The fiction we admired most in 2018 ran the proverbial gamut from thought-provoking surrealism to evocative realism. Some illuminated the present day or recent past, while others ventured into much more uncharted territory. Some took us to unimaginable psyches; others showcased how ordinary people dealt with the extraordinary. Here’s a look at ten of our favorite works of fiction this year.
In our morning reading: interviews with Glory Edim and Laura van den Berg, how venues shape music, and more.
In our morning reading: an interview with Donald Quist, reviews of new books by Chaya Bhuvaneswar and Jamie Iredell, and more.
In our morning reading: interviews with Patrick deWitt and Thalia Zedek, an excerpt from a newly-translated book by Esther Kinsky, and more.
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Bill Cunningham’s memoir, new fiction by Laura van den Berg, and more.
Eleanor Kriseman’s new novel The Blurry Years traces the coming of age of a young woman named Callie as she travels across the country and comes to understand herself. Laura van den Berg’s new novel The Third Hotel centers around Clare, who discovers her apparently dead husband walking around while visiting Havana for a film festival. These novels share a detailed approach to place; they also utilize absence in fascinating ways. I talked with both writers over the course of […]
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on books by Sjón and Laura van den Berg, a playlist from Seth Greenland, and more.
In our morning reading: thoughts on Laura van den Berg’s new novel, Jennifer Hodgson on the works of Ann Quin, and more.