National Book Critics Circle

You Can Go Home Again, and Again, and Again | Los Angeles Review of Books Cory Oldweiler reviews the new translation of Danish author Solvej Balle’s “On the Calculation of Volume (Book III).”

NBCC member Cory Oldweiler wrote about the third part of "On the Calculation of Volume," written by Solvej Balle and translated from the Danish by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell, for the Los Angeles Review of Books:

Review of One, None, and a Hundred Grand One, None, and a Hundred Grand: In Luigi Pirandello’s philosophical novel "One, None, and a Hundred Grand", a personal identity crisis leads to profound explorations of the self and ego. After Vitangelo’s...

NBCC member Mike Good has two book reviews in the latest issue of Foreword Reviews, including one of "One, None, and a Hundred Grand," written by Luigi Pirandello and translated from the Italian by Sean Wilsey:

An Intimate History of Violence: Beirut Under Siege in Nejmeh Khalil Habib’s <em>A Spring that Did Not Blossom</em>  Nejmeh Khalil Habib's latest teaches us that while there are and will always be survivors of horrors, the trauma is never forgotten.

NBCC member Rebecca Ruth Gould reviewed "A Spring That Did Not Blossom: Palestinian Short Stories," written by Nejmeh Khalil Habib and translated from the Arabic by Samar Habib, for The Markaz Review:

A Conversation with Varun Ravindran This interview took place in a courtyard outside of Varun’s Pittsburgh apartment on a summer evening in July. The sound of cicadas, crows, and blue jays called out during our conversation. Varun an…

NBCC member Mike Good interviewed Varun Ravindran for The Adroit Journal blog about Ravindran's debut poetry collection, "Betweenness":

Banished Citizens: A History of the Mexican American Women Who Endured Repatriation by Marla A. Ramirez Harvard Review by Brian Tanguay Immigration has been a contentious issue in the United States for a long time, and at numerous points in American history has motivated intense passions that drove…

NBCC member Brian Tanguay reviewed "Banished Citizens: A History of the Mexican American Women Who Endured Repatriation" by Marla A. Ramirez for the California Review of Books:

NBCC member Chris Barsanti reviewed W. David Marx's "Blank Space: A Cultural History of the 21st Century" for The Minnesota Star Tribune:

Indie Publishers Support Marginalized Authors Amid challenges, imprints that champion inclusivity stay on track.

NBCC member DW McKinney spoke with independent publishers about how they're supporting marginalized authors and their work in our current political climate for Publishers Weekly:

“Stranded in Time”: Memory and Repetition in Solvej Balle’s On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) - Words Without Borders One of the basic tricks of narrative writing is assigning multiple functions to details. Under the guise of plot, we get characterization. Apparent description begets foreshadowing. Readers, by now well...

NBCC member Jack Rockwell wrote about "On the Calculation of Volume (Book III)," written by Solvej Balle and translated from the Danish by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell, for Words Without Borders:

James R. Benn Delivers a WWII Mystery Rooted in Hidden History | BookTrib. A Bitter Wind is author and former librarian James R. Benn’s 20th WWII based action-packed mystery novel in his grippingly realistic Billy Boyle series. This quote from Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1917 short...

NBCC member Linda Hitchcock reviewed James R. Benn’s "A Bitter Wind" for BookTrib:

Julian Barnes’s Mortal Dilemma The Booker Prize–winning author is turning 80 and releasing his final book—about love, death, and a comically flawed marriage.

NBCC member Elaine Szewczyk profiled Julian Barnes for Publishers Weekly:

Former NBCC President Laurie Hertzel reviewed Brian Buckbee's "We Should All Be Birds" for The Washington Post:

NBCC member Craig Teicher wrote about three new books of poetry for NPR:

NBCC member Britta Stromeyer reviewed "Coming. Apart.," written by Edy Poppy and translated from the Norwegian by May-Brit Akerholt, for Tupelo Quarterly:

Book Review: I, Medusa: A Novel by Ayana Gray Retelling of classic Greek myth checks the boxes for YA Romantasy

NBCC member Marcie Geffner reviewed Ayana Gray's novel "I, Medusa" for her Substack, Mostly Books:

NBCC member Chris Barsanti reviewed several books for The Minnesota Star Tribune:

Elaine Hsieh Chou aimed to write Asian American characters she hadn’t seen before Born in Anaheim Hills, the UC Irvine-educated author discusses her new collection, ‘Where Are You Really From.’

NBCC Vice President/Online Michael Schaub interviewed Elaine Hsieh Chou for The Orange County Register:

Prolific profile writer Susan Orlean turns a sharp gaze onto her own exhilarating career - The Boston Globe This is not a craft book but a memoir, yet 'Joyride' might contain some of the best writing advice you'll ever read.

Former NBCC President Laurie Hertzel reviewed Susan Orlean's "Joyride" for The Boston Globe:

Thomas Mann’s Pessimistic Humanism What can we still learn from the The Magic Mountain?

NBCC member Susan Bernofsky reviewed Morten Høi Jensen’s "The Master of Contradictions: Thomas Mann and the Making of The Magic Mountain" for The Nation:

An Honest Woman - Book Review An Honest Woman - Book Review

NBCC member Ricardo Santiago Soto reviewed Charlotte Shane's "An Honest Woman" for Raevue:

NBCC member Robert Allen Papinchak reviewed Damion Searls’ "Analog Days" for Shelf Awareness: buff.ly/i8NUi9u

Best Nonfiction of 2025: Stephen Greenblatt | Kirkus Reviews The author of ‘Dark Renaissance’ answers our questions.

Former NBCC President Tom Beer interviewed Stephen Greenblatt about his new book, "Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival," for Kirkus Reviews:

NBCC member Jake Cline reviewed Joy Williams’ "The Pelican Child" for The Washington Post:

REVIEW: Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley Contemporary language makes this Old English epic poem fun to read

NBCC member Marcie Geffner reviewed Maria Dahvana Headley's "Beowulf: A New Translation" for her Substack, Six Forty-Five:

The World After Gaza: A History by Pankaj Mishra Penguin Press Review by Brian Tanguay Pankaj Mishra is a writer of capacious erudition which he has demonstrated in eight books of non-fiction, two works of fiction, and dozens of articles in the…

NBCC member Brian Tanguay reviewed "The World After Gaza: A History" by Pankaj Mishra for the California Review of Books:

NBCC board member Tobias Carroll wrote about Delaney Nolan's "Happy Bad" for On the Seawall:

Quinn on Books: Pabst Blue Ribbon, by Michael Quinn - The Village Star-Revue A director has an idea for a screenplay: wealthy passengers aboard a luxury cruise ship find their peace of mind poisoned by rumors of an impending war. Trust

NBCC member Michael Quinn reviewed "The Director," written by Daniel Kehlmann and translated from the German by Ross Benjamin, for The Village Star-Revue:

Shelf Awareness for Readers for Friday, November 7, 2025 I'm nostalgic for muzak, a liminal sound lost since we started carrying handheld entertainment everywhere. I seek it out to soothe my streaming-age decision fatigue. Because silence is harsh and…

NBCC member Nell Beram reviewed "Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend" by Mark Malkoff:

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NBCC member Bill Marx is the president of the nonprofit Viva la Book Review, a new and innovative organization dedicated to growing and publicizing the publication of book reviews in local media across America:

NBCC member Cory Oldweiler reviewed Joy Williams’ "The Pelican Child" for The Minnesota Star Tribune:

The Rule of Names Ada Limón’s poetry in Startlement explores the world by calling things what they are.

NBCC member Noelle McManus wrote about Ada Limón’s "Startlement" for Alta: