Welcome to Pages to the Past, a continuing celebration of Algonquin’s historical fiction. One of the most powerful things a story can do is sweep you away—to a different place, world, or time. In the pages of historical fiction, we can understand our history and gain new perspectives on our current situation. These novels offerContinue reading

These days, we’re all spending our work time, free time, and social time at home. That means it’s time to pick up some new hobbies, and William Alexander knows just the thing—or three—you can do. If you’ve found yourself contemplating a sourdough starter or dreaming about starting the perfect garden, why not get a littleContinue reading

For these days when the expression “When pigs fly . . .” never felt more appropriate, we’re swooping in with The Algonquin Reader. This Spring/Summer edition features original, smart, thoughtful, personal essays from bestselling authors Julia Alvarez, Jill McCorkle, Larry Watson, and Caroline Leavitt, along with newcomers Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Richard Farrell, and ShurtiContinue reading

The wonderful Julia Alvarez always has a way of helping us understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. In this video, she talks about the importance of reading and stories in our lives, particularly right now. “Stories help us survive the worst of times.” The best books, she says, don’t provide answers inContinue reading

We’ve been hearing from so many of you about two books in particular that have been bringing you comfort and inspiration and joy:The Book of Delights by Ross Gay and What Unites Us by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner. The Book of Delights When author and poet Ross Gay wrote short “essayettes” about the thingsContinue reading