What do you think?
Rate this book
The Algonquin Reader: Spring 2020
Get an inside look at Algonquin’s outstanding forthcoming fiction with the Spring/Summer 2020 Algonquin Reader . Discover the inspiration behind each book through an original essay by the author. Then enjoy an excerpt from each novel or short story collection. The books featured in this issue
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
On Sale April 2020
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
On Sale March 2020
Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle
On Sale June 2020
The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell
On Sale June 2020
The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson
On Sale July 2020
A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
On Sale August 2020
With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
On Sale August 2020
Cover illustration by Curtis Parker.
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
On Sale April 2020
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
On Sale March 2020
Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle
On Sale June 2020
The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell
On Sale June 2020
The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson
On Sale July 2020
A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
On Sale August 2020
With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
On Sale August 2020
Cover illustration by Curtis Parker.
56 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2020
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 29, 2020
The Algonquin Readers offer a tasty way to preview upcoming fiction, and the latest issue is a treat. Excerpts from select authors plus an essay by each makes this a must-have literary read. Topped off by that cover illustration by Curtis Parker ... gorgeous!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 26 May 2020
Thanks to the authors, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TheAlgonquinReaderSpring2020 #NetGalley
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 26 May 2020
Thanks to the authors, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TheAlgonquinReaderSpring2020 #NetGalley
September 18, 2020
“There are books now I come home to, books that speak to that deep place in me, books in which the rhythm of the language sounds exquisitely familiar, if more beautifully articulated than I could ever manage. For most of my life I have lived there, in these books…”
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This edition of the The Algonquin Reader contains excerpts for some upcoming publications for 2020 in the United States from seven authors. To be honest, most of the names are not familiar to me, but I was drawn to this publication because I felt there was a variety of themes and representation among the upcoming titles.
A plus from this edition was that there were brief essays from the authors before each excerpt, which provided more context to the text and furthermore –it gave us the opportunity for a more personal approach to the authors. I was particularly touched by the essays of Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Shruti Swamy and Caroline Leavitt –mainly because of the approach of the first two to the immigrant experience in the United States, and from Leavitt, because her premise sounds extraordinary: what happens to people after waking up from a coma? The idea is both interesting and scary at the same time.
Nguyễn Phan is a Vietnamese author writing in English for the first time about her experience –something outstanding in my opinion – while Swamy is an author born in the US to Indian parents and in her essay, she addresses her desire to fit in a country that values whiteness way too much. I believe both texts are very promising and I am interested in checking out their upcoming titles.
Overall, this introduction is a preview to some interesting books to be published in the upcoming months and that will offer room for thought and discussion. The only thing that I would have liked more is for the essays to be a bit longer, because I did enjoy them very much!
April 28, 2020
Rating: 5 stars
Who doesn’t like early access to the newest books soon to be published by Algonquin Books? This is their Spring 2020 ‘reader’ issue. It features opening essays by the authors, and small excerpts from each book listed below. I do so enjoy getting a jump on adding these books to my TBR pile. I think the ones that I’m most interested in reading first are the books by Julia Alvarez, Jill McCorkle and Caroline Leavitt. I especially enjoyed Julia Alvarez’ essay about how her focus her new book, “Afterlife” differed from her earlier works.
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
On Sale April 2020
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
On Sale March 2020
Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle
On Sale June 2020
The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell
On Sale June 2020
The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson
On Sale July 2020
A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
On Sale August 2020
With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
On Sale August 2020
‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; and the publisher, Algonquin Books for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Who doesn’t like early access to the newest books soon to be published by Algonquin Books? This is their Spring 2020 ‘reader’ issue. It features opening essays by the authors, and small excerpts from each book listed below. I do so enjoy getting a jump on adding these books to my TBR pile. I think the ones that I’m most interested in reading first are the books by Julia Alvarez, Jill McCorkle and Caroline Leavitt. I especially enjoyed Julia Alvarez’ essay about how her focus her new book, “Afterlife” differed from her earlier works.
