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Open Letters Review

Open Letters Review

An Arts & Literature Review

Open Letters Review

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January 07, 2019

In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin

January 07, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin

John Rebus retired a few books ago, but he has a way of turning up.

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January 07, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Fiction-Crime & Thrillers
Ian Rankin, police procedural, detective fiction, Little Brown and Company, Steve Donoghue
January 04, 2019

The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King by Jerome Charyn

January 04, 2019/ Steve Donoghue
The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King by Jerome Charyn

This historical novel portrays Roosevelt as a crime fighter and features his mountain lion Josephine.

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January 04, 2019/ Steve Donoghue/
Historical Fiction
Jerome Charyn, Liveright, WW Norton, Theodore Roosevelt, historical fiction, Steve Donoghue
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
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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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