago•Source: Vulture
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4.565 min•10 days ago
Transcription probes memory, media, and time in Lerner’s sprawling novel
Ben Lerner’s Transcription is a densely braided meditation on technology, memory, and storytelling, following a narrator who interviews a dying mentor, reconstructs his words, and hauls family history across Providence, Madrid, and LA. Blending historiography, media theory, and emotional depth—especially a crisis around a teenage daughter’s health—the novel argues that meaning resides in cuts and splices, not transcripts, and that fiction can extend time rather than merely reflect it.
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March’s Fresh Reads: 8 New Books You’ll Want to Pick Up
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Pollan probes consciousness: from plant sentience to AI myths in a world of mind
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Bad Bunny: From global star to Puerto Rican activist voice
A Washington Post review of P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance by Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, which traces Bad Bunny’s ascent as a musical icon and argues his work has become a global platform for Puerto Rican activism and resistance, blending his chart-topping achievements with political and cultural messaging.
Saunders’s Vigil: Empathy Across a Fractured America
In a thoughtful review, Pico Iyer praises George Saunders’s Vigil for its humane, unsparing inquiry into reality, suffering, and death, using supernatural figures to blow up political binaries and echo Saunders’s border reporting and Buddhist practice; the piece situates Vigil with Lincoln in the Bardo as part of Saunders’s ongoing project of empathy across divides.
McCurdy's Provocative Debut Falls Short of Nuance
A critical take on Jennette McCurdy's Half His Age argues the novel leans on shock via a 17-year-old student’s affair with her 40-year-old teacher, without enough nuance to transcend provocation; McCurdy’s strength shows in depictions of female rage and mother/daughter dynamics, but the book ultimately stalls after its provocative sex scenes, offering limited depth beyond the sensational setup.
Ghosts as moral mirrors: George Saunders on Vigil, climate, and America
In a Guardian interview, George Saunders discusses Vigil, his new ghost story about an oil tycoon who hid climate science and is visited by spirits on his deathbed, using supernatural perspectives to probe truth, mortality and empathy while reflecting on his life, craft and politics in Trump-era America.
Pirates, Pride, and Noir: A Glimpse of 2026 Historical Fiction
Book Riot highlights 2026's top historical-fiction releases, including Vanessa Riley’s Fire Sword and Sea (a seafaring tale about lady pirates), June Hur’s Behind Five Willows (a Pride-and-Prejudice-inspired Joseon-era romance with censorship and book transcription), The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams (multi-generational Alabama/1917 secrets starting in 1995), Sunyi Dean’s The Girl With a Thousand Faces (Hong Kong-set historical dark fantasy about a ghost talker), and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Intrigue (1940s Veracruz noir-styled boardinghouse caper). The lineup promises diverse settings and compelling premises for fans of historical fiction in 2026.
Hoover Delves into Fame's Price in Her Return Novel
Washington Post reviewer Sophia Nguyen ponders Colleen Hoover’s return with Woman Down, a novel about the burden of fame released after Hoover’s three-year hiatus, and questions whether it marks Hoover’s most revealing work to date.
Love Machines and the Cost of Digital Intimacy
James Muldoon’s Love Machines surveys how people form emotional attachments to AI chatbots, arguing that intimate digital relationships reveal loneliness, ethical concerns about privacy and manipulation by profit-driven tech firms, and the urgent need for regulation as AI therapy grows. While bots can offer affirmation and support, they can mislead about capabilities, miss human cues, and reinforce harmful beliefs, making cautious deployment essential as AI becomes more embedded in daily life.
Mueenuddin Returns with Interlinked Tales of Power in Pakistan
Seventeen years after his sensational debut, Daniyal Mueenuddin returns with a collection of interlinked novellas set in Pakistan’s feudal society; Porter Shreve lauds the depth of structure, prose, and sense of place, calling the volume worth the long wait and likening it to Tolstoy and Edward P. Jones.
Top Books to Watch for in 2026
Lit Hub's list highlights the most anticipated books of 2026, featuring a diverse range of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and genre-bending works from acclaimed authors, reflecting themes from societal issues to personal stories and experimental narratives.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel's Simple Rules for a Long, Healthy Life
Ezekiel Emanuel's book 'Eat Your Ice Cream' warns against the overwhelming and often misleading health and longevity advice online, emphasizing the importance of focusing on quality of life rather than chasing unproven miracle cures or extreme longevity strategies.