The
Reading Notes

DISCOVERIES, OBSESSIONS,
AND THE OCCASIONAL
STRONGLY HELD OPINION

This is where we talk about books the way we actually talk about books. No rankings, no algorithms. Just what’s good.

  • National Book Awards – Longlist Picks for Poetry

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  • Collage of eleven Halloween picture book and chapter book covers on an orange background with illustrated bats, with the title "Halloween Books for Young Readers."

    Slightly Spooky: Halloween Books for Young Readers

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  • The ten book covers longlisted for the 2026 National Book Award for Translated Literature, arranged over a vintage landscape illustration

    National Book Awards – Longlist Picks for Translated Literature

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  • Cover collage titled 'Dark Tales for Hispanic Heritage Month' featuring 15 horror and gothic novels by Latin American and Latine authors, on a dark leather background with a faded portrait.

    Dark Tales for Hispanic Heritage Month

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  • Collage of Book Covers that were released the Week of April 28, 2026

    New Release Radar – April 28, 2026

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  • Collage of 18 book covers featuring new title releases of the week of April 21, 2026

    New Release Radar – April 21, 2026

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  • New Release Radar – April 14, 2026

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  • A grid of roughly 20 book covers displayed in three rows against a muted watercolor background in blues, greens, and grays. Titles visible include: My Dreadful Body by Egana Djabbarova; The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb; Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines by Willow Winsham; Ruins, Child by Giada Scodellaro; My Documents by Kevin Nguyen; Lives of the Saints by Nancy Lemann; Like This, But Funnier by Hallie Cantor; The Penguin Book of the International Short Story edited by Rabih Alameddine and John Freeman; Day Care by Nora Lange; The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon; Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han; The Witch by Marie NDiaye; Hexes of the Deadwood Forest by Agnieszka Szpila; Love & Other Monsters by Emily Franklin; London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe; Perspective(s) by Laurent Binet; Ghost Roots by Pemi Aguda; and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

    New Release Radar – April 7, 2026

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