Raps of Resistance: How Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Reignited a Hip-Hop Tradition
By Jeremy C. McCool and Earl Hopkins
A persuasive case for the primacy of two singular artists.
We came, we read, we gushed.
A Terrible Intimacy: Interracial Life in the Slaveholding South
By Melvin Patrick Ely
The boundaries between the enslaved and the free were blurry but never invisible.
Vanishing Maps: A Novel
By Cristina García
An intricate, rewarding portrait of a globe-spanning, multigenerational family.
A look at what’s steaming up the shelves this month.
The Say So: A Novel
By Julia Franks
Women confront unplanned pregnancies in this affecting dual-timeline tale.
Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future
By Gloria Dickie
What Goldilocks got wrong about the world’s fiercest land predator.
An occasional series in which writers speak for themselves.
We came, we read, we gushed. Here’s a recap of the titles that left us especially warm and swoony last month.
The Devil’s Playground: A Novel
By Craig Russell
A propulsive, eerie tale set during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
We love every piece we run. There are no winners or losers. But all kidding aside, here are July’s winners.
