Jami Attenberg's work has appeared in Salon, Nylon, Print, Pindeldyboz, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Time Out New York. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
There's Going to Be Trouble (2024) Jen Silverman "What a juicy and spirited novel Jen Silverman has given us! There's Going to Be Trouble is crackling with excitement and written with great verve and flair. . . . Truly a dazzling reading experience."
The Last Verse (2024) Caroline Frost "I loved all the twists and turns in Caroline Frost's gripping exploration of what it means to be an artist, and a woman, and the intersection between the two. And the thought and care that went into the rich backdrop of the 1970s Nashville music scene was no small feat. The Last Verse is a hugely satisfying, cleverly layered, addictive read."
The Fetishist (2024) Katherine Min "The Fetishist is lit from the very first page with a wicked, crackling, hilarious intensity. The subject is provocative, the writing is flush with elegance and intelligence. I finished this book and immediately wanted to talk about it with someone. It's a fire-starter of a novel."
The Weeds (2023) Katy Simpson Smith "Intricately written, combining lush prose, deep insights, and a wicked sense of humor, The Weeds is an irresistible reading experience. Katy Simpson Smith is a wholly original voice with talent to spare."
Blue Hunger (2023) Viola di Grado "To read Blue Hunger is to enter a dreamlike state, guided by irresistible, evocative writing, immaculate details, and vivid emotions dripping with desire. Viola Di Grado offers us a brilliant, highly immersive story about the need to consume and be consumed, love, messiness, and the power of language. Blue Hunger is a wholly compelling piece of art, and Viola Di Grado is a genius."
A Minor Chorus (2022) Billy-Ray Belcourt "An absolutely dazzling confluence of big ideas and raw emotions, told in Billy-Ray Belcourt's singular poetic voice. A Minor Chorus is about loving, questioning, and fighting for your life, and it's as compelling a debut novel as I've read in years."
The Old Place (2022) Bobby Finger "Bobby Finger's The Old Place is a wryly funny, bittersweet, emotionally generous novel. I missed the characters so much when it was over, and wished I could read another book about them all. It's a heck of a debut."
The Women Could Fly (2022) Megan Giddings "The Women Could Fly is one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling books I've read in years. It's wildly imaginative, funny, deep, radical, and full of suspense - I read it in one giant gulp of pleasure. Megan Giddings is truly a remarkable writer."
Cyclorama (2022) Adam Langer "I tore through Adam Langer's Cyclorama in a weekend. It's compelling, heartfelt, has immaculate pacing, and the characters feel real and important. Truly a rewarding reading experience."
The Work Wife (2022) Alison B Hart "Written with great verve and flair, The Work Wife is a fascinating look at the sacrifices, challenges, and choices of three complicated women intertwined with a Hollywood mogul. A rewarding read, deeply satisfying from start to finish, this is truly one heck of a debut from Alison B. Hart."
Dele Weds Destiny (2022) Tomi Obaro "Tomi Obaro has given us a wonderful novel full of richly-drawn, complicated, nuanced characters all trying to love and connect with each other. An ode to the bonds of friendship across decades, Dele Weds Destiny is a marvelous debut."
Body Grammar (2022) Jules Ohman "Body Grammar is gorgeously written; it's chic, vivid, and glittering. It's also sticky with big truths and stinging heartaches. Jules Ohman is a real talent."
The Very Nice Box (2021) Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman "A quirky, deeply satisfying, whip-smart debut that critiques corporate culture and male entitlement while also offering a heartfelt look at how to work through grief. Meticulously constructed and truly original—I inhaled it."
The Woman in the Purple Skirt (2021) Natsuko Imamura "I tore through this novel. Grippingly and intimately told, with prose as tight as a wire, The Woman in the Purple Skirt is a quick and powerful jab to the heart."
Revival Season (2021) Monica West "Monica West has given us a riveting tale full of deep wells of compassion even as it tangles with the complexities and flaws of this troubled Southern family. Compact, suspenseful, and written with incredible elegance, Revival Season is a highly rewarding, utterly original read -- one of my favorite debuts of the year."
Cheat Day (2021) Liv Stratman "Sexy, witty and down-to-earth, Cheat Day tackles the truths about our modern occupations with wellness, relationships and what it means to be happy. What a pleasure it was to be introduced to the wholly original comic voice of Liv Stratman in this engaging debut."
You Are Not What We Expected (2020) Sidura Ludwig "A gorgeous, highly visceral, deeply felt collection of linked stories about how families work — and don’t work — together. The Levine family is unforgettable."
The Lost Family (2018) Jenna Blum "Deftly executed, deeply moving, and full of heart, Jenna Blum’s The Lost Family is an evocative look at the legacy of war and how it impacts one memorable family."
Convenience Store Woman (2018) Sayaka Murata "What a weird and wonderful and deeply satisfying book this is. Sayaka Murata is an utterly unique and revolutionary voice. I tore through Convenience Store Woman with great delight."
Stray City (2018) Chelsey Johnson "Written with wit and sensitivity and exquisite emotional intelligence, Stray City is an absolute pleasure to read. Chelsey Johnson is one of the most refreshing new voices in literature."
Oliver Loving (2018) Stefan Merrill Block "Stefan Block's profound third novel, Oliver Loving, is intricately constructed and rich with devastating, gorgeous prose. But it is the author's rare and special sense of empathy -- felt so deeply in every moment -- which elevates this novel to a breathtaking place."
The Talented Ribkins (2017) Ladee Hubbard "What a pleasure it was to take a road trip with The Talented Ribkins, a simultaneously gifted and flawed family, sharp-witted but prone to making utterly human errors. Ladee Hubbard has given us a fresh and original debut novel."
Made for Love (2017) Alissa Nutting "Alissa Nutting's Made for Love is bizarre and vivid and unexpected and wickedly funny. I promise you will enjoy the ride."
Pretend I'm Dead (2015) Jen Beagin "Jen Beagin has one of the freshest voices I've read in years - funny, wise, whip-smart and compassionate. I tore through Pretend I'm Dead with a deep sense of affection for all of its beautifully flawed characters and their bittersweet lives."
