Matterist Books

Book cover of "The Disappointment," a novel by Scott Broker, with a blurb from Ocean Vuong calling it "an unforgettable achievement." Against a sage green background, a pair of heavy cream-colored stage curtains hangs from a valance, partially drawn open to reveal a glimpse of red lining. A person is crouched low at the base of the curtains, head down and hidden, as if hiding or collapsed — suggesting themes of shame, concealment, or a performance gone wrong.

Christina Applegate has written the most devastating celebrity memoir of the year The star of ‘Married… with Children’ and ‘Anchorman’ unpacks her history of abuse, violence and self-loathing in her brutal yet darkly funny new book, ‘You with the Sad Eyes’. It is a remarkable,…

Christina Applegate has written the most devastating celebrity memoir of the year www.the-independent.com/arts-enterta...

And it's only Tuesday.

The Disappointment: A Novel A Novel

Matterist pick: Set on the Oregon coast, The Disappointment by Scott Broker centers on a couple struggling to stay connected as a creeping slide into the surreal begins to pull them apart. Out today from Catapult.

HC: bookshop.org/a/1095/97816...
Audio: www.awin1.com/cread.php?aw... #affiliatelink

5 Library Wins Worth Celebrating | American Libraries Magazine American Libraries highlights five recent victories for libraries, library workers, and their communities.

5 Library Wins Worth Celebrating americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2026/03/02/5...

A stock market heat map showing the performance of major U.S. equities grouped by sector. Most sectors are displaying losses, indicated by red coloring, with deeper red representing larger declines.

If you like horror stories, the stock market is a great read today.

It's March, and spring is in March. Therefore, it is spring.

Rebecca Solnit, Vigdis Hjorth, Terry Tempest Williams, and more: 23 new books out today! Some stunning nonfiction, some scintillating novels: it’s the beginning of a new month, one that promises more sunshine, and more life-giving literature. Rebecca Solnit, Terry Tempest William…

Rebecca Solnit, Vigdis Hjorth, Terry Tempest Williams, and more: 23 new books out today! lithub.com/rebecca-soln...

Cover of the novel The Pretender by Jo Harkin. A classical-style painting of a child’s face fills the background, partially visible on the right side. The title appears in large yellow handwritten lettering across the center, topped with a simple yellow crown illustration. A quote from Maggie Shipstead sits above the title, and the author’s name appears in matching yellow script at the bottom.

The Absurdity of Authoritarianism: A Conversation With Svetlana Satchkova When Svetlana Satchkova set out to write The Undead, her novel about a young filmmaker targeted by the Russian state, she had to make negotiations between truth and fiction because the true events …

The Absurdity of Authoritarianism: A Conversation With Svetlana Satchkova lithub.com/the-absurdit...

The Pretender: A Novel A Novel

Matterist pick: A peasant boy is plucked from his home and thrust into Tudor‑era intrigue as he’s shaped into a contender for England’s throne in The Pretender by Jo Harkin.

Now in paperback.
bookshop.org/a/1095/97805...
Audio: www.awin1.com/cread.php?aw... #historicalfiction #affiliatelink

2026 Reading List: Year’s best in genre fiction for adult Readers CHICAGO- The Reading List Council has announced the 2026 selections of the Reading List, an annual best-of list comprised of eight different fiction genres for adult readers. A shortlist of honor t…

The ALA RUSA Book and Media Awards 2026 Reading List: Year’s best in genre fiction for adult readers. rusaupdate.org/2026/01/2026...

The Ur-“Conspiracy”: History of a Pseudoconcept by Barrett Brown February 12, 2026 – “The problem we face involves the degree to which the truth must now compete with such a vast multiplicity of falsehoods that discovering truth itself becomes unviable.”

The Ur-“Conspiracy”: History of a Pseudoconcept www.theparisreview.org/blog/2026/02...

Books not bombs.

Book cover of "The Reservation," a novel by Rebecca Kauffman, author of *I'll Come to You*. The cover features an overhead view of a messy meal on a bright turquoise table — a picked-over plate of chicken bones, a tarnished metal serving dish with sliced tomatoes and onions, scattered crumbs, and an empty water glass, conveying the aftermath of a shared but uneasy meal.

