Open Letters Review
@olreview.bsky.social
An arts & literature review. Peppery commentary on the arts & letters of the day.
Find us here: https://linktr.ee/openlettersreview
Find us here: https://linktr.ee/openlettersreview
Steve Donoghue reviews a biographical deep dive into the three key players at Gettysburg, Three Roads to Gettysburg by Tim McGrath, out from Caliber:
openlettersreview.com/posts/three-...
openlettersreview.com/posts/three-...
Three Roads to Gettysburg by Tim McGrath — Open Letters Review
A biographical deep dive into the three key players at Gettysburg
openlettersreview.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Steve Donoghue reviews a biographical deep dive into the three key players at Gettysburg, Three Roads to Gettysburg by Tim McGrath, out from Caliber:
openlettersreview.com/posts/three-...
openlettersreview.com/posts/three-...
Gabrielle Stetcher Woodward reviews memoir from the author Susan Orlean, Joyride, out from Avid Reader Press:
openlettersreview.com/posts/joyrid...
openlettersreview.com/posts/joyrid...
Joyride by Susan Orlean — Open Letters Review
A memoir from the author Susan Orlean
openlettersreview.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Gabrielle Stetcher Woodward reviews memoir from the author Susan Orlean, Joyride, out from Avid Reader Press:
openlettersreview.com/posts/joyrid...
openlettersreview.com/posts/joyrid...
Steve Donoghue reviews a new one-volume history of Rome, from Romulus and Remus to the fall of Constantinople, The Romans by Edward Watts, out from Basic Books:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ro...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ro...
The Romans by Edward Watts — Open Letters Review
A new one-volume history of Rome, from Romulus and Remus to the fall of Constantinople
openlettersreview.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Steve Donoghue reviews a new one-volume history of Rome, from Romulus and Remus to the fall of Constantinople, The Romans by Edward Watts, out from Basic Books:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ro...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ro...
Jim Abbiati reviews King Sorrow by Joe Hill, out from William Morrow:
openlettersreview.com/posts/king-s...
openlettersreview.com/posts/king-s...
King Sorrow by Joe Hill — Open Letters Review
An overlong and predictable suspense/thriller/horror novel riddled with political proselytizing.
openlettersreview.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Jim Abbiati reviews King Sorrow by Joe Hill, out from William Morrow:
openlettersreview.com/posts/king-s...
openlettersreview.com/posts/king-s...
Janet Wertman reviews The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman, out from Atlantic Monthly Press:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-st...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-st...
The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman — Open Letters Review
The story behind the legendary change of dynasties
openlettersreview.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Janet Wertman reviews The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman, out from Atlantic Monthly Press:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-st...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-st...
Hannah Joyner reviews previously unpublished stories that illuminate the literary development of the author of an American classic, The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee, out from Random House:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-la...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-la...
The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee — Open Letters Review
Previously unpublished stories illuminate the literary development of the author of an American classic.
openlettersreview.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Hannah Joyner reviews previously unpublished stories that illuminate the literary development of the author of an American classic, The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee, out from Random House:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-la...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-la...
Steve Donoghue reviews a new look at the ambitions of a newborn British empire, The Sun Rising by Anna Whitelock, out from Viking:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-su...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-su...
The Sun Rising by Anna Whitelock — Open Letters Review
A new look at the ambitions of a newborn British empire
openlettersreview.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Steve Donoghue reviews a new look at the ambitions of a newborn British empire, The Sun Rising by Anna Whitelock, out from Viking:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-su...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-su...
Katherine Harper reviews Anne Fadiman’s new collection of essays, Frog and Other Essays, out from @fsgbooks.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/frog-a...
openlettersreview.com/posts/frog-a...
Frog and Other Essays by Anne Fadiman — Open Letters Review
A review of Anne Fadiman’s new collection of essays
openlettersreview.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Katherine Harper reviews Anne Fadiman’s new collection of essays, Frog and Other Essays, out from @fsgbooks.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/frog-a...
openlettersreview.com/posts/frog-a...
Vincent McGean reviews a biographical reconstruction of the ancient Greek philosopher, Diogenes by Inger N. I. Kuin, out from Basic Books:
openlettersreview.com/posts/diogen...
openlettersreview.com/posts/diogen...
