Author: Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Ellen Whitfield is senior publicist at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.  Interested in what's possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.

Nationally acclaimed Books Forward celebrates 25 years of rewriting the rules of book publicity

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Book marketing agency offers free author webinars, book promotion consultations

NEW ORLEANS — Book promotion, digital marketing and publicity leader Books Forward is organizing innovative celebrations throughout 2025 to mark a quarter-century of elevating authors and breaking barriers. Among other initiatives, Books Forward is empowering authors with 25 free publicity consultations and three live webinars filled with insightful and influential insider expertise.

Since 2000, Books Forward has represented more than 1,000 authors, from debut writers to New York Times bestsellers, achieving milestones like:

As a team of former journalists, publishing insiders and book influencers who value ethics and transparency, Books Forward helps authors navigate the ever-evolving publishing landscape. And as award-winning publicists, Books Forward specializes in bold, one-of-a-kind campaigns that break the mold and help authors accomplish their goals.

“We have always aimed to be a reliable and straightforward voice of integrity, which has become increasingly important to us in a growing age of AI and publishing scams,” said company President Marissa DeCuir. “Our team of driven publicists approach promotion with the mindset of not ‘Can we?’ but ‘How can we?’ because we think of our authors as part of our Books Forward Family.”

In 2025, Books Forward invites authors to three free webinars: 

  • “Ask a Publicist”: Get answers to all your book publicity, publishing and digital marketing questions from trusted experts and professionals who have been leading voices in book promotion for 25 years.
  • “How to Avoid Falling for Publishing Scams”: Learn to spot and avoid pitfalls like AI scams, fake agencies and predatory publishers from a team committed to transparency in the publishing and book marketing industries.
  • “Being Your Publisher’s Best Partner”: Maximize opportunities and collaboration with your publisher’s in-house marketing teams from an agency of record for major publishing houses, university presses, hybrid publishers and small-press operations.

Authors interested in the chance to win a free book publicity strategy consultation or participate in the webinars can sign up to Books Forward’s newsletter to stay up to date on registration deadlines.

Books Forward is part of the JKS Communications brand, recognized as a top expert in book promotion and offering a full spectrum of author support. Having earned a reputation for innovative book marketing, transparent communication and proven results, Books Forward has been leading industry trends for decades by:

  • Becoming the first literary publicity agency to launch audiobook-focused publicity campaigns
  • Introducing an innovative, transparent system that enables authors to monitor their promotional campaign progress in real time 
  • Championing book bloggers and influencers by pioneering ARC distribution before it became an industry standard
  • Using video ads to promote books in cinemas, before the advent of social media
  • Coordinating taxi advertisements for books, before the creation of Uber and Lyft
  • Garnering attention from media and book industry insiders for hand-crafted interactive, book-themed mailers before influencer promo boxes became trendy
  • Developing press kits in accordance with journalists’ style — and breaking traditional PR rules — which has been consistently praised by the media
  • Being among the first book marketing firms to champion indie authors, including launching an independent publishing division via Books Fluent, which helps authors independently design and publish eye-catching, award-winning fiction and nonfiction while implementing traditional publishing standards.

“We are so proud of the quality of authors Books Forward and Books Fluent represent,” company founder Julie Schoerke said. “Their books have accumulated over 500 industry awards worldwide. And hundreds of our authors have achieved bestseller status regionally, nationally and across the globe. But more than their accolades, what impresses us the most is their dedication to telling their stories and influencing the lives of readers everywhere.”

A Day in the Life of an assistant marketing manager

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Bezi Yohannes (she/her), assistant marketing manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Bezi 

I work from the office two days a week, so this is a typical Tuesday when I go into the office! But of course, some weeks have more meetings, and some have less like any corporate job.

7:15 a.m.

Slowly get out of my cozy bed and make breakfast. I’m someone who definitely needs food in my stomach to start the day, but that doesn’t mean it has to be fancy. Usually whole wheat toast with sliced bananas and scrambled eggs does just fine.

