Posts by Jenny Shank

About the Author

Jenny Shank's first novel, The Ringer, won the High Plains Book Award. Her stories, essays, satire and reviews have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, McSweeney's, Poets & Writers, Prairie Schooner, Dallas Morning News, and PBS MediaShift. She lives in Colorado and tweets @JennyShank.

Where to Start Reading the Transcendent Work of Toni Morrison

gateway reads

Where to Start Reading the Transcendent Work of Toni Morrison

The Nobel laureate and towering figure of American letters Toni Morrison died Monday at the age of 88. She leaves behind a unique and indispensable...

5 Books to Read Next if You Loved Where the Crawdads Sing

must readalikes

5 Books to Read Next if You Loved Where the Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens’ debut novel Where the Crawdads Sing zoomed up the bestseller list last year and continues to attract more readers, thanks to Reese...

6 Memoirs to Read Next If You Loved Educated

searing memoirs

6 Memoirs to Read Next If You Loved Educated

Tara Westover’s memoir Educated is a blockbuster by any standard. Those who read it early sensed that this story, of Westover’s evolution from...

5 of the Best New Memoirs of Spring

opening up

5 of the Best New Memoirs of Spring

Memoirs offer readers the opportunity to take a journey through another human’s life. No matter how different the particulars of the...

6 Literary Debuts to Read in 2019

new voices

6 Literary Debuts to Read in 2019

We all love a book by an old favorite writer who never disappoints, but those lifelong reading relationships have to start somewhere. Debut novels offer...

6 Short Story Collections to Look Forward to in 2019

new releases

6 Short Story Collections to Look Forward to in 2019

Fiction readers who overlook short stories are missing out. Not only do some of our best writers get started in the form before moving on to novels (think...

Why Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion Is the Ideal Book Club Pick

the b&n book club

Why Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion Is the Ideal Book Club Pick

Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion is a great, big bear hug of a feminist novel, a book to linger over and lose yourself in. It’s a book that...

7 Lines from Classic Literature for Incurable Romantics

love sweet love

7 Lines from Classic Literature for Incurable Romantics

If you’re looking for the perfect sentiment about love for Valentine’s Day, and greeting cards and conversation hearts just aren’t...

6 Splendid Short Story Collections for 2018

don't miss them

6 Splendid Short Story Collections for 2018

In December, people on the Internet lost their minds over a New Yorker short story about contemporary courtship—yes, a short story!—called “Cat...

6 Debut Novels to Watch for in 2018

new and noteworthy

6 Debut Novels to Watch for in 2018

Many readers love the fall, when new novels by well-known authors are apt to appear in bookstores. But some of us prefer the first part of the year, when...

10 Can’t-Miss Fiction Reads for Fall

top picks

10 Can’t-Miss Fiction Reads for Fall

Beach reads are fun, but when the air turns crisp, many of us look forward to the rush of literary fiction hitting bookstores. Here are ten books to savor...

5 Books to Prep You for the Great American Eclipse

into darkness

5 Books to Prep You for the Great American Eclipse

Astronomy buffs started making plans years ago to see the total solar eclipse that will arc through America on August 21. But if you’re just getting...