The Algonquin Reader: Spring 2019

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Pub Date 02 Jan 2019 | Archive Date 17 Sep 2020

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Description

Get an inside look at Algonquin’s outstanding forthcoming fiction with the Spring 2019 Algonquin Reader. Discover the inspiration behind each book through an original essay by the author. Then enjoy a short preview of each novel. 

IN THIS ISSUE:

Louis Bayard
, author of Courting Mr. Lincoln, discusses how even though 9,100 books have been written about our sixteenth president, “we still don’t have a handle on him.” As Bayard dove into the historical record and discovered a surprisingly charming young Mary Todd, he also “found another figure lurking in the shadows. His name was Joshua Speed” (p. 3). 


While writing her post-apocalyptic debut, The Lightest Object in the Universe, Kimi Eisele wondered not so much about the end times, but about “what we’d do after the end times—together, with our creativity, not just out of necessity but also out of love” (p. 11).

Set on the Great Plains in the early twentieth century, Michael Parker’s new novel, Prairie Fever, follows two sisters who have a seemingly unshakable bond. But, as Parker writes, as years pass, “remembering a familiarity weakened by time, by choices, by circumstances, is difficult for all of us” (p. 20).

While working as an ethnographer in a bustling slum in Bangalore, India, Mathangi Subramanian met many “women whose survival is the ultimate revenge.” Their stories came to inspire Subramanian’s debut novel, A People’s History of Heaven (p. 28).

Australian author Felicity McLean tells how her great-grandfather might have had a ghost that grew older with him. This family history, as well as the novels The Virgin Suicides and Picnic at Hanging Rock, heavily influenced her debut, The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone (p. 36).

Tim Mason, author of The Darwin Affair, describes how Inspector Bucket from Charles Dickens’s Bleak House came to haunt him “in the best way.” Add his father’s love for Charles Darwin and his own fascination with Victorian England, and Mason’s exciting historical thriller began to take shape (p. 44).

Get an inside look at Algonquin’s outstanding forthcoming fiction with the Spring 2019 Algonquin Reader. Discover the inspiration behind each book through an original essay by the author. Then enjoy...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781643750125
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Average rating from 24 members


Featured Reviews

Well-written ~ Thought-provoking ~ Varied
tl;dr: A collection of essays worth reading.

The Algonquin reader is a favorite of mine. I love this good collection of writing, with varied voices and surprising takes, all in one easy package. There is no bad essay in this collection, but I invite readers to look for Mathangi Subramanian's beautifully written selection about a powerful woman named Padma and Tim Mason's solid historical story about Darwin. This whole collection exudes literary quality.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Though there are other catalogs of upcoming releases, The Algonquin Reader stands out for it's brevity and depth. Before a sample of each book, we are treated to an essay by the author, one that offers a window into the inspiration of the book. As someone who loves the creator as much as the creation, these essays often sell me on the book, based entirely on the connection with the author and the care they took with their work. These telling essays are followed by excerpts of the author's upcoming release and are always a treat. Before reading this edition, I had two of the galleys ready and waiting. After reading it, I've requested all within. An absolute must read.

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I always enjoy reading these, as it gives me a good idea what to add next to my ever growing pile of books. The books that particularly interest me are 'The Van Apfel Girls are Gone' and 'Prairie Fever',

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

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I first encountered The Algonguin Reader about this time last year. This collection promises more new voices and accomplished writing from a publisher worth paying attention to. A recommended first course in what is sure to be literary feast later this year.

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I love that this collection includes not just excerpts from upcoming books but also original essays by the same authors. Such a treat!

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin for providing this reader.

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