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
On Sale April 2020
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
On Sale March 2020
Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle
On Sale June 2020
The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell
On Sale June 2020
The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson
On Sale July 2020
A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
On Sale August 2020
With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
On Sale August 2020
‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; and the publisher, Algonquin Books for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2020
THE ALGONQUIN READER is a literary fiction magazine. I received an ARC (Advance Review Copy) of the SPRING/SUMMER 2020 issue.
In this issue, a selection of authors who have books being published between March and August of 2020, each wrote an essay and include an excerpt from their upcoming book.
The first author to be included was Julia Alvarez whose book AFTERLIFE was published in April of 2020. Her essay speaks of the evolution of her writing style as well as her writing routine. The excerpt from AFTERLIFE had the intended effect on me, as I have now added it to the list of books I want to read this year.
.
Next up was the incredibly talented author of THE MOUNTAINS SING – Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. In her essay titled “Climbing Many Mountains,” she writes about her life in Vietnam and how winning a writing competition at the age of ten, which she had secretly entered, led her to spend her teen years talking to relatives and elders about their lives. This inquisitiveness (unknownst to her at the time) was the beginning of her research for THE MOUNTAINS SING. Also included is an excerpt from her amazing book which I have already read and will be reviewing soon. She ends her essay with the following quote:
“I hope the story of Huóng and Diêu Lan helps international readers discover our common humanity, as in the words of Huóng: ‘Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth.'”
The third included author is JILL McCORKLE whose book: HIEROGLYPHICS is due for release in June. Her book is based around two historic tragedies, a train derailment in 1941 and a nightclub fire in 1942. At the conclusion of her essay, author Jill McCorkle states:
“My hope is that the readers of Hieroglyphics will be entertained by these characters and their lives, but I also hope it will lead them to think of various fragments and images from their own lives and to experience the oldest and purest form of time travel – memory.”
I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. The essay, as well as the excerpt included in the Spring issue of THE ALGONQUIN READER has succeeded in piqueing my interest.
THE FALLING WOMAN by Richard Farrell is a tale of suspense. A plane crashes and the sole survivor is a woman, and the story is about her, as well as the young agent whose job it is to find her. THE FALLING WOMAN is being released in June. In his essay, author Richard Farrell says:
“We all are haunted by something – something we did or didn’t do – and the passing years either add to the weight or diminish it.”
I agree and identify wholeheartedly with this quote.
The final three books highlighted in the Spring 2020 Issue of THE ALGONQUIN READER are:
1. The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson which hits bookstore shelves in July of 2020.
2. A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
is set for release in August of 2020
and
3. With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt which goes on sale August 2020.
Out of all the books highlighted, I most want to get my hands on a copy of AFTERLIFE by Julia Alvarez.
I rate the Spring 2020 Issue of THE ALGONQUIN READER as a hearty 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book.*
In this issue, a selection of authors who have books being published between March and August of 2020, each wrote an essay and include an excerpt from their upcoming book.
The first author to be included was Julia Alvarez whose book AFTERLIFE was published in April of 2020. Her essay speaks of the evolution of her writing style as well as her writing routine. The excerpt from AFTERLIFE had the intended effect on me, as I have now added it to the list of books I want to read this year.
.
Next up was the incredibly talented author of THE MOUNTAINS SING – Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. In her essay titled “Climbing Many Mountains,” she writes about her life in Vietnam and how winning a writing competition at the age of ten, which she had secretly entered, led her to spend her teen years talking to relatives and elders about their lives. This inquisitiveness (unknownst to her at the time) was the beginning of her research for THE MOUNTAINS SING. Also included is an excerpt from her amazing book which I have already read and will be reviewing soon. She ends her essay with the following quote:
“I hope the story of Huóng and Diêu Lan helps international readers discover our common humanity, as in the words of Huóng: ‘Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth.'”
The third included author is JILL McCORKLE whose book: HIEROGLYPHICS is due for release in June. Her book is based around two historic tragedies, a train derailment in 1941 and a nightclub fire in 1942. At the conclusion of her essay, author Jill McCorkle states:
“My hope is that the readers of Hieroglyphics will be entertained by these characters and their lives, but I also hope it will lead them to think of various fragments and images from their own lives and to experience the oldest and purest form of time travel – memory.”