7:30 a.m.

Do my morning journaling: a few sentences to set my intention for the day. I’m working on reducing my screen time in 2025, which can be tough when I work in marketing and I’m already chronically online for work and for fun. But journaling has helped me step away for longer periods of time while still feeling creative and productive, especially since I do a mix of regular daily journaling, scrapbooking, and junk journaling. 

8:15 a.m.

Leave to take the train to the office. Last year The New York Times ranked the B train as the train with the most delays relative to its number of trains and how frequently it runs (or is supposed to run). So it shouldn’t be surprising that once again, it’s delayed this morning. Fun!

9:10 a.m.

Arrive and get settled! Before I can really dive into my inbox, I have to open the packages that are waiting for me at my cubicle. These are a variety of physical promotional materials for my titles — stickers, postcards, etc. — and they need to be sorted and stored in our promo room.

9:45 a.m.

First “meetings” of the day, both about the marketing and publicity campaign for Oathbound, the third book in the Legendborn Cycle series by bestselling author Tracy Deonn (on sale March 4)! I visit the office of the publicist on the campaign to discuss a few updates and pass along materials, and I also swing by the office of the senior digital marketing manager to confirm the status of an influencer mailing. 

10:15 a.m.

Answer a variety of emails from authors, sales, and the corporate promotions team about my titles and campaigns. This includes reviewing campaign budgets and giving feedback on early designs for various social advertising graphics and upcoming promotional materials, such as a postcard for one of my summer titles, A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury (on sale July 29). I also place orders with the warehouse for any books I’ll need to send from the office.

Noon

Lunch break! My co-worker and I also run over to the T-Mobile location a few doors down from our office for a cute free umbrella.

12:30 p.m.

First scheduled meeting of the day with one of the senior managers on our team, where we talk about everything from work project updates to journaling tips! 

1:30 p.m.

Answering more emails! I also update my Notion with my completed tasks and project statuses; I’ve been using this for my own project management since my co-worker (the aforementioned senior manager) introduced me to it two years ago, and it is so useful and customizable; I can’t imagine my workflow without it.

2 p.m.

My second and last scheduled meeting of the day, with my boss. I always come with an outlined agenda of materials that need approval and project updates for us to discuss, and we also went over my fall 2025 marketing plans. Publishing can feel like a bit of a time warp when I’m working in spring 2025, summer 2025, and fall 2025 all at the same time. (And we just had a launch for our spring 2026 titles last week, which means in the next couple weeks I’ll also begin brainstorming for next year.)

3 p.m.

Write copy for upcoming promotional materials and social ads, and finalize the collation for an advance copy mailing of one of my summer titles, Letters to Misty by acclaimed principal dancer and bestselling author Misty Copeland (on sale May 6).

4 p.m.

More emails, this time mostly me following up to get information and/or feedback I requested before EOD. I use that to inform what can be completed today vs. moved to tomorrow’s to-do list.

5:15 p.m.

Log off and head home! The rush hour commute is always a journey.

6 p.m.

Get home, eat dinner, and watch a few episodes of a comfort rewatch to decompress.

8 p.m. 

End my evening junk journaling with some paper scraps and junk mail I’ve collected, as well as a bit of free-writing for a story idea. 

And that’s the end of my day!

Bezi Yohannes is a content creator, writer, and marketer, and she currently works as assistant marketing manager for Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. After attending William & Mar  for undergrad, she received her master’s from Georgetown University and her graduate certification in publishing from Denver Publishing Institute. She has been featured on Goodreads Spotlight, NetGalley’s “20 Black Women To Follow on Bookstagram,” and The Stripe’s “18 Cool Women in Publishing to Follow.” You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X @beingabookwyrm promoting new book releases by Black authors, discussing the latest fantasy adaptations, and re-watching her favorite early 2000s media.

A Day in the Life of a book cover designer

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Elisha Zepeda (he/him), a book cover designer with Penguin Press. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

9 a.m.

Wake up to Portland rain. Glance emails to see if I’m needed immediately — I avoid any screen time/social media in the morning, it’s a terrible way to start the day. If work isn’t urgent, I’ll usually read a few chapters of a book in bed.

9:30 a.m.

Make coffee. I drink decaf because I don’t like caffeine jitters. Make my breakfast burrito and pastry, have some smoothie.

10 a.m . -noon

Start my Penguin work. Usually this entails designing a new cover for an upcoming book — sometimes I make just a handful of options, though I recently made 70 options for a single book.

Sometimes I’m tasked with building out a full mechanical (biz term for the jacket/sleeve that entails a spine, back, flaps). This is for a cover that’s already been approved, and now is ready to be delivered to our printers.

On days when my workload is low for Penguin, I’ll use this time to check my freelance email and do freelance work. I usually do 1-2 freelance books a month. This is typically my most focused work time. I think creatively I can only produce new ideas in a short period like this. Asking me to work for 8 hours straight on a design will just mean I give you 2 good hours until my brain turns to mush. I try to stare at a screen the least amount possible.

Noon

Sometimes a meeting. These are brief — limited to members of the imprint I’m with. Here we may discuss cover options, revisions, book cover alchemy, etc.

12:30 p.m.

Take a walk. Have to get outside or I feel like a corporate computer animal.

1 p.m.

Sometimes I’ll meet up with friends at a local cafe and we’ll co-work. Some of them also work remotely, some of them are grad students. It’s nice to briefly catch up, then get our busy work done. This is when I’ll do “busy work” stuff that is non-creative, like reply to freelance inquiries, or send out invoices.

3 p.m.

If I am busy, I’ll work out some more cover options for a few hours. Sometimes that means creating a moodboard. I have days where I’ll just browse Pinterest for hours to narrow down what this cover should look like. If my creative brain isn’t coming up with anything, I won’t force it. If I’m not busy I’ll take this time to do other creative hobbies. Or do household chores. Or run errands.

5 p.m.

Figure out the rest of my night — meeting with someone for dinner? Hanging out? Calling a family member? Who knows.

8 p.m.

My creative brain turns on at night, when it’s dark and quiet. I really enjoy making covers at this time, usually around 8 p.m.-1 a.m. I can’t really explain it but my mind is just more at ease, and I can access the “play” area of my creativity, so that design becomes something I’m doing for fun and doesn’t feel like a job. Throw on a podcast or album. Usually my designs come out much more inspired when my brain is in this state. I think as we get older we lose touch with playing for the sake of playing. Productivity is forced on us everywhere we turn, so if I can turn my job into enjoyment, I’d rather do it on my own terms/time, since my job allows for that.

The downside is of course, it being 11 p.m. and sacrificing a healthy sleep schedule. But luckily I can usually sleep in (remote work is amazing, I am very grateful). I think a lot of creatives relate to that night owl technique.

Elisha Zepeda is a book cover designer with Penguin Press. For a few years he worked with Faceout Studio. His process videos on Instagram and TikTok have earned him a virality in the publishing industry and among book/design lovers alike. This has led to many great career opportunities with authors, celebrities, and major companies so far in his short 3 year career — and has helped show the career of book cover design to a wide audience.

The first books he’s worked on with Penguin will hit major retailers this fall. Many others from his time with Faceout are available online. Check his website to stay updated.

Apart from books, Elisha stays busy between Oregon and California. Up in Oregon he plays and records music with friends around Portland and Bend. In California he frequently visits Orange County and the Central Coast where family lives.

Romance author recs if you hate romance novels

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

OK, no one yell at me: I’ve been off romance novels for the past year or so. 

I don’t know if it’s the state of the world or just a personal thing, but most times I read about people falling in love I start to roll my eyes. And they don’t deserve that! It’s frustrating. 

So I have (mostly) put them down for the time being. But there are certain authors that have yet to disappoint me. I’m still picking up their books, and thankfully they’ve all still worked for me.

