1. Mike Maggio’s review of The Qur’an: A Verse Translation by M.A.R. Habib and Bruce B. Lawrence (Liveright). “Translation is a tricky business. Not only do translators need to get the words right, they also need to convey the linguistic, cultural, and often historical context of the original text. A single word or phrase may translate nicely into the target language but, in the original, have numerous connotations pertinent to the intent…Witness, then, The Qur’an: A Verse Translation, by M.A.R. Habib and Bruce B. Lawrence. Habib, a professor of English at Rutgers, and Lawrence, professor emeritus of religion at Duke and adjunct professor at Ibn Haldun University in Turkey, spent 10 years collaborating on the most difficult of tasks: translating into English not only what is the basis of one of the world’s great religions but what is also considered the quintessential written example of the Arabic language.”


2. Alice Stephens’ review of Mr. and Mrs. American Pie: A Novel by Juliet McDaniel (Inkshares). “The plot hums along as Maxine and Robert get married right after he is picked up in a raid at a gay bar, and they head for Palm Springs to enter the pageant with Charles and Dawn — whose mother has conveniently abandoned them to join her minor-league-baseball-playing boyfriend on the road — posing as their children. It turns out that ex-husband Douglas is a judge in the pageant, which only makes Maxine more determined than ever to snag that crown, if only she can get her ersatz family, and herself, to behave.”


3. “The 2024 Washington Writers Conference Literary Agents.” Whether you’re pitching a romantasy, YA series, novel-in-stories, nonfiction project, or something else entirely, the 20+ agents attending this year’s conference will be eager to hear about it!


4. John P. Loonam’s review of The Vanishing of Carolyn Wells: Investigations into a Forgotten Mystery Author by Rebecca Rego Barry (Post Hill Press). “And whatever one thinks of her writing, Wells was a fascinating person. Born in Rahway, New Jersey, she carved out a thriving career in a world that was never favorable to women in any profession. She became friends with Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Edison’s family. She socialized with Mark Twain, Winslow Homer, and Rudyard Kipling. Starting out as a librarian, Wells ended her life as a formidable book collector, a Manhattan socialite, and a famous novelist.”


5. Gretchen Lida’s review of It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir by Rex Chapman with Seth Davis (Simon & Schuster). “Chapman, though, ever the happy warrior, remains active on it, even if many of his tweets are understandably angry. His rage at the complicity of Kentucky’s senior senator, Mitch McConnell, in the opioid epidemic crackles online and in these pages. When Chapman is invited to speak at the White House by President Donald Trump, he flat-out refuses. Admittedly, his progressive ideals and willingness to call out racial injustice will rankle many in his home state and elsewhere. But his earnestness in addressing polarizing topics is refreshing.”

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