I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. The essay, as well as the excerpt included in the Spring issue of THE ALGONQUIN READER has succeeded in piqueing my interest.
THE FALLING WOMAN by Richard Farrell is a tale of suspense. A plane crashes and the sole survivor is a woman, and the story is about her, as well as the young agent whose job it is to find her. THE FALLING WOMAN is being released in June. In his essay, author Richard Farrell says:
“We all are haunted by something – something we did or didn’t do – and the passing years either add to the weight or diminish it.”
I agree and identify wholeheartedly with this quote.
The final three books highlighted in the Spring 2020 Issue of THE ALGONQUIN READER are:
1. The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson which hits bookstore shelves in July of 2020.
2. A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy
is set for release in August of 2020
and
3. With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt which goes on sale August 2020.
Out of all the books highlighted, I most want to get my hands on a copy of AFTERLIFE by Julia Alvarez.
I rate the Spring 2020 Issue of THE ALGONQUIN READER as a hearty 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book.*
April 28, 2020
Let me start this review by sharing how much I am in awe of the Algonquin Books publications. They confidently support #ownvoice authors and help readers in understanding foreign countries, their cultures much better.
The Algonquin Reader provides excerpts of these publications:
* Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
* The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
* Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle
* The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell
* The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson
* A House Is A Body by Shruti Swamy
* With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
What made this collection so special for me was that before each of these excerpts, I would find an essay by the corresponding author where s/he shared some background on the book. A bit of childhood experience or general thoughts on the course of writing the novel.
I have enjoyed reading all the essays and have received perfect inspiration for my upcoming book acquisitions. Thank you!
The Algonquin Reader provides excerpts of these publications:
* Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
* The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
* Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle
* The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell
* The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson
* A House Is A Body by Shruti Swamy
* With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
What made this collection so special for me was that before each of these excerpts, I would find an essay by the corresponding author where s/he shared some background on the book. A bit of childhood experience or general thoughts on the course of writing the novel.
I have enjoyed reading all the essays and have received perfect inspiration for my upcoming book acquisitions. Thank you!
April 27, 2020
This book is such a cool way to endorse and showcase some up and coming novels! Algonquin Books put together this mini-anthology that features 7 authors with original essays about the inspiration behind their new books AND a sneak peek at an excerpt from the book!
This was really fun to read. I often feel like the authors of books are some sort of alternate being who channeled their words onto paper through osmosis! But this book allowed those authors to be humanized and gave me a more heartfelt understanding of the 'why' behind the author's books and writing styles. I enjoyed reading about their experiences and how they played into their writing or steered them in completely different directions than they anticipated. The essays by these authors connected me to them and then presented me with their work in a very satisfying way.
Plus, I have 7 new books to add to my TBR!
This was really fun to read. I often feel like the authors of books are some sort of alternate being who channeled their words onto paper through osmosis! But this book allowed those authors to be humanized and gave me a more heartfelt understanding of the 'why' behind the author's books and writing styles. I enjoyed reading about their experiences and how they played into their writing or steered them in completely different directions than they anticipated. The essays by these authors connected me to them and then presented me with their work in a very satisfying way.
Plus, I have 7 new books to add to my TBR!
April 26, 2020
Thank you! I love this opportunity to read excerpts from brilliant authors with multiple essays, and getting a behind- the- scenes look on how it inspired each one of them. It is an absolute honor! I can not wait for Pub Day!
May 24, 2020
Thank you to Algonquin for sending this my way, along with the ARC I won. I had only heard of one of the books mentioned in here, but it was nice to get a taste of stories that I may not have picked up otherwise.
November 24, 2020
Thank you many times over for the privilege. What a delightful early inside look. #Algonquin Reader is always helpful!!🌟🐾🐾
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Algonquin for the advanced copy
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Algonquin for the advanced copy
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews