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Open Letters Review

Open Letters Review

An Arts & Literature Review

Open Letters Review

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December 27, 2018

Civil War Barons by Jeffrey D. Wert

December 27, 2018/ Kip Wedel
Civil War Barons by Jeffrey D. Wert

A brisk gallivant through nineteen biographies of men who made fortunes in the business of war.

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December 27, 2018/ Kip Wedel/
History
Civil War Barons, Jeffrey D. Wert, Da Capo, Civil War, American History, Kip Wedel, History
December 26, 2018

The Gown by Jennifer Robson

December 26, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Gown by Jennifer Robson

A historical novel about Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown, and the women who made it.

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December 26, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Historical Fiction
Jennifer Robson, William Morrow, Harper Collins, British Royal Family, British aristocracy, Queen Elizabeth, historical fiction, English Monarchy, English history, Steve Donoghue
December 20, 2018

Previously on OLM: James Wood and the Fall of Man

December 20, 2018/ Sam Sacks
Previously on OLM: James Wood and the Fall of Man

This profile of James Wood from the OLM archives was written by Sam Sacks in December of 2014. . .

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December 20, 2018/ Sam Sacks/
From the Archives
James Wood, Sam Sacks, From the Archives, Open Letters Monthly
December 19, 2018

Previously on OLM: Advice to a Young Reviewer

December 19, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
Previously on OLM: Advice to a Young Reviewer

A book review from the archives, originally published in December 2016.

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December 19, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
From the Archives, Books & Authors
From the Archives, Open Letters Monthly, Edward Copleston, Steve Donoghue, writer's craft
December 14, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Nonfiction!

December 14, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Nonfiction!

It's not surprising that certain themes have surfaced again and again, considering the boiling news atmosphere in which these authors are stewing every day.

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December 14, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, nonfiction, Stevereads, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 13, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Fiction!

December 13, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Fiction!

These authors concentrate on the things that novels should concentrate on: showing readers new worlds and introducing them to new monsters.

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December 13, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, fiction, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 12, 2018

The Worst Books of 2018: Nonfiction!

December 12, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Worst Books of 2018: Nonfiction!

2018 a particularly demoralizing year for nonfiction, and here are the worst offenders.

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December 12, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Worst of 2018, Stevereads, nonfiction, Worst of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 11, 2018

The Worst Books of 2018: Fiction!

December 11, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Worst Books of 2018: Fiction!

A combination of laziness and cynicism is the most prominent trend in this year's bad fiction.

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December 11, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Worst of 2018, fiction, Stevereads, Worst of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 11, 2018

Best Books of 2018: History!

December 11, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
Best Books of 2018: History!

Winnowing down the candidates in this category was more difficult than almost any other year in the last decade.

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December 11, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue, History
December 10, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Biography!

December 10, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Biography!

The bulk of the year was an unplanned and unexpected celebration of the plasticity of the genre.

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December 10, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, biography, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 09, 2018

Best Books of 2018: Science and Nature!

December 09, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
Best Books of 2018: Science and Nature!

These books about the natural world serve up a sense of wonder.

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December 09, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
December 08, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Romance!

December 08, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Romance!

The best of a genre stacked with devilish dukes, concupiscent cowboys, ingenious ingenues, and naughty nannies.

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December 08, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Regency Romance, Stevereads, writers, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 07, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Mystery!

December 07, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Mystery!

Virtually every entry is the latest book in an ongoing series.

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December 07, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, Best of Lists, mystery fiction, Steve Donoghue
December 06, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Science Fiction & Fantasy!

December 06, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Science Fiction & Fantasy!

The best science fiction and fantasy in a year filled with sequels, prequels, and books-in-series.

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December 06, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, science fiction, fantasy, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 05, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Historical Fiction!

December 05, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Historical Fiction!

A year's worth of historical fiction steeped in relevance.

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December 05, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, historical fiction, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 04, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Debut Fiction!

December 04, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Debut Fiction!

Debut fiction is a strong indicator of the general health of a literary year.

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December 04, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, debut novels, Stevereads, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
December 03, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Works in Translation!

December 03, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Works in Translation!

The yardstick here is not solely accuracy of translation, but the worth of the English-language results.

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December 03, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, Stevereads, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue, translations
December 02, 2018

The Best Books of 2018: Kids and Young Adult

December 02, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
The Best Books of 2018: Kids and Young Adult

The pure has been sifted from the pandering and here are the gems I found!

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December 02, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
children's books, kidlit, Stevereads, Best of 2018, Best of Lists, Young Adult Fiction
December 01, 2018

Best Books of 2018: Reprints!

December 01, 2018/ Steve Donoghue
Best Books of 2018: Reprints!

2018 presented a bracing variety of enterprising reprints.

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December 01, 2018/ Steve Donoghue/
Stevereads
Best of 2018, reprints, Stevereads, e. e. cummings, One Hundred Poets One Poem Each, James Wood, Wanderer, Sterling Hayden, John Kretschmer, True Grit, Charles Portis, The Books of Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin, Silent Spring and Other Writings, Rachel Carson, Green Mansions, WH Hudson, William Bolitho, Pauli Murray, Best of Lists, Steve Donoghue
November 30, 2018

In Search of the Canary Tree by Lauren E. Oakes

November 30, 2018/ Olive Fellows
In Search of the Canary Tree by Lauren E. Oakes

Oakes takes us along as she and her team fight the damp and cold of the Alaskan wilderness to gather data.

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November 30, 2018/ Olive Fellows/
Science/Technology, Animals & Nature
Lauren E. Oakes, Basic Books, science, environmental science, environment, global warming, nature, Olive Fellows
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Editors:

Steve Donoghue
Sam Sacks
Britta Böhler
____________________

Eric Karl Anderson
Olive Fellows
Jack Hanson
Jennifer Helinek
Justin Hickey
Hannah Joyner
Zach Rabiroff
Jessica Tvordi

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