 If you’re a certified romance hater, try one of these authors. You can thank me later.

Emily Henry 

My favorite is probably Happy Place because the writing really transports you to a Maine getaway state of mind, plus the cast of characters is unbeatable.

Alisha Rai 

I love her entire modern romance series, but Girl Gone Viral uses the bodyguard trope so well, and I loved watching the shy heroine come out of her shell.

Helen Hoang 

Her latest release, The Heart Principle, had me curled up weeping in several places, and I mean that as a compliment. An emotional, beautiful journey.

Alyssa Cole

My first by her is still my favorite: A Princess In Theory mixes emails from an African prince (no, really) with the prince and the pauper for amazing results.

Beth O’Leary

The combination of quirky characters, humor, and an all-around  imaginative setup makes The Flatshare my favorite romance book ever!

Sarah MacLean 

It has the classic stepback cover, and Wicked and the Wallflower also has fiercely passionate characters, a terrible plan and a fabulous setting in historical London.

Talia Hibbert

Grumpy + sarcastic is apparently a great combo, and if you don’t believe me, try Take A Hint, Dani Brown, and feel free to email me when you find out I was right.

Erica Ridley 

I’m obsessed with books about big families, especially big found families, and The Perks of Loving a Wallflower checks all those boxes, plus has a heist and a really thoughtful exploration of gender. 

 

A day in the life of a Maryland librarian

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. 

Today, we’re getting to know Hawa (she/her), librarian I in Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Hawa

While not included in the day outlined below, my week usually consists of at least one virtual meeting with librarians at other branches in my system, recording content for library social media and putting on programs for various age groups.

Wednesday, Feb, 5, 2025 

8 a.m.

I got to work a little early on this day, so to kill some time, I listened to an audiobook and did some coloring.

9 a.m.

I did what we call the “picklist,” which tells me which books we have on our shelves that library patrons have on hold, either at my location or another location. Once I find the items that are on the picklist, I use the handheld scanner to scan the barcode on the book, and the computer prints out a receipt telling me where the book is going. If the book is going to a different location, I put the items in a delivery bin. If not, I put them on the holds shelf. 

10 a.m.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the “late” days for my library system. On these days, the branches don’t open to the public until 12 p.m. and are open until 8 p.m. During the 10 a.m. hour, I was scheduled to do the opening procedures, which typically consists of turning on all the computers, bringing out the toys for the children’s area, checking the printer to see if it needs paper/ink and unlocking the bathrooms. 

11 a.m.

During this hour I was scheduled to shelve. Shelving is returning the books back to their spots on the shelf, usually after they’ve been returned by patrons or found in the wrong spot. My scheduled shelving time is one of the few moments throughout the week I get to read at work. In this case, it’s me listening to an audiobook so my hands are free to put the books back. 

Noon

As I mentioned before, the library opens at 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At this point in the day, the rest of the staff has arrived and we have gotten the building ready for patrons to come in. During this hour, I was scheduled to rove, which made me back-up for the people who were working on the front desk. Every so often, I walked around to see if there were any patrons who needed assistance. The first hour was pretty quiet so I didn’t have anyone to help.

1 p.m.

This was my first of two hours on the information desk for the day. Depending on how many people we have working on a given day we’ll each have between 2-4 hours on the information desk. This particular day, we were staffed pretty well so I didn’t have to spend as much time out there. While on the desk this hour, these are some things I helped patrons with: 

  • Looked up their library card number
  • Placed some items on hold for them
  • Showed them how to use the printer. 

2 p.m.

Lunch time! I prefer a late lunch so that by the time my lunch is over, I don’t have as much time left in my day. I got some Panera bread sent to my job. I ordered enough so that I could have leftovers and not be hungry before heading off to the author talk I attended later in the evening. 

3 p.m.

I had some time off of the desk so I used this hour to plan some upcoming programming for the library. We have to submit our programming two/three months ahead of time to allow for it to be placed on the calendar and for advertising. I do programming for all ages, but I have a special focus on teens. This week I submitted April programming including a Teen Game Night, our “Black Voices” book club and a Bibliobop Dance Party for the littles. 

