Joseph Rauch

This week I’m looking for a hidden gem illustrated novel or memoir to promote in my newsletter. We include manga, manhwa, etc. Please leave recs!

Performance When Bridgit's mother forbids her from performing in "Jesus Christ Superstar," she reflects on family, hypocrisy and the performance aspects of religion.

Check out "Performance," a creative non-fiction piece by Rauch Review contributor Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter > https://bit.ly/4c6CflH

I absolutely love short story collections, so I promote them as much as possible. Such an underappreciated format. Check out "Safe as Houses" by Marie-Helene Bertino > https://amzn.to/4aS36jf

I’m looking for underappreciated memoirs to promote in my newsletter. Please comment!

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A short story collection about the residents of Tel al-Hilou, a Palestinian village in the West Bank. Check out "A Curious Land: Stories from Home" by Susan Muaddi Darraj > https://amzn.to/3MpLjHT

Novels About Law and Justice That Go Beyond the Typical Cases The best authors use their craft to catalyze interest in important cases, regardless of whether the surface-level details are typical Hollywood material.

Novels about law and justice often focus on dramatic cases. But the best authors use their craft to catalyze interest in important cases, regardless of whether the surface-level details are typical Hollywood material. Check out our list > https://bit.ly/46Ueiud

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Poetry collection from an NYU professor I recently heard of. Check out "Swallow" by Miranda Field >> https://amzn.to/49XELsV

What are some underrated books by famous authors?

‘The Memory Police’ Explained: Loss of Memories, Characters and Story "The Memory Police" offers a unique first-person narrative where objects, ideas and words disappear both from the narrator’s world and the prose we read.

Does a first-person narrative with memory holes justify plot holes? Can we fairly evaluate a 2019 English translation of a 1994 Japanese text? Read our review to decide if our critique is fair and whether Yoko Ogawa’s "The Memory Police" deserves its accolades >> https://bit.ly/4c4uEE4

DOLLARTORIUM — Unsolicited Press KIRKUS REVIEWS calls Pullins’ DOLLARTORIUM, “A boisterous and thoughtful journey through the absurdities of modern capitalism.” Ralph makes world-class corndogs in a small Kansas shop. It’s humble work, but honest. The problem? The bills pile...

Dollartorium, by Ron Pullins, follows a Kansas corndog savant pulled into a too-good-to-be-true empire of self-help seminars and “success.” When it implodes, he has to find his way back to family and the best corndogs in Kansas, despite the lizard people. Out tomorrow!→ https://bit.ly/4bEulQa

What’s your favorite literary fiction title right now? Maybe we can promo it in our newsletter.

‘Girl, Interrupted’ Book Review: Sanity, Insanity and the Female Experience If you’re looking for a solid retelling about a particular time living in a psych ward, then this is the book for you.

“Girl, Interrupted” by Susanna Kaysen offers a first-person perspective on a young woman living with mental illness stigma brought on by herself and the people around her. This book feels like a blast from the past - read more in our review > https://bit.ly/46eAhMc

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Now that I've watched part of this story in "The Rings of Power," I've been more motivated to read the original version. Check out J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Fall of Númenor" >> https://amzn.to/4q8VFcN

Every week I promote one literary fiction and one nonfiction book (usually memoir or political) in my newsletter. Drop yours here, and I’ll consider it. We prioritize hidden gems and self-published authors.

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As an NYU alumnus, I still receive newsletters about poetry collections faculty have been a part of, so this popped up. Seems like a hidden gem. > https://amzn.to/3ZzYRDp

‘Red Clocks’ Book Review: Where Abortion Policy is Headed? Hailed as a ‘post-Atwood’ dystopian novel, a risky moniker to be handed down to any novelist, did author Leni Zumas manage to provide an equally terrifying dystopian future as Atwood envisions in “The Handmaid’s Tale?”

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe -v- Wade, “Red Clocks” is a book that flies uncomfortably close to the truth of American abortion politics. Did author Leni Zumas provide an equally terrifying dystopian future as “The Handmaid’s Tale?” >> https://bit.ly/46hB8vv

What have you been reading lately? Post it here. If it’s underappreciated and within our scope, we’ll promote it on our newsletter and other social channels.

The author of "Remarkably Bright Creatures" endorsed this book, and I can see why. It's also about an older widow trying to find a new purpose in life, although by traveling instead of befriending an octopus lol. Check out Laura Pritchett's "Three Keys" > https://amzn.to/49yzjMU

Giselle One day you will see how lucky you are that I made sacrifices so you could learn, my little love.

Check out "Giselle," our latest short fiction by Leif Gregersen featuring artwork by Annika Connor > https://bit.ly/4r94yEl

Who’s your favorite literary author right now? If I haven’t heard of them, I’ll consider adding their books to my newsletter promo list.

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I'm obsessed with debating grammar, so I love the premise of this novel. Check out "The Grammarians" by Cathleen Schine > https://amzn.to/3LG4Cw8

Ganondorf and My Arab-Ashkenazi Journey I did wonder why the Arab-looking man from the desert had to be the villain.

What started as a childhood fixation on The Legend of Zelda turns into something much bigger: a meditation on identity, inheritance, and what it means to be Arab and Ashkenazi. This piece moves between pop culture, memory, and history >> https://bit.ly/4qiknZ5

Any new under-the-radar poetry books I should be aware of?

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As someone who has struggled with chronic illnesses since I was 12, this type of memoir is always really inspiring to me. Check out "Walking on Pins and Needles: A Memoir of Chronic Resilience in the Face of Multiple Sclerosis" by Arlene Faulk > https://amzn.to/4pqV9GT

Our Philosophy on Book Star Ratings Unlike the typical system, however, our star ratings have specific meanings that are informative for readers and fair to authors.

At the Rauch Review, we use the rating system of five stars, but our star ratings have specific meanings. Before we read a book, we think of it as five stars. While reading, we look for mistakes that justify knocking its rating down. To understand the system, read more >> https://bit.ly/3L110ol

This week I’m looking for a hidden gem illustrated novel or memoir to promote in my newsletter. We include manga, manhwa, etc. Please leave recs!

Is It OK to Buy Books by These Problematic Authors? Rather than trying to cancel all the authors whose views we disagree with, I decided to make this list about authors who have allegedly and/or admittedly harmed innocent people and communities with their actions, books or words.

Rather than trying to cancel all the authors whose views we disagree with, I asked a key question: If I buy or read books written by "problematic" authors, am I potentially contributing to the victimization of innocent people and the degradation of communities? > https://bit.ly/4pch58z

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On my list ever since my wife took me to the Philippines for the first time many years ago. While touring Intramuros, our guide educated me on José Rizal, who died because of this book. Check out José Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" > https://amzn.to/4pbstl1

I’m looking for underappreciated memoirs to promote in my newsletter. Please comment!

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Another stop on my journey to better understand and appreciate the craft of poetry. Take some time at the end of this year to explore some poetry. Check out Jenny Xie's "Eye Level" > https://amzn.to/49p4jyK