Diogenes by Inger N. I. Kuin — Open Letters Review
A biographical reconstruction of the ancient Greek philosopher
openlettersreview.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Vincent McGean reviews a biographical reconstruction of the ancient Greek philosopher, Diogenes by Inger N. I. Kuin, out from Basic Books:
openlettersreview.com/posts/diogen...
openlettersreview.com/posts/diogen...
Aaron Kyereh-Mireku reviews a new intellectual biography of the great philosopher, Kant: A Revolution in Thinking by Marcus Willaschek, out from @harvardpress.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/kant-a...
openlettersreview.com/posts/kant-a...
Kant: A Revolution in Thinking by Marcus Willaschek — Open Letters Review
A new intellectual biography of the great philosopher
openlettersreview.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Aaron Kyereh-Mireku reviews a new intellectual biography of the great philosopher, Kant: A Revolution in Thinking by Marcus Willaschek, out from @harvardpress.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/kant-a...
openlettersreview.com/posts/kant-a...
Jim Abbiati reviews a visually creepy novel perfect for the Halloween season, The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas, out from Berkley:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-po...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-po...
The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas — Open Letters Review
A visually creepy novel perfect for the Halloween season.
openlettersreview.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Jim Abbiati reviews a visually creepy novel perfect for the Halloween season, The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas, out from Berkley:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-po...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-po...
Tom LeClair reviews a debut novel about table tennis,
Underspin by E. Y. Zhao, out from Astra:
openlettersreview.com/posts/unders...
Underspin by E. Y. Zhao, out from Astra:
openlettersreview.com/posts/unders...
Underspin by E. Y. Zhao — Open Letters Review
A debut novel about table tennis
openlettersreview.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Tom LeClair reviews a debut novel about table tennis,
Underspin by E. Y. Zhao, out from Astra:
openlettersreview.com/posts/unders...
Underspin by E. Y. Zhao, out from Astra:
openlettersreview.com/posts/unders...
Brock Covington reviews a collection of stories from the prize-winning Russian poet, (Th)ings and (Th)oughts by Alla Gorbunova, out from @deepvellum.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/things...
openlettersreview.com/posts/things...
(Th)ings and (Th)oughts by Alla Gorbunova — Open Letters Review
A collection of stories from the prize-winning Russian poet
openlettersreview.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Brock Covington reviews a collection of stories from the prize-winning Russian poet, (Th)ings and (Th)oughts by Alla Gorbunova, out from @deepvellum.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/things...
openlettersreview.com/posts/things...
Jim Abbiati reviews an enjoyable hybrid of entwined genres, themes, and narrative styles, The Haunting of Modesto O'Brien by Brit Griffin, out from Latitude 46 Publishing:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ha...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ha...
The Haunting of Modesto O'Brien by Brit Griffin — Open Letters Review
An enjoyable hybrid of entwined genres, themes, and narrative styles.
openlettersreview.com
November 2, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Jim Abbiati reviews an enjoyable hybrid of entwined genres, themes, and narrative styles, The Haunting of Modesto O'Brien by Brit Griffin, out from Latitude 46 Publishing:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ha...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ha...
Tom LeClair reviews Ian McEwan’s ambitious new novel, What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, out from @aaknopf.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/what-w...
openlettersreview.com/posts/what-w...
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan — Open Letters Review
A review of Ian McEwan’s ambitious new novel
openlettersreview.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Tom LeClair reviews Ian McEwan’s ambitious new novel, What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, out from @aaknopf.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/what-w...
openlettersreview.com/posts/what-w...
Steve Donoghue reviews an insightful if slightly uneven look at serial killers and their analysts, The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett, out from @wwnorton.com:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-mo...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-mo...
The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett — Open Letters Review
An insightful if slightly uneven look at serial killers and their analysts
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Steve Donoghue reviews an insightful if slightly uneven look at serial killers and their analysts, The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett, out from @wwnorton.com:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-mo...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-mo...