This novel about family drama is so good you may want to re-read it immediately Allegra Goodman's new novel is called This Is Not About Us, but critic Maureen Corrigan says that title is coy: Readers are bound to see aspects of themselves and their families in these pages.

No doubt! One of our top February picks...
bookshop.org/lists/matter...
www.npr.org/2026/02/25/n...

Valerie Wilson Wesley on the Harlem Renaissance and Writing Historical Mysteries For decades, Valerie Wilson Wesley has been a noted journalist, the author of many books for children and adults, including the award-winning and beloved Tamara Hayle mystery series. More recently …

Valerie Wilson Wesley on the Harlem Renaissance and Writing Historical Mysteries crimereads.com/valerie-wils...

The Reservation: A Novel A Novel

On the most important night in its history, a celebrated Midwestern restaurant descends into chaos. What fun! Captivating and witty, The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman is a Matterist pick.

HC: bookshop.org/a/1095/97816...
AB: www.awin1.com/cread.php?aw... #affiliatelink #food #booksky

Big Stories for Growing Readers Dedicated to supporting the industry and promoting children’s books and reading

Big Stories for Growing Readers cbcbooks.org/2026/02/13/b...

The Reservation Table Fourteen Seat #1 let his wife do the talking at the host stand. It wasn’t like she had any more experience with this kind of thing—fine dining—than he did, but she was more outgoing of the tw…

Here's a great excerpt from Rebecca Kauffman's new novel of culinary chaos, The Reservation...
lithub.com/the-reservat...

Brave, visionary and queer: the Bohemian brilliance of author George Sand With her radical politics and flamboyant affairs, Sand was no stranger to controversy, but it’s time to debunk the myths surrounding a writer ahead of her time

Brave, visionary and queer: the Bohemian brilliance of author George Sand www.theguardian.com/books/2026/m...

Blob: A Love Story A Love Story

If you found a blob outside a bar, would you take it home and make it your partner?

Before you answer, read Maggie Su's awesome novel. Now in paperback, ebook, audiobook, and HC.

bookshop.org/a/1095/97800...
www.awin1.com/cread.php?aw... #affiliatelink

Palestinian writer Adania Shibli reflects on the formative experiences that shaped her as a storyteller—from growing up surrounded by books to discovering the power of fiction as a form of play and… Adania Shibli: What Formed Me As a Writer

Adania Shibli: What Formed Me As a Writer www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdbN...

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li audiobook review – a deconstruction of grief The author’s prize-winning memoir about losing both her sons to suicide is a calm, sensitive account of ‘radical acceptance’

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li audiobook review – a deconstruction of grief www.theguardian.com/books/2026/f...

ALA denounces federal book banning bill The American Library Association denounced H.R. 7661, a federal bill targeting LGBTQ+ stories that would modify the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to restrict "sexually oriented"…

ALA denounces federal book banning bill www.ala.org/news/2026/02...

Kiss your pets today, whatever they are.

Typing for Love or Money: The Hidden Women’s Labor behind Modern Literary Masterpieces Taking dictation, revising manuscripts, typing copies, literary amanuenses often labour for little compensation and even less recognition. Christine Jacobson explores the neglected efforts of women…

Typing for Love or Money: The Hidden Women’s Labor behind Modern Literary Masterpieces publicdomainreview.org/essay/typing...

Cover of the novel “Saoirse” by Charleen Hurtubise. A painted coastal landscape shows rocky shores, green grass, and a cluster of small buildings including a white house with a dark roof. Above them, a sky of blue and gray clouds stretches across the scene. The title appears in large white letters at the top, with “A Novel” beneath it and the author’s name in bold white text near the bottom.

"I think the pressure is off with a short story. It’s the purest expression of my ideas, my sense of humor."

@katiecoleman.bsky.social interviews @kimsamek.bsky.social about I am the Ghost Here (@thedialpress.bsky.social).

➡️ buff.ly/QUmxVyQ

Saoirse: A Novel A Novel

Matterist pick: Sarah fears rising fame will expose the past she fled and destroy the fragile freedom she’s finally found in Ireland. Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise is a suspenseful cocktail of art, life, and lies.

HC: bookshop.org/a/1095/97812...
AB: www.awin1.com/cread.php?aw... #affiliatelink