Mary Jo Bang's A DOLL FOR THROWING, Paul Yoon's THE MOUNTAIN, And Matthew Zapruder's WHY POETRY In Stores Today

Mary Jo Bang's new collection A DOLL FOR THROWING (Graywolf Press), Paul Yoon's new collection THE MOUNTAIN (Simon and Schuster), and Matthew Zapruder's new book WHY POETRY (Ecco) are out today. They've all been receiving fabulous early reviews:

A DOLL FOR THROWING

"Bang’s impeccable collection reads as a “circular mirror of the social order,” reflecting the historicity of our current moment with wit, subtlety, and grace." - Publishers Weekly

THE MOUNTAIN

“This is a genuine work of art, a shadowland of survivors that is tough and elegant and true. And beautiful.” – The Boston Globe

WHY POETRY

"I suspect he [Zapruder] is a terrific teacher. His readings of poems are subtle and convincing. I found myself thinking, “Gosh, I never saw that obvious thing in quite that way before,” many times during my reading, which is precisely what should happen when reading about literature: We are humbled by its operations on our own minds and the need for others to read with us.” - The New York Times Book Review

Akhil Sharma's A LIFE OF ADVENTURE AND DELIGHT Hits Shelves Today

Akhil Sharma's new collection, A LIFE OF ADVENTURE AND DELIGHT is out today from W. W. Norton. It's been getting wonderful early reviews:

The stories in Akhil Sharma’s A Life of Adventure and Delight sweep across the page like monsoons―filled with energy, chaos, surprise, and rapture, they ravish and transform the very nature of reading. — Adam Johnson

One reads Akhil Sharma’s stories as one might watch waves approach the shore on which one stands, understanding that something unseen and powerful is driving them. The waves and the stories are beautiful, deceptively simple, and potentially dangerous. —Viet Thanh Nguyen

There’s a great duality to these stories: simple, but complex, funny enough to laugh out loud at, but emotionally devastating, foreign, yet familiar. What an exciting and original writer this is, and what a knock-out collection. — David Sedaris

Readers wade into these stories as though stepping into a calm river only to be caught by the undercurrent of the most devastating kind―the demand of everyday existence. Akhil Sharma’s words touch the deep experience that often remains wordless. He is truly the Chekhov of our time. — Yiyun Li

Victoria Redel's BEFORE EVERYTHING Out Today

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Victoria Redel's new novel, BEFORE EVERYTHING is out today from Viking. It's been receiving some great advance praise:

“Redel has crafted a lyrical ode to female friendship, proving that bonds can somehow be made of iron and elastic, sometimes strong and sometimes frail. She fleshes out the five main characters admirably for such a short book, linking each of their most vulnerable memories to their shared crisis. Fans of Anne Tyler and Jennifer Close will adore this warmhearted and clear-eyed novel.” —Booklist (Starred Review)

Gorgeous, a heartbreaker, a non-stop dazzler, a major achievement. Thank you, Victoria Redel. — Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Hours

Victoria Redel bears witness to a remarkable group of women, effortlessly weaving back and forth through time, each thread revealing the cracks and secrets of their complex lives, while also drawing them closer. . . . Redel proves that female friendship is the quiet, steady engine that truly runs the world. — Hannah Tinti, author of The Good Thief

Before Everything is, well, everything you want a novel about life, death, and friendship to be—smart, moving, sweeping, poetic, stinging, just beautiful. I loved these women (and their men) and this elegy to their long-reaching bonds. — Dani Shapiro, author of Still Writing

Before Everything is a riveting, timely story that explores the unsettlingly beautiful, emotionally charged landscape that is revealed when old friends embrace what they have never before admitted: the limits of mortality and the boundlessness of friendship. — Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being