The Statesman

Is #BookTok creating fast fashion books?

Katherine Kimes • February 13, 2024

The TikTok hashtag #BookTok, raking in 224.5 billion views and counting, has enraptured the app’s book-loving community. BookTok has mirrored other communities on platforms such as Instagram’s...

“Divine Rivals”: a mismarketed romantasy novel that falls woefully flat

Katherine Kimes • February 4, 2024

“Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross has been a bestseller ever since hitting the shelves last April. It has not only been a trending sensation on TikTok under #BookTok, but it also won the Goodreads Choice Awards 2023 for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction.

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“How to Kill Men and Get Away with It”: a regrettable and unoriginal thriller novel

Jenna Zaza, Arts and Culture Editor • January 19, 2024

The book “How to Kill Men and Get Away with It” by Katy Brent has an amazing and intriguing premise appealing to those who are infuriated with our patriarchal society, as main character Kitty Collins seeks to cleanse the world of scum men.

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Beyond the Book Cover of “The Chalice of the Gods”: revisiting the Percy Jackson universe

Patrick Larkin • October 21, 2023

When I heard there was going to be a new Percy Jackson book from Rick Riordan called “The Chalice of the Gods” coming out this year, I was ecstatic. After I finally read it this month, I absolutely loved it.

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Beyond the Book Cover of “Fourth Wing,” an exploration of chronic illness within adult fantasy literature

Katherine Kimes • September 10, 2023

This is a new feature in The Statesman that will review books in a unique way. Rather than the staid, straightforward critical reviews that you would typically find in The New York Times, this new...

“Lemon” by Kwon Yeo-sun: a beautiful, dark and thought-provoking novel

Jenna Zaza • July 16, 2023

Reading “Lemon” is a thought-provoking journey that leaves you pondering long after turning the final page. Kwon’s wicked writing style bewitches you, and you may end up finishing the book in a single day.

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The books that made us: Alyssa Pascocello

Alyssa Pascocello • April 23, 2023

The Books That Made Us: I, for one, am an avid admirer of all things book-related. Book lovers, book nooks, book-shaped earrings, authors of books, public libraries, etc. The list is ever-growing.

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The books that made us: Anya Marquardt

Anya Marquardt • April 2, 2023

From the earliest time I can remember, my parents always made sure I had a book in my hand. I wasn’t a video game enthusiast or an “iPad kid” — I was that kid who would rather sit on the bleachers and read a book than join in on the soccer game.

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Hockey smut and the search for sexual literacy

Skylar Sena • March 26, 2023

So why does smut get this type of global internet attention? Because they’re the books that are written for women, by women.

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Romance novel “It Ends with Us”: cautionary tale of domestic violence falls dangerously flat

Jenna Zaza • March 26, 2023

While "It Ends With Us" is marketed as a romance novel and continues to be praised, its erroneous portrayal of intimate partner violence (IPV) renders it downright dangerous to be classified as such, as Hoover’s attempt at a cautionary tale falls flat.

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The books that made us: Christine Kelley

Christine Kelley • March 21, 2023

Over the next few weeks, "The Statesman" will be rolling out "The Books That Made Us," in which members of the newspaper's editorial board share the five books that helped shape the person they are today.

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Six short books to read this year

Jenna Zaza • February 18, 2023

Instead of waiting for the beginning of a new month to start anew, begin your reading journey now with these six short yet mighty books.

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