PWs Best Books of the Year

If You Want to Start Reading Zadie Smith…

One publishing darling noticeably missing from both aforementioned Best ofs is Zadie Smith, the prolific author of literary fiction and nonfiction whose newest collection of essays, Dead and Alive, is out tomorrow. For the fans out there, not to worry, Smith has been getting plenty of attention in recent days with a ranking of Zadie Smith’s best books out from The Guardian and a Smith essay published in Vogue, “Can You Be Serious and Seriously Glamorous?” As someone who spent my formative years wearing clothing most would call highly un-serious, the Vogue piece pulled me in and made me glad to be, if not glamorous, at least comfortable in pink wigs, bold fabrics, and platform boots. If you’re curious about Smith, the essay is a good, quick way to get a feel for her writing, and if you’re ready to jump into a full book but want an approach that isn’t picking up whatever is newest, check out The Guardian rankings for a starting place. My first Smith read, White Teeth, ranks second, and the experience told me Smith is a formidable writer.

A Bookish Countdown to Halloween

Because it’s one of my favorite times of year, I’m celebrating by sharing some fun, book-related Halloween finds around the web each day of the week through the big day this Friday! Let’s kick things off with a cute and clever bookish Dracula comic, and a weeklong Horror Popup tourney from The Morning News. The tourney invites you to vote on new and old horror classics, using their summer Tournament of Books framework. Cast your votes to help advance your favorite horror reads (you know I voted for Silvia Moreno Garcia’s Mexican Gothic and P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout).

October’s Indie Bestsellers, BIPOC Edition

Among the bestselling books in independent bookstores across the U.S. is the controversial Harry Potter fanfic, Alchemised by SenLin Yu. Find out what the criticism is about, and check out the rest of this month’s wide-ranging indie bestsellers by BIPOC authors here.