4 p.m.

Another hour on the information desk!

5 p.m.

I’m off!

6 p.m. 

I head over to East City Bookshop to attend a book launch event for Kristina Forest (The Love Lyric) and Adriana Herrera (A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke). The event officially started at 7 p.m. and it was such a great time. I got to connect with other fellow book lovers and Bookstagrammers and even chatted with a bookseller who is in the same MLIS program I was in. This was my third bookish event of the year, and I’m looking forward to attending many more.

Hawa Jalloh is a dedicated librarian with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, where she’s passionate about fostering a love for reading. A 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland’s MLIS program, Hawa is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Beyond her work in libraries, she’s a vibrant presence on Bookstagram, where she shines a spotlight on Black-authored books. Follow her journey and discover her favorite reads on Instagram at @hawa.reads.

 

A day in the life of the creator of FictionMatters

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. Today, we’re getting to know Sara Hildreth (she/her), creator of FictionMatters. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A fairly typical Monday

I am lucky enough to work at home, for myself, and with books! Everyday looks a little bit different, but this is a fairly typical Monday. At the moment, I’m in the middle of several big projects, so my day includes a lot of upkeep work to keep these projects rolling.

7:30 

Wake up. My 3-year-old typically wakes up closer to 6 a.m. or 6:30 a.m., but today she slept in. What a gift! But also we have to get moving to get out the door in time for school. My husband and I tag team getting her dressed, making breakfast, and getting lunch and snack packed.

8:15 

My husband takes the kiddo to school while I clean the kitchen. Sometimes, I tune into a podcast while I clean, but I’ve been in the middle of an epic audiobook for over a month and I use this time to chip away at it.

8:35

Open my planner and go through my day and week. I use an undated planner and on Mondays I lay out the entire week, pull uncompleted tasks from last week into this week, and tentatively plan my social posts for the week. I don’t batch my posts (i.e. have a bunch of photos taken and posts ready to go) but I do like to think through what I’ll be sharing for the week so I can make sure to get them done. I aim to post on Instagram three to four times per week and I write three Substack newsletters each week. Once I have my ideas down, I set tasks for specific days as well as putting any personal goings on in my calendar.

9:00 

Read! When people hear that I read and review books for a living, they often ask if I spend all day reading, but it’s actually really challenging to make time for reading during my work day. Typically reading gets pushed to the evening and my days are spent with other tasks, but this year I’m trying to carve out more reading time during the day. I treat this reading like work, in the best way! I pull out my pencil and tabs, set a timer for 45 minutes, and settle in.

9:45 

I’m doing a brand refresh for FictionMatters and I have some new designs to look through. I love what my designer is doing so I don’t have much feedback, but I make some notes and work on editing my old website copy to be more in line with the work I’m doing now.

10:30

I’m in the midst of a big reading guide project and spend a couple hours writing book and category descriptions. This always stretches my creativity because when book descriptions are bound together in one PDF, it’s particularly important to keep them feeling fresh and innovative.

12:30 

I make myself some lunch at home and turn on the TV. I’m finally watching the cult documentary Love Has Won and it is wild.

1:00 

After I eat I spend time adding cover photos and publishing info to my new project. This is very tedious work, but essential to making a guide usable and beautiful. Often I do this kind of work in front of the TV, but after I finish one episode of Love Has Won, I tune back into my very long audiobook.

2:00 

It is Monday and I always put out a newsletter on Tuesday, so it is time to write! It’s January so for tomorrow’s newsletter I’m going to be sharing some of my reading intentions for 2025. I don’t expect this post to take too long to write, but I have more to say than I thought (often the case!) so I get about halfway through my post before it’s time to pick up my daughter from school.

2:45 – 5:30 

Leave to pick up the kiddo, come home, have a snack, play, hangout, all the mom stuff. 

