1. Talmage Boston’s review of The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks (Random House). “In his new book, Brooks elevates this assemblage/distillation process to new heights as he gleans the most important thoughts from some of history’s leading philosophers and theologians, and combines them with lessons learned from his own life, resulting in 300+ pages that will likely cause legions of readers to reassess how they want to spend the rest of their days.”


2. The 2019 Washington Writers Conference. Readers pored over the agent listings, schedule of events, panelist bios, and every other relevant bit of info ahead of next Saturday’s big event. And just in the nick of time, too: Registration maxed out weeks ago. (Missed your chance to attend this year? We’ll see you in 2020!)


3. “Short Stories Are Out of Style” by Tara Laskowski. “It’s sad to think today of poor, misguided Kelly Link, who has wasted so much of her life publishing three short-story collections and editing even more story anthologies. Surely it was just a gesture of pity that the MacArthur Foundation threw a fellowship (aka ‘Genius’ Grant) her way to make her feel better about trying to revitalize such an antiquated writing technique. Or Nafissa Thompson-Spires, whose collection Heads of the Colored People just won the PEN/Open Book Award.”


4. Michael McCarthy’s review of Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog by Dave Barry (Simon & Schuster). “That Barry would write a book he’d usually spoof is a minor miracle in itself. Skeptics might think the man who finds nothing sacred — much less literary life coaches — wouldn’t be able to walk the tightrope between spleen jokes and heartfelt insights about aging, family, and happiness. But Barry pulls it off. His book is a little gem. While he manages to convey eight lessons along the way, the Pulitzer Prize winner also crafts a series of essays that, for the first time, reveal emotional depth to the man with the prankster pen. Lucy, meanwhile, falls into a familial routine.”


5. Patricia Schultheis’ review of The Night Tiger: A Novel by Yangsze Choo (Flatiron Books). “The Night Tiger is a galloping good read that’s blessedly free of political polemics and post-colonial self-righteousness. Instead, what author Yangsze Choo has given readers is a darn good yarn replete with shape-shifting tigers, severed fingers, complex sibling bonds, an evil stepparent, vivid dreamscapes, thwarted love, a psychopathic serial killer, poison, and grave-robbing.”

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