@karenrivers
I write books, read books, think about books, teach people how to write books, and talk to my dogs about books. A PRETTY IMPLAUSIBLE PREMISE out now from Algonquin/Hachette. Coming Soon: Birdfish (Little Brown) and more!
THIS. I've never written for a hit TV show, but I've written 28 novels, which by most measures equals "success", and yet I'm still white-knuckling every minute of every day.
I recently did not receive a grant because one juror seemed to believe that I couldn't possibly *need* the money. WRONG.
I wish I knew.
Other old-fashioned terms include, "rent", "mortgage", "electricity bills", and "insurance".
Almost 30 books into my career, that "stay of execution" line resonates.
Why do we treat our creatives like this? I'll never understand it. We need and want and love and consume stories, but most people who write them live on the razor's edge, never knowing if the next thing will sell.
Lately I've been leaning into horror (both writing it and reading it) and I'm learning that I like a subtle horror that creeps up on you like a formerly friendly cat who suddenly starts hissing whenever you walk by. In that vein, may I recommend The Night Guest, which is a quick eerie read.
I got my hands on Emma Pattee's Tilt, my most anticipated book of 2025, and it did not disappoint. 10/10. A+.
Some pro-tips: You are going to want to read this in one sitting. Set aside some time. Buckle in.Have tissues nearby. Remember that you, too, live on the Cascadia subduction zone. Panic.
Already pre-ordered, can't wait to read it!
Also a shout-out to Beta Vulgaris which was one of my favourite recent advance reads. You think "Sugar beets? What?" but it's fantastic, I promise.
What a great list!
I've tried to stop myself from posting this and outing my inner SuperNerd, but it comes up surprisingly often, and...I...can't...stop...myself this time. @nytgames.bsky.social -
What #book are you most excited about that's coming out this spring? Mine is TILT, by Emma Pattee, coming March 25 from @simonandschuster.bsky.social. "A primal scream of a novel"? Yes, please!
Do you think it will affect cross-border authors at all?
Cover of the novel Gingko Season by Naomi Xu Elegant featuring a pprofile of a pink table with yellow chairs against a backdrop of gingko trees.
Absolutely flattened by the volume of incredibly good books coming out in 2025. Yes, the world is a dumpster fire, but where there are books this good, there is still hope. Currently reading (and loving) this fresh debut (via Netgalley and WWNorton).
Important "what am I reading?" update:
I am reading this and it is verrrrrrry good. Make a note! Pre-order! Do something! I love it.
Woke up to this audiobook by Charlotte McConaghy in my Netgalley queue and I would only be more excited if I won the lottery. She is a genius and everything she writes is exquisite and I can't wait to press 'play' on this one. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for making my day!
The Toilet Stabbing has to be the most illustrious! I think about it every time I use a pit toilet, tbh, even knowing that if someone was down there, the gases would have killed them already. But... what if?
Fwiw, I'm seeing posts about not buying US goods, which is reasonable here in Canada given what Trump's tariffs will do to us, but I will not stop supporting US authors, some of whom are friends, and most of whom I know do not support this batshit administration and the chaos they are wreaking.
Cover of Confessions, by Catherine Airey, featuring a painted woman's face in profile, another looking straight ahead, and a cassette tape.
The things that are keeping me sane in this insane time are reading & writing. Currently reading this, which I have a feeling will be one of those contagious books (like Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow) that gets passed around by word-of-mouth before suddenly being everywhere. It's very good.
Today's recommendation goes to this absolute gem by Emily Adrian. A funny, clever novel about the marriage between two writers/college faculty, told from the perspective of the wife's grad student. It's a conceit that I didn't like until I did. Magic. Preorder this one so you don't forget!
Asking for a blurb is akin to the middle school experience of passing a note to your crush that says, "Do you like me? Yes ___ No ____". Basically the most difficult thing in the world to do if you're an introverted writer, which we all are. So good news! www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
It felt uncomfortably plausible, that's for sure. Near-future set books are always so unsettling! It made me want to take a long, luxurious hike in the woods.
And to round it out at three for now, this absolutely chillingly accurate portrayal of what's probably just around the corner for us kept me listening all day yesterday. Helen Phillips novels are always uniquely surprising and this perfectly polished slice of the future is well worth a read.
Second very strong rec is for this precious gem of a book. I'm jealous of everyone who hasn't read it yet & gets to read it for the first time! It turned me inside out. I love it so much, I want to gift it to everyone, but I can't afford to, so you should treat yourself!
What are you reading? I have a string of books to recommend, starting with this one (although I'm only a quarter of the way in!) It's about a psychiatrist who is treating a woman who has hyperthymesia, which is a condition I'm obsessively interested in.
I love Neahkhanie. I took my kids up once when they were quite little though and that scramble at the top definitely weakened my knees!
Today I need more moss and more trees and fewer Terrible Things. You?
2 days until A Pretty Implausible Premise launches into the world!
Please consider pre-ordering.
Pre-orders /first-week orders make a huge difference and I promise that this book is full of #love (with a dash of #TaylorSwift and maybe you need that right now?
I know I do.
My book comes out in 4 days and I've used my excessive panicky energy to clean every millimetre of my fridge (dumping condiments that have been in there for a decade!) while listening to Taylor Swift and trying to channel her magic into willing readers to find it, read it...and hopefully love it.
"ai is making it so everyone can make art"
everyone can make art dumbass it came free with your fucking humanity
I didn't know this was where everyone had gone! How did I miss it? HELLO OLD FRIENDS. I've missed you all.
Six days until release day!