5:30 – 7:00 

Eat dinner (my husband almost always cooks) and give the little one a bath (I’m on bath duty). My husband puts Louise to bed while I straighten the living room and put allll the toys away.

7:00 

Time to finish Tuesday’s newsletter. While I don’t love having to write in the evening, it’s common enough that I’m used to it and I’ve found that writing newsletters in two sittings is actually ideal. It gives my ideas time to percolate. Now I have even more to say and a clearer idea how I want to communicate my 2025 reading intentions. I finish the post, but I decide I’d like to look it over one more time before I send it. Rather than scheduling it to go out early in the morning, I save it. I’ll give it a once over and add photos in the morning after school dropoff and then send it.

8:00 

Sometimes I watch a show with my husband after bedtime, but it’s basketball season for him and summer reading guide prep season for me, so I disappear upstairs to take a bath and read a potential book for my annual Paperback Summer Reading Guide.

10:00

Bedtime! Hopefully we’ll get another late wake up out of the kiddo tomorrow, but just in case it’s another 6am wake up call, I turn in relatively early.

Prior to becoming a full-time reader and writer, Sara Hildreth earned her MA in English Literature from Georgetown University and spent six years teaching English at an all-girls high school. As a teacher and academic, Sara appreciates the legacy of classic literature and loves dense literary fiction that gives her that scholarly feel. In particular, she loves books with intricate structures, complicated characters, and discussable themes.

A day in the life of the editor in chief of Foreword Reviews

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and we’re one of the ways we’re celebrating is byshowcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love. Today, we’re getting to know Michelle Anne Schingler (she/her), editor in chief of Foreword Reviews. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A Standard Submissions Deadline Monday

8 a.m.

Wake with lines of books still floating in my head. Fifteen-ish minutes scrolling the internet to catch up on the news and perhaps some salacious Bravo-related gossip (It’s not a guilty pleasure if you feel no guilt!). First cup of earl grey for the caffeine. 

8:45

Short drive to the office across Northern Michigan’s snow-covered landscape, remembering wistfully more verdant days. Listening to favorite songs (still on CD!) for an additional wake-up.

9ish

Arrival at the office. Carry straggler books from Friday’s mail up to the office. Lights on, appreciation of the view.

9-9:45

Email catch-up (not much, as I also caught up last night!): filing submissions, responding to clients and colleagues, deleting junk mail, adding reviews to the system, assigning requested titles out. 

9:45-lunch

First edits for Clarion reviews; sending some back for clarifications, sending some on to the copy editor. 

Lunchtime

At my desk — the view is too much to resist! 

Early afternoon

File incoming books. Some are checked in and assigned out; others are placed on the awaiting selections shelf, which we revisit in depth every two months (this week is the week!). For new submissions, this is my second chance to “meet” books (I also open my mail for the benefit of initial impressions) by reading their blurbs and consuming a few pages before they’re stacked. 

1:30 p.m.

Return to editing — Clarion and magazine reviews this week. Sending completed reviews off to customers or publicists and letting my team know how they ranked and that they’re out the door. 

3:05

Revisit email. One response to feedback on a review, letting a customer know that we cannot alter a reviewer’s opinion or language. Another response to a colleague asking about a review in process. Editing department facilitation. “Thanks” sent to a colleague who passed a reviewer-related email on. Once all is complete: return to editing. 

4:15

preliminary selections for an upcoming issue — reading through submissions (beginning with their publication dates, moving on to their tip sheet descriptions, and then reading portions of the books themselves) and imagining where they might fit in the next issue — and who on our extensive freelancer staff is best suited to review them. Slowly begin filling out of our magazine planner — a week-plus process each time. Tomorrow, I know, will be mostly this work! Quite exciting. 

6:30

(Longer days for submissions weeks! It’s hard to stop meeting books once you start)

Head out the door for team trivia. 

10:30

A bit of a magazine book before bed (perhaps preceded by indulgence in Bravo). 