Aaron Kyereh-Mireku reviews a dramatic account of the run-up to the English Civil War, The Blood in Winter by Jonathan Healey, out from Knopf:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-bl...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-bl...
The Blood in Winter by Jonathan Healey — Open Letters Review
A dramatic account of the run-up to the English Civil War
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Aaron Kyereh-Mireku reviews a dramatic account of the run-up to the English Civil War, The Blood in Winter by Jonathan Healey, out from Knopf:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-bl...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-bl...
Joe Spivey reviews Fateful Hours by Volker Ullrich, about the grim story of the end of Weimar Germany, out from @wwnorton.com:
openlettersreview.com/posts/fatefu...
openlettersreview.com/posts/fatefu...
Fateful Hours by Volker Ullrich — Open Letters Review
The grim story of the end of Weimar Germany
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Joe Spivey reviews Fateful Hours by Volker Ullrich, about the grim story of the end of Weimar Germany, out from @wwnorton.com:
openlettersreview.com/posts/fatefu...
openlettersreview.com/posts/fatefu...
Steve Donoghue reviews a generous narrative history of the famous Lake Superior shipwreck, The Gales of November by John U. Bacon, out from @liveright.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ga...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ga...
The Gales of November by John U. Bacon — Open Letters Review
A generous narrative history of the famous Lake Superior shipwreck
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Steve Donoghue reviews a generous narrative history of the famous Lake Superior shipwreck, The Gales of November by John U. Bacon, out from @liveright.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ga...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ga...
Steve Donoghue reviews a prismatic new look at Columbus the man and Columbiana the legends, The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus by Matthew Restall, out from @wwnorton.com:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ni...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ni...
The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus by Matthew Restall — Open Letters Review
A prismatic new look at Columbus the man and Columbiana the legends.
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Steve Donoghue reviews a prismatic new look at Columbus the man and Columbiana the legends, The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus by Matthew Restall, out from @wwnorton.com:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ni...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ni...
Steve Donoghue reviews a brilliant new biography of the legendary 20th-century author, True Nature by Lance Richardson, out from @pantheonbooks.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/true-n...
openlettersreview.com/posts/true-n...
True Nature by Lance Richardson — Open Letters Review
A brilliant new biography of the legendary 20th-century author
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Steve Donoghue reviews a brilliant new biography of the legendary 20th-century author, True Nature by Lance Richardson, out from @pantheonbooks.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/true-n...
openlettersreview.com/posts/true-n...
Jim Abbiati reviews a new posthumous Elmore Leonard novella, Picket Line, out from Mariner Books:
openlettersreview.com/posts/picket...
openlettersreview.com/posts/picket...
Picket Line by Elmore Leonard — Open Letters Review
Picket Line, a new posthumous Elmore Leonard novella, is a must-have for completists and a maybe-have for anyone else.
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Jim Abbiati reviews a new posthumous Elmore Leonard novella, Picket Line, out from Mariner Books:
openlettersreview.com/posts/picket...
openlettersreview.com/posts/picket...
Steve Donoghue reviews a gripping new history of the First Battle of Ypres, The Killing Season by Robert Cowley, out from @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ki...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ki...
The Killing Season by Robert Cowley — Open Letters Review
A gripping new history of the First Battle of Ypres
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Steve Donoghue reviews a gripping new history of the First Battle of Ypres, The Killing Season by Robert Cowley, out from @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ki...
openlettersreview.com/posts/the-ki...
Tom LeClair reviews Shadow Ticket, the new novel from the legendary Thomas Pynchon, out from @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/shadow...
openlettersreview.com/posts/shadow...
Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon — Open Letters Review
A review of the new novel from the legendary Thomas Pynchon
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Tom LeClair reviews Shadow Ticket, the new novel from the legendary Thomas Pynchon, out from @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/shadow...
openlettersreview.com/posts/shadow...
Joe Spivey reviews All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh, out from @aaknopf.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/all-co...
openlettersreview.com/posts/all-co...
All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh — Open Letters Review
A wry look at the far-flung provinces of the gustatory world
openlettersreview.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Joe Spivey reviews All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh, out from @aaknopf.bsky.social:
openlettersreview.com/posts/all-co...
openlettersreview.com/posts/all-co...