Now the editor in chief of Foreword Reviews — in charge of managing reviewers and curating selections for the magazine — Michelle got her start in libraries, reviewing books on the side. Though both may be considered atypical uses of a divinity degree, she found books to be her calling. She lives in Traverse City, Michigan, with her husband (an amazing chef), three unusual cats, and one quintessential chiweenie. 

Booklist for fans of Severance

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Severance is back! We’re so excited, and so … nervous. If you’re the kind of person who can’t get enough of that mysterious, unsettled feeling that you’re left with after each episode ends, try one of these books.

Severance by Ling Ma

Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. So she barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies cease operations. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city. Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. 

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

On an unnamed island, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses. Most of the inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few able to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten. When a young writer discovers that her editor is in danger, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards, and together they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the labyrinth itself. There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel.

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

Across the world, thousands of people are shocked by a notification that they once chose to have a memory removed. Now they are being given an opportunity to get that memory back. Four individuals are filled with new doubts, grappling with the unexpected question of whether to remember unknown events, or to leave them buried forever. Noor, a psychologist working at the Nepenthe memory removal clinic in London, is shaken as she begins the process of reinstating patients’ memories. As she delves deeper into how the program works, she will have to risk everything to uncover the cost of this miraculous technology. 

Lakewood by Megan Giddings

When Lena’s beloved grandmother dies, the full extent of the family debt is revealed, so the Black millennial drops out of college to support her family. On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High paying. No out of pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program — and lie to her friends and family about the research being done. An eye drop that makes brown eyes blue, a medication that could be a cure for dementia, golden pills promised to make all bad thoughts go away. The discoveries made in Lakewood, Lena is told, will change the world — but the consequences for the subjects involved could be devastating. 

The Circle by Dave Eggers

When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. Mae is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity and can’t believe her luck to work for the most influential company in the world — even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, and role at the Circle becomes increasingly public.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the kidnapper knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Is it this life or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how will Jason make it back to the family he loves?

Finna by Nino Cipri

When an elderly customer at a furniture store slips through a portal to another dimension, it’s up to two minimum-wage employees to track her across the multiverse and protect their company’s bottom line. To find the missing granny, Ava and Jules (who broke up a week ago) will brave carnivorous furniture, swarms of identical furniture spokespeople, and the deep resentment simmering between them. 

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

Gerald’s consciousness has been uploaded into his company’s internal Slack channels. His colleagues assume it’s an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from-home policy. But

faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. Meanwhile, Gerald’s colleagues have PR catastrophes of their own to handle in the real world. And the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes. 

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Ellice Littlejohn has a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta and a “for fun” relationship with a rich, charming executive, who just happens to be her white boss. And then Ellice finds him dead with a gunshot to his head and walks away like nothing has happened. Why? Ellice has been keeping a cache of dark secrets, including a small-town past and a kid brother who’s spent time on the other side of the law. But when she uncovers shady dealings inside the company, Ellice is trapped in an impossible ethical and moral dilemma. 

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at an exclusive boarding school in the English countryside, where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Years later, Ruth and Tommy have reentered Kathy’s life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special — and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

No one knows us in quite the same way as the men and women who sit beside us in department meetings and crowd the office refrigerator with their labeled yogurts. This Chicago ad agency is coping with a business downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, elaborate pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks.

Featured Image by Apple TV

Booklist for Golden Globes picks

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Welcome to the best season, awards! We’re celebrating by picking some of our favorite Golden Globes nominees to match with book recommendations!

If you loved Dune 2, read A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine: 

Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor has died. No one will admit that his death wasn’t an accident–or that Mahit might be next to die during a time of political instability. Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan’s unceasing expansion–all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret.

If you loved A Complete Unknown, read Just Kids by Patti Smith:

It was the summer of love and riots, and the summer when a chance encounter in Brooklyn led two young people on a path of art, devotion, and initiation. Patti Smith would evolve as a poet and performer, and Robert Mapplethorpe would direct his highly provocative style toward photography. In 1969, the pair set up camp at the Hotel Chelsea and soon entered a community of the famous and infamous, the influential artists of the day and the colorful fringe. 

If you loved Challengers, read Intercepted by Alexa Martin:

When Marlee Harper discovers her NFL-star boyfriend has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. But Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights. Gavin fights to show Marlee he’s nothing like her ex. But the team’s wives are not happy with Marlee’s return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. 

If you loved True Detective: Night Country, read The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones: 

Four American Indian men and their families are all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

If you loved Slow Horses, read Case Histories by Kate Atkinson: 

Case one: A little girl goes missing in the night.

Case two: A beautiful young office worker falls victim to a maniac’s apparently random attack.

Case three: A new mother finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making – with a very needy baby and a very demanding husband – until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

Thirty years after the first incident, as private investigator Jackson Brodie begins investigating all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge . . .

If you loved I’m Still Here, read Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hasimi: 

Ten-year-old Sitara’s world is shattered when communists in Kabul stage a coup, assassinating her entire family. Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America, where she takes on a new name–Aryana Shepherd–and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. Thirty years later, an elderly patient appears in her examination room–the soldier who saved her. Seeing him awakens Aryana’s fury and desire for answers–and, perhaps, revenge. 

If you loved The Substance, read Rouge by Mona Awad:

Belle is obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When a strange woman in red appears at her mother’s funeral, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror–and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.

If you loved Conclave, read The Confessor by Daniel Silva:

In Munich, a Jewish scholar is assassinated. In Venice, Mossad agent and art restorer Gabriel Allon receives the news, puts down his brushes, and leaves immediately. And at the Vatican, the new pope vows to uncover the truth about the church’s response to the Holocaust–while a powerful cardinal plots his next move. 

If you loved Nickel Boys, read James by Percival Everett:

When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide nearby until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father. Thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River. And here, Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.

Booklist for national science fiction day

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

January 2 is national science fiction day, and I want to use it as an excuse to get people into one of my favorite genres! Whether you’ve never read a sci-fi book before, you’ve dabbled but not really explored the genre, or you’re an expert who is looking for your next favorite read, I have a recommendation for you.

Beginner: All of these are fairly short (two are just novellas!) and there’s nothing too mind-bending in them.

  • The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi: Jamie Gray, a food delivery driver, signs on for a gig at a mysterious “animal rights organization,” but is surprised to learn that they are massive dinosaur-like creatures in an alternate dimension. 
  • To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers: A team of astronaut explorers are hard at work to ecologically survey four habitable worlds fifteen light years from Earth. 
  • Binti by Nnedi Okorafor: Binti is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Intermediate: If you feel like you’ve gotten your feet under you, try one of these books that are a bit more complicated.

  • The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson: Multiverse travel is finally possible, but no one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying–from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total. But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret.
  • Dawn by Octavia E. Butler: When Lilith lyapo wakes from a centuries-long sleep, she finds herself aboard the vast spaceship of the Oankal, a seemingly benevolent alien race that intervened in the fate of humanity. After learning all they could about Earth and its beings, the Oankali healed the planet, cured cancer, increased human strength, and they now want Lilith to lead her people back to Earth–but salvation comes at a price.
  • The Martian by Andy Weir: After a dust storm on Mars nearly kills astronaut Mark Watney and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive–and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills–and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit–he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. 

Expert: Ready for a challenge? Try one of these books, where things get more advanced.

  • The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu: Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. 
  • Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: When Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for her unconventional tactics, Kel Command gives her a chance to redeem herself, by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles from the heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake: if the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next. Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress. The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own.
  • Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi: Ella has a Thing. She sees a classmate grow up to become a caring nurse. A neighbor’s son murdered in a drive-by shooting. Things that haven’t happened yet. Kev, born while Los Angeles burned around them, wants to protect his sister from a power that could destroy her. But when Kev is incarcerated, Ella must decide what it means to watch her brother suffer while holding the ability to wreck cities in her hands.